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Hsu Nientzu is a problem.
Sohyun knows it the moment she sets eyes on her and her bright smile makes Park's heart skip a beat.
She knows it the moment she has to remind herself that Nien is her girlfriend's best friend, meaning she shouldn't let her own heart and eyes stray so easily.
She definitely shouldn't.
Kotone, the fatally perceptive and master of the lesbian arts, notices immediately.
“Sohyun, come on,” is the first thing she says, frowning at her friend. “She’s your girl’s best friend.”
And Sohyun knows it. She really does, but when Nien approaches her in the kitchen, touches her hand, and asks for Korean lessons, she can’t help but blush and feel like teaching Nien a la Starfire (nerd-speak translation: Starfire learns languages through kissing. Sohyun knows Kotone for too long to not know that).
But she holds on. She thinks of Xinyu, her wonderful smile, and how much they love each other, and she holds on long enough to smile normally and say ‘sure’ as if she doesn’t want to kiss Nien on the mouth immediately.
“I’d love for you two to get along!” That’s what Xinyu says that night, grabbing them both by the neck and smiling after three drinks have been gulped down. It's Nien's welcome party, after all, and even Seoyeon allows herself to slack off a bit, but Nien's smile is enough to make Sohyun tense up completely and become unable to concentrate on anything else.
She really shouldn't be thinking that way. But when Nien turns her gaze towards her and says a word of agreement in mandarin, Sohyun feels something inside her tremble absurdly in the face of pure desire.
That night, she and Xinyu have sex like they've rarely had before. It's strong, strange and a little wild. Sohyun doesn't think about Nien, not really, but after the act, her mind considers that perhaps the accumulated lust in her body isn't just Xinyu's fault and it's at that moment that Nien's smile and attractive features come to her mind.
She tries to pretend and even hides as if she were asleep to prevent these thoughts from getting too much into her head. But Xinyu touches her arm, kisses her shoulder and suddenly Sohyun remembers how much she loves Xinyu, but damn, she’s so turned on by a mere thought and suddenly she is devouring her girlfriend from head to toe, without even realizing who she is actually grabbing. Of course it is Xinyu, obviously it is Xinyu, but for fuck's sake, maybe she wouldn't stop even if it was Nien instead of Xinyu .
When she wakes up in the morning, Sohyun kisses Xinyu because she is Xinyu. But then her mind thinks of Nien and she kisses Xinyu instinctively, not knowing how to feel because she just kissed her fucking girlfriend while thinking about her friend and that is so wrong, that is the worst thing in the world.
But Xinyu doesn't know and doesn't realize, she just kisses her back with all her sleepiness and then goes back to her slumber.
So Sohyun gets up, makes coffee, tries to concentrate on something else, and smiles when she sees Seoah enter the apartment as if it were her home.
“Did you sleep around here last night?” Sohyun questions, because she swore the girl had gone home long before Nien's welcome party ended.
They were a funny group of friends. With quite different ages, they had gotten together because some coincidence had made the vast majority of them neighbors, in addition to those who had already known each other before moving in. (This was the case with Sohyun, who knew Nakyoung and Mayu before she met the others.) But others, especially the younger ones like Seoah, didn't live between the two floors they occupied and only showed up frequently because of their friendship that was also built in many different ways.
“Yeah, I slept at Mayu unnie’s,” Seoah answers, her voice hoarse and her eyes sleepy. “But your breakfast is the best.”
Sohyun smiles, because she adores her and treats her like she is her little sister. But then Nien walks in, and Sohyun feels like the world stops in an extremely ridiculous way, because there can't be someone as beautiful as Xinyu as soon as she wakes up. But Nien, with her hair a little messy and her expression still groggy from sleep, makes her doubt her own convictions in a way that shouldn't be allowed.
"Can I have breakfast here?" she asks in her broken Korean, her friendly smile making Sohyun's heart skip a beat more than it should. "No one woke up at Mayu-chan's apartment, but I saw Seoah get up and come here, so I followed." Nien didn't need to explain herself, since Sohyun would make breakfast for her anyway. But she does, and Sohyun smiles, because she finds her beautiful and charming and it's obvious that she deserves a proper breakfast. (Mayu, Kaede, and Dahyun forgive her, but they could never make breakfast as good as Sohyun's.)
Then, the next moment, she's serving her famous breakfast to Seoah and Nien, who engage in an accent-filled conversation about dramas and the tourist spots Nien wants to visit. Soon, Xinyu also appears, with her sleepy look, her beautiful smile, and the visible marks that Sohyun couldn't stop herself from putting on her neck. And Sohyun thinks, as she watches them enjoy their breakfast, that she doesn't need anything else in life.
