Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The first time they meet, it’s during a sorority rush party in Yunjin’s sophomore year.

Yunjin doesn’t know who Kim Chaewon is at first; she just knows that there’s a hot, short blonde in a skintight dress that has been eyeing her for the entire evening. 

It’s hard not to notice; it’s hard not to be conscious of it, and the more Yunjin tries to relax into the evening, socialise with new people, gauge whether the sorority seems worth joining, the more intense those unyielding eyes feel on her. 

Hours pass, and that gaze does not waver. And just when Yunjin thinks she might be able to ignore it, the blonde, accompanied by another woman, approaches her. 

“Hey.”

Yunjin smiles widely. “Hi!” 

“Are you a freshman?” The other one asks. She looks kind, bright wide eyes and an evaluative maturity to her, like this is a space she feels entirely comfortable in, like she can navigate it with ease.

Yunjin shakes her head. “Sophomore.”

“And your name?”

“Yunjin.”

“What do you study?”

It feels slightly interrogative. Yunjin blinks.

“Uh, law.”

The blonde perks up at this. She stares at her, cocks her head, studying Yunjin with a penetrating once-over.

Yunjin can’t tell if she is sizing her up or checking her out. She thinks it might be both.

“Okay! Pretty and smart.” The other one continues, impressed. She holds out a hand. Yunjin takes it, is surprised by the firmness of her grip. “I’m Sakura and this is Chaewon.” She grins proudly. “Phi Omega Eta’s co-presidents.”

Chaewon waves coolly. Oh. It makes sense now. There’s a relief that settles into Yunjin’s body- she was merely being scouted.

“Oh cool! Nice to meet you both!”

Yunjin tries to equally distribute her attention to the two women, and they’re both gorgeous, but Chaewon’s presence demands her eyes. Each time she looks away, she is drawn right back. 

Sakura beams. 

“You too! Well, we just wanted to say hi. Don’t hesitate to hit us up if you need anything or have any questions, we’ll be floating around! And, if you’re free tomorrow, we have an information session at the arts centre. Please come. You’ll be able to find out a lot more about what we do and what we stand for!”

“Yeah, absolutely.” Yunjin grins. “I’ll be there. I’ve actually been considering joining a sorority since freshman year so yeah.”

Chaewon smiles, then. She has a beautiful smile. And that’s it. They walk off. Yunjin tries to regain some composure, even though she feels a shift that borders on uncomfortable, and she doesn’t know why. 

“Yunjin. Don’t join this sorority.” Yuqi deadpans. “I’m serious. It’s a bad idea.”

Yunjin laughs. She had heard Yuqi’s distinctive voice cheering from the beer pong area before she even saw her , and given that they have mutual friends, she thought it would be a good idea to catch up. Except- to her surprise, Yuqi is a certified Phi Omega Eta sister- and evidently eager to dissuade Yunjin from becoming one too.

“Speaking from personal experience?” Yunjin queries, amused.

Yuqi leans in conspiratorially. “Just look around.” She nods towards Sakura and Chaewon, who are whispering to one another. “Chaewon’s parents own an evangelical church. Sakura’s family basically funds the sorority out of their own endless pockets. And don’t get me started on Miyeon… she’s like if polly pocket and Barbie had a pink love child and threw her into the real world but with a brain the size of two planets combined. I’m convinced she isn’t an actual human. Look, the gays stain this white pillared hell’s reputation. I don’t think they’re homophobic I just think they’re very careful and you my friend, would be trouble. And you’re too sweet and wholesome to get dragged into sorority politics.”

“It can never be that serious.” Yunjin dissuades. “I think I’ll be fine.” As the sentence leaves her mouth, she catches Chaewon’s eye. The president smiles, tightly, and then goes back to her hushed whispering with Sakura.

Yuqi shrugs. “You’ll see.” She lowers her tone as if she’s confessing something scrupulous. “Every Thursday, we have to sit around in a big circle and talk about who we’re fucking. They say it’s ‘optional’, but it’s mandatory for the sisters who live in the main state house, and it’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever experienced. Very cult-y. I told them I’m in a long distance relationship with my high school sweetheart. They asked for a picture and I had to say he’s Amish and isn’t allowed a cellular device.”

Yunjin bursts into laughter. “Dude, there is like no need for that. You could just say you’re abstaining or that you’re not interested in dating at the moment?”

Yuqi takes a swig of her drink, grinning. “Lying is more fun. And they’re really invested. Especially Miyeon. She thinks he’s cheating on me with his biological cousin.”

The night continues, and eventually Yunjin decides to go exploring. She sneaks away from the noise of the party and starts in the large garden, grateful for the fresh air filling her lungs. After a while, she quietly makes her way upstairs, a part of the sorority mansion that is technically off-limits. Figuring everyone is either too drunk or too distracted to notice, Yunjin slips away unnoticed.

Yunjin’s curiosity takes over as she enters the first room she finds. It’s a bedroom, and it’s fucking enormous, decorated in pink. There are at least ten different certificates on the walls, all awards of engineering and society competitions. But, Yunjin’s eyes draw instantly to what looks like a miniature robot right by the bed. She walks closer to examine it when she suddenly hears a voice.

“Hi.”

Yunjin gasps, turning around to see Chaewon by the door, leaned against the frame, arms crossed over her chest.

“I was trying to find the bathroom.” Yunjin immediately lies. “My bad.”

Chaewon just smiles knowingly. 

“When I rushed this sorority for the first time I snooped too. A bedroom can tell you a lot about a person.”

Yunjin’s panic subsides.

“This is your room?” She asks.

Chaewon nods. 

Yunjin smiles apologetically. “I’m sorry. I promise I wasn’t trying to steal or anything.” She points backwards to the robot. “Although if I was, I’d probably go for the literal robot. What the fuck?”

Chaewon doesn’t respond right away, her eyes falling to Yunjin’s outfit, a half-smile. 

“I like your dress.” Chaewon compliments plainly. “It’s cute.”

Yunjin glances down at her attire. “Thanks!” She says, flattered. Inevitably, she examines Chaewon’s own outfit. That tight dress, hugging onto her figure like a glove, accentuating all of the right parts of her. Her shoulder length blond hair frames her face. Yunjin tries not to stare for too long. “You look… I mean...” Yunjin gestures wildly. “Obviously you look really pretty too.”

Chaewon stands for a moment longer, levelled eyes, and it’s that look again- a strange combination between intimidating scrutiny and something far more precarious. Yunjin can only liken it to a predatory gaze, like an animal slowly circling its prey, but rather than the sudden onslaught of adrenaline, prompting her to flee, she can’t help but feel a pull to remain, bare, and wanting. She can’t help but feel willing to be devoured. 

“Are you going to join this sorority?” Chaewon asks, next. Her eyes finally soften a little bit, easing into the conversation more, and Yunjin didn't realise she’d been tensing until she feels her shoulders actually physically lower.

“Maybe.” Yunjin says. “Do you think I should?”

Chaewon smiles, not directly answering. “Sakura wants you to. And Sakura has a good eye for people.”

“Then I think I will. If you’ll have me.”

Chaewon cocks her head. “Hmm.” She gets that look again. 

Yunjin swallows. “I should head back to the party. I promised Yuqi I’d beat her at beer pong.”

Chaewon says nothing and doesn’t move, so Yunjin has to walk past her. As she steps towards the door, Yunjin is doused in Chaewon’s air, the delicious scent of vanilla perfume, the warmth that seems to be emanating from the short blonde in waves. Their shoulders lightly brush against each other. Yunjin hesitates for a split second, feeling those same pretty eyes on her, before quietly continuing on her way.

And it’s only when the scent of vanilla entirely evades her that she lets out a caught breath.

The next day at the sororities’ information session, the grand hall is alive with excitement. Sisters in matching sorority T-shirts mingle with the prospective members, and Yunjin is quite surprised by the turnout. As she admires the sight, a perky brunette with a name tag that says ‘Miyeon’ with a heart above the ‘I’ bounces up to her, teeming with authentic enthusiasm. Her smile is unbelievably bright.

