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Posting a photo that would definitely break the internet and make thousands of hearts stop for a second before going to sleep felt almost cruel. But Shuhua knew that teasing fans like this after four years of silence was already bold enough on its own, not really requiring any explanation.
In the end, she hadn’t posted anything extraordinary, just a simple photo of a hand. Only a faint glimpse of a distinctive tattoo and nail polish color could be seen among the pixels. It had been taken on the day the girls gathered again as the legendary lineup to celebrate her girlfriend’s comeback.
The photo was so innocent, and only really recognizable to older fans, that Shuhua even briefly doubted whether anyone would actually be able to identify it. Although, if she were shown even the smallest detail of that woman’s hand, she would recognize it anywhere in the world. So the fans would probably manage just fine.
And now, sitting on the floor of the dance studio and waiting for the other members to arrive for rehearsal for their Japanese comeback choreography, Shuhua finally decided to check Instagram comments and Twitter trends.
After all, she needed to confirm once again how perceptive the fans were, and whether they were still alive. Maybe this comeback was no longer even necessary, since everyone might have already gone into clinical death.
But those people were not so easy to break.
Of course, some of them were probably at death’s door, but most seemed to have entered the best chapter of their lives. Fans who had spent four years searching for traces had finally been given undeniable proof that their idol had not been forgotten.
Every comment under the post was filled with the name dearest to Shuhua, of all names ever created by humanity. Twitter trends were even more explosive. People posted countless videos, different angles of the photo, comparisons, and emotional reactions. It felt like a never-ending celebration had begun in the great country of Neverland.
At that sight, a satisfied smile formed on her face, revealing her bright teeth. If anyone saw her now, they would think she was the happiest person alive, and they would be right.
But those quiet little laughs escaping Ye’s lips were noticed by only one person, the so-called thorn in her side, who had just walked into the studio carrying cups of bubble tea, accompanied by the older members.
"Why are you smiling like that? Happy about giving fans a heart attack?" — Yuqi said, rolling her eyes as she handed her drink over and sat down beside her.
"She finally found a way to shut Nebobo up and shift attention from Mishu to Sooshu," — Minnie added with a smirk as she joined the younger ones sitting on the floor.
"That’s so cute, posting a picture of a hand. It’s like you’re confessing something really intimate," — Miyeon sighed dreamily, staring at the mirror reflection.
"At least she didn’t create a second account just to post photos like Minnie does with you," — Yuqi muttered, rolling her eyes again.
"I think it’s actually very romantic," — Soyeon said thoughtfully, defending them.
"It was romantic right up until she forgot the password!" — Miyeon exclaimed, immediately launching into a playful struggle with her girlfriend.
The usual pre-practice banter was a sign of stability. But none of it reached Shuhua, who, unusually, still hadn’t said a word or even hit Yuqi for “no reason at all.” Her thoughts were somewhere far away, roughly 20 km from here, where her girlfriend was currently at a fansign. What kind of outfits were fans bringing her this time? she wondered. How many gifts would she get? Honestly, Shuhua could easily outdo them all if Soyeon ever asked.
“Earth to Shu-Shu, come in!” — Miyeon sang playfully, snapping her fingers in front of her face.
"Yes, what is it? Sorry, I got distracted," – Shuhua said, snapping out of her thoughts as she got up from the floor along with the other members.
"Is it just me, or are you drooling? Let me guess, you’re thinking about Soojin-unnie, right?" – Yuqi said, slightly frowning as she leaned closer to Shuhua’s face, as if examining something extremely interesting.
"Aish, you better run, Song Yuqi, I’m about to hit you," – Shuhua exclaimed, immediately trying to kick her leg out toward the girl, though the move never landed thanks to Yuqi’s quick reflexes.
"Hey, calm down over there," – Minnie said, hurriedly intervening, though she wasn’t fully paying attention, busy packing her things around the studio.
"Where are you going? We haven’t even started yet," – Shuhua said, watching Minnie closely.
"I already said it, the practice is cancelled. Minnie and Miyeon got called for a commercial shoot, and Yuqi has stomach issues, she keeps running to the bathroom," – Soyeon said with a tired sigh, then quietly snickered and lightly patted Shuhua’s shoulder. "Seems like you really are lost in the clouds. By the way, why did Soojin cancel her meeting? She said she suddenly lost her mood. Did you two fight?"
"Wait, what?" – Shuhua said, freezing in place, clearly not aware of that information.
In fact, less than a day had passed since they last saw each other. The previous evening, when Soojin had gone to visit her parents, Shuhua had spoken to her for the last time and didn’t bother her afterwards, assuming she had a packed schedule in the first half of the day. But normally, if Soojin was in a bad mood, she wouldn’t cancel plans with friends, especially not with Soyeon. They had always been close enough to meet in any state.