But then Nien smiles in her direction. And Sohyun thinks that maybe she just needs one more thing in her life.
[...]
It's only Nien's second day in the country. Seoah, Soomin, Hayeon and Chaeyeon are excited about the new addition to the group and insist on taking her for a walk right away. Sohyun tried to argue that she must be tired from the trip and the party, but Nien flashes a bright smile and says it's okay, so Sohyun doesn't complain about being dragged along, since letting those four lead Nien around unsupervised isn't exactly the best idea.
They spend the whole morning walking around one of Seoul's most visited neighborhoods, stopping at shops, taking pictures and telling Nien all sorts of stories. Sohyun keeps to herself, just taking care of the girls. She also does her part by sending a picture of Seoah or Nien to Xinyu, who couldn’t go because of work.
Overall, even though she's close to her temptation all morning, the distractions of the city and her other friends are enough for her to not pay any attention to the bubbling feelings that Nien causes her. She almost finds herself returning to normal and thinks that maybe the lust and passion expressed the night before were just something temporary caused by the impact of seeing the taiwanese girl for the first time. Sure, Nien is still beautiful and ridiculously attractive in everything she does, but it's not like Sohyun wants to kiss her mouth every time their eyes meet.
No, of course not.
Eventually, the group ends up at a bookstore. Sohyun doesn't quite understand why, she just listens to Soomin and Hayeon complaining about needing to buy a book because of their classes and some other reason that she doesn't mind hearing. Her focus is on her own cell phone while she solves a small problem that came up at work. But it's small and quick enough for her to go back to paying attention to her friends in a moment.
She quickly scans the bookstore and sees Seoah with Chaeyeon in the teens’ section. Soomin and Hayeon are near the textbooks, but they seem more interested in the manga next to them. But where is…
Sohyun's reasoning is interrupted by a firm hand holding hers. She barely has time to register Nien's wonderful and huge smile before she is dragged away by her.
"Come on, I found it!"
Found it?
Sohyun struggles to understand what Nien is talking about and why she is being taken to another part of the bookstore, but she lets herself be dragged, enjoying the feeling of Nien's hand in hers. She also enjoys watching her hair move as she walks, the big smile that Sohyun can see even at a glance, the…
Nien stops suddenly. She crouches in front of a bookshelf and lets go of Sohyun's hand, who feels disappointed that she is no longer holding Nien's hand. And then she feels crazy, because she shouldn't feel this way over something trivial.
"Which one do you think is better?" Nien asks, nodding at the books.
Noticing the contents on the shelf, Sohyun begins to understand the situation better. Especially because Mandarin-Korean dictionaries are a pretty self-explanatory concept.
"Hm..." She thinks, her eyes on the covers, but her mind busy thinking about how to get out of this situation. Deep down, Sohyun knows she can't spend any more time with Nien. Not while she feels this way. "Are you sure I'm the best person for this? You already know how to speak korean well, I don't see how I'm going to help you."
"I know a little of korean because I took some classes back home, but it's always good to have a native speaker to help! And I don't want to spend more money on classes before I get a job here. Xinyu said you and she could help me since you work from home and have more time.” Sohyun nods, not failing to notice that Nien has shot down arguments that she hadn't even verbalized yet.
“I see.” Without any more counterpoints in her head (and also because, deep down, she wants to spend more time with Nien), Sohyun gives up and picks up one of the books. “Let's go with this one, then.”
Nien stands up with an excited expression on her face and Sohyun can't help but melt completely. For a quick second, everything in her body fails and she only moves from her spot because Nien takes her hand again to lead her to the cashier. The other four are already there, with Soomin and Hayeon paying for the books they needed to buy.
None of them glance twice at Sohyun and Nien’s hands held together. Of course not, after all, their group of friends are affectionate with each other, even the ones who are in a relationship, so the two of them holding hands is nothing to be surprised about. But Sohyun can't help but think that the tingling she feels when Nien's hand leaves hers is wrong, especially considering the amount of sensations that run through her body and heart every time she's near her.
Hsu Nientzu is a problem that Sohyun doesn't know how to deal with.
[...]
The next few days become a kind of hell that Sohyun never imagined she would have to deal with.
Of course, Nien is right about her arguments for taking lessons from her and Xinyu. The couple is blessed with home office and the need to go to the office (or studio, in Sohyun’s case), only for important meetings or specific situations that weren’t daily. Sohyun in particular practically makes her own schedule, so she has free time whenever she wants and whenever she’s not too late in delivering her projects. Therefore, as expected, Sohyun is in charge of teaching Nien through simulated conversations in korean, especially in the context of a job interview, since she needs to find some work. When she is not busy, Xinyu helps out, which is a great relief because Xinyu is wonderful and almost always makes Sohyun forget about the temptation of being around Nien.
