Pomegranate
Pomegranate
onesided!Sooyoung (SNSD) x Yoona (SNSD); Yoona (SNSD) x Yuri (SNSD)
PG-13; 2557w
Prompt: Curse
Sooyoung and Yoona get cursed by a pair of rings they buy for Yuri’s birthday
A/N: for unniedearest Halloween Trope Challenge 2013.
It’s the kind of store that fits the antiquated look. Built together with wood that now bears peeling paint, the interior is lit by dimmed light bulbs and dust seems to line the shelves and ceiling. The ancient ambience gives the store a sense of magic and boasts, “Come one come all, our wares have lived many many years.”
While these don’t seem to be the type of things that suit Yuri’s sense of style, Yoona had been ecstatic to explore, amusement and curiosity dragging her along with as much force as she did with Sooyoung, leading the other girl along by arm.
Yoona halts her perusal in the middle of the aisle, a wild smile on her face as she notices a set of couple rings placed on top of a fancy box, one of a blooming flower, the other a bare branch. Yoona picks up the ring with the branch and admires the intricacy of the designs.
"Hey unnie, what do you think?"
Sooyoung tilts her head, forcing her attention up and away from their still entwined fingers to the tiny item held in Yoona’s other hand. She shrugs. "I don't know. Doesn't it seem too artsy for someone like Yuri? I know she’s expecting something weird from us like always, but this seems to be far too fancy for a joke."
"But that’s the fun of it. She’s going to freak out when she realizes I actually bought something fancy for her. And since it looks rather pricey she can’t really say anything bad about it. Can you imagine her face?”
Sooyoung laughs. “And if it really is pricey? Can you even afford it?” She looks for a price tag only to realize there isn’t one. “Looks like it’s one of those bargaining stores.”
Yoona pats Sooyoung on the back. “I’m counting on you unnie. You’re good with words aren’t you?”
Sooyoung scoffs. “And you’re good at charming men aren’t you?”
Yoona gasps, face morphed into an exaggerated portrayal of shock. “Unnie, how could you say such a thing? Do I look like the kind of person who would do something so devious?” Yoona bats her eyelashes for emphasis.
“I’ve seen you use your aegyo for discounts before, so don’t lie. All you have to do is show that pretty face of yours, sweeten your voice and bam.”
“Like you haven’t?”
Sooyoung shrugs. “I can’t help it if I’m pretty.”
Yoona slaps Sooyoung’s arm playfully and Sooyoung pokes Yoona’s cheek in return. “But seriously, you and Yuri make the strangest of couples. Always trying to prank each other with joke gifts. Does it even fit your finger?"
Yoona slides on the ring and spreads her fingers, displaying the ring fully against the weakening light bulbs. "Yep. Hey unnie, wear the other one, I want to see how they look next to each other."
Sooyoung hesitates, discomfort rising in the pit of her stomach. There is only so much she can cover up with friendship. And only so much that she can lie. "Why don't you use your other hand?"
Yoona laughs. "It's not the same, you know that."
"Still…"
"Unnie." A natural whine threads its way into her voice and Sooyoung shudders slightly at just how the sound affects her. It’s too sweet and adorable and pierces her defenses far too easily.
Sooyoung sighs and nods her head. She picks up the other ring and slides it on, noting the way the dull grey metal contrasts with her skin. Yoona grabs her hand and peers at their interlocked fingers, admiring from different angles.
And for that moment Sooyoung dreams a useless dream and pretends that Yoona isn’t overlapping Yuri’s features onto her own.
A faraway look appears in Sooyoung’s eyes and if she had glanced in a mirror she would have easily recognized the meaning there. It’d be a sight too saddening to see.
Yoona nods her head in satisfaction and places the rings back in the box. Picking up the item she drags Sooyoung away.
The elderly man at the counter barely utters a word when they approach, his eyes never leave the newspaper in his hands. As Yoona puts the box down, she prods Sooyoung in the back. Sooyoung flicks her in the forehead.
“How much is it, ajusshi?”
The man’s gaze flickers, dancing from the box to Sooyoung and Yoona before back to the newspaper. “20,000 won.”
“Really?“ The disbelief tumbles out before Sooyoung can stop it.
“Couple’s discount.”
Yoona’s eyes widen at the assumption, or rather the ease of acceptance whereas Sooyoung struggles against the instinct to stutter like an idiot.