“Hi there!” Miyeon greets with a cute wave. “I’m Miyeon. Welcome to our Phi Omega Eta info session. We're sooo excited to have you here!” She hands Yunjin a pink pamphlet.

“I’m excited to be here!” Yunjin says, mirroring her enthusiasm. Okay, she might be putting it on a little, but she’d feel bad otherwise, Miyeon seems like she’s genuinely happy to be part of this.

Miyeon clasps her hands together, her beam unwavering. “Are you Yunjin?”

Yunjin blinks in surprise, taken aback by the recognition. She hesitates for a moment, “Yeah, how did you know?”

Miyeon gasps all dramatically, hand covering her mouth. “Chaewon was totally right. You’re so pretty.”

Yunjin feels quite flattered, actually. She feigns modesty, but all she can think is that Chaewon had mentioned her and that Chaewon had called her pretty.

“Oh my god, thank you! What else did she say?”

Miyeon just brandishes a coy smile, and then she gestures to the seating area. “Please take a seat. We’re about to start the speeches! And I’m doing one of them.”

Yunjin settles into a seat, scanning the stage and seeing a line of current sisters whispering to one another. By the microphone, is Sakura, beside her the infamous Kim Chaewon. Chaewon’s eyes sweep over the seats until she spots Yunjin. She smiles. Yunjin smiles back.

Then, Sakura taps the microphone. 

“Testing…” Sakura’s voice rings out, echoing slightly. She nods when she realises that the mic is on. Her eyes scan the sizely crowd in awe. “Wow. Hi. We are so touched to see this many bright, beautiful faces here today. Now, as I’m sure you’re all aware, Phi Omega Eta has always been about sisterhood and giving back, you know? And, having a lot of fun, obvi.” She flashes a dazzling smile, and the room erupts in cheers and applause. “So instead of me yapping on about how amazing we are, I’ll let some of our current members spill all of the tea themselves! FYI- I totally haven’t told them what to say. This is coming from the heart.”

Miyeon is first. She practically skips up to the microphone and waves at the crowd with absolutely zero semblance of nerves.  

“Hey, I’m Miyeon!” There’s a roar of cheers from both the crowd and the sisters alike- Miyeon must be popular. At the back of the hall, peeking through the doors, is a gaggle of nerdy looking guys who cheer relentlessly. Miyeon claps her hands gleefully. “Omg! Cheers! Yay!” She pulls out a piece of paper from her pocket, unfolds it, and begins reading diligently, word for word, maybe a little robotically. “Before joining Phi Omega Eta I couldn’t find my place at this college. I wasn’t like, totally alone but I didn’t feel like I had a community that could support me every step of the way as I discovered myself. I thought I never would. Well let me tell you I was wrong. I’ve made lifelong friends, and I love every single one of my sisters like family- because YOU ARE!” She points to the other girls and they all gush and awww and cheer and Yunjin can’t quite believe her eyes and ears but she actually really loves this. “It’s the coolest sorority ever and we are like, so much fun! And there’s girls from all different backgrounds, we’re really inclusive and not like the other sororities on campus. So, yay us!”

There’s a loud round of applause. Yunjin stares at Chaewon, who claps alongside the rest of them. She finds Yuqi on the other side of the room, and throws her an amused, disbelieved smile, to which Yuqi covers her face with her hands. 

The speeches continue for way too long, and as much as she’s enjoying herself, Yunjin gets the damn point after the eighth ‘Joining this sorority was the best decision of my life’ read aloud from the notes app on an iPhone. At least Miyeon’s speech was old school, paper and pen, you know. 

And then it’s Chaewon’s turn.

She dominates the room’s attention, invites equal levels of cheers from the crowd and her peers. Beside Yunjin, a girl audibly says ‘she is like, so pretty in person’. A campus celebrity it seems. Why hasn’t Yunjin ever seen her? She would remember it, if she had. 

“Hey everyone. I think our talented, kind and beloved sisters have said enough about why this sorority is so special so I’ll be brief ,” Chaewon expresses. “I want to make it clear that Phi Omega Eta is sacred. We’ve become the entity we are today not only because of the kindness of our members, but because of the sister codes that if you join, you will be made aware of. As co-president, it’s my duty to ensure we maintain the integrity that makes us great. So, while you will be partying and enjoying all that sorority life has to offer,” Chaewon grins and Miyeon whoops from behind her. “You’ll also be expected to abide by our standards. And those standards are simple: the four A’s. Academia, Ambition, Alturism and Accountability. That is to say, one sister’s actions will always affect the collective. We have the reputation we have for a reason, and if you join, responsibility will lie on you to uphold our values to the best of your ability.”

Yunjin glances at Yuqi, who gives her a look clear in its meaning “I told you.” Chaewon’s speech is equally as captivating as those before her but far more serious, and there’s a poise and a class to how she carries herself, strong gravitas, confident and clear in her enunciation- like a politician. Like a leader. And then Chaewon locks eyes with her and there’s that smile, again. Subtle enough to miss but most certainly there.

“But, most importantly, we’re here to have fun!” Chaewon says, her mood slightly brightened, tone elevated, and the other sisters cheer and whoop and the crowd erupts into applause. 

The session ends with a slideshow, comically cheerful, and then Sakura tells the group about yet another party that they’re throwing the next evening, but only come if you’re like, actually serious about joining and no guys allowed, we’ll have security so yeah don’t bring any dudes okay? 

At this stage, Yunjin is pretty sold about joining the sorority. She attends the next party they throw, pre-gaming with Yuqi beforehand, and truth be told, she’s a little wasted and a little excited. Partially to enjoy a good party, and partially to interact with Kim Chaewon again. Yunjin might have a little, benign crush. Chaewon is really hot. Completely unattainable and likely reserved to the bestie category, but really, really hot.

There’s a theme for this party: Secret Surprises. Yunjin is obsessed with themes and she was more than happy to scour her wardrobe for an appropriate outfit. She opts for something perhaps a little more risqué than usual- an elegant black dress with a plunging neckline and a high slit, and a red lace mask, which she thinks confirms the ‘secret’ part.

“Yunjin. You’re so, so hot.” Yuqi says, awed, when she sees her. “Like, I’d absolutely fuck you.”

Yunjin laughs.

“We’d both get kicked out the sorority. And I haven’t even joined yet.”

Yunjin doesn’t see Chaewon for the first couple hours of the party. She does get approached- several times, by existing sorority sisters complimenting her outfit and surreptitiously telling her that she’s the best dressed of the evening. It’s a massive boost to Yunjin’s ego, frankly, and the alcohol she consumed imbues her with even more brazen confidence.

At some point in the night, Yunjin staggers into the bathroom to wash her hands. The door is open and she assumes no-one is in there, but lo and behold, Chaewon is stood by the mirror, applying lipgloss to her pretty plump lips.

“Oh shit,” Yunjin apologises. “Sorry. I just wanted to wash my hands.”

Chaewon’s eyes meet hers through the mirror. And then those same eyes drag down Yunjin’s outfit. She rubs her lips together to apply the gloss evenly and then releases them with a pop. “Go ahead.” She says.

She moves to the side to give Yunjin room and Yunjin closes the door behind her to prevent other intruders. She walks over to the sink and washes her hands, trying to ignore the fact that she can feel Chaewon staring at her. She also tries to ignore the fact that Chaewon looks phenomenal tonight, donning a midnight blue satin dress that flows gracefully, thigh-high slit exposing her creamy legs, exposing a barely visible tattoo on her thigh.

“You came.” Chaewon observes.

Yunjin smiles and nods once. She turns off the faucet and heads to the dryer, grateful to be able to put some distance between them both because she is holding her breath and she doesn’t know why. She waits until her hands are dried before she responds. “Yeah! The information session had me sold. Especially the speeches. All nine hundred thousand of them.”

