two.
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《 new kind of love 》
ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : ASAP - NewJeans
0:46 ───ㅇ───── 2:15
⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻
LIFE is an unpredictable thing.
Eun-kyung had gotten used to having a small amount of company. Truth be told, that 'company' consisted only of her sister.
She never considered herself lonely. It was the way she was used to living her life.
Struggling in making and keeping friends, Eun-kyung had always went to Min-hee for every matter and circumstance.
She wasn't upset about that either. Min-hee was a kind, gentle soul. It couldn't get any better than her. She gave Eun-kyung the support she needed when she needed it and taught Eun-kyung how to give that same support back to others.
There was mutual affection and care. Their connection was something that couldn't be broken by anyone. Eun-kyung truly loved her sister.
And then someone from her past reentered her present and introduced her to a new kind of love.
. . . . .
"Do you have a specific shop you want to go to first?" Eun-kyung asked Ok-ju as she walked beside her, sipping a vanilla milkshake.
"Mmm... no." Ok-ju replied. "Do you?"
"Yes, I have a few options." Eun-kyung said as she gazed around.
Her eyes landed on the building near her right adorned with little orange lights and a sign on its entrance that mentioned a photobooth.
Eun-kyung stopped walking and pointed at it, Ok-ju stopping beside her and observing the building she had her eyes on.
"You want to do that?" She questioned.
"Mm-hmm. I've only ever been to a photobooth with Min-hee." Eun-kyung said.
"You know I don't like taking photos." Ok-ju stated.
"One time?" Eun-kyung requested softly as she held up one finger.
Ok-ju looked her up and down, contemplating whether or not she was going to give in to Eun-kyung's request. Eventually, she let out a sigh of relent, which Eun-kyung took as a yes.
Although, when she began to pull Ok-ju by the arm, she felt Ok-ju resisting a little.
"Please don't make me drag you in there. We'll get weird stares." Eun-kyung said quietly.
"You couldn't drag me if you tried." Ok-ju retorted, to which Eun-kyung rose an eyebrow.
Abruptly, she grabbed Ok-ju's arm with both hands, pulling on her with all her might as she began to step toward the door.
In response, Ok-ju grunted and began to step in the opposite direction, resisting against Eun-kyung's strength.
"Eun-kyung, come on." Ok-ju groaned, looking as deadpan as ever.
Eun-kyung remained silent as she placed one of her hands on Ok-ju's back, then she walked around Ok-ju and got behind her, now pushing her toward the door rather than pulling her.
Seconds later, she had successfully forced the girl into the photobooth, her finger tapping against the screen that had the booth's settings.
"Do I have to? I wanna go--" Ok-ju grumbled before turning to walk away.
Eun-kyung was quick to grab her by her jacket and pull her back. Then, she took hold of Ok-ju's hand with both of her own. "Wait. Please?" She pleaded.
Ok-ju gazed at her wordlessly. Given that she stopped protesting and struggling, Eun-kyung took it as her relenting.
Eun-kyung moved her hands up to Ok-ju's arm before tapping the 'start' button on the screen.
She exhaled lowly before putting a smile on, then she looked over at Ok-ju's face on the screen and noticed her closing her eyes and pouting in exasperation, which caused her expression to falter.
"Please smile." Eun-kyung told her.
She stared at Ok-ju and waited patiently for her to comply. When Ok-ju's lips finally curved upward, Eun-kyung smiled and looked at the camera on the screen again.
Four photos were taken by the machine, and around the last two shots, Ok-ju had started to get more into it.
She had gotten really close up to the camera, crossing her eyes in a playful manner, resulting in Eun-kyung giggling softly in amusement.
Even Ok-ju couldn't take herself seriously, as she had begun to laugh during the last photo.
Eun-kyung was still chuckling a bit as her and Ok-ju walked out from behind the curtain and stood by the slot where their photos would come out from.
"Here." Eun-kyung said as the photographs finally dropped down from the slot, to which she picked them up and handed one of the strips to Ok-ju.
