Minji was a busy wife.
She often found herself working late into the night, whether in the office or at home, tirelessly ensuring that every assignment was completed to perfection.
This often left her wife, Hanni, waiting for long periods, and sometimes, when she couldn't wait any longer, she'd fall asleep first.
Minji’s boss informed her that, with the upcoming Christmas event, she’d have to put in a lot of overtime over the next month. When Minji shared the news with Hanni at breakfast, it made her feel downhearted. She explained that, due to her hectic schedule, she might not even have time for breakfast in the mornings.
With a sigh, she asked Hanni to prepare a bento box for her to take to work. The request only deepened Hanni’s sadness - she couldn’t help but feel neglected. Minji was always so consumed by work, and Hanni couldn’t help but wish she’d notice how much it hurt her that they were growing apart.
Hanni sighed softly as Minji leaned in to give her a gentle kiss before slipping on her shoes and quietly leaving the house.
It had been two years since they married, and Hanni never imagined feeling so distant from her wife. The overwhelming demands of Minji's work had pulled her away, leaving Hanni to navigate the growing silence in their home. As the door clicked shut behind her, Hanni couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. She sat on the couch, her heart heavy with the ache of being unseen, and let herself sob quietly in the stillness.
—
Hanni wandered through the grocery store, her heart light with excitement as she picked out ingredients for dinner. Tonight, she planned to cook Minji’s favourite dish - kimchi soup. It was a special moment, one where she could share a comforting meal and a quiet evening together, just the two of them. As she carefully selected the freshest ingredients, Hanni couldn't help but smile to herself, imagining the warm conversation they’d have as they savoured the meal. Giggling softly, she eagerly made her way back home, looking forward to a cosy night in with her wife.
—
As Hanni began preparing the kimchi-jjigae, she heard the sound of Minji's car pulling into the driveway. A smile tugged at her lips, and as the door opened, she quickly crossed the room and enveloped Minji in a long, deep kiss. "I missed you, baby," Hanni whispered, her voice filled with longing.
Minji sighed, her exhaustion from the day's work evident. "I miss you too, wifey," she said softly, her words carrying a tinge of weariness. "But I'm so tired. I think I'm going to go upstairs and finish up some work for the day. I hope you understand, baby."
With that, Minji walked upstairs, leaving Hanni standing there, her heart sinking. She couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. She didn’t even notice... I'm making her favourite meal, Hanni thought to herself, a quiet ache settling in her chest.
Hanni sat down on the couch, a bowl of hot kimchi-jjigae in her hands, her eyes already moist as the opening credits of Titanic began to roll. It was their movie, the one she and Minji had watched together countless times, a shared love that once bridged their hearts. But tonight, the warmth of the soup did little to soothe the cold emptiness she felt.
As the movie played, Hanni’s mind drifted, her thoughts weighed down by the loneliness she couldn’t shake. She had imagined a different life, one where she and Minji would spend their days wrapped up in each other’s presence, laughter filling the spaces between them. But instead, they seemed worlds apart, even living under the same roof.
—
A week had passed, and Minji was still as buried in work as ever. Her routine had become a monotonous cycle: wake up, work, sleep. There was barely any time for Hanni.
“Baby, could you pass me my other shoe? I can’t find my work shoe,” Minji called out from outside the house. Hanni, ever patient, retrieved the missing shoe from the storage and walked out to meet her wife.
“Thank you, wifey,” Minji said with a soft kiss before slipping her shoe on.
Hanni took a deep breath, her voice soft and steady. “Baby... we've been so distant lately. You know I need some attention too.”
As Hanni spoke, a realisation slowly dawned on Minji. That’s why Hanni has seemed so down lately, she thought, a flicker of understanding crossing her face.
“Huh? Is that why you’ve been so sad, baby?” Minji asked, her tone filled with surprise.
Hanni smiled softly, her eyes gentle. She nodded, watching Minji’s cluelessness melt into concern. She leaned in and gave Minji a reassuring kiss.
“Get to work now, wifey,” she said quietly. “I’ll see you at dinner.” She closed the door behind her, leaving Minji standing in the quiet realisation of how much she had unintentionally neglected her wife.
—
Hanni was out grocery shopping again, this time with a special dinner in mind for her and her wife. She’d picked up some thin-sliced beef, as bulgogi was the choice for today’s dinner, and she was looking forward to surprising Minji with a delicious meal. As she walked into the house, her ears caught the sound of something dropping—an odd clatter that made her pause. Confused and a little concerned, she quickly slipped off her shoes and flicked on the lights.
Before she could say anything, a voice called out, “BABY, WAIT! TURN OFF THE LIGHT—I HAVE SOMETHING PLANNED!”
Hanni couldn’t help but giggle as she recognized Minji’s voice. She shook her head fondly, chuckling to herself as she realised her wife had spoiled the surprise by knocking something over.