“We’re not-“
Suddenly Yoona’s leans into her, hands gripping her arm tightly. “That’s so nice of him, isn’t it?”
Sooyoung swallows her words, ignores the sensation of warmth spreading through her body, the pleasure of having Yoona so close, the pleasure of this pretend love and pretend intimacy and promptly hands over the money.
---
Neither of them talk about the discount on the way back to their apartment, though maybe that’s because it’s not really an issue at all. Yoona probably doesn’t think anything of pretending to be a couple just to save money and Sooyoung probably would’ve done the same.
Because that’s all it is.
Pretend.
---
Hyoyeon is the only one in the apartment when they get back, and she glances up from the cake that’s already set out on the table, next to a pot of seaweed soup and a plate of galbi.
It’s the old beloved cliché, two groups of close friends that morphed into one. At least that’s the simple version. The more complicated version, as Sooyoung has come to realize, is a bit more annoying.
Yoona and Yuri were the link. When the two started to date, it became natural that their (childhood) friends would get to know each other, thus Hyoyeon and Sooyoung became close friends.
“You two are way too slow,” Hyoyeon says from her place at the table. “You should be thankful Yuri wanted to go out and buy some special candles for the cake.”
“You wouldn’t be so cruel as to start dinner without us, would you?” Sooyoung fakes a look of horror.
Hyoyeon scoffs. “Knowing you two gluttons, we’d probably need a head start before you ate everything.”
The sound of the door opening alerts their attention and all three of them watch as Yuri walks into the kitchen. Yoona immediately smiles and runs towards the girl, arms stretched wide.
Sooyoung fights the urge to look away from the impending hug. She didn’t really want to put up with Hyoyeon’s knowing looks at the moment.
And then everything goes wrong.
For a short sweet moment the two enjoy each other’s embrace, relishing the physicality of their love. But then a spasm jerks its way through Yuri’s body. The places where their skin meet seemed to pucker, Yuri’s cheek against Yoona’s and their exposed arms with one another.
A strangled choke comes from Yuri as her eyes widen. Yoona immediately lets go in surprise, only to grab Yuri’s arms to prevent her from collapsing.
Yuri falls to her knees and the skin around her arms starts to shrink and shrivel. The roots of her hair bleed white and slowly, the taint travels up her arms and to her face. The beauty and vibrancy that she has long been known for is being sucked dry.
Sooyoung isn’t sure who moves first towards the couple but she is closer and immediately pulls Yoona away. Contact broken, Yuri falls to the ground and appears to have aged severely, arms and legs so frighteningly thin, skin wrinkled and dry. Hyoyeon pulls her up and Yuri can only manage a breathy groan in response.
Nobody is sure what is happening, but Sooyoung notices that Yoona’s touch does nothing for her, and Hyoyeon has no negative effects from their close contact. So she reaches forward for Yuri’s face and the brushing of her fingers against her cheeks sparks a reversal, undoing everything that Yoona’s touch had originally brought upon her. Life breathes back into her body.
There’s silence in the room as the four stare at each other. Hyoyeon voices the main concern.
“What just happened?”
---
The birthday dinner is quickly forgotten in their scramble to understand the strangeness that had just befallen them. It’s all suggestions and experimentations, the slow tentative touch and the immediate withdrawal, but it manages to get them to a proper conclusion. Sooyoung and Yoona have changed. But by what? The only obvious answer is the rings.
The antique store is closed by the time they drive back to it and no amount of pounding and shouting results in any response. The entire time Yoona is apologetic and anxious, despite Yuri’s insistence that this was nobody’s fault.
It angers Sooyoung to have to see such grief on Yoona’s face and she almost kicks down the door before Hyoyeon drags her away.
---
The dinner is cold when they get to it and Yoona almost starts crying because it’s supposed to be Yuri’s special day, one of laughter and joy and she had planned so many things after dinner but now the two couldn’t even touch each other.
Sooyoung can only grit her teeth when she makes the offer to let them enjoy the night together by holding on to Yuri’s hand the entire time, the only known method of negating Yoona’s deadly touch.
The couple are apologetic to say the least, but Hyoyeon’s saddened expression shakes her more. Because they both know what Sooyoung is committing herself to.
But she can only smile as she reads her script and falls into the playful façade of jokes and merriment as she teases the couple not to get too intimate because she can’t stand PDA.
