Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Chaewon? Why does your fridge never run out of strawberry cake?" Hyeju asks monotonously while scanning for snack options. "Seriously, it’s like a magic trick. Are you a witch or something? I mean... I wouldn’t judge if you are. Witches are pretty cool and strawberry cake is delicious. I get it.”

“Ah…” Chaewon chuckles dryly as she takes a quick glance at the kitchen. “My sister keeps getting me those from the coffee shop she’s been frequenting recently. Literally coming over randomly just to drop it off then zooming out again. Such a waste of gasoline but I don’t mind, it’s always nice to see her. And who am I to turn down free food?” she responds with nonchalance, eyes glued back to the TV. They were currently two weeks in their summer break and her goal was to binge all the trash reality TV she could find before she's forced to stop lazing around again. “You can have some if you want. They’re really good but I’m starting to get a little tired of it,” she continues while amusedly watching people throw themselves at each other on a remote island-set survival dating show. Westerners are so strange. 

After a few clangs of plates and kitchen drawers, Hyeju settles down on the bed with a plate of strawberry shortcake in hand, causing a familiar dip of the mattress which Chaewon instinctively shifts toward. The warmth of Hyeju's body diffused in the air around them and she leans into her side comfortably.

Chaewon peels her eyes away from the screen to take a passing glance—“You’re eating the cake with chopsticks?” she asks with a raised eyebrow and crooked smile that almost seemed judgmental to anyone unfamiliar. Hyeju raised her plate-occupied hand in response. “Yeah, why not. Do you want some?”

Wordlessly, Chaewon opens her mouth while making eye contact to give her permission. Hyeju feeds her a chopstick-full before giving herself a piece, bobbing her head up and down in approval as soon as the flavor hits her tongue.

“Oh wow, this is amazing,” she gasped in amazement. The cake had been sitting in the fridge for a day but the sponge cake was still fluffy and the cream had the perfect amount of lightness, allowing the fresh strawberries to zing. Hyeju didn't even know that strawberries could tasted like that. “What the hell, I should’ve asked you for a piece much sooner.”

“Hey, it’s not like I never offered. You’re the one who said you’re not fond of sweet stuff," Chaewon replies with a subtle eye roll. "I’m glad it tastes good, to be honest. Given how much cake she’s bought, I’d think that Jindori only buys this because she probably has a crush on someone working there or something……,” she trails off and as if reading each other’s minds, they look at each other with the most devious smiles on their faces.

“Where in the world is this coffee shop? I think it’s time for us to pay it a little visit.”

***

Chaewon and Hyeju finally find the place in a small alleyway about a week after they planned their little spy outing. Getting the information out of Jinsol was already challenging with the coffee shop only serving take out in reusable containers. The only lead they were able to find in the end was that it used to be the owner’s grandparents’ house that has an inner courtyard centered by a lush peach tree. The café itself was able to camouflage with its surroundings yet made sure it is not fully nondescript, keeping most of the building's brick foundation and replacing the rest of the facade with a mix of glass slabs and glass bricks. A few wooden chairs, a bench, and small round tables were set outside for those who wanted to enjoy their drinks while drinking up the sunlight. It was a sunny afternoon, and they were both aching for a cold beverage and any place to sit after walking around the unfamiliar neighborhood and peering at every shop window to find that goddamn peach tree.

“Are you sure Jinsol wouldn’t catch us?” Hyeju asks while desperately cooling herself with a mini-fan. On the other hand, Chaewon was unfazed by the heat and looks as elegant as ever. “Yeah, I’m sure. She told me she has a recording session today, so I don’t think she’ll be done until late.” Chaewon pauses for a second before thinking out loud, “I wonder why I’ve never heard of this place before, it’s closer to the university than I expected.”

“Maybe it’s new? Either that or because you’re always holed up in the library or at the campus green outside the Humanities Building waiting for Professor Ha to show up,” Hyeju teased, earning a slap in the arm as they entered—

“Speaking of the devil.”   

***

Ha Sooyoung is typically a very busy person. Despite that (or because of it, depending on who you ask), she still does her best to make sure that she gets a change of pace and some much-needed downtime every now and then—periods of “productive unproductivity” as she likes to call it. This summer, she’s helping out with her best friend’s newly opened coffee shop: Peach Forest. Apart from giving a hand by working for free, she thought it’d be a great idea to learn how to make a proper cup of coffee for once instead of buying thrice a day. Getting to meet new people and talking to random strangers is another plus because as much as she loved her colleagues from her day job, she needed a break from them sometimes, too.

The coffee shop was located in a quiet residential neighborhood just a few minutes’ drive from her apartment and—despite being far from the train station—is popular with young professionals like her. Thankfully, the crowd tapers out by mid-afternoon, leaving it barely occupied and quiet enough to give her time to read in between taking orders and cleaning up. She looks up from her book as soon as the door bell rings and sees a woman around her age with black hair that came straight down and the sharpest jawline she has ever seen. She was wearing a simple brown plaid button down over a white shirt, a pair of jeans, and white Converse highs with a white bucket hat and a pair of black sunglasses to cap the outfit off.

“Hi,” the young woman greets as she removed her sunglasses and made her way to the counter.“Hi,” Sooyoung replies, putting her book down. “How can I help you?”

“Uh, yeah…,” the customer pauses as she quizzically browses the menu. Her eyebrows knit together as she pondered, which Sooyoung found cute. “I’d like to have an iced latte… and a mini strawberry cake,” she quickly adds.

“Sure. Will that be dine in or to go?” “Dine in.”

“Okay, cool. That’ll be $10.” She looks up from the register after ringing her card up, their gazes lingering for half a second before continuing, “You can have a seat and I’ll bring your order over when it’s ready.” “Great, thanks!” the customer replies with a bright smile that left Sooyoung smiling back a little longer than she should’ve.

***

Jeong Jinsol has never been much of a coffee person, but she badly needed a little change of scenery after being holed up in the studio for the past couple of weeks. She bestowed a day off for herself and went on a long overdue run as soon as she woke up with the added agenda of looking for a place where she could relax and be away from work, even just for a few hours. To her surprise, she found a peculiar coffee shop with a peach tree growing right in the middle just a few blocks from her apartment. She made a mental note to remember its name and where it was so she could drop by once she has freshened up.

She finds herself crossing its front door a little bit after lunch. Looking through the large glass window, she sees a woman that looked around the same age as her, wearing a cropped tie-dye cardigan over a cropped camisole, light denim jeans tied with a scarf as a makeshift belt, and red shoulder-length hair that was kept neat in a beat up college baseball cap and pored over a book. Never noticed her earlier, she thought as she opened the door. The barista (or cashier?) looked up as soon as she stepped inside, notified by the bell. Jinsol hoped her face was unreadable behind her sunglasses because her eyes could not believe what she was seeing. When she said she wanted a change of scenery, she didn’t think that it would include a pretty girl. A really pretty girl.

Jinsol took a seat next to the large window to bask in the afternoon sunlight, and as much as she tried to look anywhere else, she couldn’t help but watch the redhead put her apron on and prepare her order. She snapped her eyes away when she saw her approaching, however, and instead started counting the number of leaves in the plant across her—there’s 29, just like my age. The barista’s hair splayed slightly while setting the food down and Jinsol held her breath upon catching a whiff of strawberry shampoo—she realizes it's the same scent that brought her to order the cake just a few minutes ago.

The barista has since returned to her book and was fully absorbed in it, face completely blank in concentration and jotting down on the notebook in front of her every once in a while. Jinsol continued to steal glances, admiring the laser focus the other woman had with whatever she was doing. In between bites of cake (heavenly) and sips of coffee (average, every cup of coffee tastes the same to me anyway), Jinsol internally debated if she should talk to her before she leaves. But what would she even say? Should she ask about what she’s reading? She would, if the book in question wasn’t in English so that’s already a dead end. Should she just straight up ask her out? She would, if she wanted to potentially get slapped with a restraining order; not to mention, she doesn’t even know if she’s also into women.

She ultimately decides to go through the customer route and buy another strawberry cake instead. This time for her little sister, convincing herself that she’s doing it to be a good sibling. In reality, she only wanted to be able to talk to her again—well, technically not a proper conversation but there was an exchange of words, at least. She steps out of the coffee shop that day making a mental note to herself to return as often as she could.

