Work Text:
They met when they were sixteen, old enough to be adults, they thought.
It was a funny story, actually. Well, her mother hadn’t thought so when she told her. But then again, her mother thought nothing she did was funny.
Miyeon was at a party, normal for a sixteen-soon-seventeen-year-old. Beer cans and empty glasses were scattered all over the floor, making it difficult not to trip. In a corner stood a couple with their tongues in each other’s throats. In the middle of the room were shirtless guys, high on testosterone as they competed on who could swallow their drink the quickest.
The room was dimmed, making it hard to see. Although, that could just as well have been a result of the three shots Miyeon swallowed fifteen minutes ago.
Now, her lipstick was smeared over her lips. She’d somehow ended up with a guy in one of the bedrooms upstairs. The teenager was sure she saw a picture of Pinocchio on one of the walls, before she lost herself in pleasure.
She had no idea where the guy had disappeared to, but she didn’t care. She got laid and super drunk, so she couldn’t really ask for more.
Stumbling through the living room, she finally ended up in the kitchen. A glass of water should fix her blurry vision.
Miyeon had no idea who owned the house, she had never seen the white walls and modern furniture before. As she roamed through the pantry, she found herself getting agitated at the lack of glasses. Realising the situation, she giggled.
At last, she gave up and moved towards the tap, lowering her head and almost moaned when the ice cold water filled her mouth.
When she stood up, she almost fell from the rapid motion, but luckily managed to save herself.
Contently, she dried the drops around her mouth with the back of her hand and smiled as she turned around.
Behind her were glass doors to the backyard, where there was a gleaming pool and teenagers dancing around it. She was about to dismiss it, take a trip back upstairs and lock herself in one of the bathrooms until she was sober enough to find a new guy to hook up with. However, something caught her eye. Or rather, someone.
In the middle of the party people was a group of three small sofas, only big enough for two butts each. One was covered in cups, another one was occupied by a passed out girl, and on the last one sat a figure with bangs hanging down over her eyes, and a joint pressed between her lips.
Miyeon found that she merely seconds later ended up just in front of the mysterious girl.
She was still a little too drunk to make out more of her than her bangs and long black hair, but she figured she got her point across when she reached her hand towards the paper-roll.
“You sure about that?” the voice was sweet and rather high.
Miyeon nodded.
She fell down on the couch, feeling how her arm met the other girl’s arm. Her lips wrapped around the little piece of paper, and she inhaled deeply, before throwing herself forwards to cough up whatever she’d just forced down her throat.
Hanging her head between her legs, she gave the joint back.
“First time?” the girl snickered and gently patted her back.
“Didn’t know it’d feel so…” Miyeon clicked her tongue, trying to find the right words.
“Like you’re inhaling fire?” the other girl finished for her, making Miyeon nod. “You get used to it.”
After coughing some more, Miyeon lifted her head back up. She fell back on the couch, resting her neck against it. Then, she slowly turned her head towards the other, who was looking at her with a wide smile.
The fringed girl had deep, brown eyes and a cute, wide nose. Her lips were somewhere between pink and purple, while her fingernails were painted black.
“I’m Minnie,” the girl reached her free hand out for Miyeon.
“Miyeon,” the other girl answered.
“Pretty name,” Minnie commented. “Miyeon, overflows with beauty. Suits you.”
The girl felt a slight blush creep up her cheeks.
“What about you?”
Minnie looked up at her with a crooked eyebrow.
“What does your name mean?”
Minnie inhaled her joint and studied it for a minute, before looking back at Miyeon.
“That my parents were obsessed with Mickey Mouse,” she said in a serious tone.
Miyeon snickered.
“It could’ve been worse!” the older girl stated. “At least they didn’t actually name you Mickey.”
“I guess so,” Minnie smiled. “I’m lucky that one went to my brother.”
“For real?” Miyeon chuckled.
“I wouldn’t lie to you, Miyeon,” the younger girl said slowly. “You’re way to pretty for that.”
Miyeon blushed again. Minnie had a teasing smile on her lips, and if Miyeon wasn’t exhausted, she would’ve attacked her.
Instead, the older girl looked back at the crowd. They were all still dancing widely to an early two thousands hit. Britney Spears’ voice was overshadowed by all the screams, however.
The passed-out girl on the other couch grumbled a little as she turned around.
“That’s my friend Soyeon,” Minnie said close to Miyeon’s ear. “She’s not really a party animal. Can’t say that I’m one either.”
“Me either,” Miyeon said. “I’ve been in one of the bedrooms basically all night.”
