Work Text:
“Would you like a receipt?” Haewon glanced at the customer, who was lazily scrolling on their phone as she rung up the six-pack of root beer.
“Huh? Oh, no, it’s fine. By the way, do you guys sell marshmallows?”
“We’re out in the store currently, but we might have new shipment in the back if you want me to check —”
“Haewon! Haewon! Darling, do you have a minute?” her mother’s head peeked around from the storage, phone in hand. Haewon squinted — she was on a call with Mrs. Mehta.
“I’m so sorry, give me a second,” Haewon glanced apologetically at the customer before jogging over to the back, looking back to see the customer resume scrolling, unbothered.
“Mom! My shift ends in five minutes, couldn’t this have —” Haewon began to complain, before her mom suddenly grabbed her with both arms. Haewon blinked.
“Listen for just a minute. You know the new, Michelin-star restaurant downtown? The Mehtas got your father and I a reservation for tonight!” her mom exclaimed eagerly, her grip on Haewon’s elbows almost bruising as she shakes her.
“That’s wonderful, Mom. Can I go now?”
“No, dear, it’s not that — I called you to see if you can work our shift tonight.”
“Oh. Yeah, I can. I don’t have any plans — Yoona has work and Sanghyeok’s on a photography retreat.”
“Oh, wonderful! Thank you so much, dear — as a gift, take whatever you want from the store, okay?” she patted Haewon’s arm, before exiting the freezer and resuming her call with Mrs. Mehta.
“Yes, Rani, Mrs. Park will soon be old news. Remember last week when she was bragging about her exclusive vacation in the Hilton Bali Resort? Her face will simply drop when she hears about our night at the most exclusive restaurant in Toronto.”
Haewon rolled her eyes.
She scanned the back room’s shelves for marshmallows, grabbing a bag and returning to the register. Except, the customer at the register was replaced with her middle-aged father sitting on the stool as he squinted at the daily paper.
She glanced at the clock — her shift was over.
“Dad, thanks for taking over. I’m gonna head out now — I have plans with Dongmin,” Haewon announces, placing the marshmallows on the counter and grabbing her satchel. She slings the bag over her shoulder as her father peers up at her behind his glasses, folding his newspaper in half.
“Before you leave,” he set the newspaper down on the counter, “I have something to ask you.” He reached behind him to grab two shirts, holding up a dark purple satin button down and a blue linen button down.
“Which shirt makes me look more professional? Like, you meet me, and you think ‘Wow, that’s a sophisticated businessman right there.’ Just in case I meet any celebrities tonight,” he questioned, glancing expectantly at Haewon.
This was a new side of her parents she hadn’t exactly been privy to. Not to say she didn’t like it — it was incredibly entertaining. Just a little unusual to see them so childishly nervous about something, least of all dining at a restaurant.
Haewon schooled her expression, trying to hold back her smile.
“Purple. Sophistication lies in embracing your feminine side,” Haewon assured, snapping her fingers and pointing at the shirt. Her dad nodded thoughtfully, glancing at said shirt.
“Purple it is.”
“Good choice,” Haewon chuckled, nodding her head in approval. He laughed as well, placing the shirts down and glancing at her.
“Have fun with Dongmin, dear. Make sure to be back before 5:00, though. We want to take some pictures with the Mehtas before we leave,” he beamed, gesturing to some picture frames stacked on the side.
“Alright, Dad.”
This was going to be a very interesting night.
“Damn, I did not know Raj Mehta’s parents moved like that? It’s wild his parents were able to secure a reservation for Jaipur Fire. All the kids in my major won’t shut up about that place — apparently it’s like this artistic, culinary, once in a lifetime excellence,” Dongmin marveled, scrolling through the online reviews of the place.
“Yeah, well, my parents are super freaked out about it. My dad asked me to pick a shirt for him today and everything. I think I also saw him wearing makeup,” Haewon muttered, leaning in slightly to see a lady describe the restaurant as “inspiring her dormant love for cuisine and the appreciation of the arts.”
“The question is: was it Korean makeup? Because that’s how you know they’re really serious about this.”
“Oh, his look was definitely sponsored by Olive Young,” Haewon laughed, shaking her head as she recalls the layer of foundation she saw on her father’s face.