Chapter Text

It has been a week since Jinsol added the quaint little place to her daily routine, mostly buying coffee and cake to-go because of her hectic work schedule. Sooyoung memorized her usual order within that period and makes sure to save two mini strawberry cakes for her every time. They’ve also gotten close enough to small talk about the weather but never close enough to finally cross the road towards a real conversation. Mostly because Jinsol focused her energy on trying to keep her cool instead of letting her brain cells properly synapse.

Today, Jinsol swung by the coffee shop outside of her usual time frame, determined to finally step up her game. But! Alas, her plan was immediately foiled by the lunch rush. Not only is the place packed, there’s also another woman manning the counter with her: another redhead but with longer hair, bangs, and a smile perpetually glued onto her face as she entertains customers—the same person she saw that fateful day she passed by on her morning run. The two girls managing the crowd were too busy to pay her any mind until she finally had her turn to order.

“Oh, hi! Didn’t notice you coming in. Here for the usual?” Sooyoung asks while staring intently at Jinsol and giving her a gentle smile, relieved to see a familiar face after a hectic hour and a half. “Yes and no!” Jinsol replies brightly, lopsided grin in tow. Sooyoung wonders where she gets her energy from sans caffeine. “I’m here to have lunch for a change, actually, so could I order some carbonara too?” “Of course!” Sooyoung answers, flashing a toothy grin as an attempt to match her enthusiasm.  

***

“I’m sorry but I’m afraid this is the last strawberry cake we have for the day, so I can’t save you one for later. Unless you want to get a different dessert…?” Sooyoung proposes with slight hesitation while serving her food.

Jinsol felt herself blush a little when she found their faces a little closer to each other than expected, drawing her attention to the mole on Sooyoung’s cheek. Never noticed that before. Cute. “Yeah. New would be good. I’d love that,” she replied in quick bursts. So much for trying to keep it cool. “Great! Is there anything you want to try?” the barista asks with all the casualness Jinsol tried to channel. “Nothing, really. You can surprise me,” Jinsol said, mustering her energy to create her best Anton Ego impression that she forgot she wasn’t even ordering it for herself. “Are you sure about that?” Sooyoung bantered back with an exaggerated French accent. "What if I give you something bad?" “No, I trust you,” she replied with the most genuine smile, eyes crinkling slightly. “Okay, I’ll do my best to impress, mademoiselle.” Sooyoung does a little curtsy that garners a laugh from her audience before walking back to the counter, where she was welcomed by her best friend with a knowing look.

“No, I am not commenting on anything,” she quipped while avoiding eye contact, already sensing the inquisition that is to come. “I haven’t even asked anything yet!” the bubblier redhead squeaks, puffing her cheeks up. “What if I was just about to say that our lunch is ready? Which it is, by the way. I made lasagna,” she adds, puffing her chest out as well. “Thanks, Potato. You’re the best,” Sooyoung says excitedly as she takes a seat next to Kim Jiwoo, proud owner of Peach Forest and the unofficial record holder for World’s Biggest and Longest Lasting Smile.

“Sooo… who is she?” Jiwoo inquires, the twinkle in her eyes increasing along with her smile. Sooyoung ignores her, choosing to pick at her lasagna as if she was in an 8^th grade Earth Science class. But Jiwoo’s curious gaze is unyielding, much to her dismay. “Fine,” Sooyoung huffs in defeat. “But only because you made lunch today.”

As much as she loves her best friend, she really couldn’t help but be annoyed with how perceptive she is sometimes. Jiwoo wiggles in her seat in victory while Sooyoung attempts to play it off by putting on the straightest face she could muster. “It’s nothing, really. Just a regular who’s been coming here everyday for the past two weeks or so, but most of the time she only buys something to-go so the only thing I know about her is the name on her credit card: Jeong Jinsol.”

“Oh come on, Sooyoungie,” Jiwoo rolls her eyes to punctuate every word. “We both know you can do way better than that. You do realize that if you want to go on a date with someone, you have to actually put in the effort… right?”

“Who said anything about going on date?" Sooyoung protests. Jiwoo squints. As the only person privy about how often the older woman has complained about being single, she clicks her teeth in disappointment. Sooyoung raises both hands in defense. "Okay, I get it. But she’s so pretty! I get shy, okay? We haven’t even had a real conversation. Not to mention that she’s a customer. Wouldn’t I be crossing some lines here?” 

“Abysmal,” Jiwoo comments, rolling her eyes a second time before going back to a milder tone, “Do you want me to ask…? She keeps looking our way—no, don’t turn to check—totally could not keep her eyes of you. Or me,” she jokes, earning an eye roll from Sooyoung this time, “so I think this is totally in the bag for you.”

“No!” Sooyoung says sharply. “I’d rather do it myself and on my own terms, thank you very much.” “Okay, if you say so,” Jiwoo says in a sing song then switching to a deadpan, “But I might have to wait five years at the rate you’re going. You haven’t gone out with anyone in two years. Two years, Subongie. Your prospects aren’t looking especially bright here.”

***

Jinsol was watching their very animated conversation from afar the entire time with immense interest, wondering what they could possibly be talking about (if only she knew). This is the first time she's seen Sooyoung outside of work mode and it made her want to be on the receiving end of that. She gets out from her daydream moments later when she sees what time it was.

As soon as Sooyoung saw Jinsol moving to clean up her plates, she sprang up from her seat to take out the cake she’s reserved for her. Jiwoo quite literally jumps into action when Jinsol arrived at the counter, shocking their customer. “Hi! I’m Kim Jiwoo, owner of Peach Forest. Sooyoungie here told me you’ve been coming regularly this week so I’d like to thank you for patronage,” she said sweetly, stretching out her hand and completely ignoring the side-eye the taller redhead sent her way—what happened to not meddling?

“Hi! I’m Jeong Jinsol, nice to meet you! This is a great place you have here,” she replies with equal earnestness as she shakes Jiwoo’s hand, which pleased the shorter girl and amazed Sooyoung; it's rare to find someone who's able to absorb Jiwoo's energy with ease. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jinsol. My name is Ha Sooyoung,” she inserts smoothly, making Jiwoo scoot a little as she hands the box over. “Hope you enjoy the surprise,” she says, the fake French accent making a comeback. “Merci, Sooyoung,” Jinsol replies with exaggerated elegance. “I have to go now, but I hope I get to talk to you again soon, Jiwoo! And you.” Jinsol adds with a smirk meant for Sooyoung alone.

They wait a few moments for her to fully walk out of the place before Jiwoo squealed at Sooyoung’s poor ears.

***

After freshening up for the evening, Jinsol was about to message her little sister a head’s up that she was on her way to see her when she gets two texts: one from her sister herself and the other from her best friend.

She opens the one from her sister first: it was a selfie of her and her girlfriend? best friend? person? Yeah, that. A picture of Chaewon and her person, holding out what looks to be remnants of the strawberry cake she brought the other day. It was captioned with, “If ur thinking of bringing us a cake today, our answer is please and thank u! Hyeju said this is delicious and wants more. Don’t stay too long tho bc there’s a PUBG tournament we need to prepare for. Ktnxbye love u!” She chuckles at her phone. She’s glad that at least one of them has a thriving love life. Then comes the second text from her best friend: it was a reminder for the time and place where they were supposed to have dinner that night. There was also a link of some song demos that she wanted Jinsol to listen to before they meet.

***

Jinsol arrives at Chaewon’s student apartment and rings the doorbell. The petite blonde opens the door to let her in and she takes off her shoes as she walks in, saying hello to both her sister and to Hyeju, who replies with a soft "hi" that betrays her intimidating aura. She makes her way to the dining area and placed the box on the table. “I don’t think you should set your expectations way too high this time,” Jinsol says as she leans forward, placing her arms and torso on the table. “The place ran out of strawberry cake today, so the barista gave me a random one as a replacement.” The two college students share a look at this remark, their shared brain cell starting to get to work. “A surprise cake? Oh, that’s even better!” Chaewon pipes up, taking a seat on the table and clasping her hands together. Hyeju follows suit. "I was starting to get sick of the strawberry cake anyway.

“But... if the barista picked it out for you, shouldn’t you keep it?” Hyeju sneakily adds, taking advantage of Jinsol's denseness. “Mmm… you’re right! I totally forgot about that. But it’s okay, really. I never told her all the cake I’ve been buying isn’t meant for me anyway. Though… maybe I can have a bite?” Jinsol pouts in response, her eyebrows forming into a reverse V, unconscious of the thought that the two were trying to insinuate.