Ok-ju scanned hers for a moment before quickly pocketing it.
. . . . .
It wasn't the kind of love Eun-kyung felt for Min-hee-- obviously. Or to put it differently, it wasn't the kind of love she would feel for a family member or friend.
One could label that as platonic love. At first, that was what she felt for Ok-ju. Platonic love. Up until it had evolved into something unfamiliar and foreign.
. . . . .
"This is a beach?" Ok-ju asked, traveling alongside the Choi sisters.
"Uh... technically." Eun-kyung replied.
"There's nobody here." Ok-ju stated as she gazed at the unoccupied sand and ocean.
There wasn't a single soul swimming, tanning, building sand castles, or anything.
"That's what's good about it. It's so peaceful here." Min-hee said with a bright smile. "Should we race to the water?"
Almost immediately, Eun-kyung began running.
"What the-- hey!" Min-hee exclaimed with a giggle as her and Ok-ju began to chase after Eun-kyung.
As Eun-kyung sprinted at full speed, she spotted Ok-ju catching up from her peripheral vision and quickly did the first thing that came to mind, which was to swing the bag carrying all of their stuff at her.
Ok-ju quickly lifted her arm up to block the playful attack, grunting out as the bag whacked her. However, her speed did not falter. "What the hell?" She questioned before a huge grin appeared on her face.
"Cheap shot!" Min-hee laughed.
"I'm going to fuck you up when we get to the sand." Ok-ju joked.
Ok-ju then reached out and grabbed Eun-kyung's wrist, causing the girl's eyes to widen and her heart to give a harsh thump. She rapidly yanked her arm away and began to run faster.
. . . . .
A kind of love that made her heart beat faster or even skip a beat whenever Ok-ju appeared in her mind.
Sometimes she would get that same feeling whenever Ok-ju touched her or looked her way. She couldn't help it. It just happened.
. . . . .
"So what, you came here just to watch?" Min-hee asked Eun-kyung whilst her and Ok-ju were walking into the water.
"I'd prefer to. And you know I don't like to swim at the beach." Eun-kyung mentioned.
"Why?" Ok-ju asked her.
"All the stuff in the sand and the sea animals..." Eun-kyung replied truthfully.
"A shark isn't going to attack you." Min-hee joked.
"I'm not worried about the sharks--" Eun-kyung began to say.
Then all of a sudden, Ok-ju grabbed her arm and tugged her harshly, causing Eun-kyung to stumble forward, her feet making contact with the ocean.
"Ok-ju...!" Eun-kyung exclaimed with a waver to her voice as Ok-ju dragged her along.
"Come on. It's fine." Min-hee assured her.
Eun-kyung began to gaze down at the salt water as it began to consume her body, slowly reaching her torso as her, Ok-ju, and Min-hee traveled deeper into it.
"See? It's nice." Min-hee said as she began to swim around, allowing the water to soak her pink hair.
"No, no..." Eun-kyung mumbled as she clung to Ok-ju's shoulders.
She wasn't putting a single ounce of effort into swimming, leaving Ok-ju to do all the work while her legs floating around in the water.
"Our feet aren't even touching the sand anymore." Ok-ju stated.
"What if a fish tries to bite me or something?" Eun-kyung asked.
Ok-ju scoffed and rolled her eyes before grabbing Eun-kyung's hands and prying them off of her shoulders, causing Eun-kyung to gasp in surprise.
Out of instinct, she grabbed onto Ok-ju's shirt, bringing her down under water with her.
. . . . .
It made her desire Ok-ju in a way she had never desired anyone else in her life before.
All of a sudden, she had thoughts about Ok-ju that she never had about anyone else.
. . . . .
"Me and Min-hee both found this spot while on a walk together." Eun-kyung explained, clutching the towel that was wrapped around her shoulders.
All three girls were walking down the sandy land with towels around them and water dripping from their hair.
"Every time we came back, nobody else was here. It seems like nobody else knows about this place." Eun-kyung added.