Chaewon leans against the bathroom counter, arms behind her to support her weight, curiously examining Yunjin with a slight amused smile.

“Do you think it was a bit excessive?” Chaewon asks. “All of the girls volunteered to make speeches and we felt bad saying no.”

Yunjin waves her hands in disagreement. “I get it. It’s cute. You guys really do seem to have a great sisterhood.”

Chaewon half smiles again. “You’re pretty famous among the law students. Debate champion, I hear? Three times in a row?”

Yunjin laughs, surprised. “Wow. You’ve really done your due diligence.”

Chaewon bites her lip. “Mhm. I asked around. Heard some things.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

She has dried her hands now, and really, there’s no other reason for her to be in this bathroom still, there’s no reason for Chaewon to be here, either. 

But still, Chaewon shrugs, a coy smile spreading across her lips. She looks at Yunjin through her long pretty eyelashes. “Stuff.”

Yunjin meets her level gaze. “Stuff.” She repeats carefully. 

Chaewon’s face has slightly reddened, tipsy or embarrassed or both. She looks down and away for a split second. Yunjin has knocked her off-center. Evened them out a bit.

“I like your outfit. You really stuck to the theme.” Chaewon compliments.

Yunjin looks at her. Maybe it’s the alcohol. She’s totally blaming the alcohol but something has shifted. The air in the room feels different and she knows that Chaewon can feel it too.

“Thank you. And you-“ She rakes her eyes down the outfit again. “How would you describe this ensemble? What’s the secret surprise?”

Chaewon just smiles. “It wouldn’t be a secret surprise if I told you, would it?”

“Oh it’s like that?”

Chaewon just nods. 

“That’s a shame,” Yunjin says. She’s pretty tipsy, enough that she’s sure her eyes are half lidded, giving off the type of look that gets her into trouble often with women, that while she can think coherently and speak and process the world around her, multiplies her confidence. “You have like, the nicest face I’ve ever seen, though. So I think you can pull anything off.”

Chaewon looks up, maybe a little disbelieved, and then she laughs gently and Yunjin melts at the sweet sound of it. 

“I have a nice face?” She repeats. Her eyes search Yunjin’s, an unreadable expression plastered there.

“Mmm. You’re beautiful.” Yunjin says, completely earnestly. She doesn’t know why it feels like she’s flirting- and if she were completely sober she’d probably berate herself for even attempting it with a straight sorority president. But, strangely, Chaewon doesn’t appear deterred or weirded out. Yunjin could be entirely misreading the situation- she certainly could- but it would seem that the apparent straight co-president of this fuckass sorority is checking her out. Blatantly this time.

Chaewon crosses her arms over her chest and leans back onto the counter.

“Your mask is intimidating.” She points out directly. “It’s making me nervous.”

Yunjin doesn’t hesitate: “You can take it off.”

She seems to have said the right thing because a hint of smile spreads across Chaewon’s lips. She looks Yunjin up and down while she figures out her response.

“Come here.” She tells Yunjin, her voice thick.

Yunjin swallows. The two words are like triggers and she finds herself closing the space between them almost mindlessly. Chaewon shifts, mouth slightly parted, as Yunjin approaches her. Yunjin stops when they’re a breath apart. Despite the fact that they’re both wearing heels, Yunjin towers over Chaewon, trapping her in place, and Yunjin thinks it’s fucking sexy, she thinks Chaewon, looking up at her with her gorgeous brown eyes is fucking sexy, and her adrenaline is spiking even though she doesn’t know what is happening, really. Even though this shouldn’t be real, couldn’t possibly be real. They stay like this for a few moments, breathing in the same air. Chaewon studies her face closely.

And then her hands reach up to Yunjin’s face, and with a gentle motion, she removes the mask. Her eyes turn heavy as she takes Yunjin’s full face in.

“There she is.” Chaewon breathes. “Beautiful.”

Her eyes flicker down to Yunjin’s lips.

Yunjin loses herself in a fragment of feeling. “Do you—” She begins.

“Shhhhh.” Chaewon whispers and before Yunjin can even process what’s happening, Chaewon snakes her hand around the back of her neck and kisses her deeply. The kiss starts slow. Then it builds like a roaring fire.

And it’s so unhinged it doesn’t quite feel real- Yunjin tries to regulate the heat throughout her entire body but it’s hard when sharp, pink white ombre acrylics are scratching at her neck and back and Chaewon’s hitched breathing is hitting Yunjin’s lips.

Her mouth tastes like mint and alcohol, her lips like strawberry lipgloss, and there’s a slight rational, sober part of Yunjin’s brain that isn’t strong enough because of her own inebriation that’s screaming “What are you doing?” But then Chaewon leans back for a moment and pulls the straps down of her dress, leaving her chest exposed, and she’s wearing a skimpy laced bra and Yunjin can’t help but stare in awe for a moment, unbelievably turned on at the sight. 

Chaewon wastes no time, pulling Yunjin back in to kiss her and Yunjin makes full use of the exposure of skin, now, she feels up Chaewon’s breasts over her bra and relishes the way the president releases shaky, unrestrained moans like no-one has ever touched her there before. 

Her hips arch forward, and she begins to rock into Yunjin, pressing against her, and Yunjin’s lips dip lower to kiss the soft, sweet smelling warmth of the skin of her neck, as she holds onto her waist, mind numb, breaths ragged. Chaewon whimpers as Yunjin’s fingers find the softness of her creamy inner thigh, stroking and caressing.

But then both of Chaewon’s hands find the sides of Yunjin’s face again, and she pulls her in roughly, reconnecting their kiss with a renewed sense of urgency. Her scent floods through Yunjin, and it’s borderline primal. 

“Please...” Chaewon mumbles against Yunjin’s lips.

The demand is clear. And Yunjin obeys. She slides her hands up between Chaewon’s thighs, feeling her soft skin. And she almost stops altogether, because Chaewon isn’t wearing any underwear. That prospect itself makes Yunjin irrevocably turned on, and, testing the waters, she starts to draw slow circles around Chaewon’s clit as they kiss, and she’s so wet, she’s so ready and waiting that Yunjin keens.

And when she finds the right speed, when Chaewon’s ability to kiss back stops and she resolves to moan and shudder uncontrollably, she keeps going, rubbing consistent, firm circles. Soon enough, Chaewon desperately rocks her hips to find more friction, and that’s when Yunjin slides two fingers, into her, relishing the feel of the rippled flesh inside, quickly finding a rhythm as Chaewon loses herself in utter delirium. She's dismantled completely, her chest heaving and her eyes as dark as the deep flush to her cheeks, and Yunjin keeps touching her gently while they look at each other. Her hips buck up against Yunjin’s, head thrown back, hands dropping from Yunjin’s face to her throat.

“Oh God.” Chaewon sighs, breathy and hot as Yunjin quickens the pace, steadily pumping and curving fingers into her contours, and Yunjin feels a wave of heat travel through her abdomen, she truly thinks that her heart might rupture entirely.

And then, Chaewon tenses against Yunjin’s fingers and she shudders her way through a loud orgasm, finally laying still after a prolonged period of time, sweat coating the edges of her forehead.

Yunjin is about to speak, even though she doesn’t know what she wants to say, but Chaewon silences her with another mind numbing kiss. She bites her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, and Yunjin can’t think at all, she can hardly breathe. And then Chaewon’s tongue skilfully explores her mouth, like she’s trying to savor Yunjin’s taste, Yunjin feels the slight scratch of her nails on the back of her head and it drives her truly insane. She can’t get enough. She doesn’t want it to stop—

But Chaewon pulls back.

She gently pushes Yunjin away, her cheeks unbelievably flushed, features tense with post- orgasmic tranquility. She closes her eyes, swallows hard.

Yunjin gathers herself enough to feel concern eat away at her. “Are you okay?” She asks.

When Chaewon opens her eyes again, they’re slightly wet, like she tried to prevent herself from crying but she cannot.