Three forks and several bites of cheesecake (straight out of the box) later, comes three very satisfied customers. The cake had the right amount of zest and density, and was not too sweet that you can add whatever canned or fresh fruit you want. Jinsol regrets not buying iced coffee to pair with it, but maybe next time. Mental note: thank Sooyoung when I go back to the café. She takes a few more bites before Chaewon kicks her out of the apartment.

“Thanks for the cake, sis, but you’re overstaying your welcome now! Bye!” Chaewon says airily as she pushes her towards the door, surprising Jinsol to the point of being unable to protest. Hyeju is towering over her from behind, laughing at the sight without shame and waving goodbye as Jinsol put her shoes on and takes off. In their hurry to take the cake out of the box after driving Jinsol away, neither of them noticed the little piece of paper tucked into it fall into a little crevice in the kitchen.

***

Jinsol reviews her day so far as she weaves her way through Seoul. At a stoplight, she lightly hits her forehead on the steering wheel upon realizing that she smirked at Sooyoung a few hours ago. Where did I even get the courage to do that?  She collects herself before the light turns green and rounds the corner to her destination. The familiar glow of the barbecue shop’s signboard makes her smile as nostalgia fills her chest. It’s a little spot she and her best friend found years ago, the night they first watched a gig together. They were having too much fun walking around the neighborhood that they missed the last bus and had to kill time before catching the first one back to their campus dormitory. Since then, they have made it a monthly tradition to have barbecue together, only missing out during the months her best friend studied abroad.

Jinsol feels herself ease up in the familiar atmosphere, blending in perfectly with the younger crowd despite being a year away from her 30s. She snakes around the tightly spaced tables, spotting her best friend all the way at the back. She stuck out from the crowd like a sore thumb, clearly way too dressed up for the place because of course, this is the immaculate singer Cho Haseul, who always looks like she was about to perform on stage.

“Hi, Seulie. It’s been a minute,” Jinsol greets her with a kiss on the cheek before taking the seat across from her. Upon the arrival of the meat, she immediately switches to work mode. “I listened to the tracks you sent me on the way here,” she says while grilling with utmost concentration. “And…? What do you think?” Haseul asks with bated breath. Jinsol waits until some of the samgyeopsal is cooked before replying.

“The mixing could definitely be way better,” she said in between bites of kimchi. Haseul sighs in agreement. “That’s what I’ve been telling them! I really wish I was working with you in this project instead,” she groans. Jinsol laughs. “As much as I admire your work, you know I don’t do opera.” “Pop-opera,” Haseul interjects. Jinsol passively snorts, eyes trained on the food cooking in front of her. “Please, please, please,” she pleads. “You’re the best musician slash sound engineer slash producer I know, and I trust that you can do a great job. I know you can.”

Jinsol doesn’t respond right away, cutting up the cooked meat with scissors and handing half of the serving. Haseul knew better than to disturb her craft because the older of the two (by just two months!) only really gets serious when she’s in two places: in the recording booth and in front of the charcoal grill.

“Okay. As long as I also get to do the mastering,” finally breaking the silence. Haseul exhales in relief. Nearly a decade later, and things still haven’t changed much. The two music graduates have often collaborated on projects when they were still in university despite being in different programs, Haseul studying in the Opera Institute while Jinsol was with the Composition Department. And despite all the times Jinsol insists that Haseul’s work is out of her realm, she gives in and lends a hand anyway.

Now that work was out of the way, Haseul changes the topic. “So,” she says in a sing-song. “What have you been up to these days, Jindori?” Jinsol’s eyebrows crease in thought. “Not much, a few projects here and there. Speaking of, I’m glad I got to see you tonight. This might be the last time I’ll be free for a while,” she says with a hint of sadness.

“Oh no, please don’t tell me you’re working with that guy again?” Haseul worriedly asked. “Sadly… yes,” Jinsol frowns. “I mean—it’s good money, even though I’ll be working on a tight schedule. And at least this project is more interesting than the last. I’ll be at the beach!” she brightly says, failing to convince her best friend. 

“Jinsol,” Haseul says seriously. “You do know you’re already at the point of your career where you can actually choose the jobs you want to take, right…? You don’t have to pressure yourself like this anymore. So many directors and musicians want to work with you, why choose that dumbass Jaden Jeong?” And she’s right. Despite the joys of seeing a film come to life because of the hard work she contributed, her professional relationship with the dictatorial director hasn’t always been the best.

“Anyway, enough shop talk. What’s been up with you?” enunciating in such a way for Jinsol to realize that Haseul has been trying to ask about her personal life all along. The tips of her ears turn pink at the thought of what had unfolded earlier that day.

“Well… I had a really good cheesecake today!” she excitedly said, shooting up from her seat and chopsticks thrust into the air.

Haseul laughs at her friend’s goofiness, “Please, do tell me more.”

Chapter Text

“Relax.” Jiwoo says assuringly while bringing in the outdoor furniture, “It can’t be that serious. Maybe she’s just busy with work or something.”

The sun has just set and the coffee shop is now closed for the day, marking three days since the last time Jinsol walked in and three nights of—normally composed!—Sooyoung turning into a puddle of dread, making Jiwoo the unfortunate default recipient of her agony.

“What if I scared her off?” she anxiously asks, lifting one side of the bench. “What could you have possibly done that would make her do that?” Jiwoo responds, holding the other end of it as they lug it inside. Sooyoung remains silent. 

“Unnie,” she says with a tone that makes Sooyoung cringe. Jiwoo only calls her that when she’s either fed up or needs a huge favor. “Please don’t tell me you did something stupid,” she adds with a squint.

“I may have… haphazardly snuck in a note… with my phone number… in the cheesecake… container…,” Sooyoung sheepishly confesses. Jiwoo gasps, nearly slamming down half of the bench.  “Without notice?! Sooyoung!” she chastises with an expression that is partly judgmental and partly doing its best to stifle a laugh. “You’re really terrible at this for someone so smart and level-headed. Truly no game whatsoever.” The older one pouts.

“I know, I know, I shouldn’t have done that, but every time I see her, I can feel my brain short circuit and I was worried I’d stutter.” Like an exasperated preschool teacher, Jiwoo puts her hands on her hips and sighs before switching to a cheerful tone. “Best case scenario, she doesn't even see it in the first place and she comes back like nothing happened. Worst case is that she never comes back and you never see her again. And well, I guess all we can do now is hope for the best.” Sooyoung nods in agreement, crossing the fingers on both hands for good luck.

The two of them proceeded to do a final round to check if everything had been turned off and unplugged, Jiwoo locking and unlocking the front door three times just to make sure as Sooyoung stood outside, simmering in her thoughts and in the warm summer evening. She ran through all the possible scenarios in her head and came to a conclusion that if Jinsol ever came back, maybe it would be best to simply crush on her from afar and resolve to make the distinction between her professional and personal life crystal clear.

“Okay! Ready to head out for dinner?” Jiwoo asks, pulling her out of her thoughts.

***

A week after Jinsol and Haseul’s dinner and four days after Sooyoung’s little confession to Jiwoo, Jinsol skips from her apartment all the way the coffee shop. To say that she was excited to see her favorite barista again was an understatement. Sooyoung does a double take seeing Jinsol approach the front door, after having convinced herself of the worst and no longer expecting her to come back at all.

"Hi, Sooyoung! Long time no see," Jinsol says cheerily. Sooyoung is taken aback for the second time by Jinsol acting as if nothing happened. Maybe Jiwoo's best case scenario did come into fruition. The the resolution she had made for herself days before has instantly shattere but still, she makes sure to be on the side of caution. “Hi, Jinsol. Likewise,” Sooyoung replies curtly. With just as much energy as you'd expect from a friendly acquaintance. Or a service worker being nice to their customers. “Did you go to the beach recently or something? I really like your tan,” she continues, noticing how her pale skin darkened by a few shades. Jinsol feels a blush creeping up her cheeks kept hidden by the tan in question (which she is utterly grateful for), “Thanks, I actually did! It was for work though. But it is what it is.”

“Oh, I see!” The redhead taps on the cash register in front of her for a few beats. “I’d ask you more about it but I think I should get your order first. Would you like to get your usual?” 

“Hmmm…,” Jinsol thinks with her eyebrows, feeling the light bulb in her brain ding, “I’m actually feeling a little adventurous today, and honestly I virtually know nothing about coffee so I’d be happy to get a recommendation. From you.”

