Archive of Our Own

"Is it done yet?"

"You know by asking me that every five seconds it won't make the chocolate done faster, right?"

Soyeon rubbed her forehead. Sohee was right, but she was impatient. Sue her. Opening a food account was fun, but it wasn’t fun when she was cooking for real for someone she loved.

Well, baking. She was baking chocolate for Yuqi.

It wasn't like her girlfriend asked for it outright, especially since it was still technically promotion time, but she knew Yuqi and the longing look at the discounted chocolate when they passed convenience stores, as well as the way her ears perked up every time she heard a Valentine's Day ad, made her want to do something for her.

Call it guilt, but there were times when she felt like she wasn't a good enough girlfriend for Yuqi. Whoever said dating your own groupmate was simple was dead wrong. Maybe when they were rookies living in the same dorm, but the point is that it didn't apply to them. They were often too busy to meet. Maybe some texts here and there throughout the day, but the demand for both of them was excessive. She was grateful for all of the outpouring jobs, but it left her with too little time for her girlfriend.  

She missed Yuqi a lot, but she didn't want to bother her by being too clingy, which Minnie and Miyeon chastised her for when they met for coffee a few days before the couple left for Japan. (“She’s your girlfriend. If anyone deserves to be clingy to her, it's you. And I’m sick of listening to her whine about missing you!” “She’s right, you know. Sometimes I caught her staring at her phone without doing anything. I bet she wants to call you, but she doesn't want to bother you. Be reasonable and call her first, Soyeon-ah.")

So, she decided to surprise Yuqi. Well, not really. She did post her chocolate-making process on Instagram because nothing says Jeon Soyeon like killing two birds with one stone, so why not do some fanservice while also pleasing her girlfriend?

She didn’t know if Yuqi had seen the video yet and somehow, she didn’t really want to know, because while she was sure Yuqi would love anything that she gave her, she wanted to see the reaction straight from the source, not from social media.

This was why she was impatient. She wanted nothing more than to march to the dorm with the handmade chocolate and maybe spend some time with her girlfriend to unwind and get away from the chaos.   

When Shuhua fell sick and almost begged Soyeon for some rest, she couldn't say no, especially since her beloved muse was crying. She felt horrible when the foreign line became sick one by one; even her own cough had been bothering her for months, and Miyeon was an expert at concealing her exhaustion behind her cheerful smile. She thought she deserved some of the blame. She might be their leader and executive producer, but Cube would still overturn her decisions in some cases. Did they listen when she asked for a comeback after the Seollal holiday rather than right before it? No, because they wanted them to attend fashion week. Now, everything had been cut short due to the holiday and the fact that everyone was sick and overworked. The Jingle Ball shows and the year-end stages had truly wrecked their bodies, and they were still paying for it. 

It was a miracle that the two-day concerts in the United States were postponed. They all finally could rest, especially Shuhua, who went to her house the day the announcement was made to ask for permission to return home until they needed her again. A sort of mini-hiatus, given that they would attend fashion week after the holiday, and she was the only one who didn't have a contract with any brand, so she didn't have to go. Soyeon immediately agreed, knowing how badly the youngest needed it. She had to have a screaming match with management as a result of Shuhua's sudden departure, but it was worth it. 

She sighed, wishing she was a better leader who was capable of protecting everyone. She despised the fact that she was mostly powerless and she could only hope that everything would be fine until the end and that nothing would ever jeopardize their precious, hard-earned peace.

“You know, you don’t even need an oven if you keep glaring at the chocolate like that. I’m sure you could bake it with the power of your eyes alone.”

"What, like Cyclops?"

"Sure, nerd." Sohee snorted. “It’ll be done soon. Can't you play with your phone or something? You're making me nervous by hovering like that."

"What? Why? I didn't do anything!"

"Exactly because of that! It's weird! Don’t just stand in front of the oven and go call Yuqi-unnie or whatever. I’ll keep an eye on it.”

"I'll be meeting her soon, why would I call her now? She's probably still asleep, anyway."

“You’re so not romantic! Don’t you want to hear her voice all the time?”

"I'm not you and your boyfriend." Soyeon rolled her eyes. "We're both busy adults."

“Why are you speaking like you’re ten years older than me with years of marriage?! You were barely able to answer Yuqi-unnie’s confession, remember?”