“So you’re telling me I could’ve met you way earlier, when I wasn’t completely stoned?”
The older girl looked at the other.
“I would’ve loved to see your face in HD,” Minnie snickered before she placed down the last of her joint on the table.
Miyeon rolled her eyes and placed her neck on the back of the couch again.
It was quite chilly outside. A few winds puffed at her face, the smell of sweat, weed and alcohol infiltrating her lungs. Reaching her hand towards the sky, she tried to count the stars she was seeing.
“One, two, three…” she whispered gently.
“Are you really drunk?” Minnie suddenly asked.
“Yeah,” Miyeon whispered as an answer.
“Damn,” the fringed girl let out. “I guess it’s not the right time to ask you for your number, then.”
One side of Miyeon’s mouth raised.
“Well then,” Miyeon lifted her head as Minnie stood up. “I gotta go find my friend’s girlfriend. You know, the one who was supposed to look out for her. You don’t know a Song Yuqi, do you?”
The name did ring a bell somewhere far back in her mind, but Miyeon didn’t have enough brain power to work through that thought, so she shook her head.
“Crap,” Minnie muttered. “Wish me good luck.”
The fringed girl nodded once with a grin, before she turned around and started heading inside.
Miyeon bit her lower lip and swallowed.
“Cho Miyeon,” she shouted, watching as Minnie stopped.
The younger girl slowly turned around, now with a wider grin on her lips. She looked the older girl up and down, before she nodded once again.
“Until we meet again, Cho Miyeon,” she said, and walked off.
Biting her bottom lip, Miyeon laid her head back down. She wrapped her own arms around herself, as she thought about Minnie. She left pretty early that night. Bringing another guy up to the Pinocchio room didn’t sound as appealing anymore.
The Korean girl left out several facts when she told the story to her mom. Like the fact that she was drunk, or that Minnie was smoking, that Miyeon just had slept with someone and that they were at a high school part at all. To her mother, they’d just met at an innocent movie night at Soyeon’s house, because Soyeon’s girlfriend knew Shuhua, whose girlfriend knew Miyeon.
Miyeon had made sure to tell Minnie this version, so that there wouldn’t be any confusion when Minnie met her parents, which she did on a rainy night in November.
Halloween was around the corner, and then came Christmas. Minnie was going home to Thailand for the holidays, so she had persuaded Miyeon to let her meet her parents before that.
The Korean girl was upstairs in her room, gently swiping her soft brush over her cheeks. She also put some pink lipgloss on her lips, because she knew Minnie’s gaze lingered there a little longer than anywhere else.
When the doorbell rang, Miyeon run down the stairs, almost stumbling on the way there. She wanted to save Minnie the trauma of having to meet her parents without her.
After taking a deep breath, she opened the door.
Minnie had a wide smile on her face. She wore light makeup - some mascara and some blush - and a pair of light jeans paired with a white blouse, and a jean jacket on top of that. Her pupils were a little bigger than they should be, but not big enough so that her parents would notice. In her hands she held a bouquet of pink flowers.
“Hey,” Minnie greeted.
Miyeon wrapped her in a gentle hug and then reached for the flowers, which Minnie shoved away.
“Not for you,” she said teasingly.
Miyeon crossed her arms grumpily.
“You look really nice,” the Thai said as a peace offering.
Miyeon, in her purple flower dress, accepted it as a smile spread across her lips.
“Hello there,” Miyeon’s mother appeared behind her.
The older girls shoulders visibly tensed.
“Hello Mrs. Cho,” the Thai bowed.
“What a beautiful bouquet,” Mrs. Cho said as Minnie offered it to her. “Thank you, Minnie.”
They exchanged smiles, before Minnie was left inside.
The house was pretty big, especially since it was located in central Seoul. It looked like a mix between traditional Korean and modern American, with egg-shell coloured walls and wooden details.
Miyeon had Minnie there once before, when her parents were on a weekend trip to Tokyo. The younger girl had gotten a tour of the house before they watched a movie and fell asleep on each other’s shoulders.
Sex wasn’t even close on their radar yet. It had been Miyeon’s idea to wait. Not because she didn’t feel safe, but because she wanted to be careful this time around. She wanted it to be special when it was with Minnie. That’s the reason they hadn’t kissed once yet.
Miyeon gently grabbed Minnie’s hand as she led her to the kitchen, where her father waited.
In opposite to her petite mother, her father was a muscular man with a very deep voice. Typical intimidating, middle age father who’s only purpose is to protect his daughter and tell her partner to “have her home before ten”.