Hyoyeon and her both know it’s for entirely different reasons and that the sight of the intimate couple only inspires dreams that become nightmares upon the point of waking.
---
Sooyoung expects Hyoyeon to make a move sooner or later and the fact that they share the same room doesn’t make it much easier to avoid her. In the end, everyone decides on a simple movie for starters and Hyoyeon drags Sooyoung to their room as Yoona and Yuri set up in the living room.
“Hey, how are you holding up?” Sooyoung can only sigh at that.
“Get to the point, Hyo.”
“Not holding up at all, are we?”
“Well what else do you expect me to do? You know I don’t want to see her sad. It’s Yuri’s birthday, don’t you think a little sacrifice is needed?”
“And so it’s better that you’re the sad one?” Hyoyeon taps Sooyoung on the head and like most of her hits, playful or not, it hurts. “Because you suck at covering up your emotions. Do you know the faces you make sometimes, when you watch Yoona with Yuri? What happens if they suddenly decide they’re okay with having sex while you’re there, what are you going to do? Sit there by the bed with your eyes closed? You can’t even stomach the idea of them kissing.”
“We’ll deal with that when we get there, okay? It’s just one night. I promise. One night of this, I’ll go to the store tomorrow and we’ll get everything fixed.
Hyoyeon looks like she wants to argue more but Yoona’s voice calls to them from the living room. Sooyoung immediately follows it out of her room.
---
For once, Sooyoung is thankful for the obvious awkwardness of their situation, because it means she can hide her feelings for Yoona all that much easier, that she can spend the rest of the evening invisible with her head always turned away.
The couple snuggle up on the couch and Sooyoung sits next to them, hand firm around Yuri’s as she watches the movie, a romantic comedy that holds a happy ending that would be far too mocking should she look deep into it.
At the very least Sooyoung is thankful that they haven’t started kissing yet but the love in their eyes as they occasionally glance at one another isn’t all that much better. But it’s that very same love and happiness that makes Yoona all the more beautiful. And it’s that very same love and happiness that causes Sooyoung to offer her continual service until they find a solution to their problems.
---
The old man doesn’t look up from his newspaper when she returns with the box, a trip that Sooyoung offered to make alone. Having been at the couples side that entire evening had been bittersweet and she really needed some space to think.
Before she even opens her mouth to speak, the old man points to his left where a sign clearly spells out the shops policy against refunds.
Sooyoung shakes her head. “Look, you don’t understand. I don’t want a refund. These rings did something strange to us and I want to know how to fix it.”
“You bought the rings. They’re yours. Everything about them belongs to you.”
“That’s it? Come on, can’t you help? Please?”
Sooyoung has her tricks, the sex appeal and wit, smooth speeches and humor but none of it matters in this place because desperation speaks truer than common sense.
Sooyoung hands clench up and she wants to rip that newspaper away and force the old man to see what is happening to them. Drag him to their tiny apartment and open his eyes to the pain and discomfort of having to be the bridge between the woman she loves and her friend, someone who she has tried to hate but can’t and there is no justifiable reason to ever split them up. Only selfishness can do that and that’s not very strong of an excuse in any context.
Suddenly she wants to run into the store and smash everything, break these wretched items but she doesn’t because that wouldn’t solve anything at all. So she waits, standing in front of the counter until the old man finally removes the newspaper from his face.
He jabs a finger at the box. “You own the ring because you paid for it. So have someone else buy it from you if you don’t want it.”
The newspaper goes up and Sooyoung almost deflates at how easy the answer is.
---
Sooyoung presses the money into Yoona’s hand, and then steps back.
Slowly Yoona reaches out, fingers tentative, as she touches Yuri’s hand. And when nothing occurs they immediately pull each other into a hug. Sooyoung turns her head away when their lips move in to kiss.
It’s better this way, she tells herself, the same mantra that’s being beating at her skull all of these years. It’s better this way, it’s better this way, it's better this way.
She leaves the couple to their happiness and walks out of the kitchen into her room where Hyoyeon waits, perhaps with more advice or more angry words that Sooyoung needs to hear and needs to obey but never wants to.
What happens instead though, as Sooyoung closes the door and sits on her bed wordlessly is a hug from Hyoyeon, tight and powerful, a reminder of her support and worry.
