Chapter Text
A sigh.
Even with what was happening in this moment, Karina Yu only had one thought in mind.
I should’ve listened to Joohyun unnie about visiting the tarot reader…
Seriously, what type of man just ups and breaks up with his girlfriend that had already cancelled her lease to come all the way to busan from seoul to live with him?
Seriously, what was she even supposed to do now?
Live with her ex?? After he literally just got cold feet and ran away back into his apartment and shut the door on her after the truth of his existence was found out? HELL NO! NOT DOING THAT, I’D RATHER DIE!
Not to mention that because of all that, she was now sitting idly in a bakery, crushing donut after donut in an attempt at eating away her tears before it’s able to even have the chance to get anywhere near her eyeballs.
She was NOT going to be crying over a man, no matter what.
But, alas, she had been with that man for three years, alas, she had known that man for 5, ever since they’d met in their twenties.
Alas, she’d trusted and loved him enough to give up her life in the city to come over to Busan where her new life should have begun.
Should have.
Because as she had knocked on her ex-lover’s door, another man had opened it for her.
A man Karina Yu could not recognise.
A man in super short shorts, with 7 small rainbow hearts tattooed on his bare chest.
Not to mention the fresh hickey on his neck.
The bite mark on his shoulder…
The scratch marks that reveal themselves further as the man turns to call for his lover.
Apparently, according to her EX boyfriend’s own mouth even, he’d known for a month, but due to his not wanting to disappoint her, he’d kept it from her.
Not even considering the fact she hadn’t even ended her lease with her landlord a month ago, she can’t fucking believe that stupid fucking man would withhold that information for a month, AN ENTIRE MONTH, WHILE GOING OUT TO FURNITURE SHOPS WITH HER SO SHE COULD ‘decorate’ HER ROOM.
Now, the sun has long fallen, and she’s on her seventh order of glazed donuts.
Sugar has long been her cure for heartache, she supposes she’d just have to bear with the insulin spike from the sugar intake.
Anything, as long as she didn’t feel the hurt in the moment.
Anything, as long as she could forget her burdens.
But temporary solutions were just that.
Temporary.
“We’re closing soon.” The baker had finally gotten out from behind the counter, having spent the past 4 hours watching as Karina had downed donut after donut, all the while her two giant suitcases sat next to her, taking up more space than the small bakery had to spare.
Meaning, Winter had been trying to ignore the fact that the other patrons were having to squeeze past the woman who seemed almost as if a runaway.
But, with them closing in about 10 minutes and said mystery runaway woman still seated in their wooden window seats, donut in hand, ripping her lips, and mumbling to herself, sighing repeatedly; Now would be the perfect time to perhaps either kick her out, or help her out.
Although, considering Winter was just about to get off a 12 hour shift, the former would definitely be more- most likely.
“Karina- I-” Her boyfriend had finally come to the door, barely able to stand, limping his way over.
“L-let’s break up…”
The raven takes a glance to her bags that hung around right outside the door, her bags that she had painstakingly dragged aboard the train all the way here, her bags that had accompanied her second ever watch of train to busan, a show she wasn’t ever interested in until she’d been invited to move to Busan.
By her boyfriend.
That was now clinging onto the arms of his lover.
Considering the man had been alone in busan for only 4 months after having moved back near his parents right after he’d gotten the confirmation for his job, she supposes this tall burly man next to him might have been his gay awakening.
“ANd you’re the bottom??”
“Helloo?? We’re closingg!” Slender fair fingers are waved right in front of her eyes, and with the sudden interruption of her thoughts, Karina flinches.
Flinches so hard, her donut falls to the ground.
“Ah.”
“Ah.” Both the baker and the victim of late life gay awakenings’ eyes follow the pastry down to the ground, where it now laid, solemnly.
That’s the final drop of sadness Karina’s emotional bucket for the day could take.
Her tear ducts return with the leaving of what she had sworn would be her final donut.
“My donut…” Ripped lips quickly begin trembling, tears immediately streaming, the girls’ head is left bobbing as she begins sniffling.
Before long, she’s full-on crying and Winter can only thank god she’s the only person on the closing shift today.
“I-I’ll give you a new one! On the house! Okay??” Seriously, did she really just make a customer drop their food, AND cry? Her manager is seriously going to kill her.
“H-house?” There’s a flicker of something strange across the raven haired woman’s eyes.
“House…” It’s burdensome, the way the crying gets worse the moment the strange runaway takes another glance towards her bags.
“I have…I have no house now…” Sure, did Winter find this woman slightly troublesome? Yes, but girls are meant to help girls, and a woman this attractive being left on the streets?
Bad idea. Well, any homeless woman was a bad idea, but this one? This was the world’s worst idea.
“Did you get kicked out?” Winter quickly pulls a seat for herself before running back to the kitchen, getting the box of leftover donuts she was going to take home.
The fallen donut is cleaned up too as she waits for Karina to calm down enough to answer.
“I- I guess… I didn’t even make it in there though…” There’s a strange awkward tension in the now closed and empty seating area of the bakery.
Clearly, Winter needed more.
A donut is offered, held in the baker’s fingers, the paper being crumpled slightly under blue nails.
“Want to talk about it? Since I did make you cry, I’ll be nice.” When Karina sniffles a final time before accepting the peace offering, blinking twice in gratitude; Winter can’t help the smile that surfaces.
She’s surprisingly cute, not just a jaw dropping pretty homeless runaway, huh?
Not that Karina was a runaway in the first place.
“I moved- I was supposed to move here from Seoul…I was going to live with my…ex.” Putting the dots together, Winter glanced towards the suitcase, the city woman like clothes, the now slightly ruined makeup.
Definitely just broke up before she came here.
“But- he was cheating on me…” Just that alone was enough to make the baker mad, just who on earth would cheat on someone this attractive, was the side chick some Miss universe or something??
“With a man…” ORr he’s gay, I guess.
“So I’m just… left here…alone…nowhere to go…” The more Karina spoke, the more she seemed to be sucked into her mind, falling down the rabbit hole of negative thoughts once more.
Her tears return.
“No, don’t cry.” And it only pisses Winter off more.
“You’re not alone, I’m literally seated in front of you??” Another flavour of donut is stuffed onto her lips, Karina quickly parts her lips, taking a bite.
A little rough, with a thick Busan accent, but alas, Karina feels the kindness of the frowning baker.
The gentleness of the hand feeding her, the drink the stranger prepared for her along with the extra box of donuts.
The packet of tissues now laid next to her phone.
“Thank you…” It seems this was fate’s reparation for the day in the form of a cute kind baker.