"Don't remind me," Soyeon complained. "That was so lame."

"You are lame."

"Is that how you talk to your sister who gave you a hundred thousand won for pocket money last month?" 

"Soyeon-unnie is the best unnie!" Sohee batted her eyelashes.

"I'm your only unnie."

"Not true! The others are my unnies too! Yuqi-unnie a bit more, I guess.”

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, when two adults are in a serious relationship…"

Soyeon blinked. Were she and Yuqi in a serious relationship? They had been together for almost two years already, but it felt like they both were still so childish and unprepared for any commitment bigger than reserving a restaurant for dinner. "Huh."

"What?"

"Do you think we're ready for that?"

"Being in a serious relationship?" Soyeon nodded. "How would I know? You’re the one with her, not me!”

"I mean, what do you think as an outsider?"

"I'm your sister!" 

"I mean you're not me or Yuqi, not that you don't know us!"

"Once again, I'm not the one in the relationship; what do I know? All I know is that you look so much happier since you started dating her, but you haven't really introduced her to Mom and Dad."

"They know her, though."

“Yeah, as your friend and teammate, not your girlfriend! They know you’re together, but that’s it. They haven’t met her as your girlfriend yet.”

"Do you think I should do that? Bring her home?”

“Why not? It’s not like they will disown you. Yuqi-unnie is charming; she'd probably have them wrapped around her little finger in about an hour." 

"True." Soyeon smiled as she thought of her girlfriend. "I'll look for a good time, I guess."

“Are you sure? Don't do that just because I said so. You know sometimes I just say things without thinking.”

“Believe me, I know. I have a lot of firsthand experience.”

"You're so mean!"

"It's not mean when it's the truth."

Sohee huffed but said nothing else. Soyeon wondered if Yuqi would be interested in meeting her parents. She hung out with Sohee sometimes, but she supposed her sister's approval was different than her parents’. 

She was glad Yuqi was an only child. To be honest, she didn't know how to endear herself to a sibling. She didn’t want to brag, but older people usually liked her because she was quiet and polite. Younger or same-aged people, however? They often made her feel awkward. 

That didn’t mean she was ready to meet Yuqi’s parents, though. She loved Yuqi, but the prospect of officially meeting her parents made her nervous. She wished she could be like Miyeon and Minnie, who were in Japan with Miyeon's mom for a vacation. She couldn't even imagine doing that with Yuqi's parents, even putting aside the language barrier.

Soyeon sighed. Damn Sohee for making her overthink this stuff.

"Why…" she paused.

"Why what?"

"Why don't I feel like I'm in a serious relationship even though we've been together for almost two years and we're in our mid-twenties?" Soyeon confessed quietly. "I feel like all we've been doing is just having fun." 

“Do you want to suffer together or something? Are you crazy? And what’s wrong with having fun?”

“It’s not that! It’s just that I feel childish…”

“Unnie, I don’t know where your head is right now because you suddenly said that, but isn’t it okay if you feel childish? What do you mean by a serious relationship, anyway?”

"The future, I guess." Soyeon stared at the oven. "I have a lot of doubts."

"You're doubting her?"

“I’m doubting myself, mainly. I was thinking about when you mentioned her meeting with Mom and Dad. She could easily talk to them because she's fluent in Korean, but what if she asks me to meet her parents? I don't speak Mandarin, and you know I don't speak English that well."

"Why are we suddenly talking about serious things? I’m scared. Did I say something wrong? I was just rambling!"

"No, that's fine. You gave me something to think about.”

“During Valentine’s Day? You better not break up with her just because I said something stupid!"

“I won’t! That’s the last thing I want to do! I love her!” Soyeon sighed. "It's just, you know, the doubts."

“Can’t you just bake a chocolate for your girlfriend without spiraling? It’s barely six.”

"It's hard," Soyeon admitted. "You know what I'm like." 

“Look, just talk to her about everything, okay? For the record, I think it's fine if you feel childish around her. It’s not a flaw, you know. Maybe being with her will keep you young.”

"Are you calling me old?"

"If the shoe fits…" Sohee shrieked as Soyeon threw a fistful of sugar at her. "UNNIE! I’M NOT CLEANING THAT UP!”