“Wait. Haewon. Raj is going with them. Look,” he shoved the phone in her face, a picture of Jaipur Fire’s interior on Raj’s Instagram story.
“Oh. I guess he is. How does that matter, though?” Haewon shrugged, staring down at her mochaccino as she slurps on the last few drops.
“I don’t know, I guess I thought you still hated him.”
“Nah. It’s not Raj’s fault that all my crushes liked him. Yeah, he kinda has no personality and is overall really boring, but he’s not an asshole. Besides, I let go of all of that drama after graduation.”
Dongmin clicked his tongue, sighing as he glanced at his strawberry lemonade.
“Never understood the hype around him.”
“Me neither,” Haewon sighed, snickering as she spotted Dongmin’s grimace. He let out a exaggerated sigh, tilting his head at her.
“It was kinda diabolical that your sworn one-sided enemy was your parents’ best friends’ son.”
“Oh, it’s worse. Don’t forget — Raj and I were literally childhood best friends. We used to hang out everyday throughout elementary school.”
“Right, right. And then he ditched you because some of his friends thought girls were lame."
“Yep.”
“Wow. What a dick,” Dongmin snorted, swirling the straw in his cup. Haewon clicked her tongue, shrugging her shoulders.
“That’s life, Han Dongmin,” she said, nodding her head sagely.
An hour later, Haewon found herself repeating that in her mind as consolation, squinting her eyes as she watches the five people rearrange themselves for another photo.
“We just want to get as many poses as possible — it’s a special moment after all,” Mrs. Mehta waved her hand, laughing boisterously. Raj and Mr. Mehta joined in, chortling, with Haewon’s parents chuckling along as well.
Haewon rubbed her forehead and forced a smile, waiting for them to stop so she could just fucking finish this.
“Wonie, just a few more, okay? We have to leave soon, anyways,” her father assured, looping an arm around Mr. Mehta’s shoulders.
“Cheers to a lifelong friendship!”
“Cheers!” they all yelled in unison, the shutter sound drowned amongst their voices. Haewon glanced down at the photo — the same as before. As she clicked through the camera roll, it was incredibly clear all the pictures were essentially no different, apart from the obvious changes in arrangement and posing.
“How is it?”
“Fantastic!" she strained out, “…. just like the 500 other we’ve already taken,” she muttered after.
“Wonderful! Okay, now Raj and Mrs. Oh should switch, and I’ll stand between the two of them. Darling, you crouch in front of me.”
Ten minutes later, Haewon was leaning against the pillar on the Mehtas’ porch, relieved at finally finishing. She watched as the four parents clicked through the photos, “ooh-ing” and “aah-ing” at the ones they liked while Mr. Mehta deleted the rest.
“Okay, we’ve picked out the ones we’d like. Would you be able to print and frame them for us?” Mrs. Mehta requested, holding her skirt as she walked up the steps to hand Haewon the camera.
“Of course!” Haewon smiled politely, too exhausted to even feel frustrated at this point. Besides, affordable printing and framing services were easy enough to find, especially if you were a photography student — Haewon thought it’d be worse if she didn’t know a place that did it quickly and for cheap.
She languidly clicked through the selected photos, satisfied with their choices — it’s not surprising to her that the Mehtas would have a good eye for such things.
“Looks good. Will that be all?”
“Yes, I think we can get going now,” Mrs. Mehta affirmed, glancing back at the other three parents for the nod of approval.
“Okay, I’ll see you all later. Hope you have a fun time.”
“Bye, darling! Remember to restock the freezer, alright? We’ll see you later!” her mom yelled, glancing back as the Mehtas rushed her into the car.
“Yes, yes, she’ll do all that, don’t worry. Now, hurry - we’re late,” Mrs. Mehta scolded, glancing back at Haewon with an amused smile. Raj simply giggled as he climbed into the driver’s seat, that little shit.
Haewon laughed slightly, entertained by Mrs. Mehta’s subtle bossiness over her mother.
“See you guys —-” Haewon began, only for Raj to speed away, her hand left hanging in the air.
“….later.”
She scoffed slightly, slinging the camera around her neck before picking up her backpack and making the walk back to her house. She hoped that it’d be peaceful, considering that it had been a quaint evening so far — the comfortable weather one would expect from April without any of the rain and humidity.
