Archive of Our Own

The venue erupted with a deafening roar of cheers, the kind that spilled effortlessly through the grand glass doors and dissolved into the cool evening air. Somewhere inside, Yoonchae's unmistakable laugh rang louder than the DJ's speakers—bright, infectious, and completely unrestrained.

Tonight was a celebration years in the making.

One of the staff members who had stood beside them since the grueling, emotional days of Dream Academy had finally married the love of their life. For the KATSEYE girls, attending wasn't just another invitation on their schedule—it was non-negotiable. The people who spent years working tirelessly behind the cameras rarely had the chance to stand at the center of a celebration, and tonight belonged entirely to them.

Well...

Almost all of them.

Lara and Megan had spent the better part of the week flooding their group chat with apologies after a series of unavoidable, last-minute emergencies forced them to miss the wedding.

Lara: Please bring home an extra slice of cake for me. 🥺😭

Megan: Actually, make it two.

Megan: Wait.

Megan: Three. 🍰🍰🍰

Megan: I already know Daniela is going to steal mine anyway.

Daniela: EXCUSE ME???

Daniela: These accusations are completely baseless.

Daniela: I am a refined young woman with impeccable manners.

Sophia: She asked what flavor the cake was before we even got to the church.

Daniela: THAT WAS RESEARCH.

Yoonchae: She also asked what time they were cutting it.

Daniela: THAT WAS... ADDITIONAL RESEARCH.

Sophia: Research for what? 👀

Daniela: ...Future reference.

Manon: Future reference = calculating the maximum number of slices she can take before someone notices.

Daniela: You people are unbelievable.

Daniela: I thought this was a safe space.

Megan: Not when cake is involved.

Daniela: Fine.

Daniela: Maybe I'd take one slice.

Daniela: But only if it's vanilla.

Sophia: There it is.

Yoonchae: The truth always comes out.

Manon: Justice has been served before the cake even was 🤦🏽‍♀️

Manon, meanwhile, had called the newlyweds personally.

She had wanted to attend more than anything. But with her hiatus still ongoing—and months passing without HYBE releasing a single official statement—showing up at a public event would've made headlines before the bride even had the chance to walk down the aisle.

The couple didn't let her apologize for long.

"Don't worry about it, Manon," they had assured her warmly. "We know. We'll celebrate together another time."

Even from afar, though, Manon found her own way to be part of their special day.

She sent an enormous bouquet of white roses that immediately became the talk of the reception. Nestled between the blooms was a handwritten note.

May your love always feel like coming home.

Sophia had read it exactly once.

Then she'd cried over it for a solid ten minutes before the wedding had even started.

Earlier that afternoon, Sophia, Daniela, and Yoonchae had taken their seats inside the church.

None of them made it out with their composure intact.

Sophia had started tearing up before the bride had even made it halfway down the aisle. Beside her, Daniela held out for a respectable thirty seconds longer before silently accepting the tissue Sophia wordlessly offered, both of them never taking their eyes off the couple standing at the altar.

Yoonchae, however, had walked in with a mission.

She was not going to cry.

Absolutely not.

She sat ramrod straight, arms confidently clasped, lips pressed into a determined line.

"I'll be fine," she'd whispered to them beforehand.

She was, in fact, not fine.

The moment the couple began exchanging their vows, her lower lip betrayed her. By the first "I do," one lonely tear escaped. By the second, she was blinking furiously at the ceiling. By the kiss…

She had buried her face into Sophia's shoulder, quietly sobbing while insisting between watery sniffles,

"I'm literally not even crying right now."

Sophia, whose own mascara had long since accepted its fate, gently rubbed Yoonchae's back and smiled through her own tears.

"Of course you're not, sweetie."

Daniela leaned across Sophia just enough to poke Yoonchae's arm.

"Liar," she whispered with a grin. "I can literally see your mascara."

Yoonchae sniffled dramatically.

"It's... waterproof."

"It clearly surrendered." 

Now, at exactly seven in the evening, the reception hall glowed beneath warm chandeliers and delicate strings of fairy lights that stretched across the ceiling like tiny constellations. Ivory linens draped every table, while white roses, peonies, and lilies filled the room with a soft floral fragrance. Silk ribbons adorned each chair, their fabric catching the golden light, and at the center of it all stood a towering three-tier wedding cake, decorated with delicate sugar flowers that looked almost too perfect to be real. 

