but she survived | sae-byeok x ji-yeong

starts with ikea, ends with a question

Ji-yeong knew getting the keys would be a big moment. That it would be one of the first steps in her journey of becoming an adult. And that it was a big step, too. Her mother had told her about it. How great it was getting your very first house. Young Ji-yeong had been sitting, eyes shining with excitement, as she listened to her mother. She had been looking forward to the moment ever since. But no matter how long she had been thinking of this exact moment. How much she had thought about how it felt. Nothing would be able to top the feeling that spread in her chest when she felt the keys drop into her hand. Not even one of the expectations she had had as a kid. Not a single one. The keys were cold inside her palm, sending shivers all the way up her arm. 

"Let's go home. What do you say to that?" Sae-byeok asked her little finger hooking onto Ji-yeong's, before fully holding her hand in her own. 

Ji-yeong looked up from the small piece of metal, admiration still present in her big eyes as she answered, "I would love to, yes." 

The morning sun was not doing a lot due to the cold temperatures. The pavement had slight frost on it, making it shine up like little stars. Just when they were standing outside their house, Ji-yeong spoke up, her breath visible in the freezing air. "I can't fucking believe it." 

"Me neither," Sae-byeok answered, her sight also studying the building closely. "I'd say you get the honor to open the door." 

"Really?" Ji-yeong's eyes shone with excitement, similar to a kid's. 

Sae-byeok just gave her a slight nod, a gentle smile presented on her face. Ji-yeong began running towards the door, her speed surprising Sae-byeok as she was dragged behind her. Ji-yeong tried to put the key in the small keyhole but failed miserably due to her shaking hands. She concluded that she was simply too excited. 

Sae-byeok calmly put a hand on top of her shaking one, bending down to press a kiss onto her cheek. "Relax, Ji-yeong," she whispered into the side of her face, the shorter girl feeling how her eyes were inspecting her nervous smile. It didn't matter how many times they'd been that close. Ji-yeong's heart would still pound in her chest at the tiny space between their faces. Their eyes. Their lips. 

Ji-yeong took a deep breath, trying to control the wild jolts that kept going through her hands. Small jolts of excitement and happiness. Her chest felt like it was going to explode when she finally managed to open up the door, walking into her home. Her home. Such a lovely sentence in her mind. So lovely that she couldn't help but repeat it. Her home. Her home. Her home. 

"Well, it is quite empty at the moment," Sae-byeok laughed, a loud echo following it due to the lack of furniture. 

Ji-yeong turned to the girl, wrapping her arms around her neck. "We're fucking house owners," she stated, before placing a deep kiss onto Sae-byeok's lips, the smile on her face not going anywhere. "Oh my God, we should go to ikea and be all 'adulty' and stuff!" 

Sae-byeok grinned at the girl's choice of word. "'Adulty'?" 

Ji-yeong nodded vigorously. "Yes! You know, when adults are in ikea they look at- furniture. As a kid, you only want to, like, smell the scented candles and shit." 

"Then let's go to ikea," Sae-byeok told her. "And do 'adulty' stuff." 

-

"I like that couch over there!" Ji-yeong exclaimed, running towards it and sitting down as she leaned back into its soft cushions. "I fucking swear, this is the one." 

"You said the exact same thing about the last four you've tried out," Sae-byeok told her, elbows leaning against the already half-filled cart she was walking with. It was all some kind of trinkets to decorate their house with that Ji-yeong had gladly picked out, one by one.