But, most of the time, it’s just Sohyun and Nien.
And this is probably the biggest psychological terror Sohyun has ever experienced in her entire life because she is almost certain that Nien is flirting with her.
It could be all in her head. It could be her imagination because she wants Nien so much. But Sohyun can swear that those touches on her hand during conversations, the suggestive smiles, the way she gets closer when they are both looking at the dictionary, none of that is normal or innocent. She is not sure, however, at least not at the beginning. And because of that (or because she is afraid of admitting her crush on her girlfriend's best friend), she doesn't say anything to Xinyu or anyone else. Much less does she say anything to Nien, she just pretends to be normal about the whole situation, though her body burns every time she is less than a meter away from her.
Sohyun is going crazy. And it is entirely Nien's fault.
"What is that word?" Nien asks one day, pointing to something in a generic text that Sohyun took from the internet and asked her to try to read.
Sohyun, who was a little distracted about how to proceed with her next work project, just approaches without thinking twice and leans next to Nien to see the text.
“Deadline,” she answers, turning her face to see if Nien understood.
That's when she realizes her mistake.
In her distraction, Sohyun leaned a little too far and now Nien's face is close. Very close. She can see the beautiful brown eyes in detail and also the red and perfectly-shaped mouth. Sohyun holds her breath without realizing it, hypnotized by Nien's beauty. Time seems to stop. She can't move away, can't process any thought other than the immense desire she has to capture her mouth with hers, to taste everything she can and satisfy the enormous desire she has felt for days.
And Nien doesn't move away. She looks at her with a small smile, her gaze seeming to search for something in Sohyun's expression, something that Sohyun is desperate to give. Nien's hand rests on hers and her face approaches in such a subtle and imperceptible way that it’s hard to understand. Sohyun can feel her breath on her face, she is intoxicated by the delicious smell of her perfume and is just one step away from tasting the lips she wants so badly. She just needs to get a little closer...
But she won't.
In a moment of clarity that not even she can explain, something inside her snaps and Sohyun steps back, as if someone had pressed the self-control button inside her. She exhales heavily and looks away from Nien, avoiding glancing at her expression and seeing any kind of emotion that might be written in her eyes. But it is very difficult to calm down with the reason for her temptation so close. Sohyun stands up, clears her throat and says:
"I'm going to check on Xinyu."
And leaves without even sparing a glance at Nien. There are many things bubbling up inside her, feelings she doesn't want to pay attention to, but the tension is too much and the stress is so much and she just needs to release it somehow and...
Xinyu is working in the bedroom. They usually leave each other alone when one is working, but Xinyu is unaffected when Sohyun invades the room and kisses her intensely. Instead of pushing her away, Xinyu melts and smiles at her girlfriend's touch and enjoys the moment for a few good seconds before separating.
If Xinyu notices something strange in Sohyun's tension or in the fact that she came to the room just to kiss her as if her life depended on it, she doesn't comment. She just smiles, caresses her face, gives her another peck and goes back to work normally. Sohyun leaves the room, her body more relaxed, her breathing returning to normal and her head free of the cloud of madness provoked by Nien. And she thinks about how much she loves and wants to be with Xinyu above all else, but she is also going crazy with the unusual amount of lust she is feeling for Nien.
When she returns to the living room, the woman who haunts her life is comfortably entertained with the text and acts as if nothing had happened. Sohyun tries to do the same, because she has no idea what to do and just hopes that this will end soon.
It doesn’t.
Nien continues to haunt her. It's a bolder touch here and there, a smile and a look that says too much, a strange approach, a goodnight kiss that's too intimate to be normal. And Sohyun tries to hold back, really tries, tries so hard that she finds the courage to tell Nien to stop acting like that and all she does is laugh loud and say:
"But you seem to like it so much!"
And Sohyun doesn't know how to contradict her because the honest truth is that she loves when Nien seduces her. She loves the touches, the closeness, her perfume, the way her lust takes over her and the visits to the bedroom while Xinyu is working become more frequent. She loves everything Nien does, but she can't, she shouldn't say it out loud, so she just looks away and pretends that her flesh isn't weaker than ever.
Of course, Xinyu isn't completely unaware of Sohyun's changes in behavior and occasional strangeness. One day, after Nien goes to the neighboring apartment (where she usually sleeps on Mayu, Kaede, and Dahyun's couch, which is more comfortable), Sohyun can't help but pull Xinyu onto her lap when the two sit in the living room to watch something before bed.
Amidst playful giggles and passionate kisses, Xinyu comments:
"You've been so horny lately. It reminds me of the way you were when we first started dating."