“Besides, if you have nowhere to go…tsk.” The baker quickly finishes the rest of her chocolate donut, leaving the raven looking at her lips as the bite she’d taken is eaten too.
Once she’s done, Winter closes the box, takes a wet wipe out of her pocket, cleans her hands and extends her hand towards the now red nosed stranger.
“I’m Winter, Winter Kim.” A glance at slender fingers, blue nails, the tattoo of a star right along the woman’s wrist.
“Karina Yu…” She accepts the handshake, only to be pulled up from the seat.
“I have a spare room, come live with me.” Only to be met with a smile that reflected the moonlight in a way so mesmerising she’s placed under a spell.
In this moment, she forgets all that’s happened.
In this moment, she forgets the events of the day, the revelation of her exes’ sexuality, the losing of a future she’d been excited for.
Afterall, her intuition was telling her.
Her future had just found her.
“Are you serious?” The woman’s mangosteen-like hands are placed across her cheeks, unable to bring herself to believe she’d really be saved from the perils of this situation.
“Of course, as long as you aren’t some sort of axe murderer that uses this exact story to get into people’s homes… are you?”
“No! I’m not!” Obsidian eyes are widened so suddenly Winter can’t help but want to mess with her.
“Hmm~ definitely sounds like something an axe murderer would say…” Only, when Karina’s lips begin to tremble once more, Winter learns she should be a little more considerate of her sensitive future housemate.
“I’m joking, Karina. It’s as long as you don’t mind living with me instead.” The corners of her lips twitch, finding the stranger a little…endearing.
Just a little.
“I’ll pay the rent!” Karina can only watch as Winter quickly cleans the table, bags the trash, and drags it just out the front doors before throwing it into the dumpster at the side of the doors.
She finds herself grateful for the large glass windows of the bakery.
The baker is surprisingly adorable, lugging the trash bag around.
She snaps herself out of her thoughts, wondering just why the hell it even went there; she’d just been broken up with!
When Winter comes back in, she immediately responds; walking over to the sink to wash her hands.
“I own the place.” A hum.
“I’ll give you rent?” An echoed chuckle from the back.
“I’ll see how much the bills rise and collect the extra from you, is that enough?” It takes a few more moments of waiting, for Winter to return back to the storefront, to witness the sight of Karina Yu ripping the skin of her lips.
“But…” It bothers her, she wonders if it doesn’t hurt, wonders how the beautiful stranger had picked up the habit.
Alas, it was now 11:30pm.
She wanted to get home and wash the clinging aroma of freshly baked bread away.
“We can figure all that out later on, for now, why don’t you check out where you’ll be from here on?” From here on.
It’s strange, there definitely should be a deadline to her stay, it would have to be temporary either way.
But the cadence in the baker’s voice, the look on her face as she says it…
It brings a certain warmth to Karina Yu’s heart.
The way the baker wordlessly helps to pull one of her suitcases along, even picking up one of her duffel bags too.
Without being asked to, Winter holds the door open for her, looking back at her, flashing that movie star smile at her.
“Welcome to Busan, city girl.” It’s at that moment that Karina Yu senses it.
That her heart might be in danger.
Sooner or later.
It’s easy, living with Winter.
At least, the first two weeks spent together have been.
Semi sporadically, Winter would leave the home during ungodly hours, even before the sun rises early in the morning.
During those times, she returns right on time for dinner.
And sometimes, it would be in the afternoons, only for the younger woman (She’d found that out during a conversation about birthdays after Winter had sent over a picture of a snoopy birthday cake she was making.) to return near midnight.
Jimin quickly learns to cook dinner at the perfect time depending on whether she wakes up to breakfast.
And even on the days she doesn’t, there would always be leftover donuts in the fridge.
It started on the fifth day, that was when the randomised pastries started becoming more consistently glazed donuts.
It didn’t take too much to realise Winter had been bringing them home due to her loud liking of them.
Loud liking.
Karina had gotten drunk on the third day, clung to Winter the moment the baker had returned home then proceeded to loudly proclaim she loved her.
The response?
“No, it’s just because I smell like those donuts you were chugging, isn’t it?”
“I love youuuu!!”
“My happiness!!!”
“Karina- this is Winter…”
Before Winter could even push the raven away, Karina Yu had taken a bite;
Of the baker’s cheek.
“I’m hungry…”
Alas, Winter did not appreciate being mistaken for a donut.
The house was shrouded in silence the next morning, and night.
Only for Karina Yu to wake up to three donuts sitting on the dining table on the fifth day.
She decides the landlord baker was just a little too cute for her.
Her decision to make dinner for Winter started that day too.
Now, the third week had arrived, and Karina found herself wondering just how long she would be allowed to stay.
Luckily for her, Winter was off from work tomorrow, which meant they would finally be able to have the talk.
The moment she wakes up, she finds Winter in the kitchen.
“Goodmorning.” She glances at the screen of her phone, she’d woken up earlier than usual, hence why she was finally able to catch Winter in the act.
“I was slowly finding myself wondering if you were some sort of breakfast fairy… I guess you really do make breakfast.” Don’t blame her, sure, she wakes up at 1 in the afternoon but that’s just… a habit.
A habit she can’t kick.
“Pfft- is it a disappointing revelation?” She rubs her eyes, trying to clear her tiredness away.
“A heartwarming one, what’re you making?” There’s a moment where she’s left trying to sniff the air, an attempt to guess what it was she was smelling.
“Braised long beans, boiled egg, and potato carrot soup.” While Winter finally satiates her curiosity, Karina finally manages to find the seat despite her shut eyes.
“Heavy breakfast?” There’s the shutting of the pot’s lid, that’s when Karina finally decides to engage with the day.
“Think lunch instead.” Obsidian eyes are greeted with the sight of Winter turned to face her, leaning on the counter.
“Ah… hey Winter?” Gulping, she bites the bullet.
“Hm?” It’s not as if Winter would kick her out if she still didn’t have anywhere to go, right?
“How long can I stay here?” A blink, the baker scoffs.
“How long do you want to?”
The younger woman ping pongs the question back, and an answer Karina finds she lacks.
She bites down, chewing on her bottom lip.
“I don’t know how long I should stay…” A sigh can be heard, Winter finds herself sitting across from the raven, lending her chin her palm to rest.
“That wasn’t my question, Karina; should, could, can, want, will.” With each new auxiliary verb, Winter raises a finger.
“That’s your opinion, I didn’t really think about a deadline, a year, two or three is fine, that’s up to you, that’s also a future I can’t predict.” With each new answer, one is put down.