The barista visibly lights up at the suggestion, as if a switch had been turned on. “How high is your caffeine tolerance?" she asks with newfound eagerness, "Jiwoo and I have been experimenting with a new cold brew recipe and it’s really good but really strong. It goes well with both the strawberry cake and cheesecake, too. I usually drink it as is but if you want, I can turn it into an iced americano or an iced latte.”

“I don’t know what my threshold is but I think I’d like to try it as is. With a cheesecake this time," Jinsol smiles, "It was really good by the way, I’m a little bummed I had to give it as a gift, so I only got a bite and wasn't able to savor it as much.” Sooyoung returns it with the widest smile Jinsol has ever seen from her and she feels a slight buzz in her chest, “That’s a great choice."

***

Jinsol was happy to finally discover how to break past Sooyoung's veil of professionalism and decides to sit at the bar for a change to watch her get to work, hoping to take their conversation a little further. She asked about what Sooyoung was doing and she enthusiastically obliged, explaining how cold brew is made (steeping coffee grounds in water overnight) and the kind of coffee grounds that they used for it (a 60-40 blend of beans from Brazil and Colombia) as she prepared her order. Once finished, she sets it down in front of her and pulls up a bar stool to sit across. "Here, try it. It's supposed to taste like chocolate and caramel," Sooyoung says. Jinsol takes the glass and takes a sip, letting the coffee get acquainted with her tongue. She was skeptical of the description at first, having gone to a wine tasting once with Haseul where nothing tasted the way the sommelier said it would, but wow, this cup does taste exactly like chocolate and caramel that she unconsciously closed her eyes to let the flavors linger—not realizing the barista was waiting for her reaction—and was flustered to see her staring. "So… how was it?" Sooyoung asks with curiosity. 

"It's great!” she exclaims a tad louder than she would’ve liked. “I felt like I was in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," she continues with a goofy smile, struggling to regain her composure. "That's a very vivid description," Sooyoung laughs, "but I'm glad you like it." A pause. “So, about the work thing that you mentioned earlier," she inquires, continuing where they left off, "What kind of work was it? If I may ask.”

“I worked as a sound recordist for a film!" Jinsol answers. "It’s not something I do often nowadays, but I used to help out with student productions when I was in college. The director is someone I’ve been working with since that time, so I still join his crew whenever he has a new project.” Sooyoung nods, taking the new information in like little puzzle pieces. Suddenly the air feels a little lighter and she steadies her mind at the thought that whether or not that little paper was received, Jinsol is potentially a new friend. Eventually. “Then… what kind of work do you usually do?” she furthers.

“Anything that has to do with sound and music, really. Sound engineering, production, mixing, mastering. Once in a while I take on film-based projects too, just like with this one. Apart from being the recordist, I’ll be working on its sound design and score as well, so I’ll be quite busy tomorrow onwards to focus on post-production," Jinsol takes another sip of the cold brew, pondering her next move to keep the ball rolling. "What about you? How long have you been working here at Peach Forest?”

Sooyoung creases her brows slightly while counting in her head, "Around the time Jiwoo opened it... so about two months now? I came on board to help her out with operations; it’s always been her dream to own a coffee shop and I wanted to support her. I’d like to think I love coffee as much as she does, so why not?" She pauses to gather more thoughts. "Technically, I’m only supposed to work part-time as assistant manager but I ended up enjoying this way more than I thought so I asked for barista shifts and here I am.”

Jinsol scrunches her nose, “Part-time? So you have another job?” “Kind of, yeah, I guess you can say that,” Sooyoung says bashfully. “What is it?” The redhead, no longer used to the process of being someone another person is trying to get to know, blanks out and gives a half-truth: “I work as a literary translator.” “Oh, that's awesome! Is that why you’ve been reading so much?" Jinsol tilts her head in interest, brows forming a slope before blurting out, "I always notice you jotting down notes when you’re not doing anything that for a moment I thought you were still in school.”

Sooyoung does her best to keep her cool to hide the revelation that confirmed what Jiwoo has been saying for ages about Jinsol paying extra attention to her. “Yeah, it’s the current project I’m working on.” Jinsol hums. “Can you read something out to me then?” Sooyoung blushes from the request. “Ah...,” she trails, "maybe next time? When I finish this draft, at least. But I want to hear something you made in exchange," she teased. The other girl, always up for a challenge, accepts it with a fire in her eyes.

The conversation rolls on smoothly in between sips of coffee and bites of cheesecake— Sooyoung having to leave once in a while to entertain customers and deliver orders—maybe not exactly as friends but more like a casual conversation struck between a taxi driver and their passenger (as Sooyoung tries to convince herself, doing her best to keep her front up). As the afternoon drifted by, Sooyoung learned a bit more about Jinsol’s week at the beach (very hot in the day and very cold at night and she didn’t get to bring enough sunblock but they got to eat fresh seafood three meals a day so PEMDAS? ) and Jinsol learned why there was a peach tree in the middle of the building (the building used to be Jiwoo’s mom’s parents’ house built during the Japanese Occupation; back then peach trees grew wild in the area and they designed around that). To their surprise they both find out they’re the same age with Sooyoung being the older one by just about two weeks. Jinsol doesn’t really find out anything else apart from those tidbits but that’s fine, maybe she’s really just not the type to talk about herself. And now they have reached the part where the ride ends.

“I’m always glad when you do that,” Sooyoung pipes up. “Do what? Oh, you mean this?" she gestures to the tidied up plate and utensils. "Why, is this not a thing? It’s the least people could do to help service workers!” Jinsol says with a gusto that charms her. “I have to go now, but I’ll see you tomorrow?" Jinsol quips, hope barely noticeable in her voice, "If you’re also taking the morning shift, I mean. I have to be at work extra early tomorrow, so I don't know if I can come say hi during my usual time.”

“Well, I guess it’ll be a surprise,” Sooyoung smiles sweetly. “Goodbye, Jinsol.” Jinsol staggered internally at the formality, thinking they’ve made enough progress to move past it but she thought wrong. Maybe she’s really just the type to be super friendly to everyone she meets, it’s part of the job after all. Still, she’s disappointed. 

"Goodbye, Sooyoung," she returns with a slight wave. Once Jinsol is out of sight, Sooyoung immediately pulls her phone out to ask their work group chat if she and the other barista could switch shifts for the rest of the week.

***

Sooyoung is many things, but a morning person is definitely not one of them. Ignoring the last minute text and abrupt request, the shift change was granted with no questions asked—much to the pleasure of their other barista—and now she has to force herself out of bed at 7 in the morning to open up the place. Slowly easing the sleep from her body, she is startled by a Jinsol dressed up in workout clothes and covered with a light sheen of sweat who catches her right when she is about to yawn. Sooyoung attempts to keep the yawn from escaping her mouth, amusing Jinsol. "Hey, sleepyhead," she greets, leaning on the counter.

"Hi, Jinsol." Sooyoung immediately straightens up, subtly training her eyes on the baby hairs stuck to her forehead and the drop of sweat falling along her jaw, more prominent now that her jet black hair is tied up into a ponytail. "Are you sure you need coffee? You seem perky enough so early in the morning." "No, I'm just happy that you're the first person I saw today. Now I feel more confident about getting through this workday," Jinsol giggles mischievously. “Just kidding, I always like to start my day with a run.” 

"Ah, that’s too bad. I was about to say that I’m glad to be of service, Jinsol," Sooyoung says, fanning the flame Jinsol ignited. “You are being of service right now, if you think about it,” Jinsol quips with an obnoxious eyebrow wiggle that breaks the split-second of tension in the air. 

“Fair enough,” Sooyoung replies in faux defeat. “The usual, to-go?” she asks, slotting herself back into employee mode. “No, I actually have some time to chat a bit if you don’t mind,” the shorter woman says, gentle and inviting. Sooyoung couldn’t help but give in. “Of course,” she replies with her signature smile. 

***

Sooyoung drinking a little too much coffee on the job isn’t new, but she has never been more grateful to work at a coffee shop until today. Although the adrenaline rush of her morning exchange with Jinsol helped her pull through until the lunch rush, aging has punished her body for not getting enough sleep nonetheless. As she makes herself her third drink of the day, iced tea with a shot of espresso—much to the horror of Jiwoo and delight of Heejin, the pastry chef who happened to be in store to drop off a fresh supply of bread and pastries—the bell rings and is called by an airy voice she could recognize anywhere. 

"Professor Ha?"