And it's not a serious comment, but Sohyun has trouble holding back the guilt that rises in her throat. Because Xinyu is wonderful and doesn't deserve Sohyun to be crazy about her best friend, but it's something hard to control and Sohyun knows she still wants Xinyu, knows she still thinks about her and still loves her as intensely as ever.
She just really wants Nien too.
The situation eventually reaches a point critical enough for her to need outside help.
That's where Kotone, Mayu, Dahyun, Yooyeon, Seoyeon, Nakyoung, and Lynn come in. (Sohyun didn't actually call Lynn, but she's so attached to Nakyoung that it seems mean to ask her to leave.)
The problem is that, when Sohyun tells them about the situation between her and Nien, taking advantage of the fact that Nien and Xinyu went out with some other friends, none of the girls present seem surprised.
"Why don't you react?" Sohyun asks, after a few seconds of silence and strange looks.
"Well... how can we say this?" Mayu ponders, the hand on her chin giving her a thoughtful look.
"The sexual tension between you two is so obvious that even Seoah must have noticed something different," Lynn blurts, drawing surprised looks from everyone. "What? I'm already 18 years old and I'm not blind. Neither are the others. In fact, the only one blind to this seems to be Xinyu unnie.”
“She’s right,” Yooyeon agrees, her arms wrapped around Seoyeon. “But that’s just because Xinyu is…”
“Crazy,” Seoyeon finishes. “Xinyu is crazy. No offense.”
“Non taken…?” Sohyun responds, not sure if she should be offended. Some things are undeniable, and Xinyu has always been a very different person from the ordinary. (But Sohyun always thought that being different is her charm.)
“The point is: you can’t be surprised by something you’ve already seen in person, right? Like, you’re usually more reserved and shy, but the way you blush when Nien gets close even after knowing her for over a month is obviously abnormal,” Dahyun points out. “But are you sure she’s flirting with you? She’s always so affectionate and full of touches with everyone, even me and Kaede. She tried to be with Yooyeon too, but I think Seoyeon's look changed her mind.”
A few girls laughed, including Yooyeon. Seoyeon just rolled her eyes and patted Dahyun's leg before snuggling deeper into Yooyeon's arms.
"I've seen how she is with you guys and I can assure you it's not the same way as when we're alone. Like, the way she looks at me is..." Sohyun counters, but it’s a two-way knife. Because, when she imagines Nien's look on her, she ends up feeling a little hot and it's not exactly the time and place to think about such things.
"Wow, you really are mitten," Kotone notes, frowning. Sohyun swallows hard and nods. "But do you still feel the same way about Xinyu?"
"Completely. Actually..." Sohyun hesitates before continuing, too busy choosing her next words. She glances quickly at Lynn, who rolls her eyes when she realizes it.
“Unnie, you know very well what kind of things girls my age talk and think. Don’t bother with me here.”
The others seem to just accept that Lynn is right, so Sohyun decides to keep going.
“Oh, it’s just that, ever since Nien arrived, I’ve been a little too… turned-on… and actually, my relationship with Xinyu is very good and we still understand and like each other just as much. Overall, it’s still as good or even more intense than before.”
“Yeah, I already knew that too,” Dahyun asserts and everyone remembers that her and Kaede's room shares a wall with Sohyun and Xinyu's room, since the apartments are next to each other. “But I'm aware that my voice is also loud, so I'm not going to file a formal complaint.”
“Your voice isn't really quiet at all,” Sohyun confirms, even though it's not necessary.
“Okay, but what now?” Nakyoung turns the attention to herself, her gaze fixed on Sohyun. “You want Nien, but you also love Xinyu as always. So what now?”
“What now?” Sohyun retorts, her eyes wide. “I'm telling you about this precisely because I don't know what to do now!”
“Oh.”
Nakyoung makes a face and says nothing else. Sohyun sighs and starts to think that it was a mistake to try to get advice from those girls.
“Have you tried talking to Nien about this?”
“I said it, but she didn't want to listen.”
“Did you ask nicely? Did you try to make yourself understood?”
“I asked, but she didn't respect it.”
“Seriously, Sohyun, are you sure you tried? It seems more like you've already made out with her.”
“I swear, the flesh is weak, but it never happened!”
Her friends sigh thoughtfully at this sequence and once again Sohyun regrets the idea of having gone to them.
“Why don't you try talking to Xinyu herself about it?” Kotone suggests, after a long period of silence.
“Yeah, that might be a good idea,” Mayu agrees.
“No, it's not!” Sohyun interrupts, rubbing her face with her hands. “I don't want to make her and Nien fight! She was so anxious for her best friend of years to finally come live here…”
The others seem to understand what she means. It's no secret how much Xinyu talked about Nien and how anxious and happy she was in the days before her friend's arrival.