The younger woman finds herself glancing back at the living room clock.
“But, you should probably find a job first, won’t your savings run out?” Blinking twice, Karina finally looks back up off her hands that laid at a rest atop the newspaper, confused.
“I do have a job…” It’s one of the things she’d found out about Winter that she couldn’t help but to find endearing.
Who even reads the newspaper these days, 70- 80 year olds?
Nope, almost nearing 25, Kim Winter.
She does.
“O-oh…sorry- because you-“ Karina finds herself chuckling, knowing just what the baker was about to say, after all…
“Wake up at 1?” Her mom says it all the time too.
“Yeah…”
“I’m a comic artist, and my author just happens to always finish their part of the work at night, so I’m just the one left working throughout the night.” Bubbling travels from the back, and Winter rises out of her seat.
Before she fully leaves however, she finds herself commenting on her roommates’ work schedule.
“That’s not…healthy…”
“Trust me, I know.” With that however, the food was done.
Which meant, Winter had turned around with a bright smile after giving the soup a final taste test only to discover her very own brilliance once more.
“Come help me set the table, Karina.” Perhaps it would seem strange to anyone watching, the way Karina Yu had frozen at the sight.
Just for a moment.
“Oh- sure.”
It’s almost as if they’ve done this a thousand times before despite this being the very first time they’ve even eaten at the same table, at the same time.
It’s all almost too natural, the way Winter is the one to scoop up the rice, and Karina transports it to the table, the way Karina quickly serves the dishes while Winter gets the utensils, the way Winter gets the soup pot onto the table while Karina gets two cups of water.
Funny coincidence too, the way the two both liked having water despite the soup.
Another funny coincidence? The moment their chopsticks had been put down, the older woman’s phone started to ring.
A call from her older sister.
“Joohyun Unnie?” When Karina’s eyes look back up from her phone, she’s met with the sight of sparkling eyes of curiosity, she chuckles airily before putting her older sister on speaker out of habit
“How’s living with your boyfriend!” And it was at that moment that she knew, she fucked up.
“uHmm…” She definitely should have contacted Joohyun sooner, not three weeks later.
Ah…I fucking forgot!!
“It’s not going well?” To say it wasn’t going well was a lie, she’s having a great time living with Winter, this is probably the most comfortable and happy and at ease she’s been for the past few years even.
But, the question was in relation to a certain gay man.
Not the homeowner.
“No!! I mean… It didn't go well. Not with-“ She’s cut off before she can explain.
“Do you want to move in with me? You can always come home, Rina.”
With the offer of a home to return to, Karina Yu finds herself peeling the skin of her lips once more, taking a nervous glance towards the younger woman.
Winter only smiles in response, pointing to the dishes before rising to stand, clearing them, mouthing that she would leave Karina to her conversation with her sister.
The older of the two can only smile gratefully before walking back into her room, putting the call off speaker.
Despite the now quiet conversation returning into the room, it remains loud.
The clinking of dishes, the sound of suds of soap being formed, the sponge’s friction in contact with both Winter’s hands and the plates.
The gears churning in the Baker’s mind.
The loud assumption that Karina Yu would be bringing up the topic about moving away again soon enough.
Despite the conversation they’d just had prior to lunch.
The loud guess that Karina would leave.
Of course she would; there was nothing here for her.
No three year relationship, no lover, no job that requires her to be here, all Busan is for Karina Yu was the betrayal of her ex.
Although, unbeknownst to Winter, Busan is also her.
The entrance of her presence, the gentle comfort in her existence.
Unbeknownst to her.
Repetitive movements slow down, she finds herself giving in to the doubts.
Before long, she finds herself giving in to reality.
Karina will be leaving her to go back to her normality, and Winter can only watch as she leaves, hoping for the older woman to find a new peace.
Hoping for Karina to stay wasn’t even a possibility.
Afterall, Winter didn’t like being selfish.
And to ask of Karina to remain here, just because she’d finally been growing used to living with her, to the point of wanting to get to know her, to the point of wanting to help Karina paint her room?
That would be selfish.
Winter wasn’t selfish.
Sensitive, on the other hand, perhaps she is.
The homeowner sits in silence, clicking through the tv channels as if she would be able to find something that interests her, she won’t.
To her, at the very least in this moment, the tv would almost seem as if it were streaming channels after channels of hot dudes.
Something she had absolutely no interest in.
By the time she gives up, a glance outside the window reveals the sun had already fallen.
And in her trance, Karina Yu had already begun making dinner for them both, now that she’d finally snapped out of it; the scent of the older woman’s cooking invades her senses.
Sure, Karina’s cooking isn’t otherworldly, but neither is hers; Rather, it’s grown on her almost as if a snack you liked when you were young that had never changed, and only as you reached adulthood, became your very favourite.
All is to say;
If Winter could, she would beg for Karina Yu to stay.
The tv is left on a channel about historical creatures, and with that, Winter allows her face to fall upon her knees, sulking, trying her best not to cry.
“Oh, it’s my favourite dinosaur!” The older woman’s voice cuts through the silent home, leaving Winter looking up to the screen to see which one was showing.
A water creature, the mosasaurus.
Somehow, it fits the older.
Just like her home does.
It’s conflicting, sure, their schedules barely line up, with both of them only being able to interact when Winter would come home from the bakery, and by then most of the time she’d be on the verge of collapsing into sleep; it shouldn’t be as if Winter would already too attached to Karina Yu’s presence.
But she is.
It’s always been that way after all, coming home and deciding to go hungry, or just bringing home a box of pastries to snack on before heading for the shower and deciding to sleep.
Now, it was this way.
Coming home to warm food on the dining table, with the sight of Karina Yu in the living room, IPad on the coffee table, pen in hand.
She supposes that’s when the older woman has been working.
The warmth of a non-empty home.
It would be a lie to say she would be fine with losing it.
Just like mentioned however, Winter hasn’t ever learnt to be selfish, and Karina Yu is a positive change for her.
The last thing she should do is allow this awkward silence to cloud the rest of the older woman’s stay.
On the other hand, Winter also isn’t the type to speak first.
Dinner happens in silence, and half way through, Karina had realised it too.
There was tension.
She’s left wondering if Winter was waiting for her to offer to leave, bring up what happened during lunch, say she’d be going back.
It’s hard to say she isn’t.
It’s hard to say she’ll stay.
“There’s… somewhere I want to go, next Monday.” The final clink of Winter’s fork, dinner is finished with both minds muddled with specifics.
“Off day?” Short questions, short answers.
“Yeah.” Hidden sentences.
