Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jinsol hummed as she made her way up to her shared apartment with her partner, her phone pressed to her ear. Haewon, her senior at work, was on the other end of the line, casually chatting about work before Jinsol brought up something more personal.

“So, when are you planning to donate?” Jinsol asked, adjusting the strap of her bag.

“Probably in two weeks,” Haewon replied. “I’m on my period right now, so I need to wait a bit before donating.”

Jinsol nodded even though Haewon couldn’t see her. “Makes sense.”

It was a normal conversation, one that most humans in relationships with vampires had at least once a month. Ever since peaceful co-existence between humans and vampires became official, new regulations had been put in place, including a voluntary blood donation system. Those who were in relationships or married to vampires were highly encouraged to donate blood at least once a month to support their partners' needs. It wasn’t mandatory, but most humans in relationships with vampires followed the guideline willingly, knowing it helped maintain balance.

Jinsol had already donated earlier this month, so she didn’t have to worry about it yet.

By the time she reached the apartment door, she was wrapping up the call. “Alright, see you at work, Haewon. Get some rest.”

“You too. Don’t let Yoona bite you if she runs out of blood,” Haewon teased.

Jinsol snorted. “She wouldn’t. She’s well-fed.”

With that, she ended the call, slipping her phone into her pocket before unlocking the door. As soon as she stepped inside, she called out, “Yoona, I’m home.”

Silence. Jinsol snickered. She must be playing games again.

She kicked off her shoes and walked deeper into the apartment, heading straight for Yoona’s gaming room. Sure enough, as soon as she opened the door, she found Yoona seated comfortably in her gaming chair, headphones on, fingers moving rapidly across the keyboard.

Jinsol leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching as Yoona’s expression remained intensely focused on the screen.

“Don’t finish up late again tonight,” Jinsol warned.

Still staring at her game, Yoona responded in the cutest voice, “Okayyy~”

Jinsol rolled her eyes fondly. It was a lie, of course. Yoona always said okay, and yet she still ended up gaming until the sun threatened to rise.

Shaking her head, Jinsol left Yoona to her livestream and headed toward the kitchen to make her dinner. After heating up some food, she went to grab a blood pack from the fridge for Yoona. When she opened the door, however, she realized something.

Only one remained.

“Ah, right…” Jinsol muttered. “I forgot to restock them.”

She tapped her fingers against the fridge door, thinking. Should she go out and buy more now? But she was fast to decide that it wasn’t necessary. Because she always woke up at 5 AM anyway, so she could just pick some up from the market during her morning walk. Yoona wouldn’t wake up until at least 11 AM, or later, depending on how long she stayed up playing games, so it wasn’t like she’d need any before then.

“Guess we’re using the last one for dinner,” Jinsol mumbled, pulling the pack out to heat it up.

As the blood warmed in the special heater, Jinsol went back to her meal, already thinking about how to tease Yoona later if she stayed up too late again.

Jinsol was just about to eat alone when, surprisingly, the door to Yoona’s gaming room creaked open.

She looked up, eyebrows raised in shock. “Eh? You finished already?”

“I paused it.” Yoona, grinning, sauntered over to the table.

Jinsol gave her a knowing look, an "I knew it, you would never" kind of expression. Yoona never actually stopped playing once she started.

Yoona plopped into her seat, pointing at the heated blood pack. “Is this for me?”

“Yeah, of course. I’m not gonna take it,” Jinsol replied, picking up her chopsticks and continuing with her meal.

Yoona chuckled, grabbing the pack and taking a sip. She always had this relaxed, content expression whenever she drank blood, like a bunny enjoying a warm nap. Jinsol had gotten so used to it that she barely reacted anymore.

“So, how was work?” Yoona asked, tilting her head as she rested her elbow on the table.

Jinsol sighed dramatically, chewing before responding. “Ugh, exhausting. I had to edit this long manuscript that felt like it was written by someone with a personal vendetta against grammar.”

Yoona snickered. “Sounds painful.”

“You have no idea. I swear, every paragraph had at least three run-on sentences. I had to rewrite so much.”

Yoona hummed, sipping her blood again. “But you like your job, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do. Even when it’s frustrating, it’s still something I enjoy.”

“Then I guess it’s worth it.” Yoona grinned.

Jinsol nodded, finishing up the last bites of her food. As she set her chopsticks down, she casually mentioned, “Oh, by the way, that was the last blood pack. I’ll buy more tomorrow morning.”

Yoona simply nodded, “Okayyy~”

Jinsol smiled softly at the familiar response.

After dinner, Jinsol stood up to wash the dishes while Yoona stretched and prepared to head back to her gaming room.

“Don’t stay up too late,” Jinsol reminded her.

“I won’t~” Yoona sang, disappearing back into her room.

-

It was a completely normal evening for them.

Jinsol and Yoona’s marriage had settled into an easy routine, one that felt natural despite their differences. Jinsol worked as an editor, spending most of her day reading through manuscripts, correcting mistakes, and occasionally questioning her life choices when she encountered poorly written romance novels. Meanwhile, Yoona was a full-time gamer and streamer, often staying up late, completely immersed in her own (virtual) world.

Their schedules were practically opposites, while Jinsol had a strict routine, waking up early and following a structured workday, Yoona lived with the unpredictable hours of a night owl. But somehow, they made it work.

The reason their relationship was so easygoing had a lot to do with their history. Their families had been close since they were children, so growing up together made things comfortable. Their marriage wasn’t exactly arranged, but it wasn’t a whirlwind romance either, it was something that simply happened, feeling more like an inevitability than a dramatic love story.

When they first got married, they had chosen to live in their own apartment rather than staying with their parents. Yoona’s parents, surprisingly, were the ones who worried the most. Since Yoona was still young, same age as Jinsol, with far less life experience, they had been hesitant about her moving out so soon.

“She doesn’t even know how to budget properly,” Yoona’s mother had fretted.

“She always forgets to eat,” her father added.

Jinsol had only laughed, waving off their concerns. “I’ll take care of her. Don’t worry.”

And she truly meant it.

Jinsol had always been the more responsible one between them, and while Yoona could be childish sometimes, she was never difficult. Their life together was easy, filled with small, mundane moments that made marriage feel less like a grand commitment and more like an extension of their long-standing friendship.

Yoona might be a vampire, but at the end of the day, she was still just Yoona, the same girl who used to hide behind Jinsol as a kid whenever she got scared, the same girl who would whine whenever she lost a game, and the same girl who would always, always say "okayyy" in response to Jinsol’s reminders, only to completely ignore them later.

And really, Jinsol wouldn’t have it any other way.

It was almost midnight when Jinsol finally decided to rest for the night. Since she had to wake up early the next morning, she made one last stop by Yoona’s gaming room.

"I'm going to sleep first, okay?"

"Okayyy," Yoona responded.

Jinsol just shook her head, already expecting that Yoona wouldn't be in bed anytime soon. Without saying anything else, she went to their bedroom and quickly fell asleep.

For a while, nothing unusual happened.

But at around 2:30 AM, Yoona finally decided that she had played enough for the night. With a satisfied sigh, she stretched and started shutting down her setup, her PC, mechanical keyboard, dual monitors, and noise-canceling headphones, all neatly arranged in her gaming space. She pushed her chair back and stood up, only to feel a sudden pang of hunger.

Huh?

It wasn’t just a normal kind of hunger, it was an intense craving. Yoona licked her lips, trying to ignore it, but the more she stood there, the stronger it became.

She walked to the kitchen, hoping for a quick fix. But then she remembered, Jinsol had already told her earlier.

“Oh, by the way, that was the last blood pack. I’ll buy more tomorrow morning.”

Damn it.

With no other choice, she grabbed a glass and filled it with water, gulping it down in one go. Then another. But no matter how much she drank, it didn't her. Her fangs slightly itching against her lower lip.

‘Maybe if I just sleep, it'll go away.’

With that thought, she made her way to their bedroom, slipping under the covers beside Jinsol. But the moment she closed her eyes, the hunger only intensified.

She turned onto her left side.

Then her right.

She pulled the blanket up, then kicked it off.

She huffed, shifting positions again.

Nothing worked.

Yoona was growing restless, her body refusing to relax. The craving was getting worse. She bit her lip, trying to hold back the irritation bubbling up inside her.

Beside her, Jinsol stirred.

"Yoona?" she mumbled, her voice groggy with sleep. "What's wrong?"

Yoona didn’t respond. Her back was facing Jinsol, and she didn’t want to say anything. Jinsol, now slightly more awake, reached out and gently tapped Yoona’s shoulder.

Yoona tensed. A soft, frustrated sound escaped her lips, almost like a warning growl, as if she was telling Jinsol not to touch her.

Jinsol frowned. She wasn’t going to ignore this.

She reached out again, this time shaking Yoona a little. "Hey, talk to me," she said, her voice firmer.

Yoona exhaled sharply, finally turning over to face her.

The moment she did, Jinsol was met with a pair of glowing red eyes.

For a split second, Jinsol thought Yoona was mad at her, but then Yoona’s pouty expression broke the illusion.

"I'm hungry..." Yoona mumbled, her voice tiny and pitiful.

Jinsol let out a relieved sigh before chuckling. "That's so unusual of you," she teased, to which Yoona gave a small, guilty nod.

Still half-asleep, Jinsol didn’t think much of it. She absentmindedly offered her wrist, stretching her arm toward Yoona.

"Just take mine. We'll buy more later," she murmured, eyes already fluttering shut again.

But before she could even react, Yoona slapped Jinsol’s wrist away, scooting back until her back hit the wall. Of course, Yoona’s action made Jinsol wide awake now.

"Don't want to!" Yoona huffed, "I'll just wait!"

Jinsol blinked at her, surprised by the sudden outburst. Then she let out a laugh. She had to admit, watching a vampire stubbornly refuse to drink blood was pretty cute.

“But it looks like you can’t wait until morning comes.”

Yoona pouted. “As long as I don’t have to take your blood, it’s better.”

Jinsol sat up, stretching slightly before glancing at Yoona. “Then... should we walk to the nearby supermarket now?”

Yoona hesitated. She wanted to, but at the same time, she knew what she really wanted. “…Their blood tastes bland,” she admitted. “I want the blood from Jiwoo’s uncle cafe.”

“They taste different?” Jinsol raised an eyebrow.

Yoona nodded a few times, looking almost like an excited child.

Jinsol blinked sleepily, staring at the ceiling as she weighed her options. She was seriously tired, but at the same time, she knew Yoona wouldn’t be able to sleep like this either. And if she were to be honest, a midnight walk didn’t sound that bad.

“…Alright,” Jinsol finally agreed, running a hand through her hair. “Let’s take a walk.”

The small blood donation café run by Jiwoo’s uncle was open 24/7, mostly catering to vampires who needed a safe, reliable source of food. It was a café for both humans and vampires. The moment they entered, the familiar warm scent of coffee mixed with the subtle metallic tang of blood filled the air. Yoona immediately perked up, walking straight to their usual table while Jinsol handled the payment.

“Sorry for visiting at this hour,” Jinsol said politely as she handed over the money.

Jiwoo’s uncle, a kind-looking man with salt-and-pepper hair, waved it off with a grin. “Eyy, it’s okay, it’s okay. Just visit whenever you want.” He glanced over at Yoona, who was already sipping from her drink. “She didn’t want to drink yours?”

Jinsol let out a tired chuckle. “Yeah. She’s picky as hell.”

Jiwoo’s uncle laughed at that, handing her the change. “Some vampires have preferences, you know. Some can only drink from specific donors.”

Jinsol hummed, stuffing the change into her pocket before walking over to sit next to Yoona. Jinsol knew that it wasn’t the reason Yoona didn’t want to drink hers, but she didn’t feel right to talk about it either, so she let it go.

“Delicious?” she asked, watching Yoona happily sip her blood. Yoona nodded eagerly.

“Good.” Jinsol smiled, leaning back slightly in her chair. The place was quiet at this hour, the soft hum of the refrigerator and the occasional clink of glasses being washed filling the space. It was peaceful.

Then, unexpectedly, Yoona mumbled, “Sorry.”

Jinsol blinked, turning to her. “For what?”

Yoona kept her eyes on her cup of blood, stirring it absentmindedly with the straw. “For disturbing you… You won’t be able to go back to sleep after this, and you already have to get ready for work soon.”

Jinsol stared at her for a moment before sighing softly.

Without hesitation, she rested her head on Yoona’s shoulder. “Then let me rest a little bit,” she murmured, closing her eyes. “Take your time eating that, and wake me up before 5 AM. We have to go back before sunrise, alright?”

Yoona immediately straightened her posture, making sure Jinsol had the most comfortable position to lean on.

“Alright!” she said cheerfully, suddenly looking much less guilty.

Jinsol smirked slightly. She knew exactly how to make Yoona stop feeling bad. And just like that, Yoona quietly sipped on her drink while Jinsol stole a few minutes of rest.

Chapter Text

“You should come with me today,” Jinsol insisted, standing by the door, arms crossed as she watched Yoona sprawled on the couch, lazily flipping through her phone.

Yoona barely lifted her gaze. “Let’s just go at night,” she whined. “You know the sun hates me.”

Jinsol let out a small sigh. “Yoona, we need to go now because the market stocks fresh blood packs in the morning. If we go at night, all that’s left will be the stuff no one wants, and I know how picky you are.”

Yoona groaned dramatically. “Can’t you just pick them up yourself?”

Jinsol raised a brow. “And risk getting the wrong type? You’d throw a fit if I brought home the ones you don’t like.”

“…That happened one time,” Yoona muttered, looking away. She knew she was about to lose… again.

“It was a very dramatic one time.” Jinsol smirked.

Yoona huffed, knowing she was defeated now. With great reluctance, she pushed herself off the couch. “Fine. But if I burst into flames, I’m haunting you.”

Jinsol chuckled. “You’d haunt me even if you were still alive.”

After ten minutes of preparation, Jinsol was dressed in her usual casual attire, simple jogger pants and an oversized Adidas jacket. Meanwhile, Yoona…

Jinsol had to grip the doorframe to stop herself from collapsing in laughter when Yoona finally went out from the bedroom.

Her vampire wife was covered from head to toe, literally. A white shirt and jogger pants were layered with a thick jacket. Socks, gloves, a face mask, black sunglasses, and a beanie completed the ensemble, making her look like she was either hiding from the paparazzi or planning a daytime heist.

“Why?” Yoona asked, still adjusting her gloves. “Do I look weird?”

Jinsol wiped a tear from her eye, shaking her head with an amused grin. “No, you look cute.”

Yoona narrowed her eyes behind the dark lenses. “You’re teasing me.”

“I’m not! I mean it-”

“Well, I can’t see my reflection, but you can, and you still chose to go out dressed like that?” Yoona deadpanned, nodding at Jinsol’s simple outfit.

Jinsol gasped, clutching her chest in mock offense. “Ouch. Excuse me, but this is comfy!”

Yoona just hummed noncommittally, giving herself one last check before nodding. “Alright, I’m ready.”

Jinsol clapped her hands together, smiling brightly. “Great! Let’s go before you change your mind.”

With a reluctant sigh, Yoona followed her wife out the door, muttering under her breath about how this was going to be the worst idea ever. Like it’s not her first time, but she just hated it every time she had to go outside when the sun’s still up there.

Jinsol hummed happily as they stepped out of the apartment complex. In her view, the sun was shining, birds were chirping, and everything felt peaceful. Well… except for Yoona.

Yoona shuffled beside Jinsol like a grumpy child forced to go on a family outing. She kept pulling her beanie down and adjusting her sunglasses every five steps, like the sun was personally attacking her. Jinsol was already biting her lip to hold back a laugh, but she couldn’t resist making things just a little more interesting.

She slowed her pace, pretending to look around curiously. Then, with an exaggerated gasp, she turned to Yoona with wide eyes. “Oh my god.”

“What? What’s wrong?” Yoona immediately stiffened.

Jinsol pointed dramatically. “There’s a bright, glowing orb in the sky. It’s following us.”

Yoona blinked behind her dark sunglasses. Then, she deadpanned. “…That’s called the sun, Jinsol.”

“Yes, and it’s stalking you. Do you feel personally victimized?”

Yoona sighed, “I should’ve never left the apartment.”

“Come on, let’s make the most of it! Since you’re already outside, we can do other things too. And you’ve been trained to handle the sun all your life anyway, you never burn when you’re beside me” Jinsol winked, and Yoona just cringed at the sight, “No, we are getting the blood packs and going home.”

Jinsol ignored her and looped their arms together, swinging them playfully. “Ooooh, let’s get some ice cream!”

“…I can’t eat ice cream.”

“Fine, I’ll eat ice cream, and you can just look at me lovingly while I do.”

Yoona clenched her jaw. “I will bite you.”

Jinsol wiggled her eyebrows. “Oho? Kinda hot.”

“…I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.” Jinsol just smiled sweetly.

Yoona grumbled something under her breath but didn’t pull away as Jinsol happily dragged her to the store. She may have hated the sun, but she could never really hate her wife.

-

Jinsol stood at the counter, handing over the money as the granny carefully packed the blood packs into a bag. They had bought a decent amount, not too much, since the expiration dates weren’t that long, but enough to last comfortably for a while.

The granny, who had known Jinsol for quite some time, looked between her and Yoona with a warm smile. It had been ages since the two of them had been spotted together. Usually, Jinsol would come alone, efficiently grabbing what she needed before heading straight home.

With curiosity in her eyes, the granny leaned in slightly. “It’s rare to see you bringing her along. What changed?”

Jinsol glanced over at Yoona, who was crouched a few feet away, completely occupied with playing with the market cats. A small smile formed on her lips before she lowered her voice, just enough that only the granny could hear. "I just want her to see the world outside her computer for a little while… and to show her where I get her favorite blood packs, so she’ll know where to go if she ever needs to buy them herself someday," she whispered.

The words were simple, but there was something about the way she said them. The granny hummed knowingly, nodding as she patted Jinsol’s hand. Meanwhile, Yoona, with her enhanced vampire hearing, caught every single word.

She didn’t say anything.

She just stilled, her fingers idly scratching the back of a particularly fluffy cat as her expression turned unreadable for a moment. The words weren’t sad, exactly, but they left something heavy in her chest.

‘Someday?’

By the time Jinsol turned to her, all traces of that moment were gone.

"Let's go home," Jinsol said lightly, stretching her arms above her head. She had mentioned getting ice cream earlier, but she wasn’t about to push Yoona, especially when she looked like she was reaching her grumpy limit for the day.

But then, to her surprise, Yoona grabbed the groceries from her hands and, with her other hand, took hold of Jinsol’s.

"You should eat ice cream first," Yoona said.

Jinsol blinked. “I can just get it tomorrow, after office hours.”

“No,” Yoona insisted, tightening her grip. “You eat it now.”

Jinsol raised an amused brow at her. "Alright, I'm getting mint choco then."

Yoona immediately scrunched her nose. “Ew…”

“You can’t even taste it properly.” Jinsol smirked.

"Still, everyone says it’s like eating toothpaste," Yoona grumbled as they started walking toward the ice cream shop.

"Right, and because I can't swallow toothpaste, I eat mint choco instead," Jinsol shot back.

“Disgusting.” Yoona made a dramatic gagging sound.

Jinsol grinned. "A vampire is telling me what’s disgusting? Miss ‘I drink blood for a living’?"

“That’s different!”

“Oh yeah? How?"

"Blood is necessary. Mint choco is evil."

Jinsol threw her head back in laughter, squeezing Yoona’s hand. "You're ridiculous."

Yoona huffed but didn’t let go. And with that, the two of them walked hand in hand toward the ice cream shop, the market cats watching them go.

Chapter Text

Jinsol and Yoona were sprawled on the couch, lazily munching on slices of fresh sashimi. They spent the last day of weekend with the soft glow of the television bathed the living room. The only sound that filled the room was the movie playing in the background blending with the occasional rustling of blankets and the quiet clinking of chopsticks against the ceramic plate.

Sashimi.

For Yoona, raw meat wasn’t just a preference, it was a necessity. Though she primarily drank blood, she could still consume raw meat without any issue. Cooking, on the other hand, ruined the texture for her, making it unappetizing. This was one of the rare foods they could truly enjoy together, and Jinsol made sure to indulge Yoona in it whenever she could.

As the movie played on, Yoona’s sharp eyes caught sight of the nearly empty plate on the table. Only one piece remained. She glanced at Jinsol, who was too focused on the screen to notice, then slowly, carefully, stretched her hand toward the last piece.

Only for her chopsticks to be intercepted mid-air.

“Hey.” Jinsol narrowed her eyes, locking Yoona’s chopsticks in place. “I think you already ate more than me, don’t you think?”

“No way,” Yoona shot back, trying to give that innocent vibe. “I think it’s only fair to give this last one to me.”

“Fair?” Jinsol scoffed. “Since when do you care about fairness? I literally saw you sneaking extra pieces when I was refilling my drink.”

Yoona gasped dramatically. “How dare you accuse me without evidence?”

“I am the evidence. I have eyes, Yoona.”

“Okay, but have you considered that maybe I deserve it because I’m cuter?” Yoona tilted her head, flashing a grin, totally out of argument now.

Jinsol smirked. “Unfortunately for you, cuteness doesn’t fill my stomach.”

The battle intensified as both tried to move their chopsticks toward the lone sashimi piece, deflecting each other’s attempts with well-practiced precision. The piece wobbled dangerously, nearly flipping off the plate as their 'meaningless' little duel continued.

“You have blood packs! Just drink those if you’re still hungry!” Jinsol argued.

“You also have food in the fridge! Go eat something else!”

“That’s not the point, hey, stop trying to push my hand away!”

“Then let go first!”

“I’m not letting go until you do!”

