Seungwan stretches as soon as she wakes up. She knows she's past the age of growing but some habits are just really hard to shake off. Not that she believes it's of any help to her height.

The room is still a little dark even as the sun shines brightly behind the dark curtains. Later, Seungwan would open her windows and let in the cool morning breeze, basking in the perfect weather for a perfect day.

Right now, though, she's blindly tapping around her bed in search of her phone without moving her body from the bed out of instinct. Her fingers brush against cold metal and she expertly retrieves the device. It's almost a skill.

Seungwan squints at the brightness from her phone as she types up a quick good morning. It's still early but Joohyun should already be awake.

True enough, the older girl calls her not too long after. Seungwan picks up before the first ring ends.

"Good morning, unnie," she greets again, smile easily transmitting through her voice.

"Wan."

Seungwan's smile falters a bit. It's a little uncharacteristic of Joohyun to not greet her back. Not to mention, she's using her sad voice. That one in which Seungwan once swore to never have the older girl make ever again. Joohyun laughed at the declaration back then. Seungwan didn't mind.

"Is everything okay?" she asks over the receiver.

Joohyun huffs. "No. I'm upset." There's a bit of shuffling from her end, then a door softly closing. "I have to take care of Yerim today."

Definitely strange. "Unnie, you like Yerim," she reminds her.

"Not when I have plans with you."

Warmth crawls up Seungwan's face. She could almost see the pout that comes with Joohyun's whiney baby voice, one that the older refuses to admit she has. It unleashes feelings that Seungwan doesn't want to admit yet, too.

"Wan?" More shuffling. "Are you still there?"

"Uh– yeah," Seungwan clears , ignoring the screaming part of her brain in an effort to focus. "Yeah, I'm still here." She needs to focus, she tells herself again. "I can come over if you want. We can still hang out."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Seungwan says, then laughs. "And besides, I miss little Yerim too."

Yerim jumps into Seungwan's arms as soon as she walks inside the little girl's house, ignoring her older cousin Joohyun's indignant yelp as she gets shoved aside by little hands.

"Let's play lots today!" the kid squeals eagerly.

Seungwan laughs as they make their way further in, taking Joohyun with her along the way in linked hands. Yerim's wide grin is infectious.

She lets Yerim down in living room when she wriggles, watches the little girl dash off to a room and talking up a mile a minute of what she wants to do and not really caring if the older girls are listening.

Joohyun tugs at Seungwan's hand and her attention is effectively hers. It's nothing new but the overwhelming butterflies always feels like the first time every time Seungwan looks at Joohyun.

"Hey," she says quietly, squeezes the hand she hasn't let go of.

"Hey." Joohyun squeezes back.

She's always joked about how people shouldn't look Joohyun in the eyes for too long or they'll fall in love.

Sometimes, Seungwan thinks she says it as a precaution. In those times, Seungwan feels like it's meant for herself.

"Thanks for coming over," Joohyun tells her.

They're standing close, so close that Seungwan is afraid if she stared at Joohyun any longer the she just might lean in and cross lines she can't come back from.

"No problem," she forces herself to say instead.

Yerim returns dragging a shiny new bike with her, toothy smile and eyes sparkling in excitement.

"Teach me bike!" she demands.

Seungwan and Joohyun share a glance, voices quiet as they try to make responsible almost adult decisions.

"Can you ride a bike?" Seungwan asks.

"No. You?" Joohyun responds.

"A little."

"This is not gonna go well," the older girls sighs.

"Not very likely, no." 

Seungwan wants to follow her instincts, even if she ends up breaking little Yerim's heart but Joohyun doesn't look too worried and that's really enough for Seungwan to say yes.

"Promise to be careful?" she tells Yerim.

The little girl whoops in excitement and Seungwa  feels like she made the right decision after all.

They soon make their way out to the park, Seungwan bringing the bike while Joohyun holds Yerim's hand, trying not get pulled along by a bouncing four year old.

Seungwan really should have said something earlier because the bike is a two wheeler and a little too big for Yerim's size. She doesn't know why Yerim's parents would get her something like this but knowing the kid, it's also not too much of a mystery. Yerim had always been too smart for her age.

"Unnie," she nudges Joohyun. "Does Yerim know how to ride?"

"Nope," Yerim answers for herself, grinning.

"Yerim-ah, shouldn't this have training wheels?" Seungwan tilts the bike closer, showing Yerim where it should be.

Yerim takes one look at the bike's rear end before trailing her eyes up to Seungwan's, determined.

"Training wheels are for babies."

"Yerim, you're four," Joohyun interjects.

"So?" The girl challenges. She holds up four fingers without difficulty and proudly shows the two older girls. "This many. I'm all grown up."

Seungwan looks to Joohyun, eyes asking silently again. Joohyun answers with a shrug.

"We'll make it work."

Which also means they'll only do it until Yerim gets bored. In retrospect, this is probably what Joohyun's banking on. Must be why she's not too worried. This isn't the first time she's had to follow along the four year old's demands after all.

Thankfully, the park is relatively empty. Perks of living in a yuppie neighborhood means everyone is too busy working to relax. The older girls pick a shaded area by some trees and helps Yerim climb up to her new bike.

It doesn't go smoothly but first tries hardly are. Seungwan and Joohyun holds on to the handles while Yerim tries on the pedal, slowly moving through the pavement.

Unfortunately, Yerim doesn't get bored but she does whine about being crowded after a while. She makes Joohyun hang back and says she wants to bike only with Seungwan.

Joohyun complains out loud too and pouts her way to the nearest bench, arms crossed over her chest in a huff.

"We won't be too long," Seungwan tells her.