“You want to go together?” At least, I want a memory with you.
“Y-yeah…” Winter…what’s going through your mind?
“Should I wear something nice?” How can I stay? Should I stay?
“Comfortable, but yeah…?” I’ve just gotten to know you…
“Are you thinking about what happened this afternoon?” I don’t have a grasp on you just yet…
What is it you want?
“Yeah..?” Can’t you tell me?
“Is it a date?” Her mind is all over the place, and still, she finds the energy to attempt to see the younger woman smile once more.
She didn’t like this sight of Winter.
Happiness looked best on the younger.
“Y- …” Sudden silence, Winter is left glaring at her in confusion.
“I’m teasing you, Winter.” Even with her clarification, the younger woman’s eyes stay glued on her, expressionless; rising from her seat.
“Thanks for dinner…”
“Are you leaving me??!” Clutching her chest, finally feeling the tension start to leave, Karina gasps in surprise, allowing herself to breathe in relief.
“Without even answering!!???” An eye roll and a purse of the younger woman’s lips is all she needs.
“Yeah, yeah, no.” Although, she doesn’t appreciate being brushed off.
With that, the younger woman leaves and Karina Yu is left pouting.
“Really!!!? You’re mean!” Pausing, Winter turns just slightly, only enough for the older woman to catch a glimpse of her.
“Yeah, no? You’re mean.” Then, comes the realisation.
In mere moments, Karina’s ears flush hot, red.
Mirroring Winter’s cheeks.
She was…answering all the…questions.
The next five days pass in a blur, with both girls hurrying to and from work, to and from the bakery.
Perhaps it was seduction?
A warm one.
Waking up no longer to pastries, although there were still donuts since she loved them, but entire cooked meals, specifically, the ones she’d highlighted on her Instagram under [Favourites]; was it mentioned she’d given Winter her acc just the night prior, right before going to sleep?
Was it mentioned, Winter was late for work for the first time ever since she’d started working?
Oh, and that Winter posted nothing but her breakfast, pastries, and dinner?
A warm seduction, waking up just a little earlier so breakfast would at the very least actually be breakfast- a lie, waking up early just so she could grab a light lunch from Winter’s favourite sandwich shop, and just so happen to pass by the bakery.
Winter had started to post her lunch too.
So in truth, it really didn’t pass by in a blur. Only, the trembling hearts palpitating with excitement was left wishing it did.
The second final night is spent fussing over what to wear in secrecy of each other, the reminder of what Karina had asked it was, the reminder of what Winter had agreed it was at the front of the baker and the artists’ minds.
Is a dress good?? What if it’s non-dress activities! She said comfortable, IS THIS COMFORTABLE!? HAVE I WORN THIS BEFORE????
The other room, perhaps?
I WAS HAVING TOO MUCH FUN LEARNING RECIPES!!!!!! I DIDN’T THINK OF WHAT WE’RE GONNA DO, FUCKKK
Right.
Communication is important, kids.
In almost comical synchrony, both adults swing open their doors, ready to march on over to the others’ room, only to meet gazes.
“Winter!”
“Karina…uhm-“
“ What’rshouldwedo?gonnado!?” Karina’s sentence lasts longer, and when she finally finishes, Winter is already clutching at her stomach, smacking the door to her bedroom, laughing.
Karina joins in shortly after finishing, entertained by the chaos of the moment.
When the hilarity of the moment finally dies down, for Karina at least, she spends the next few moments watching Winter with a tugging smile on the corner of her lips.
It’s close to love.
With Winter in her sights, she finally comes to realise.
Winter is close to love.
Having cried with running snot right in front of the younger woman, having vomited her guts next to the woman one of the days of moving on, having burped her way through a particularly gassy soft drink Yizhuo had sent her as thanks for finishing yet another volume of their story, she finally comes to realise.
Safety.
She feels safe with Winter.
Like someone she could bare her heart and mind to, knowing she wouldn’t hurt her.
Like someone she’s sure would turn around or leave a conversation with any other the moment she even mentions being uncomfortable.
Even now, Winter wasn’t pressuring her to confirm or deny leaving.
Even then, when her boyfriend had come apologising after repenting, Winter hadn’t told her what to say, what to do; only assuring her that if she’d wanted him to leave, Winter would help make sure he does so.
Someone who wouldn’t get mad at her for missing a night of dinner, and would just silently go on a walk before coming back with takeout.
Someone who would only grumble and glare at her for breaking a snoopy cup before cleaning it up with her before suggesting they go out to buy new ones, maybe matching ones.
Well, Winter didn’t suggest that, Karina just bought it because it was cute and came in a set.
Winter just agreed the moment she saw the taller woman want it.
She pays for it as a ‘housewarming’ gift.
Sure, Winter wasn’t masculine, not in the normal sense.
But Karina found she liked this more.
Soft, warm, cool, pretty, flustering, calming, handsome, cute, breathtaking, and yet too like a breath of fresh air from just opened windows in the mornings.
“Should we plan what we’ll do together?” She snaps out her trance, the image of Winter’s laughing burnt into her memory, for a foreseeable eternity.
“Is that fine? I thought you had-“ She blinks in rapid repetition, trying her best to gather herself.
“That… was an excuse to make you go on a date with me.” Strange.
“Oh….” This was strange.
“Bring your IPad out to the living room, Karina. I’ll make something warm to drink in the meantime.” Winter is strange.
“Oh- yeah, sure.” Or is it her being strange?
Close to…love?
In the morning, after Karina had finally woken up, Winter was already returning with breakfast; sandwiches, what was usually lunch, was appropriately this time, breakfast.
Adding to that, of course, Winter had remembered what Karina Yu would usually order, despite having only spent a single lunch together once on a particularly empty day for the bakery.
“You remembered?”
“You have a sweet tooth, and I saved all your food preferences on my notes app.” The baker freezes, realising she shouldn’t have revealed that.
“Sounds a lot like you’re in love with me.” The artist teases, the baker defrosts.
“Says the one who finally started sleeping earlier just to bring lunch to me?”
“You’re the one who invited me on this date, and called it a date.”
“You’re the one who took a photo of me when I fell asleep last night.”
“Cause you were cute, it’s like bedtime came for you.”
“I usually wake up at 5, I have to sleep early!”
“Yes, and that is…adorable.”
“…” Squinted glaring eyes? To Karina Yu, adorable.
“You’re cute.” Puffed cheeks? To Karina Yu, infatuating.
“Doing that just makes you cuter, seriously…” Pursed angry lips? Delightful.
Angry grumbling? Euphoric.