And that alone made Shuhua seriously start wondering what could have caused her girlfriend’s bad mood. They hadn’t fought, that was certain, because they always tried to resolve issues immediately and talk openly about their feelings. So what was it then? It couldn’t be that something as simple as a photo could have ruined her mood… or could it? She didn’t ask for permission before posting it.
At that point, even solo practice was no longer an option. Shuhua’s main priority now was finding out what had happened to Soojin, and most importantly, apologizing for not asking before uploading the photo. Maybe she should have done it much earlier. No, she definitely should have asked first instead of comforting fans without her girlfriend’s consent.
To find out where Soojin was, Ye finally decided to call her while leaving the company building and heading toward the waiting taxi. Surprisingly, Soojin picked up after a rather long pause, even though she usually answered within one or two rings.
"Hey, good morning, my love. Are you done with the fansign? How did it go?" – Shuhua said, trying to sound as casual as possible, though her voice betrayed her worry.
"Morning, I’m on my way home," – Soojin said.
"Got it. Do you want anything to eat? I could stop by a store," – Shuhua said, trying to soften the situation, slightly hesitating at the unusually cold tone.
"No need. I’ll wait for you at home," – Soojin said, and then the call ended.
Leaning back in the taxi seat, Shuhua felt the weight of guilt pressing on her shoulders heavier than the evening chill. Outside the window, the bright signs of Seoul passed by in blurred neon streaks, mirroring her own turmoil. Home. Soojin was waiting there. Or rather, her body was waiting there, but what was going on inside her heart, Shuhua was afraid to imagine.
And everything had happened so stupidly, so carelessly. Just an Instagram photo. Not even a proper couple selfie, just a picture of their dinner.
And her hand… Soojin’s hand, casually leaning toward the meat with chopsticks, that unmistakable tattoo on her wrist in full view. A small detail, but a devastating one.
Fans were an unstoppable force of nature, always waiting for the slightest hint. Rumors, assumptions, theories, everything erupted the moment the photo appeared online. Maybe Soojin would not even have minded it that much, but…
The worst part was simple. Shuhua had not asked for permission. She had just forgotten. Carelessly assumed everything would be fine, that her girlfriend would not mind. And now guilt was eating her from the inside like a pack of starving rats.
How could she have been so careless. She knew how hard public exposure was for Soojin. She knew how carefully she protected her private life. And now because of her, that fragile world was under the spotlight again.
Suddenly, Shuhua asked the taxi driver to slow down, ending the ride a few hundred meters early. A bright sign of a small bakery caught her attention, and a new idea lit up in her mind.
The display window was filled with all kinds of pastries, but her eyes locked onto one specific shape, cute corgi-faced donuts covered in powdered sugar. Soojin loved those dogs. And she loved donuts. Maybe a small amount of sweetness could soften her anger just a little.
Clutching the box tightly, Shuhua slowly made her way toward the familiar apartment building where their little home was.
A thousand apology scenarios played in her head, each worse than the last. Yes, maybe she was being too anxious, but Soojin was worth it. A simple “sorry” would not erase this mistake, but it was all she had. And the donuts.
“I’m home,” — Shuhua whispered as she placed her keys on the shelf, immediately surrounded by their dogs.
“Haku, Mata, is your other mom very angry at me right now?” — Shuhua asked in a soft voice, as if the dogs could actually answer.
“If you also skipped practice, then it is a solid ten out of ten” — a velvet voice suddenly replied from the living room doorway.
It was Soojin, leaning against the frame, watching her.
“Practice was cancelled because Minnie and Miyeon got called for a shoot, and Yuqi has diarrhea” — Shuhua quickly defended herself, finally kicking off her shoes and slipping into her slippers, still holding the bakery box. — “I bought your favorite donuts.”
If fans could see her right now, they would probably compare her to a guilty child trying to apologize with a drawing. Except Shuhua was 161 cm tall, a world-famous idol, and instead of a drawing she had donuts. Though maybe a drawing would have worked even better.
Soojin remained unreadable, arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe, staring at her.
“Please forgive me… I should have asked you before posting it,” — Shuhua finally gave in, lowering her gaze. — “I can delete it if you want. Just don’t be mad.”
“It is not about that, Shu,” — Soojin said softly, finally relaxing her posture and walking into the kitchen-living room, taking the donuts with her.
“Then what is it? Did someone hurt you? Just say the word, I will call Yuqi and Minnie, we will deal with them,” — Shuhua said, frowning slightly as she already reached for her phone.
“Hey, calm down. Do not gather your little gang, I know you guys,” — Soojin let out a small laugh, remembering their personalities. Then she sighed, returning to a more serious expression as she opened the box. — “No one hurt me. Just… I don’t support the idea of posting things about us publicly."
"Unnie, we already talked about this," — the younger one replied with a heavy sigh, swallowing her slight irritation at the repeating conversation.
"I’m not worried about myself, but this could affect you. We have not only fans, but also haters. Any small mistake can become a reason for conflict," — Soojin explained, carefully unpacking her herbal tea bags.