Their locked chopsticks trembled from the tension, neither backing down. Then, in an unexpected move, Yoona dropped her chopsticks completely and lunged for the piece with her fingers.

“Oh, you little!” Jinsol immediately tackled her, wrapping an arm around Yoona’s waist and pulling her back before she could reach the sashimi.

“Hey! Foul play!” Yoona protested, laughing as she struggled in Jinsol’s hold.

“All’s fair in love and sashimi,” Jinsol declared.

Their playful wrestling escalated, Yoona trying to twist free while Jinsol kept her in a tight hold. Yoona squirmed, managing to slip an arm free, and reached for the plate once more, only for Jinsol to grab her wrist and pull her backward, sending them both tumbling onto the couch.

Jinsol ended up on top, straddling Yoona while pinning her wrists to the cushion.

“Surrender,” Jinsol grinned triumphantly.

Yoona pouted, still wiggling under her. “Never.”

With a mischievous glint in her eyes, Jinsol leaned in closer, their noses nearly touching. “If you don’t surrender, I’ll tickle you.”

Yoona’s eyes widened in horror. “You wouldn’t.”

Jinsol’s fingers twitched in warning.

“Wait… WAIT! I SURRENDER!” Yoona shrieked, twisting in a last-ditch effort to escape.

Too late. Jinsol’s fingers dug into her sides, sending Yoona into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. She kicked her legs wildly, laughing so hard she almost lost her breath. She just couldn't win against tickles.

"STOP! STOP! I’M DYING!" Yoona howled, her legs kicking wildly.

"That's impossible" Jinsol teased, her grin widening.

Yoona, in a desperate bid to escape, flailed her arms and accidentally shoved Jinsol with more force than she intended.

THUD!

Jinsol yelped as she toppled off the couch, hitting the floor with a dramatic “oof”. The sudden silence that followed was almost… comical.

Yoona froze, her laughter instantly replaced with wide-eyed panic. “Oh my god.”

Jinsol lay sprawled on the floor, clutching her side with an expression that looked like a mix of betrayal, shock, and existential crisis. "Did… did you just throw me off the couch?" Yoona scrambled down to check on her, hands hovering over Jinsol as if unsure whether to help or just stare in horror. "I-I didn’t mean to! You were tickling me! It was self-defense!"

Jinsol groaned dramatically. "Self-defense? From me? Mere human?!" She pointed at herself. "Your beloved, devoted, loving girlfriend?"

"You attacked me first!" Yoona shot back, looking way too guilty for someone who just won a wrestling match.

Jinsol huffed, still clutching her side. “I think I need compensation.”

Yoona’s shoulders sagged. “Fine.” With a heavy sigh, she reached for the last piece of sashimi and placed it in Jinsol’s palm. "There. I was gonna let you have it anyway." Jinsol blinked, then smirked. "Wow, you actually do feel guilty."

“I said I was sorry.” Yoona pouted.

Still sitting on the floor, Jinsol held the sashimi up, then suddenly, instead of eating it, she held one piece up to Yoona’s lips. “Here.”

Yoona frowned. "Huh?"

"I don’t want you to think I’m mad," Jinsol said, tilting her head slightly to the right. "So let’s share."

Yoona stared for a second before reluctantly taking the offered piece with a small bite. She made sure to take less than half, but Jinsol shoved it in a little more, now less than half remained. “You’re so annoying,” Yoona mumbled, cheeks slightly puffed as she chewed.

Jinsol chuckled, finally eating the ‘less than half’ sashimi. “And you almost committed manslaughter, so I think we’re even.”

“I did not…” Yoona couldn’t even finish her sentence when Jinsol patted the floor beside her. “Come on, just sit with me a little before we clean up.”

Yoona rolled her eyes but plopped down beside her anyway, bumping their shoulders together.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

When they finally decided to get up, Jinsol pushed herself off the floor, only to wince slightly as a sharp pain shot through her side. She froze.

Yoona immediately noticed and frowned. “Wait, are you actually hurt?”

"I mean… just a little." Jinsol exhaled slowly before sitting back down.

Yoona sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "Well, now I really feel bad." Yoona followed Jinsol’s action as well. Now they were back sitting on the floor.

Jinsol glanced at her, then back at the floor. “This has got to be the most ridiculous fight we’ve ever had.”

“Yeah… all that just for one piece of sashimi. Like, tell me... why didn't we order more?”

They both sat there in silence for a few seconds, staring at the floor as if contemplating their life choices.

-

Yoona ended up piggyback-ing Jinsol back to their bedroom. The vampire moved carefully, ensuring not to jostle her too much. When they reached the bed, Yoona sat Jinsol down and grabbed a heat plaster from the drawer, peeling it open with a pout still plastered on her face.

She gently pressed it against Jinsol’s side before quickly turning away. Jinsol tilted her head. “Are you seriously sulking? Don’t you think I should be the one doing so?”

“I almost killed you,” Yoona mumbled. “That’s not exactly something to joke about.”

Jinsol scooted closer, wrapping her arms around Yoona from behind, resting her chin on Yoona’s shoulder. “I’m not mad, okay? And I’m fine. If you’re worried, don’t be, I barely feel anything anymore.”

Yoona huffed but didn’t pull away. And Jinsol just chuckled at that. “Honestly, it’s like… y’know when you hit your pinky toe on the corner of a table? And for a second, you think you might die?”

“That bad?” Yoona finally turned her head to look at her.

Jinsol shook her head dramatically. “No, worse. Because at least with the pinky toe, you can hop around in pain.”

Yoona pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh. But when Jinsol wiggled her eyebrows, she couldn’t hold it in. “You’re so dumb.”

“I'm not...”

Yoona sighed but kissed Jinsol’s temple before plopping onto the bed. “Shut up and sleep.”

-

Jinsol stood by the water boiler, waiting for her tea to steep. She winced slightly as she absentmindedly clutched her side. The heat plaster helped, but there was still a dull ache remained.

“Whoa, what’s with that look?” Haewon’s voice suddenly cut through the silence.

Jinsol turned to see her colleague standing by the fridge, eyebrow raised.

“What look?”

Haewon smirked. “You’re standing there, hand on your side, looking like you went through a rough night.”

Jinsol rolled her eyes. “I just fell, that’s all.”

Haewon’s smirk only grew wider. “Ohhh, fell, huh? That’s what we’re calling it now?”

Jinsol squinted. “What?”

Haewon leaned against the counter, lowering her voice like they were exchanging secrets. “So… was it good?”

“…Huh?”

Haewon wiggled her eyebrows. “You know what I mean.”

Jinsol stared. And stared. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Chapter Text

Jinsol stretched her arms above her head, feeling no trace of the ache that had bothered her the previous nights. “Thanks to Yoona”, she thought with a small smile. Yoona always took care of her, whether it was making sure she had heat plasters, piggybacking her when she refused to admit she was hurt, or just silently watching over her.

Now, as the workday ended, Jinsol was packing up her bag when a small packet of chocolates was casually slipped into her pile of things.

"They’re from Lily," Haewon said, leaning on the desk with a grin. "She just got back from Australia and brought a ton of these. I figured you’d want some before the rest of the office steals them."

Jinsol blinked at the chocolates, then at Haewon. "Oh? Thanks."

She picked up the packet but then hesitated. Chocolate was fine for her, obviously, but she’d never seen Yoona eat it before. A sudden question popped into her head.

"Hey… can vampires eat chocolate? Like, does it even taste good for them?"

Haewon tilted her head, thinking. "Lily eats it all the time, so I’d say yeah. Why? Yoona doesn’t like it?"

Jinsol pursed her lips. "I don’t know. I’ve never given her anything like this before. I was always scared she might have an allergic reaction or something, so I just stick to the stuff I know she eats."

Haewon smirked. "Wow. You’re like one of those moms who only pack safe, tested lunches for their kid."

Jinsol couldn’t deny it, so she just laughed it away.

-

By the time she got home, she put the chocolates in the fridge to keep them cool, not thinking much about it.

Yoona, who had just stepped into the kitchen, saw the movement and immediately assumed something else.

"I thought we bought enough last week?"

Jinsol turned around, confused. "Huh?"

Yoona pointed at the fridge. "The blood packs. Didn’t we stock up already?"

Jinsol blinked, then let out a small laugh. "These aren’t blood packs, dummy. They’re chocolates from Lily. She got them from Australia."

Yoona narrowed her eyes at the fridge. "...Why would you put chocolates in there?"

"Because they taste better cold."

Yoona frowned, clearly unconvinced. "That’s weird."

"Why do you think it’s weird?"

Yoona pursed her lips, looking genuinely troubled. "Because when you open a fridge, you expect cold drinks, fresh vegetables, or maybe meat. But chocolates? That’s just sneaky."

Jinsol blinked. "Sneaky?"

"Yeah," Yoona nodded firmly. "Because you’ll forget they’re in there, and then one day, boom, you suddenly find chocolate you didn’t even know you had. That’s dangerous."

Jinsol let out a laugh, shaking her head. "You’re ridiculous."

"I’m right," Yoona corrected, arms crossed.

-

Later that evening, they sat together for dinner, if it could even be called that. Jinsol had an actual meal while Yoona casually sipped from a blood pack, leaning back comfortably on the couch.

Once she finished eating, Jinsol decided to treat herself. She had been avoiding sugary snacks lately, but two little pieces of chocolate wouldn’t hurt.

As soon as she unwrapped the first piece, she caught Yoona scrunching her nose.

Jinsol paused, looking amused. "You don’t like the smell?"

Yoona nodded but didn’t look completely disgusted, just curious.

"But does it taste good, though?" Yoona tilted her head, eyes locked on the tiny chocolate piece like it was some kind of mysterious thing.

Jinsol smiled. "It tastes sweet. A little bitter, depending on the type, but this one is mostly sweet."

Yoona considered this for a second before shrugging. "Blood tastes better." Jinsol glanced at her, it was clear she was trying to turn this into a debate. Jinsol simply smiled and popped the chocolate into her mouth, choosing not to argue.

Yoona kept trying to get Jinsol to take the bait.

"Have you even tried blood though?" Yoona asked, tilting her head as she sipped from her blood pack.

Jinsol calmly answered, "I think it was when we started becoming friends. I saw you drink blood, and I got curious about it. So, when I was younger, when I accidentally cut my finger, instead of wasting a perfectly good band-aid, I licked it off."

Yoona leaned in, intrigued. " Oh my god, really?! So, how did it taste?!"

Jinsol cringed at the memory. "Like rusty iron. Smelled awful too. Never again."

Yoona, completely ‘casual’, muttered, "Really? I think yours is sweet."

"...Excuse me?" Jinsol almost choked on her chocolate.

Yoona nodded as if stating a fact. "Like, um… not too strong? Kinda smooth? Like if blood had a…" She trailed off, waving her hand in the air, trying to find the right words.

"...Had a what?" Jinsol just stared.

Yoona struggled for a moment before mumbling, "I dunno, like… it’s got a vibe."

Jinsol blinked.

Yoona blinked back.

Jinsol leaned away, pointing at her with the chocolate bar. "...You’re so weird."

Yoona frowned. "What? I’m just saying-"

"Don’t!" Jinsol shook her head and stuffed another piece of chocolate in her mouth. "This is why I don't engage in your food discussions."

Yoona huffed, crossing her arms. "It’s not a discussion, it’s the truth. Your blood is-"

Jinsol quickly held up a hand. "Nope. Stop. I don’t need a vampire food critique about my blood, thanks."

"I was just trying to educate you."

"Educate me on what? How my blood has a ‘vibe’?" Jinsol shot her a look.

Yoona nodded seriously. "Yeah. It’s kinda bright, not too strong, really smooth…"

Jinsol groaned, dramatically dropping her head onto the table. "Stop talking." Yoona smirked, taking a sip of her blood pack.

Jinsol peeked at her from under her arm. "I was literally just eating chocolate. Until you forced me into a debate."

Yoona tilted her head. "Did I, though?"

"You are so annoying."

Yoona just smiled, fangs slightly peeking out.

Jinsol thought about it for a moment. She had tried blood once out of curiosity, but… Yoona? She had never tried chocolate before, had she?

"Why don’t you try this?" Jinsol held out a piece of chocolate, wiggling it in front of Yoona’s face. "I tried blood, so it’s only fair you try this."

Yoona immediately frowned. "You always make me try your food."

"Yeah, because I want you to experience new things."

"And yet you never ask me to make you experience new things."

"Because your ‘new things’ involve blood."

Yoona snorted but leaned forward. "Fine. But if I hate it, you owe me."

Jinsol just raised an eyebrow, watching as Yoona took the tiniest bite. The moment the chocolate hit her tongue, Yoona’s face twisted into the most disgusted expression Jinsol had ever seen. Her nose scrunched, her brows furrowed, and she looked like she had just been betrayed by the entire world.

Jinsol blinked. "...Is it really that bad?"

Yoona quickly grabbed her blood pack, sipping from it like it was her lifeline. "Ugh. It’s… it’s so weird!"

Jinsol, amused, rested her chin on her palm, watching Yoona intently to make sure she was actually fine after eating it. She was still a vampire, after all. After a few minutes, nothing happened, no allergic reaction, no sudden collapse, no choking on the spot.

Seeing that Yoona was perfectly fine, Jinsol got up.

Yoona raised an eyebrow. "That’s it? I thought you were going to tickle me or force me to eat the whole thing."

"Of course not," Jinsol said simply, stretching her arms. "I just wanted you to try. If you don’t like it, I won’t push you."

Yoona clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "Tch, tch. You’re too nice sometimes." But deep down, she liked how caring Jinsol had been just now.

Jinsol just hummed, grabbing her phone as she started heading to bed.

Once Jinsol was out of sight, Yoona stayed seated for a long time, staring at the fridge.

"...The chocolate… actually tasted good," she muttered under her breath, as if admitting it too loudly would make it real.

She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Jinsol wasn’t around, then quickly opened the fridge, grabbing a few more pieces. Carefully, she took them and scurried off to her gaming room, making sure to leave some for Jinsol. Not that she was sure she wouldn’t come back for more later.

-

One Week Later

Jinsol was at her desk, rubbing her temples as she sipped her tea. She had barely started her break when Haewon strolled in, holding a chocolate bar.

"Hey, Jinsol," Haewon said casually. "Lily’s going back to Australia next month. Did you like the chocolates? If you do, I can ask her to bring more."

Jinsol sighed dramatically, setting her cup down. "Yes. Please."

Haewon blinked at her oddly desperate tone. "Uh… okay? Wow, you must’ve really liked them."

Jinsol groaned, leaning back in her chair. "It’s not me. It’s Yoona. Ever since she tried chocolate, she’s been asking for more. She even wakes me up in the middle of the night just to whine about how we ran out."

Haewon stifled a laugh. "Wait, Yoona? Didn’t you say she hated the taste?"

"She did! For one minute! And now? She eats more chocolate than blood. I don’t know whether to feel proud because I got her to like chocolate and won the debate… or sad because I have to keep buying her expensive imported chocolate just to stop her from complaining!"

Haewon burst out laughing. "Sounds like you created a monster."

Jinsol rubbed her face. "I did create a monster. And now she’s my problem."

Haewon grinned, tossing the chocolate onto Jinsol’s desk. "Well, guess you better stock up before she drains your fridge dry again."

Jinsol stared at the chocolate, sighing deeply. "I have so many regrets."

But later that night, when Yoona peeked into the kitchen and saw fresh chocolate waiting for her, her entire face lit up. And when she casually plopped down beside Jinsol on the couch, holding out a piece in an almost shy attempt to share, Jinsol figured…

At this rate, she was going to go broke.

She sighed, taking the chocolate from Yoona’s hand. "You better start working a part-time job to fund your addiction."

Yoona just grinned, popping another piece into her mouth. "Nah. That’s your job."

Jinsol groaned. “What have I done?!”

Chapter Text

Jinsol adjusted her glasses, sighing as she scrolled through the manuscript on her screen. Because of the deadline, she had to bring her work laptop home. She normally was a work-life balance supporter, but in this kind of deadline, she promoted work-life integration instead.

And now she was working on their dining table, because she had no special room for working.

She was absentmindedly correcting some grammatical errors, when some sentences made her intrigued.

"Vampires possess unparalleled reflexes, moving with speed beyond human perception. They are nearly impossible to startle and react instantaneously to any threat."

Jinsol narrowed her eyes. Yeah, right.

She glanced at the door of the gaming room, where Yoona was probably playing games with her laptop, gaming headphones on, fully immersed in whatever battle she was fighting. Jinsol had lived with her long enough to know that Yoona, who once smacked herself in the face with a controller because she got too excited, was not what she’d call “impossible to startle.”

She snorted. "What a load of nonsense."

Jinsol leaned back in her chair, tapping her pen against her desk. If vampire reflexes were so great, then how come she had never seen Yoona do anything that impressive? Was it just a myth? Or was Yoona… just bad at being a vampire?

Curious now, she decided that for the sake of ‘science’, and definitely not because she wanted to mess with Yoona, she would observe her for a few days.

And that was when she started noticing it.

The way Yoona effortlessly caught a glass mid-fall without even looking. The way she dodged Jinsol’s absentminded attempt to ruffle her hair without missing a beat. The way she typed and reacted in her games with lightning-fast precision.

Jinsol sat on the couch one evening, arms crossed, deep in thought. ‘Okay, maybe she does have insane reflexes… but that doesn’t explain why she’s so easy to startle.’

And that was when she got an idea. A simple test.

She went inside the gaming room silently/ She leaned in and whispered, “Yoona.” No response.

She moved closer, lowering her voice even more. “Yoona.”

Still nothing. Jinsol smirked, then suddenly clapped her hands together, loudly.

Yoona flinched so hard that she accidentally activated some kind of combo move in her game, causing the screen to explode with effects.

"WHAT THE!" Yoona ripped off her headphones, spinning around with wide eyes. "JINSOL, WHAT THE HELL?!"

Jinsol burst into laughter, doubling over as Yoona scowled at her. "I-I was just… PFFT! testing your vampire reflexes!"

"You!" Yoona pointed at her accusingly. "You absolute menace! What kind of test is that?!"

"You have amazing reflexes, but you’re so easy to startle! How does that even work?"

Yoona folded her arms. "You startled me, so how does that prove anything?!"

"Exactly!" Jinsol pointed back. "Aren’t vampires supposed to be ‘impossible to startle’?"

Yoona scoffed, standing up. "Listen here, I have selective reflexes. I only react to things that matter."

"You reacted to me."

"Exactly." Yoona smirked.

Jinsol blinked, processing Yoona’s words. Then, slowly, she raised a hand to her face, dragging it down dramatically before turning on her heel.

“Ew…” she muttered as she walked out of the gaming room.

Behind her, Yoona burst into laughter. “What?! That was a cool answer!”

“Cringe,” Jinsol called back without looking.

Yoona just cackled, stretching her arms behind her head. "You'll appreciate my wisdom someday!"

-

But Jinsol’s so-called “scientific observation” didn’t stop there.

The next day, as she passed by the kitchen, she ‘accidentally’ (well, it’s intentional) knocked a spoon off the counter. It barely made it halfway down before Yoona caught it mid-air with two fingers, completely effortless.

Jinsol squinted.

Or later that evening, while Yoona was lounging on the couch, Jinsol casually tossed a pillow at her. No warning. No hesitation.

Yoona caught it. Without even looking.

Jinsol’s eye twitched.

She tried again. Same result. Jinsol tried to process what she had just witnessed, but before she could react, the pillow came flying back at her, way faster than she expected.

“WAH-?!”

It smacked her straight in the face.

Yoona clicked her tongue. “Tch, tch. Mere human.”

Jinsol ripped the pillow off her face and glared. “Did you just call me a ‘mere human’?!”

“I dunno, did you just get wrecked in a pillow fight?”

Jinsol exhaled, shaking her head. While Yoona, completely unbothered, just continued scrolling through her phone, looking far too smug for someone who threw a pillow like a weapon.

Alright. Fine. Maybe vampires did have insane reflexes.

But the “not getting startled” thing? Definitely a lie.

She rested her chin on her hand, watching as Yoona lazily sprawled out, her fingers effortlessly flicking through whatever game or article she was reading. She barely looked like she was trying, yet every movement was precise, controlled, and annoyingly smooth.

‘...Kinda amazing.’       

Jinsol blinked, then immediately shook her head. ‘What am I thinking?’

She picked up the pillow again, aiming it carefully.

Yoona snorted. “You really wanna lose again?”

Jinsol scowled. Yoona smirked. And the battle continued. With Yoona’s winning of course.

-

Jinsol had long finished her “scientific research.” She was done. No more experiments. No more tests. She really wasn’t trying to test Yoona anymore.

But it started when Jinsol reached into the fridge, only to find disappointment staring back at her.

“Did you drink the last one?” she asked, holding up an empty space where her beloved canned black tea should have been.

“Mmm.” Yoona, controller in hand, didn’t even look away from her game.

“Yoona….”

“You weren’t drinking it, so I helped you.”

“That’s not how it works!”

“You’ll live.” Yoona returned to her game, completely unbothered.

Jinsol dramatically slumped against the counter. “But I won’t thrive…”

Yoona glanced at Jinsol, kind of noticing her own mistake. “I was gonna go to the convenience store later anyway,” Yoona said lazily. “Come with me.”

Jinsol turned her head. “Now?”

“Yeah, before I change my mind.”

And so, they had their late-night trip.

The night was cool, Jinsol and Yoona walked side by side. At the store, they grabbed a few things, such as Jinsol’s canned tea and milk, and some snacks. Well, it was a routine trip after all, the kind they often did together without much thought.

And it’s about to be an easy, uneventful outing again, until…

“JINSOL!”

It happened so fast.