Earlier, the three girls had crowded in front of the towering wedding cake for pictures, earning more than a few amused smiles from the other guests.

Sophia looked breathtaking in a deep wine-red gown that shimmered softly every time she moved beneath the chandeliers. Daniela, meanwhile, wore a sleek black dress with a tasteful side cut—elegant enough for the occasion, yet daring enough that it made more than a few heads turn.

Including Sophia's.

Daniela caught her looking exactly once.

Sophia insisted it never happened.

Yoonchae, who had somehow witnessed the entire silent exchange despite being busy fixing her hair for the camera, later informed them it had actually happened nine times.

Neither of them entertained the allegation.

Yoonchae wore a flowing lavender dress that complemented the evening perfectly.

Not just any lavender dress, though.

It was Sophia's.

The very same dress she'd worn on one of her birthdays.

When they were getting ready back at the apartment, Yoonchae had quietly admitted she didn't own anything formal enough for a wedding.

"I can just wear something simple," she'd said with an awkward laugh. "No one's going to be looking at me anyway."

Sophia hadn't even let her finish.

"You can borrow mine."

Yoonchae blinked. "...Really?"

"Obviously."

"But... It's your birthday dress. It’s special."

Sophia simply walked over, slipped the hanger into Yoonchae's hands, and smiled.

"So are you."

That had been the end of the conversation.

The internet often joked that Yoonchae was Sophia and Daniela's adopted daughter.

Sometimes they called her Sodani's child.

Other times, their favorite tax deduction.

Neither Sophia nor Daniela had ever publicly acknowledged the running joke.

Privately...

Neither of them minded it all that much.

Especially on nights like this, when Yoonchae instinctively wedged herself between them for every photograph, linked arms with both of them while walking, and unconsciously reached for whichever hand happened to be closest whenever the crowd became too overwhelming.

Neither of them ever pulled away.

By the time dinner wrapped up, the reception had completely abandoned any pretense of elegance.

What began as a graceful first dance quickly spiraled into an all-out dance battle.

One moment, the newlyweds were swaying gently beneath the fairy lights, smiling at one another like they were the only two people in the room. The next, the groom dramatically dropped into an exaggerated breakdance, earning a chorus of laughter as the bride fired back with an equally ridiculous series of hip-hop moves that had her dress swirling around her.

The guests completely lost it.

Phones shot into the air from every direction, determined to immortalize the moment.

"GET THEM!" someone yelled from the back.

"THE BRIDE IS WINNING!"

"No, she's not!"

"YES SHE IS! LOOK AT HER GO!"

At some point, Yoonchae had transformed from wedding guest into the reception's most dedicated hype woman.

She'd somehow ended up kneeling at the edge of the dance floor, both hands dramatically cupping her cheeks as she screamed with enough enthusiasm that even the DJ glanced over with an amused grin.

"OH MY GOD!"

"SHE ATE THAT UP!"

"DO IT AGAIN!"

The bride stopped mid-spin and pointed a perfectly manicured finger straight at her. "You."

Yoonchae blinked. "...Me?"

"Yoonchae!" the groom echoed, laughing. "Get over here!"

Yoonchae immediately pointed at herself again, just to make sure there wasn't another overly enthusiastic guest behind her.

"...Me?"

Before she could crawl away or invent a convincing excuse, the newlyweds marched over, each grabbing one of her hands and hauling her laughingly into the middle of the dance floor.

"Wait—wait, wait, wait!" Yoonchae squeaked as the crowd erupted into cheers, her face turning an impressive shade of red.

She instinctively scanned the room for the two people most likely to save her from public embarrassment.

Sophia.

Daniela.

...Nowhere to be found.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something important, the groom looked around the room.

"Wait..." He craned his neck over the crowd. "Where are Sophia and Daniela? They need to see this!"

Yoonchae blinked, momentarily distracted from her stage fright. “...Huh.” She turned her head toward their table. Empty. She looked toward the dessert station. Nothing but a few crumbs. She scanned the photo booth line. The two empty seats near the back of the reception. Or the pair of untouched champagne glasses resting quietly beside them.

Nope.

“The bathroom?” she guessed with a shrug, yelling over the music. “They’ve been gone for a little while.”

The couple exchanged a knowing, slightly amused glance before laughing it off. “Eh, they’ll survive! They're probably hiding.” The bride turned back to Yoonchae, pointing a challenging finger. “Ready?”