“Haewon, is that you?”
Never mind.
Haewon sighed, swiveling around to see who the owner of the voice was. She found herself face to face with … a complete stranger.
“Wow, I didn’t know you lived in this neighborhood!” the stranger laughed, her blonde bob slightly covering her eyes as she stepped closer.
“I’m sorry, who are you?”
“Oh, it’s Jinsol! Bae Jinsol? We met at Bree’s party the other night?” the girl chirped, unbothered by Haewon’s standoffish reply.
Haewon tilted her head. The girl, sensing her confusion, continued.
“We talked about Professor Tremblay and how annoying her guest speakers usually are? You also got kinda drunk in between.”
At that, the memories of the night suddenly rushed back to Haewon.
A few weeks ago, Haewon had attended this girl Bree’s party as a celebration after the annual art show, and Jinsol and Haewon had met by the bathrooms and struck up a conversation.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t all that happened.
“Then, you started whining and asking me to pick you up. You also —”
“Okay, okay! I remember, no need to continue,” Haewon nervously chuckled, her face going bright red at Jinsol’s description of the night. Fuck, fuck, fuck. As if the day hadn’t already been painfully mediocre, she was now faced with a stranger who had vivid memories of the embarassing drunk Haewon was.
“It’s been nice running into you, but I have to go. I’ll see you around,” Haewon mumbled awkwardly, swiveling back around and beginning to walk away.
“Wait, Haewon —” Jinsol grabbed her hand, making Haewon pause and turn back around. At Haewon’s nervous expression, Jinsol quickly removed her hand.
“You misunderstood — I wasn’t trying to make you embarrassed! It’s just — I don’t know you if you remember, but I gave you my number, and you …. kinda never called?” she blurted, avoiding eye contact as she slowly rubbed her arm.
Oh. Haewon indeed had ... zero recollection of that. Like zero. Now, she felt bad for accidentally ghosting this well-meaning girl.
“Yeah, I don’t remember that. I’m sorry, I would have called.”
“I completely understand if you don’t want to, but I was wondering if you want to go for coffee right now?” Jinsol asked awkwardly, teetering slightly as she looked at Haewon with a hopeful, yet nervous expression.
Haewon smiled slightly — too bad she was indeed busy. This girl was actually really cute. Plus, she seemed sweet, considering she was still interested in Haewon after all the shit she had pulled drunk.
“I would, but — I have work. Really, I’m not making an excuse,” Haewon chuckled softly.
The girl almost immediately deflated — if she had been a dog, her ears would be drooping right now. Haewon tried not to laugh at her expression, finding it both endearing and pitying.
“Oh, that’s completely fine. I understand. Thanks anyway,” Jinsol forced out a smile, trying to mask her dissapointment. Haewon was tempted to coo, but she resisted, trying to think of a way to comfort Jinsol. If she could bring Jinsol to work, she would, but —-
Wait. That was it.
“Why don’t you come to work with me? If you’re not doing anything for the next few hours, you can hang out with me! I’m just working at my family’s convenience store and I’ll be the only one around. Plus, we’re not as busy on Saturday evenings for some reason, so we can also chat a bit,” Haewon exclaimed, beaming at Jinsol. Jinsol immediately perked up, her expression mirroring Haewon’s.
“That sounds so fun!”
Haewon winced.
“Fun might be overdoing it. It’s a evening convenience shift.”
Jinsol laughed.
“Regardless. I’m excited. Now, lead the way.”
“Wait, YOUR family runs this?” Jinsol gasped as they enter the store, her jaw dropping as she looks at Haewon. Haewon smirked, flipping the sign to open and hanging her satchel on the coat stand.
“Come here before?”
“All the time — my friends and I always come here in between classes!”
“Yeah, well, I don’t work on the weekdays until 3:00, so….”
“Not gonna lie, hiding this is crazy secretive of you.”
Haewon shrugged, giggling as she looks back at Jinsol’s squinted eyes.
“So, what does your work usually entail?”
“I usually just ring up customers. Though, I do have to restock today.”
Jinsol immediately stood up straight.
“I can help with that!”
Haewon raised her eyebrow.
