When it gets hot, the breeze is hitting slowly
& I get high on every word you told me…
Give me just a little more to calm me.
The sun filtered through the curtains, casting golden lines over the rumpled sheets. Outside, the city awoke with its incessant hum of distant car horns and hurried footsteps on the sidewalk, but inside the room, everything was calm.
A sleepy warmth enveloped the space, the echo of their steady breaths filling the air.
Jaeyi slowly opened her eyes, feeling the familiar weight of an arm wrapped around her waist. She smiled without even thinking. She still hadn’t gotten used to waking up like this, with Seulgi’s warmth beside her, her calm breath brushing against her neck, with the reality that she no longer had to suppress what she felt or disguise it behind sharp remarks and challenging looks.
Carefully, she shifted just enough to see Seulgi’s sleeping face. Her hair was messy, sprawled out over the pillow, and her lips parted slightly with each slow breath. She looked so different from the usual Seulgi—the one who never showed weakness, the one who always had a clever retort for everything, the one who never admitted when something affected her.
Here, in the stillness of the morning, Seulgi wasn’t the rival, the tireless competitor, the one who always had to prove her strength. Here, she was just her. Just Seulgi.
Jaeyi felt her chest tighten with an unexpected warmth.
She couldn’t resist the temptation to lightly trace the line of her jaw with the tips of her fingers, just a touch. Seulgi grunted softly in response, scrunching her nose before burying her face deeper into the pillow.
“Stop staring at me,” she murmured, her voice hoarse from sleep.
Jaeyi smiled, gently stroking her hair.
"I'm not looking," she lied shamelessly.
Seulgi cracked open one eye, giving her that look of disbelief she always gave Jaeyi when she said something ridiculous.
"You’re so bad at lying."
"And you're so bad at waking up."
"Let me sleep for five more minutes," Seulgi pleaded, hugging her tighter and burying her face into her neck.
Jaeyi chuckled softly, feeling a slight shiver run down her skin when Seulgi’s lips unintentionally brushed her collarbone.
"If you keep hugging me like this, I won’t let you sleep at all."
Seulgi stayed silent for a moment, as if processing her words through the fog of sleep. Then, with a deep sigh, she pulled back just enough to look at her.
"Is that a challenge?"
Jaeyi raised an eyebrow, amused.
"Not everything is a competition, Seulgi."
"With you, it always is."
And then, without warning, Seulgi rolled her over on the bed, pinning her under her weight with ease. Jaeyi let out a surprised laugh as Seulgi looked at her with that mischievous expression, that spark of challenge that never left her eyes.
"See?" Seulgi whispered, leaning in just enough for her lips to brush Jaeyi’s without fully kissing her. "I win again."
Jaeyi rolled her eyes, but her heart was beating too fast to be convincing.
"If winning means you’re going to get me up early to gloat, then I’m losing on purpose."
Seulgi smiled against her lips.
"You don’t need to lose on purpose, you do it all the time."
"You just want another excuse to kiss me."
"Always."
The kiss Seulgi gave her then was slow, sweet, as if time didn’t exist and there was no rush for anything. Jaeyi closed her eyes, surrendering to the moment, savoring the feeling of being exactly where she wanted to be.
When they pulled away, their foreheads stayed pressed together, their breaths mingling.
"We’re going to be late," Jaeyi murmured, though she made no attempt to move.
"Let them wait," Seulgi replied with a lazy smile. "It’s our first morning as official girlfriends. We deserve this."
Jaeyi felt a flutter in her chest when she heard those words. Girlfriends. She still had a hard time believing it. After so many fights, so much denial of what they felt, after months of circling around a truth that had been right in front of them all along… now they were here.
Together.
"Yes," she whispered, gently caressing Seulgi’s cheek. "We deserve this."
Silence settled between them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was one of those silences you only share with someone who truly understands you, someone with whom you don’t need to fill the empty spaces with unnecessary words.
Jaeyi sighed against Seulgi’s skin and closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the warmth of her girlfriend’s body against hers.
The term still felt strange in her head—"girlfriend"—but in the best possible way. Seulgi had already been her everything for so long, only now they could both acknowledge it without fear.
"I don’t want to move from here," Seulgi murmured, burying her face in the curve of Jaeyi’s neck.