“I need to…” She sort of mumbles, but before Yunjin can probe, she rushes out of the bathroom, fixing her dress on the way out. 

Yunjin doesn’t see Chaewon for the rest of that party. But she does bump into Sakura, who kindly tells her that she has a spot in the main sorority mansion should she wish. Yunjin is still a little drunk, and so completely wrecked from her and Chaewon’s moment, that she agrees, and that’s how she, rather anticlimactically, ends up as a Phi Omega Eta sister. 

She moves in the next week. Chaewon is nowhere to be seen.

“She went home for a few days.” Sakura informs. “She does that sometimes. Helps her to regroup.”

Yunjin doesn’t want to overestimate her level of importance in Chaewon’s life, but she does wonder if her ‘regrouping’ has anything to do with what happened between them. 

But Chaewon does end up coming back. Coincidentally on a Thursday, which true to Yuqi’s word, is the sorority ‘tell-all’. And even more strangely, Chaewon doesn’t seem perturbed to see Yunjin at all. She smiles and greets her like nothing has happened. Welcomes her to the sorority. She doesn’t even flinch when Sakura tells her that Yunjin is staying in the room beside hers. Yunjin wonders what shifted from the girl with tears in her eyes to… this. 

The sisters sit in a circle. It’s only the members from this particular house, meaning Sakura, Yuqi, Miyeon, Chaewon and now, Yunjin. She likes it this way. It feels more intimate. 

“Okay. Since we do have a new sister joining us for her first ever tell-all session- Yunjin- sorry to put you on the spot, but could you remind us all of sister code number seven?”

Ah, yes.

Yunjin had been instructed to learn all THIRTY sister codes before being sworn into the sorority. And she managed to bullshit her way through learning, maybe ten? But beyond that she gave up. 

“Oh, God. Okay, let me think.” Yunjin reaches into her memory. “Sister code seven. It was something about disclosure being punishable and how everything said in these sessions needs to be kept between the sisters present.”

Sakura smiles. “So close! Miyeon?”

“Sister code number seven,” Miyeon begins, clearing her throat. “What is shared in our ‘tell-all’ sessions remains strictly within the sorority sisters present. Disclosing any information to individuals outside of our sisterhood is prohibited. Trust and confidentiality is essential and expected. If someone is found to be sharing secrets told in confidence, leadership will take measures to identify the responsible party and enact punishable measures.”

Yunjin just blinks.

Yuqi laughs. 

“Thank you, Miyeon.” Sakura says, proud. She turns back to Yunjin, kindly, but with a hint of admonishment. “In future, please make sure you know the sister codes off by heart. I know it seems stupid or whatever but it’s important!”

It’s Miyeon’s turn first. 

“I’m still saving myself for marriage.” She states resolutely. “And until then no man is coming anywhere close to me.”

Yuqi claps. “Wow. No man? No-one? You’re so strong.”

Miyeon, uncharacteristically, actually glares at Yuqi, who just grins, and Yunjin watches the interaction unfold. She has never seen Miyeon display anything other than unbridled glee and she wonders what Yuqi has done to get under her skin so much.

“We respect your decision to abstain, Mimi.” Sakura says. “Not like you’re missing much anyway, am I right ladies?”

The group murmurs agreement. Beside Miyeon is Chaewon, and when she realises it is her turn she begins to blush, looking almost everywhere but Yunjin. 

“Well… I slept with golf guy again.” Chaewon confesses.

Resounding groans. 

“You said he’s trash in bed!”

Chaewon pulls a face. “He is.”

Yunjin is intrigued.

Miyeon looks especially upset. “Chaewon, may I say something?” She huffs, eyebrows knitted up in frustration.

Chaewon nods. Miyeon inhales dramatically.

“I’m saying this as your beloved sister. And you know I love you forever and ever. But you keep sleeping with guys who you claim don’t prioritise you or your pleasure… and that’s like, the bare minimum. Not that I’d know…” Her eyes dart around. “But sex is like the one act where you can submit to power dynamics in a consensual environment. And oscillate between them, too. And just… enjoy yourself and the moment. You’re too much of a prize to not feel good when you’re giving these subpar men access to you.”

Wow. 

Yunjin is quite impressed. She nods agreement with Miyeon, and then notices Chaewon glance at her.

“I mean, when’s the last time you had an orgasm?” Miyeon continues. 

Chaewon is blushing pretty fiercely now. “A week ago.”

The girls gasp in surprise. “You actually had an orgasm? With who? Why didn’t you tell me?” Sakura asks, offended.

Chaewon just shrugs. She’s very clearly embarrassed. Miyeon squeals. Yunjin studies her, intrigued.

“Why are you acting like this is no big deal? You told us a month ago that you thought your pussy was malfunctioning because you just felt incapable of cumming.”

Yunjin rolls her lips into her mouth. She can’t quite believe what she’s hearing. Chaewon covers her face with her hands. Yunjin is quite amused by it all. “Okay. Oh my God. Please. Let’s move on.” 

Things seemingly go on as normal over the next few days. Until, one evening, while Yunjin tweaks her guitar, her door opens.

Yunjin looks up, surprised to see a flushed Chaewon.

“I’m sorry for not knocking,” She says, semi desperately. She’s holding onto her shoulder, wincing. “You like, do sports, right?”

Yunjin nods. “I do indeed. What’s up?”

Chaewon sighs like she’s a little embarrassed. “I fucked up my shoulder during Pilates. Which is really embarrassing because it’s Pilates but… no-one else is home and I don’t know what to do. Google said ice pack but it’s been an hour and it still hurts. Should I go to the hospital?”

Yunjin places her guitar on the stand. “Oh shit. You’ve probably sprained something. One to ten, how much does it hurt?”

“Like a seven, six point five?”

Yunjin frowns, concerned. “Ouch. Okay. Well.” She turns tentative. “I could have a look- if you’re comfortable.”

Chaewon doesn’t even look apprehensive. She just nods. “Where should I be?”

Yunjin pats her bed. “Here. I’ll sit behind you.”

Chaewon wastes no time. She sits on the bed, and Yunjin approaches behind her. 

“Tell me if this hurts.” Yunjin says gently.

She places her hands on her back, feeling the tight knot, and she begins rubbing her to massage the kinks out.

“Ow.” Chaewon says. Yunjin stops.

“Am I hurting you?”

“A little.”

“I’ll be gentler.” 

She keeps going, gentler this time, smoothing the knots, and it feels completely natural, only a remote, shameful part of Yunjin’s brain registers how much of a turn on it is to finally touch Chaewon’s skin again, even if it’s over cloth, but she shoves it away, focusing on the task at hand, skillfully kneading the knots. And it seems to be working, because Chaewon makes a slight sound of approval, the slightest exhalation. 

“You’re really tense.” Yunjin finally speaks up, hands still rubbing the taut muscles in her shoulders. 

“I haven’t been as relaxed lately.” Chaewon says.

“Why?”

A beat of silence. “Frustrated.” She admits, voice light.

“Frustrated? Is it work stuff?”

Yunjin is grateful she can’t see Chaewon’s face, because she is beginning to feel a pool of warmth in her stomach and it’s not stopping.

There’s a brief pause.

“Well, you were there last Thursday.” Chaewon says carefully. “You know that I haven’t exactly been impressed with my sex life.” Her voice turns a little shy now, and Yunjin’s heart thunders even harder in her chest. “Beside you and I’s… you know.”

Yunjin doesn’t reply right away, just keeps working. 

“Golf guy not doing it for you?” Yunjin says.

Even from her seat behind her, she can tell that Chaewon is flashing a smile. Complete amusement sounds in her voice as she replies. “No. Golf guy is not.”

Yunjin is thoughtful. “You deserve to feel good.” She says, meaning it. Her hands travel lower down Chaewon’s back, and she is rewarded with another sigh of bliss, one that sounds more deliberate this time. “You know that right?”