“You want to help .. restock the freezer?”
“Yep.”
"Okay, then. Let me just show you how to do it, and we’ll be good to go.”
Thirty minutes later, Jinsol was happily restocking the freezer, humming along as Haewon watched her, an amused smile on her face.
“You really like doing that, huh?”
“Yep! It’s fun,” she grinned, her singing getting a bit louder as she finishes another box.
“I’m happy to hear it. Since you’re offering to do free labor, I guess it’s only fair I start telling you about myself,” Haewon sighed, leaning her weight onto the counter.
“Actually, you kinda told me a lot about yourself the other night,” Jinsol responded, a soft grunt leaving her mouth as she set a new box down in front of the freezers.
“Like what?”
“You’re a photography major at our school. You’re in your third year. Your birthday was two months ago, and you turned 21. You’ve lived in Toronto your whole life. You have an older brother. You love coffee and you enjoy doing yoga,” Jinsol rattled off, unbothered as she continued to place Red Bull cans in the freezer.
Haewon’s cheeks flushed red again.
“Oh.”
Jinsol hummed in response, glancing back at Haewon with a small grin.
“I feel bad. I don’t really know anything about you,” Haewon confessed, fiddling with her fingers as she looks down.
Jinsol waved her hands dismissively.
“It’s completely fine! You were pretty drunk that night. Besides, I can tell you right now.”
“For starters, I’m a graphic design major and I’m a first year student. I turned 19 in December. I love art and drawing — it’s been my passion since I was a kid. I was also part of an acapella troupe in high school, though I don’t sing that much anymore. I really like Dua Lipa and Itzy and ... I love Marvel movies,” she chirped, finishing her little intro with a satisfied nod, like she’d completed a checklist.
Haewon huffed out a quiet laugh, leaning her head against her hand. “Very thorough - it was a very enjoyable recap,” she giggled, her gaze a smidgen too fond for someone who was conversing with a "stranger".
“Thanks! Your turn now,” she replied, standing up and closing the freezer door.
“Wait, I thought my turn already happened.”
“Yeah, but sober-you seems more reliable than drunk-you.”
“It’s probably the opposite, actually. Sober-me is quite secretive.”
Jinsol smiled at that, grabbing a pack of gum and walking over to Haewon.
“Really? I'm not sure if I buy that,” her tone dropping as she stepped closer to Haewon, subtly cornering her into the counter. Haewon was slightly taken aback, this newfound confidence unexpected from the girl who had been stuttering over her words asking Haewon out earlier.
Haewon looked to the side, smiling softly.
“Maybe a little less with you,” she admitted, trying to play it off.
Jinsol grinned at that, her eyes widening with a sparkle. Haewon swore she could almost see her tail wagging behind her.
“Am I special?”
“Well, you’re a lot chiller than our classmates. And you’re judgement-free. So yeah, you’re special,” Haewon shrugged.
“Judgement-free? I don’t know why anyone would ever judge you. You’re so cool. And nice. And sweet. And welcoming,” Jinsol furrowed her brows, an expression of indignation coming over her face.
“Technically, you don't know that. I mean, we are still strangers,” Haewon pointed out, trying to play hard-to-get a little bit.
Jinsol paused, her smile faltering just slightly.
Then she stared at Haewon for a few seconds — close and careful, like she was trying to make a decision.
Before Haewon could say anything, Jinsol stepped closer — closer than before, leaning down so that her face was mere inches away from Haewon’s.
Her breath caught, body going still as Jinsol crowded her gently into the counter. Haewon felt the edge pressing into her lower back, the only thing reminding her that this is reality and not a figment of her love-deprived, hopelessly lesbian imagination.
Hearing Haewon's soft gasp, Jinsol’s confidence wavered for just a second — visible in the way her fingers twitched at her side and the small, nervous breath she took.
She lifted her hand, hesitating only briefly before resting it against Haewon’s cheek, her touch warm and gentle.
“Can I show you that we’re not?” Jinsol murmured, her voice quieter, the flirtiness of earlier moulded into something more nervous and tentative.
Haewon exhaled slowly, her eyes flicking from Jinsol’s eyes to her lips and back again.
A small smile tugged at her mouth.
“You talk too much,” she whispered.