One moment, Jinsol was stepping off the curb, distracted by a message on her phone. The next, she was yanked backward with an almost inhuman force, just as a speeding bicycle zipped right past where she had been standing.

Her breath hitched as she stumbled into Yoona’s arms. The cyclist barely even noticed, disappearing down the street without a second glance.

Jinsol, on the other hand, was frozen for a second, processing the fact that she had just narrowly avoided being flattened by a bike.

Then she let out a long, relieved sigh. “Phew… I think that just shaved ten years off my life.”

Yoona, still holding onto her, wasn’t amused. “What the hell were you doing?!”

Jinsol blinked up at her. “Checking my… messages?”

“You weren’t paying attention! You could’ve-!”

“Yeah, yeah, but I didn’t,” Jinsol said, grinning as she lightly patted Yoona’s arm. “Thanks to your insane reflexes. That was actually so damn cool.”

“Jinsol. You almost got hit. And all you’re thinking about is how ‘cool’ it was? I’m serious! What if I wasn’t here? What if I didn’t react in time? What if…”

Jinsol opened her mouth to respond, but Yoona wasn’t done. Jinsol quickly realized she had activated a very different side of Yoona.

Yoona’s grip tightened slightly, and she started listing every possible disastrous scenario that could have happened.

“What if you actually got hit? You’d be in the hospital! Or worse! What if they didn’t stop? What if you hit your head? What if-”

Jinsol gulped.

This wasn’t her usual teasing. This was seriously worried Yoona.

Yoona continued, completely yapping, “And don’t even get me started on what if it wasn’t a bike? What if it was a car?! Or a-”

Jinsol sighed, then reached up, placing both hands on Yoona’s cheeks. Yoona immediately stopped rambling, blinking down at her.

“You done?”

Yoona hesitated. “...Maybe.” Jinsol gave her a pointed look.

Yoona exhaled, shoulders slumping slightly. “I just don’t want you getting hurt.”

For a second, Jinsol just looked at her, at the furrow in Yoona’s brow, the slight tension in her jaw, the way she had completely forgotten about how cool her reflexes were because she was too busy worrying about Jinsol’s safety.

It was kind of… sweet.

Jinsol smiled, gently squeezing Yoona’s cheeks. “Okay, okay. I promise I won’t test my luck anymore.”

“You mean ‘test me anymore.’”

Jinsol’s lips twitched. “That too.”

Yoona huffed, finally letting go of Jinsol’s waist. “You better not.”

-

Yoona was still pacing when Jinsol finally had enough. She reached out, tugging on Yoona’s sleeve. “I’m okay. Really. Nothing happened.”

Yoona’s lips pressed together, as if she wanted to argue, but Jinsol shook her head.

“I get it,” she said, squeezing Yoona’s sleeve. “You worry about me. That’s sweet. But I’m not fragile, Yoona.” She tilted her head. “You should be proud, actually. Thanks to your superior vampire reflexes, I was completely unharmed.”

Yoona frowned, grumbling, “This isn’t about my reflexes…”

“But it was really cool though,” Jinsol interrupted, stretching her arms behind her head. “I think I lost ten years of my life, but at least I got to see something awesome before I died.”

“That’s not funny.”

Jinsol stifled a grin, but when Yoona still looked like she was internally spiraling, she softened again.

She grabbed one of the plastic bags from Yoona’s hand and lightly bumped their hips together. “Come on, let’s go home.”

Yoona exhaled sharply but didn’t protest, finally following Jinsol’s lead.

As they walked, the tension in Yoona’s shoulders slowly eased. The panic in her expression faded.

By the time they reached their apartment, Yoona muttered, “...Just be careful next time.”

“I always am.”

Yoona gave her a look.

Jinsol cleared her throat. “Okay, sometimes am.”

Yoona sighed, unlocking the door. It was only when Jinsol stepped inside, setting down the bags, that she realized…

Yoona still hadn’t let go of her hand.

Chapter Text

Jinsol sat at her desk, scrolling through emails when a notification popped up on her phone, a blood donation reminder.

"It’s that time again, huh?" she thought, clicking it open. The message kindly reminded her that she hadn’t donated this month and was still eligible. She leaned back in her chair, stretching slightly before instinctively glancing at the fridge.

Just to be sure, she got up and checked the blood stock. She knew it was unnecessary, Yoona was meticulous about keeping them organized, but she still wanted to confirm that everything was in order. Her fingers traced over the neatly stacked packs, all labeled and fresh.

“Good. None expired this time.”

That night, as Yoona sat cross-legged in her gaming chair, headset on, eyes locked onto her screen, Jinsol approached her.

“Hey.”

“Hm?” Yoona didn’t look away, still focused on her game.

“I’m donating tomorrow.”

That got her attention. Yoona’s character stopped moving for half a second, long enough for her teammate to yell something through her headphones, but Jinsol didn’t know of course. Quickly recovering, Yoona resumed playing, but she side-eyed Jinsol. “...Why tell me?”

Jinsol shrugged. “So you don’t freak out if I come home looking pale.”

Yoona’s lips twitched, like she wanted to say something but decided against it. Instead, she just gave a noncommittal nod before turning back to her game.

-

Somehow, the next morning, the day she where she would donate, Jinsol woke up feeling a little thirsty. Not wanting to bother Yoona who was still sleeping beside her, she moved quietly, slipping out of bed and padding toward the kitchen. She opened the fridge, reaching for a water bottle…

Then she paused.

Something felt… off.

The blood packs.

She could tell at a glance that they weren’t in the same order as yesterday. It wasn’t obvious, just slightly different, shifted in a way most people wouldn’t notice. But she knew.

Jinsol sighed, a small smile tugging at her lips. “She checked them again.”

Yoona had always done this since that incident. Double-checking. Triple-checking. Making absolutely sure that nothing expired, that she had enough stock. Even though it had been a long time, even though nothing had gone wrong since…

Jinsol took a sip of water, leaning against the counter. She had told herself she wouldn’t think about that night again.

But, of course, she did.

-

It was winter. Snowflakes drifted lazily from the sky, gathering in soft layers on the sidewalks. The air was sharp against Jinsol’s already cold skin. Her steps felt lighter than usual, but this time, not in a good way, though. She had just donated blood, and while she had taken the necessary supplements, today had been… rough.

Normally, it took about five minutes for her blood to fill the pack, but today, for some reason, it had stubbornly refused to flow. Thirty minutes. That’s how long she sat there, waiting for it to finish.

She had gone with Haewon, because it was her first time donating, so she asked Haewon for the procedure. Her phone buzzed in her pocket. With slightly sluggish fingers, she pulled it out and answered.

“Hey,” she greeted, her voice softer than usual, didn’t sound enthusiastic at all.

“Are you okay?” Haewon’s voice came through the speaker, slightly distorted by the wind on her end.

Jinsol pressed her free hand to her forehead, blinking away the faint dizziness. “Mm. Just a little tired.”

“I swear, the nurse who handled yours today was awful,” Haewon complained. “Mine went fine, but you? It took forever! I watched you sitting there for thirty minutes. Thirty. You should’ve said something!”

Jinsol chuckled weakly. “I dunno… It just wasn’t flowing properly today.”

“Yeah, because she didn’t do it right!” Haewon huffed. “Seriously, next time, pick someone else.”

Jinsol didn’t answer immediately, focusing instead on steadying her steps. “It’s fine. I’ll be okay after some rest.”

“Fine, fine,” Haewon muttered. “Call me if you feel worse, alright?”

“Alright,” Jinsol promised before ending the call.

She pushed open the door to the apartment, exhaling in relief as warmth wrapped around her, the thought that she could finally rest came, but…

She froze.

Yoona was on the couch, slumped over, her breathing uneven. Her skin, yes, usually pale but vibrant, now looked sickly, almost gray. She was trembling slightly, fingers clutching at her throat.

Jinsol’s heart stopped.

“Yoona?!” She rushed forward, kneeling beside her. “Hey, what’s wrong?!”

Yoona’s eyelids fluttered open slightly. Her voice was hoarse. “Blood… It was bad.”

Jinsol’s eyes darted to the coffee table. A crumpled empty blood pack sat beside another, unopened one. Her stomach twisted when she noticed the label.

Expired.

She had checked the stock a week ago, but she hadn’t checked again today. Guilt surged through her.

Frantically, she grabbed her phone and started searching. What do you do if a vampire drinks expired blood?

She scrolled past them, hands shaking. Most of the results showed that fresh blood is the best countermeasure.

She scrolled through dozens of similar experiences, every single one leading to the same answer.

“No,” Yoona rasped. She had seen the look on Jinsol’s face. “Don’t. I’ll be fine. Just, just leave it.”

Jinsol clenched her jaw. She knew Yoona was lying. Yoona wouldn’t heal without fresh blood.

And this… this was her mistake. She should have checked. She should have been more careful.

She had to take responsibility.

Without another word, she pulled Yoona closer, hugging her tightly.

Yoona stiffened. “Jinsol…”

“Bite.” Jinsol’s voice was firm. “I don’t care. Just do it.”

Yoona shook her head weakly. “No. I won’t.”

“You have to.” Jinsol’s grip tightened around her. “I’ll be fine.”

She felt Yoona tremble in her arms, she was feeling torn. Jinsol didn’t give her the chance to resist further, she shifted, pressing the side of her neck against Yoona’s lips.

Yoona’s fangs hesitated against her skin.

Then, finally, she bit.

At first, it was just a sharp prick. Then warmth spread from the spot, her body instinctively reacting to the sudden loss of blood. Yoona was careful, barely taking anything. But it was already too much.

Jinsol had donated today. She was already weakened. And now, even though Yoona drank only a little, the effect hit her fast. Her head spun, limbs felt heavy, and eyelids drooped. She barely registered Yoona pulling away until she heard her panicked voice.

“Jinsol?”

Jinsol did really want to respond, but her throat felt dry.

“Jinsol.”

There was something desperate in Yoona’s voice now. She forced her eyes open, but her vision was blurry.

Yoona shook her. “Jinsol, please…”

The panic in her voice was getting worse.

Jinsol tried to lift her hand, to reassure her somehow, but her body wouldn’t listen.

Then, suddenly, she was being lifted. She barely processed it, but she felt herself being carried. Yoona was going to bring her to the hospital.

Jinsol forced herself to speak. “...No.”

Yoona froze mid-step.

“Bed,” Jinsol murmured. “Just… put me on the bed.”

“But you’re…” Yoona’s voice cracked. “You weren’t- you didn’t even respond…”

“I’m just dizzy. It’s normal.”

Yoona was shaking. Jinsol could feel it, even through her exhaustion.

Still, Yoona obeyed, setting her down on the bed. The second Jinsol’s back hit the mattress, she exhaled in relief. “See? Just a bad headache.”

Yoona didn’t respond. Jinsol forced her eyes open again. Yoona was sitting beside her, her face buried in her hands. Her entire body was tense. Jinsol’s heart clenched.

“Yoona?” she called softly.

Nothing.

She reached out, fingers brushing against Yoona’s wrist. “Hey.”

Yoona flinched. Slowly, she lifted her head, and when she did… Yoona’s eyes were red. Not the usual crimson glow of a vampire, but red from tears. She was crying.

Jinsol had never seen Yoona cry before. But how could Yoona not cry? Jinsol had been unresponsive. For those few, agonizing seconds, she had called Jinsol’s name over and over, her voice was desperate… but there had been nothing. Yoona squeezed her eyes shut, but the tears still escaped, sliding down her cheeks. She tried to wipe them away, but her hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

She felt like an abandoned puppy, lost, helpless.

She hated this. Hated feeling this way. Hated that she had to feel this way.

Yoona’s hands clenched into fists. “Never again,” she whispered.

Jinsol blinked.

“I don’t care what happens,” Yoona continued, voice shaking. “I’m never drinking from you again.”

“Yoona…”

“I mean it.” Yoona’s grip tightened on the bedsheets. “Never.” A warm touch brushed against her fingers. She flinched, blinking through her tears. Jinsol’s hand had reached out to her.

“Yoona,” Jinsol murmured.

Yoona couldn’t look at her. If she did, she’d cry even more. Jinsol let out a small sigh. “Why are you feeling guilty? It’s my fault, not yours… And I’m just taking responsibility. And thank you for letting me.” she said. Yoona’s head snapped up.

Jinsol was watching her, “I should’ve checked the expiry date. I should’ve been more careful. This… this happened because of me.”

Yoona opened her mouth to argue, but Jinsol continued.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “For not taking care of you properly.”

“I should’ve learned more about you even before marriage. About what you need. I didn’t know expired blood would affect you this badly.” Jinsol swallowed, her gaze flickering with guilt. “I should’ve known.”

Something inside Yoona snapped. She moved without thinking, pulling Jinsol into a tight embrace. Jinsol let out a small sound of surprise, but Yoona didn’t let go. She couldn’t let go. Her arms wrapped securely around Jinsol’s figure, holding her close, as if letting go would mean losing her again. Jinsol stiffened for a moment, then relaxed, resting her forehead against Yoona’s shoulder.

Yoona’s voice was quiet, trembling, “You’re all I’ve ever wanted,” she whispered. “No one else.” Yoona tightened her grip. “You’re not a bad partner,” she continued, her voice cracking. “I should’ve checked too. It’s not just your responsibility… it’s mine too.”

Yoona pulled back slightly, just enough to look at Jinsol’s face. Her eyes glistened with emotion. “You always take care of me,” she murmured. “You make sure I have enough blood. You remind me to eat. You make sure I don’t do anything reckless. And you’re always looking out for me.”

Jinsol exhaled a soft laugh. “That’s just basic stuff, bare minimum...”

“No, it’s you,” Yoona insisted. “That’s just the kind of person you are. You’re… you.”

Jinsol didn’t know how to respond to that. Instead, she closed her eyes. “Thank you,” she murmured.

“Huh?”

“For telling me that,” Jinsol said.

Yoona’s arms instinctively tightened around her again.

Jinsol sighed, pressing closer into Yoona’s warmth. Yoona's skin was always cold, but when Yoona hugged her like that, she could feel the warmth, “Say more.”

Yoona huffed a small laugh, even though her eyes were still wet. “You want me to talk you to sleep?”

Jinsol hummed in response. And so, Yoona kept talking. She told her how much she admired her. How much she appreciated the little things Jinsol did. How she always felt safe when Jinsol was around. And with every soft word, Jinsol’s breathing grew slower. Until, finally, she was asleep. Yoona stayed still for a long moment, just listening to the sound of Jinsol’s breathing.

She let out a shaky breath of her own, pressing her forehead lightly against Jinsol’s. She should move. She should let go.

But she didn’t want to. I nstead, she shifted slightly, getting more comfortable, and wrapped her arms more securely around Jinsol.

She wasn’t going anywhere.

-

As soon as Jinsol stepped off the elevator, she spotted Yoona already waiting outside their apartment.

The moment their eyes met, Yoona’s gaze flickered over Jinsol’s face, scanning for any signs of exhaustion. No unusual paleness. No dizziness. Still, just to be sure, Yoona grabbed Jinsol’s wrist and dragged her inside without a word.

Jinsol let out a small laugh. “Oww, you’re worried about me? I’m touched!”

She expected Yoona to huff, roll her eyes, or deny it like usual. But this time, Yoona simply muttered, “Of course, I am.”

Jinsol blinked, a little taken aback. A slow grin spread across her face. “Well, of course, you have to. I’m the one buying all your chocolates.”

Yoona clicked her tongue, turning away. “Oh wow. Just like that, all my worries are gone.”

Jinsol chuckled, eyes softening as she reached out to ruffle Yoona’s hair. “Good.” Because if she could stop Yoona from worrying, even just a little, that was enough for her.

Chapter Text

The soft click of the door echoed as Jinsol stepped back into the apartment, her hands carefully cradling a small white box. She glanced down at it, neatly packed rice cakes wrapped in clear paper, with a little note taped on top that read, “Nice to meet you! Let’s get along well :)”

She smiled faintly, touched by the gesture. Their new neighbour had just moved into the unit next door and, in a polite introduction, had handed her the rice cakes with both hands, warm eyes, and an energy that reminded her of a Gen-Z.

Back inside, Jinsol set the box down, took out a small plate, and arranged a few pieces neatly. Then, balancing it carefully in her hands, she walked toward Yoona’s gaming room.

The door was slightly ajar, Jinsol peeked in and knocked lightly with her foot.

"Hey," she called softly, "a new neighbour just moved into the next room. She gave me this. Do you want to try?"

Yoona turned away from her monitor, her character paused mid-jump in Minecraft.

“Hmm, interesting,” she mumbled, picking up one rice cake and popping it into her mouth in one go.

Jinsol watched as Yoona chewed, waiting for her reaction.

Yoona’s brows furrowed a little, her lips pressed together like she was trying to analyze the flavor. She looked... perplexed.

"Not good?" Jinsol asked.

"I can eat it. It's not bad," Yoona said, after swallowing. “Just weird. Like... it doesn’t know if it wants to be sweet or salty.”

Jinsol chuckled and picked one for herself. “Fair enough. Anyway, if you ever see her in the hallway, don’t forget to greet her. She seems nice.”

"‘Kay~" Yoona mumbled with her mouth full again. Her cheeks puffed like a bunny's, and she leaned back into her chair with a satisfied sigh.

Jinsol smiled to herself before walking back to the kitchen.

Not that Yoona knew... that she would start feeling jealous from that day.

-

The sky was already dark when Jinsol stepped out of the subway station. Her steps were slow, obviously tired from work.

As she neared the entrance of her apartment complex, she noticed a familiar figure walking ahead in the same direction. The girl’s gait was relaxed, her jacket bobbing with each step.

“Kyujin?” Jinsol called out, just loud enough to catch her attention.

The girl turned and beamed. “Oh? Jinsol unnie? You’re walking back home too?”

Jinsol nodded with a small smile. “Yeah. You too? From university?”

Kyujin looked mildly surprised. “How’d you know?”

“You give off that Gen Z vibe. So I figured you’re still young.”

“Unnie’s really sharp, huh? That’s amazing.” Kyujin laughed, as they walked side by side.

Jinsol just chuckled. She didn’t say it out loud, but she could always tell, years of working in her field had trained her to notice things others wouldn’t. The type of backpack Kyujin used, the slight dark circles under her eyes, the way she held her phone like it was her lifeline. All tiny signs that pointed toward the typical life of a student.

They walked together across the lobby and stepped into the elevator. It was a short ride, filled with harmless small talk, about favorite coffee shops nearby, how cold the nights these days, a brief mention of the rice cake from yesterday.

When they reached their floor, the elevator doors slid open with a soft ‘ding’, revealing the familiar hallway lit with warm yellow lights.

And right there, in front of their apartment, Yoona crouched down with a couple of empty delivery containers in hand.

She looked up just as Jinsol stepped out of the elevator.

Jinsol brightened immediately. “Oh, Yoona, you’re outside.”

Yoona stood, brushing her hands against her hoodie. Her eyes flicked briefly to Kyujin, then to the little space between her and Jinsol. For Yoona, the space between Jinsol and Kyujin… felt a little too close.

“This is the neighbour I told you about yesterday,” Jinsol said, gesturing lightly. “Jang Kyujin.”

Kyujin bowed politely. “Ah, Yoona-ssi? Nice to meet you. I just moved in next door.”

Yoona nodded, lips pressed in a polite smile. “Yeah. Welcome again.”

Kyujin smiled, then turned toward her door. “Unnie, I’ll go in first then. See you around!”

“Yeah. Take care,” Jinsol replied.

The moment her door clicked shut, Yoona turned toward their apartment without a word.

Jinsol followed behind her, something about the air suddenly feeling different.

“Hey,” she called softly as Yoona opened the door, “You okay?”

Yoona glanced back. “Mm? Yeah.”

She stepped inside.

And Jinsol could’ve sworn, in that brief hesitation, she saw the faintest twitch of annoyance behind her partner’s usually calm gaze.

-

Later that night, Jinsol was lounging on the couch, flipping through her phone. Yoona had just returned from her post-game shower, her damp hair sticking to her skin, a loose tee hanging just off her shoulder.

She wandered into the living room, stretching her arms high above her head as she passed by Jinsol.

“What?” Jinsol glanced up, catching the way Yoona peeked over the top of the couch before circling around to plop herself beside her.

Yoona leaned back, pulling a blanket over her lap. “So... that Kyujin girl. She talks a lot?”

“Huh? Yeah, I guess.”

Yoona nodded slowly, trying her best to look casual. “You seem to know quite a bit about her.”

Jinsol tilted her head, “I do? I only know that she’s in university. And studying engineering. And in a dance club.”

Yoona listed off, ticking her fingers with each point.

“Well, we talked. She mentioned it.”

“You’re usually not that talkative with strangers.”

“She’s not a stranger. She’s our neighbor now.” Jinsol leaned her head back against the couch, clearly not catching the direction of Yoona’s tone.

Yoona bit her inner cheek, suddenly feeling way too warm for someone who had just showered. “Hmm…”

Jinsol glanced sideways, then narrowed her eyes ever so slightly. “What’s with that face?”

“Nothing,” Yoona said too fast, trying to cover it. “Just thinking.”

Jinsol turned slightly to face her, “You’re jealous?”

“Of what?” Yoona scoffed.

Jinsol leaned in, poking her cheek. “Of Kyujin.”

“I’m not.” Yoona pulled the blanket over her face for a second, then immediately lowered it again when she felt too silly. “I’m just saying. It’s kind of funny.”

“What is?”

“That in just two days, she’s already calling you ‘unnie.’” Yoona looked at her pointedly. “But she calls me ‘ssi.’”

“Awwww, is that what this is about?”

“No,”

“Should I ask her to call you Yoona-unnie too?”

“No! That’s weirder!” Yoona looked genuinely distressed now.