Chaewon doesn’t reply right away. And then- “This feels good.” She says, voice small.

For a long moment, Yunjin hesitates, the nervous sensation that she is contemplating jumping into the ocean washing over her.

Finally, she draws a deep breath and takes the plunge. “You’re tenser here,” Yunjin begins softly, pressing into Chaewon’s lower back. “It would be easier for me to reach if you took your shirt off.”

She isn’t sure what she is expecting, but Chaewon doesn’t hesitate. 

“Okay,” She whispers. Her fingers fumble with the hem of the shirt, and Yunjin pulls her gently back against her, reaching around Chaewon, sliding her arms under hers.

“I’ll help,” Yunjin gently assures in her ear, relishing Chaewon’s shudder, and she slowly eases the shirt off the blonde’s head, helping her out of it. The edges of her arm brush against the already hard tips of her nipples. Of course she isn’t wearing a bra. It is almost too much for Yunjin, this slow agony of anticipation; Chaewon is just fucking perfect and she wants nothing more than to reach in between those thighs and touch her again.

Instead, her hands go back to Chaewon’s neck, fingers stroking and massaging. Her skin feels beautiful, warm and inviting, and Yunjin lets her hands play further downward, caressing every inch. She realizes that Chaewon’s breathing is getting heavier. Unable to stop herself, Yunjin reaches over, and finally, her hands make contact with her breasts. She takes the hardened nipples in her fingers and lightly squeezes as she dips her head to press soft, biting kisses over the exposed skin of Chaewon’s neck. Chaewon’s hands come up to cover Yunjin’s, trembling fingers frantic with need, whimpering sounds escaping her lips. This shouldn’t be happening again. Yunjin doesn’t know how this is happening again. But her mind is completely dizzy with desire and she doesn’t have it in her to ask questions, not now. 

But they both need more. And Yunjin starts to suck at Chaewon’s neck, she bites at Chaewon’s ear and voraciously kisses at her pulse points all while she massages her nipples. She wishes she could see Chaewon’s face, and she can no longer help herself, she slides her hands from Chaewon’s shoulders to her thighs to gauge her interest, and when Chaewon gasps and adjusts her body to give better access, Yunjin uses one of her hands to wrap around and grasp onto Chaewon’s neck, and the other to apply pressure to her clit through her thin shorts. 

“Chae Chae!” A voice yells from downstairs. “Are you home?”

Startled, both Yunjin and Chaewon extract themself from one another. Chaewon looks panicked, and she immediately reaches for her shirt.

“I’m upstairs.” She shouts. 

There’s the sound of footsteps approaching.

Yunjin moves back on her bed, while Chaewon makes a quick dash to the other side of the room. Yunjin cannot believe they didn’t close the door. 

“Oh, hey guys!” Sakura greets, hilariously oblivious. 

Yunjin waves as casually as she can, typing away at her phone like she was doing this all along. She hopes her face isn’t red. She hopes she is coming across as normal.

Sakura turns to Chaewon. “Chae, I got you the medicine. It says you need to apply it twice a day for three days and it should ease up your muscle pain.”

“Thank you Kura.” Chaewon says, smiling tightly. “Anyway- Yunjin, like I was saying, you don’t have to join every tell-all session if you don’t want to!”

It’s a clear attempt at explaining why she’s in Yunjin’s room with a crumpled shirt on and short shorts. Not that Sakura would ever suspect anything awry. 

“Oh, Yunjin. Honey if you want to opt out of the tell-all sessions you can, trust me. I know not everyone is comfortable talking about sex. It’s totally fine.”

Yunjin pulls a fake grateful face. She wonders if Sakura thinks she is a virgin. It seems that way. Her tone is all concerned big sister. “God, thank you. Both of you.” She looks at Chaewon, side of her mouth twitching. “I’m just a little… you know, I’m a little inexperienced… so I feel ashamed that I don’t have any stories to tell. I think…” She inhales, Miyeon levels of drama. “I think sex makes me uncomfortable.”

Chaewon perks a perfectly groomed eyebrow, like she’s saying ‘really?’ but Sakura seems completely sympathetic, buying into the performance, hand on her chest.

“Yunjin. I understand. I’m always here if you want to ask questions. No judgement- ever.”

Yunjin tries not to laugh, but then Chaewon and Sakura leave. And she collapses back onto her bed and thinks about just how close they were to being intimate again. Just how badly she wanted it.

They don’t talk about it after that, either. Yet another moment pressed into the confines of memory. Yet another instance of them walking the line without fully crossing it. Or maybe it’s already too late. Maybe the line has already been crossed and there’s no going back.

The rest of that school year passes without them speaking a word of what happened to one another. And throughout the year, Yunjin learns a lot about Kim Chaewon. She’s popular among her peers. Slightly quieter than some of the other sisters but charming nonetheless. There’s an authoritative nature about her that mirrors Sakura’s, and Yunjin notices that she always seems busy, always has something to do or someone to see alongside her studies. President of several societies. Busy, busy, busy.

Soon enough, it’s time to break up for summer. Most of the other sisters have gone back home.

Yunjin is washing up some dishes when she notices Chaewon’s presence. 

She doesn’t say anything for a while, just hops up onto the countertop and watches Yunjin clean. Truthfully, over the past year, they have hardly spoken one on one. As a group, yes, but Yunjin wouldn’t go as far as to call them friends. Acquaintances, maybe. Acquaintances who look at each other across the room and then glance away like they’ve been caught. It’s weird, a weird sort of dynamic that Yunjin has resolved to push to the back of her mind—

“Sakura asked me if you’re a lesbian.” Chaewon confesses.

Yunjin pauses her tasks. She turns to Chaewon, surprised.

“What?”

Chaewon shrugs. “She said you never talk about guys. And we’ve seen you at parties… every guy wants to fuck you but you don’t even seem to notice. The other girls think… they aren’t sure. We don’t care, but we would like to know.”

Yunjin’s heart beats a little louder in her chest. She remembers Yuqi’s words suddenly. It’s all very strange. Chaewon must know that Yunjin at least is attracted to women because they explored each other’s private parts. Not only that- Chaewon asks the question like she’s doing due diligence. Like she’s being a good president. Not like Yunjin could very well be asking her the exact same thing, and that she’d be entirely valid in doing so. 

“Yeah. I am.” Yunjin says frankly. “Into women.”

Chaewon nods, expression unreadable. “Cool.”

There’s a bit of an awkward silence. Yunjin wonders what Chaewon is thinking. Her expression is pretty unreadable. She isn’t looking at Yunjin anymore. She’s staring at the ground, swinging her feet. 

“I hear you play guitar at night.” Chaewon says next. “And sing.”

Yunjin goes red immediately. Chaewon’s room is directly beside hers, and she forgot how thin the walls are. “Oh God. That’s so fucking embarrassing.”

Chaewon’s smile turns a little gentle. “Hey, it’s not embarrassing. You’re amazing. I look forward to it each evening. Sometimes I fall asleep to you playing.”

Yunjin looks at Chaewon, a little disbelieved. 

Chaewon averts her eyes yet again. “I haven’t forgotten, by the way.” She says, next, quieter, like she’s afraid someone will hear. Yunjin blinks, unsure what to say, and Chaewon’s expression seems almost gentle, maybe vaguely reminiscent. 

But then that’s it. Chaewon hops off the counter.

“I’ll see you in a couple of months.” She says. And then she leaves, and Yunjin’s mind is in disarray.

The next school year already feels different.

The first thing she notices is that Chaewon is breathtakingly more beautiful, this year. Her hair has grown slightly longer, now, just below the shoulder, a new tattoo circling her wrist. The second is that Chaewon makes more of an effort to spend time with Yunjin one on one.