“Still, this is a situation that affects her relationship,” argues Nakyoung. “And it could affect her relationship with Nien too if she finds out the wrong way. She has the right to know.”
“Yeah, and if we think about it, knowing what's going on shouldn't affect Xinyu that much…” Dahyun continues, her expression thoughtful.
“What do you mean?” Sohyun frowns.
“Oh, Sohyun, it's just that, to be quite honest,” Yooyeon begins, shrugging her shoulders in the middle of the sentence. “Xinyu is kind of…"
“Dirty,” Seoyeon completes. “Xinyu is dirty. No offense.”
“Non taken…?” Again, Sohyun doesn't know what to say. Like it or not, the fact that Xinyu has kind of a dirty mind led to great moments in the couple's life.
“She's also very unpredictable,” Lynn reminds, startling Sohyun, who thought she was sleeping since she's very comfortable lying in Nakyoung's arm. “There's no way of knowing how Xinyu unnie will react. But I doubt it'll be that bad.”
Kotone seems to think about something and even opens her mouth, but closes it again and says nothing else. The room is silent for a few moments, with Sohyun splashed on the floor and staring at the ceiling as if she were going to find a definitive answer to her problems. Meanwhile, the others exchange glances with each other, considering what to do to help relieve their friend's stress.
Finally, Mayu breaks the silence by clapping her hands very loudly. Everyone turns to her, including Sohyun, to whom Mayu smiles adorably.
“Who wants a drink?”
Sohyun glares at her. The next second, the room is filled with laughter and Mayu is getting up to get drinks for everyone. Okay, maybe Sohyun doesn't regret talking to her friends that much.
[...]
Hsu Nientzu is worse than a problem.
Sohyun isn't quite sure how she got to this point, but she knows she needs to put an end to this story before things get worse. She doesn't want to hurt Xinyu, much less cause a rift between her and Nien, but she feels like something really bad could happen if she just lets the situation keep going without doing anything to stop it.
And two weeks after the conversation with her friends, she realizes why she feels this way.
At first, Sohyun thought it was just a crush based on desire — and it probably was. However, the more time she spent with Nien, the more she enjoyed her humor, conversations and presence. Little by little, Sohyun began to realize that being with Nien didn't only affect her body, but also her heart, and suddenly she didn't know what to think anymore, because she was totally wrapped up in a crush on her girl's best friend.
All this while she still loves Xinyu the same way.
It doesn't make sense. At least, Sohyun doesn't understand how this is possible and feels wrong inside her own body. But she knows that now that she got to this point, there's no turning back and she simply needs to do something about it.
That something will be telling Xinyu everything. Even if it means a big problem or the end of her relationship, she's tired of hiding what's going on and knows that holding it in will only make matters worse. She needs to tell her.
Therefore, she chooses to talk to Xinyu on the day that Nien goes to a job interview and they can both take advantage of the moment to talk. However, her plan goes awry when Xinyu has to go to the office, leaving Sohyun to deal with her own thoughts and the growing anxiety in her chest by herself at home.
Despite having made a decision, she is still not completely convinced that it is the best idea. Her fears and concerns are in a fierce fight against her own logic and she finds herself in an internal dispute throughout the day, so strong that she can't concentrate on anything else. She is almost certain that some girls pass by the apartment asking something or calling her to hang out, but Sohyun is so oblivious that she doesn't pay attention.
She just needs Xinyu to get home.
As the end of the afternoon approaches, Sohyun hears a knock on the door. She finds it strange, after all, most of her friends don't even knock before entering and obviously Xinyu never does. When she gets up and goes over to open the door, Sohyun remembers.
There is still a person among her friends who knocks on the door. Someone who is not yet fully integrated into the intimacy of the group of friends who share the adjacent apartments of that building.
Sohyun hesitates. She doesn't know what to expect if she opens the door and she doesn't know how much she will resist considering her mental state. But, of course, she can't resist. Just hearing another knock and imagining the face and smile waiting on the other side, her body moves on its own and opens the door.
Nien is beautiful as always. And yet, Sohyun still feels her heart skip a beat and her breath fade away when she sees her.
"I made it!" Nien shouts and pulls Sohyun into a tight hug. "I'm hired! I'll start on monday!”
Sohyun's eyes widen. Suddenly, all thoughts about the strange situation she is in disappear and she allows herself to be happy for Nien's achievement.
"Congratulations! I knew you could do it!" she exclaims, surprised by the sincerity in her own words. But it's a fact, just by getting to know Nien a little, Sohyun knows that she's the type of person who doesn't rest for anything until she achieves her goal, and she’s also quite intelligent. Teaching her was a very easy task, except for the more… lustful parts.