Jinsol laughed softly, her fingers reaching out to fix a loose strand of hair behind Yoona’s ear. “She’s just young. Probably sees me as the dependable unnie type.”

“You are the dependable unnie type,” Yoona muttered, not exactly helping her own case.

Jinsol smiled, then added more information, “Also, she’s a vampire.”

That made Yoona sit up a little straighter. “You know?”

“Of course.” Jinsol reached for her mug on the table. “It’s not hard to notice. Her scent’s a little different. And she avoids mirrors.”

“She avoids mirrors?”

“Yeah. I noticed when we passed the glass by the elevator, she shifted her body. Like instinct. I asked, and she admitted it.”

Yoona frowned. “So you had that kind of talk?”

“She brought it up,” Jinsol replied calmly, sipping from her tea. “She asked how I was so used to being around vampires, so I said I’m married to one.”

Yoona stayed quiet. Jinsol glanced at her again and nudged her arm. “Are you seriously sulking?”

“I’m not sulking.”

“You are.”

Yoona leaned against the armrest, pulling the blanket higher over herself. Her cheeks were puffed.

Jinsol couldn’t help but giggle softly. “Oh my god, you’re cute when you’re jealous.”

“I’m not!”

There was a pause.

“…You’re not seriously worried, are you?” Jinsol asked, a little more gently now.

Yoona peeked at her from under the blanket, her voice small. “I just… don’t like it when someone else calls you unnie. Especially someone who looks at you like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you’re the only human on earth.”

Jinsol blinked, then burst into laughter. “But I am the only human on your earth, right?”

Yoona gave her a dramatic side-eye, but her lips were twitching.

Jinsol leaned in and booped her nose. “You’re the only one who gets to call me Jinsol directly, drag me to bed, and steal my hoodies.”

Shyly, she mumbled, “…I do like your hoodies.”

“I know you do.” Jinsol smiled softly, resting her head against Yoona’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, baby. She’s just a neighbour.”

-

The next day, the gaming room remained oddly silent.

Yoona hadn’t touched her keyboard since Jinsol left the house that morning. No Minecraft. No Stardew. No Jelly King. No everything. Not even a glance at her headphones. Instead, she sat by the window, completely still, eyes flicking toward the hallway every time she thought she heard footsteps. Her vampire senses were tuned sharp, not for danger, but for the specific sound of Jinsol’s footsteps echoing through the apartment complex.

Just in case she needed an excuse to step out, she had ordered a ridiculous amount of delivery food earlier. The empty containers were already stacked neatly by the door. She was ready.

Evening approached faster than expected, the sky turning a warm pink outside the window. Then it happened, soft voices approaching the complex entrance. Yoona’s ears perked.

Jinsol’s voice. And then... another.

"Kyujin..." Yoona muttered under her breath, Two days in a row? Again? What’s with this pattern? That doesn’t make any sense.

Without another thought, she marched to Jinsol’s wardrobe, threw it open, and grabbed one of her hoodies, Jinsol’s favorite one. It smelled like her. Comforting. Possessive. Perfect!

Yoona tugged it on, oversized sleeves swallowing her hands. Then she peeked at the digital monitor beside the door, elevator just hit their floor. Go time.

She darted out and knelt by the front door, strategically placing her empty delivery containers just like the night before.

The elevator dinged.

“Yoona?” Jinsol blinked, surprised. “You’re outside again?”

No answer.

Instead, Yoona stood, ran toward her like a bullet, and wrapped her arms tightly around Jinsol’s waist. “Jinsol-ah! You’re home! I missed you!!”

Jinsol stiffened slightly, her arms awkwardly halfway raised from surprise. “O...kay?”

“I missed you so much that I had to borrow your hoodie,” Yoona declared dramatically, tugging on the fabric. “Your favorite one.”

Jinsol blinked again. “Huh? But that’s-”

She didn’t get to finish before Yoona shifted to face their visitor, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Oh, you’re here again, Kyujin-ssi.”

Kyujin smiled, polite as always. “Yes, I ran into Jinsol-unnie on the way back again.”

Yoona stepped closer to Jinsol and quickly intertwined their fingers, snuggling up to her side. Then, determined to appear more intimidating, she rested her head on Jinsol’s shoulder, only to realize it would look completely unnatural. Jinsol was taller. She tried tilting her head upward, but that only made her neck hurt. Or maybe alternative, she had to tiptoe, but it would make her look weird.

Abort. Abort.

She changed strategies. Instead, she pressed her cheek flat against Jinsol’s shoulder, giving Kyujin a look she probably thought was fearsome. (But truthfully), it just looked like a clingy koala trying to guard her tree.

“Yoona-ssi,” Kyujin greeted, trying not to laugh, “nice to meet you again.”

Before Yoona could come up with another move, Jinsol stepped in, voice as calm as always. “Ah, Kyujin, may I know where did you buy the rice cake? Yoona said it was edible.”

“Yah!” Yoona elbowed her lightly. “I said it wasn’t bad.”

Kyujin chuckled. “Glad you could eat it.”

As the two chatted casually, Yoona slowly grew more restless. Her fingers began to toy with Jinsol’s. Then, suddenly she lifted one hand, brought it to her lips, and gently bit Jinsol’s finger.

It wasn’t enough to draw blood. Just a nibble.

Jinsol yelped softly, pulling her hand back and staring at her in disbelief. “Did you just-?!”

Yoona looked up at her innocently and shrugged, as if she was the one who was confused. “What?”

Jinsol raised an eyebrow, clearly putting the pieces together now. The hoodie. The hug. The biting.

And then she looked at Kyujin and said, “Then... let’s rest for today. You must be tired.”

Kyujin caught the message immediately.

But just before stepping away, Jinsol gave her a look. It was subtle silent message.

"This baby needs pampering. Please understand."

Kyujin’s shoulders relaxed, and she gave a tiny laugh. “Of course. Then, see you tomorrow, Jinsol-unnie. Yoona-ssi.”

As soon as Kyujin disappeared down the hall, Yoona huffed and buried her face against Jinsol’s arm again.

“Next time, I’m walking you home.”

Jinsol laughed under her breath and reached up to ruffle Yoona’s hair. “You’re not intimidating, you know.”

“I could be.”

“Hmm…” Jinsol tugged lightly at her own hoodie sleeve, which Yoona was now completely wrapped in. “Sure, baby vampire. Keep telling yourself that.”

Yoona pouted, but secretly, her heart was glowing. She got the hoodie, the hand-holding, the bite, and most importantly…

Kyujin got the message (or so she thought).

-

Yoona was all smiles for the next few hours, back in her gaming chair, humming along to background music as she explored a new Minecraft village with the brightest grin on her face. It was rare to see her this cheerful for no reason, but tonight, in her mind, Kyujin had received the message loud and clear, “Jinsol was hers.”

Until Jinsol visited her gaming room. “You're still jealous?”

“Nope.” Yoona didn’t even pause her game.

“Really?” Jinsol arched an eyebrow “Because that’s not how it felt earlier. You bit me, remember?”

Yoona shrugged. “You tasted like rice cake.”

“So, I’m somewhere between sweet and salty? You bit me harder than you eat rice cake.”

Yoona kept her gaze on the screen, but her ears were red. Then Jinsol added, casually, “You know, I’ll probably run into Kyujin a lot.”

That made Yoona’s hands slow on the keyboard.

“She leaves before sunrise and gets home when the sun’s already low. We usually cross paths around that time.”

“And since we go to the same floor, we’ll probably talk more on the way up. Just the two of us.”

Yoona finally looked away from her monitor. Yoona blinked at Jinsol. Hard.

Jinsol tilted her head, lips curving into a smile. “Tell me, then, what should I do to make you not jealous?”

Yoona opened her mouth, but no words came out. Jinsol stood up and walked over, stopping just in front of her gaming chair. “Should I hug you like this every night?” She leaned down and wrapped her arms around Yoona’s shoulders, letting her chin rest on top of her head.

Yoona froze, but her heart was going absolutely wild.

“Or,” Jinsol pulled back, just slightly, only to lean in again and press a soft kiss to Yoona’s cheek, “should I kiss you like this?”

Yoona stared at her, stunned. Her screen had long gone dark. The game forgotten. Her voice, when it finally came, was quiet and timid, but trying to be confidence.

“Then don’t give me a reason to be jealous.”

Yoona, sitting there with her arms crossed like she didn’t just go full heart-throb, added coolly, “If I already have you, then act like it.”

Jinsol smiled. She reached out, tucked a strand of hair behind Yoona’s ear, and murmured, “Noted.”

Yoona, meanwhile, was screaming inside. She meant to sound cool. But now her heart was racing, and her brain was about to explode from the way Jinsol looked at her. She needed to hide, like… immediately!

“I’m going to get water,” she announced, scrambling up from her chair so fast it almost tipped over.

Jinsol laughed softly as she watched Yoona flee to the kitchen.

Cool points plus 10. Composure minus 100.

Chapter Text

“Welcome to Yoona’s Martial Art Class!” Yoona raised one arm dramatically like she was about to kick off the opening ceremony of a world championship. Her voice echoed just a little too loud in their living room, filled with cushions pushed aside to make space.

Jinsol was unimpressed. “Why do I feel like I just signed up for something I’ll regret?”

Both of them were dressed in casual tracksuits and sweatpants, Yoona in her usual dark monochrome, Jinsol in light apricot or cream color. They looked like they were either about to warm up or settle into a K-drama binge.

Jinsol crossed her arms lazily, “So, why exactly are we doing this again? I don’t remember asking for private lessons.”

Yoona placed her hands on her hips, puffing out her chest proudly. “It’s all because of that neighbour. Kyujin.” The way she said her name made it sound like a curse. “She’s nice, yes, but she’s also a vampire. A nice vampire. That’s rare. If someone else, 'not-so-nice' person or vampire, bumped into you on your way home? What would you do, huh? Just hope your cuteness saves you? To summarize it, I’m just saying, I take safety very seriously. Especially yours.”

Jinsol snorted, “Worked so far.”, slowly murmuring.

“Not anymore. From today on, you’ll learn how to survive the streets, Jinsol.”

“So you want me to become Bruce Lee?”

“No,” Yoona huffed, “I want you to know how to defend yourself if something happens. Just until I show up and kill them.”

“That’s comforting,” Jinsol muttered.

“Let’s warm up first!”

And with that, Yoona clapped her hands and began stretching like she was preparing for battle. She lifted her arms, bent over with unnecessary intensity, and even did a couple of high kicks that had no place in any martial art.

Jinsol followed half-heartedly, doing the bare minimum, smirking as she watched Yoona huff and puff with too much enthusiasm. “You look like a drama student who didn’t get cast in the action role,” she teased.

“Laugh all you want now,” Yoona said, standing upright with a proud smirk. “But by the end of this, you’ll be able to flip me over if you want.”

Jinsol raised an eyebrow, eyes glinting. “Flip you over? Sounds promising.”

Yoona coughed, flustered, but refused to back down. “Anyway! Let’s move on to defense tactics.

Yoona clapped her hands. “Okay! First lesson. What if someone grabs your arm from behind while you’re walking home?”

She stepped behind Jinsol and gently took her wrist. “Here’s what you don’t do, panic. What you do is this, watch.”

Yoona twisted her body slightly to the side, her foot slipping behind Jinsol’s leg as she guided her down in one smooth, practiced trip. It wasn’t forceful, and she let Jinsol fall gently onto the padded mat they’d dragged out.

Jinsol was lying flat on her back now. “You-!”

“That was a Yoona's trip technique, thank you. Effective and clean. Use your attacker’s momentum to make them stumble. Bonus points if you elbow them in the gut while they’re falling.”

Jinsol slowly got back on her feet, then let out a breath. “Okay, that was kinda cool.”

Yoona smirked, offering her hand to help her up. “Right? Your turn.”

They practiced the move a few more times, Jinsol’s version a bit clumsier at first, but she was a quick learner. She started giggling by the third repetition, especially when Yoona kept yelping in exaggerated agony every time she hit the mat.

“Okay,” Yoona finally huffed, sitting down and stretching her legs out dramatically. “Let’s say the attacker doesn’t grab you from behind. Let’s say they pin you against a wall. What then?”

“Call your name?”

“No!” Yoona stomped once. “Well that’s nice too, but no! You shift your weight, you look for a weak point, and then you push back or twist your way out.”

Jinsol’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “Should we… demonstrate that too?”

“Yeah.” Yoona cleared her throat. “Go ahead. Pretend I’m you.”

“Gladly.”

Before Yoona could prepare, Jinsol moved fast stepping in and backing her against the nearest wall with a fluid confidence that made Yoona’s mind stall. Her hands landed lightly on Yoona’s shoulders, not rough but firm enough to trap her. Jinsol’s face was close, too close, and the air shifted in a way that made Yoona forget what the lesson even was.

“What is this?” Jinsol murmured, tilting her head. “You’re not trying to fight?”

Yoona’s brain blanked.

Jinsol reached up, tilting Yoona’s chin with two fingers, “Tell me, instructor. What should I do if someone did this to me?”

She leaned in, slowly, her lips brushing the edge of Yoona’s cheek, not quite touching, but close enough to feel the heat. Then she tilted her head slightly and brought her mouth near Yoona’s neck, breathing in her scent softly. “Do I scream? Push? Or maybe... stay still and trust?”

Yoona’s voice was thin. “I-I think I said elbow. Elbow to the gut.”

“Is that what you’d do to me?” Jinsol asked, her voice low and teasing.

There was a brief pause. Because Jinsol tried to build the tension. Until… Yoona blinked. “Yeah. Like this.”

Thud.

“AGHH!” Jinsol bent forward dramatically, clutching her stomach like she’d just been mortally wounded. “G-Gosh, so violent… Is this how you treat the girl you love? Huh?!”

Yoona blinked. “That wasn’t even that hard!”

“I’m emotionally damaged!” Jinsol wailed, collapsing onto the mat like a fainting actress in a tragic play. “I need a minute… maybe three…”

Yoona walked over, hands on her hips, staring down at Jinsol who was still sprawled out like she’d been fatally elbowed. “Are you really okay?”

“Yeah, yeah… just gimme a se-”

Suddenly, Jinsol grabbed Yoona’s wrist and yanked her down with the force of someone very alive, like someone who just hadn’t got elbowed.

“Wha- JINSOL!”

They landed with a soft thud on the mat, Yoona flat on her back, eyes wide in shock. But before she could scramble up, Jinsol moved fast, pulling Yoona back to sit, swinging her leg over until she was straddling Yoona’s lap, her knees on either side of her thighs.

Yoona froze. Completely. Jinsol didn’t say anything at first. Her hands rested lightly on Yoona’s shoulders, and her face hovered close, too close even (for anything innocent >_<).

Her lips were slightly parted, breaths calm but shallow. Her eyes weren’t teasing anymore, they were… intense. The tension in the air thickened instantly.

“Do you think,” Jinsol whispered, “this is a position where I need to elbow someone?”

Yoona’s throat worked to swallow. Her brain was rapidly buffering.

“N-no.”

Jinsol tilted her head, her blonde hair falling slightly forward. Her fingers slipped down from Yoona’s shoulders to her arms, feather-light. “Then what should I do? What if someone had me like this?”

Yoona tried to form a sentence. Failed.

Her heart was racing now. Jinsol wasn’t just being playful anymore. Her body was warm and steady against her, and the weight on her lap was all too real.

“Yoona,” Jinsol whispered again, and this time her voice was gentle, or tempting? Yoona couldn’t differentiate them. “What if I wanted it to be like this?”

Yoona looked up at her, really looked, and felt the breath catch in her throat. She wanted to say something, but all she could manage was a quiet, “…Then I wouldn't stop you.”

“Good,” Jinsol murmured. And then she leaned down and kissed her. It was bold, real bold.

Jinsol’s hands slid up Yoona’s arms and cupped her cheeks, thumbs gently brushing her skin as her lips pressed into Yoona’s. Yoona responded before she even knew it, hands instinctively resting on Jinsol’s waist, holding her close. Her fingers curled into the fabric of Jinsol’s tracksuit as their lips moved in sync, the kiss deepening slowly, then all at once.

Jinsol tilted her head slightly to one side, changing the angle just so, and a soft sigh escaped from Yoona’s throat. Their noses brushed, breaths mingling, hearts pounding against each other through thin layers of fabric. Jinsol’s hand slipped to the back of Yoona’s neck, pulling her in like she never wanted to let go. And Yoona… she melted into her.

It was intense, but it did not show any desperation. It was controlled, and burning.

When they finally pulled apart, lips swollen and breaths uneven, Jinsol leaned her forehead against Yoona’s. Their breaths mixed again.

Jinsol's voice came low, barely more than a breath.

“To be honest… the hottest thing you can do right now is to bite me.”

Yoona froze. Her fingers that had just been holding Jinsol so naturally tensed slightly. “Jinsol…”

“I mean it,” Jinsol whispered, brushing her lips against Yoona’s cheek, then down to her jawline, so close it sent shivers down Yoona’s spine. “You’ve already kissed me like that. You think I’d be scared of a little bite?”

Yoona shook her head slowly, her voice trembling. “It’s not about fear. I’m not scared of biting. I’m scared of… hurting you again.”

Jinsol sat back slightly, still in Yoona’s lap. She reached up, tucking a strand of hair behind Yoona’s ear, “You won’t.”

“But what if I do?” Yoona's voice cracked just slightly.

“Then I’ll pull you back,” Jinsol said simply. “But I want you to try. I want you to trust yourself the way I trust you.” She took Yoona’s hand and brought it to her chest, over her heartbeat. “You feel that? That’s yours.”

Yoona's fingers twitched slightly, still pressed to the rhythm of Jinsol's heartbeat. Her fangs hadn’t dropped yet, her body still unsure whether it was truly okay. Whether she was truly safe.

“I… I don’t want to lose control,” she whispered. “Last time, you… you got-”

Jinsol leaned in again, brushing her lips along the corner of Yoona’s mouth, “That’s why I trust you now,” she said. “Because you're thinking.”

She moved Yoona’s hand, instead, she gently guided Yoona’s to her neck, where the skin was warm and bare. Her breath hitched, but she didn’t look away.

“Do you know how many times I see people in the office showing off their bite marks?” Jinsol said, her voice small but Yoona could feel the sadness(?). “They laugh about it. Brag about how deep their partner bit, how long it took to heal, how loved they feel when their vampire trusts them enough to drink from them.”

She tilted her head slightly, eyes never leaving Yoona’s. “I’ve never done that before.”

Yoona’s fangs slowly dropped before she realized they had.

“But I want that. From you,” Jinsol whispered, her fingers brushing Yoona’s cheek. “I want to walk into work with your love on my skin. Not because I’m claiming you, but because… you’re claiming me, too.”

“Jinsol…” Yoona’s voice broke, with the depth of what it meant.

Jinsol pulled her closer again, cradling Yoona’s head gently against her neck. “I want you to bite me. Not because it’s hot,” she whispered with a smile, “but because I love you.”

And something in Yoona cracked open at those words. Slowly, she leaned in. Her breath ghosted over Jinsol’s neck. She could hear Jinsol’s heart stutter, feel her pulse beat against her lips. Her fangs grazed the skin, still unsure.

Jinsol didn’t flinch. She only held her tighter.

“I’m right here,” she whispered. “Don’t be scared.”

And with that, Yoona sank her fangs into her, carefully, as though she were holding something sacred between her teeth.

Jinsol gasped softly, her arms tightening around Yoona’s shoulders. It ached, but it ached with intimation and warmth. She could feel Yoona’s hesitation even in the bite, how she kept her instincts on a leash, how she trembled even as she drank.

But more than anything, she felt the love in it.

Yoona pulled back minutes later, her lips stained faintly red, her eyes glassy. “Did I hurt you?”

Jinsol shook her head slowly, brushing a hand through Yoona’s hair. “No… you loved me.”

And Yoona, overwhelmed and speechless, simply buried her face into Jinsol’s neck and held her close. She no longer felt the fear that bind her.

They stayed like that for a while, wrapped in each other. Yoona hadn’t moved from where she tucked herself into Jinsol’s neck, her arms clinging loosely around her waist. The mat beneath them wasn’t exactly comfortable, but neither of them seemed to care.

“You okay?” Jinsol finally murmured.

Yoona nodded against her shoulder, then pulled back just enough to look at her. “I didn’t take too much?”

Jinsol smiled. “You barely took anything.”

“I was scared…”

“I know,” Jinsol whispered, brushing her thumb along the edge of Yoona’s cheek. “But you still did it for me. Thank you.”

Yoona leaned in, her lips brushing against the mark she left behind. She kissed it, gentle and full of remorse and awe. “You taste sweet,” she whispered, almost shyly.

Jinsol laughed softly, her nose scrunching in amusement. “Of course I do. I only eat sweet things.”

They giggled, letting the tension fully melt away into quiet contentment. Eventually, Jinsol shifted, lying back on the mat and tugging Yoona down with her. Their limbs tangled easily, legs draped over one another, arms tucked around shoulders and waists, hearts pressed close.

“I love you,” she whispered.

Jinsol’s hand curled gently around the back of her neck.

“I know,” she whispered back.

-

When Jinsol blinked her eyes open, the first thing she noticed was the steady rise and fall of Yoona’s breathing against her neck. Then, the weight of an arm draped securely around her waist. And finally, the fact that Yoona had somehow crawled onto her during their nap.

Like a cat, really. A clingy, clingy cat.

Jinsol shifted slightly, trying not to disturb the girl currently sprawled across her like a personal weighted blanket.

Yoona groaned in protest. “Nooo. Don’t move.”

“You’re crushing me. I can’t feel my arm.”

“But I’m comfy,” Yoona mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. She nuzzled deeper into Jinsol’s collarbone.