"And now, it's our secret spot." Min-hee said happily as she scurried while holding her towel with her hands, the gentle wind making it look like a cape. "Isn't it amazing? Oh God, we used to take the train here all the time."
"It was my favorite place to let off steam. You can get a great view of the sunset here." Eun-kyung admitted.
"And you can't forget those calming ocean sounds. The sound of the waves." Min-hee added.
"You seem to like the sea a lot, Min-hee. Did you always like it?" Ok-ju asked Min-hee.
"Didn't I tell you? Eun-kyung knows. I'm gonna come back as a fish in my next life." Min-hee said with a grin as she looked back at Ok-ju and Eun-kyung.
"Ah..." Eun-kyung sighed knowingly as she lowered her head slightly.
"I'm only doing ballet right now because I can't become a fish yet." Min-hee said.
Ok-ju scoffed quietly. "Of all things, you wanna be reborn as a fish?" She questioned.
"She believes that fish are our overlords." Eun-kyung blurted.
"Huh?" Ok-ju exclaimed in confusion.
"Why do you have to phrase it like that?" Min-hee asked. "I believe that the earth belongs to the fish. And us humans are just living in their world." She explained.
"I... let her be." Eun-kyung said to Ok-ju, who smiled her way.
"One day, a fish really will bite your toes and it'll be karma for talking bad about them." Min-hee claimed.
"I-I didn't say anything bad!" Eun-kyung exclaimed, to which Ok-ju chuckled.
"Mm-hmm." Min-hee hummed skeptically before turning to look at the sea and the sunset. "Wow! Look at that. Look. Don't you feel free?" She asked as she pointed forward.
Eun-kyung gazed at the waves and the colorful sky behind them, smiling slightly as she tightened her hold on her towel.
Ok-ju caught a glimpse of that and reached one of her hands over to adjust Eun-kyung's towel so that it fully covered her shoulders like she wanted.
Eun-kyung bowed her head appreciatively before glancing at Ok-ju. "Something about the peacefulness of this place just makes me feel something..."
"And that something is?" Ok-ju asked.
"I don't know. I guess... free, like Min-hee said. Free from everything."
. . . . .
She was curious about what it would be like to take Ok-ju out on a date. To hang out with her in a way that was considered romantic.
. . . . .
"How long do I have to sit like this?" Ok-ju asked, sitting as still as she physically could whilst watching Eun-kyung drawing in her sketchbook.
"Just a few minutes. I need to have an outline." Eun-kyung said as she moved her pencil along the paper.
Ok-ju shrugged with an understanding hum before gazing off toward the side. "Do you do this often?"
"Occasionally. I don't often have people as muses. I just sketch the outdoors." Eun-kyung replied, briefly glancing at Ok-ju before looking down and continuing to draw.
"Am I your first?" Ok-ju asked, sounding somewhat curious.
"Well, I've done sketches of Min-hee before, but only her. I suppose you're the first person I've sketched aside from her." Eun-kyung admitted, briefly pausing her actions as her eyes scanned the sketch she had.
She nodded before looking at Ok-ju. "Come closer so that I can get a good look at the shape of your eyes." She requested.
Ok-ju obliged and scooted closer to Eun-kyung, who stared at her eyes for a few seconds before she began drawing again.
She paused briefly just so that she could use her pencil to move some strands of hair out of Ok-ju's face, causing Ok-ju to blibk quickly in surprise.
And while Eun-kyung continued her sketch, Ok-ju watched every movement of her skilled hands.
. . . . .
She had seen so many couples on the internet making videos about making or buying gifts for their significant others. It made Eun-kyung want to do something like that for someone else.
Ok-ju was the person that came to mind.
. . . . .
"You two better know what you're doing." Ok-ju said as she glanced back at Eun-kyung and Min-hee, who were spreading hair dye across her hair with two separate brushes.
"Of course, we do. Eun-kyung helped me dye my hair pink." Min-hee mentioned.
"Your hair is going to be fine." Eun-kyung assured Ok-ju calmly.
"Eun-kyung, you should dye your hair too." Min-hee suggested.