"You will."

"Why should I?! Haru-ssi will pick me up at ten, and I need to get to the salon soon! We'll be busy today! You should be grateful I came to help you even before I was fully awake!"

"If I send you ten thousand, will you do it?"

Sohee narrowed her eyes. "Fifty."

"Fifty?! Do you have gambling debt?! Why are you asking me for that much?!”

“Uh, because you’re rich as hell? What's the point of having a money bag as a sister if I can't ask for an outrageous amount of money every now and then?

“I’m not a walking ATM! Fifteen!"

"Forty-five!"

"Twenty!"

"Thirty or I'll walk away right now," Sohee threatened.

"What did I do in my previous life that my bad karma is having a greedy sister like you?" Soyeon grumbled as she sent Sohee the money from her phone. "There! Now clean it up!”

Sohee punched the air as she saw the notification. "Yes! And because I'm nice and generous, I'll even help you touch up the chocolate. Go shower, you look terrible.” 

"No, don't, help me record it instead."

"For your food account?" Sohee shook her head. "I can't believe you're making a cute thing for Yuqi-unnie as a part of work."

“It’s either that or talking on Bubble. Management is angry because I haven't been posting anything. It's not my fault I forgot my password. I guess I should tell IT."

"Again? You’re hopeless.” Sohee laughed. "Okay, I'll help. It should be finished soon, anyway."

"Thanks, unnie." Soyeon offered her a mock salute. 

It was almost seven thirty when she arrived at her old dorm. She didn't know why Yuqi and Miyeon insisted on staying here, but they mentioned how soul-crushing the rent in Seoul was, idols or not. However, Soyeon silently agreed when Minnie pointed out their girlfriends' codependency, which was funny because the pair would rather die than to admit it. At the very least, Yuqi would; she was sure Miyeon would simply laugh and say yes.

She inhaled deeply to brace herself. She didn't understand why she was so nervous. It was only Yuqi. Her girlfriend, who was cute, adorable, and soft beneath the swagger and posturing.

She still had the dorm key, but she felt as if she was intruding into a space where she no longer belonged. Since she moved out, the dorm felt like a distant memory from her youth; she felt like it was now Yuqi and Miyeon's place, and she knew how intrusive it felt to have someone trampling through her space uninvited.

She rang the bell while combing her hair with one hand. She hoped Yuqi was already awake; she knew the younger woman enjoyed sleeping in on her days off.

What she didn't expect was a stranger opening the door instead of her girlfriend.

Soyeon stiffened. “Who are you? Where’s Yuqi?”

When the man who looked vaguely familiar heard Yuqi's name, he perked up and said something Soyeon didn't understand. "Soyeon?" He pointed to her. "You're Soyeon?" He spoke in English.

"Yes, and you are?" Soyeon replied in English.

"I'm Yuqi's dad!" He smiled brightly. "Come in!" 

Soyeon felt her blood run cold when she heard the stranger–Yuqi’s dad–say that. She was just thinking she wasn't ready to meet Yuqi's parents formally, and now she's face to face with her girlfriend's hero. “Thank you,” she squeaked out, her manners kicked in even in a daze.

When she walked into the dorm and removed her shoes, she felt as if she was on Mars. It was mostly the same, except for less chaos and dirty laundry and dishes lying around because two women don't make as much mess as six women, but the presence of Yuqi's dad made her feel like an alien.  

Wait, was her mom here as well?! She didn't even bring anything! She barely had any makeup on because her plan was to give Yuqi the chocolate, maybe cuddle for a few minutes, and then head to the salon before her schedule. Yuqi’s dad must’ve thought of her as a rube, unworthy of his daughter’s love…

"Baby?! What are you doing here?!”

Yuqi's voice pulled her back from the brink of a meltdown, but she was still nervous because of her dad. "Um, hi. Surprise." 

Soyeon blushed as Yuqi hugged and kissed her cheek. It was nothing unusual and perfectly acceptable to do in front of your partner's parents, but Soyeon was shy and her nerves were frayed from his unexpected presence, so she couldn't even enjoy Yuqi's affection. "I wasn't expecting you to come today! I thought you had that radio interview?”

“Yeah, but that’s later. I thought I'd give you something before that."