“That’s because I’m your mattress.”

“No refunds,” Yoona muttered. “You signed the contract when you kissed me.”

Jinsol chuckled, “I didn’t realize it came with fine print.”

“It does,” Yoona said seriously, still not opening her eyes. “It’s written in invisible ink and sealed with a love bite.”

That got Jinsol laughing, really laughing, her shoulders shaking gently beneath Yoona.

At that, Yoona finally cracked one eye open and looked up at her. “What?”

“You’re such a baby,” Jinsol grinned, brushing stray hair away from Yoona’s forehead.

Yoona narrowed her eyes, offended, “I just gave you the sexiest bite in the history of vampire-human relationships and that’s what you call me?”

“You were crying while doing it,” Jinsol teased, tapping the tip of Yoona’s nose. “Like a baby.”

“I was moved,” Yoona’s face reddening immediately.

“You were sniffling.”

“You’re so annoying,” Yoona declared, then leaned up to kiss her again, a quick one.

Jinsol blinked after her. “Hey, I thought you were going to deny it.”

Yoona shrugged, sitting up and stretching like she didn’t just call Jinsol her mattress five seconds ago.

“You also drooled a little, like a baby.” Jinsol mcked her again.

“I did not!”

“You did.”

Later, Yoona accidentally find a picture saved on Jinsol’s phone, one she definitely didn’t remember being taken (must be Jinsol who took the picture), of the two of them passed out on the mat, tangled up like a pair of sleepy vines, Jinsol’s arms protectively around her.

And right beside it, another picture. Of the faint bite mark glowing pink against Jinsol’s neck.

Yoona stared at it for a long time. Then shared it to her own phone and saved it into a private folder labeled, simply “Mine”

Chapter Text

Jinsol stepped out of the car, stretching her arms above her head as she looked up at the wide sky overhead.

Yoona yawned beside her, pulling the hood of her jacket tighter around her ears. “Why did we choose this cold weekend to go camping?”

“You were the one who said you wanted to see the stars without light pollution,” Jinsol said with a smirk, slamming the car door shut.

“I said that in August,” Yoona muttered, blowing warm air into her hands. “This is December. My fingers are going to snap off.”

But Jinsol just smiled and nudged her with an elbow. “Don’t worry. I brought extra blankets.”

And she had, along with two instant rice bowls, a mini stove, fairy lights, and a stack of marshmallows that Yoona immediately claimed.

"Alright!" Yoona declared, clutching the folded tent bag in one hand and the instruction manual in the other. She looked like she was about to defuse a bomb, not pitch a tent. “Mission: Tent.”

Jinsol squinted at her, shouldering their duffel bags. “You’re really going to follow that manual, huh?”

“Of course. I have a system. I watched, like, five YouTube tutorials last night.”

“And yet here you are reading a paper manual like it’s 2002.”

Yoona waved her off. “Have some faith.”

They unrolled the tent pieces onto the grass, poles, pegs, flaps, loops, clips. Yoona stared at it all, while Jinsol patiently waited for about… thirty seconds.

“Okay,” Yoona muttered, flipping the manual sideways. “Step one says ‘lay out the base facing the wind.’ But what does that mean? Which way is the wind? Do you have a compass?”

“I am the compass,” Jinsol said, kneeling down and unfolding the tarp. “Now give me that pole before you stab yourself with it.”

Yoona handed it over reluctantly, already looking defeated. Ten minutes later, she had managed to connect two rods… into the wrong shape.

“Yoona, what are you building? A teepee?”

“It’s a tent!”

“That’s not even close to a tent.”

“Why do there have to be so many angles?! Who invented triangles anyway?”

“Pythagoras.”

“I hope he stepped on a Lego in another life.”

Jinsol snorted, shaking her head as she slid a rod through the correct flap. With her sleeves rolled up, she moved smoothly, looping, tying, snapping things in place with ease. Yoona stood by the side, trying to offer moral support by holding a flashlight.

Thirty more minutes passed. The tent was finally upright. Jinsol wiped the sweat from her brow, breath heavy. “Okay, that’s done. I need to sit down. My stamina is not what it used to be anymore,” she chuckled, patting her lower back dramatically like someone twice her age.

Yoona blinked at her, confused. “You’re like… not even old.”

“I said my stamina! Not my age! This is what happens when you live with a vampire who carries everything for you.”

“…You’re welcome?”

“Not a compliment.”

Still, when Jinsol looked worn out, Yoona stepped forward, “Let me help now. I’ll set up the sleeping bags inside.”

“That’s actually a good-” But before Jinsol could finish, a small black insect crawled out from the flap.

“ACK!!”

Yoona shrieked like she was under attack, dropping the sleeping bag and bolting three feet back like it exploded. “WHAT IS THAT? IS THAT A SPIDER? IT HAD LEGS!”

Jinsol didn’t even look up. “Most things do.” But the moment Jinsol saw it, she sighed, it’s not even a spider.

“No, no, no, it had the intentions, Jinsol. I saw it. It looked at me.”

“You mean, it… existed near you.”

“It had an aura.”

Jinsol sighed, brushing off her knees as she stood. “Alright, that’s enough. Go sit on the chair outside.”

Yoona blinked. “What? Why?”

“Because you’re clearly a danger to yourself and the sleeping bags.”

“But-”

“No buts. Go. Outside. Sit. Don’t move. Don’t scream. Don’t breathe too loudly or you’ll summon the bugs.”

Yoona pouted but obeyed, walking sadly like the Minecraft’s character with the saddest expression ever known to mankind, like she’d been banished from society. “I was just trying to help…”

From outside the tent, her voice echoed out like a ghost. “I have feelings, you know…”

Jinsol chuckled as she set up the sleeping bed inside the tent, glancing toward the chair where the vampire sulked.

And then, came a dramatic little voice: “Tell my story, Jinsol… tell them I tried…”

“You mean, tell them you screamed at a beetle.”

“IT WASN’T A BEETLE!”

“Do you want me to bring the beetle to you to confirm?”

“…”

“…I’ll be good.”

Their tent was set up in a quiet pocket of the forest, surrounded by tall trees. After dinner, they sat curled up around the fire, knees touching, the flames crackling like a lazy conversation between them.

Yoona roasted a marshmallow in total silence, her eyes reflecting orange. “This feels like one of those scenes in a movie where someone proposes,” she joked, tone teasing.

Jinsol didn’t laugh. Instead, she tilted her head.

“…What?” Yoona blinked.

“Nothing,” Jinsol said, turning her gaze back to the fire. “Just wondering what kind of ring you’d want.”

Yoona made a strange squeaking noise and nearly dropped her marshmallow.

“I was joking,” she hissed.

“I wasn’t,” Jinsol said simply, wrapping her arms around her knees. “I mean… not about the ring. But this. Us. I’d want to do this again. Every winter. Every year.”

Yoona was quiet.

Then, slowly, she leaned over and rested her head on Jinsol’s shoulder.

“I’d like that,” she whispered. “But… could we do it in warmer months next time?”

Jinsol laughed, breath visible in the chill air. “Deal.”

Yoona clapped her hands eagerly, shifting excitedly in her seat. “Let’s play a game!”

“What kind of game?”

“You know, like those YouTube camping videos! They ask each other questions to see how well they know one another.”

Jinsol snorted. “You just want to see me fail.”

Yoona grinned mischievously. “Maybe. But there’s a punishment if you get it wrong.”

“What is it?” Jinsol leaned forward. Yoona held up her hand and tapped her forehead. “A flick. Right here. Classic punishment.”

Jinsol leaned back with a dramatic sigh. “Fine, but prepare your forehead.”

And so, the interrogation began.

“What’s my favorite way to relax after a long day?” Yoona started first”

“Gaming while eating an entire tub of strawberry ice cream.”

Yoona grinned. “Close, but it’s hot chocolate while teasing you.”

Jinsol narrowed her eyes. “That’s your idea of relaxing?”

“Forehead,” Yoona sang.

Jinsol braced herself as Yoona flicked her forehead, with enough force to make her flinch.

“Alright, vampire. What’s my dream vacation?”

Yoona tilted her head. “A quiet cabin in the mountains?”

“Wow. Not bad.” Jinsol nodded slowly, impressed and touched by Yoona’s thoughtfulness.

Yoona puffed her chest proudly. “I study you.”

“Don’t make it sound creepy.”

“Next one. What’s something I always do before bed?”

Jinsol immediately answered, “You roll around for 20 minutes, muttering to yourself about the day.”

“That’s… scarily accurate,” Yoona muttered, slightly embarrassed. “I was gonna say ‘check my phone’ but okay.”

“No take backs,” Jinsol said sweetly

"What's something I do that annoys you?"

Jinsol smiled softly. "You leave your socks everywhere."

Yoona feigned offense. "They're strategically placed!"

They continued, laughing and teasing each other with every right and wrong answer. Their faces flushed, from the comfort of being together like this.

Then came a question that slowed the laughter a bit.

“What’s something you’ve never told me?” Yoona asked again.

Jinsol paused. Her gaze dropped to the fire. She felt like there was a weight to that question. Or maybe it’s just her feeling.

But then she smiled softly, brushing it off. “I never told you I stole your last ice cream bar last week.”

Yoona gasped like she’d been personally betrayed. “You traitor.”

Jinsol chuckled. “It was a life-or-death craving.”

Yoona leaned forward and flicked her so hard, Jinsol jerked back. “Deserved.”

The laughter gradually settled into a soft hum. Jinsol leaned forward to poke at a burning log, the embers flaring orange before dimming again.

Yoona still had that playful glint in her eyes, but her voice softened. “Come on, that was just ice cream. Tell me something real. Something you’ve never told me.”

Jinsol didn’t answer right away.

There was a pause, long enough that Yoona almost took her words back, but then Jinsol said, “I get scared sometimes,”

Yoona blinked, caught off guard. “What do you mean?”

Jinsol finally turned to face her, “You’re only older than me by what? Eleven months?” She let out a breathless laugh. “But it doesn’t matter, does it? Because you’re going to outlive me by decades. Centuries, even.”

“You always talk like we have forever,” Jinsol said quietly. “Like there’s always tomorrow. And I wish I could see things the way you do.” That made Yoona sat a little straighter.

Jinsol continued, “But I’m human, Yoona. I know we’ve joked about it before, but I don’t think I’ve ever really said it out loud, how much it scares me sometimes.”

“You don’t age like I do. You won’t get sick like I might. You won’t… fade like I eventually will.” Jinsol's voice cracked faintly, and she tried to laugh it off, but the smile trembled at the corners. “And some days, when I’m not home, and you’re alone for a bit too long, I think about that. I wonder if I’m being unfair to you.”

“Unfair?” Yoona replied, “How could you ever think that?”

“Because one day I’ll be gone, I feel like I should spend more time with you.”

Yoona didn’t realize she was holding her breath until it released all at once.

“I don’t say it because I don’t want you to think I’m fragile,” Jinsol whispered. “But I do think about it. I do get scared. Especially when you look at me like I’m your whole world. Because one day, your whole world might not be here anymore.”

“I don’t want to be a passing season in your life,” Jinsol whispered. “I don’t want to become a memory you carry because you have to.”

Yoona’s heart clenched. “You think I wouldn’t want to remember you?”

“I think it’ll hurt you,” Jinsol said. “Or am I being overconfident about that? Haha, but anyway, I just don’t want to be the reason your eternity feels a little colder.” She let out a chuckle, that contained every part of her sadness.

For a moment, Yoona said nothing. Her throat felt tight, too tight to speak. But she reached out, her fingers brushing against Jinsol’s hand, then holding it, tightly.

“I’ve lived for over twenty years with nothing but time,” Yoona said, her voice trembling. “And I didn’t start really living until I met you.”

Jinsol’s gaze flickered to her.

“I don’t care if I have a hundred years or ten more minutes with you,”

“I want it all. Every single second. Even if it ends.”

“I don’t care if you don’t last forever,” Yoona whispered. “I only care that while you’re here… I love you with everything I have.”

“And when the time comes… whenever it does… I’ll still be loving you, Jinsol. Even if I have to carry that love for the rest of my eternity.”

“Don’t you ever think you’re a passing season,” Yoona said. “You’re not a chapter in my life, Jinsol. You’re the whole damn book!”

The tears came quietly after that, from both Yoona’s eyes.

They didn’t speak again for a while. They just stayed there, forehead to forehead, hands interlocked. Yoona could feel the slight tremble in Jinsol’s fingers, could hear the way her breath hitched like she was holding everything in.

But then, Jinsol let out a tiny sniffle, sat back slightly, and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her hoodie. Like nothing totally happened just now.

“Well,” she murmured, voice slightly hoarse but calm now, “I was just answering your question, dummy.”

Yoona blinked. “Huh?”

“The game?” Jinsol said, tilting her head at her. “You asked me to tell you something I’ve never told you. So I did.” She gave her a look. “Didn’t expect to be scolded for it.”

Yoona’s eyes widened. “Oh my god. You used the game to drop an emotional bomb like that?”

“I didn’t plan it!” Jinsol defended herself, “It just came up. Blame the fire and my MBTI, it made me sentimental.”

Yoona shook her head in disbelief. “You’re unbelievable.”

Jinsol smirked. “Now it’s your turn. Tell me something you’ve never told me.”

Yoona paused for a moment… then frowned. “…I once bit into a whole lemon because I wanted to prove I was brave.”

Jinsol stared at her. “What.”

“I was six,” Yoona added defensively. “It looked like a yellow orange.”

“…”

And then Jinsol burst out laughing, hard. She doubled over, clutching her stomach, the tears from before replaced by those of amusement. “You… you… A YELLOW ORANGE?!”

Yoona’s face turned red instantly. “I was six!”

“I bet your face did not survive that,” Jinsol wheezed, wiping her eyes as she continued laughing.

Yoona tried to look mad, but she couldn’t hold it. Seeing Jinsol laugh like that, unburdened and alive, was a reward too precious.

“Let’s go inside,” Yoona grumbled, getting up and brushing dirt from her pants. “Before I confess anything worse.”

Jinsol was still giggling as she followed her into the tent.

Inside, the warmth of the blankets and the scent of fresh fabric mingled with the lingering smell of firewood clinging to their clothes. They settled into their sleeping bags, though Jinsol had long abandoned hers for Yoona’s.

“Are you just… moving in here now?” Yoona asked as Jinsol scooted closer, stealing half her blanket without remorse.

“It’s cold,” Jinsol mumbled. “Also, your lemon story was so tragic, I figured I’d keep you company.”

Yoona rolled her eyes but let her in.

They lay there for a moment, Jinsol nestled into Yoona’s shoulder, head tucked under her chin. Her hand found Yoona’s and intertwined their fingers lazily.

Yoona glanced down at her, “You good now?”

Jinsol nodded against her. “Mhm. Thanks for scolding me, by the way. I needed it.”

“I’ll scold you every day if it helps,” Yoona whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

Jinsol laughed softly. “Please don’t.”

They drifted into soft whispers after that, talking about everything and nothing. At some point, Yoona rested her cheek against Jinsol’s hair. To make sure Jinsol felt warm.

Chapter Text

Jinsol stood in front of the mirror, one hand lazily brushing through her hair while the other clutched her toothbrush, foam building in the corner of her mouth. She looked half-asleep, the sleeves of her pajama shirt slipping off one shoulder as she blinked slowly at her reflection.

Yoona leaned against the sink next to her, swinging her legs and watching Jinsol like she always did when her thoughts were brewing. The minty scent of their shared toothpaste filled the air.

“I think we should play It Takes Two together,” Yoona said suddenly, brushing the hair out of her eyes with the back of her hand.

Jinsol blinked. Once.

Then twice. It’s a game she’s heard before, so she’s quite familiar with it.

“Mmngh?” was all she managed through the toothpaste.

Yoona grinned. “The game, you know? It Takes Two. People say it’s made for couples. I’ve always wanted to try it.”

Jinsol spit out the foam and rinsed her mouth, wiping her lips on a hand towel. “I know, but.. are you trying to tell me we have relationship issues?”

Yoona gasped, offended. “No! I mean, well, I think we’d be hilarious. And we could stream it. Just for fun.”

“I don’t do cameras,” Jinsol said immediately, pointing a freshly washed finger at her.

“I know, I know,” Yoona waved her off. “They’ll only see me. But they’ll hear you. And when you yell at me, it’ll be great content.” Yoona did the wink and a gun gesture.

Jinsol narrowed her eyes. “So I’m only here to boost your ratings, huh?”

“You boost everything, babe,” Yoona said with a shameless wink, but this time, she was also grinning.

Jinsol rolled her eyes, but her ears turned just a little pink. She reached for the moisturizer on the counter, dabbing it onto her cheeks while trying to hide her smile. “Fine. But if your viewers fall in love with my voice, it’s not my fault.”

“They will, they will.” Yoona said too quickly, then cleared her throat and looked away. “I mean, yeah. Probably. I don’t know.”

Jinsol leaned against Yoona’s shoulder for a second as they turned the bathroom light off, whispering just before they parted for the night,

“If we break up because of that game, I’m blaming you.”

Yoona chuckled softly. “Fair enough. But if we end up loving each other more… you’re welcome.”

“Okay, okay, don't touch that!” Yoona scrambled across the room as Jinsol reached out to poke the little ring light sitting on Yoona’s desk. “That’s expensive!”

Jinsol raised a brow. “It’s a light(?)”

“It’s not just a light! It’s the light that makes me look good. You want people to call me pretty, right?”

“Hmm,” Jinsol mused, taking a slow step back. “I don’t care if they call you pretty. I already know you are.”

Yoona paused for a second, before pretending to cough and turn away, clearly trying to hide the way her ears turned pink. “Ahem… flirt.”

Jinsol smirked.

She was sprawled on Yoona’s couch in the room, legs crossed and face buried half into a plush pillow, watching as Yoona adjusted her mic setup. “So what’s this one for?” she asked, pointing to a small black box on the desk.

“That’s the audio interface. It makes the mic sound better.”

“…You paid money for that?”

Yoona shot her a look. “People pay for my voice.”

“Ohhh,” Jinsol nodded mock-seriously. “So that’s your plan. Voice fishing.”

“I’ll have you know I’ve gotten donations just for laughing.”

“That’s dumb,” Jinsol muttered, and then, after a beat, “...How much?”

Yoona snorted. “You’re really gonna judge them and then ask the price?”

“I’m just trying to figure out if I should laugh too. That’s all.”

Yoona rolled her eyes and tossed her a spare pair of headphones. “You’re incorrigible.”

Jinsol caught them midair, inspecting them. “So they’re not gonna see me, right?”

“Nope. Mic only. Just make sure you don’t snort or something.”

“I make no promises.” Jinsol smirked.

Yoona was sitting at her desk now, clicking through tabs, and Jinsol sat up, suddenly curious. “And this thing… what does it do?” She pointed to the donation bar widget Yoona had pulled up on screen.

“Oh, that? That’s where viewers can donate money during the stream.”

“Wait… for what?”

Yoona shrugged. “For being cute. For gaming well. Sometimes just because they’re bored.”

Jinsol stared at her like she’d just explained a unicorn pays rent in their apartment. “…You’re telling me people give you money to play games and be cute?”

“I mean, yeah. It’s not just me. It’s a thing.”

“…Unbelievable.”

Yoona leaned over her shoulder with a sly grin. “Wanna try it? I’ll split it with you.”

“No thanks. If anyone gives you money because of me, it’s mine.”

Yoona grinned. “You are confident today.”

“I’m always confident,” Jinsol said, leaning back again on the couch, fingers now tapping the controller in her hands. “Especially when it comes to taking your money.”

Yoona laughed, letting the stream countdown begin. The screen flickered to life with a cheerful starting graphic, and Yoona adjusted her camera one last time before turning to Jinsol.

“You ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” Jinsol replied. “Let’s see if this couple game actually makes us a better couple.”

“Oh no,” Yoona chuckled. “We’re either ending this night stronger… or one of us is sleeping on the couch.”

“Annyeong~” Yoona waved at the camera, her voice bright and confident as the stream began. “Welcome back to the stream, everyone. You’re watching YoonaPlays, where we die a hundred times just to make progress once!”

The chat immediately flooded with greetings, heart emojis, and playful comments like “Queen is back!!” and “Let’s goooo!”

From her spot just outside of the webcam’s frame, Jinsol watched in awe. Yoona had completely shifted, her posture, her voice, her expression. She was glowing with energy and excitement, her fingers moving with practiced ease as she adjusted audio levels and popped open the game window.

There was something magnetic about it, the way Yoona handled everything so naturally. Jinsol almost forgot why she was here.

“Tonight’s a little special,” Yoona continued, grinning at the chat. “We’re finally playing It Takes Two! And I won’t be alone this time.”

The chat exploded with curiosity.

“Omo… who is it?”

“No way, you have a friend?”

“Yoona playing with someone???”

Yoona glanced off-camera, smirking. “My partner-in-crime tonight is someone who’s never streamed before. Please be nice to her, okay?”

Jinsol waved timidly from off-camera, only her palm could be seen in the camera.

“She’s a bit shy, so she won’t be on camera, but you’ll definitely hear her. Say hi, Jinsol.”

“Hi,” Jinsol said quietly, followed by a soft laugh. “This is… weird.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it,” Yoona grinned as she navigated through the game’s opening menu. “You’re already more polite than me on my first stream.”

As the game began, Jinsol clumsily got used to the controls, mumbling things like “Wait… wait, which one’s jump?” and “I keep falling, why am I like this?” which caused Yoona to burst into laughter every time.

But it didn’t take long before Jinsol found her rhythm. She started bouncing over ledges, dodging projectiles, and teaming up with Yoona like they were made for this.

“This is actually fun,” she said out loud, almost to herself. “I think I get it now. Why you like playing games so much.”