When Chaewon and Hyeju decided to snoop around Jinsol's business, they didn't think it would lead them to Chaewon's favorite professor. With how she was still able to maintain a veil of mystery in spite of the revelatory nature of their discipline, the blonde always wondered what she does outside work. She never imagined that chance would bring her here, to a Ha Sooyoung presenting herself far from how she would at the university. Today she was dressed in a striped crop top and lightly-washed denim jeans underneath her work apron, incredibly far from her signature white button down and dress pants; she looks and feels aged down, exuding a more relaxed aura as if she was a senior who stood out in the crowd and not their instructor.

"Park Chaewon! What a pleasant surprise," says Sooyoung with a bunny smile. What a surprise, indeed. One of the reasons why Sooyoung helped out with running Peach Forest over the summer was because she was fairly certain she wouldn't bump into any of her students but at last she's been proven wrong. Thankfully, Chaewon is her favorite student (not that she’d say it aloud) and wouldn’t mind casting aside some divisions of her heavily-compartmentalized life for this serendipitous occasion.

"Yeah…” the blonde replies, bewildered at the unexpected meeting. “My sister lives in this neighborhood so my friend and I wanted to pay her a visit.” She reflexively waves a hand at the person next to her with slight hesitation, as if they were students meeting a teacher for the first time. Sooyoung scans the two university students and gets a hunch she wouldn’t say out loud. “This is my friend, Son Hyeju. Hyeju, this is Professor Ha. I was in her poetry class last semester."

"Good afternoon, Hyeju. Nice to meet you.” She reaches out for a handshake that Hyeju accepts with a touch of professionality. “Both of you can call me Sooyoung since we're off campus." The two slowly nod, not used to being spoken to so casually by a figure of authority in their young eyes. Is this what everyone’s like in America? Chaewon thinks. Luckily Sooyoung quickly caught their hesitation. “Sorry, I mean Sooyoung unnie,” she corrects herself with a trace of laughter before turning to Hyeju. “Do you also go to Yonsei?” 

Hyeju shakes her head, "No, I go to Hongdae. Industrial Design, third year." Familiarity flashes across Sooyoung’s features. "That's neat! An unnie of mine teaches there; have you ever had Chu Sojung as your professor?" Hyeju mirrors Sooyoung’s expression as Chaewon watches their exchange, half-thrilled and half-shaken. Hyeju has always been the one better at handling situations like these. “Oh yeah, I took her Product Prototyping studio class two semesters ago. I learned a lot during the workshops, but her powerpoint lectures are a bit hard to follow sometimes.” Sooyoung laughs at the honest feedback. “Classic Sojung unnie. Her younger brother and I went to the same cram school back in Busan and he always complained about unnie calling for help with them,” summoning the memory with an affectionate eyeroll. “But anyhow, that’s great to hear. She’s always happy when she talks about her classes and her students’ projects. Did she ever mention that her background was originally in architecture? She’s actually the one who designed the café along with her partner who’s an interior designer.” 

Hyeju’s face may not show it but she’s silently absorbing all the new information with awe. It’s not every day that you get to meet an adult who’s so open to sharing information like that so casually. How could someone seem so put-together but still have the accessibility of a cool older sister? She’s finally starting to understand why Chaewon is always vying for her attention and approval.

Once the small talk ended, Sooyoung takes their order (one slice of strawberry shortcake and cheesecake each with two iced americanos) and gives the pair some room to settle in at a corner far from the counter and slightly obscured by the peach tree. “Look at you being all chummy with your student like that,” Jiwoo speaks up while preparing their order. “If only you could channel that same energy with someone who’s supposedly your same-age friend, Jinsol.” Heejin nods in agreement, having seen the two interact a couple of times while she was in the kitchen. Sooyoung could only sigh in defeat. Jiwoo was right, why couldn’t she bring herself to be as casual with Jinsol?  

After Sooyoung served their order and went back to the counter, the two watch Sooyoung, Jiwoo, and Heejin converse over their post-rush hour drinks and late lunch. Chaewon and Hyeju all fall back to their own bubble with the added flavor of their multiple discoveries. Mostly them discussing Sooyoung’s presence and what the root cause of Jinsol’s patronage could possibly be. Chaewon still thinks it’s because of a crush but seeing the three women working here, she couldn’t choose which one it could be. On the other hand, Hyeju thinks it could be mere coincidence because of 1) how close it is to Jinsol’s apartment, 2) how absolutely delicious the food and coffee is, and 3) the place itself and how quiet it gets at this time of the day—a hidden gem amidst Seoul’s bustling rhythm. 

Their conversation is interrupted by Sooyoung approaching their table looking like she was about to get off work. “My shift ends now so I’d like to say goodbye before I go,” she announces to them both. “Sorry to bring up school over the summer break, Chaewon, but I’d also like to ask if you’ve thought about applying to be my teaching assistant next semester? I already recommended you to Department Chair Kim but you still have to turn in an application by the end of the month to secure it.” She doesn’t wait for Chaewon to respond, however, already making her way towards the exit. “I’m in a bit of a rush but don’t forget to cc: me in the email if you do. Think about it, okay?” bidding her farewell as she rushes out. 

“What was that about…,” Hyeju remarks. “I don’t know, might be a work emergency. She’s a busy person after all,” Chaewon shrugs.

***

Sooyoung finds the application from Chaewon in her inbox that same evening. That was fast , immediately scanning the PDF as a welcome respite from staring at a different email she has been poring over ever since the notification popped up. It was from an email address she hasn’t heard from in years and never thought would correspond with ever again. At least not like this.

It had a curt subject line (“Korea Trip, July 2025”) with an equally brief body inquiring if Sooyoung was free to meet up anytime over the next month while the sender was in town for an undisclosed reason. Sooyoung isn’t sure if she wants to ask. She’s uncertain she’d want to know unsolicited either. Nor does she know whether she should accept or make up a lie about being swamped with deadlines. But she knows they’d see right through her. This could’ve just been a text. But knowing the sender, she figured they probably wanted to spare the both of them from the anxiety and pressure of knowing the message has been read and subsequently waiting for a reply. I guess some way, somehow we’re still in sync. A heavy sigh escapes her. She should at least be more proactive with adjusting her body if she wants to keep up with the morning shift for the rest of the week. Might as well get over it before the day ends and reply so I don’t lose sleep over something so trivial, she thinks as she haphazardly sends an email back and flopped onto her bed. 

Chapter Text

Jinsol may be born in the middle of June but she has never considered herself to be a summer girl. In her head, summer (or every other season at that) is simply a passage to winter, her favorite—plus, she just can’t stand the heat, both with the weather and her personal life. It has been more than a month since the day Sooyoung and Peach Forest have entered her life and she’s gotten quite close to the loud and cheery Jiwoo, who had a propensity for oversharing and had no regard for customer-proprietor boundaries, thus exchanging numbers. She has also acquainted herself with Heejin the baker, who pops in for only an hour or two a day to deliver goods and maybe have lunch. But even then she has not made substantial progress with the main target of her attention. The push and pull she feels between her and Sooyoung has not changed a bit. To the point of obliging Haseul’s unyielding requests to let her come have coffee so she could see things for herself and give a second opinion as Jeong Jinsol’s newly self-designated love doctor.

Being a morning person for Jinsol meant waking up with the mental fortitude to manifest that every day will be a good day but instead, this Tuesday has been littered by a series of strange—mostly unfavorable—events. Her morning run was ruined by a sudden burst of July rain. She almost stepped on dog shit on her way back to her apartment brought about by aimlessly running from the said summer rain. She got an email from Jaden asking her to return to the studio within the day because the film got re-edited (which she quickly rejected). She didn’t notice she was out of her mom’s homemade kimchi right when she was about to fry some rice after craving it all week. And now, she’s in Peach Forest with no Sooyoung in sight. 

“Nice hair. Did you get it dyed recently?” Jinsol greets Jiwoo at the counter, scanning the area for where Sooyoung could possibly be, doing her best to keep a neutral expression. 

“Yeah, I did. Thanks! I was getting a little tired of the whole Pippi Longstocking schtick. I know it’s the middle of summer but it still felt too bright so I wanted something a little more natural for a change, if you know what I mean. Are you getting a strawberry shortcake and iced latte?” Jiwoo says in a single breath. 

“Well now that you mentioned Pippi Longstocking,” she trails, seeing the beginnings of a squint from the now-brunette.  “I’m just kidding. I’m getting an iced americano with an extra shot of espresso for now, thanks.” “That’s a lot more coffee than usual. Are things not going well at work? By the way, if you’re wondering where Sooyoung is, she’s taking a day off today.” 