"Ooh! What is it?!” Yuqi clapped with delight.

"I made you this." She handed her the packaged chocolate, feeling incredibly self-conscious as Yuqi's dad watched them with a huge grin on his face. "Happy Valentine's Day, Yuqi-yah." 

Yuqi's squeal made Soyeon's ears ring, but she was glad her girlfriend was so excited to get chocolate from her. “Oh my God! I thought you forgot about today!”

"Of course not."

"Thank you so much, baby!" To Soyeon’s embarrassment, Yuqi peppered her face with kisses. Normally, she enjoyed that type of affection, but because they weren't alone, it made her want to hide. “But I don’t have anything for you. I thought you’d be too busy today, so…”

“That’s okay. You can give me something on White Day.” Soyeon smiled shyly. “Um, before that, can you help me to greet your dad? I feel impolite, you know, what with him being right here." 

"Right!" Yuqi turned to face her dad and gently pushed Soyeon toward him. She was speaking rapidly to him in Mandarin. Not that Soyeon understood anything, but the way Yuqi squeezed her shoulders affectionately made her think she was saying something nice. “And you know my dad! The legend himself!” Yuqi smiled at him. "Say hi!"

“H-hello, sir. Good morning,” Soyeon said awkwardly in English while bowing.

"Morning! We finally get to meet for more than a minute." He smiled. "Thanks for always taking care of Yuqi."

“Of course. She’s my friend and…” Soyeon trailed off. "He knows about us, right?" She asked Yuqi in Korean to make sure.

"Duh! Why should I keep you a secret from him? Or from anyone, even?” Yuqi chuckled. She held Soyeon's hand while talking to her dad.

“Oh, I know,” he said. "She talks about you a lot." He directed it to Soyeon.

"I hope it's all good."

"It is." He smiled, and Soyeon realized how much the father and daughter resembled each other. Yuqi had his lips and eyes. Soyeon bet that Yuqi would have the same crow's feet as her dad in thirty years because they both smiled all the time. She idly wondered if she would still be around at that time. 

Yuqi said something to her dad again, and it wasn't the first time she wished she could understand Mandarin, even if only for a moment. "Let's go to my room," she suggested to Soyeon.

"What? What about your dad?”

“He’ll be fine! He was going to take a shower before you came, anyway. Let’s go and talk without him there.”

"Uh…" Soyeon was torn. While Yuqi’s dad seemed nice enough, this wasn’t the first impression of her as his daughter’s girlfriend that she wanted. "Enjoy your stay." She bowed.

"I will, thanks." He smiled again and extended his hand. "Nice to meet you."

She shook his hand firmly, hoping that her palms weren’t sweating. "Nice to meet you, too." 

Yuqi then pushed her into her room, waving absently to her dad. She shut the door behind them and jumped into the bed. "Come here!"

Soyeon was still standing. "Is it okay that you closed the door?"

Yuqi gave her a strange look. "Why wouldn't it? Don’t you want some privacy?”

"Well, yeah, but…"

"Oh, you mean you thought it's not proper?" She grinned. "Why? Are you gonna jump me with my dad outside?”

"No!" Soyeon sputtered.

“Aw, I was kinda hoping you’d say yes. I've never fooled around when my parents are home before."

"Why would you even want to do that in the first place?!" 

"It seems fun in the movies." She shrugged. "But if you thought my dad would want his daughter to stay pure, I'll open the door, even if it makes me feel like I'm 14 again and having my first crush come over."

"Have I ever told you how annoying you are?"

"Too often to count!" She laughed. "C'mere. I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do, I promise.”

Soyeon sighed. She wanted to cuddle and maybe kiss before she had to leave, but Yuqi's dad kind of put a damper on that. "Move."

Yuqi put her leg over Soyeon’s when she lay down next to her. "I really miss you, baby. I'm happy you came." 

"I miss you too, that's why I came here."

"Aren't you a romantic." Yuqi laughed and nudged her with her hips.

"Yeah, yeah, even if it was kinda foiled."

“Right, sorry about that. I figured that because Miyeon spent her days off at Minnie's house and they're now in Japan, my parents could stay here because it's empty. It's better than paying a fortune for a hotel."

“No, yeah, that’s okay. It's not like our families had never stayed over before. Remember when Sohee used to come over whenever she was fighting with my parents?” 