Yoona smiled, glancing at the comments that instantly picked up on that.

“She gets it now 😭 ”

“Gaming is fun!!!”

“Wait, how many hours DO you play every day, Yoona??”

“Oh, don’t ask that,” Yoona laughed, leaning toward the mic. “Jinsol might leave me if she knew the truth.”

A donation notification popped up on screen, followed by a cheerful chime.

💸 [₩10,000] from NorthWestES: “You’re so pretty when you laugh, Yoona 😍”

Yoona read it out loud. “Ah, thank you!”

But beside her, Jinsol blinked. “Wait. Did someone just… give you money?”

“For laughing,” Yoona nodded proudly.

Another donation came in almost immediately.

💸 [₩5,000] from Deerorbunny: “Yoona’s voice is so soft, like a doll. Can you say my name again?”

Yoona giggled. “Aigo, you guys are really sweet tonight!”

But Jinsol’s eyebrows rose. Her smile faltered just a little. She didn’t say anything, but the camera caught the soft thud of her arm smacking Yoona’s.

“Ow!” Yoona laughed. “What was that for?”

“Just testing your durability,” Jinsol replied flatly, but with a smile on her lips.

The viewers, of course, noticed the exchange immediately.

“Is that the shy girl off camera?? LOL”

“Was that a love tap?”

“Someone’s jealous~”

But Yoona only smirked. “See? She’s fun.”

Jinsol huffed softly beside her. This streaming thing was weird—but she had to admit, it was kind of fun. Even if someone called Yoona a doll. Even if someone asked her to say their name again.

She wouldn’t admit it out loud yet, but something inside her was already stirring—a soft, unfamiliar twinge of jealousy.

It started as a joke.

Yoona’s character clumsily tumbled to her doom for the sixth time, prompting Jinsol to laugh so hard she nearly dropped her controller. “Didn’t you say you were a gamer?”

“Excuse me, you let go too early!” Yoona shot back, jabbing an accusatory finger toward the screen. “You’re supposed to hold on until I swing across!”

“I’m pretty sure I carried us through that last puzzle.”

“You didn’t even solve it, you just brute-forced the levers!”

The viewers were eating it up.

“THEIR CHAOTIC ENERGY 😭😭😭 ”

“I love this chemistry.”

“Who needs the game when the commentary is this gold?”

After one final team combo attack, the vacuum boss finally collapsed, the screen erupting into animated scene. Yoona threw her hands up, cheering.

“Let’s gooo! First chapter done!”

Jinsol slumped back into her chair, panting dramatically. “I feel like I just ran a marathon.”

Yoona giggled and turned back to the screen to check the chat, only to be met with a wave of comments and donations pouring in.

“Yoona unnie, your voice is sooo cute I can’t.”

“You’re prettier than all my biases combined 😭😭😭 .”

“Gamer girl AND visuals? Unfair.”

Jinsol side-eyed the screen, her smile frozen in place as she casually leaned forward to scroll through the flood of praise. Donation alerts popped like fireworks.

💸 [₩15,000] from SanaPotter: “Are you single, Yoona? Asking for a friend 😳”

Yoona laughed. “Haha… uh, I…”

Jinsol didn’t even flinch. She reached forward, making sure the mic was on, and leaned into the camera frame (fully showing her face) for the first time that night.

She placed a kiss right on Yoona’s cheek, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“I’m heading to bed first,” Jinsol said, brushing her hair behind one ear. “Don’t stay up too late, babe.”

And with that, she slipped off camera again. Yoona just blinked.

Then turned tomato red. “Wha-!?”

The comments exploded.

“WAIT WHO WAS THAT!”

“HER VISUAL???? I’M HAVING A CRISIS.”

“SHE CALLED HER BABE???? I’M NOT OKAY.”

“DROP THE @ IMMEDIATELY.”

Yoona tried to play it cool, she really did, but the way her hand shot up to cover her smile gave her away completely.

“That was… my wife,” she finally confessed, scratching her cheek shyly. “She’s camera-shy. Until… just now.”

💸 [₩20,000] from OhMyVisuals]: “No because she’s GORGEOUS. You’re both not real.”

💸 [₩10,000] from MilkToast]: “We need her back next stream. It’s a must.”

And then came the big one.

💸💸 [₩100,000] from aThousand_won]: “Please ask your wife to join next time! Even off-camera! Just knowing she’s there makes the stream ✨legendary✨.”

Yoona’s eyes widened as the alert came in with a chime that sounded louder than the rest. “O-oh… wow, that’s… a lot.”

She blinked at the screen, flustered, hands fluttering in the air like she didn’t quite know where to put them. “Well… uh… I’ll… I’ll try my best to ask her.”

Cue another flood of comments.

“Yoona panicking is the best content.”

“She’s so whipped 😭 ”

“WE’LL BE WAITINGGGG.”

-

Yoona shut the monitor off, rolled her shoulders with a deep sigh, and leaned back in her chair. Her cheek still tingled faintly from where Jinsol had kissed her. A small, dopey smile crept onto her lips before she even realized it. She turned her head toward the hallway leading to their bedroom.

The lights were dimmed. She padded over barefoot, as she nudged open the door, the scent of vanilla and something faintly citrusy greeted her. Jinsol’s lotion, probably.

Jinsol was already under the blanket, her back to the door, phone resting on the edge of the nightstand, left there mid-scroll.

“You’re not asleep,” Yoona said softly.

Jinsol made a vague grunt in reply. “You talk too loud to sleep.”

Yoona snorted, crawling in next to her. “So you did hear the donation?”

“You mean the huge one?” Jinsol peeked over her shoulder with a smug grin. “Yeah. You’re treating me tomorrow.”

Yoona chuckled and slid her arm over Jinsol’s waist, burying her face into her shoulder. “You totally stole the show, though.”

“I barely said a hundred words. I slapped you more than the words I said.”

“Exactly. You were all mysterious and cool.” Yoona kissed her shoulder. “And then you kissed me on stream like it was nothing. The comments exploded.”

Jinsol hummed in amusement, but she didn’t pull away. In fact, she relaxed further into Yoona’s touch, letting the silence wrap around them.

After a beat, Yoona murmured, “I like this.”

“This?”

“You. Me. Ending the day like this.”

Jinsol turned slightly, just enough to meet Yoona’s eyes. “Even if I hog the blanket?”

Yoona nodded, smiling. “Even if you drool on the pillow.”

“…”

They both burst into quiet laughter, trying not to wake the neighbors, their foreheads gently bumping together. Yoona brushed a few strands of hair from Jinsol’s face before tucking herself closer.

“Thanks for playing with me,” she whispered. “Even off camera.”

Jinsol nodded sleepily. “It was fun.”

Yoona pressed one last kiss to her temple. “Let’s do it again.”

“Okay.”

Chapter Text

The clock had just struck 01:08 AM when Yoona stood in the middle of their quiet living room, barefoot and honestly, overwhelmed.

She'd already told Jinsol earlier that they’d go to a nice restaurant for dinner to celebrate her birthday, keeping her distracted, keeping her unsuspecting, that the celebration would already start from the morning.

Which meant the morning was Yoona's alone to work with. That was the plan. Or at least, that’s what she thought until she stood there, staring at the pile of party supplies she'd panic-bought the week before.

There were banners that didn’t match the color of the balloons, tape that wouldn’t stick properly, and a cake box on the kitchen counter that begged her to please not mess this up.

Yoona scratched her head, eyes scanning the room in panic. “Okay… okay. How hard can it be to hang one banner?”

Twenty minutes later, the banner drooped miserably across the bookshelf like it had given up on life halfway. The balloons she blew up were slightly uneven, and one already popped when she tried to tape it to the lamp. The noise made her jump out of her skin.

“I swear, if she wakes up because of that,” she muttered, hand over her chest.

Decorating was never her thing. Fighting ender dragon in Minecraft? No problem. Hanging a paper garland that said HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LOVE without tearing it in half? Apparently impossible.

She stepped back, tilted her head, and let out a defeated sigh. The living room looked like a kindergarten art project gone wrong. And she was terrified Jinsol would walk in, blink at the chaos, and go, “This is what woke me up?”

Still, she stood there and whispered to herself, “Don’t mess this up. Not today.”

Because today wasn’t just Jinsol’s birthday.

It was also Yoona’s chance to remind her of just how loved she was.

After a while, Yoona stood in the middle of the living room, arms crossed, eyes squinting critically at her creation like a general inspecting a battlefield.

There were streamers, slightly lopsided, but they were yellow and gold, just like Jinsol liked. Balloons hovered in uneven bunches around the couch and the coffee table, one tragically deflating on the floor like a dying jellyfish. A Happy Birthday banner curved in a very unintentional “U” shape across the wall, because the tape just refused to cooperate with the wallpaper.

“Looks… decent,” Yoona muttered, nodding to herself. “I mean, it’s not Pinterest-level or whatever, but it’s heartfelt. And heartfelt counts.”

She stared at the clock. 4:30 A.M.

She had thirty minutes until Jinsol’s usual wake-up time.

The plan was simple, lie down for just ten minutes, then hop up at 4:40 or 4:50 and cook breakfast so it’d be warm and ready right as Jinsol stumbled out of bed. Perfect timing. Perfect surprise.

So she curled up on the couch, the birthday letter safely tucked in an envelope on the coffee table, candles and gifts nearby, all prepped and ready. The living room lights were off.

She closed her eyes.

She woke up at exactly 4:40 like a good, reliable adult. She cooked eggs that didn’t burn, made toast that was golden and not crunchy charcoal. She arranged everything on the tray, Jinsol’s favorite mug, a small flower in a cup (because she forgot to buy a vase), and a single pancake with a candle.

And then, Jinsol walked into the living room, yawning softly, hair tousled from sleep, and gasped.

“Yoona… you did all this?” she said, a sparkle in her eyes.

“I did,” Dream-Yoona beamed. “For your birthday.”

Then Jinsol walked over, cupped her face with both hands, and said in the softest, most affectionate tone possible, “You’re amazing.”

Yoona almost cried.

But in reality…

The first thing Jinsol noticed when she stepped out of the bedroom that morning was the glitter-streaked balloon lying flat on the floor. It twitched slightly under the breeze from the heater.

Her eyes slowly traveled up.

The banner had half-fallen, one side drooping as if it had given up midway through the night, and now read, “APPY BIRTHD.”

Streamers curled uselessly on the floor, some stuck to the bookshelf, some caught between couch cushions.

It looked like a party had fought for its life and... lost tragically.

Jinsol blinked once, then again, lips twitching.

And there she was, Yoona, curled awkwardly on the couch, tangled in a thin throw blanket that barely covered her legs. Her mouth was slightly open, a crease on her cheek from sleeping on the armrest. She was muttering something incomprehensible, brows twitching like she was praised by someone in her dream.

Jinsol stood there, speechless at first.

Then she laughed. A quiet, breathy chuckle, like an exhale wrapped in affection.

Of cours Yoona would try to do something like this.

She padded across the living room softly, careful not to step on the balloon by her feet. She opened the linen drawer and pulled out a thicker blanket, one they usually shared on colder nights. Gently, she draped it over Yoona’s sleeping body, tugging it to cover her shoulder. Yoona shifted slightly but didn’t wake.

And then she saw it.

A single, plain envelope sitting on the table. No ribbons. No fancy writing. Just her name on the front in Yoona’s handwriting, big, uneven, rushed like she was afraid she’d ruin it if she thought too long about it.

Jinsol hesitated for only a second before picking it up.

She opened it slowly, careful not to tear the edges, and unfolded the letter inside.

“You told me not to do anything too much this year, but what am I supposed to do when you deserve everything?

Sometimes I think about how I used to believe love was about grand gestures, surprise fireworks, movie moments. But then I met you. And now I think love is waking up early just to watch you make tea. It's staying in. It's you calling my name like it's the only name that exists.

So this year, I won’t do anything big, except tell you that there hasn’t been a single day since we met that I didn’t thank the universe for putting you in my life. Happy birthday, Sol. You're my favorite human. Still. Always.

And, let's play 'it takes two' again, my viewers miss you”

Jinsol swallowed.

She didn't cry.

But she stared at the letter for a long time.

In the background, the streamer fluttered and fell with a final surrender, landing squarely on the floor.

And Jinsol smiled.

She leaned her head back against the couch, still holding the letter to her chest.

This wasn’t the most beautiful birthday surprise she’d ever had.

But it was her favorite one.

Yoona stirred on the couch with a faint grumble, her limbs stiff and chilled under the now-somehow-warm blanket she didn’t remember putting herself on. She blinked against the early light, confused for a moment by how the living room looked, streamers scattered like confetti after a mild storm, balloons half-deflated and rolling slowly across the wooden floor.

She rubbed her eyes and sat up with a groan. “Did I…?”

And then she gasped. “Oh my god, the breakfast!”

She sprang to her feet, nearly tripping over the throw blanket that fell to the floor. Her eyes darted to the kitchen, but the scent hit her before she could even get there.

Pancakes?

She hesitated by the kitchen door, peeking in.

There she was, Jinsol, hair lazily tied back, sleeves rolled up, flipping something in the pan with practiced ease. Her back was turned, humming softly to herself. There were already plates stacked neatly on the table. Pancakes. Scrambled eggs. A bowl of strawberries, even.

“...What?” Yoona whispered, blinking like she was trying to reset her eyes.

Wasn't she the one who made breakfast? Wasn't there a perfect moment? The banner? The kiss? The praise?

“Oh my god,” Yoona mumbled, dragging a hand down her face. “That was a dream?”

Jinsol turned slightly at the noise, spotting Yoona in the doorway with the look of someone whose soul had just returned from another realm.

“Morning, sleepyhead,” Jinsol greeted with a small smile. “You drooled on the couch, by the way.”

Yoona opened her mouth, but no words came out.

“You’ve been out cold since… I don’t know,” Jinsol added, turning back to the stove. “You mumbled something about frosting and disaster at some point.”

“I was gonna surprise you,” Yoona said with full of sadness.

Jinsol glanced over her shoulder, raising a brow. “You kinda did.”

Yoona blinked. “I did?”

“Yeah,” Jinsol shrugged. “I woke up, and the place looked like a birthday exploded. I figured you tried. It was cute.”

Yoona groaned and collapsed into a chair, hiding her face. “I literally dreamed about everything going perfectly. You were so impressed.”

“Oh? Was I?” Jinsol teased, plating the last of the food and setting it down in front of her. “Guess you were dreaming a little too hard.”

Yoona peeked out from behind her hands. “So you’re not mad it turned into a mess?”

Jinsol slid into the seat beside her and leaned on the table, chin resting on her palm. “Nah. I liked it.” She gave her a soft grin. “Besides, it’s still my birthday, and I get to spend the morning with my favorite disaster.”

Yoona reached for her fork, eyes bright but still sulking just a bit. “Rude.”

“But accurate,” Jinsol added.

Yoona paused to stare at the breakfast in front of her. “Did you seriously make all this?”

“Well, I am the one turning a year older. I figured I should do something wise and mature, like make breakfast for the girl who tried to tape a balloon to the ceiling fan.”

“…It wasn’t sticking,” Yoona mumbled.

Jinsol just laughed and nudged her plate closer.

They ate slowly, the kind of breakfast that didn’t need words. Jinsol kept stealing Yoona’s strawberries, and Yoona kept pretending she didn’t notice, only to stab a piece of pancake and smugly steal it back.

When the plates were mostly empty and their cups half-drained, Jinsol leaned back in her chair, brushing crumbs from her fingertips. She looked at Yoona for a long beat, and then said quietly, “Thank you.”

“For the mess?”

“For the letter,” Jinsol said, and this time her voice didn’t joke. “I didn’t cry, if that’s what you’re waiting for.”

Yoona let out a soft puff of air.

“I don’t need to cry to know it’s precious.”

“Wasn’t waiting anyway.”

“It’s just…” Jinsol paused, looking away for a moment. “You’re not good at words. Not really. But you still wrote all that down just for me.”

Yoona scratched the back of her neck. “It took me two hours.”

“I could tell.” Jinsol smiled, her voice light again, but her eyes were warm. “And it’s perfect. I’m gonna keep it forever, so if you ever pretend you don’t like me, I’ll read it out loud to remind you.”

“No, you wouldn’t…”

“Full volume,” Jinsol grinned. “Even the part where you said I was the prettiest thing to ever walk into your life.”

Yoona covered her face. “Please. Spare me.”

“Nope,” Jinsol teased, reaching over to poke her cheek. “You did good, Yoona. Really.”

There was a quiet moment between them

“Oh,” Yoona perked up, remembering. “You still wanna go to that restaurant later?”

Jinsol tilted her head slightly. “Was that still your plan?”

“Of course. I made a reservation and everything. Unless you’re tired…”

“I’m not missing free steak,” Jinsol smirked, and Yoona rolled her eyes. “You’re unbelievable.”

“Next year, maybe try waking up before I do.” Jinsol said, standing and gathering their dishes with a dramatic sigh.

Yoona just grinned as she watched her go. Even if the surprise hadn’t gone as planned, even if the banner fell apart. It was still perfect.

Because Jinsol smiled.

And tonight, in that restaurant, Yoona would hold her hand across the table and remind her, once again, just how loved she was.

Chapter Text

Jinsol came home later than usual that Friday evening. She felt like the winter air from outside clung to her coat a little bit longer than usual, her breath coming out in soft clouds as she stepped inside and gently shut the door. She took a moment in the entrance way, one gloved hand braced against the wall, eyes closed as she tried to gather herself. Her bag slipped off her shoulder with a dull thud. And she couldn't care less about it.

“Jinsol?” Yoona peeked from the kitchen, and Jinsol immediately straightened her posture. “You’re home late. I was about to call.”

“Mm. Sorry. Took longer than expected.” Jinsol’s voice was a little hoarse, but still, it carried that kind of calm tone she always wore when she didn’t want Yoona to worry.

Yoona didn’t pick up on the strain (not yet). She smiled, eyes flicking back to the cutting board. “I’m making tteokguk (rice cake soup). It’s past new year, but since, it’s cold outside, I figured warm soup sounds good.”

“Yeah,” Jinsol murmured, beginning to unlace her boots. “Sounds nice.”

She moved more slowly than usual, and the laces didn’t want to cooperate. She paused once, her hand bracing her forehead discreetly, a throbbing thudding behind her eyes. But when Yoona turned to glance her way, Jinsol forced a tiny smile and straightened up again.

Everything felt like it weighed more at that time, her bag, her coat, her bones, everything.

The meal was quiet.

Not silent, exactly, Yoona filled the space with little stories about her day, random news from the gaming world, and an anecdote about someone from her chat who mistook her for a guy again.

But Jinsol, who normally chuckled or threw back a dry-witted comment, only nodded here and there. She stirred her soup more than she ate it, her chopsticks barely lifting the rice cakes before putting them down again. Her head dipped lower with every passing minute, but she never complained. Not once.

Yoona didn’t notice. Not really. She was used to Jinsol being quiet after a long day. Sometimes her silence meant Jinsol being fatigue after work. Sometimes it meant nothing at all.

Jinsol pushed away her half-finished bowl gently. “I think I’ll go lie down for a bit.”

“Sure,” Yoona said, already gathering the dishes. “I’ll clean up.”

She didn’t think much of it. Not even when Jinsol leaned down to press a light kiss to her temple before retreating to their room. Not even when she heard the bedroom door shut quietly just minutes later.

It was close to midnight when Yoona finally padded into their bedroom, yawning softly and rubbing at her eyes. The lights were off, and the only sound being the gentle whoosh of wind against the window and the occasional creak of their heater.

Jinsol was already in bed, curled up on her side with her back facing the door. The blanket covered her from shoulders to toes, tucked up so precisely it looked like she hadn’t moved in a while.

Yoona tiptoed to her side of the bed and slid under the blanket quietly, careful not to jostle anything too much. Normally, this would be the moment she’d scoot close, wrap her arm around Jinsol’s waist, and bury her face into the back of her neck. Yeah, that kind of routine.

But tonight, she kind of hesitated.

She remembered how Jinsol had been quiet at dinner, how she said she was sore, maybe she just needed rest.

So, Yoona stayed on her side. Not far. But not close, either.

“Goodnight,” she whispered into the dimness, her voice a little unsure. There was a pause before Jinsol replied, “Night.” And the pause was due to Jinsol preparing her throat so her tone would sound natural.

Yoona stared at the ceiling for a moment longer, but she closed her eyes anyway, telling herself she’d pull her close in the morning.

-

The light from the window had grown a little stronger, and it made Yoona stirred awake, stretching out instinctively toward the other side of the bed, only to find it empty. It's supposed to be normal, on weekdays, but on weekends, not so much.

She blinked, then sat up.

“Jinsol?”

The sound of uneven breathing answered her from the kitchen. She got up fast, she followed the sound, until she found Jinsol still sitting at the table, slouched over a barely touched bowl of soup she must’ve reheated from last night’s leftovers.

She looked pale. Really pale than usual. Her skin was flushed at the cheeks and nose, but not with warmth, but with the heat of fever.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” she asked, rushing to her side. She placed her hand on Jinsol’s forehead. It was burning.

Jinsol leaned back at the touch, her face scrunching slightly. “I didn’t want to bother you. It’s fine.”

“Fine?” Yoona echoed, voice rising as she could feel panic rose over her. “You’re burning up. We need to go to the hospital.”

Jinsol shook her head slowly. “Just give me some medicine. It’s normal, it'll pass.”

“Then you should’ve told me sooner so I could take care of you!”

Yoona’s voice cracked with frustration, and Jinsol shut her eyes, exhaling through her nose like she was trying to hold something in.

“I really don't want to listen to your scolding now, Yoona,” she said. “Save it for later. Just... go play your games or something. Let me rest.”

