It was the middle of autumn again. Leaves rained onto the streets outside on a backdrop of a perfect pink and red sunset that evening. Swallows did somersaults between clouds, picked wild berries from the topmost forks of tree branches.
They'd gone out to the river on their bikes, chasing each other around until Wonyoung ditched hers on the grass. Yujin followed and tackled her to the ground.
And suddenly Yujin was in Wonyoung's bed, hair spread out in a messy fan around her face, lips kiss-swollen, eyes half-closed. Her quickening breath was warm against Wonyoung.
There was a rhythm Yujin liked; going slow and firm, with lipgloss tinted kisses and bites littering her neck and collarbones, with the occasional roughness that made her whine louder, a high, keening noise that sent shivers down Wonyoung's spine.
Wonyoung would never see a more heavenly sight than Yujin ruined only for her. She painted her with every colour like Yujin did her canvases, blending pink into crimson into deep blotchy purple on pale milky blankness, naturally flowing with how her body moved and her hands pulled at her back, bringing her closer and closer like there would never be enough.
"You're like flowers," Wonyoung mumbled against her skin.
Yujin brought her head up to look at her. "Flowers?"
"Yeah."
"How so?"
"I dunno," Wonyoung giggled, drawing shapes on her thigh. "You give flowers to your lover to show them how much you like them. But you don't ever have to give me any, because you're already worth a lifetime of bouquets."
Yujin fell back, cringing at the sappy remark. Wonyoung sucked a purple blotch into her rib, turning her giggle into a whimper.
She revelled in the glow of the rise and fall of Yujin's chest as she breathed raggedly, trying to steady herself.
"I love you," Yujin mumbled into her chest softly, peppering kisses onto her neck as thanks.
"I love you too."
Wonyoung drew the covers over them.
"Are you still mad at me for last week?" Wonyoung whispered at night, stroking a finger over Yujin's cheek.
"I'm never mad at you. Even when we fight I love you."
.
The vacuumed hummed, drowning out most noise. It muffled Azzo's frightened barks, which Yujin only noticed after she went through a corner of their room to clean up shed hair, and saw him trembling beside their closet.
So, she picked him up and continued vacuuming.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
"YUJIN! YUJINNIE!"
Hyunseo knocked her fist on the door so hard Yujin swore the wood splintered.
"Why are you here again? You live halfway across the city," she quiped, flustered. She dropped the vacuum against the armrest of the couch as Hyunseo sauntered in. She wore a sling bag across her body.
"Gaeul told me you were a disaster," the younger girl said playfully, shaking her bag, "so I'm here to doll you up before your date."
Yujin hummed pleasantly. She lead Hyunseo into their room and pulled a stool out of beneath their vanity.
"Work your magic," she said lightly, tying her hair back into a low ponytail. Hyunseo rubbed her hands together.
.
"There's literally no difference," Yujin deadpanned after turning to face the mirror.
"Yes there is! Look," Hyunseo huffed. She pointed at Yujin's reflection. "I highlighted under your eyes with very faint white shadow. It may look like there's no difference, but your eyes will be brighter."
"Ohh..."
They did look brighter.
"And I also lightly covered up your eyebags. Can't have you lookin' like Eddie Brock when you meet her."
Yujin whipped around. "Oi!"
"I gave you a slight wing with brown eyeshadow pencil so your face looks a little more lifted, and filled in your brows too," Hyunseo explained, putting her pallette back into her bag.
Yujin curiously swiped a finger against her eyebrow. It came off blank.
"It's very light makeup because you're already really pretty, and- hey! Don't rub it off!" Hyunseo whined, smacking Yujin's wrist away.
"Thank you, kid," Yujin told her gratefully, still looking at her reflection.
"Don't thank me yet! We still have to pick out an outfit."
.
"We did it!" Rei exclaimed, weakly holding up her phone after a million takes.
It wasn't that they were bad at dancing or out of sync, no. In fact, they were all amazing dancers and singers. It was just that they were all also perfectionists, unsatisfied when they paused the recordings to see maybe a foot or angle of the neck out of line.
"Finally," Gaeul sighed, exasperated. "My legs were well about to snap off."
"This is getting an A," Liz remarked, rewinding the video for the fifth time.
"Do you guys want anything?" Wonyoung asked, getting up. "It's lunch, but I think you guys are too tired to walk another step."
"Thank you Wonnie," Rei said, pouting. "Coffee milk for me please." She handed Wonyoung some coins.
They jangled in her palm. "Anyone want anything else?"
"I'm good," Gaeul said. Liz shook her head, mouth full of water, bottle in hand.
"Okay!" Wonyoung bounded out of the room.
Gaeul's red jacket was crumpled at the corner of the room along with the rest of the girls' bags and water bottles. Tired, all of them decided to stay in the dance room and fool around as a reward for working so hard the past week.
.
Hyunseo and Yujin had gone off track and gone off to walk Azzo instead.
Mid-step, Yujin stopped and smacked her forehead. "Hyunseo, we forgot to do my hair."
Hyunseo looked up, considering. Yujin's hair wasn't greasy or tangled. "Oh well. Your hair is fine," she finally said.
"Hyunseo, it's 6pm," Yujin told her a little more urgently after checking the time on her phone. "What time is the date?"
Oh shit, Hyunseo thought.
"Ah!! I forgot to tell you it was at seven, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, collecting Azzo into her arms. "We gotta get home now!"
They both raced home, Azzo bouncing on Hyunseo's shoulder.
.
"Hey, the date is in, like, thirty minutes, isn't it?" Gaeul piped up, breaking the comfortable silence. They all rested on the floor near each other, scrolling through their phones to rest.
Wonyoung jumped up. "Is it?! We have to get home so I can change."
Liz tugged her back down by her wrist. "Don't worry about it. You smell fine and you look great in what you're wearing right now."
Wonyoung glanced down at her sweatshirt and skirt. "Drenched in sweat?"
"Yep, even drenched in sweat. It doesn't matter 'cuz you don't smell. Besides, we're all already resting!"
"Jiwon's right," Rei supported, sipping on her milk. Wonyoung sat back down, defeated, resting her elbows on her knees and leaning forward.
"What about the drive to the restaurant?"
"It's a café, Wonyoung," Gaeul said. "Maybe we made the date a little too blind," she said out loud. They had barely told Wonyoung any details, excluding describing her date as tall and pretty. That was a very large range.
"Show time! Let's go," Rei announced at 6:30, scrambling for Liz's keys.