Jinsol nods both in response and acceptance. Jiwoo must have noticed something is off, surprised at how she’s more perceptive than she looks. She contemplated texting Haseul to say there’s been a change of plans but decided against it because on second thought, being there without Sooyoung would just make her want to leave. And she didn’t want to make it seem like she’s only there for her. 

***

Ashley Jungeun Kim hates being in foreign places and unfortunately, to her, Korea is foreign in too many ways than she’d like. And the one thing she hates more than being in foreign places is being alone in them, distant relatives and childhood friends be damned. And that, is why she found herself emailing Sooyoung in the dead of the night, New York time. Or for Sooyoung in Seoul, in the middle of afternoon office hours because: one, she knows how much Sooyoung hates receiving work emails outside the 8 to 5 and two, she wanted to let her know that this rendezvous is strictly business. 

It was a long shot but she didn’t expect to receive even a response from her. Now it is a very humid July Tuesday, and she’s in line with Sooyoung at a kalguksu restaurant waiting for their turn to have lunch. Not her ideal meeting after a year of radio silence but knowing Sooyoung, it’s either she’s really craving for kalguksu, she really wants Jungeun to try this place out, or Sooyoung brought them to a crowded area on purpose to avoid a potentially heated conversation from arising. Maybe even all three. 

And it turns out Jungeun was right. Once they finally got their table, Sooyoung started pointing out every item on the menu and gave a brief an orientation on what’s good (“This is where I get my kalguksu fix even when it’s not summertime,” she says in Korean with a sureness she has rarely seen. As if breaking character from all the English she speaks with Jungeun. As if putting a real Sooyoung that could be only found in Korea on display). Culinary excitement aside, it was all running smoothly; they caught up about what they’ve been up to with their professional lives and what Jungeun will be up to while she’s in the country. Both of them were seemingly doing their best to avoid steering the conversation towards awkward places but pockets of silence occur nonetheless, such as the one going on now. 

“I actually want you to write something for me, if you are up to it.” Jungeun finally says while finishing off her bowl of kalguksu. Sooyoung does not say a word, busying herself with her noodles. “Mm. For the new exhibition you’re curating?” she finally replies after setting the finished bowl down. Jungeun nods. “Let’s talk about it some place quieter then. Jiwoo finally opened her coffee shop at the beginning of the summer, I think you’ll really like it there.”

The twenty-minute drive to Peach Forest was quiet, letting the radio fill in the space between them. As if mentally preparing for the next conversation to come. As if mentally preparing to have to talk about their past. 

***

The burst of summer rain from that morning swung by again in the afternoon, inducing a dream-like state out of Jinsol as the sound of rain permeates the coffee shop. However, it was short-lived and she is snapped out of her reverie by a piercing squeal, turning her head towards the direction of the sound. She was surprised to see Sooyoung with an unfamiliar face, the both of them slightly damp from the rain. Sooyoung had a different aura about her today despite the weather: gloomy and pensive unlike her outfit—linen shirt with a sky blue crop top underneath, light wash denim jeans, and white sneakers. The stranger shared the same aura, albeit more nervous, dressed in a white sleeveless dress and black cardigan that showed off her broad shoulders and collarbones, paired with black riding boots. The overall ensemble made her clipped up hair pop out even more. Seeing the two of them together made them seem like they were both plucked off a streetwear brand’s summer catalogue and their individual moods cancelled themselves out, combining into a radiance which made Jinsol uncomfortable. To put it simply: they looked good. Together. And although she’s not the type who’d eavesdrop but on top of Jiwoo’s loud voice, her trained ears could pick up every word. So what does she do? She leans back and hides behind a plant to absorb the conversation while waiting for Haseul, who was running late.

“Is that really Kim Jungeun? In the flesh?” Jiwoo gestures at her while looking at Sooyoung for confirmation. “Yup. Very real. Hi, Jiwoo. Long time no see.” Jungeun replies with a smile as awkward as her fumbling Korean, as if figuring out where to place herself. “Nice place you have here. I’m glad you finally got to quit your job.”  “Ashley,” Sooyoung cuts in English. “Do you still remember how to make a cup of coffee with a machine?” She nods. “Great, let’s just make our coffee ourselves then.”

Sooyoung proceeds to head to the break room at the back to retrieve two towels and two aprons and hands one of each to Jungeun to dry herself off. “I can make coffee for the both of us, if that’s okay with you. To pay you back for the kalguksu, I mean. Do you still prefer americanos?” she asks, gazing at the redhead expectantly. 

Upon confirmation, Jungeun was about to begin working the machine when she was interrupted by Jiwoo. “Ya! I know you’re talking to each other, but can you please both speak Korean while I’m also here?” she says playfully. “And go sit at the bar, be my guest and let me make it for you. Okay?”

From Jinsol’s vantage point, she could glean that perhaps the trio are long time and long distance friends? And while Jiwoo was busy entertaining customers, Sooyoung and the stranger (whose name she now knows but refuses to acknowledge) fall back to chatting in English. She begins to zone out again, her above average hearing rendered null by the lack of comprehension. And like deja vu, Jiwoo lets out her second piercing scream of the day, peeling Jungeun’s and Sooyoung’s eyes away from each other and towards the petite brunette standing at the doorway looking so immaculate in head-to-toe Burberry it’s as if the rain stopped falling for a split second. 

“Cho Haseul? In the flesh? Welcome to Peach Forest!” she greets with a bow. 

Haseul beams a million dollar smile at the three of them. “Hi, yes. Though I’m sorry to be in a bit of a rush, I'm actually supposed to be with a friend today—oh, there she is! Solie! Sorry I’m late!” she waves with her entire arm. It was only then that Sooyoung noticed Jinsol’s presence and looked at her with an unreadable expression. 

***

On Haseul’s invitation, the five of them end up having dinner together at a barbecue place Sooyoung and Jiwoo frequent just a few blocks away. Because four grown women with their own sources of income still cannot say no to free food. 

“It’s no Woowoo Hanwoo but this can do,” Haseul announces to Jinsol, who hums in agreement after taking a bite out of the bulgogi. Plates of grilled meat and an indefinite amount of drinks later has led to conversation that ran as smoothly as Jungeun and Jiwoo knocking back shots of soju. “Ya, Kim Jungeun. When was the last time you had a proper Korean barbecue?” Jiwoo slurs.

“Last week, dumbass. Just because I’m American doesn’t mean I no longer live in a Korean household. My parents wanted us to have dinner before I flew out,” Jungeun retorts with as much callousness, all traces of shyness from the daytime removed. “A farewell dinner? That’s like them sending you to war. How long are you going to be in Korea anyway?” 

“Who knows? Maybe forever.” She says while giving Sooyoung a meaningful look that the redhead leaves hanging, reading the contents of the beer bottle’s label as if it was an important text. “Forever?! That’s an awfully long time.” Jungeun laughs awkwardly. “No, I’m just kidding. For now I’ll be here for two months but I recently got a job offer here that I’m considering. If the terms sound right, then I might fully relocate to Seoul by September.” Sooyoung silently absorbs this information, still studying the bottle. Jungeun stares at her wistfully. Jinsol stares at the two of them, feeling oddly voyeuristic. Jiwoo and Haseul glance at each other in wonder. A devious glint appears in the singer’s eyes. 

“So how did the three of you meet?” she segues. Sooyoung looks up from the bottle at last. 

“I went to the US for college. I happened to meet Ash—Jungeun. I happened to meet Jungeun when she was in California for a swimming competition and we’ve been friends ever since. After that, we both went to graduate school in New York and rented an apartment together.” Jungeun nods in agreement. “Yup. Friends and roommates,” enunciating each word with a tinge of contempt. Or is it regret? Haseul’s gaze flutters between the two, sensing that there’s more to Sooyoung’s reply than she’s letting on. But Jiwoo speaks up before she could say anything more. 

“Sooyoungie and I have known each other since I was in high school. I was in my first year and she was already in her last year but the singing club and the dance club had to perform together for the school festival. Jungeun and I only met a few years later, when Sooyoung brought her over a few summers ago. Turns out we were the same age and her family was originally from Cheongju so we hit it off right away. Did I ever mention that I used to be a preschool teacher in Cheongju before opening up the coffee shop? I only stopped in the winter to prepare for the shop's opening but I really miss it so I still volunteer in the neighborhood daycare a few times a week.”