She comes into her room in the evenings to listen to her play the guitar and sometimes,  she falls asleep during it, and Yunjin never wakes her, she just places a blanket over her body and watches her sleep peacefully. They also go on morning jogs together and do CrossFit on weekends and maybe now they can be considered friends. And it would be friendly. But the third thing she notices is that Chaewon is looking at her more. And when she catches Yunjin’s eye she just smiles and Yunjin’s heart flutters and that’s not quite friendly.  

“You’ve really toned up.” Chaewon comments after a particularly gruelling CrossFit class, all casually. She swallows down her water and stares at Yunjin, at the exposed skin of her torso. Yunjin is grateful that the harsh workout has already rendered her red in the face.

“Thanks.” She says. “I’ve been working hard.”

Chaewon smiles. She reaches out and draws her fingers down the lines on Yunjin’s stomach, innocuously. Yunjin’s skin comes alive at the touch. “I knew it. I feel abs.”

And then she looks at Yunjin through those long eyelashes and like the several other instances of this happening before, it’s almost as if Chaewon is taking off all of her clothes. 

And then, that following week, Yunjin ends up bringing a girl home. She knows she’s bypassing some rule, but technically… nothing in the sorority code dictates that girls aren’t allowed to be brought home. Guys, yes. Plus- it’s late, and all of the other sisters are asleep.

Yunjin met Ahn Yujin at the club, and frankly it’s been a while since she has had a warm body under her, a while since Yunjin has been to events away from her sorority sisters, and Yujin is absolutely drop dead beautiful and more than eager. They joked a lot about the similarities in their name and then ended up making out for the entire evening and this is the culmination of their night. Neither of them are drunk, either, which means that they just genuinely want to explore each other’s bodies, they are both just genuinely mutually attracted to one another and that makes things all the more exciting. 

“This is the most conventional sorority house I’ve ever seen.” Yujin announces loudly as they enter. Yunjin laughs, shushing her. 

“Exactly. And I don’t want to get burned at the stake for bringing you here, okay? So shhhh.”

Yujin giggles and takes Yunjin’s hand, and they walk up the stairs. When they’re at the top, Yujin presses Yunjin to the wall, lips on her neck, and Yunjin forgets about the whole ‘being discreet’ thing in that moment because what the hell, everyone’s sleeping anyway. Still, she bites down a moan when Yujin’s skilled hands drops lower and starts to dip underneath her skirt.

And then, someone loudly clears their throat.

Yujin pulls back like someone has shocked her, and Yunjin almost shrieks in surprise.

Chaewon stands by the bathroom, pink curler in her bangs, matching pyjama set, black rimmed glasses on, holding a toothbrush and a stick of floss. She looks between Yunjin and Yujin in surprise. 

Yunjin panics. 

“Uh… sorry… Yujin was just helping me with my skirt.”

There were at least several different options that Yunjin could have opted for to explain why she was making out with a girl at 2:30 am at the top of the stairs. “She was helping me with my skirt” is perhaps the worst. And it shows, because Chaewon sort of just frowns, and Yujin doesn’t bother corroborating the lie, she just laughs unhelpfully and then tries to conceal the laugh with a cough. Yunjin feels the need for the ground to swallow her whole.

“Okay…” Chaewon says plainly. She looks really cute, like this. Maybe slightly uncomfortable. She adjusts her glasses, casting one last heavy look in Yunjin’s direction. “I’ll let you get back to that.” And she heads off into the bathroom and that’s the end of that awkward encounter.

Yujin can’t stop laughing and despite herself Yunjin does too, but she still slaps Yujin’s arm playfully. “Stop laughing at me!” She pouts.

Yujin takes Yunjin’s hand again, smile teasing and pretty. “Come on. Let me finish helping you with your skirt. In your bedroom, preferably.”

And Yujin does help her with her skirt. She helps her very, very well, mind numbingly, sheet grippingly (sorry, skirt) well, and try as she might, Yunjin can’t stop herself from the animalistic unrestrained sounds that escape her mouth, and a part of her wonders if Chaewon, in the room beside, can hear anything at all.

A really unhinged part of her wants her to.

Everything shifts after that.

Well, Chaewon shifts. Whatever veil had shrouded her and Yunjin’s strange friendship seems to have been removed entirely. She’s no longer smiley and happy and friendly, no longer wakes her up in the mornings for their cross fit sessions and daily jogs. She becomes entirely withdrawn and Yunjin can’t help but feel fucking weird about it. 

So she just sleeps with Yujin more. Stress relief, or whatever. They have sex at Yujin’s place, hotels, motels, public bathrooms (not Yunjin’s proudest moment). And Yunjin enjoys herself because Yujin knows how to give as good as she takes and in the moments that she feels the first hot swipe of a warm wanting tongue or skilled diligent fingers she knows she’ll forget all about any other tensions and troubles and Kim fucking Chaewon.

And then, as she walks home from a cross fit session (alone), Yunjin notices a car slow beside her. She side eyes the vehicle and instantly clutches onto her own keys, creating a makeshift knife between her fingers in case it is a creep trying to kidnap her. 

The window winds down and Yunjin takes a full look into the car. It’s Chaewon. Chaewon in a very fancy, expensive car that Yunjin suspects her parents have paid for.

“Do you want a ride?” Chaewon calls.

Yunjin stops walking. She’s a little apprehensive because, well, her and Chaewon haven’t really spoken much for the last couple of weeks. Still, she has another half an hour walk until she’s back at the house, so she’s not opposed.

“Sure.”

She hops into the passengers seat, suddenly conscious of the proximity and closeness of the two of them. She’s also a little self conscious- no doubt, after her cross fit session, there is still sweat sticking to her skin, her face is likely flushed and she probably looks a mess. Still, she notices Chaewon repeatedly glancing at her from her peripheral.

“Good session?” 

“Mmm.” Yunjin says. “Hard, as always.”

Yunjin sneaks a glance at Chaewon. She’s focused on the road, both of her hands on the steering wheel, but that side profile…

“I’m sorry I haven’t been joining you.” Chaewon says quietly.

Yunjin turns to the window, staring out at the street. Her heart is beating faster for some reason. “It’s cool. Why haven’t you?”

“I’ve just been busy.” Chaewon lies.

Yunjin glances at her again, at the slight furrow in her brow, but she doesn’t say anything, doesn’t challenge Chaewon. It feels really hot, all of a sudden, and Yunjin, frustrated by her workout shirt that feels like it’s sticking to her skin, pulls it off her head, leaving her in her sports bra, grateful for the breeze from the window that hits her.

She doesn’t even have to turn to the side to notice piercing eyes dart towards her.

Yunjin leans her head back on the headrest. She closes her eyes, tries to let the breeze from the window calm her senses. 

Eventually, the car pulls to a stop. Yunjin opens her eyes, but doesn’t see the sorority house. Instead, Chaewon has parked up in a deserted parking lot. Yunjin turns to the woman, who just stares at her.

“Are you kidnapping me?” Yunjin jokes. 

Chaewon laughs. “We’re in a public parking lot.” She says. “And we live together.”

Yunjin shrugs. She leans her head back on the headrest again. Chaewon follows the action acutely. And then, her eyes flicker back to Yunjin’s. They hold a look, and Yunjin’s stomach starts to flutter as she realises Chaewon’s pretty brown eyes turn darker, more penetrative. 

“You—”

Chaewon silences her by leaning in and kissing her. She’s ravenous, and there’s only so much they can do over the car seats, but Yunjin moans at the taste and warmth of Chaewon’s mouth and Chaewon possessively pulls her face close, her nails digging into Yunjin’s scalp.

And then she pulls back. “Back of the car.” She murmurs against Yunjin’s lips. 

Yunjin has absolutely no complaints. She feels as if she’s drifting into a dream as she exits the car and moves into the back seat, and nervous excitement bubbles away in her stomach, alongside the sort of insatiable arousal that feels as if it wil never be assuaged.

Chaewon joins her, and the concession she demands next is simple: “Lie back.”

Yunjin obeys. She lies back, propped up on her elbows as she watches Chaewon tie her hair into a ponytail, and she might just die, actually, at how hot this is.