Huffed chest? Blissful.
Kim Minjeong? Enrapturing.
Hotel?
“…Go get ready, Karina Yu…” The soft gentle voice, reminding her to get ready despite the previously displayed anger? The silent crumpling and throwing of her sandwich wrapper? The wet wipe automatically offered to her? Romantic, standard raising.
Close to love???? CLOSE TO LOVE???
What is the perfect first date? A movie? A picnic? Maybe a cup of coffee? Well, for these two at the very least…
Comic book hunting.
Winter really really wanted to find the comic Karina had been working on, and Karina really really enjoyed the way Winter would find something of a similar title just to pout when she realises it’s not what she’s looking for.
Only, she’s left surprised too when Winter pulls out something and cheers in excitement at finally finding something with the artist tag she’d given as a hint to Winter.
Her first ever gig.
A short love story about two characters finally finding a home for themselves.
A story written by her current authors’ girlfriend, Giselle, Aeri Uchinaga.
Of two women, lovers, trying to find a rentable home for them both, only to face rejection after rejection for the nature of their relationship.
At the end of the story, the two finally find one, just one apartment amongst what almost felt like hundreds accepted them.
And with the first step into their new home, the lovers finally realise perhaps their frustrations were worth it after all.
Afterall, none of the others felt like home.
Not the way this one did.
The comic swings in the paper bag Winter had received for her purchase.
It follows them to the mall, the arcade, to lunch, to bowling, to photo booth picture takings, to mystery box figure shopping, to 50 arrows archery shootings.
To dinner, on their walk home, till they’d reached home.
Before the door is opened, Winter turns to look at the older woman.
“Can I ask for a hug?” Karina isn’t blind, she sees the way Winter exhales before she’s being pulled in.
Hears the way the younger woman inhales deeply, almost as if trying to memorise all sensations of this embrace.
Feels the way the shorter woman tightens her grip, for the hug to last a little longer.
Only to exhale before finally letting go of her.
Karina isn’t blind, she sees the tears threatening to take a hold of the younger.
She takes the silence as a chance to sort through her mind, her past, her life.
Her frustrations with past loves.
Perhaps they too were worth it after all.
But, she couldn’t be sure just yet.
Couldn’t, and for the sake of not going through yet another heartbreak, shouldn’t.
Speaking of, that reminds her.
“You asked me before…how long I wanted to stay here, and said that it was up to me- so…”
Another purse of her lips, she bites down gently on her bottom lip to gather the courage.
“Can I… can it be for just a little longer?”
There’s a moment of awkward silence between the two, broken only by Winter’s little meep, shrinking into her shoulders before her fist covers her lips, trying her best to stop the smile from being too obvious.
It doesn’t work, Karina’s eyes had never left her eyes, nose, lips, and ears.
“That’s a yes, I’m guessing?” Kim Winter is adorable, to an extent the entire dictionary’s worth of adjectives couldn’t capture it.
“…of course it is.”
“Thank you, Winter.” It’s warm despite the cold night.
“Minjeong.” The warmth of the empty home?
“Hm?” The warmth of fulfilled hearts.
“Call me Minjeong, since it seems you’ll be staying in my life for a while.” Karina can’t help but smile with the words the younger woman chooses, staying in her life sounds just like everything her heart had been secretly wishing for.
It seemed as if Winter was giving her permission to do so too.
“Thank you, Minjeong ah.” Everything she wanted.
“You’re welcome, Jimin unnie.”
“How did you- also NOW you’re using honorifics??” The bantering begins.
“I saw your ID laying around yesterday when cleaning up, also you never brought it up so I never did too.” Despite neither of them truly caring, they both seemed to love this discussion either way.
“Is that so, Minjeong-SSI?” Was it the being able to tease each other?
“SI, Jimin-SSI.” Was it the barely controlled leaking laughter?
“Alright, would you please open the door so we can get in now, Minjeong-SSI?” Was it the prolonging of this interaction, the closing of what would be their first date?
The key is turned, finally, the door is opened.
“MerCI” Either way.
“不客, 气!” This too would be a memory burnt into the flesh of their minds.
“Aish! Enough!” A memory of something.
“You started it, unnie!” Someone.
“I’m ending it!!” Somewhat.
Close to love.
Winter is really really busy.
So even though three months had passed, Karina could still see that the bookmark on the comic hadn’t reached the end.
Despite that being said, it’s endearing in the eyes of the artist.
To see her tiny baker come home all tired, only to cheer up with their shared dinner, just enough she could go to the living room and try her best to read at least 10 pages while Karina worked on her now full drawing set up, courtesy of Winter having helped her unpack everything on one of her off days.
10 pages of a comic less than 200 pages sounds easy, right?
Not when your bedtime is around 10 pm, and there’s a certain very distracting roommate seated next to you.
Winter is barely even able to finish 7, much less the first target of 20.
Although, curiosity did triumph over the self control of the artist.
The younger woman was just 20 pages away from the end now.
Plus, with the younger woman’s off day being tomorrow? She figures Winter would be finished by lunch.
Only, when she wakes up, there’s only a sandwich and a donut on the table with a sticky note, no adorable donut smelling baker.
What the…
Gone out to get some things done 👍
Couldn’t bring me along?
Yu Jimin decides, fully, that she shouldn’t have gone down the rabbit hole of that thought.
Was Winter with someone else?
Right, she never did ask if the younger woman was even interested in women. Though, they did agree to go on a date, so that shouldn’t be it, right?
Was there something special happening then? Karina spends too long thinking, trying to remember each and every conversation they've had over the past few days.
There’s nothing else to do, the fanfic she was reading was boring in comparison to thoughts about the younger woman, she’d rather read it later when she’s not contemplating if her tiny landlord baker was going out meeting someone away from her.
Not that she has the right to get jealous, they were nothing after all.
Not that she didn’t have the right to either, they’ve gone on more dates than she could count on three fingers; that must count for something! They were the younger girl’s only off days too!
Not that she had too much time to overthink each and every detail, because just as she was starting to be genuinely emotionally affected with her baker’s presence, the front door burst open.
“Unnie! Go change!” Before she’s even able to question the younger woman, Winter is already pulling her wrist, intertwining their fingers, dragging her to her room.
“Minjeong ah- where did you- THAT’S MY UNDERWEAR DRAWER!!!” The moment she sees Winter’s rummaging through her closet begin to inch towards that particular drawer, Karina immediately lunges forward, grabbing slender fingers within hers, keeping them still.
“Oh- uhm… my bad.” It’s clear the younger woman was feeling wholly embarrassed with what had already happened.