Yoona froze.

She opened her mouth, closed it, then tried again, but her voice was tight now. Because she felt hurt, “Why don’t you ever want me to take care of you?”

Silence came first, and Jinsol turned her head, wincing as she adjusted in her seat.

“Stop treating me like I’m fragile just because I can’t heal as fast as you,” she muttered, voice flat and tired. She really said it casually, but somehow, the words landed sharper than either of them expected.

Yoona's lips parted in disbelief. Her eyes darkened, not with anger, but disappointment.

She stepped back, hands clenched into trembling fists. “Fine,” she said under her breath. Then louder, “Fine!”

She turned on her heel and went inside her gaming room, slamming the door behind her. The sound echoed through the quiet apartment like a gunshot.

For a moment, all Jinsol could hear was the pounding in her head.

She slumped back against the chair, her hand loosely clutching the spoon she hadn’t touched in minutes.

Her throat ached, not just from the fever, but with regret.

She hated fighting. Especially with Yoona. Especially like this.

Maybe it was the heat clouding her mind, or the aching in her bones, or maybe just the guilt. No… she couldn’t blame everything, it’s her fault. She admitted it. She wished she hadn’t said it.

She didn’t mean it. Not like that.

But the silence around her was loud now that Yoona left her alone. And it made her feel sicker than the fever ever could.

Jinsol wasn’t sure how much time had passed. Minutes, probably. Or maybe longer. The air felt heavier, her head pounding worse with every breath.

She stared blankly at the table, trying to will the nausea away when suddenly the door creaked open.

Yoona stepped out of her gaming room, mumbling something under her breath. At first Jinsol thought she was just passing through, but then,

“Unbelievable,” Yoona grumbled, already rolling up her sleeves. “Stupid fragile humans… always making me worry like this.”

Jinsol blinked in confusion, and before she could say a word, Yoona walked straight toward her, scooped her up into her arms without warning, bridal style, and started carrying her toward the bedroom.

“H-hey”

“Shh. You’re light,” Yoona muttered, pushing the bedroom door open with her foot. “I could carry you around like this all day if I wanted to.”

Yoona gently laid her down on the bed, pulling the blanket up before rushing off again. Within moments, she returned with a small bowl of cold water, a towel soaking in it, and the kind of focused scowl she only wore when doing something she wasn’t used to.

As she wrung out the towel and folded it, she continued muttering under her breath. “Weak immune system. Dumb fevers. Stupid human organs. You all need firmware updates or something.”

She pressed the cool towel to Jinsol’s forehead.

“Yoona…”

“What?” Yoona said, not even looking up. “I’m not scolding you, I’m mad at the human body. In general.”

Jinsol let out a small breath that might’ve been a laugh. She didn’t have the energy to argue or explain how her chest ached more from guilt than fever. She just closed her eyes and let the towel soothe her.

Yoona adjusted the blanket around her shoulders. “Do you need more medicine? Water?”

Jinsol shook her head faintly. “You… should go rest.”

“As if!” Yoona huffed. “You’re my priority right now. Just… just get better. Don’t get sick… I hate seeing you like this. Play with me, say something dumb to me, just…”

The room fell quiet again. Jinsol had already drifted back to sleep. The wet towel on her forehead had started to warm again, but Yoona didn’t move to replace it right away.

She didn’t return to her desk. The thought of missing her daily login streak, or that tonight’s raid would go on without her, none of it mattered.

Yoona just stayed there, one hand gently wrapped around Jinsol’s fingers. Her thumb brushed slowly across her knuckles as she watched her sleep.

“I’m sorry I yelled,” she whispered. “Just… tell me next time, okay?”

Jinsol didn’t respond, Yoona leaned her forehead gently against their joined hands, and closed her eyes. If holding her could take even a little of the heat away, she’d stay like this the whole day, until it all passed.

Jinsol stirred when evening came. Her head still ached, and the fever hadn't quite broken yet, but the world no longer spun when she opened her eyes. That alone felt like progress.

She blinked slowly, her gaze adjusting to the figure seated beside her. Yoona was half-asleep on the chair, her body slouched forward, chin nearly touching her chest. The towel had been replaced again, and beside it lay a bowl of water and a bottle of fever medicine. Clearly, Yoona hadn't left her side for long.

“…Yoona,” Jinsol croaked out.

Yoona stirred immediately, snapping awake like she'd been listening the whole time.

“Hey,” Yoona leaned in, concern flashing in her eyes. “You okay?”

“I think… I need help. Can yo-?”

“You don’t even have to ask.” Yoona moved quickly, propping Jinsol up with one arm while reaching for the medicine and a cup of water. She helped her drink, brushed her hair back again, and adjusted the pillow behind her head until she was comfortable.

Jinsol closed her eyes briefly, “Thanks… for taking care of me.”

“You better,” Yoona muttered.

“I’m sorry,” Jinsol whispered. “I’ll tell you next time. Right away, I promise.”

Yoona didn’t reply immediately. She was sitting again, arms crossed, gaze fixed on the edge of the nightstand rather than Jinsol herself.

“…Hey,” Jinsol called softly. “I’m talking to you. You don’t want to look at me?”

Yoona still wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Next time you feel like dying, at least let me be the first to know. Not the last.”

“No one even knows…” Jinsol mumbled weakly.

At that, Yoona turned with a full glare. “That’s not the point and you know it.”

Jinsol sighed, “…Fine. I’m sorry.”

She stretched out her hand toward Yoona, slow and awkward, her fingers trembling midair from the effort. It didn’t quite reach.

She was about to pull it back when Yoona suddenly reached forward and clasped it.

“Apology accepted,” she said, shaking Jinsol’s hand solemnly. “Like in kindergarten. Shake on it.” Jinsol let out a laugh.

Yoona tilted her head, watching Jinsol with unending concern. “Do you think you can work on Monday?”

Jinsol let out a tired breath, “I don’t know… I’ll probably apply for sick leave.”

“Oh…” Yoona nodded slowly, then frowned. “But doesn’t that require like… a hospital note or something?”

Jinsol blinked, her expression blank for a second, then realization hit. “…Oh. Damn.”

She groaned quietly, burying her face halfway into the blanket like she could disappear from responsibility altogether. “Just cut my salary, I don’t care. I want to sleep.”

Yoona snorted, shaking her head. “That’s the most tragic adult sentence I’ve ever heard.”

“I’m serious,” Jinsol mumbled. “Take everything. My paycheck. My dignity. Just let me hibernate.”

“Drama queen,” Yoona said fondly, adjusting the blanket again. “Alright, I’ll figure something out. You just rest.”

“You’re gonna forge a hospital letter?”

“I said ‘figure something out’, not commit a felony.”

"Knowing you... you could do something like that actually...”

Chapter Text

It started with a question over laundry.

They were folding clothes together on Sunday evening. Jinsol, who had just folded one of Yoona’s black hoodies, paused and tilted her head thoughtfully.

“Hey,” she said, "Your clothes... They’re all either S or M size, right? But which one do you actually like wearing more?”

Yoona raised an eyebrow, not looking away from the pair of socks she was matching. “Why?”

“Just curious,” Jinsol shrugged, keeping her tone as neutral as possible (she tried). “You wear both, so I was wondering if you had a preference. Like, for comfort.”

Yoona didn’t answer immediately, a small smirk threatening to tug at the corner of her lips. “Mm,” she hummed, purposefully dragging out the pause, “I guess I like M. A little looser feels nicer when I’m gaming.”

“Right,” Jinsol replied, “That’s what I thought.”

“That’s what you thought?”

“Yeah. You know. Observation.”

Yoona didn’t press further. She had a hunch, but she let it go, deciding to play along. She folded the last of the socks and placed them on the pile.

A few days later, it happened again.

They were curled up on the couch after dinner, Yoona gaming on her laptop with her legs draped across Jinsol’s lap, while Jinsol scrolled through her phone. Her scrolling suddenly stopped, and she turned the screen toward Yoona. “Do you know this gamer?” she asked, showing a YouTube thumbnail of some streamer’s high-tech gaming setup, RGB lights glowing under a curved triple-monitor desk, a sleek headset hanging on the side, and a mechanical keyboard clicking away in the background.

Yoona glanced over briefly. “Oh, yeah. She’s pretty famous. That setup’s insane.”

Jinsol nodded, pretending to be impressed. “You don’t have a mic arm like that, do you?”

“No, mine’s clamped to the side, remember?” Yoona answered.

“And your keyboard lights… they only light up blue?”

Yoona chuckled. “Sol, what are you doing?”

“Huh?” Jinsol played dumb. “I’m just learning things.”

“You mean suddenly interested in my peripherals for the first time since we moved in together?”

Jinsol cleared her throat. “Can’t I be curious?”

Yoona set her laptop aside and gave Jinsol a look, half curious, half amused, half everything, her lips twitching into a grin. “You’re planning something.”

Jinsol rolled her eyes. “Why do you always assume that?”

“Because you ask suspiciously specific questions like you’re filling out a character customization sheet.”

“Then I won’t ask anything anymore.”

Yoona laughed. “No, no, don’t stop. This is fun. I want to see how far you’ll go before you cave.”

“I’m not planning anything.”

“Mhm.”

Yoona knew, and her hunch must be correct. The dates lined up in her head, Jinsol’s birthday had passed almost a month ago. Which meant… hers was coming up.

She enjoyed the little game too much.

Over the next week, Jinsol’s questions became more subtle but no less suspicious. She asked what Yoona’s favorite flavor of milk tea was, again. “I know you said jasmine before, but lately you’ve been ordering oolong. So I’m just... checking.”

Yoona gave her a long stare. “You already know the answer, don’t you?”

“I want to update my data.”

“Updating it for what?”

“I’m building your profile in case you die and I have to write your biography.”

“You’re unbelievable...”

Still, she answered.

And Jinsol, noted everything down somewhere in her own mind. She tried to act cool and calm.

D-dAY

Yoona woke up to the smell of something sweet, vanilla, maybe, with a hint of burnt sugar. There was Jinsol, crouched by the side of the bed, holding up a single chocolate chip muffin with a birthday candle poked right in the center.

"Happy birthday, sleepyhead," she said softly.

Yoona blinked. Her hair was a mess, and she hadn't even fully opened both eyes, but she was already smiling. “You… baked that?”

“Well, I bought it and then used the oven to reheat it. Which is, in a sense, baking.” Jinsol held it closer. “Now make a wish before the wax melts into the chocolate chips.”

Yoona sat up, rubbed her eyes, and looked at her, Jinsol in her oversized hoodie, kneeling by the bed with the softest little grin. It wasn’t fancy. There were no balloons or streamers or confetti. Just a candle, a muffin, and the girl she loved more than anything in the world.

She closed her eyes and made a silent wish.

When she opened them again, Jinsol had already taken a small fork out of her pocket. “Do you want the first bite?”

Yoona laughed. “Is that even a question?”

They shared the muffin in silence, Yoona still in her pajamas and Jinsol nibbling beside her. Once they finished, Jinsol clapped her hands together.

“Alright, birthday girl. Now that we’ve had breakfast…” She stood up and reached for her pocket, pulling out two folded slips of paper. “Let’s play a game.”

Yoona blinked. “A game?”

“You’ve seen it, right? The two-option thing. You pick one, and whatever it says, we do it.”

Yoona narrowed her eyes. “Is this going to be rigged?”

“What? No.” Jinsol placed a hand over her heart. “I’m a woman of integrity.”

“That’s what people say right before cheating.”

“Just choose one.” Jinsol fanned the two slips in front of her, both marked with an identical doodle of a cat face to disguise any telling creases.

Yoona squinted at them, then pointed to the one on the left.

Jinsol handed it over, and as Yoona unfolded it, she read, “You get bubble tea from your favorite place!”

Yoona lit up. “Oh! I win either way with this game, huh?”

Jinsol only smiled. “Do you want to know what the other one said?”

“Sure.”

Without missing a beat, Jinsol pulled out the second paper, hidden in her hoodie pocket. “You get an extra warm hug from me!”

Yoona laughed. “That’s cheating!”

“What? You said you win either way!”

“You definitely rigged this.”

Jinsol shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Home-cooked lunch” vs “Mediocre delivery food”

“Massage from me” vs “No massage at all”

“Watch a movie while I hold your hand” vs “Watch a movie while I hold your foot”

Every time Yoona chose one, Jinsol pretended to toss the unused one away, into her pocket, or into the kitchen drawer, or behind a pillow. At one point, Yoona tried to snatch it before she could hide it.

“Let me see what I could’ve gotten!”

“Nope,” Jinsol said, expertly slipping the paper out of reach. “That’s against the rules. We don’t live in the past, only the present.”

It didn’t take a genius to realize Jinsol had rigged the entire thing. The joy on Jinsol’s face every time Yoona “accidentally” chose the better option was enough to melt her. She wasn’t used to being on the receiving end of surprises, but she didn’t mind it today. Not when it came from the girl who pretended not to care but had clearly spent days planning this down to the last crumpled paper.

When the game ended, Jinsol disappeared into her room for a moment and returned with a plain brown box.

“This is your actual gift,” she said, placing it in Yoona’s lap. “The papers were... just warmups.”

Yoona opened it slowly.

Inside was an M-sized black Adidas tracksuit, the tracksuit she's been looking for. Under that, a pair of brand-new sneakers she’d once admired in passing but never bought. Beneath the shoes, a compact but high-quality gaming mic she hadn’t gotten around to buying for herself, plus a new wrist rest to replace her tattered one.

And tucked neatly at the very bottom, a book.

It had no title on the cover. Just a soft beige hardcover with a small sticker of a sleepy bunny on it. Yoona lifted it carefully from the box, turning it over in her hands.

“What’s this?”

Jinsol scratched the back of her neck. “Just... something I’ve been working on. You can open it later.”

Yoona didn’t.

She flipped to the first page immediately.

Her name was written at the top in small, neat handwriting. Below it, a paragraph.

“To the girl who sat three rows ahead of me in that cursed 9 AM philosophy class. I hated philosophy, but I didn’t hate you.”

She looked up, her eyes wide, looking at Jinsol.

“I…” she whispered, then smiled “I really love this.”

“I figured,” Jinsol mumbled, “You love yourself.”

Yoona laughed, then flipped to the end instinctively, and there she saw it, a drawing.

A pencil sketch of the two of them sitting side by side on the couch. Yoona had her head leaned against Jinsol’s shoulder, eyes closed. Jinsol was smiling faintly.

Yoona didn’t speak for a long while. She just held the book close, eyes fixed on the page like it was sacred, like it was so precious.

And Jinsol, quiet beside her, looked like she was holding her breath. Jinsol tried to act casual. She leaned back into the cushions with her arms crossed, glancing at her phone like she hadn’t just handed over her entire heart disguised as a hardcover.

Yoona didn’t speak right away. Yoona flipped past the drawing and back to the earlier pages.

“I don’t remember when exactly we met. Our parents said it was during some wedding, and there’s even a photo where we’re both in the background, chewing on cake with frosting on our noses. But the first memory I actually remember is you being too shy to ask for a balloon, so you asked me to do it for you.”

“You were always like that. Timid. Always hiding behind your mom’s skirt. Until one day, I slapped your arm too hard during a game and made you cry.”

“You shoved me so hard I landed on the grass and rolled twice, and then you panicked and screamed louder than I did.”

Yoona burst into a quiet laugh. She remembered everything, she flailed her arms, yelling “I didn’t mean it!!” while Jinsol wailed dramatically with a leaf stuck in her hair.

“You were so dramatic,” Yoona said fondly, nudging Jinsol’s leg.

“You slapped hard,” Jinsol muttered.

“I was five.”

“You were strong for five.”

She flipped to the next page randomly.

“When it was time to choose a major, I thought we’d go to the same university. You always said we would. But I liked journalism. You liked... well, not that. I think we were both a little scared to say it out loud.”

“You were sitting beside me at that tiny food court table, chewing the end of your straw. I asked what you wanted to study, and you hesitated. You said, ‘I don’t know, what if we end up far apart?’”

“I didn’t say it then, but I would’ve gone anywhere with you. I would’ve studied rocks, or bugs, or thermodynamics, if you asked me to.”

“You really would’ve studied thermodynamics?” she asked, one brow raised.

“Would’ve failed immediately,” Jinsol muttered, “But I’d have tried.”

Yoona reached over and tousled Jinsol’s hair, “I’m glad you didn’t. You’re good at what you do.”

“I’m good at liking you,” Jinsol replied before she could think.

Yoona went pink immediately, snatching the book back to hide behind it. “Gross.”

“Your face is gross.”

“Shut up.”

Yoona turned the page again.

“You looked at me with your hair damp and your lips a little chapped, and I forgot what I was saying. I still don’t remember.”

“We were studying. Or pretending to. You had just showered, and you always towel-dried your hair like a dog. I told you to stop. You grinned like you knew something I didn’t.”

“And that’s when I realized I didn’t know what I was saying anymore.”

Yoona was quiet this time.

Her thumb brushed that sentence over and over again. Then she looked at Jinsol, who was trying to pretend she wasn’t being watched.

“You were just sitting there, and you fell for me?” she said.

“No. I was falling way before that,” Jinsol replied, equally soft. “That was just the moment I realized I wasn’t going to stop.”

Yoona lowered the book onto her chest and let out a slow. “You’re really bad for my vampire heart, you know that?”

“Just doing my job.”

She didn’t read much more that night. Not because she didn’t want to, but because she wanted to take her time. To savor the pages like they were moments she’d almost forgotten but Jinsol had remembered for her.

There were entries about late-night calls when Jinsol couldn’t sleep, about how she first found out Yoona was afraid of thunder, and one particularly heartfelt page about the first time Yoona had ever said she loved her.

She skimmed over that part quickly, not because she didn’t care, but because she knew if she read it too closely, she’d get choked up. And she hated crying in front of Jinsol.

At last, she flipped to the very back.

She looked down at the drawing again. Her eyes lingered on the way Jinsol had captured even the smallest details, the way Yoona’s hand draped over Jinsol’s, the subtle shadows under their eyes like neither of them slept enough, the warmth between them that no pencil should’ve been able to capture, but somehow, Jinsol had.

Yoona closed the book gently and hugged it to her chest. “This is the best birthday gift I’ve ever gotten.”

Jinsol blinked. “Seriously?”

“You drew me better than I look in real life.”

“I didn’t draw you, I drew what I see.”

Yoona swallowed hard. She wasn’t sure if she should laugh or tear up at that. So she did neither. She just stood up, walked over, and collapsed on the couch beside Jinsol with her head landing softly on her shoulder.

Jinsol froze.

“You smell like muffin,” Yoona muttered.

“You’re welcome.”

They stayed like that for a while, it was quiet, despite how fast Yoona’s heart was racing. No one was talking after all.

Then she whispered, “Hey, Jinsol?”

“Hm?”

“You’re my favorite human.”

Jinsol scoffed. “You only know like five humans.”

“Still,” Yoona murmured, “you’re number one.”

Jinsol stayed quiet.

“Then, you’re my favorite vampire.”

“You only know like... five vampires as well though?”

“Then should I say Kyujin is my number one?”

“…”

Yoona just shifted closer, in the way her arm curled around her waist just a little tighter. “No, only I can be your favorite.”

Later that night, Jinsol shifted slightly, feeling Yoona’s weight draped half over her. Jinsol let her stay like that. It was warm, soft and comfortable. Yoona’s breath tickled her skin, her fingers idly drawing something meaningless on the hem of Jinsol’s hoodie. Jinsol didn’t know when Yoona got so clingy like this, but she wasn’t complaining.

“Thank you.”

Yoona made a questioning hum.

“For reading it seriously. I thought maybe you’d skim through it and just cry dramatically to tease me.”

Yoona peeked up. “You thought I’d fake cry over your hand-drawn love confession?”

“You have faked tears before.”

“That was for garlic bread,” Yoona muttered. “This was different.”

She sat up just enough to look Jinsol in the eye. “This… meant everything to me.”

Jinsol couldn’t bring herself to say anything, so she just gave a short nod, her ears turning red.

And Yoona, never one to let something so precious go without declaring it three more times (or sometimes more), whispered, “You really are my favorite human.”

Jinsol huffed. “You’ve said that already.”

“Then hear it again,” Yoona murmured, shifting to curl up again beside her, this time with an arm firmly wrapped around her waist. “You’re my favorite human.”

“…Okay.”

“My most favorite.”

Jinsol let out a breath that sounded like a laugh. “You’re so clingy today.”

“It’s my birthday. I get to be clingy.”

Jinsol turned slightly, her nose brushing against Yoona’s hair. “Fine. Just for today.”

She waited.

“Let me be clingy for tomorrow. And the day after.”

“Go to sleep, vampire.”

Jinsol ran her fingers through Yoona’s hair, while Yoona buried herself deeper into her side. Eventually, their breathing synced, sleep came slowly but surely for both of them.

Chapter Text

Jinsol stared up at the towering mansion beyond, clutching a gift bag so tightly the handles were on the verge of snapping.

Yoona was even wondering if it’s actually a grenade, wrapped inside the bag, to minimize the impact of the explosion.

Couldn’t stand it any longer, Yoona reached out to ring the bell, but Jinsol quickly grabbed her wrist.

“Wait,” she whispered. “Don’t you think my gifts are too plain?”

Yoona blinked again at the well-organized gift bag Jinsol had assembled, two neatly packed premium blood bag boxes, an assortment of artisanal chocolates and even a rare type of tea her father liked. Everything was top-shelf. Jinsol had even ironed the wrapping paper. Twice.

“…You bought your vampire wife’s parents premium blood and such,” Yoona said flatly. “You! The person who doesn’t buy me chocolates anymore because it’s an ‘unnecessary expense’.”