"You never want to get out of bed," Jaeyi replied with a smile, running her fingers through Seulgi’s hair.
"Today, less than ever."
Jaeyi let out a quiet laugh, but couldn’t help feeling the same. She didn’t want this moment to end, didn’t want to leave the warmth of the blankets and face the daily routine.
Not when Seulgi was still holding onto her with that carefree air, but with fingers slightly trembling, as if she feared this was all a dream and Jaeyi might disappear if she let go.
"What?" Seulgi asked, noticing the way Jaeyi was looking at her.
Jaeyi didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she slid her fingers along Seulgi’s jawline, stopping at her chin before slowly moving up to her lips. Seulgi slightly parted her mouth, expectant, but Jaeyi just smiled.
"Nothing," she whispered. "I’m just looking at you."
Seulgi frowned with mock annoyance.
"You always do that."
"Do what?"
"Look at me like you’re discovering something new about me."
Jaeyi tilted her head, thoughtful.
"I think there’s always something new to discover."
Seulgi blinked, and for a moment, the teasing disappeared from her face. It was replaced with something softer, more vulnerable. Something Seulgi rarely allowed others to see.
Jaeyi took advantage of the moment to lean in and kiss her again, slowly and leisurely, as if she had all the time in the world to explore every corner of her lips. Seulgi responded immediately, deepening the kiss with the ease of someone who already knew every one of her movements too well.
Their hands slid down Jaeyi’s back, pulling her closer, until there was no space left between them.
Their breathing became more ragged, and Jaeyi shivered when Seulgi’s lips left hers, brushing her jaw before slowly descending down her neck.
"Seulgi…" Her voice came out as barely a whisper.
"Mm?" Seulgi replied, not stopping, leaving a trail of kisses on her skin.
Jaeyi shivered and buried her fingers in Seulgi’s hair. For a moment, she forgot they had to get up, that the morning was still moving forward, that reality existed outside of that bed.
But then, the sound of her phone vibrating on the nightstand broke the bubble of intimacy. Seulgi groaned against Jaeyi's neck, and Jaeyi let out a laugh, pulling away just enough to look at the screen.
"Who's that?" Seulgi asked, her voice raspy.
"It looks like we have a meeting in an hour," Jaeyi replied, ignoring the notification and placing the phone back in its place.
Seulgi looked at her as if she were seriously considering turning off the world completely.
"You know what that means, right?"
"That we have to get up."
"No, that we still have half an hour."
Jaeyi laughed as Seulgi pulled her back toward her, burying her face in her neck again.
"Seulgi, we're going to be late."
"Let them wait."
Jaeyi sighed, but couldn't help but smile as Seulgi hugged her tighter, refusing to let go.
And honestly, she didn’t want to leave just yet either.
Time continued to pass, but neither of them made the slightest effort to move. Seulgi kept her face buried in Jaeyi's neck, her arms firmly around her waist, as if that could stop the morning and stretch this moment indefinitely.
"If we say goodbye now, it won’t be as hard," Jaeyi whispered, though she didn’t believe her words herself.
Seulgi let out a sound that was almost a growl.
"I don't care about making it easier." She replied sleepily. "I care about staying here."
Jaeyi smiled against her hair and let the silence settle between them again, only the rhythmic sound of their shared breathing filling the space. Outside, the world kept turning, relentless, but in here, everything was on pause.
Finally, it was Seulgi who spoke first, though her voice came out in a near inaudible murmur.
"I never thought I'd wake up like this with you."
Jaeyi tensed slightly before exhaling and sliding a hand down Seulgi's back, recognizing the weight of that confession.
"Why not?"
"I don't know," Seulgi shrugged. "I guess I thought... that what we had would never get to this point."
Jaeyi pulled away just enough to look her in the eyes.
"And now what do you think?"
Seulgi studied her for a moment, as if carefully choosing her words. Then, a small smile appeared on her face, a genuine one, with no trace of her usual irony.
"That I don’t want it to end."
Jaeyi felt something in her chest tighten, but not in a painful way. It was the kind of emotion that warms you from the inside, making you feel that no matter what happens next, everything has been worth it.
She leaned in to kiss her again, more gently this time, like a silent promise.