"Yeah! She always kicked you out of your room. But it made you stay with me, so I didn't mind." Yuqi chuckled. "How is she, by the way?"

"She's fine, she's going to go on a date with her boyfriend soon."

"That kid has a boyfriend already?!"

“You know she’s Shuhua’s age, right? You’re barely a year older than her.”

“I know, but she’s your sister. It makes her super young in my eyes.” Yuqi waved her hand. "She's growing up so fast."

"Again, she's just a year younger than you."

“Still a kid! She used to make me buy her ice cream and hotteok; that's what kids do!"

"Okay, okay, oh elder."

"Call me unnie!" 

"Ew, no. You never even call me that anymore unless we’re on camera.”

"Do you want me to call you that?" Yuqi looked at her with wide eyes. "Soyeon-unnie…"

"Stop, stop." Soyeon laughed. "It just sounds weird."

"Whatever you say, baby." Yuqi planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek. "Did Sohee help you? Can I eat the chocolate now?”

“Not really, but she did help me record the process. Sure, open it. I hope it’s tasty.”

"You haven't tasted it?! What if you accidentally used salt?!”

“I didn’t! Sohee said it’s edible!”

"I guess if the baker said so…" She shook the package, frowning.

"Right, before you actually open it, can I record it?" 

“For your food account? Sure, I don’t mind.”

"Sorry, I just realized I sounded like a content-hungry influencer."

“Nah, I get it. I don’t mind if you’re using it for work since you don’t really do fanservice that often, anyway. Just don’t show my face, I haven’t showered yet.”

"Yeah, I could tell." Soyeon smirked at Yuqi's pout. "You're still cute even if you have dried drool on your face, don't worry."

"I have what?!" She wiped her mouth. "Hey! There’s nothing there!”

"See? Cute." Soyeon kissed her forehead.

“You’re lucky I love you or I’ll take my offer back.”

“Yeah, right. C'mon." 

They recorded Yuqi opening the package. Her reaction was a bit stilted, but Soyeon supposed it was inevitable since it was planned, after all.

They sat on Yuqi's bed, squinting at Soyeon's phone. “Is it done? Can I eat it now?”

“Yeah, I’ll edit it later. Thanks, babe.” She put her phone into her pocket.

“You’re welcome. Let’s share! That way, we can get poisoned together."

"Hey! Didn't you trust my cooking at all?!"

"I think you'll be angry no matter what I say."

Soyeon rolled her eyes. “I told you Sohee was there. She wouldn't let me poison you, even if I wanted to."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" 

"Let's just eat. I can't stay for very long." Soyeon sighed. "I'm sorry."

“I told you it’s okay! I wasn't expecting anything today, so you coming here with handmade and potentially poisonous chocolate is awesome."

Soyeon felt guilty after Yuqi's confession. "Sorry. I should’ve tried to clear my schedule for special days.”

"Baby, please, I'm not a high schooler who gets upset because her girlfriend has to work on Valentine's Day or birthdays. We're coworkers, too! I know how busy we are!”

“Yeah, but still. Look at Miyeon-unnie and Minnie-unnie. Valentine's Day in Japan sounds so cool." 

"Of course you would think that, weeb," Yuqi muttered. "Those two are on a different level! Besides, they don’t have work and you do, so it’s okay. I swear I’m not mad, if that’s what you think.”

"Okay…"

"Come here, you overthinker." Yuqi pulled Soyeon closer. “You know I won’t lie to you. If I don’t like your bullshit, I’ll call you out! I’m not a doormat.”

Soyeon rested her head on her girlfriend's shoulder, comforted by her words. "Thanks."

"Stop thanking me and just eat!"

They shared the chocolate in silence, and Soyeon sighed with relief when they realized it was edible. Not as good as Sohee’s, but she was proud it didn’t make them choke to death.  

"Oh, good, it's not poisonous."

"And you get to live on another day to annoy me."

"And to love you!" Yuqi kissed her. “Thanks for the gift, baby. I’ll find something that’ll blow your tits off for White Day!”

"Can I send you my wishlist instead?"

"Why are you so logical and pragmatic! You’re supposed to say ‘Yes, babe, I can’t wait’!”