“I panicked,” Jinsol hissed. “What if they think I’m cheap? What if they, what if they blacklist me from the family registry?”

“There’s no family registry,” Yoona deadpanned. “You’re going to be fine. They love you.”

“You think so?”

“Absolutely. Even if you didn’t bring anything.”

“…But I did.”

“Yes, you did,” Yoona said patiently, and pressed the doorbell before Jinsol could panic further.

The door swung open moments later, revealing Yoona’s mother in a bright red sweater, her eyes could be seen lighting up the moment she saw them. “You’re here!”

She immediately bypassed her own daughter and wrapped Jinsol into a warm, crushing hug. “Jinsol! My favorite daughter-in-law!”

Jinsol gave a nervous laugh, her arms slightly hovering midair as she tried to decide whether she was supposed to hug back or faint on the spot.

Behind her, Yoona’s father stepped into the doorway. There was a beat of silence, well, understandable. Mr. Seol didn’t know if it’s appropriate to hug Jinsol as well, and it’s not like he could ask a handshake either. So, he didn’t say anything, yet.

Yoona’s parents welcomed the couple inside warmly. As they walked toward the living room, her dad glanced at the gift bag Jinsol was holding and said, “Oh, you shouldn’t have brought anything, but we really appreciate it. Though... I notice there’s no blood orange juice?”

Jinsol blinked. “Oh, do you like it, Mr. Seol?”

He gave her a playful grin. “Well, it is a vampire staple.”

“Dad… no,” Yoona groaned, already bracing herself.

Jinsol paused, then snorted. “Oh… blood. Got it.” She realized that it was a dad joke.

But instead of letting the moment go, she doubled down. “You’ve been working out, haven’t you? You look pretty built. But not the kind of workout vampires can’t do, right?”

Mr. Seol raised an eyebrow, “And what would that be?”

“…Dead lifts.”

Yoona’s mother audibly gasped. “Oh no.”

Yoona buried her face in her hands. “Please stop.”

But Mr. Seol burst into laughter and clapped Jinsol on the back with enough force to nearly send her flying. “HAHA, you’re right, we can’t die, we can’t do dead lifts. You’ve got taste! As expected, our favorite daughter-in-law.”

Jinsol wheezed. “Thanks... I think you dislocated my soul.”

“What just happened.” Yoona asked her mother.

Her mother sighed, already turning back toward the living room. “Your father’s found a new pun buddy. I’ve lost him.”

“…They’re going to be unbearable together,” Yoona muttered to herself, stepping into the house and closing the door behind her.

-

“It’s been too long since we saw you two properly,” Mrs. Seol said, exactly the same from the phone call a week ago with Yoona, the reason why both of them were here.

That had been the original plan. A friendly dinner, some catching up, maybe light teasing. But now that they were here, the “casual” part seemed a bit suspect. The whole estate smelled faintly of fresh herbs and roasted garlic. Like the dinner would be fancy FANCY.

“The food’s not ready just yet,” her mother added, waving them toward the staircase. “You two can wait upstairs in Yoona’s room. We’ll call you down when dinner’s ready.”

Immediately, Jinsol stood straighter, “Ah, should I help in the kitchen?”

“No, no! You’re a guest,” Yoona’s father chimed in, “Go relax. It’s your day off, isn’t it?”

“But I-”

“You can wash the dishes next time,” Yoona’s mom gently shoved Jinsol toward the stairs.

Which was how Jinsol now found herself inside Yoona’s old room, awkwardly clutching her hands while glancing around like she’d stepped into a museum. Well, it’s been long since she was there, so everything seemed unfamiliar. In a way, she had stepped into a museum.

A small desk by the window littered with tangled charging cables, a bookshelf packed with old manhwa and vampire fantasy novels and a few glow-in-the-dark star stickers still clung stubbornly to the ceiling.

Yoona flopped onto the bed without hesitation, arms behind her head. “Looks smaller, huh?”

Jinsol nodded, slowly taking a seat on the desk chair. “It felt bigger when we were in high school.”

“Well, we were smaller in high school.”

“Speak for yourself. You still look like you’re seventeen.”

Yoona grinned. “Immortal perks.”

Jinsol chuckled, then glanced toward the bookshelf. “I still can’t believe you made me read all three volumes of My Vampire Boyfriend is Also My History Teacher.”

“You finished it in one night anyway!”

“Because you threatened to spoil the ending if I didn’t.”

Back when they were teenagers, Yoona had brought Jinsol over so often that her room might as well have had a second bed just for her. They’d studied here, gamed here, cried over dumb vampire dramas here, and even fallen asleep mid-conversation more times than they could count.

“Oh,” Jinsol suddenly remembered, “do you recall that time I convinced you to use red soda as fake blood for that high school film project?”

Yoona groaned and buried her face in a pillow. “You mean the time it exploded inside my backpack?”

“And your mom thought you were genuinely bleeding out when we walked in.”

“She screamed so loud the neighbors came over!”

“I had to swear you weren't harmed in the video-making process, no Yoona was harmed during the process...” Jinsol said, wiping a tear of laughter from her eye.

Yoona looked at her, amused. “Honestly? That might’ve been the first time they started suspecting we were dating.”

Jinsol blushed faintly. “You mean they didn’t already?”

That made Yoona pause. Her smile faltered just a little, but enough to make Jinsol noticed. “Well…” Yoona glanced at the door, then back at Jinsol, “I’ll tell you something, but don’t hate my parents, okay? They’re fine now.”

That instantly piqued Jinsol’s interest. “Sure. Please elaborate.”

Yoona leaned back, sighing like she was opening a box she hadn’t touched in years. “They asked me once, my mom, actually. It was back when we were still in high school. I’d brought you over during the holidays, and I think you fell asleep on the couch. I went downstairs to refill your cup, so you had something to drink when you woke up. And she just… sat me down and asked if I liked you. Not like liked, but liked liked.”

“And?”

“I couldn’t even hide or deny it. I couldn’t. I just said, ‘Yeah. I do.’” Yoona gave a small laugh at the memory, “She got so quiet. And then my dad sat down too. And they both just… looked sad.”

Her gaze dropped to her lap. “They weren’t upset about me liking a girl. That was never a thing. But because you’re human… they were scared for me. Scared that I’d fall so hard for someone and then have to lose them so soon. They’ve seen it happen to others before, and they just… didn’t want that pain for me.”

Yoona’s voice had softened so much by now, it was almost a whisper. “And I hated hearing it. Because I knew they weren’t wrong.”

She looked at Jinsol then, her eyes searching carefully for Jinsol’s reaction.

But Jinsol didn’t flinch, didn’t shift uncomfortably, didn’t turn away. She just nodded. “Well… I already know.”

Yoona straightened slightly. “What? How?”

“I mean…” Jinsol gave a tiny smirk. “You were filling my glass downstairs, I simply woke up before you came back, so I wanted to go downstairs to grab a drink. When I opened the door, the sound from below could be heard immediately. So… I know.”

Yoona covered her face with both hands. “Oh my god.”

“I didn’t say anything because I figured if you wanted me to know, you’d tell me yourself.”

Yoona groaned dramatically into her hands. “I still can’t believe I got caught doing a full parental confession monologue.”

Jinsol chuckled, leaning back against the desk. “To be fair, it was sweet. Also slightly tragic. But mostly sweet.”

Trying to change the subject quickly, Yoona waved her hand. “Anyway, they just accepted you right away when we finally opened up about our relationship. After you proposed, I mean.”

This time, Jinsol tilted her head, a sly smile forming. “Do you want to know why?”

“Why...?”

“Because I asked for their blessing long before I proposed.”

“You what?!”

“That winter holiday in college where I rejected your invitation to come over, I invited your parents for a dinner instead, without you. I asked for their permission to court you. Properly.”

“You?! What did they say?!”

“They were… surprised,” Jinsol said with a fond grin. “But your mom teared up, your dad gave me one of those weird half-hugs, and they said yes. They said I could make you brave enough to face losing me someday and still want to love me, that's why I deserved the chance.”

Yoona sat stunned on the edge of her bed, trying to form words. “I didn’t… I didn’t know that.”

“Didn’t need you to know at the time. I just wanted to do it right.”

Yoona dramatically flopped backward onto the bed. “Ugh, why are you like this.”

“Like what?”

“So annoyingly romantic in secret. I can’t even compete.”

“You don’t have to,” Jinsol said, laughing. “You already won. You're the brave one.”

-

“Eat more, Jinsol-ah,” Yoona’s mom urged for the third time, dropping another braised short ribs onto Jinsol’s plate. “You’re still too thin.”

“I’m really not…”

“Too thin,” Yoona’s mom repeated firmly, ignoring the protest.

Meanwhile, Yoona’s dad poured more sparkling blood into her glass like it was wine, or maybe a combination of both. “This one’s from 1932. Good vintage.”

“I... don’t think blood has vintages,” Yoona said, eyeing the bottle.

“Shows what you know,” her dad sniffed.

Across the table, Jinsol was desperately attempting not to burst out laughing. Yoona nudged her under the table. “You’re not helping.”

“I’m being respectful,” Jinsol whispered back, her mouth half-full. “Which, apparently, means accepting a third serving even though I might combust.”

“You could just say no.”

“I did! But I think your mom has noise-canceling ears when it comes to that.”

“Drink more!” her mom called from across the table. “You need hydration to digest properly.”

“She’s not a camel, eomma,” Yoona muttered.

Once the plates were mostly clean and everyone had taken that collective sigh of post-meal satisfaction, Yoona’s dad cleared the table. Yoona shot him a thumbs-up. He gave her a wink. It was disturbingly efficient somehow.

Jinsol sat back in her chair, patting her stomach. “Okay, if you told me this was a setup to fatten me up for harvest, I wouldn’t even be mad.”

Yoona’s mom laughed, finally settling into her seat again with a warm, “You know… watching you both just now brought back so many memories.”

Yoona raised a brow. “Which ones?”

Her mom gave a dramatic sigh, “All of them. Like that time I walked in and saw you two asleep on the floor of your room, using game controllers as pillows.”

“You were eight,” Yoona’s mom nodded few times. “You’d fallen asleep mid-match. The screen said ‘Game Over,’ but you two were just passed out with drool on the carpet.”

Yoona groaned. “Can we not...”

“Oh! Or that time you both tried to make me breakfast for Mother’s Day,” she continued, “Burnt eggs, crushed strawberry-”

“We were unsupervised!” Yoona whined.

“And deeply committed,” her mom added, shedding her fake tears.

Jinsol covered her face. “I think I blocked that memory out of survival.”

Yoona’s mom softened then, “You’ve been part of this family for a long time, Jinsol-ah. I know I worried at first. I worried a lot. About your future, about Yoona’s feelings… But the truth is, from the way you looked at her even back then, I already knew. That you were going to love her with everything you had.”

…

“I still do,” Jinsol said quietly.

Yoona looked at her, surprised, and immediately stuffed a napkin in her mouth. “Stop being romantic while my mom’s watching.”

“I didn’t plan it!”

Yoona’s mom laughed, “Alright, alright. I’ll leave the romance to the two of you.” Then she stood, brushing her hands. “But I am going to dig up that old photo album later. Just so we all remember how cute and chaotic you both were.”

“No!” Yoona groaned.

“Yes,” her mom confirmed with a gleam in her eyes. As they made their way back upstairs, Yoona leaned in, nudging Jinsol’s side.

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“That thing you said. About still loving me.”

“Mhm?”

Yoona looked away, blushing a little. “That was really unfair timing. I was drinking water.”

Jinsol grinned. “Good. Keeps your vampire reflexes sharp.”

Chapter Text

It began like a dream, because… actually, it was one.

It was as if Yoona was there to feel it again. The winter air. The quiet road. Heart beating fast. The sound of Jinsol’s voice calling her name in the half-empty café, but not loud.

She had come a little late that day. Apologized as soon as she stepped inside, brushing snow from her padded jacket, “Sorry, my mom called just as I was leaving.

Jinsol had smiled. She didn’t say much at first. Just gestured toward the photobooth inside the café. Just waited.

Yoona didn’t know why Jinsol had called her there, and she hadn’t asked. But somewhere inside, she felt weird. And it’s not new, she’s been feeling this way like what… over a year now. At first, it was like breathing with something stuck in her chest. Watching Jinsol laugh, lean her head against Yoona’s shoulder, tie her hair with Yoona’s ribbon, every little thing, every moment of eye contact, every soft goodbye at the door, had left her moonstruck in the sweetest, but also scariest way.

Why scary? She’d been scared of several things.

Of her parents.

Of the future.

But mostly of Jinsol not feeling the same.

She didn’t know that Jinsol had rehearsed this moment dozens of times, on long walks home, in front of mirrors, in the middle of stirring rice or brushing her teeth. That she had rewritten her confession like a thesis paper, only to throw it away and decide to speak with her heart.

But she did remember how the world slowed when Jinsol took a breath.

“Yoona,” Jinsol began, but her voice cracked. She cleared her throat and tried again, trying harder to conceal her nervousness. “There’s something I need to say. And promise me, to let me finish before you say anything. Okay?”

Yoona blinked in surprise, but she nodded anyway. “Okay.”

Jinsol took a breath.

“I’ve liked you for a really long time. No. I’ve loved you for a really long time. Jinsol repeated her sentence, but with difference emphasis. Not in the vague or unsure way people say when they’re trying to test the water. I mean the kind that would ruin myself if I kept it alone to myself. The kind that made me stay up all night rereading our messages, even when they were just about homework.”

Yoona’s mouth parted slightly, aboutto speak, but she remembered the rule and pressed her lips shut.

“I tried to ignore it. I tried to convince myself that it would go away. That we were already too close to be anything else, that I should be grateful that we had this kind of relationship, that I was just confused. But I wasn’t. I’m not. I love you, Yoona.”

“I love the way you pout when you lose in games. I love the way you defend me like I’m the most important person in the world. I love your voice when you're half-asleep. I love that you receive my calls even when you don’t know what to say. I love that you exist, and the way I got to exist beside you.”

Her hands were trembling now. The note card had been long abandoned, folded and stuffed into her pocket.

“I don’t expect you to feel the same. But… god, I pray that you do. And if you do, I know it’s… complicated. I’m human. You’re not. But if there’s even a chance you’d let me love you for as long as I can, then that’s enough for me.”

Jinsol’s eyes searched Yoona’s face, unsure if her words had landed the way she wanted. And then, Yoona decided to answer it not with words. Yoona took one step forward, and another, and closed the space between them with a soft touch on Jinsol’s cheek.

-

Jinsol stirred.

The first thing she registered was warmth from arms wrapped tightly around her, a face nuzzled into the crook of her neck, a breath.

Yoona was clinging to her like a koala.

“…Yoona?” she mumbled, voice still rough.

Yoona didn’t answer at first. She just held on tighter, burying her nose deeper against Jinsol’s shoulder.

Noticing that it wasn’t the usual clinginess. Jinsol asked. “What happened?”

Yoona exhaled slowly, then she leaned back just enough to look at Jinsol, her hand still resting against her side, thumb absentmindedly brushing over the cotton of her sleep shirt.

“I had a dream,” she said softly. Yoona said it casually, yet the way she said it made Jinsol go still.

“I dreamt about the day you confessed to me,” Yoona continued. “The first time you told me you loved me. I saw everything again… the snow in your hair, the way you were shaking, how brave you tried to look even though your eyes kept flicking to the floor.”

“It made me remember everything,” Yoona said. “All the little things. How we stayed up too late watching dramas and your head always ended up on my shoulder. The time you got sick and wouldn’t tell me, so I scolded you for  hours. How your hands used to tremble when you talked about the future, and how you held mine anyway.”

She looked at Jinsol again, “I don’t know what the rest of our life is going to look like. We might fight like we’ve done several times. We might get scared. We might not always have mornings like this. But…” Her voice lowered, “I just want you to know, I’m thankful. For all of it. Every small, stupid, messy thing that led us here.”

Yoona reached up, brushing her fingers through Jinsol’s hair, then rested her palm gently against her cheek. “I don’t say it enough, but you’ve made this life feel… real. Like something I didn’t even know I was allowed to want. I’m still scared sometimes. But waking up next to you, even after a dumb dream like that… I think I just remembered how lucky I am.”

Jinsol laughed under her breath, “You’re being so mature all of a sudden.”

“I always was mature. You just distracted me by being cute.”

Jinsol leaned forward, forehead touching Yoona’s. “You’re really going to make me cry first thing in the morning?”

“Er… You’ll forgive me anyway.”

And she held Jinsol again, she didn’t want to miss her chance.

“I never saw my parents bite each other,” she began. “They didn’t need to. Both of them are vampires anyway, that’s why… I thought that marking wasn’t really necessary.”

Jinsol didn’t move. She just blinked slowly. It’s a topic she never brought to Yoona, because Yoona never said anything about it either.

“And the first time I bit you,” Yoona continued, “it didn’t go well. I hurt you.”

Jinsol reached over and brushed her thumb along Yoona’s jawline, wordlessly reminding her again and again. ‘That wasn’t your fault.’

“But that’s why,” Yoona murmured, almost to herself. “I never thought about marking you. Not seriously. I told myself you already knew. That you didn’t need proof. I thought… loving you loudly was enough.”

She exhaled.

“But lately,” she said, eyes flicking up to meet Jinsol’s gaze, “I don’t know if it’s the way you always reach for me in your sleep. Or just… how much I love being yours. But I’ve started thinking about it more.”

Jinsol’s brows lifted just slightly. She could see how careful Yoona was being with her words, how gently she held this thought.

“I want to mark you,” Yoona whispered. “Not because I need to claim you. But because I want to honor you. I want the world to know you chose me, and I chose you, but only… if you want it too.”

A pause.

Then Jinsol chuckled.

“I always thought,” she said, “that if you ever marked me, it’d be… dramatic.”

Yoona gave her a look. “You really are a theater kid.”

“Well, I deal with the scripts afterall”

“But no, seriously” Jinsol continued, “It’s just funny. We’re here. In messy pajamas. Morning breath. Half the blanket’s on the floor.”

She leaned in, “And yet… it still feels right.”

Yoona swallowed hard.

“Then love me,” Jinsol said quietly, her hands reaching behind Yoona’s neck to draw her in. “If you’re going to mark me, do it because you love me. Not because you need to prove anything.”

Yoona woke up immediately, gently took Jinsol’s hand in hers. She pinned Jinsol beneath her.

“I used to think the neck was the only place to mark,” she murmured, turning Jinsol’s wrist over. Her fingers lightly traced the soft skin just above the pulse. “But… this is where you always reach for me. When you hold my hand. When you pull me back to bed. When you touch my face.”

Her thumb settled over the spot near Jinsol’s pulse. “They said a mark made with love never fades. Not even if the body does. So I want to leave it where love always begins, with you reaching out for me first.”

Yoona leaned down and kissed the inside of Jinsol’s wrist. Then she bit, slow, careful not to hurt.

Jinsol gasped softly as the warmth spread through her arm, up her chest, and into her throat. Her fingers laced with Yoona’s other hand, grounding herself as her blood answered back at Yoona's bite.

When Yoona pulled back, the mark glowed faintly beneath the skin, a half-moon bloom just above the pulse. A permanent reminder of Yoona’s love for her.

Yoona lifted Jinsol’s marked hand and kissed her knuckles. “You always give me your hand,” she whispered. “Now I’ll always be holding it.”

Yoona leaned in and pressed her forehead gently to Jinsol’s.

Jinsol’s eyes fluttered shut.

She felt Yoona’s breath fan across her cheek, and she could swear, even without a single word spoken, she could hear Yoona had just said everything her heart had carried for years. “I love you”

And maybe that was what love really was.

-

The stream had just started. The title, It Takes Two: part two, yeah i like rhyme, and you better too (Literally, ‘Cause We’re Married) 💍

Yoona adjusted the mic and glanced at the camera.

“Alright, before we start,” she said, raising one brow, “Let me make this real clear, don’t try flirting with me.”

Her voice dropped a note lower. “Or her. But especially her.”

She pointed toward Jinsol, who was calmly adjusting her headset beside her.

Yoona leaned a bit closer to the camera, voice soft but deadly, “I will find you, and I will block you. Permanently. No appeals. Not even a warning.”

Jinsol snorted, “You’re so dramatic,” she muttered.

“I’m just setting boundaries.” Yoona turned back to her, “People need to know.”

Jinsol stretched with a yawn, clearly still in that post-lunch mode. “You really don’t have to worry. If anyone flirts with us,” she paused, clicking her controller on, “I’ll just show them who owns you.”

Yoona blinked. Not once, but twice to comprehend.

Her ears turned pink almost instantly. “O-owns me?”

Jinsol didn’t look up from the controller. “Mhm.”

Yoona made a sound like a choked laugh, but her fingers fumbled on her own controller. “And… how exactly are you going to show that?” Jinsol finally turned to her, one brow raised innocently. “Guess you’ll find out if someone tries.”

Yoona’s mouth opened. Her brain short-circuited just a little.

She turned slowly back to the camera, her face now noticeably red. “...Please. Someone flirt through the comments.”

The chat, naturally, exploded.

“ME! FLIRTING NOW!!!”

“yoona ur so owned LMAO”

“petition to find out what jinsol means”

“this is the best stream opener i’ve ever seen”

-

“Okay, last level and then we sleep. My wife has work tomorrow.”

“We have work tomorrow,” Jinsol corrected with a teasing smirk.

Yoona narrowed her eyes. “Ah yeah, right, my job is loving you and protecting you from weird chat people. And I’m very good at it.”

Jinsol laughed. “You’re not even paid for that.”

“I’d still do it forever,”

Jinsol looked at her, “Well, you better.”

Yoona smiled. “Guess I’ll renew the contract.”

Chat exploded again, but neither of them was reading it anymore.