And then she closed the distance.
The kiss was a little clumsy at first—just barely off, their noses brushing as they both adjust—but it settled quickly, soft and warm and very, very real.
Jinsol let out a quiet breath against her lips, her hand cupping Haewon’s cheek more firmly now. Her other hand found Haewon’s waist, soft and featherlight for a few seconds before wrapping her entire arm around and pulling her in impossibly closer.
Haewon couldn’t describe it, but Jinsol kissed to kiss — she didn’t try to fight for dominance or try to take the lead. She was languid and gentle, as if allowing herself to appreciate the kiss and even Haewon herself.
And somehow, that made it easy to fall into. Haewon didn’t think so much as she let herself respond, curling her fingers into the front of Jinsol’s shirt and leaning back slightly as Jshe bent forward.
When they finally pulled back, it was only by a few inches.
Jinsol’s eyes were still closed for a second longer before she opens them, blinking like she’s trying to process what just happened.
“…Okay,” she whispered.
Haewon let out a soft laugh, a little dazed. “Yeah.”
Jinsol’s grin slowly spread—bright, disbelieving, a little giddy. Very Jinsol — from what Haewon knows of her, it seems on brand for her to look like a kid in a candy shop after a kiss.
“I knew it,” she said quietly, as if she had just realized something.
“Knew what?”
“I knew it!” she exclaimed, louder this time and her fist pumping.
“What?”
“That you liked me! You’ve been checking me out this entire time!” Jinsol drawled, wiggling her eyebrows teasingly at Haewon. She looked like an electrocuted cartoon character, but Haewon found herself too fond to actually point it out.
Instead, she scoffed weakly, lacking the conviction necessary to sell it.
“Don’t get too cocky.”
“Too late. I will be telling everyone I know,” Jinsol giggled, wagging her finger in Haewon’s face with a shit-eating grin. Haewon couldn’t help herself — she bursted out into laughter, bowing her head into Jinsol’s chest. She could feel Jinsol’s chest shake, and they just stood there for a few seconds, embracing as they laughed at Jinsol’s cringiness.
Then, the bell chimed suddenly, the sound of the door slamming shut causing both of them to startle.
“Uh, who are you?”
Jinsol shrieked at the sudden voice, causing Haewon to spin around. Yoona was standing in the doorway, the expression of confusion on her face shifting into one of shock.
“Wait … Haewon? Is that you? And you’re hugging …. “ Yoona’s voice trailed off, a smile slowly growing on her face.
“Oh, I see what’s happening. I’ll… just pretend I didn’t witness that. See you tomorrow, Mrs. Oh,” Yoona smirked, swiveling around and closing the door.
“Wait, Yoona —” Haewon rushed to stop her, arms untangling from Jinsol’s as she ran out of the store.
Jinsol just cackled behind her, delighted at any opportunity to witness another's suffering, especially if it was someone as cute as Haewon.
Moments later, Haewon returned, breathless as she pushed the door open. She trudged back around the counter, leaning against the glass as she caught her breath.
“She’s gone. That little shit, she’s gonna tell Jiwoo and Kyujin and Sanghyeok. Oh, fuck, I’m so screwed,” Haewon ran her fingers through her hair, her expression one of pure defeat.
“Good.”
Haewon glanced at Jinsol, confused.
“Good?”
Jinsol shrugged, snaking an arm around Haewon’s waist and propping her head on her shoulder.
“Your friends should know you have a suitor,” she hummed. Haewon huffed incredulously, surprised and flustered by Jinsol’s cheesy boldness.
“What are we, in the 1800s? A suitor?”
Jinsol simply smiled, pecking Haewon’s cheeks.
“Yeah, a suitor.”
“Okay, whatever works for you,” Haewon muttered, resting her head against Jinsol’s, settling easily into the warmth of her embrace.
Another thing that was very Jinsol — she truly gave very good hugs.
The store fell quiet again, the hum of the freezer filling the space comfortably.
Haewon glanced down at the clock, then back at Jinsol, who was still tucked against her side like she belonged there.
“…You’re staying for the rest of my shift, right?”
Jinsol grinned. “Obviously.”
Haewon beamed, tilting her head up at Jinsol.
Maybe this was going to be a very interesting night after all.