"So what? I don’t care about their opinion at all. I could even do a backflip in their honor," — Shuhua exclaimed, then quickly hesitated as she assessed her actual athletic abilities, which made Soojin’s lips twitch into a smile. — "Okay, you get what I mean. That was metaphorical. But I could learn to do a real one too."
The slight curve of Soojin’s lips was enough to tell Shuhua she was moving in the right direction.
They both understood this concern. One small reason was enough for haters to turn anything into fuel, and they had seen it happen to other idols before. But Shuhua remained firm in her own way.
Slowly, she stepped behind Soojin and wrapped her arms around her waist, resting her chin on her shoulder. Whenever one of them was busy in the kitchen, the other would always do this. It had become a small tradition they never questioned.
"If they try to cancel me for our relationship, I honestly don’t care. Money is not a problem anymore anyway. And if it ever becomes one, I could always try something else. Maybe I would make a good sculptor? Or a tour guide? Or I could just stay home all day and cook for you while you work," — Shuhua said with a soft smile, mirroring Soojin’s expression as they shared warmth. — "There are a lot of options these days. You don’t need to worry."
Their eyes met.
For a moment, it felt like the world narrowed down to just the two of them, wrapped in quiet affection and mutual understanding. In a perfect scenario, this would have been the moment for a kiss, but fate, the kettle, and Haku had other plans.
The kettle started boiling at the worst possible timing, and Haku, as if personally offended by romance, rushed in after leaving his little “gift” right in the doorway.
"Well, that’s your first job as a housewife, my dear," — Soojin said with a quiet laugh, pointing at the mess, making Shuhua grimace. — "Go on, I’ll make us some tea."
Feeling robbed of her perfect romantic moment, and now also assigned cleaning duty, Shuhua briefly reflected on her life choices. Perhaps her karma was not pure enough for constant happiness.
After finishing the disaster cleanup, she immediately climbed onto the kitchen counter, waiting for her favorite reward — tea made by Soojin. Tea and its maker.
"Bon appetit," — Soojin said, placing the cups and donuts on the table, watching as her girlfriend carefully framed a photo of their meal.
"Come here," — Shuhua said softly, pulling Soojin closer by the hand.
The next few shots were even more mesmerizing than the previous ones. The first image was nothing extraordinary, just a simple selfie where the two of them pressed their cheeks together, smiling softly at the camera.
But the second one was different.
Shuhua had taken initiative, leaving a kiss on her girlfriend’s cheek, a faint lipstick mark blooming across the skin like a quiet signature. And revenge had to be sweet, and Soojin’s bright red lipstick was absolutely perfect for that.
In chaotic bursts of affection, Soojin began leaving kiss marks all over Shuhua’s face, completely unbothered by how the younger one tried to escape while laughing and covering her face. Shuhua, on the other hand, could not stop smiling, trapped between embarrassment and pure happiness.
The next photos captured the result of that little war.
Both of them leaned into each other again, cheeks pressed together, but this time their faces were covered in scattered lipstick marks. The difference was obvious though. Soojin had only one neat mark, while Shuhua looked like a dalmatian that had just survived an affectionate attack.
And the final picture was the sweetest of all.
In that moment, there was no lipstick, no chaos, no teasing. Just them. Just warmth. Just quiet closeness that did not need words.
Shuhua finally got what she lived for every single day. The touch of her lover’s lips against hers, and the kind of embrace that made everything else in the world feel irrelevant.
"Unnie," — Shuhua called softly, raising her phone slightly to get her attention.
On the screen, Bubble was open, showing two selected photos. The first one was the neatly arranged table with donuts and tea. The second one was the kiss shots.
She did not say anything, but the question was obvious. Permission. Approval. A silent request to share a piece of their private world.
And Shuhua watched her carefully, eyes fixed on every small reaction, every micro change in her expression. At first there was hesitation. Then something softer. A faint smile.
"You know, it might be better not to give Nebobo a heart attack and just use the photos where we still have clean faces," — Soojin said, studying both options. — "Maybe if we prepare them for about a year, they will become a little more reasonable. Though I doubt it."
"I love you," — Shuhua said immediately, melting at the fact that she did not refuse outright, wrapping her arms around Soojin’s neck tightly, but still gently. — "I can wait five years too. As long as you stay with me even longer."
"Where would I even go?" — Soojin replied with a soft smile, holding her closer. — "We are responsible for those we tame, right?" — she added, recalling one of Soyeon’s old jokes about Shuhua’s silent stalker phase during trainee days.
The kitchen living room filled with light laughter, soft teasing, and the quiet sound of two people completely at ease with each other.
It was messy, it was loud in its own way, but it was theirs.
And finally, they had taken another step forward, slowly lifting the veil between their private world and the fans who had always supported them. In that moment, surrounded by Nebobo and Soten, they were not idols, not headlines, not theories.
Just two people trying to give back a fraction of the love they had received.