Miyeon had warned Minnie, but the girl seemed totally chill. They both knew the drugs were the reason to it, but none of them could complain in this situation.
With a spoon to his lips, Miyeon’s father looked up as the two teenagers entered the room.
“Hello Mr. Cho,” Minnie greeted with a bow.
“Minnie,” he bowed to her. “Welcome.”
“Thank you,” she bowed again.
“You dress nicely,” he said, looking her up and down, making his evaluation process very obvious. “Is that your natural hair colour?”
“Yes, sir,” Minnie nodded carefully.
“Hm,” he grumbled and turned around to grab some chop sticks. “Set the table for us, will you honey?”
Miyeon immediately grabbed the chopsticks from his hand and placed them on the table, before she grabbed some plates and did the same thing.
“Your Korean is very good,” he commented, turning back to Minnie.
“Thank you,” she smiled. “I’ve been here for two years now, so I’ve had time to learn.”
“But you’re from Thailand?”
“Yes.”
“How did you end up here?” he asked, placing his hands on the counter and resting his body against them.
“My grandma wanted me to study internationally,” Minnie explained. “She did the same thing with my father and my brothers, so it’s kind of a tradition.”
“Why Korea?”
“Well, my dad studied in Beijing and my brothers in London, so I guess she wanted us to have some kind of connection to Seoul as well. My family loved going here on vacation.”
“Interesting,” he mumbled.
“Darling,” Mrs. Cho entered the room. “Let the poor girl at least get some food into her belly before you start interrogating her.”
The husband only shrugged and turned around.
Minnie didn’t fail to notice how the wife rolled her eyes, glaring at him before she sighed.
“Minnie honey,” Mrs. Cho said, “will you help me reach my vase on the shelf just above your head?”
“Of course!” Minnie answered, looking up.
She wasn’t considered tall very often, so Miyeon knew that Minnie loved it when she was asked to help reach something. That might be why Miyeon always hangs her jacket a little too high up in Minnie’s apartment.
“Yes, that one.”
Minnie carefully placed the vase on the counter and smiled when Mrs. Cho put her new bouquet into it.
Miyeon went up behind Minnie, putting her arm around her waist. The younger girl gently placed her arm around Miyeon’s shoulders, squeezing her into herself.
“Not that vase,” Miyeon’s father grumbled.
“What do you mean not this vase?” Mrs. Cho asked as she filled it with water. “It’s my favourite vase.”
“It’s very ugly,” Mr. Cho commented.
Their quiet argument went on during dinner. Minnie hated the fact that even if Miyeon’s eyes didn’t leave her plate as she played with her food in the melody of her parents screaming, she preferred their fighting over the interrogation she got earlier. She was coming back to her senses. She felt the anxiety roaming free in her body. She preferred to stay silent.
“Promise me we’ll never be like that,” Miyeon said later that night.
They were hand in hand as they walked the streets of Seoul, the moon being the only light source.
“Fighting over anything and everything all the time,” the older girl pouted.
Minnie stopped her by gently pulling her arm. When they were face to face, the younger girl placed her hand on Miyeon’s cheeks.
“I promise you we’re never gonna be like that,” she whispered before her eyes drifted to Miyeon’s lips.
The older girl didn’t fail to notice. She put her hand on top of Minnie’s, as a way of showing consent.
Grinning, Minnie slowly leaned in. They were both looking as their faces slowly came closer and closer, until their noses bumped against each other. The Thai closed her eyes, and the Korean followed her. Then their lips met.
Minnie was soft, as she was with nearly everything. Her lips were warm and plump, Miyeon had no problem letting them control her own.
She thought the kiss ended way too early when Minnie pulled away to place their foreheads against each other.
But Miyeon figured she didn’t have to be greedy. She had Minnie whenever she wanted, so she didn’t need to take everything immediately. She was being careful.
Their relationship was fun. They weren’t the clingy kind of couple that Soojin and Shuhua were, nor the push-and-pull couple that Soyeon and Yuqi - Minnie’s friends - were. They didn’t need each other constantly. Minnie could go out smoking with her friends. Miyeon could get drunk at parties. But they still kept each other around in the best parts of life, the parts they wanted to experience together. Like a new movie or a special wine.
They noticed early that routines weren’t for them. Soojin and Shuhua had dates every Wednesday. Soyeon and Yuqi always fell asleep beside each other. None of that worked for Miyeon and Minnie.