If only there was a Time Machine.
If her hands were free, maybe she would’ve already started building one.
Curse mangosteen hands, inhibiting the immediate progression of humanity’s technology….
“What are you looking for, Winter?” Was Karina annoyed? It might seem that way, but in truth?
“Unnie, Minjeongie; don’t get mad at me.” It was simply an invitation to get Minjeong to loosen up and forget about almost embarrassing herself more than she inevitably did.
“Okay, now answer me, MinjeongIE” Something that had sort of become a running schtick for the housemates, always leaving Karina rolling her eyes, begging for the younger woman to just let her win.
She never does.
“LookIng for…clothIng?” A nod, slowly, Karina pulls Winter towards the bed, looking up at the tiny shy puppy the moment she sits back down, hands never leaving the younger woman’s’.
“Where are we goIng?” The accentuation of the targeted syllable causes Winter to bite her lips, finding the older woman’s speaking habits too endearing.
“Scuba dIvIng.”
“I don’t have dIvIng gear-IE…okay I lost again, didn’t I?”
“Where will we even be diving? Haeundae? Wouldn’t that be snorkelling?” Amidst her little ramble, Karina finally releases Winter, allowing the baker to rummage through her closet properly, except for the two bottom drawers.
She makes that clear for the younger, not to go near.
“Nono, I managed to convince the aquarium owner to let us dive in the shark exhibit.” It’s a joke, quite an obvious one in fact.
But Yu Jimin’s eyes lit up in a way that told Kim Minjeong that she absolutely should never make such jokes ever again.
“No, I’m sorry, it’s not the shark exhibit.” The immediate light hearted pout Karina Yu now sported only worked to erase all doubts the younger woman had of today’s plans.
“We’ll get to pet the dolphins and feed some of the fish and clean up penguin shit, well the penguin shit part I’ll do it, unnie can just play with them; we have the penguin enclosure to ourselves.” It sounds like a perfect day, only, Karina is left squinting her eyes almost as if she was dissatisfied.
She isn’t, but unfortunately not everyone is rich, and Winter was an adorable baker, that stresses out over her shift ending once sales in the nearest grocery shop would end.
Of course, Karina had started to relieve those little stressors for the younger too.
It’s surprisingly fun in her eyes, comparing, finding the most cost effective yet delicious dinner.
But that’s exactly it.
Winter didn’t earn so much she could throw her money around, reserving a waddle of penguins.
“How much did you spend…” No but if they’re in the water it would be called a raft-
Does Minjeong play games? Would she play raft with me if I asked her to? Does she have a laptop?
“Mina unnie just wanted us to help clean up the penguin enclosure as payment, she said it’ll be a funny video to send to her friends.” Oh right, I was asking her a question…wait, dolphins, penguins?
“Y'know what this sounds like?” Hazel eyes so obviously widen, quickly turning around, staring straight into the raven’s soul.
“Don’t go down that train of thought.” It’s so sudden, it’s both surprising and hilarious to the older woman.
“Eh? Why!?” She can’t help but chuckle, seeing Winter’s panicked state.
“Leave that for later.” Finally, Winter manages to find something comfortably pretty for the older woman to wear.
Comfortably pretty, so her heart wouldn’t jump out of her chest.
Who said that, she’s just going to be running around!
Lies.
No!?
The book in her bag would be hidden just a little deeper, the bookmar-
Stop breaking the fourth wall and hinting at the ending!!
On to the date then.
Not a date!
The almost silent creaking of the older woman’s bedroom door.
“Minjeong, is this a date?”
“…Yeah.”
Onto the date.
As always, the narrator always wins.
“Minjeong,Minjeong, look at its teeth!” Karina had pried the dolphin’s jaw open, well that was a lie, Karina had watched as the dolphin keeper? Aquarium keeper? Keeper? Speak to the dolphin, getting it to show its teeth.
Speaking of keepers, in Karina Yu’s eyes, Winter Kim was definitely a keeper.
Such an entertaining creature.
She’s so fucking cute!!!
“It’s…smooth…kinda slimy? I don’t think I expected this texture…” KIM MINJEONG, DON’T BE SO CUTE WHILE BEING PUZZLED WITH THE TEXTURE OF DOLPHINS!!!
Winter was simply staring at her fingertips, trying to process just how…weird petting a dolphin felt.
“Water living mammals feel like this..?”
“Min!” She’s snapped out of her existential crisis by Karina’s call.
“What do you think it would feel to be bitten by a dolphin?”
“Let’s not- wonder about that….”
“Taiyaki…” Would this one be the cylinder keeper then?
Either way, looking down at all the tiny, not too tiny, not very tiny, perhaps not tiny, not tiny, not normal sized, semi normal sized, normal sized fish gathering under both her and Winter, snatching away bits and bits of kibble, Karina found her mind drifting of to a certain cream or red bean choice of fish shaped pastry.
“Unnie, are you hungry?” Sure, she could definitely eat, perhaps not fish for now though, but that was not the reason she’d specifically chosen to mumble taiyaki in this moment, gazing down at feeding fish.
“A little, but also since you constantly have that not very subtle butter, sugar, bread aroma infused into your skin I am very delightfully reminded of pastries with you next to me.” Her description trails off slightly when she’s distracted with the question of if Winter’s skin would taste of butter and bread.
“Right, that’s why you bit my cheek and called me donuts.” Only to be slapped back into reality by shame and regret.
“It’s been 3 months! Forget that!!”
For the penguins, it wasn’t a penguin keeper, but the owner.
Myoui Mina, who had just been introduced to Karina Yu, was now phone in hand, filming Winter cleaning up penguin feces.
In retaliation, Winter begins to call every penguin in her vicinity ‘Mina unnie’.
“Mina unnie, did you really just take a shit while watching me clean up your friends’?”
“Mina unnie- can’t you- oh my god the penguin actually responded to Mina unnie.”
“Did it?”
“Yeah, come on, pass me the camera-“
It’s cute, the interaction between Minjeong and who Karina can only assume was her older sister, perhaps from another mother.
Only, she finds herself hoping the baker would finally allow her to help, or just finish up and come play with her already.
Request granted, finally satisfied with the amount of cute clips of Minjeong she’d gotten, Mina decides to take back her job, and allow the baker to finally spend time with her lover.
Minjeong had obviously denied that.
Though, whether the breathtaking Japanese woman believed her denial was another question.
Minjeong quickly waddles her way over, squatting next to the older before pointing at one of the feeding penguins.