"I'd... rather not." Eun-kyung refused.
"Why? We could all match the colors of the sunset. I have pink and Ok-ju is getting orange. You can dye yours blue or purple." Min-hee told her.
"I can't see myself with either of those colors in my hair. I don't think they'd look good." Eun-kyung said, her eyes remaining on Ok-ju's hair as she converted it in dye.
"Well, on the bright side, you and Ok-ju will look good together on Halloween." Min-hee joked.
Eun-kyung chuckled silently, the sound just barely audibly, but she couldn't help herself as she envisioned it in her head-- how her and Ok-ju would look together after her hair was dyed.
"Maybe you should dye your hair green. We can be a jack-o-lantern." Eun-kyung suggested jokingly.
"Green? No way." Min-hee refused immediately.
"Oh-- okay." Eun-kyung nodded with a smirk.
A few minutes later, Ok-ju was observing the fish in Min-hee's fish tank, her hair wrapped in plastic temporarily.
Min-hee was working on organizing her closet and Eun-kyung was rehearing a choreography of hers in Min-hee's living room, preparing for her next class.
Plagued by intrigue, Ok-ju gazed over at Eun-kyung, watching her performing some of her moves to the song playing from her phone, simply trying to keep them fresh in her brain.
Even when she was merely rehearsing, she was still very high in energy, hitting every beat hard. Ok-ju couldn't help but notice that. For some reason, she felt like she had started to watch Eun-kyung a lot more as the days passed by.
Eun-kyung paused the song on her phone, mumbling some words to herself about the steps.
It was just then when she noticed Ok-ju's staring and looked at her. Ok-ju didn't divert her gaze, so Eun-kyung didn't either.
Instead, she gave Ok-ju a quick, small smile before she winded her music and went back to practicing.
. . . . .
She thought about all the ways she could express the feelings she had for Ok-ju. With a letter, with a song, with a cake that had frosting-writing on top...
. . . . .
"You have a lot of hobbies." Ok-ju remarked as she watched Eun-kyung tune her electric guitar.
"I have a lot of options for when I'm bored." Eun-kyung said.
"Beginner?" Ok-ju asked her.
"No, I'm pretty far along." Eun-kyung answered as she picked up her guitar pick, strumming the strings a bit while her other hand moved up and down, her fingers lifting and lowering.
As Ok-ju listened to Eun-kyung's pleasant tunes, her eyes began to scan every feature on her face, then they moved down to Eun-kyung's fingers as they worked on her guitar skillfully.
She had various thoughts circling her mind like a train, but regardless, she kept her mouth shut for the time being. She didn't feel like talking. She just wanted to hear more of Eun-kyung's alluring melodies.
"What do you think?" Eun-kyung asked.
"You're good." Ok-ju remarked with an approving nod. "Can you play a little more?"
"Of course."
. . . . .
She wanted to hug Ok-ju, but not like a friend hug. She really, really, really wanted to hug her. To touch her in ways she wouldn't normally do. She wanted to cuddle her whenever she was cold. She wanted to kiss her too.
. . . . .
Eun-kyung never liked to admit her exhaustion, but that didn't mean she was the best at hiding it.
After having spent hours teaching a class at her dance academy, Ok-ju had texted her and offered her a ride home.
The girl pulled up to the studio on her motorcycle, tossing a spare helmet to the dancer.
The two soon arrived at Eun-kyung's place, chatting away while watching TV and sharing some snacks together on Eun-kyung's bed.
They had completely lost track of time while in each other's company.
As Ok-ju's eyes were on the TV, she noticed that Eun-kyung hadn't spoken for a while, so she looked over at her and found that Eun-kyung's eyes were closed.
Ok-ju's expression remained indifferent as she turned to lay on her stomach with her arms folded beneath her head. She then reached her hand over and gently grazed Eun-kyung's hand with her fingers, feeling how cold her skin was.
She moved her hand down and grabbed Eun-kyung's blanket, pulling it over and covering Eun-kyung's body from the shoulders down whilst gazing at her peaceful expression.