Joohyun flashes her a small smile and Seungwan knows she isn't actually upset. Yerim tugs on her shirt and Seungwan starts pushing.

Yerim eventually gets the hang of it and Seungwan can now let go in intervals while the little girl does her best to pedal. They make a small route right next to Joohyun's bench. Yerim balances on short bursts, little feet coming down to the ground before she falls.

"Let go! Let go!" Yerim chants.

But Seungwan is reluctant. Yerim is just starting after all. She looks to Joohyun again who only returns her gaze, a quiet question of what she wants to do.

She's not ready to let go of Yerim but she also knows the kid needs to try it out by herself. With reluctance, she lets go and makes Yerim promise to go slow and to stay on course.

"And Yerim-ah, remember to be very—"

"Careful. Yes. Please go now," the excitable child says in one breath.

That deserves a cheek smush for being cheeky, to which Yerim giggles at before batting her hands away. Seungwan makes her way to Joohyun, plopping down next to the older girl as they watch Yerim at a short distance.

Seungwan practically sags as soon as her touches the cold seat, back melting onto the backrest. She feels Joohyun's hand brushing along her temple, telling her she's sweaty.

"Tired?" Joohyun asks her too.

"Worth it," she answers.

Joohyun scoots closer, rests her head over strong familiar shoulders and Seungwan's arms naturally wraps around her.

"For someone who claims to know a little, you did really well," Joohyun says. "You did well, Seungwan-ah."

Seungwan doesn't try to supress her proud smile but she does try to hide it on Joohyun's hair, burying half her face on floral shampoo and that small hint of lavender that never seems to leave the older girl's skin.

"Thanks," she murmurs.

Joohyun hums, snuggles closer. Seungwan presses back instinctively.

They're not dating. Not really. They also don't hide the fact that they like being with each other. That they like each other.

It's weird, Seungwan thinks. She can think of a million reasons on why she and Joohyun shouldn't date but in moments like this, little shared moments when they just see and feel and breathe, none of those reasons seem enough. And maybe this time, she needs to listen and take that leap.

"Hyun?"

Joohyun shifts a bit, gradually taking warmth with her as she leans back to turn all her attention on Seungwan.

"Yeah?"

There's that look again, one that Seungwan doesn't hesitate to return. This isn't new but she still reminds herself to breathe.

Seungwan opens , then closes. She tries to make sense of the words that has been stuck in her tongue for the longest time. Joohyun waits for her patiently. Because she's Joohyun and she's always been patient with Seungwan.

"Hyun, I think—"

A scared yelp cuts her off.

Seungwan feels the tingles harshly crawl up her body in cold vengeance. She and Joohyun turn to look just when Yerim turns the handles a little too sharply, hands slipping and her small body falls down with her bike on the pavement.

She doesn't know who stands first but Seungwan soon finds herself cradling Yerim in her arms. Joohyun kicks at the bike harshly before crouching next to Seungwan.

"Yerimmie, are you okay? I shouldn't have let you off on your own," Seungwan fusses.

"Seungwan, stop it."

"But Hyun, she's only a baby–"

"And it's not your fault. It's obviously the bike's. It's obviously defective." Joohyun glares at the offending object again

"No, but Hyun, I should have listened to instincts when I felt I shouldn't have said yes—"

Yerim squirms in the middle of their argument, somehow manages to slip off of Seungwan's hold unnoticed and grabs the bike. At this rate, they'll be talking until Christmas. She's not even hurt. Seungwan unnie and Joohyun unnie are clearly out of their minds.

Also, she's not a baby.

Yerim kicks off at the ground and pedals. With even more determination, she tries again. 

By the time Seungwan and Joohyun see her, she's already balancing well enough to make a smooth turn before going straight, the longest she's ever done.

She still falls when she presses the brakes but gets up with the proudest look on her face, not even minding the horrified expression on the two adults.

Joohyun recovers first this time, running towards Yerim and checking her again for any injuries. Seungwan is only a second behind.

"No more bikes. I don't think my heart can take this," Seungwan declares to which Joohyun agrees with.

Yerim protests as Joohyun takes off her little helmet. She tells them it's not fair. She's doing so well, too! Why aren't they proud of Yerimmie? The little girl tears up in protest and Seungwan, out of panic, says the first thing she can think of.

"Yerim-ah, let's go get ice cream."

"Son Seungwan!"

Seungwan cringes, gives Joohyun an apologetic smile. It does the trick, though. Yerim stops crying. The little girl raises her hands in grabby motions and Seungwan picks her up.

"Come on, unnie. It's almost lunch time, anyway," she tries to persuade the older girl.

"Exactly. Ice cream isn't lunch."

"Dessert then. Yerim did so well she deserves ice cream, right Yerimmie?"

Yerim perks up. She decides she likes Seungwan a lot more now. Seungwan brings their faces in a cheek smush together and turns to Joohyun, pouting her lips. Yerim copies her.

"Please," the say together, prolonging their e's on purpose.

It takes about three seconds of wide puppy eyes before Joohyun breaks with an annoyed groan. Seungwan and Yerim cheer and really, how can Joohyun not smile at this scene? 

She still has a reputation to maintain, however. Joohyun is no pushover, regardless of her resolution crumbling not mere moments ago.

"Give me Yerim. You're dragging the bike."

Seungwan doesn't really mind. She picks the bike right up and drags it along, other hand extended for Joohyun to hold out of habit.

Joohyun slots her fingers in between Seungwan's seamlessly, taking up the spaces she knows are meant for her. It's a little difficult to hold up Yerim with one arm but she manages.

"Lunch first before ice cream," she says, tone non-negotiable.

Seungwan and Yerim still cheers anyway.