“Okay, now come in, baby,” Minji said, her tone playful.
Hanni switched off the light and stepped into the living room, where the scent of vanilla hit her nose immediately. The soft glow of a candle flickered in the dim light, casting a warm, intimate ambiance. Rose petals were scattered messily across the floor, and the opening scene of Titanic began to play on the TV. Minji stood in the middle of the room, a huge smile on her face, her arms opening wide as she ran to embrace her wife.
“You came back early, baby,” Hanni murmured softly, not wanting to break the embrace.
Minji giggled, hugging her tightly. “Well, I wanted to spend time with you. Go ahead, take a seat. I’ll bring you some food.”
Hanni started to protest. “But I already bought—”
“No buts,” Minji interrupted, her tone teasing yet sweet. “I’m making dinner tonight. Now go sit down.”
Hanni sank into the couch, her eyes lighting up as Minji approached, carrying two steaming bowls of instant noodles. One was Shin Ramyeon Black for Minji, the other her favourite, the spicy seafood-flavoured Neoguri.
"Aww, baby," Hanni giggled, her heart melting at the sight of Minji's carefully crafted culinary attempt.
Minji pouted, a little embarrassed. "Well, wifey, you know I can't cook, but I tried my best!" She set the bowls down on the table, her cheeks flushed with pride and a hint of shyness.
Hanni's smile softened, her gaze filled with affection as she leaned in to press a gentle kiss to Minji's lips. "Yes, baby," she murmured, the words barely escaping before their lips met again, this time deepening into a sweet, intimate kiss, their love for each other more evident with every passing moment.
As their bodies dropped onto the couch together, Minji's fingers sought for Hanni's neck before Hanni stopped her. As Minji whimpers, Hanni jokingly rolled her eyes and said, "Baby, we can put that off until tonight. Let's finish the food and the movie first." Minji gave Hanni a wink as she hurried back into the kitchen, saying, "You promise wifey, tonight."
Hanni giggled to herself, thinking about how adorable and silly her wife was. Minji hurried back from the kitchen, two bottles of banana milk in hand, one with a straw already in it. "I remember you don’t like drinking banana milk with the straw on," Minji said with a calm smile, handing Hanni one of the bottles. Hanni giggled at the thought of how Minji paid attention to every little detail about her.
They sat close together, almost cuddling, as they ate their noodles and watched Titanic. Hanni, unable to contain her curiosity, looked at Minji and asked, "No overtime tonight, baby?"
Minji sighed, resting her head on Hanni’s shoulder. "Nah, there’s always work... but I’d rather spend time with you," she said, her voice soft with a hint of guilt. "I feel bad for not giving you the attention you deserve. I want my wifey to get the best treatment too, you know?" Minji whined, burying her face in Hanni’s neck.
"I’m so sorry. Work’s been tough, but you know I care about you so much...". Before she could finish, Minji was interrupted by a deep kiss from Hanni. "I understand everything, baby," Hanni whispered, kissing Minji’s nose and forehead. "I’m just happy you’re here with me tonight. Let’s make the most of it, okay?"
Minji nodded, a soft smile playing on her lips as they finished their banana milk, noodles, and the movie together.
As the credits rolled, Minji had drifted off to sleep, resting her head on Hanni’s shoulder. Hanni smiled softly, careful not to wake her as she got up to clear the table. She gently gathered the empty dishes and threw them away, chuckling to herself as she saw Minji curled up on the couch, drooling onto the pillow. "What a baby," Hanni thought, her heart full.
Minji had been working so hard lately, so Hanni understood if she fell asleep during their movie time. Still, Hanni couldn’t resist teasing her. "Minji, babyyy, get uppp," she whined playfully, giving her wife soft kisses all over her face to wake her up.
Hanni’s eyes twinkled when she noticed the little smirk on Minji’s face. She knew her wife wasn’t actually asleep—she was just enjoying the attention. Hanni rolled her eyes, laughing softly at Minji’s playful trick. "You little tease," she murmured, her heart full of love for the woman who meant everything to her.
Hanni playfully muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Minji to hear, "Well, I guess we won’t be doing IT tonight then..."
Minji’s head whipped around, her eyes wide with disbelief. "BUT BABY, YOU PROMISED!" she exclaimed, her voice a mix of surprise and desperation.
Hanni couldn’t help but laugh at Minji’s reaction, the sight of her pouting just too adorable. With a mischievous grin, Hanni grabbed the collar of Minji’s shirt, giving it a teasing tug. She winked and let go, then turned to slowly make her way to their bedroom.
As she walked away, Hanni sent one last wink over her shoulder, knowing it would drive Minji wild. Minji, now in full-on pursuit, sprinted after her, slamming the bedroom door shut behind her.
It was clear — it was going to be a long, busy night.