And so the dinner went on without another hitch, talking about everything and nothing thanks to Jiwoo’s rambling. It turned out that Jiwoo was a fan of Haseul’s music, which explains the squeal from earlier and garnering mixed reactions from the group (Jinsol: “This is my first time meeting someone who actually listens to her stuff, good job.” Sooyoung: “Oh, so she’s the one you keep playing on the speakers when we’re cleaning up.” Jungeun: “What’s… popera ?" Haseul: “Why, thank you. And shut up, Jinsol, I told you people our age listen to my stuff.”). They also find out about each other’s English names (Ashley, Rachel, Allison, Jane, and Chloe), which only Jungeun and Haseul are comfortable using. But the deeper the night became and the more alcohol they consumed, the quieter Jinsol got, only speaking when she was being referred to, chalking it up to awkwardness.  

They finally called it a night when the clock struck 2 AM and began parting ways: Sooyoung is driving Jungeun back to her apartment, Jiwoo and Jinsol elect to walk together for fresh air, and Haseul has her driver on standby around the corner. While Jiwoo was preoccupied with ushering Sooyoung and Jungeun to the car, Haseul makes an effort to make Jinsol speak up. 

“Wonder what’s going on between them.”

“I’d rather not know.”

“Well unlike you, I rather would.” 

Jinsol does not take the bait.

***

The drive to Jungeun’s apartment was quiet until the car went into a full stop.

“You didn’t say you got a job offer in Seoul.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I meant to tell you.”

“No, it’s okay. Let’s talk about this when we’re both completely sober. Good night, Ashley. Sleep well.”

“Good night, Allison. Thank you for today. Drive safe. Text me when you get home.”

Neither of them look at each other as they bid each other goodbye. Sooyoung watches Jungeun enter the apartment building before driving away, reconsidering her decision to meet up with her today. Along with the past two years of her life. She texts her as soon as she gets home anyway.

Chapter Text

Sooyoung has always prided herself for knowing the paths she wanted to take in life and how to persevere in pursuit of them. Paths which entailed the discipline and restraint of sacrificing what must be sacrificed along the way—a youthful passion for dance that could’ve been a prosperous career, distance from the communities and the life she has built in Korea, and plunging headfirst into a foreign place with foreign tongues. For those who didn’t know her (and thought they did), it was seen as an escape but for those who did (a privileged few), it was the complete opposite. It was her way of freeing herself, of finding herself and getting to know sides of her Korea could never expose. But despite all these life plans so carefully laid out in front of her, nothing has ever prepared her for one Ashley Jungeun Kim. 

They happened to be looking at the same piece at the museum—a 350-year-old moon jar from the Joseon dynasty—and sensing that the person beside her was Korean, decided to strike up a conversation. 

The first few months after Sooyoung arrived in California proved to be tough. The academics, though challenging, were manageable; she knew what she was signing up for, after all. The community, however, was a bit more difficult. The student organizations were all too…… American, to put it bluntly. Homesickness struck her so terribly, she would purposefully find herself where other Asians congregate like Asian marts and Korean restaurants run by ahjummas or, when she wants to get out of Berkeley, the Asian Art Museum and Koreatown all the way in San Francisco. All just to be around familiar smells and be able to speak Korean without any second thought. 

But sometimes it never was enough. Back in Korea, she was Ha Sooyoung who was lively and moved with utmost determination and sureness. In America, she is Allison Ha, shy but headstrong, diligent, and unyielding. After three semesters, it wasn’t as if she didn’t have any friends in school or had a hard time meeting new people but old habits die hard. It gets tiring to feel as if she was an artificial self, a self outside of the real self. All she wanted was some constant breathing room to be Sooyoung, something she would always try yet fail to find until that one fateful day. Maybe it was the San Francisco wind blowing. Maybe it was some unknown force. Maybe it was the hand of God. But something about the way the stranger looked at the moon jar with sheer thoughtfulness touched her heart. 

“아름답지 않습니까? Isn’t it beautiful?” 

From that moon jar they wound up walking through the entire museum together, commenting sporadically about their thoughts on what they saw and, not wanting the conversation to end, extending it further by having coffee down the block. 

They didn’t know it just yet, but it was a door that signaled an unspoken invitation into each other’s lives. What they did find out was that Ashley is a freshman living in Connecticut and was only there for a swim meet at Stanford. Their chance meeting was thanks to her using up their day off to do some personal research instead of sightseeing and hanging out with the other swimmers (“the pleasure and pain of wanting to be an art curator,” she chuckles). Sooyoung was enamored by her fumbling Korean and huge brown eyes, honey-like under the sunlight, but more importantly her patience in letting her fully compose her thoughts in English (“You don’t have to force yourself to speak in Korean.” “No it’s alright, I want to. But if you insist.”). Both had promised to keep in touch, sending a fury of emails and postcards as they went through the motions of their daily lives. And as the months flew by, letters turned into texts, which turned into video calls. 

As it turns out, it was all Sooyoung needed—a connection that had enough strength to both anchor her and gently push her forward. Her English became more confident, no longer fumbling about being able to use the right words. Allison in America now had more leeway to be as assertive as she would be in Korea. Slowly yet surely, she had learned to wield these identities. And Ashley, who had grown up to be so American with dyed blonde hair and an East Coast accent, began acquainting herself more with who it was to be Kim Jungeun who speaks Korean around her family and unapologetically cusses out racists. 

They took turns taking trips to see each other during breaks—Sooyoung diligently saving up her scholarship allowance and Jungeun having a part-time job as a barista to fly out and see each other. Spring breaks would be wherever Sooyoung fancied, while Lunar New Years, Christmases, and Thanksgivings were spent wherever the Kims would be. Jungeun’s sister became Sooyoung’s sister and the Kims, a second family. 

After Sooyoung’s graduation two years later, she moved to New York. Jungeun followed a year later. Up until that point, they had only considered each other as best friends. Sexuality was never the issue; Sooyoung and Jungeun had both always known that they liked women. Jungeun has had her fair share of flings at Yale which earned Sooyoung’s consolation at the end of each one; Sooyoung has gone on a few dates to Jungeun’s encouragement, none of which ever really went anywhere. 

Being housemates constantly in close proximity became a catalyst for change. Fortunately, and much to the relief of those around them, they finally realized the romantic feelings they’ve harbored for each other all those years. Their routines and that particular period of their lives ran so close to each other, it only felt natural to intertwine them. The next two years became a wonderful period of their lives filled with so much love. Unfortunately, when the road they travelled on had arrived at a fork, they were at an impasse. Sooyoung with her carefully mapped out life had always intended to go back to Korea after completing her master’s degree, not only because of her roots, but because it is simply the place where she wants to continue growing them. She has always talked about wanting to teach in Seoul, and Jungeun had always known. But love has made her stay in America for a year longer than planned. Jungeun on the other hand, may be Korean by heritage but she’s American in everything else and could not find it within her to be anywhere else but beside the Atlantic Ocean. Even when Sooyoung had brought her to Korea the past two summers. Even when Sooyoung had spent more than half of her 20s in America. 

The tension of having to decide left them despondent but they ultimately decided to stick it out and try dating long distance. But after a year of opposing time zones and the increasing demands of adulthood and their burgeoning professional lives, their relationship faltered and fell apart. Both Jungeun and Sooyoung were heartbroken beyond belief. 

***

“And that’s the long and short of why Jungeun and Sooyoung have been awkward over dinner. They tried to stay friends after the break up but that didn’t last long. They haven’t spoken to each other in like, what? Two years? Though I have to give them credit for not making it too obvious.” Jiwoo says, loudly sipping on some strawberry milk to sober up. The convenience store detour she and Jinsol took for late night snacks had become an impromptu entrée on Sooyoung’s life. 

Jinsol doesn’t say a word the entire time, half-dazed and half-drunk, completely absorbed in finishing off her bag of chips. “And if you’re wondering why I told you all this, it’s because I could tell you’re interested in Sooyoung. I’m not telling you to stop, but I am telling you to be patient,” she continues. 

They parted ways after that, Jinsol letting everything she has witnessed and learned simmer on the walk up to her apartment. Physically tired yet unable to sleep, she elects to get some much-needed work done instead.   

***

Sooyoung and Jungeun meet up again the next day, this time at her university office. Since they weren’t able to get anything done at Peach Forest yesterday, they decided to meet somewhere more serious instead. Jungeun briefs Sooyoung on the project she mentioned yesterday: she is to curate an outdoor exhibition in the heart of Seoul and wants Sooyoung to write the exhibit notes as well as translate a couple of Joseon-dynasty texts for it. It was a compelling pitch and she successfully convinces Sooyoung to be on-board. Now with raised spirits, Sooyoung suggests that they head out to the Han River for some ice cream and a walk, much to Jungeun’s surprise.   