Yoonchae swallowed hard, looking at the expectant crowd. “...Absolutely not.”

“Too late, Chae!”

The DJ dropped a heavy, familiar beat through the speakers, and right then, as rare as a total solar eclipse, Yoonchae’s competitive idol spirit took over. She cracked a wide grin, threw her hands up, and willingly accepted the dance battle.

Maknae eats first, they say.

And tonight...

Yoonchae was about to devour this dance floor.

Damn. Too bad my "parents" won't see this shit.

Sophia stood alone at the far end of the upper terrace, her hands resting lightly against the cool stone balustrade.

Few people even knew this balcony existed. It overlooked the reception garden from above, tucked safely behind a quiet, dimly lit hallway on the venue's second floor. The newlyweds had joked earlier that it was the perfect place to "escape the chaos" for anyone needing a breather, and tonight, it belonged entirely to her.

Far below, the wedding carried on without her. Laughter floated upward in soft waves, glasses clinked, and someone cheered loudly enough that the sound briefly pierced the night before dissolving into the cool breeze. The DJ's music reached the terrace only as a distant, rhythmic heartbeat, muted by the height and the thick stone walls.

Up here... the world felt wonderfully still.

The moon hung low over the city, a silver crescent suspended among countless stars. Away from the reception lights, the sky felt impossibly clear, every constellation scattered across the darkness like diamonds on black velvet.

A cool wind brushed against Sophia's face.

She closed her eyes.

It carried the faint scent of roses from the gardens below, slipped through the loose strands of her hair, and stirred the satin of her wine-red gown.

She closed her eyes, letting the chill ground her. She hadn't meant to disappear. She'd only wanted a few minutes to breathe.

The wedding had been beautiful.

Beautiful enough to leave behind an ache she couldn't quite name.

Watching two people stand before everyone they loved and promise forever had unsettled something inside her—something she'd spent a very long time pretending wasn't there.

The soft click of heels echoed down the quiet hallway behind her.

Sophia barely registered the sound at first, her eyes still fixed on the distant city lights. 

Probably another guest escaping the reception, she thought, not bothering to turn around. She didn't want to break the peaceful spell of the solitude she'd found.

But the footsteps drew closer, unhurried and measured, until they stopped right beside her.

"...Hey."

Sophia turned—and blinked in utter surprise. "Dani?"

A smile escaped before she even realized she was smiling. "I didn't expect to see you up here at all."

Daniela smiled sheepishly, resting her forearms against the cool stone balustrade right beside hers. "Yeah..." She looked back toward the glowing reception below, a bit bashful. "Me neither."

Only a few inches separated their shoulders. They weren't touching. Somehow, Sophia still became acutely aware of Daniela's presence.

The faint scent of her perfume drifted over, mixing with the roses blooming below. 

"You escaped the madness too?" Sophia asked.

Daniela nodded, her gaze tracking a pair of guests laughing in the garden. "It got... loud."

Sophia huffed a quiet laugh. "That's one way to put it."

"They've officially reached zoo levels down there," Daniela murmured.

"I was thinking circus, honestly."

Daniela glanced sideways, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "I'll accept circus."

Sophia smiled, tilting her head as she studied her friend's profile in the moonlight. "How did you even find this place?”

Daniela looked around. "...This balcony?"

"Mhm. Not many people know it's here."

Daniela shrugged, shifting her weight slightly. "I wasn't actually looking for it."

"No?"

"I was just walking," she admitted, her voice dropping to a softer, almost shy register. "...Then I saw someone standing out here in a really pretty dress."

Sophia stared at her for a moment. "...So you accidentally found me?" 

Daniela's quiet laugh slipped into the night. "...Something like that."

Sophia raised an eyebrow, the familiar warmth of their usual banter kicking in to rescue her from the sudden tension. "And here I thought you were stalking me."

"For legal reasons... no," Daniela shot back without missing a beat.

"Dani."

"I'm kidding!"

"Were you?"

Daniela grinned, looking right at her. "...Mostly."

That earned her a light, playful shove against the shoulder. Daniela just laughed harder, leaning into the contact rather than moving away. "Completely worth it."

Sophia rolled her eyes. "...You're impossible."

"I've been told."

They smiled at each other for another second longer than either of them intended.

Then, almost in unison, they looked back toward the sky.

Below, the wedding carried on in warm bursts of laughter and applause that drifted up from the gardens before disappearing into the breeze.