Seulgi sighed against her lips before responding, not with the urgency from before, but with a sweetness that made the world shrink down to just the two of them.
But the persistent vibration of the phone interrupted them again. This time, Seulgi didn’t even try to hide her annoyance.
“They’re going to kill us if we don’t hurry,” Jaeyi said, though she wasn’t too eager to move either.
Seulgi closed her eyes and let out a dramatic sigh.
“Fine,” she finally said. “But I warn you, when the day is over, I’ll kidnap you back into this bed.”
Jaeyi laughed.
“That sounds like a threat.”
“It’s a promise.”
Jaeyi shook her head, amused, before finally pulling away and rolling off the bed. Seulgi followed her with an exaggerated sigh, but when they stood up, their hands found each other again, their fingers naturally intertwining.
And as they made their way to the bathroom to start the day, Jaeyi couldn’t help but think that, if this was what it meant to be with Seulgi, then she didn’t want it to ever end.
Seulgi didn’t let go of her hand even when they entered the bathroom. Jaeyi glanced at her sideways, amused by her insistence, but she made no attempt to pull away.
“Are you going to kidnap me here too?” she asked with a playful smile while turning on the sink faucet.
Seulgi leaned against the wall, still holding her hand, and watched her with that mischievous gleam in her eyes.
“Not a bad idea.”
Jaeyi scoffed, but her smile remained.
“If we keep this up, we’re never going to leave here all day.”
Seulgi made a careless gesture.
“I don’t see the problem.”
Jaeyi rolled her eyes before leaning over to wash her face with cold water. When she straightened up, she felt Seulgi step closer from behind, her presence enveloping her like a warm shadow.
“You’ve got soap here,” Seulgi murmured, gently sliding her fingers along Jaeyi’s jaw to wipe away a small trace of foam.
The touch was so light that Jaeyi barely felt it, but her skin immediately tingled.
Her breath became a little more shallow when Seulgi didn’t immediately pull away, but instead left her hand resting there, the thumb distractedly tracing circles against her skin.
“Seulgi?” she whispered, not daring to move.
Seulgi exhaled slowly, and though Jaeyi couldn’t see her, she knew she was smiling.
“You said we deserved this, right?”
Jaeyi swallowed.
“Yeah…”
“Then I don’t think anyone can blame me for wanting this just a little bit more.”
Her voice was low, rougher than usual. Jaeyi felt her stomach tighten at the way Seulgi spoke those words, as if she were testing a boundary that she wasn’t sure she wanted to cross.
Seulgi tilted her face, and Jaeyi could feel her breath brush against her cheek, a nearly imperceptible touch that made her skin burn.
For a second, she thought Seulgi was going to kiss her right there, in that small bathroom where the outside world seemed to have stopped.
But then, Seulgi sighed and pulled away with a soft laugh.
“Come on, if we keep wasting time, we really are going to be late.”
Jaeyi blinked, still feeling the heat of her closeness in every corner of her skin. Seulgi was already walking away, acting as if nothing had happened, but Jaeyi could see the satisfied smile on her lips, as if she knew exactly what she had done.
Jaeyi took a deep breath before shaking her head and grabbing a towel to dry her face.
“You’re definitely going to kill me one day,” she murmured.
Seulgi just laughed and left the bathroom, leaving her there with her heart beating too fast for a simple morning.
The morning breeze greeted them as they left the apartment, the cool air dissipating some of the lingering heat on Jaeyi's skin. Seulgi walked beside her, hands in the pockets of her jacket, moving with that carefree attitude that Jaeyi found as irritating as it was charming.
“Are we taking my car, or do you prefer yours?” Seulgi asked, turning her head to look at her.
Jaeyi clicked her tongue.
“Why ask if you’re always going to convince me to drive yours anyway?”
Seulgi gave her a half-smile.
“I like it when you agree without fighting.”
“I don’t agree, I just give in because I know you’ll insist.”
Seulgi laughed and pulled the keys from her pocket, spinning them on her finger before unlocking the car.
“Call it whatever you want.”
Jaeyi sighed but couldn’t stop the smile that crept onto her face as she walked around the car to sit in the passenger seat. Once inside, Seulgi started the engine and turned up the heat a little.
“Coffee on the way?” Seulgi asked as she merged into traffic.