Sooyoung buries her head into Hyoyeon’s shoulder and hides her tears with the other girl’s sweater.
onesided!Sooyoung (SNSD) x Yoona (SNSD); Yoona (SNSD) x Yuri (SNSD)
PG-13; 2557w
Prompt: Curse
Sooyoung and Yoona get cursed by a pair of rings they buy for Yuri’s birthday
A/N: for unniedearest Halloween Trope Challenge 2013.
It’s the kind of store that fits the antiquated look. Built together with wood that now bears peeling paint, the interior is lit by dimmed light bulbs and dust seems to line the shelves and ceiling. The ancient ambience gives the store a sense of magic and boasts, “Come one come all, our wares have lived many many years.”
While these don’t seem to be the type of things that suit Yuri’s sense of style, Yoona had been ecstatic to explore, amusement and curiosity dragging her along with as much force as she did with Sooyoung, leading the other girl along by arm.
Yoona halts her perusal in the middle of the aisle, a wild smile on her face as she notices a set of couple rings placed on top of a fancy box, one of a blooming flower, the other a bare branch. Yoona picks up the ring with the branch and admires the intricacy of the designs.
"Hey unnie, what do you think?"
Sooyoung tilts her head, forcing her attention up and away from their still entwined fingers to the tiny item held in Yoona’s other hand. She shrugs. "I don't know. Doesn't it seem too artsy for someone like Yuri? I know she’s expecting something weird from us like always, but this seems to be far too fancy for a joke."
"But that’s the fun of it. She’s going to freak out when she realizes I actually bought something fancy for her. And since it looks rather pricey she can’t really say anything bad about it. Can you imagine her face?”
Sooyoung laughs. “And if it really is pricey? Can you even afford it?” She looks for a price tag only to realize there isn’t one. “Looks like it’s one of those bargaining stores.”
Yoona pats Sooyoung on the back. “I’m counting on you unnie. You’re good with words aren’t you?”
Sooyoung scoffs. “And you’re good at charming men aren’t you?”
Yoona gasps, face morphed into an exaggerated portrayal of shock. “Unnie, how could you say such a thing? Do I look like the kind of person who would do something so devious?” Yoona bats her eyelashes for emphasis.
“I’ve seen you use your aegyo for discounts before, so don’t lie. All you have to do is show that pretty face of yours, sweeten your voice and bam.”
“Like you haven’t?”
Sooyoung shrugs. “I can’t help it if I’m pretty.”
Yoona slaps Sooyoung’s arm playfully and Sooyoung pokes Yoona’s cheek in return. “But seriously, you and Yuri make the strangest of couples. Always trying to prank each other with joke gifts. Does it even fit your finger?"
Yoona slides on the ring and spreads her fingers, displaying the ring fully against the weakening light bulbs. "Yep. Hey unnie, wear the other one, I want to see how they look next to each other."
Sooyoung hesitates, discomfort rising in the pit of her stomach. There is only so much she can cover up with friendship. And only so much that she can lie. "Why don't you use your other hand?"
Yoona laughs. "It's not the same, you know that."
"Still…"
"Unnie." A natural whine threads its way into her voice and Sooyoung shudders slightly at just how the sound affects her. It’s too sweet and adorable and pierces her defenses far too easily.
Sooyoung sighs and nods her head. She picks up the other ring and slides it on, noting the way the dull grey metal contrasts with her skin. Yoona grabs her hand and peers at their interlocked fingers, admiring from different angles.
And for that moment Sooyoung dreams a useless dream and pretends that Yoona isn’t overlapping Yuri’s features onto her own.
A faraway look appears in Sooyoung’s eyes and if she had glanced in a mirror she would have easily recognized the meaning there. It’d be a sight too saddening to see.
Yoona nods her head in satisfaction and places the rings back in the box. Picking up the item she drags Sooyoung away.
The elderly man at the counter barely utters a word when they approach, his eyes never leave the newspaper in his hands. As Yoona puts the box down, she prods Sooyoung in the back. Sooyoung flicks her in the forehead.
“How much is it, ajusshi?”
The man’s gaze flickers, dancing from the box to Sooyoung and Yoona before back to the newspaper. “20,000 won.”
“Really?“ The disbelief tumbles out before Sooyoung can stop it.
“Couple’s discount.”
Yoona’s eyes widen at the assumption, or rather the ease of acceptance whereas Sooyoung struggles against the instinct to stutter like an idiot.