"What? I don't want you to waste your money. Besides, this way we both win. I get what I want, and you can see how much I enjoy your gift.”

"So not romantic!"

"I wouldn't say no if you get me everything."

"I thought you're the sugar mommy between us, not me!"

"Stop calling me that!" 

"Okay, Dad. How about that? You gave Shuhua money for her birthday. That's totally dad-coded!"

"No! That’s even worse!” She pushed Yuqi. “Especially since your dad is here! That makes it so much weirder!”

"Okay, you grump. Send me the link later."

Soyeon nodded and rested her head on Yuqi's shoulder, their thighs touching. "You know, speaking of your dad, I can't believe I didn't recognize him."

"My hotness comes from my parents, but mostly from him. How could you didn't recognize him? You suck!”

"Don't blame me! I barely saw them when they came to our concerts! I didn't see them either when they came here to visit you."

"Fair enough, I don't really remember your parents' faces either, honestly." 

"Maybe we both suck."

“Not me! I remember Sohee’s face, at least!”

"Yeah, because you two hang out sometimes!" Soyeon elbowed Yuqi's side. "Where's your mom, by the way?"

“She’s still sleeping. She passed out after going all out at noraebang yesterday." Yuqi laughed. “You’re lucky you just met my dad. My mom is the strict one. She’d grill you.”

Soyeon stiffened slightly. "Is it okay that I don't greet her?"

"That's okay! She'd be angry if I woke her up." Yuqi wrapped her arm around Soyeon's waist. "You know, you're taking the whole meeting with my parents better than I expected."

“Hell no. I’m actually freaking out right now. I didn’t even dress up and I came empty-handed. Your dad must think I’m rude.”

“Nah, it’s okay! He's chill. Besides, I didn't tell you they were staying here. Of course you didn’t expect to meet them.”

"It's my fault for not asking you in the first place."

"What, and spoiling the surprise? It's fine, baby. You'll have more opportunities to meet them in a better situation."

"But…" Soyeon cleared her throat. "But it's different when I meet them as your girlfriend, right? Meeting them formally, I mean."

"You're kinda old-fashioned sometimes," Yuqi teased. “Do you want to meet my parents formally as my girlfriend? In a fancy restaurant with tiny-sized food, while dressed to impress?" 

Soyeon stared at the floor. "If I say I'm not ready, will you be mad at me?"

"Why should I? It’s totally a normal reaction. That’s a big step in any relationship. It’s okay if you’re not ready.”

"Wow, I thought you'd be mad."

"What? Why?"

"You're very close with them. I thought you'd push me a little to meet them." 

“I love them, but I love you, too. I know you want things to be perfect and you want to make a good first impression on them as my girlfriend, so I understand the hesitation.” Yuqi kissed the side of her head. "To be honest, I don't think I'm ready to meet your parents as your girlfriend either. Sohee is one thing, but your parents? I’m nervous.”

"That's okay. There will be more opportunities like you said. Hopefully."

"Hopefully? Why did you say that?” 

"You'll…" Soyeon stopped. Will they even have more opportunities in the future? This was something that always lingered in the back of her mind: whether Yuqi would stay after the contract renewal, or even if she would agree to one, which was another monster to deal with and something she didn't want to think about right now. But she wasn't sure how she should approach the subject. "Never mind."

"What? Tell me. We're having a grown-up conversation right now, so let's just say it."

"I don't know…"

“I don’t want it to bother you. I feel like you’ve been thinking about a lot of things.”

"It's kind of another hard topic." 

“Then tell me. We’ll think about it together. That's what girlfriends are for. I don't want you to deal with your problems alone."

"I don't know if I should talk about it now."

“Baby, you’re killing me. Just tell me so I don't overthink what you're going to say. You know I hate it when people want to say something and then don’t.”

Finally, she decided to bite the bullet. "Will you stay in Korea?"

"Of course I will, what are you talking about?"

"I mean…" Soyeon averted her gaze. “I mean next year, after our contract renewal. Do you even want that?”

Silence. Soyeon cursed inwardly. She realized she shouldn't have brought it up out of nowhere like this. 

"I think…" Yuqi began but soon fell silent again. She held Soyeon's hand, and the warmth and weight of her hand in hers comforted her to some extent.