Jaeyi tilted her head, thoughtful.
“I don’t want to be late.”
“We can grab it at the drive-thru.”
Jaeyi glanced at her sideways.
“Since when are you so considerate?”
Seulgi raised an eyebrow.
“Since I realized that a Jaeyi without coffee in the morning is more dangerous than any of our bosses.”
Jaeyi laughed and shook her head.
“You’re unbearable.”
“I know. But you like me that way.”
Jaeyi crossed her arms and looked out the window, but couldn’t help the curve of her lips as she heard the confident tone in Seulgi’s voice.
Traffic wasn’t too heavy, so they reached the café in just a few minutes. While waiting in the drive-thru line, Seulgi stretched lazily in her seat.
“What’s on your agenda for today?”
Jaeyi sighed.
“Review reports, attend a meeting that’s probably going to be a waste of time, and stop you from causing problems.”
“Me?” Seulgi placed a hand on her chest, feigning offense. “Why do you always assume I’m the one causing trouble?”
Jaeyi looked at her incredulously.
“Do you want me to make a list?”
Seulgi smiled with amusement and turned the radio volume up, clearly not intending to argue any further.
After grabbing their coffees, the rest of the drive passed in comfortable silence. Jaeyi held her cup between her hands, enjoying the warmth seeping through the cardboard. Seulgi, on the other hand, took small sips while driving with one hand.
When they arrived at the building, Jaeyi sighed and glanced at her watch.
“Alright, we have five minutes before we’re officially late.”
Seulgi looked at her with a confident smile.
“Enough time for this.”
Before Jaeyi could ask, Seulgi leaned in and pressed a quick kiss on her cheek, right along the line of her jaw.
It wasn’t a passionate kiss, not even prolonged, but the gesture, accompanied by the way Seulgi smiled afterward, made Jaeyi’s stomach tighten.
“Come on, boss,” Seulgi said, winking before getting out of the car.
Jaeyi took a few seconds to react before opening the door with an exasperated sigh. Seulgi was already heading toward the building’s entrance, coffee in one hand and the other in her pocket. Jaeyi followed, quickening her pace to catch up.
Seulgi was definitely going to be a problem during her workday. But she was her favorite problem.
They entered the building with the ease of people who knew every corner of the place. The receptionist greeted them with a nod, and Jaeyi, as always, responded with a slight polite bow. Seulgi, on the other hand, simply raised her coffee in greeting.
“See? We’re not late,” Seulgi murmured with a mischievous smile as they crossed the lobby.
Jaeyi shot her a warning look.
“We’re not at our desks yet.”
“Oh, so now the challenge is who gets there first?”
Before Jaeyi could respond, Seulgi had already taken a step forward and started walking faster. Jaeyi clicked her tongue but ended up playing along, quickening her pace until she was at her side.
“Don’t be childish,” she said with feigned indifference.
“Childish?” Seulgi pretended to be indignant. “It’s competitive spirit. I thought you liked challenges.”
Jaeyi shook her head but couldn’t help smiling.
They took the elevator, and as always, Seulgi pressed the button before Jaeyi could do it. She stood triumphantly and gave Jaeyi a light push with her shoulder.
“First to press the button. Does that count as a victory?”
Jaeyi sighed.
“If that’s how your mind works, maybe I should be concerned about your work capacity.”
Seulgi laughed, but didn’t reply. Instead, she turned her head and watched Jaeyi in silence. Jaeyi felt the weight of her gaze and crossed her arms.
“What?”
Seulgi smiled softly.
“Nothing. It’s just that I like seeing you like this.”
Jaeyi raised an eyebrow.
“Like how?”
“Relaxed. Playing along with me without complaining.”
Jaeyi felt the heat rise to her face, but forced herself to maintain composure.
“Don’t get used to it.”
The elevator doors opened, and Jaeyi was the first to step out. Seulgi followed her with a calm pace, a satisfied smile on her lips.
When they reached the office, Jaeyi focused on checking her email, though Seulgi’s presence at the desk beside her was impossible to ignore. It wasn’t just because she could see her out of the corner of her eye or because she occasionally heard her laughing at something on her phone.
It was deeper, more intimate. It was the certainty that she was there.
A couple of hours passed in relative silence until Seulgi leaned over Jaeyi’s desk, interrupting her concentration.
