Work Text:
“Is it true?”
Gahyeon raised her brow looking at her housemate, confused. She just arrived at their shared house after a long day at work attending to the troublesome customers at the cafe she works at makes her day even worse. And now her housemate just randomly throws a question to her, without elaborating.
“What is true?” She asked, she knew her voice came out cold because it made her housemate flinch and looked down apologetically.
“Heard that Woobin confessed.”
“And why do you care?” Gahyeon said snarkily.
Her housemate of 5 years, Handong, looked up at her, hurt written on her face as she mumbled something that Gahyeon couldn’t catch, and too tired to care about what she mumbled. Ignoring the mumbling, Gahyeon turned and walked toward her bedroom, tired and drained, and she just wanted to hit shower and buried herself inside the blanket.
Closing the door a little too loud, she flinched at the sound of the thud, while Handong did the same on the other side of the door. Staring at the now closed door, Handong finally let the tears she had been holding fall.
‘Why should I fall for you…’ Handong thought, as she also walked towards her own room, burying her face onto her pillow as she cried.
*****
Having come to a foreign country by herself at the age of 18, Handong struggled to get used to her new life. Attending college, studying a new language that she has never spoken of before, meeting new people. It’s also her first time living in a dorm.
She was in her third year when she finally got a roommate. A first year, 3 years younger than her, a loud and outgoing girl.
It was very awkward at first, having two different personalities, and different hobbies, they struggled to find something in common and kept on failing for the first few months, until one day when Gahyeon bought back a box of sweets, egg tart in particular, was when the two finally clicked. They click through their love for sweets.
And when Handong asked Gahyeon if she wanted to move out with her after she graduated from college, the younger one said yes without hesitation. That is how they ended up still being housemates 5 years later.
It’s also been 5 years since Handong realized her feelings for the younger girl. Keep on falling, deeper and deeper, no matter what she had done to keep it away.
She wishes every night, she wishes that she could have the guts to speak her feelings, but no, she didn’t.
*****
“You asked me why I care?”
It was the next morning, Handong woke up early, head throbbing after a series of crying the previous night. Making herself and Gahyeon a cup of coffee while waiting for the younger girl to wake up, collecting her feelings and her guts.
She knows by the look on Gahyeon’s face that her eyes were bloated and red. That is what happens when you cry yourself to sleep. But she couldn’t care less. And when she saw Gahyeon not responding, she said it anyway.
“It’s because I love you. Have been for years.”
Without waiting for Gahyeon to respond, she left the kitchen and walked back to her room, locking the door before slipping down to the floor, back against the door.
Few minutes later, she heard the front door closed. Gahyeon left for work.
*****
It was late at night when Gahyeon arrived home. She went out for a drink after work, trying to clear up her mind after the revelation from her housemate.
To say that she was surprised, she is not. She knows. Handong was very obvious if she wanted to be honest. And she is not exactly oblivious. But she wants the older girl to tell her and talk to her about it, so she waits.
But one thing surprised her is the length. She knows Handong has a feeling for her, but for years? That is what she doesn't know.
The room was dark, and Handong went to sleep, she assumed. So she walked around the house as quietly as possible, trying not to make sounds. Washing up, changing her clothes to her pajamas, she walked out of her room towards Handong’s, turning the knob, glad that it’s not locked.
Tip-toeing towards the bed, she slowly slid herself into the older’s blanket. She circles her arms around the older as slow as possible, trying not to wake her up. And when she succeed to do so she softly whisper, “I love you too, stupid. And I thought I was very obvious about it too.”
Burying her face under the crook of Handong’s neck she felt a movement, and a pair or arms pulling her into a tight embrace. Also a soft kiss on top of her head. Handong’s awake, she thought.
But they decide that they could talk tomorrow. What’s important is they knew, the feeling is mutual.
Snuggling deeper into Handong, while the older tighten the embrace, they closed their eyes and rested for the long day.