“Take your time. I'm sorry for asking you this so suddenly."

"No, that's a valid question. Really valid." Yuqi sighed. "I've been thinking about it too since last year."

"Do you want to tell me about it?" 

“I think… I think I'll stay," she said softly. “My home is in China, but I also have a home here in Korea. There are so many important things for me right here. My work and my friends. The girls. You." Yuqi's voice became uncertain, and all of her usual bravado vanished. "I'm not sure if I'd stay in Cube, and I've been putting off thinking about it, so don't ask me about it right now because I won't be able to answer, but I want us to stay together as a group for as long as we can. I don’t know about the others, but that’s what I think, at least. My parents understood when I told them about my decision. As long as I go home sometimes, they don’t mind. They understand how important this is for me. I mean, a lot of people are working abroad and away from their families, right? I’m just doing the same thing.”

Soyeon wasn't the type to cry easily, but the thought of Yuqi staying lifted a huge burden off her shoulders and made her tear up. "Yuqi-yah…"

“Wh–Hey! Don’t cry! What did I do?!"

"I'm happy." She grinned through her tears. "I love you."

"I love you too, but please don't cry!" 

Soyeon buried her face in Yuqi's chest, overjoyed and overwhelmed by the fact that her girlfriend would stay. She knew she'd have to talk to everyone about it eventually, but knowing Yuqi would stay was enough for now.

Yuqi hugged her tightly and lightly stroked her back. "I didn't expect to have a breakfast of half-edible chocolate and deep talk during Valentine's Day with my girlfriend."

Soyeon sniffed. "Sorry."

"For ruining my pajamas with your snot?"

"For doubting you."

"Why? I’m super loyal! You know I’m not actually in love with Seulgi-unnie, right? Irene-sunbaenim would literally skin me if I try anything.” 

"I know, idiot, and I'll help her if you do. I mean…” Soyeon sighed deeply. "If I say I had doubts about our relationship, will you be angry?"

Yuqi was quiet for a moment. "Why? Did I do something wrong?” 

"No, it's just…" Soyeon wiped her eyes. “I didn’t know whether you would stay or not, so I admit, when we got together, a part of me felt like we were in limbo because I didn’t know how long you would be here, and I don’t think I could have a long-distance relationship. Sure, China is close, but it's still a country away, and the thought of not having you with me in Korea for too long fills me with dread. When you went back during our hiatus, it killed me.” She averted her gaze. “I couldn’t see you or Shuhua or Minnie-unnie, I had to comfort Soojin and Miyeon-unnie, and did my solo debut as if nothing happened. Then we had to place our last bet on I Never Die, which thankfully paid off and everyone came back. I got too busy and too in love to even consider the future, so I pushed it down." She swallowed. "I'm sorry for being so selfish, Yuqi-yah."

"Holy shit, when you dropped a bomb, it was a fucking nuclear one, huh?" Yuqi scratched her head. "How am I supposed to process this?" 

"You don't need to do it right now. I didn’t even mean to tell you any of that. It just came out. I’m sorry for ruining today.”

“You’re not ruining today, baby. It's just too much for me to think about at eight in the morning when I've barely eaten anything." She exhaled. "I'm kind of hurt, though."

"I'm sorry…"

"If you had doubts, then why did you say yes when I asked you to be my girlfriend?"

"Because I love you," she whispered. “I have been for a long time. So, when you confessed to me, I jumped at the chance because I was afraid of losing you after everything we had been through. My feelings outweighed my doubts."

"I was afraid of losing you, too. My time in China made me realize how empty I felt without you. That's why I confessed at the peak of our comeback. I think we were up for almost thirty hours at that time? I figured if you rejected me, I could blame delirium-induced sleep deprivation. But you said yes, and the rest is history." She smiled, but Soyeon could tell it was forced. “Do you still have doubts about me? About us?”

“No, not after you said you want to stay. That’s why I cried, because I feel so relieved that you’ll stay and that this relationship could actually go somewhere rather than being stuck in a limbo.”

"You know that we could always break up even if I stay, right?"

Soyeon gave her a horrified look. "Do you want to–"

"No!" She interrupted. “Fuck no. I love you and I want to be with you. I was just saying.”

"Oh."