“Should we have lunch together today?”
Jaeyi took off her glasses and massaged the bridge of her nose.
“And if I have other plans?”
Seulgi rested her elbow on the table and looked at her with a confident smile.
“You don’t.”
Jaeyi pressed her lips together, but her silence was answer enough.
“I knew it,” Seulgi whispered before pulling back, clearly pleased with herself.
Jaeyi sighed, but when she looked back at her screen, she realized she had a small smile on her lips.
When lunchtime arrived, Jaeyi tried to pretend she was still busy, but Seulgi was already standing next to her desk, waiting for her with a patience she only used with her.
“Shall we go?” Seulgi asked casually, as if there was no doubt Jaeyi would accept.
Jaeyi sighed, put her phone away, and stood up.
“You're too persistent.”
“And you’re too difficult. But I like you that way.”
Jaeyi rolled her eyes, but her smile gave her away.
They left the office and walked together to a nearby café. It wasn’t the most sophisticated place, but there was something cozy about its quiet atmosphere. Seulgi insisted on ordering for both of them, and when she returned with the food, Jaeyi looked at her suspiciously.
“What did you order?”
Seulgi smiled innocently.
“Your favorite.”
Jaeyi raised an eyebrow, took a bite, and when the taste spread in her mouth, she looked at her in surprise.
“How did you know I liked this?”
Seulgi rested her chin on her hand and watched her with a satisfied air.
“I listen when you talk, Jaeyi.”
The simple comment caught her off guard. Jaeyi felt an inexplicable warmth in her chest, but she didn’t let Seulgi notice.
“That’s the least you should do.”
“I know. But I like paying attention to you.”
Jaeyi tried to focus on her food, but the weight of Seulgi’s gaze made everything feel different. They weren’t in the office, they weren’t in the middle of one of their usual arguments. It was just the two of them, no barriers, no need to compete.
Seulgi put down her fork and leaned slightly forward.
“I like having lunch with you.”
Jaeyi felt her heart race for no apparent reason.
“We only had lunch because you insisted.”
“Don’t ruin it,” Seulgi murmured with a smile. “Let me enjoy this.”
Jaeyi looked away, but couldn’t help smiling.
“You’re unbearable.”
“And yet, here you are with me.”
The rest of the lunch passed with light conversations, teasing comments, and smiles they both pretended not to notice. When they returned to the office, Jaeyi felt something strange in the air. As if something had changed. As if, little by little, Seulgi was breaking down her defenses without her realizing it.
And the most worrying thing was that it didn’t bother her as much as it should.
The rest of the afternoon passed with a deceptive normality. Seulgi returned to her office, Jaeyi to her desk, and both of them immersed themselves in work as if the lunch had meant nothing. As if there hadn’t been glances that lasted a little longer than necessary or hidden smiles between words.
But Jaeyi felt the change. Every time she looked up, she found Seulgi watching her from the other side of the hall, with that half-smile that seemed to understand her thoughts better than she did herself.
And that made her nervous.
When the clock marked the end of the workday, Jaeyi sighed, packed her things, and headed for the exit. She hoped Seulgi had already left, but as soon as she stepped out of the building, a familiar voice stopped her.
"Are you avoiding me?"
Jaeyi turned calmly, although her heart was beating fast.
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm just heading to the car."
Seulgi tilted her head with amusement.
"And if I invite you to dinner?"
Jaeyi looked at her skeptically.
"Now you're also having dinner with me?"
"Why not? We had lunch together, we work together, we fight together... It makes sense."
Jaeyi crossed her arms, evaluating her.
"And if I say no..."
"I'll accept it," Seulgi replied with a smile. "But you'll regret it when you remember that I'm a good cook."
Jaeyi exhaled, feeling that, once again, Seulgi was pulling her along at her pace, and there was nothing she could do to avoid it.
"If the food is bad, I'll let you know."
"I know. But you'll like it."
And without saying anything more, Seulgi took the lead, walking with confidence as if she already knew Jaeyi would follow her.
Jaeyi sighed and shook her head before silently following her steps as they crossed the parking lot toward the car.
