On a scorching afternoon, Freen decided to head out for a milk tea. It had been ages since her last order, as she'd been trying to steer clear of it due to its unhealthiness.
"Hey, aren't you feeling hot right now?" Freen asked Becky, who was engrossed in the book she'd bought last time.
"Why? Are we planning a surprise shower party?" Becky innocently quipped, catching Freen off guard.
Ever since Becky got that book, she'd been acting a bit odd. She was no longer the innocent girl Freen had initially known. In fact, she'd become quite helpful around the house, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of things. It was like having a personal maid.
Freen raised an eyebrow when she realized Becky was behaving more like a partner. She'd read about this sort of thing in one of her books, where the wife took care of the husband. Was this what it felt like to be taken care of? Shaking her head, Freen decided it wasn't the right time for such thoughts.
"I've already showered. I just want something refreshing," Freen said, settling down beside Becky on the couch.
"Like what?" Becky raised her eyebrows, puzzled by Freen's cryptic statement.
"Milk tea," Freen replied with a grin, grabbing Becky's hand. "I won't take no for an answer, so let's go."
Becky had no choice but to go along with Freen's insistence. Freen had already taken hold of her hand and ushered her into the car. The car zoomed off before Becky could even inquire about what milk tea was. But going by the name, it probably contained milk and tea. Becky liked tea, but milk? That was another story.
"What flavor are you into?" Freen asked Becky.
Becky stared at the list of flavors, but it didn't quite add up for her. It was called milk tea, yet many of the flavors seemed to lack milk.
"Wintermelon?" she tentatively suggested, hoping she'd made the right choice for her first try.
"One wintermelon for her," Freen ordered. "And hmm, Okinawa."
"What's Okinawa taste like?" Becky asked, still puzzled.
The guy behind the counter, preparing the drinks, couldn't help but smile at Becky's question. She looked so innocent, scanning the board full of milk tea and smoothie flavors, clearly baffled.
"I'll explain it to you later," Freen chuckled, giving Becky's head a pat.
Becky nodded and looked around while they waited for their order. She spotted a puppy outside the shop and dashed out to pet it.
Freen was taken aback by Becky's sudden action. She kept an eye on her and felt relieved when she saw Becky just outside, playing with the dog.
That dog seemed familiar—perhaps the same breed.
"Here you go, ma'am," the guy handed Freen the two milk teas. "Is she your friend? She's stunning. Is she single?"
Freen could already guess where this was heading, so she shook her head. "Actually, she's not."
"Does she have a boyfriend?" the guy inquired.
"She's married," Freen faked a smile, growing annoyed at his probing. While it was true that Becky was undeniably attractive and caught attention effortlessly, this guy was taking it a bit too far, looking at Becky with overly admiring eyes. "She's married to me."
The guy was left speechless by Freen's response. He probably didn't believe it, though. Same-sex marriage wasn't recognized in their country, making it seem impossible.
Freen exited the shop and joined Becky, who was cuddling the pup in her arms.
"We need to get going now. Put the puppy down," Freen instructed, but Becky shook her head.
"This is my baby, Freen. No one really owns him, so I want to adopt him," Becky beamed, stroking the dog's fur.
"You can't adopt him if you don't have your own place. You're living with me, remember?" Freen reminded her, but Becky brushed it off. She wasn't willing to let go of the pup. "Fine, let's just go!" Freen motioned for Becky to follow, and Becky complied happily.
Becky brought the dog back to Freen's place and promptly fed him. In the meantime, Freen sipped on her milk tea, observing Becky's interactions with the dog.
"What's his name, Bec?" Freen inquired.
"Becbec!" Becky grinned, her eyes sparkling like a child's.
"But that's your name. If I call you both in the future, you might both come running. Think of something else," Freen suggested.
Truth be told, Freen had wanted to call Becky "Becbec" for a while, but she held back, fearing Becky's reaction.
"How about Bonbon?" Becky proposed.
The dog wagged his tail and barked, as if he understood their conversation.
"Do you like Bonbon?" Becky asked the dog, planting a kiss on his forehead.
Freen almost choked on her drink at the sight of Becky being so affectionate with Bonbon. It was the first time she'd felt jealous of a dog.