"I wouldn't have made it if it weren't for you!" Nien breaks away from the hug to smile broadly at Sohyun, who feels her heart melt at that moment. "Thank you so much for the lessons!"
"You would have made it anyway, I just gave you a hand," Sohyun replies, but there's a huge smile on her face too. "Come on, we need to celebrate!"
She pulls Nien into the kitchen and grabs a bottle of wine that was stored away, pouring each of them a glass. Nien's achievement made her so happy that Sohyun doesn't even consider the dangers of drinking alone with her, she can only think about how happy and smiling and beautiful Nien is and how much she needs to share this joy with her.
The two spend a good time sharing a glass of wine while Nien tells her how the interview went and more details about the job. She's excited, talking non-stop, and Sohyun laughs at every single thing she says, her conscience light-years away from the internal conflict that had been taking over her thoughts just a few hours before. The simple conversation with both of them standing in the kitchen and drinking wine is enough to make her think only about how wonderful Nien is.
"Seriously, Sohyun, I really need to thank you," Nien says, after finishing her second glass.
"Nah, you would’ve gotten a job even without me," Sohyun retorts, refilling the glasses with wine.
"It's not just because of that!" Nien holds Sohyun’s hand when she finishes refilling the wine and Sohyun feels her face heat up at the sudden touch. "Ever since I got here, you've been so nice to me and made me feel at home really quickly. Every moment we were together, even though it was just class, was really nice and I loved every second of it. You're amazing, Sohyun, you really are." Nien's eyes are shining. Her smile looks more beautiful than ever. Sohyun swallows hard, her face now too blushed to be unnoticeable, but she hopes Nien is already drunk enough not to think about these details.
“T-Thank you. You… I also really enjoyed spending this time with you.”
That’s all Sohyun can say. All she can say without letting the feelings trapped on her throat break out.
But Nien seems to know. She gets closer and every detail of her face becomes more and more visible and beautiful. Sohyun shivers when she feels her hand slide around her waist and opens her mouth, because she is sure she should say something, should stop whatever is happening. She is not sure if she can, not when the alcohol is already slowing down her thoughts, when Nien's intoxicating perfume and breathtaking beauty are confusing her entire mind. But she needs to do something, she needs to-
"What is going on here?" Sohyun freezes. She knows that voice very well.
At the entrance to the kitchen, Xinyu is standing with a confused expression bordering on anger and looking directly at the two of them. Sohyun does not know what to do, because she would move away before her girlfriend’s appearance, she swears she would, but now it’s too late and Nien didn’t retreat even after Xinyu appeared.
It is only when Sohyun thinks better about the situation that she realizes how close they are. Nien's hand is still on her waist and their faces are near enough to almost touch. It's an impossible situation to explain.
And Xinyu is at the entrance to the kitchen, waiting.
"So?" She asks, raising her eyebrow. Sohyun looks from her to Nien and almost goes crazy when she sees that Nien is just smiling like it's nothing. Worse; she still refuses to move away. And Sohyun can't move, because her body is paralyzed.
"I-I... Xinyu, w-we... It’s..." she tries to speak, but all that comes out is a mess of mumbles and stutters. Nien gives an adorable little laugh as if she's loving the situation and Xinyu narrows her eyes.
Sohyun doesn't know what to say. It isn't what you're thinking? Well, that's already a terrible thing to say on its own, imagine when the scene must look exactly like what Xinyu is thinking.
Suddenly, Sohyun goes completely silent as Xinyu says something in mandarin. Nien answers. Sohyun widens her eyes in pure despair, because of course she has learned some things in the language after so many classes and time of dating, but she is so crazy about the situation that she cannot understand a single word of what’s being said.
Nien continues smiling. Xinyu takes a step closer with each sentence exchanged between the two. Sohyun knows she should have moved away by now, but Nien is still holding her waist with such authority and her body continues to disregard any command she gives it.
Then, things get worse.
Because Xinyu comes closer.
And laughs.
Sohyun almost can't believe it. Xinyu laughs as she approaches and looks at her girlfriend with an amused smile on her face.
"Honey, you could have told me before!" she exclaims, squeezing Sohyun's cheeks lightly. "I wouldn't judge you for wanting to be with Nien! She’s beautiful!"
Park Sohyun.exe is not responding. Please try again later.
Sohyun looks from Xinyu to Nien and back to Xinyu. She still doesn't understand anything, much less why they are both smiling at her like that.
"I-I..." she tries to say, but her brain doesn't form a coherent unit of thought to follow. "...What...?"