The afternoon was already starting to fade, and the cool air brushed their faces. Seulgi couldn't stop smiling, that smile that always made Jaeyi nervous and, at the same time, filled her with a strange warmth in her chest. Jaeyi tried to ignore it as she got into the car, but the atmosphere felt different, as if something else was in the air.
The drive to Seulgi's house was silent, with the radio off and the sound of the engine filling the space between them. Jaeyi looked out the window, trying not to think about what had just happened, about the small smiles, the subtle gestures, everything that had changed in their relationship in such a short time.
The idea of being with Seulgi, of making this work, still seemed like a challenge, but at the same time, an opportunity she wasn't willing to let slip away.
When they arrived at the house, Seulgi got out quickly, almost as if she was waiting for Jaeyi to follow her. And she did, without thinking too much, following the rhythm of the woman who, with every step, seemed to make her doubts fade a little more.
Seulgi opened the door and went in first, taking off her shoes as if she were in her own home, which, in a way, was true.
Jaeyi watched her for a few seconds before doing the same, taking off her shoes and entering the hallway. Seulgi's house was cozy, warm, and had just the right touch of clutter that made it feel authentic. Despite its simplicity, there was something about the place that made Jaeyi feel at ease, as if it were her home too.
"I'm going to make something simple, is that okay?" Seulgi asked, already heading toward the kitchen, not really waiting for an answer.
Jaeyi followed her and leaned against the doorframe, watching as Seulgi began taking out the ingredients.
"Simple, you say..." Jaeyi smiled, crossing her arms. "What does that mean?"
Seulgi looked at her over her shoulder, smiling with that confidence that defined her.
"It means you don't need to worry about anything. Just sit down and relax."
Jaeyi raised an eyebrow, still unsure of what that implied. But somehow, Seulgi's carefree attitude made her feel at ease.
As if everything was in its place, even though she couldn’t explain why.
Seulgi began working in the kitchen with skill, moving gracefully as she chopped, mixed, and seasoned. Jaeyi watched without being able to help it, admiring the way Seulgi moved naturally, as if she were in her own space, completely in control.
There was something in her demeanor that made Jaeyi feel curious, even more attracted to her than she was willing to admit.
"I'll make you a dish you'll love," Seulgi said, looking at Jaeyi with a mischievous expression.
Jaeyi moved a little closer, unable to resist.
"If you say that, it better taste good."
Seulgi smiled, still working, while Jaeyi sat on the kitchen counter, watching her.
The aroma of the food began to fill the house, and Jaeyi allowed herself to relax, enjoying the feeling of being in this space with Seulgi, doing something as mundane as sharing a dinner after a long workday.
However, the silence between them was charged with something more. There was a subtle tension, almost imperceptible, but one Jaeyi couldn't ignore.
The brush of hands passing utensils, the fleeting glances—everything seemed tinged with something more. Something closer, more personal.
The food was ready soon, and they both sat at the table. Seulgi served with a satisfied smile, as if she knew she was about to impress Jaeyi, and, in fact, she was. Jaeyi took the first bite and smiled genuinely.
"It's amazing," she admitted, unable to stop herself.
Seulgi looked at her with a triumphant expression.
"I knew it."
Jaeyi chuckled softly, letting the light atmosphere of the moment envelop her.
Seulgi, so self-assured, so charming, had the ability to make anything seem easy. As if everything she wanted, she could get with just a smile.
As they ate, their conversation flowed naturally. There were no pressures, no tensions, just the warmth of being together.
Jaeyi felt that everything that had happened between them in the last few weeks had been a dream, a rollercoaster of emotions, but now, with Seulgi in front of her, everything felt more real than ever.
When they finished eating, Seulgi gathered the plates and left them in the sink, but before turning to Jaeyi, she approached her with a playful smile.
"Do you want to do something after dinner?"
Jaeyi looked at her with a mix of curiosity and caution, but couldn’t help a smile in return.
"What do you suggest?"
Seulgi shrugged nonchalantly, as if she had a thousand ideas in mind, but she got close enough to whisper.
"Watch a movie... Or we could just stay here. You decide."
Jaeyi was silent for a moment, feeling her heart beat faster. There was something in that closeness, in that look, that made her feel like they were starting a new chapter of their lives, together.
"Let’s stay here," she finally responded, and Seulgi nodded with a softer, closer smile.