Up here, it felt as though the rest of the world had quietly stepped aside, leaving only the two of them beneath the moon.

They stood shoulder to shoulder against the cool stone railing, watching the constellations emerge more clearly as their eyes adjusted to the darkness.

Sophia was the first to break the silence.

"So..."

Sophia glanced sideways, a teasing smile playing at the corner of her mouth as the moonlight caught the edge of her cheek. "Miss me already?"

Daniela let out an amused snort, rolling her eyes playfully. "You wish."

"I'll take that as an absolute yes."

Daniela laughed, bumping her shoulder lightly against Sophia's.

It lasted barely a second.

Somehow, Sophia noticed when it was gone.

"I just needed air too," she admitted, her voice dropping into a softer, more genuine register. She looked past the reception gardens and out toward the rolling hills stretching beneath the moonlight. Tiny pools of golden light dotted the countryside where scattered cottages and lamp posts rested among the fields, while the mountains stood quietly in the distance beneath an endless sky.  "It's..." She searched for the right word. "...really loud."

Sophia hummed knowingly, leaning her elbows against the stone balustrade. "It is."

The quiet settled comfortably between them once more. 

For a while, neither of them spoke.

They simply stood side by side, letting the silence settle around them.

The cool breeze wandered lazily across the terrace, carrying with it the scent of roses and freshly cut grass from the gardens below. Beyond the venue, rolling hills stretched into the distance beneath a sky scattered with stars, their dark silhouettes softened beneath the silver wash of the crescent moon.

Below them, the reception shimmered like its own little constellation. Fairy lights twinkled between the trees, warm lamps dotted the winding garden paths, and laughter floated upward every now and then before dissolving into the open countryside.

For some reason... that felt like enough.

Then, something caught Daniela's eye. Her entire face instantly brightened.

The quiet calm she'd been wearing only moments ago melted away, replaced by the unmistakable excitement of someone finally getting to share their favorite story. 

"Oh!" She pointed eagerly toward the dark, velvety expanse of the sky. "Look."

She turned toward Daniela first.

Only after following Daniela's pointing finger did she finally look up. "...At what?"

"Orion's Belt."

Sophia squinted so dramatically her nose scrunched. "Dani." She swept a hand toward the infinite, ink-black sky above them. "There are approximately..." She paused, narrowing her eyes as if pretending to calculate the sheer scale of the universe. "...twelve billion stars up there."

Daniela snorted. "So?"

"So how, exactly, am I supposed to know which belt you're talking about?"

A laugh escaped Daniela, warm and effortless. "...Okay, that's fair." She stepped a little closer, closing the small pocket of space between them. "No, look."

Their shoulders brushed. It was a brief, light contact—barely noticeable to anyone else—yet Sophia noticed it anyway, a sudden flare of warmth cutting through the chilly air.

"There." Daniela lifted a finger once more, tracing three bright stars suspended neatly in a straight, perfect line across the darkness.

Sophia leaned in instinctively, following the path of Daniela's hand until their shoulders rested lightly together. "Oh." Her eyes lit up with sudden recognition as the pattern finally clicked. "I see them."

"Told you." Daniela smiled—a small, quietly triumphant smile that somehow made Sophia smile too. "The three in the middle are Orion's Belt." Her finger drifted slowly across the night sky, connecting invisible lines only she seemed able to see. "And if you follow them..."

"...they'll lead you to the rest of Orion."

Sophia tried to pay attention. She really did. She tried to see the hunter Daniela was tracing overhead, tried to remember the names, and tried to listen to the mythology Daniela began explaining with the enthusiasm of someone rediscovering a treasured childhood fascination.

Instead... she became painfully aware of how close Daniela was standing.

Daniela stood close enough that the warmth of her presence somehow overpowered the evening chill.

A stubborn curl escaped into the breeze and brushed softly against Sophia's cheek.

Sophia stayed perfectly still. Not because she had to, but because she wasn't entirely sure she'd remember how to breathe. 

"I never would've guessed you were into constellations," she admitted softly, her voice dropping an octave as she found herself completely unable to tear her eyes away from Daniela's profile.

Daniela's smile softened, her gaze remaining fixed on the glowing patterns above. "I've loved them ever since I was little."

"You have?"

"Mhm." Daniela tucked the stray curl behind her ear, her arm pressing gently against Sophia's as she looked back toward the stars. "My dad used to point them out whenever we'd stay outside after dinner."