“Unnie, that one looks like the pet from the comic.” Quickly, Jimin scans that specific penguin for similarities before finding herself snorting, holding her fish scented gloves just a little away from her lips as she leans towards Minjeong’s shoulders, chuckling.
A skip in her chest? No…
But rather, bliss.
No… heaven.
Everything?
Home.
Yu Jimin is home.
“Is it the eyebrows?” Winter is once again snapped out of her thoughts, watching the way Jimin looks back from the penguins, meeting Hazel orbs with obsidian ones.
Not just home, the older woman was the safety of one.
“The eyebrows.” The warmth of one.
Yu Jimin is the presence of heart flustering giggles that travel through the halls of their home.
That sounds nice…
“I spent a lot of time on those eyebrows after all.”
“They took the most time?” A shake of the artist's head as she sighs, remembering the memories of her labor.
“Fabrics.”
“You can make them look like clothes easily, but the moment those damn characters are in the middle of moving, nothing ever seems perfect.” A hum escapes the younger woman, trying to find a way to dig herself out of this ditch of constantly getting stuck, mesmerized with the raven.
“That might just be your perfectionist nature.”
“Well yeah, but what’s the point of not being good at my job that feeds me?”
“Pfft- yeah.” Karina quickly hands Winter the last fish, watching as the younger woman holds it in place, getting a penguin to waddle its way closer, within their arms’ reach.
“Let’s go to the gift shop after this, I wanna get a plushy.”
“Oh! I’ll get one too then!”
It’s an agreement between the two that has Minjeong in the shark section, an agreement between the two that has Yu Jimin over in the penguin section.
It’s an agreement between two that has Minjeong in the staff room of the gift shop choosing between 9 different keychains.
“Unnie, I can’t tell which she’ll like…”
“Winter, think about it…deeply, okay? If you’re unable to know what she likes, do you really want to confess to her?” Quickly glancing between the 9 again, Winter sighs.
“Unnie, I want to go into your collection.”
“No!”
“Please!”
“No!!”
“Don’t you love me!?”
“You’re trying to go into my key ring collection!”
“I know you have some sort of dinosaur section, you went to that dinosaur museum thing!”
“These 9 are cute!”
“They’re lovely[s], and I’m sure Jimin unnie would like them but…”
“Hm?”
“She likes dinosaurs…”
“Seriously?”
“Just let me in your damn office.”
One last place to go…
“Unnie, follow me.”
“Huh? We’re not going home yet?”
“I have to pick something up… Actually- why don’t you wait here? I’ll grab it and come running back to you.”
“Running?”
“Running.”
“I can go with you though?”
“It’s a surprise, I’ll get Mina Unnie to show you to the sharks! It’s named Jennifer!”
The shark is named Jennifer.
Jennifer has one missing shark tooth that Karina Yu is informed would probably grow back within the day.
Jennifer also has a scar on his tail.
Jennifer is also a dude.
“Who named it?”
“You see her everyday.”
“Minjeong??”
“Yep, took one look at Jennifer and just went ‘looks like a Jennifer.’ and it’s been that from that very day.”
She laughs, chuckling as she shields her lips from the older woman.
But truth be told, her mind was focused on just one thing.
It really does look like a Jennifer…
When Winter comes back, there’s clearly a box of some sort in her pocket.
When Winter comes back, there’s a smile on her face that sends Karina Yu’s heart into a frenzy trying not to jump to conclusions because they’ve clearly not even started dating.
And getting engaged after just barely almost 3 months of knowing each other is truly insane, and she would definitely be weirded out by that.
Right, did the narrator just say getting engaged and not proposing?
She does decide she will say yes.
She too is crazy.
But that wasn’t the matter at hand, the matter at hand is Kim Minjeong also has her bag in hand, the very same one she’d left in the lockers at the entrance.
Ah…it’s time to go home…
It’s both.
Disappointing, because she’d have to return home, and slightly ticklish, because she’s going home with the younger woman, and now that she knows Minjeong knows the owner of the nearest aquarium?
She supposes that one day they’d come back here together.
That’s ticklish too.
The feeling that she wants a future with the younger woman.
The hidden want to just keep going as they have been.
To live with Winter just a little longer.
The bus ride home is comfortable, silent, with the younger woman’s head leaned against the older’s.
Both of them can’t help but feel it.
That slight pull to each other they both would blame the universe for.
That feeling of…
Perfection?
Contentment.
That’s it.
Content.
Both of them were content with the way things are, just as it is.
But content didn’t mean there wasn’t more for them.
Although, we’re almost to the ending, so there’s no need to rush.
The same went for the baker and artist, they found themselves hoping the bus ride would slow down despite the eagerness for dinner, despite the surprise the younger had gotten ready for the older woman.
Alas, they reach their final destination.
Quickly, they briskly walk their way to the restaurant Karina had been bugging Winter about.
Sure, they wanted time to pass slower, but dinner is an entirely different matter.
Food was the very reason why they’d met each other after all.
It’s another evidence of their being meant for each other.
The chemistry of ordering dishes with sides the other loves, the chemistry of not even having to ask what the older woman wanted to drink, and just ordering three.
Why? One, because Karina Yu usually decided after taste testing hers, Two, because Karina Yu usually ended up stealing just a ‘little’ bit of hers.
It’s only been three months, but obvious habits were just that, obvious.
Only someone that didn’t really love the other wouldn’t remember.
Though that does beg the question.
Did she love her?
Or are they still just…close to love?
Winter looks away following along as the waiter returns to the kitchen with their order, and completely, utterly, misses the straw to the drink that had been brought early.
Karina snorts..
God she’s so fucking cute…
Scratch that, definitely not even just close to love anymore.
Winter sits back up, not even taking a sip in hopes the older woman wouldn’t notice anything.
Karina sits forward and brings the straw to her lips.
Definitely not just close.
Definitely.
“So why did you suddenly bring me out?” Winter freezes right then and there, the older woman just has that effect on her.
She’d planned to do it during dinner, trust her.
But perhaps she should have chosen something even more comfortable for the older woman to wear- that’s a joke.
What isn’t? Is her hiding the comic book under the table as she quickly slips out the envelope, dropping it back into her bag before flipping just a few pages back and bringing the bookmark there instead.
“I’m almost done with the comic.”
“And there was an aquarium date that seemed to be…suspiciously detailed? I couldn’t even count the number of species of fish in there.”
It’s half true.
She did notice the extra effort put into the illustration for that scene in particular.
But also, she wasn’t ’almost done’.
The bookmark had been on the final page, right where the envelope too rested.
But alas, Winter Kim wasn’t ready for that just yet.