“I just worked out.” Yunjin says shyly.

Chaewon doesn’t give a fuck. She gestures to Yunjin’s pants. “Take these off.” 

Yunjin obeys. 

She removes the pants, and then her underwear, and she watches, slightly shy, as Chaewon marvels over her, captivated. 

“Close your eyes.”

Yunjin obeys.

And then her entire body comes alive. 

There’s a skilled precision to the ways in which Chaewon eats pussy- she leaves no area untouched, firm but never too much, a perfect balance of pressure and relent, of drawing out the most unladylike sounds from Yunjin. She sucks on her clit with those awfully soft lips, and Yunjin thinks she might collapse from the way her stomach exalts a deep, riveting want.

She can do nothing but flail helplessly- but Chaewon has this firm grip on both of her legs, keeping her spread open, allowing her no time to try and squeeze them back together. She’s so precise. So in tune with Yunjin’s body, picking up on ever twitch, every gasp, and adjusting accordingly. So good at this, and Yunjin vaguely wonders how, how the straight girl can be this good. 

“You taste so good,” Chaewon murmurs against her, and Yunjin almost passes out from the slight vibrations alone. “You’re perfect.”

She already knows she’s about to come in about twenty seconds, but she doesn’t want to. Maybe it’s pride, but she grits her teeth and tries to push the orgasm down as it arises, her face reddened, feeling the veins in her neck pop as she strains from both restraint and pleasure. Somehow it just makes the latter more pronounced. All the while, Chaewon works so diligently, and she’s drawing firm circles with her tongue now, perfectly firm circles, her mouth so disastrously wet and warm and soft, and Yunjin can hardly hold it in anymore. Chaewon teases her tongue at her entrance and that’s when Yunjin relinquishes pride entirely, her head slamming painfully back at the side of the car door, vision blacking out, seeing stars, as the orgasm takes over her in full, unrelenting strides. Chaewon reaches up and covers her hand over Yunjin’s mouth as she releases, and Yunjin is grateful. The throbbing waves begins to ease, and Yunjin’s breathing settles. She looks at Chaewon through half lidded eyes.

Chaewon smiles. She wipes the corners of her mouth. “That was quick.”

Yunjin doesn’t even say anything. She just leans her head back and tries to recover. She feels as if she’s floating.

And this- this changes everything. 

They start sleeping with each other after that. It’s always frequent, satisfying, and different, too. Yunjin isn’t sure why. Maybe it’s the way that they hold each other afterwards, the comfort and solace they find in one another and the conversations they have in each other’s arms, about their day ahead and their hopes and dreams. Maybe it’s the way that Chaewon’s eyes always seem to find Yunjin’s in group settings, the smile she sends her way that always seems to suggest fondness, intimacy. Maybe it’s the way that the twisting of Yunjin’s stomach isn’t only prevalent when she’s in the peak of her own arousal, how she feels it even when Chaewon is merely in the same room, the potent awareness of her presence and by extension, her absence. It’s the intimacy. The kind of intimacy that you don’t receive from your regular hookup. The kind of intimacy that can make a person fall in love.

The only thing they don’t talk about is what it all means. Chaewon isn’t sleeping with anyone else. Yunjin isn’t either. It means that on Thursdays, neither of them have particularly riveting stories to tell, but it’s okay, because they smile at each other and secretly send signals throughout anyway. But they’re not dating. Yunjin doesn’t know what she means to Chaewon and she’s afraid to ask, afraid that if they delve into that territory whatever they have together will stop. And she doesn’t want it to stop. 

But her fear dissipates after a particularly body shaking, mind numbing orgasm, when Yunjin actually cries, embarrassingly, overwhelmed by something she can’t explain. Chaewon immediately becomes concerned.

“Are you okay?”

Yunjin wipes her eyes. She nods, and then laughs. “That was the first time I’ve cried after sex. I’m embarrassed.”

Chaewon smiles gently. She plays with Yunjin’s hands. “Don’t be. It’s okay.”

Yunjin holds Chaewon’s eyes for a moment. Maybe it’s the heightened emotions, but she doesn’t stop herself:

“Are we… what are we doing?”

Chaewon blinks. The softness of her smile slightly falters, like a light switch.

“What do you mean?” She asks dumbly.

“You know what I mean.” Yunjin says. “This.”

Chaewon extracts her hand from Yunjin’s, clearly uncomfortable.

“We’re having fun.” She offers.

Yunjin sighs. “Just having fun?”

Chaewon’s features tense.

“Yunjin.” She says, like she’d rather be doing anything else than having this conversation.

Yunjin’s stomach drops further, if it were even possible.

Yunjin frowns. “No. I don’t think it’s wrong of me to ask what we’re doing. We have sex practically every day. Some clarity wouldn’t hurt.”

Chaewon turns her head away from Yunjin’s, staring up at the ceiling blankly. “Yunjin, I’m not into girls. Like that.”

There’s a riveting, all-encompassing sinking that wraps itself around the edges of Yunjin’s entire being, crushing her from the heart to the rest of her body.  

“Right. You just have sex with them?”

“I have sex with you. Only you.”

“Oh, so I’m the exception?”

“Yes.” Chaewon says honestly. “You are. And… I understand if you can’t… I get it if you want to stop this. I totally get it.”

Yunjin doesn’t even know what to say. This actually feels audacious to such a level that she cannot quite believe what she is hearing. Chaewon doesn’t like women… she isn’t sleeping with anyone else… but she’s sleeping with her? 

She eases up on the bed, reaching for her shirt and pants, back to Chaewon, trying to control her confusion and hurt.

“Yunjin.” Chaewon calls, sadly.

Yunjin pulls her shirt over her head and slips on her underwear, standing up. “I have class.” She says.

And she leaves Chaewon’s bedroom, walking into her own adjacent one, and collapses onto her bed, head in her hands, and sobs.

They don’t talk or fuck for two weeks. At all. Yunjin doesn’t even look at Chaewon. It’s not necessarily a punishment, but Yunjin feels Chaewon’s sad eyes on her constantly and she worries that if she looks into their endless brown depths she’ll cave in and her dignity and self preservation will dissipate more than it already has.

So, when Friday arrives and the sorority sisters decide to hit the club as a unit, Yunjin welcomes it gladly. She spends extra long getting ready, extra long looking as hot as possible, and it’s therapeutic. It’s therapeutic to feel two pretty brown eyes on her as she links arms with Miyeon and Yuqi and they laugh about something stupid. She doesn’t need Chaewon to be happy. She’ll get drunk out of her own mind and she will not have sex with Kim Chaewon or even give her the satisfaction of paying her any attention.

And her plan looks like it very well might work. Because in the second club they end up at, Yunjin bumps into none other than Ahn Yujin. And Yunjin is three shots in at this point.

“Oh shit. Hey, stranger.” Yunjin greets, tipsy.

Yujin crosses her arms over her chest, evidently trying to look upset, but then her eyes drop down to Yunjin’s figure and Yunjin watches as whatever anger might’ve existed starts to fade away. Yujin sighs.

“If you weren’t so hot I’d be pissed at you for dropping off the face of the earth. It’s hard to find a good lay in this godforsaken heterosexual hellscape.”

Yunjin laughs, but she feels bad. “I’m genuinely sorry.” She says. “I got caught up in the worst situationship possible.”

Yujin’s face displays sympathy. “Oh no. Straight? Married? Both?”

“First one.” Yunjin sighs. “Never again.”

Yujin’s pretty dimples show as she laughs. “Yeah, I take back my sympathy. And I’m offended that you stopped fucking me for a straight girl.”

Yunjin is brazen, it could be the alcohol or it could be the insatiable desire. She smiles coyly.

“I can make it up to you. For old times sake.” 

Yujin glances behind Yunjin. 

“I’d say yes in any usual circumstances but… your sisters are staring at us.”