Xinyu laughs again. And then kisses her. Sohyun melts completely, because Nien is still holding her waist and having those two touches at once affects her in a way she never thought possible. It's almost inconceivable, the way her heart races to the limit and her body gets much hotter than it should be possible.
When Xinyu steps back, she nods in Nien's direction. Sohyun follows the movement and finds the gorgeous face responsible for haunting and turning her life upside down lately. Nien is just smiling, that damn smile that only she has.
Sohyun holds her breath when she sees her approaching and explodes when their lips finally touch. Nien pulls her closer, impossibly close and Sohyun can only think about how kissing her for real is even better than any dream or fantasy she has had since they met. Midway through the kiss, she feels another touch on her back and a mouth touches her shoulders and neck. Sohyun shivers and lets out a sigh that makes Nien tighten her grip on Sohyun’s waist.
That touch is too much for Sohyun, who pulls away with her breathing ragged and her eyes wide open in the direction of the women in front of her. But they don't care about her confusion and just kiss.
Sohyun feels her mouth go dry and instinctively holds one waist with each hand. As much as she had thought a lot about Nien and Xinyu in her horniest moments, she had never entertained the idea of Nien and Xinyu. Seeing it happen live was like an explosion in her brain, finally opening her eyes to an incredible possibility and more pleasurable than her wildest dreams.
Xinyu and Nien break the kiss after a few seconds, satisfied smiles plastered on both their faces. Sohyun tries to control her breathing and mind enough to say:
"What the fuck is going on?"
The other two laugh and exchange a suggestive look with each other. As friends for years, it's obvious that just one look is enough for them to communicate, so in the next moment Nien turns to Sohyun, the hand on her waist going straight to hold her by the collar and pulling her face closer.
"Here's what's happening:" Nien has the naughtiest smile in the world on her face and the authoritative tone on her voice makes Sohyun's legs weaken. "You have ten seconds to take me to your bedroom before I take your clothes off right here."
Sohyun doesn't even finish processing the sentence and feels Nien's mouth colliding violently with hers. She moans, grabs Nien tighter and forgets any possible confusion to devote herself to the kiss. Beside her, Xinyu laughs and starts guiding the two in another direction. Sohyun tries to help her, but Nien is devouring her so voraciously that even standing is difficult.
Eventually, between many kisses, touches and loss of clothes, the three of them reach the bedroom and Nien throws her on the bed and sits on top of her. Nien's eyes are like Sohyun has never seen before; covered in desire and staring at Sohyun as if she were her prey. Her body is almost completely uncovered and the feeling is as if Sohyun is seeing the sunset for the first time; so outrageously beautiful that it doesn't even seem real. Xinyu sits next to them on the bed, the expression on her face making it clear how much she is enjoying watching the interaction between the two.
Xinyu says something in Mandarin and Nien responds. Again, Sohyun tries to understand the conversation, but she can't.
"What?" she asks when she sees both of them smile.
"She told me to be nice to you," Nien explains, her hands going to Sohyun's shoulders and pressing her against the mattress. "But I said you would prefer for me to go with everything I have."
Sohyun gasps at the strength of Nien's arms squeezing her. She is not used to being in that position; normally, Xinyu prefers to be on the bottom and Sohyun likes to please her. But seeing the look and smile on Nien's face when Sohyun writhes under her touch, she realizes that this is the way Nien gets her satisfaction and she no longer has any problem being in a position so unfamiliar to her.
"Yes," Sohyun finds herself saying. "Give me everything."
Nien complies with her request. Xinyu enters too, eventually, although Sohyun notices that her girlfriend likes to watch as much as participate. The night goes by in a completely different way than Sohyun imagined, but she does not complain at all, as she discovers new things about Nien, Xinyu and even herself amidst the moans, touches and kisses shared between the three.
[...]
After who knows how long, the three of them are sprawled on the bed, with Nien in the middle. Sohyun suddenly realizes that the bed she always thought was a little too big for the couple seems the perfect size with Nien present.
But there are still many questions in her head and she needs answers.
“What… what was that?” she gathers the courage to ask, looking at the two women beside her.
“Very, very good sex,” Nien replies. Sohyun rolls her eyes and Xinyu laughs.
“It was, but I think she’s talking about something else,” her girlfriend says. “Honey, I was thinking about telling you this, but the truth is that Nien and I kinda had a relationship when we were together. There were no labels, but we hooked up often and she was actually my first everything.” Xinyu reaches out to caress Sohyun’s face as she speaks, while Nien nestles calmly in her other arm. “We were also free to be with other people, so I had no problem when I fell in love and agreed to date you. I always knew Nien would understand. And as much as we love each other, we are also very good friends and have been together for a long time to not be able to live as just friends. I mean, yes, of course I wanted to kiss her ever since I met her again, but it wasn't impossible to handle, especially because I love you very much too. If I had known that you wanted to do the same as me, we would have done this a long time ago.”