Adding to that, she’s also just thought of another cool idea for how to end the day.
“Here’s your order of ribeye, side of Mac and cheese, fri-“ The portions are giant.
As the waiter leaves to get Winter’s food, the two find themselves looking at each other with a funny look on their faces.
“We are…definitely getting some of these to go…”
“Looks like you won’t have to make breakfast then.”
"Yay!"
And so they do, walk out of the restaurant with bags a little heavier than they had been before, and incredibly full stomachs.
A food coma was definitely about to come once they’d reached home.
Before that! A walk.
It was only the distance of a single bus stop so it didn’t really make sense to take a bus just for it.
Also, they wanted the date to last just a little longer either way.
It works out best this way.
Because Winter Kim gets to gather herself as her heart pounds against the walls of her chest, threatening to burst through her ribs and skin.
Because Winter Kim gets to walk just a little slower to enjoy this sight of the older woman, headphones on, holding her hand, mumbling something about wanting to go to the aquarium again another day.
It tickles Minjeong too, but more in her chest as if that wasn’t already a pool of overstimulation.
It causes soda bubbles to rise up out of her chest.
If comes out in words.
“Unnie.” The older woman quickly takes off her earphones, looking back, watching the younger woman stopped in her tracks despite home finally being in sight, it's uncharacteristic of the younger woman.
Winter breathes in deep.
“I think I like you.” She surprises herself with what she says, just slightly.
She’d always been just slightly cowardly, this comes as a testament to her bravery.
Karina, too, is frozen by Winter.
Although…She does get a hold of herself faster.
“I like you too!” It’s funny, the passers by were definitely looking at the pair, finding their interaction amusing.
But they didn’t care, lost in their own world, in their own story.
“Really?”
“Yeah!”
“Then read this for me.” Is this how it was meant to go? Absolutely not.
But it works either way.
“When I tell you to move to the next page, then you do okay?” She hands over the comic book, grabbing the older woman’s free hand in hers as she starts to lead the way.
“But the drawings?”
“Just humor me.” A nod, Karina decides to simply follow along.
“Page 95, it feels like an affirmation that everything we went through wasn’t for nothing, I mean seriously, we were so worried about never finding a place that would accept us that we were starting to lower our standards??”
“But this? This is perfect.”
“Everything.” The older woman starts to get a sense of where this might be going.
Her heart starts knocking.
They reach the lobby.
“Next page.”
“Page 96, of course, it wouldn’t be perfect if she wasn’t with me.”
“The page ends there, it’s just a drawing of the main character’s love interest.” Winter only nods before calling the lift, hiding her face from the older woman.
Hiding her smile of excitement.
“Next.”
“97, everything we’ve been through becomes worth it today, every obstacle, every tear shed, every hurt, every pain. It’s…the elevator scene.” The artist confirms it in her heart.
She definitely knows where this is going now as they finally get into the metal box.
Minjeong presses their floor, looking at her from the corner of her eye before clearing her throat, 7 seconds pass before she speaks again.
“..next.”
“98, It’s all become worth it today.” The elevator doors slide open.
“…next.” The younger woman leads her to the front door.
“99, Because we’ve found our place to stay.” That’s the text on the left page, page 99 and 100, is simply an illustration of the house the characters had bought, holding each other in their arms, hands gripping the certificate of house ownership that contained both their names.
“M-Minjeong…?” Another clear of her throat, this time just to squeeze down her nerves.
She takes the book back from the older woman, dropping it back into her bag before exchanging it for the box the older woman had already previously seen.
“I bought the house a long time ago so I can’t really add your name to it but…”
She opens the box and shows it to the older woman.
“Kim Minjeong…”
“It might be a little too early, and by that I mean definitely very much too early…but I enjoy living with you, so much so I not only can see myself growing old with you, I find myself wishing for you to want that too.”
Inside, is a blue key, engraved with Karina’s name, along with a small Mosasaurus keychain.
The raven’s eyes sparkle at both the items.
It’s everything she’d wanted, or at least it feels that way, she didn’t know she wanted her own personal key rather than a spare key that was laid in the electrical box after all.
“Not just for a little while longer, could you stay with me forever? Or if that’s too pressuring then just a lot longer.” The extra accommodation of words gets a chuckle out of the older woman.
“Will I still get the free donuts?”
“Every morning if you’d like.”
A hum, it’s nothing but simple teasing of the younger woman.
“Then…” Winter’s eyes sparkle, looking up at her.
Karina Yu finds herself powerless to those eyes, there is no possible rejection.
“Hahaha…I’m teasing you, Minjeongie.”
“Of course I will.” She grabs the shorter woman’s cheek, pulling her in for a kiss.
She pulls away just to add one last tiny detail.
“It’s my home too after all.” She reaches behind Winter, unlocking the door, pushing the younger woman into the living room.
Once she’s sure she’s locked the door, she immediately drops their bags to the floor before going back to kissing the baker.
Fervently, almost as if she’s been holding back this entire time.
She has.
Kim Minjeong is especially hot and cute and pretty and handsome and attractive when her hair is a little messy, when she’s been out the entire day.
Or especially when the scent of pastries simply wafts off her skin.
Considering she’s always working, the scent never truly leaves, ever.
The older woman’s hands reach for the hem of the smaller woman’s shirt, lifting it up slightly before dropping it back down when Winter pushes her shoulder away just slightly, just enough to get a word in.
She tries to remind herself this might be going a little too fast.
“THIS ISN'T HOW THE STORY WAS GOING AT ALL!?!” Or that this wasn’t how their relationship felt like it was going to go at all.
Although, Kim Minjeong doesn’t complain when Yu Jimin leans back in for yet another peck on the lips.
“I’ve been wondering if your skin tastes like bread, and the entire day has felt like a giant green light to letting me satiate my curiosity?” The younger woman’s arms wrap around her shoulders, her very own wrap around Winter’s waist.
Another kiss is stolen before the younger woman grumbles as she’s waddled to the older woman’s room.
“So this really is because I smell like donuts!!!?!?!”
She’s allowed back on her feet as Karina laughs, arms still wrapped around her waist, even tapping her fingers to the rhythm of her very own laughter.
“It’s because I like you.”
She smiles before correcting herself.
“No, it’s because I love you.”
Winter only huffs lightheartedly before smiling widely, eyes crinkling into crescents as she melts back into the taller woman’s chest.
“Welcome home, I love you too, Jimin unnie.”
No longer just a spare room, for now, it was the older woman’s room.
For now, until the master bedroom becomes hers too.
Then, it’ll be back to being just that.
The spare room.
[End.]