“Ashley,” Sooyoung begins in English. “What did you mean yesterday? About having a job offer in Korea.” 

“There’s an art museum that offered a curatorial position here in Seoul, the same one that commissioned the exhibit I’m curating. The contract is good for two years then I can choose to either leave or extend. They also offered me a teaching position, if I happened to be interested.” 

“Are you going to accept it?”

“I told them I’ll make my decision after mounting the fall exhibit.”

“What are you considering?” 

“For starters, I want to see my grandparents and help take care of them now that they’re getting old. And I was thinking that it would be a good opportunity to deepen my knowledge on Korean art—it seems disingenuous to want to be well-versed in Korean art and not truly immerse myself in it, don’t you think? And I feel like I’m at a period in my life where moving forward means getting to know my roots better, you know?” Sooyoung nods. They are all sensible reasons after all. “I’m sorry, I meant to tell you all this in my email but I figured it’ll be better in person. I didn’t want you to think it was because I’m trying to get you back.” 

“It didn’t come across to me like that.” 

Jungeun finds herself unable to respond, so she changes the subject.

“So how’s teaching? Is it as fun as you hoped?” 

“It’s even more fun than I hoped,” Sooyoung says with a gentle smile. Her eyes were sparkling as  she shared anecdotes of her day-to-day life and it made Jungeun’s heart skip a beat. She missed witnessing that. 

“I’m glad you’re happy,” Jungeun smiled.

“I’m glad you’re forging your own path, too,” Sooyoung smiles back. 

The air was starting to feel much lighter when a sudden burst of rain interrupts them—“Let’s make a run for it!”

They made a mad dash for Sooyoung’s car and plopped inside, with Sooyoung immediately turning on the heater. 

“We’re going to catch a cold at this rate. Let’s go dry up at my place.” 

Sooyoung lays out a set of clothes and a towel for Jungeun. 

“Here. The guest bathroom is on the door to your left.”

 Jungeun thanks her and takes her leave. She steps into the shower deep in thought. What do you mean it didn’t come across like that? Have you already moved on? Of course you did, it’s been two years . Tears quietly flowed out of her eyes as she stood in the warm water. 

She steps out of the shower smelling the familiar scent of coffee and walks into the kitchen with Sooyoung carefully watching a Moka pot. She turns to her direction. 

“Just in time, that coffee’s just about finished.” She shuts off the stove, pours two cups of black coffee and sets them on the dining table. 

“Sooyoung,” Jungeun calls out. They stare into each other’s eyes for what feels like forever, Jungeun’s honey-colored eyes reflecting the warm light above them. “Thank you. For the coffee. And for accepting the project. And…,” she trails, “and for seeing me. I really thought you wouldn’t.”

“I… You…,” Sooyoung starts, staring straight into the eyes she thought she’d never get to see again. “You’re still my friend, Ashley. I would never not be happy to see you. Now come on, let me drive you home.”

***

Two weeks have passed and Sooyoung has grown visibly worn out. That day with Jungeun has taken a toll and so she throws herself into her work instead, preparing for the incoming academic year and everything else she can throw herself into except taking care of herself. Because at least when she’s working she can remove herself from her self, just as she has always done. On top of everything, Sooyoung still unfailingly shows up for the morning shift to greet Jinsol. She does so with utmost commitment despite slowly losing color on her cheeks, the growing dark circles around her eyes, and Jiwoo’s insistence to revert her to the afternoon. 

Jinsol notices this shift in Sooyoung’s demeanor as well. Seeing her growing distress, Jinsol asks Sooyoung to approach her like she would a same-age friend. 

“Sooyoung, for everything you’ve done for me these past few weeks, consider this as my way of trying to be even.” 

“Even though technically it’s my job?” Sooyoung protests. Jinsol laughs. “Trust me, you’ve done more for me than just selling coffee and dessert everyday.” They both smile. “Alright then, if you put it that way then I shall oblige. But I don’t even know where to start.” 

“Maybe start with just how you have been these days? You seem like you haven’t been sleeping well.” 

Sooyoung pauses to gather her thoughts, giving in to the idea of letting herself be known. 

“Yeah, I haven’t been sleeping well at all these days. Things have just been so hectic lately.” 

“Like your day job?” 

“Yes and no? Well, at least not really. I’ve been helping Jungeun out with the project she’s working on here in Korea. I’m having a lot of fun with the project itself. It’s just…… Jungeun. It’s a little jarring to see her again—much less work with her—after not being in contact for a long time.” 

“Why haven’t you been? You seem pretty close,” Jinsol innocently prods.

A pause. “Jinsol, have you ever seen yourself with someone for the rest of your life?” Another pause. Jinsol figures it’s a rhetorical question and lets Sooyooung continue.

“It’s a little strange, you know, seeing someone you thought you’d spend the rest of your life with and realizing it’s something you no longer want. I wish I realized much sooner that it was never going to work. It was really lonely out there in America and I never realized how much I tethered myself on to her. She was my rock. My lighthouse. And… and…,” sensing Sooyoung’s flow of emotion, Jinsol squeezes her hand and gives her a reassuring look. “And when she reached out after two years, I was so accepting. And two weeks ago, when she tried to talk about us, I didn’t  have it within me to shut her out of my life.” 

Jinsol nods empathetically, hung up on every word. The lore really runs deep, huh? Sooyoung looks so wistful, Jinsol just wants to take her into her arms and console her. But she restrains herself. “I understand. Not that I’ve been there myself—I haven’t. But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting to rekindle a connection with someone important to you. Maybe what needs to happen now is for you to decide what you truly want from it.” Sooyoung hums. 

Jinsol’s phone alarm sets off, beckoning her to get back to work. “Look, Sooyoung. If you ever need a friend, call me and I’ll be right there,” Jinsol says and writes down her number on a napkin.  

That same day, Jiwoo uses her powers as the boss to intervene the best way that she knew—handing her a glass of Irish coffee to taste test and cornering her after her shift. “Drink and talk to me,” she says with all the assertiveness her tiny figure could muster. 

Sooyoung finally decides to give in. There’s no use in fighting Jiwoo back when cornered. She accepts the cocktail and sighs. “I know I’ve already asked this before but I was never lucid enough to understand,” looking her boss in the eye, “Jiwoo, how did you and Heejin make it through all that time apart?” To which Jiwoo recounts the brief period Heejin spent a year working for a bakery in Paris. “Easy. I knew it was her dream and I didn’t want to hold her back. We both knew it was only going to be for a year anyway so we were able to tough it out.” Sooyoung does not respond, letting out another deep sigh instead before relenting and switching out of the morning shift. 

Sooyoung texts Jinsol if she wants to grab dinner and take a late night walk. Either or. Jinsol takes both. It was a pleasant summer evening, they had pizza and took a stroll around the neighborhood, talking about everything and nothing. As soon as she gets home, Jinsol sends her a playlist of ambient music to help her sleep, and the next day turns up at the café with a bottle of strawberry-flavored melatonin gummies.  

***

Around the turn of the summer solstice, Sooyoung has begun to take more days off Peach Forest to prepare for the fall semester. Chaewon receives her official acceptance to be Sooyoung’s teaching assistant for her literary translation classes, which did not come at all as a surprise. She considered telling her sister about the news but instead she had a better idea: she asked Jinsol to pick her up from school and go have a sister date in Hongdae. 

Chaewon, being the kind and considerate little sister that she is, asks her to wait at the courtyard in front of the Humanities Building. Jinsol does so dutifully when she spots Jungeun enter the building with two iced coffees in hand just as Chaewon joins her. She catches Jinsol trailing her with her eyes until no longer in view. 

“Who’s the lady with brown hair? Do you know her?” “Yeah, I do. We have a couple of mutual friends,” Jinsol replies absent-mindedly, “Why’d you ask?” 

“Nothing,” Chaewon shrugs, “Apparently she’s some up-and-coming curator from the States who’s been asked to work on an exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The professor I’m assisting this semester is writing for it and I’ve been asked to help out.” 

Jinsol squints. “Who is this professor?” 

“The favorite I’ve been telling you about for the past two years, Professor Ha Sooyoung.”

An expression of shock takes over Jinsol’s face. Chaewon smirks.