Yunjin turns in the direction that Yujin is looking and sure enough, Miyeon, Sakura and Chaewon are looking right at them both. Miyeon is a little clueless but she smiles and waves at Yunjin cheerfully. Sakura just seems curious. Chaewon seems… like something else. She catches Yunjin’s eye and her stare turns hardened. Yunjin looks away, trying to remove the imprint of that look from her brain.

“Do you want to get out of here?” Yunjin asks, maybe slightly desperately, because suddenly the club feels smaller than it is, the room feels warmer than it is, she feels claustrophobic and disastrously seen.

Yujin nods. “Good idea.” 

She takes Yunjin’s hand and they make their way outside. The cool air is welcome, and Yunjin expels a sigh of relief. 

“What was that all about?” Yujin asks. “What, Kappa kappa Kappa prohibits a little bit of lesbianism or something?”

Yunjin laughs. “Phi omega eta.” She corrects. “And yeah, something like that. They’re just image conscious. Especially when we’re out together.”

“Yunjin,” Chaewon’s voice calls.

Yunjin turns around, surprised to see Chaewon standing there, forced casual, guarded look on her face. She throws Yujin a sort of friendly, non-committal smile and then directs her full attention to Yunjin. Looks her in the eye and directly through her skin, stripping her bare. Outwardly, she’d seem calm and composed, the way everyone knows her, but Yunjin sees what is festering below the surface. 

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Chaewon says. She doesn’t sound like she means it. “But I just thought I’d remind you of the second sister code.” 

Yunjin could laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

Sister Code #2:

When participating in social events or group outings, all members are required to depart together. Under no circumstances is any member permitted to leave with individuals outside of the sorority. This is to ensure the safety and cohesion of our sisterhood. Failure to comply with this policy will result in disciplinary action as deemed appropriate by the sorority's leadership.

“You guys have… sister codes?” Yujin asks, amused.

Chaewon’s eyes don’t leave Yunjin’s. It’s the first time Yunjin has fully taken her in, really looked at her. She’s wearing a black dress that exposes her collarbones, and her hair is up and her makeup looks perfect and the sight of her is so delicious, so beautiful, that Yunjin turns it over and over in her mind and feels herself let go and break apart a little. But there’s something potently underlying in her stare. Like fire. She gives Yunjin a once over, and there’s almost a flash of annoyance, there, an attitude. Tragically, it’s turning Yunjin on, and it’s almost like Chaewon knows. “I’ll be waiting for you inside.” She says, clipped.

And with that, she turns on her heels and walks back into the club.

Yunjin’s body feels warm. She sighs. 

“Your sorority is strict as fuck.” Yujin comments, stunned. 

Yunjin rubs her forehead. “Yeah, it sucks.” She says distractedly. She can’t stop thinking about the look that Chaewon gave her. “I should go back inside. I might be in trouble.”

Yujin waves her hand, understanding. “Look, you do what you need to do. You have my number. Call me when you want to , okay? I’m going to head back to my place.”

Yunjin sighs. “I’m sorry, again.”

Yujin flashes Yunjin a wink. “You can grovel another time. Go, go. Before the short hot blonde kills us both.”

Yunjin squeezes Yujin’s hand before re-entering the club. She walks briskly towards the central area, scanning the crowd for Yuqi or any other familiar face. Suddenly, a cool, firm hand grips her wrist. She barely registers a flash of blonde hair before she is yanked into a dark corner.

“You’re so funny.” Chaewon says sarcastically. She smiles savagely. “Like really, you’re hilarious.” 

Yunjin frowns. Chaewon’s arms are crossed over her chest and she has an almost maniacally amused expression plastered on her face. “What are you talking about?”

“You couldn’t wait could you?”

Yunjin scoffs, disbelieved. “You can’t be jealous right now. You can’t seriously be jealous.”

Chaewon’s features twitch. She actually looks hurt. “Am I supposed to be comfortable watching you eye fuck another girl in front of me? Do you think I’m a robot with no feelings?”

“I think you’re straight.” Yunjin corrects bluntly, her sympathy capped. “And I think, that in your own words, we were just having fun. So you being even the slightest bit upset is fucking hilarious, actually. What do you want me to say? Sorry?” At this point, she’s being cruel, but she is too drunk, too exhausted to care. “Listen. Maybe this is for the best. You can keep fucking guys who don’t make you cum and think of me, and I can sleep with people who aren’t ashamed of themselves and enjoy every fucking second of it.”

Whatever hurt existed in Chaewon before is wiped out at those words as her eyes swirl with inscrutable anger. She’s pissed. And so fucking sexy.

And then, Chaewon reaches out and holds Yunjin’s face with both hands. She looks at her hard with darkening eyes, mouth slightly parted. “No-one that you fuck will ever come close to me.” She says firmly. “Don’t fuck with me, Yunjin.” Her gaze flickers to Yunjin’s lips. And then, without another word, she storms off. Yunjin’s adrenaline kicks into high gear, she’s pissed and confused and disastrously horny, too, and it’s all too much. Thankfully, she manages to find Yuqi and her friend’s ramblings at least help her to take her mind away from the mess. 

But she can’t help it. She can’t help but search for Chaewon among the crowd of people, and wherever she looks, she seems to meet those pretty brown eyes again and again, all fire, building to a crescendo.

The journey home is silent. All of the girls wear exhaustion on their skin, the kind of drunken exhaustion that only ever occurs from an unsuccessful night out. Even Miyeon, who usually brightens the spirits of all of the girls with her infectious joy, is dissapointingly silent. 

When they get home, Yunjin is first in the bathroom. She scrubs her entire body clean, and when she’s done, she heads straight into her bedroom without saying goodnight to anyone. She settles into her covers and wills her mind to think of anything else. Anything else. It doesn’t work. All she can think about is Kim Chaewon and the way she held onto her face and the look in her eyes and Yunjin’s losing her mind because each time she recounts the encounter her gut twists with uninhibited arousal. And this is truly the first signs of madness. She knows it. It must be. 

Thankfully, she does manage to doze off eventually. But a couple of hours into her sleep, she hears a knock on her bedroom door.

Yunjin checks the time. 2:30AM. It’s eerily quiet. She gets up, opens the door. Chaewon stands there, and there’s no fight in her eyes anymore. 

“What do you want?”

“Can we talk?” Chaewon sounds tired. Yunjin doesn’t say a word, she just lets the woman in.

Chaewon enters the room. She sits down on the edge of Yunjin’s bed pensively. 

“Chaewon. What do you want?” Yunjin asks again.

“I don’t like seeing you with other women.” Chaewon says, blatantly. 

Yunjin scoffs. “Chaewo—”

“I know what you’re going to say. How dare I? How could I even have the right? Look, Yunjin, there’s things you don’t understand. About me—”

“Yeah. I think we need to put an end to this.” Yunjin interrupts, pinching the bridge of her nose. “It’s not healthy.”

At these words, a shift occurs in Chaewon, her facade breaking. Her eyebrows knit together, her usual composed demeanour melting away to reveal a softness. To reveal a defeat. She opens her mouth to say something but then closes it. Yunjin looks at her beautiful face, at the thin vest she wears and those short shorts that leave nothing to the imagination. She looks into those deep brown eyes and she feels it, the itch throughout her body, starting from her toes and making its way up. 

“Look—”

“No, it’s fine.” Chaewon says, clipped. “You’ve made your decision.” She stands up. Yunjin battles with herself relentlessly and then Chaewon walks by and brushes past her and Yunjin thinks about it for a split second longer before grabbing onto her arm, spinning her around, and suddenly they’re too close, breathing labored, staring into each other’s eyes with a hatred and yearning so simultaneously intense that it thickens the air. Chaewon’s eyes are rapt with pleasure and anger, and Yunjin is rapidly losing all her logic. She’ll watch Chaewon burn her entire life down and she’ll still fuck her senseless afterwards. 

And then Yunjin is grabbing Chaewon by both sides of her face and crashing her lips onto hers.