“Don’t jump to conclusions. That’s not what I mean. My point is that you think too much, to the point where you don't even consider more mundane reasons of why we could have broken up besides me not staying here."

"Like what?"

“Falling out of love, maybe? Or growing apart? I could only think of those because I would rather kill myself than to cheat on you or to hurt you on purpose and I don't think I'll ever get bored of you. Fuck, man, I don't even know why people break up if there's nothing bad going on. I don't know a lot about relationship, if I have to be honest. It's not like I have a lot of experience, despite me being a big catch. You’re my first serious relationship.” 

"You're my first serious relationship too, you know. And thanks. I would never cheat on you or hurt you on purpose either, and I don't think it's possible for me to get bored of you." Soyeon fixed her gaze on Yuqi's big eyes. "And hey, I have even less experience than you do. I guess we're learning about this together."

"Sure, stumbling around in my twenties together with the girl I love sounds fun."

"The girl you love?" Soyeon smiled.

"Obviously. Why else would I be with you? I don't even get any special privileges from sleeping with the boss."

“The CEO likes you, if you want actual special privileges. I’m just the team leader with a bit of power.”

"EW!" Yuqi gagged. “Please don’t ever put those thoughts in my head ever again. That’s nasty!”

"Dummy."

"So… are we okay now?" Yuqi asked cautiously.

"We are, but are you?" 

“Right now? Yeah. I mean, I'm still shocked, but now that you've said you have no doubts about us, I feel better."

"Do you never have any doubts about us?"

“No,” came the quick answer. "I do think about the future, but I don't doubt us despite the circumstances. Obviously, we have a long way to go, but I believe we can do it."

"Even when neither of us are ready to meet each other's parents?"

"That's part of learning and maturing together. One step at a time. You could barely look into my dad's eyes before!"

"I was nervous!" Soyeon groaned. "Will you help me when I'm ready to meet your parents as your girlfriend?” 

"Like you have to ask! That's what my amazing language skills are for!"

"You're so obnoxious."

"You love me anyway!" Yuqi grinned, and Soyeon was relieved that it was genuine and sunny. "You know I'll always be there for you for anything and I know you'll do the same for me."

"Will I?"

"Hey!"

"You know I will, whiny."

"Okay, good, because even though I know they will like me, I still want you with me when I'm meeting your parents."

"How do you know my parents will like you as my girlfriend?"

“Because I’m me? Perfect and cool?”

"Suddenly I don't want you to meet them anymore."

"Hey! Rude!"

"Yuqi-yah."

"Yeah?"

"Stop talking." 

"What are you–oof!" Yuqi grunted as Soyeon pushed her onto the bed. "Woah, girl, are you seriously horny after all of that?"

"I mean, I wanted to cuddle and maybe kiss before I came here…"

“This might be surprising, but I’m not really in the mood to make out right now. Ask me later.”

“I don’t want to do that, you horndog. I just want you close.”

"I didn't expect you to push me like that, though. Are you gonna top me next?"

"If I have to confront my insecurities to top you, I don't think I want to do that too often."

"Damn it!"

"Sorry to disappoint."

"Kiss me and maybe I'll forgive you."

Soyeon held Yuqi's chin and kissed her gently. "Sorry again. For everything.”

“Stop that, I told you it’s fine. Well, okay, you kind of killed my libido because I can’t believe I don’t want to do anything with you on top of me right now, but that’s not gonna be for too long and I’ll bounce back after lunch. Probably."

"What will I do without your horniness?"

"No more sex songs because no one is hitting that ass."

"You think I can't get laid?"

“More like won’t. You're pickier than Minnie, which says a lot."

"Ugh, I can't even deny that."

"And that's why you should keep me around."

"So I can keep making sex songs for the group?"

"And to hit that ass!" 

"Idiot." She laughed. "I love you so much, you know that?"

"I know." Yuqi smiled softly. "I love you too."

"Let's go on a date before we have to go to fashion week."

"Sure, I'm down for whatever. Whether expensive restaurant in Gangnam or just eating ramyeon in your house, as long as we’re together, it’s gonna be fun.”

"Okay, I'll think of something and I'll let you know." Soyeon smiled. "Happy Valentine's Day, Yuqi-yah."

"Happy Valentine's Day, Soyeon-ah."