Abruptly, Eun-kyung's hand popped out from beneath the blanket, tugging it higher up her body.
Her movement didn't startle Ok-ju all that much. She just silently placed her chin on top of her arms. She had a lot of thoughts clouding her head, thoughts about Eun-kyung that she couldn't shake off.
Her expression wasn't all that telling, but something in her eyes was doing enough of that. They held awe and passion. She looked at her differently in comparison to the way she looked at others.
"I thought that one day, I could get shot and die while doing this job and just not care. I was like a zombie. Or, you know, like I was numb." Ok-ju spoke softly.
Then, she turned her head toward Eun-kyung and leaned her cheek against her arms instead. "But since that day we got back together, I realized that life could actually be fun. You helped me to come alive. For the first time, I wasn't suffocating." She admitted.
Eun-kyung listened to every word she said, taking it all in even with her drowsiness.
She always thought that she could listen to Ok-ju talk all day. Her voice was so pleasant. But at that moment, she couldn't focus on that.
She never expected to have someone admit such a thing to her.
To have someone say that she made them view life from another perspective. To have someone say that she made them truly feel alive.
She never thought that she could play such a role in somebody else's life.
But to have Ok-ju say that to her out loud... It made her feel like somebody.
"Really?" Eun-kyung muttered her question.
"Hmm?" Ok-ju hummed.
"Do you mean that?" Eun-kyung asked.
"...Yeah, I do." Ok-ju replied.
"You're a little crazy." Eun-kyung remarked quietly. "But... I think I feel something similar toward you." She admitted.
"You do?" Ok-ju asked softly.
"I don't know. I guess... you make me see life differently as well." Eun-kyung said.
Ok-ju didn't say anything for a moment, expecting Eun-kyung to add on to that. When she didn't, her brows twitched. "In what way?" She asked.
"Well, for a while, I was used to only being around Min-hee. She was the only person in the world I felt... connected to. But then when we started talking again, it felt like you gave me something I was missing. It felt like I got to connect with someone else on a different level." Eun-kyung explained.
Ok-ju didn't know how to respond, but she didn't look away from Eun-kyung, not for a second. She was taking her time processing what Eun-kyung was telling her.
Did she really mean that much to her?
Eun-kyung's eyes opened halfway, slowly traveling toward Ok-ju's right hand.
Then, she reached over and grabbed onto it, tugging it closer while catching Ok-ju off guard with her sudden touch. However, she didn't pull away.
Eun-kyung wanted to ask Ok-ju to come closer, but the idea of being rejected scared her far too much, so she just looked down without uttering another word.
"Go to sleep." Ok-ju told her.
"I'm okay." Eun-kyung refused as she stretched her neck, to which Ok-ju chuckled silently and shaking her head to deny Eun-kyung's words.
"You're tired." Ok-ju stated bluntly.
"I don't want to fall asleep while you're here." Eun-kyung mumbled.
"...Then I'll nap with you for a little bit." Ok-ju offered.
Eun-kyung looked at Ok-ju again, her eyes fluttering due to her struggle to keep them open.
She really wanted Ok-ju to be closer, but she just couldn't bring herself to ask. So instead, she settled for what she had, which was the touch of Ok-ju's hand.
"Your hand feels warm." Eun-kyung remarked. "Is it... I..." She trailed off.
"What?" Ok-ju asked.
"Nothing. Never mind." Eun-kyung said as she looked away.
"Say what you were going to say." Ok-ju told her in a firm tone.
"...Is it okay for me to do this?" Eun-kyung asked quietly as she lifted Ok-ju's hand and placed it on top of her cheek, taking in the warmth that Ok-ju's body was radiating.
Ok-ju rose her brows ever so slightly, then she lowered them again. "That's fine."
Eun-kyung sighed softly in relief before moving her hand away from Ok-ju's, dropping it against the mattress as she allowed Ok-ju's hand to provide a small amount of heat to her skin.
✾
𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚐𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚗