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If you asked her what she was most impressed with in today's swimming class, Yongsun would hold up two of her little fingers and excitedly tell you a hundred times about the same series of events.
First of all, there would be a small competition among the students next week and her mother promised to bake her chocolate chip cookies if she managed to finish in first place.
Secondly, she had a new classmate today. That girl was six years old, a year younger than her, and suuuuuuuuper pretty with those plump cheeks, not as chubby as her but still soft and strangely adorable dimples. And the smile that made those dimples appear... she felt like she had a heart attack.
(What's a heart attack? Yongsun only heard of it from some random conversations. But her still limited vocabulary didn't have any other word to describe how her heart would race every time their eyes accidentally met.)
_
A seven-year-old surely wouldn't know the definition of love.
But when Yongsun finished in first place, the new classmate - whom she only knew name just now, which is Byulyi - arrived in second, and she caught the admiring (and maybe a little... proud?) look from the younger girl, she was certain she liked this friend even more than the batch of chocolate chip cookies that her mom promised her before.
(Which her mom totally forgot about.)
_
Yongsun didn't consider herself to love Byulyi. But she definitely noticed a lot of things about her.
She had a kind heart. She treated everyone around her with warmth, but the way she cared for her sometimes made Yong want to melt into a puddle.
It felt safe to be around her. She adored how Byulyi would caress her hair when they watched movies together on the sofa, how she (not so) discreetly wrapped her arm around her from behind when she was preparing their dinner.
Byulyi had been behind her a lot, now that she thought about it.
Like at that contest at the swimming class.
Like when she sat behind her during their college courses and scared the shit out of the older woman just to watch her reaction.
Like when they went on a vacation and Byulyi stopped in her tracks to get down on one knee while Yongsun continued her stroll before eventually realizing her companion was no longer by her side.
Like when she stood behind Yongsun's bed, gently wiping her sweat and holding her when she was pushing their child out of her womb.
Yongsun realized she didn't mind that at all. If anything, she hoped Byulyi would be her backup for the rest of their lives together.
_
One day, Yongsun suddenly remembers that her mom still owes her a batch of chocolate chip cookies for being the winner of that mini swimming competition many years ago.
- Byul-ah?
- Yes, love?
- Can you make me some chocolate chip cookies?
- Are you sure? - The younger woman raises an eyebrow. - I thought you didn't trust me in your kitchen, and that's literally your comfort food. Aren't you scared I'm gonna ruin it for you?
- Well, I just happen to know that someone has been going to baking classes behind my back. - She cheekily replies. - It'd be my honor to assess your skills so far.
From the scale to burning the kitchen down to perfect, Yongsun will later grade them as "everything unharmed except the food itself". Half of them are burnt (and in Byulyi's defense, it's her first time making chocolate chip cookies), but other than that they are actually pretty good.
Or maybe they're good because Byulyi was the one who made it for her.
...
Fine, maybe Yongsun does love Byulyi. So much more than chocolate chip cookies.
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I'm surprisingly content with this story. Inspired by a story in the Facebook group "that relationship sounds energizing".