“We’re not-“
Suddenly Yoona’s leans into her, hands gripping her arm tightly. “That’s so nice of him, isn’t it?”
Sooyoung swallows her words, ignores the sensation of warmth spreading through her body, the pleasure of having Yoona so close, the pleasure of this pretend love and pretend intimacy and promptly hands over the money.
---
Neither of them talk about the discount on the way back to their apartment, though maybe that’s because it’s not really an issue at all. Yoona probably doesn’t think anything of pretending to be a couple just to save money and Sooyoung probably would’ve done the same.
Because that’s all it is.
Pretend.
---
Hyoyeon is the only one in the apartment when they get back, and she glances up from the cake that’s already set out on the table, next to a pot of seaweed soup and a plate of galbi.
It’s the old beloved cliché, two groups of close friends that morphed into one. At least that’s the simple version. The more complicated version, as Sooyoung has come to realize, is a bit more annoying.
Yoona and Yuri were the link. When the two started to date, it became natural that their (childhood) friends would get to know each other, thus Hyoyeon and Sooyoung became close friends.
“You two are way too slow,” Hyoyeon says from her place at the table. “You should be thankful Yuri wanted to go out and buy some special candles for the cake.”
“You wouldn’t be so cruel as to start dinner without us, would you?” Sooyoung fakes a look of horror.
Hyoyeon scoffs. “Knowing you two gluttons, we’d probably need a head start before you ate everything.”
The sound of the door opening alerts their attention and all three of them watch as Yuri walks into the kitchen. Yoona immediately smiles and runs towards the girl, arms stretched wide.
Sooyoung fights the urge to look away from the impending hug. She didn’t really want to put up with Hyoyeon’s knowing looks at the moment.
And then everything goes wrong.
For a short sweet moment the two enjoy each other’s embrace, relishing the physicality of their love. But then a spasm jerks its way through Yuri’s body. The places where their skin meet seemed to pucker, Yuri’s cheek against Yoona’s and their exposed arms with one another.
A strangled choke comes from Yuri as her eyes widen. Yoona immediately lets go in surprise, only to grab Yuri’s arms to prevent her from collapsing.
Yuri falls to her knees and the skin around her arms starts to shrink and shrivel. The roots of her hair bleed white and slowly, the taint travels up her arms and to her face. The beauty and vibrancy that she has long been known for is being sucked dry.
Sooyoung isn’t sure who moves first towards the couple but she is closer and immediately pulls Yoona away. Contact broken, Yuri falls to the ground and appears to have aged severely, arms and legs so frighteningly thin, skin wrinkled and dry. Hyoyeon pulls her up and Yuri can only manage a breathy groan in response.
Nobody is sure what is happening, but Sooyoung notices that Yoona’s touch does nothing for her, and Hyoyeon has no negative effects from their close contact. So she reaches forward for Yuri’s face and the brushing of her fingers against her cheeks sparks a reversal, undoing everything that Yoona’s touch had originally brought upon her. Life breathes back into her body.
There’s silence in the room as the four stare at each other. Hyoyeon voices the main concern.
“What just happened?”
---
The birthday dinner is quickly forgotten in their scramble to understand the strangeness that had just befallen them. It’s all suggestions and experimentations, the slow tentative touch and the immediate withdrawal, but it manages to get them to a proper conclusion. Sooyoung and Yoona have changed. But by what? The only obvious answer is the rings.
The antique store is closed by the time they drive back to it and no amount of pounding and shouting results in any response. The entire time Yoona is apologetic and anxious, despite Yuri’s insistence that this was nobody’s fault.
It angers Sooyoung to have to see such grief on Yoona’s face and she almost kicks down the door before Hyoyeon drags her away.
---
The dinner is cold when they get to it and Yoona almost starts crying because it’s supposed to be Yuri’s special day, one of laughter and joy and she had planned so many things after dinner but now the two couldn’t even touch each other.
Sooyoung can only grit her teeth when she makes the offer to let them enjoy the night together by holding on to Yuri’s hand the entire time, the only known method of negating Yoona’s deadly touch.
The couple are apologetic to say the least, but Hyoyeon’s saddened expression shakes her more. Because they both know what Sooyoung is committing herself to.
But she can only smile as she reads her script and falls into the playful façade of jokes and merriment as she teases the couple not to get too intimate because she can’t stand PDA.