Sohyun nods and slowly absorbs Xinyu's words, letting everything settle in her head.
"She was seducing me," she mumbles, not knowing what else to say. Nien lets out a loud laugh.
"Yes! It was fun, she’s very good to tease."
"Isn't it?! She's so beautiful when she’s flushed!" Xinyu agrees and the two look adoringly at Sohyun, who doesn't hesitate to blush. "But why did you seduce her without telling me?! We could have worked together!”
"Oh, I thought it would be fun." Nien shrugs. "And I was testing it too. I couldn't let you be with someone who would cheat on you with your best friend. She held up really well, so she passed flawlessly. In fact, she held up so well that I actually started to like her. You've got yourself a great girlfriend, darling.”
“Thank you! I've always been good at choosing.” Xinyu and Nien smile at each other, but Sohyun is occupied thinking of something else.
“Wait. Do you… really like me…?” Sohyun questions, seeing something new happen: Nien blushes and gets embarrassed.
“Oh! Yeah…” she looks away, her adorably red face making Sohyun's heart skip a beat. “At first, it was just a bit of desire and for the test. But you were helping me so sincerely and you were so faithful to Xinyu even though you saw me every day… It was quite charming.”
Sohyun lets a huge smile take over her face. “It was kind of… the same with me. You… are amazing. In every way.”
Nien blushes a little more and whispers a thank you. Sohyun exchanges a look with Xinyu, who is also smiling, and knows what to do.
“Do you… want to go out with us, Nien?” She asks, watching the expression on Nien's face change. Her eyes shine and she turns from one to the other as if she were analyzing the sincerity of the words.
“That would be great, but… doesn’t that count as skipping a few steps?” She waves to the three of them on the bed and Sohyun laughs.
“Yeah, you’re right. Well, we can do it in a disorderly way and leave the date for later.”
“Since it’s already out of order anyway,” Xinyu says, turning to face her best friend. “How about we just start dating officially?”
A second unprecedented thing happens at that moment: Nien is speechless. She looks from one to the other again and says a few intelligible words before finally speaking:
“R-Really?” Sohyun laughs at the incredulity in her voice and feels even more in love with Nien.
“Really,” she answers, caressing her face. “Every second I spend with you, the more I adore you. And, of course, I love Xinyu. And she obviously loves us both. You love each other. You feel the same way about me that I feel about you. If all of this is true, then why don’t we just get together?”
“But… are you sure? Isn’t it too fast for you?” The concern in her eyes is genuine and Sohyun holds back the urge to kiss her immediately.
“I asked Xinyu out two days after we met. I’ve known you for over two months now. I’d say I was pretty slow this time, actually.”
Sohyun watches as Nien’s expression changes from worry to happiness in a matter of moments. Xinyu laughs beside them and soon Nien wraps them both in a bear hug, which works as well as a “yes” as any word.
That night, Sohyun discovers she was wrong.
Hsu Nientzu is not a problem. She’s the solution.
[...]
Sohyun should have expected it, but when the trio decides to tell their friends about their relationship during a meeting in which the 24 of them are filling the living room of Yooyeon and Seoyeon's apartment and receives no reaction of shock, she can't take it anymore.
"What?!" she shouts, seeing the girls' somewhat strange looks. "Aren't you even a little surprised?!"
The others look at each other as if thinking about how to respond to that. Sohyun doesn't believe it. Not even Sullin seems surprised and the girl barely knows how to speak Korean yet.
"No…?" Hyerin replies, grimacing.
"I thought you were dating since Nien arrived," Hayeon explains, and at least eight others agree with her, including Seoah.
Sohyun slaps her hand on her forehead. "Are we that obvious?" She looks at her girlfriends, who shrug.
"You are," they both say at the same time.
“Xinyu, you have no right to speak,” Seoyeon interrupts. “I'm sure you didn't notice the tension between them until the last moment.”
Xinyu opens her mouth to defend herself, but thinks twice.
“Yeah, you're right,” she says and lets out a sigh. The girls laugh.
“You should have seen how Sohyun was! All ‘Oh, I want Nien, but I love Xinyu!’, ‘Oh, what do I do?’, ‘Oh’--”
“Dahyun, shut up!”
Everyone in the room laughs loudly and Sohyun snorts in response. But as she feels her girlfriends' hands connected with hers and sees her friends laugh — even though they are making fun of her —, Sohyun thinks that, indeed, she doesn't need anything else in life.