No advice can help understand (what the heart already knows) L.YB x K.YH

1

"Are you sure you want to move so far from home just to attend college?" Yubin's mother asks.

"It's only in Seoul, Eomma. I'll still be in Korea," Yubin reminds her mom as she struggles to close the zip of her suitcase. Her dad crouches beside her to help her zip it all the way.

"But you've never lived away from home," her dad pitches in, voicing his own concerns. Yubin's father was much like herself. Reserved, but holding a deep care for their loved ones.

"I'll have Gahyeonie and Sing-unnie," Yubin says, trying to reassure her parents of their worries.

"Ah, yes. I know you and your cousins will all take good care of each other, sweetie,"  Yubin's mother smiles. Her mother embraces her in a hug once she's done packing and she feels her father gently pat her head. "Please take care of yourself, sweetie. And FaceTime everyday, okay?"

"I have Samsung," Yubin jokes with a laugh through the tightness building in her throat. "But I'll keep in touch."

–

"Yubin-ah!" Yubin sees Siyeon wave from a bench, sporting a casual look that looked undeniably hot in her sweatpants and oversized shirt. Her mask is pulled down when she calls Yubin to meet her. Yubin is just as excited to see Siyeon as the latter, but walks up to her calmly. The older woman pulls her into a rib crushing hug. "Aw, stop with the brooding looks, Yubie. You're still the tiny, squishy panda I remember!"

Through pinched cheeks, Yubin manages a reply, "I resent that."

"No you don't," Siyeon grins knowingly when she lets go.

"I meant the nickname," Yubin clarifies as she rubs her cheek with narrowed eyes.

"But it's so cute!" Siyeon protests. "Yubie-dooby-doo, where ar-"

Yubin covers her mouth before Siyeon can continue in her obnoxious voice. "Don't"

Siyeon grins sheepishly. "Sorry, couldn't help myself."

"Where's Gahyeon?" Yubin looks around for their youngest cousin.

"Ah, you know these gen z's. Always gotta be fashionably late," Siyeon waves off.

"Unnie, you're a part of gen z, too," Yubin gives her a weird look and Siyeon does a double take that Yubin can't help but laugh at because of how much she looks like a meme.

"Anyways, she'll show up right as the train's about to choo-choo its way to Seoul."

Yubin snorts a small laugh before taking a look at her watch. "We should be getting on the train in about five minutes."

And true to Siyeon's word, Gahyeon arrives just as the train doors are about to shut.

"Wait for me!" A frantic voice echoes through what Yubin is sure is the entire train station. "Yub-unnie!"

Yubin blinks a couple of times before she sees Gahyeon swing both her arms behind her as though she were charging an attack and flings her suitcase at Yubin for her to catch.

Yubin's noodle arms to catch.

Oh shit.

Yubin barely gets to see Gahyeon make her grand entrance when she ungracefully collides with the suitcase with an embarrassing sound that she hopes doesn't sound throughout the entire train.

She groans and after a moment is helped to her feet by both of her cousins.

"Nice catch, unnie," Gahyeon smiles so large and Yubin's urge to knock her upside the head for what she just did dissipates completely.

"It wasn't a catch, more like  a full body fist bump," Siyeon clarifies and Yubin glares and can't retort, because embarrassingly enough, it was pretty accurate.

They don't get the chance to do more because the train starts up it's engine so they settle down in their seats.

The train ride is a few hours, but not unpleasant in the least bit with the chit chat of catching up after not keeping in touch much in the past couple of years.

-

They arrive at their shared apartment and begin unpacking. There were two bedrooms and Yubin requested one all for herself, which her two cousins were kind enough to give to her with no mishaps. Gahyeon and Siyeon seemed more than happy to share a room.

"Yubie, let's go get some ice cream," Siyeon says from her door frame.

"It's the middle of winter," Yubin says as she gets up and walks past a pouting Siyeon. "Let's go."

"But you just said it's winter," Siyeon says, confused.

"I never said I didn't want ice cream," Yubin says with a raised brow.

Siyeon grins happily, "great! I searched up the nearest dippin dots ice cream shop with the highest rating, we'll go there!"

They wear some extra warm clothes in preparation of the cold, sweet treat and exit the apartment.

"Gahyeon isn't coming?" Yubin asks.

"Nope, she's meeting a friend."

"How does she even know anybody? We just got here."

"That's our social little butterfly for you," Siyeon shrugs. "Oh! That's the ice cream shop right there."

They enter in with the ring of a bell and luckily the line's not long. The two cousins join behind two other customers until it's their turn.

"I'll have a cotton candy," Siyeon says to the lady working the ice cream.

She's pretty is the first thing Yubin notices. She's tall with blonde hair with unbleached roots. Yubin's eyes immediately drift to the name tag pinned to her shirt. Yubin looks away when she hears her name and suddenly the worker's eyes are on her.

"Sheesh, Yubie, this is embarrassing. The nice lady's been asking what flavor you want for like five minutes now," Siyeon shakes her head with a chuckle and Yubin flushes red.

"S-sorry. I'll have a cookie dough," Yubin manages a stutter. She can feel Siyeon's gaze on her but Yubin just taps her foot impatiently until the ice creams are ready and they leave.

Siyeon had already started to chatter about something else, something about how the single most happiest thing in life is a large bowl of ice cream.

They're nearing the apartment when she finally lets it roll off her tongue in a whisper, enjoying the way it sounds. "Yoohyeon."

"Huh? You say something?"

Yubin shakes her head, face burning with embarrassment again. "Ice cream tastes great, that's all."

-

01.22.22