Hyoyeon and her both know it’s for entirely different reasons and that the sight of the intimate couple only inspires dreams that become nightmares upon the point of waking.
---
Sooyoung expects Hyoyeon to make a move sooner or later and the fact that they share the same room doesn’t make it much easier to avoid her. In the end, everyone decides on a simple movie for starters and Hyoyeon drags Sooyoung to their room as Yoona and Yuri set up in the living room.
“Hey, how are you holding up?” Sooyoung can only sigh at that.
“Get to the point, Hyo.”
“Not holding up at all, are we?”
“Well what else do you expect me to do? You know I don’t want to see her sad. It’s Yuri’s birthday, don’t you think a little sacrifice is needed?”
“And so it’s better that you’re the sad one?” Hyoyeon taps Sooyoung on the head and like most of her hits, playful or not, it hurts. “Because you suck at covering up your emotions. Do you know the faces you make sometimes, when you watch Yoona with Yuri? What happens if they suddenly decide they’re okay with having sex while you’re there, what are you going to do? Sit there by the bed with your eyes closed? You can’t even stomach the idea of them kissing.”
“We’ll deal with that when we get there, okay? It’s just one night. I promise. One night of this, I’ll go to the store tomorrow and we’ll get everything fixed.
Hyoyeon looks like she wants to argue more but Yoona’s voice calls to them from the living room. Sooyoung immediately follows it out of her room.
---
For once, Sooyoung is thankful for the obvious awkwardness of their situation, because it means she can hide her feelings for Yoona all that much easier, that she can spend the rest of the evening invisible with her head always turned away.
The couple snuggle up on the couch and Sooyoung sits next to them, hand firm around Yuri’s as she watches the movie, a romantic comedy that holds a happy ending that would be far too mocking should she look deep into it.
At the very least Sooyoung is thankful that they haven’t started kissing yet but the love in their eyes as they occasionally glance at one another isn’t all that much better. But it’s that very same love and happiness that makes Yoona all the more beautiful. And it’s that very same love and happiness that causes Sooyoung to offer her continual service until they find a solution to their problems.
---
The old man doesn’t look up from his newspaper when she returns with the box, a trip that Sooyoung offered to make alone. Having been at the couples side that entire evening had been bittersweet and she really needed some space to think.
Before she even opens her mouth to speak, the old man points to his left where a sign clearly spells out the shops policy against refunds.
Sooyoung shakes her head. “Look, you don’t understand. I don’t want a refund. These rings did something strange to us and I want to know how to fix it.”
“You bought the rings. They’re yours. Everything about them belongs to you.”
“That’s it? Come on, can’t you help? Please?”
Sooyoung has her tricks, the sex appeal and wit, smooth speeches and humor but none of it matters in this place because desperation speaks truer than common sense.
Sooyoung hands clench up and she wants to rip that newspaper away and force the old man to see what is happening to them. Drag him to their tiny apartment and open his eyes to the pain and discomfort of having to be the bridge between the woman she loves and her friend, someone who she has tried to hate but can’t and there is no justifiable reason to ever split them up. Only selfishness can do that and that’s not very strong of an excuse in any context.
Suddenly she wants to run into the store and smash everything, break these wretched items but she doesn’t because that wouldn’t solve anything at all. So she waits, standing in front of the counter until the old man finally removes the newspaper from his face.
He jabs a finger at the box. “You own the ring because you paid for it. So have someone else buy it from you if you don’t want it.”
The newspaper goes up and Sooyoung almost deflates at how easy the answer is.
---
Sooyoung presses the money into Yoona’s hand, and then steps back.
Slowly Yoona reaches out, fingers tentative, as she touches Yuri’s hand. And when nothing occurs they immediately pull each other into a hug. Sooyoung turns her head away when their lips move in to kiss.
It’s better this way, she tells herself, the same mantra that’s being beating at her skull all of these years. It’s better this way, it’s better this way, it's better this way.
She leaves the couple to their happiness and walks out of the kitchen into her room where Hyoyeon waits, perhaps with more advice or more angry words that Sooyoung needs to hear and needs to obey but never wants to.
What happens instead though, as Sooyoung closes the door and sits on her bed wordlessly is a hug from Hyoyeon, tight and powerful, a reminder of her support and worry.
Sooyoung buries her head into Hyoyeon’s shoulder and hides her tears with the other girl’s sweater.