Some days Miyeon passed out from the alcohol and didn’t contact Minnie until she woke up on a random lawn the day after. Or it was Minnie who got high and took a nap in the forest.
Their dates were always spontaneous. Taking a day-trip to Busan just to eat a particular ice-cream. Going to the countryside by bus only to get lost and having to spend the night at a motel. Staying in a supermarket after closing to play in the toilet paper isle.
They both find relief in the fact that they didn’t know what would happen tomorrow or the day after, because it didn’t matter as long as they had each other.
When Minnie came back after the summer break, Miyeon couldn’t wait to throw her arms around her. Even Soojin commented on her restless leg.
They were at a movie night, at Soyeon’s. Ironically, there was Soyeon and Soyeon’s girlfriend who knew Shuhua whose girlfriend knows Miyeon. By now, they all knew each other just as well.
Minnie was supposed to arrive around midnight, going straight to Soyeon’s house. The others had arrived after dinner, so their first two movies were already finished.
Soyeon has a cinema in her basement, with red cinema chairs and all. She even had a popcorn machine.
“You look like a puppy waiting for their owner,” Yuqi said, watching Miyeon who looked between her clock and the basement door. “You know she’s not gonna come sooner even if you count every second?”
“I haven’t seen her for two months,” Miyeon pouted.
“Two months is nothing,” Yuqi wheezed. “It’s literally just 60 days, eight weeks.”
“Let her breathe,” Soyeon rolled her eyes. “You wouldn’t survive a week.”
“Is that a challenge?” Yuqi raised her eyebrow.
Miyeon couldn’t focus more on the conversation as she heard the doorbell ringing. She was up on her feet in a matter of seconds and hurried up the stairs. Soyeon’s little sister had opened the door, Miyeon heard Minnie greeting her.
She continued running. Her eyes met Minnie and they both smiled widely, then the older girl ran straight into Minnie’s arms. They held each other tightly.
“Hi,” Minnie said when they moved away.
Miyeon didn’t answer and instead leaned in to kiss her girlfriend.
“I missed you,” Miyeon said.
Minnie answered by kissing her again.
When the others had fallen asleep that night, Miyeon laid in Minnie’s arms while the older girl played with her hair, as they talked about nothing and everything.
“I think english boys have made him a real douchebag,” Minnie snickered.
“Really?” Miyeon asked.
“Yeah,” Minnie nodded. “Mac was fine though. Or maybe he acts better in front of grandma.”
“Hm,” Miyeon breathed and smelled Minnie’s jasmine scent. “I’m glad you’re home.”
Minnie squeezed her once as she snickered.
“Were you getting worried I wasn’t coming back?” the younger girl asked and kissed the top of her head.
“No,” Miyeon defended and buried her head into Minnie’s neck. “It’s just nicer when you’re here.”
“I agree,” Minnie kissed her head again.
“Promise me we’re gonna last forever,” Miyeon whispered, starting to drift off.
“I promise you we’re gonna last forever.”
It saddens Miyeon that neither her nor Minnie knew why they couldn’t keep that promise. Neither of them knew why Miyeon started partying more, or why Minnie started smoking more. Neither of them knew why after one Christmas break, Minnie didn’t go to see Miyeon.
Maybe it was the fact that Miyeon was trapped in the confinements of her parents walls, or the fact that Minnie was trapped in the past trauma of her parents passing.
Eventually one year had gone by, their first year of college, without either of them saying a word to each other. Soojin and Shuhua had always asked her what happened, but Miyeon didn’t know.
What she knew is that she still thought about her constantly. Even at a date, with a random guy named Yongsu who likes to “have picnics in the sunset with a glass of red wine and chocolate covered strawberries” , Miyeon couldn’t get her mind off her high school lover.
“My mother is annoying about dating,” he said, apparently he’d been ranting for a while. “I bet you also know how it is.”
Miyeon put her wine glass against her lips, tilted her head back, and swallowed the rest in one go.
“Your place or mine?” she then asked with a tired look in her eyes.
“I’m sorry?” the guy asked after a cough.
“Are you not here for sex?”
He became red as a tomato.
“I-I mean yes but-“
“Great,” Miyeon smiled a fake smile. “Your place or mine?”
He swallowed harshly.
“I-I live quite nearby.”
Miyeon stood up, placed her napkin on the table and walked towards the door.
“Come on,” she said over her shoulder.
“Are you sure you-“ he cut himself off, distressed as he also stood up. “Miyeon-“
He fiddled with his wallet and placed down a bill that was way too much for two glasses of red wine, before he hurried out after Miyeon and lead the way to his apartment.
And when he asked “how do you like to be toched?” , all she could think about was Minnie’s gentle hands.
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that it was their friends deed, when they ended up at the same bar on the same Friday at the same time by the same table. Miyeon had told Soojin about her date, who’d told Shuhua, who’d told Yuqi, who’d told Soyeon, who’d made sure Minnie arrived at the bar just when she was supposed to. Soojin did the same with Miyeon.
They had both ordered a cocktail, Minnie’s was orange while Miyeon’s was blue. They were sipping quietly, looking out at the people.
“So…” Minnie started awkwardly. “Soyeon told me.”
Miyeon felt a blush creeping up her neck.
“I am never telling that snake anything ever again,” Miyeon whispered under her breath.
“I’m honoured,” Minnie smiled. “That you still think about me like that.”
“Minnie, I’m sorry,” Miyeon started. “I obviously didn’t intend for you to get this info. I wouldn’t have told anyone if I knew it would spread to you. I’m not some kind of creep, I promise.”
“Miyeon,” Minnie snickered. “We may not have talked in a year but I still know you. I know you’re not a creep.”
Miyeon lowered her head and took another sip from her drink. She would need more than one to get through this date, or whatever it was.
“And if it makes you feel any better,” Minnie started, “I think about you too.”
The younger girl sipped her drink.
“Every single time,” she said a little more quietly.
It eased Miyeon’s heart, knowing she wasn’t the only one. And it also felt like it opened doors, doors Miyeon didn’t know she wanted to open. Doors Miyeon didn’t even know existed.
“I wonder why we didn’t make it,” she then said, sipping her drink.
“I wonder that too,” Minnie said. “I ask myself so often, what happened? We had everything in our favour. We were so…”
“In love,” Miyeon finished for her.
“Yeah,” Minnie nodded.
They both finished their drinks while sitting quietly for a minute, before a chuckle escaped Minnie’s lips.
“Do you remember our promise?” she asked, looking deep into Miyeon’s eyes. “We said we’re never gonna end up like your parents.”
“I remember,” Miyeon nodded with a chuckle. “I never regretted that promise, you know. And I guess we didn’t end up like them.”
Minnie bit her lower lip.
“We said we’re gonna last forever,” she muttered quietly.
The older girl nodded.
“Maybe…” she said before really having collected her thoughts. “Maybe it was the promises.”
Minnie looked at her with a frown.
“What do you mean?”
“Maybe the promises are what destroyed us,” Miyeon explained. “We wanted to take everyday as it came, we didn’t want any restraints. These promises put us behind restraints.”
Minnie blinked, as if she hadn’t understood a word of what Miyeon just said. Then she started nodding slowly.
“I think you have a good point,” she said. “Yeah, a really good point.”
Miyeon studied the nail polish on her hand.
“So,” Minnie said and walked closer to the other, “hypothetically, if we tried again, but we didn’t make any promises, we would work out, right?”
Miyeon blushed but she couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across her lips.
“Hypothetically,” she started, “yes.”
Minnie walked even closer, until their breaths mixed with each other.
“Hypothetically,” Minnie started again, “if I kissed you right now, but I didn’t make any promises about your parents or about forever, you would want me to kiss you again?”
They stared deep into each other’s eyes.
“Hypothetically,” Miyeon whispered while looking at Minnie’s lips, “yes.”
“And actually?”
“Yes,” Miyeon said and Minnie immediately pressed their lips and bodies against each other.
They stayed with their lips playing with each other for over a minute, until a smile broke them apart. They both started laughing at the absurd situation they got themselves into, and then Minnie started laughing wider when she noticed Miyeon’s mouth.
“Your tongue is blue!” she said between loud laughs.
They kissed again, long and hard, until Miyeon pushed her away.
“Don’t promise anything,” she started, “but please stay. We’re both fucked up, but we’re so right for each other.”
Minnie put her hands on Miyeon’s waist while she smiled against her lips.
“The way you touch me makes me crazy,” Miyeon whispered.
“No promises,” Minnie pecked her before continuing, “but please stay you too.”
Minnie pressed Miyeon against her, gently grabbing the low of her back and squeezing her skin. The older girl started playing with Minnie’s hair.
“Let’s not promise anything, so we don’t begin something that will end.”
They went home together that night, watched a movie and fell asleep with their heads rested on each other. They were adults now, but somewhere inside, they were still the unfree and broken teenagers who met when they were sixteen.