The words were simple. The way Daniela said them wasn't. There was a quiet, sacred fondness in her voice that made the memory feel entirely alive, as though she could still see those childhood evenings if she looked hard enough into the dark.

Sophia pictured it without meaning to.

A younger Daniela standing beneath another night sky, looking upward with the same bright eyes she had now.

Sophia found herself smiling. It was impossible not to. "What's your favorite?"

"Cygnus."

The answer came instantly. No hesitation. No second thought. Daniela turned toward her fully, a familiar, vibrant excitement already sparkling in her eyes. "Want to see it?"

Sophia laughed softly, the sound low and intimate against the distant roar of the party below. "Show me, star lover."

Daniela's entire face lit up. "Okay."

Without thinking—or perhaps thinking far too much—Daniela stepped a little closer.

The few inches between them quietly disappeared. "Follow my finger."

She raised her hand again. "This one..." Her fingertip hovered over a singularly brilliant star. "...then this one..." She traced an invisible, elegant line through the night. "...and this one."

Sophia leaned in to follow along, her eyes straining against the dark to see what Daniela saw. This time, their shoulders settled lightly together. Neither of them acknowledged it, but the sudden heat of it flamed up between them. Daniela continued tracing the constellation, her voice dropping almost to a whisper, as though speaking any louder might disturb the stars themselves.

"My dad used to tell me something."

Sophia looked up from the sky, her gaze fixing on the side of Daniela's face. "What?"

Daniela kept her eyes on the sky, her profile stark and beautiful against the silver moonlight. "If you're ever lost..." She rested her fingertip on one of the brightest stars in the cluster. "...start with the brightest one."

She paused, the words hanging heavy in the cool air.

"It'll help you find everything else."

Only then did she glance sideways. Her eyes met Sophia's.

Just for a heartbeat.

Sophia forgot to breathe. The distant thump of the wedding bass, the rustle of the trees, the chill of the wind—the entire world seemed to narrow until there was only moonlight reflected in Daniela's eyes.

Sophia forgot to breathe.

The distant bass from the reception dissolved into the wind.

For one impossible heartbeat, there was only moonlight reflected in Daniela's eyes.

Then, almost embarrassed by how long she'd looked, Sophia quickly broke the spell, turning her attention back toward the safety of the stars. She swallowed down the sudden lump in her throat.

"...Your turn," Daniela said softly, her voice carrying a slight tremor before she smiled as if nothing had happened. "You make one."

Sophia cleared her throat, trying to shake off the dizzying pull of the moment. "Okay."

She lifted her own hand toward the sky, leaning her weight just a fraction more into Daniela's side. "There..." She pointed confidently into a random patch of darkness. "...then over there..."

She tilted her head, bringing her cheek dangerously close to Daniela's shoulder. "And definitely that one."

Without realizing it, she'd leaned just as close to Daniela as Daniela had leaned toward her moments before.

Daniela's eyes followed the path of Sophia's finger with complete concentration, studying the imaginary constellation as though it deserved to be printed in an astronomy book.

"Hmm..." Daniela tilted her head, pretending to study Sophia's masterpiece with great seriousness. "I think... that's the Big Dipper."

Sophia blinked. "Oh." She dropped her hand, a soft chuckle escaping her. "So that's what it's actually called."

Daniela laughed, the sound warm and questioning. "...Actually called?"

Sophia nodded matter-of-factly. "I've always called it 'the tabo.'"

Daniela turned to look at her, her brows pulling together in sheer amusement. "The... what?"

"A tabo." Sophia mimed holding an invisible plastic handle and scooping water through the air with a fluid, practiced motion. "You know... the little handheld water dipper we use back home. To wash ourselves."

Daniela stared at her for a beat, completely blank. "...I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

Sophia let out the smallest groan and covered her face with both hands, her cheeks flushing a deep pink that rivaled the color of her dress. "It's a Filipino thing."

"Oh." Daniela nodded slowly, a massive grin breaking across her face as though she'd just received a very important, highly scientific astronomy lesson. "...Tabo it is, then."

Sophia laughed, the bright, bubbling sound escaping so easily that it echoed softly across the empty stone terrace.

For a while after that, neither of them spoke. The laughter faded naturally, leaving the quiet to settle around them once more.

Somehow...

It no longer felt like the same silence they'd stepped into a few minutes ago.

Below them, the reception continued in full swing. Someone whooped loudly enough that it floated all the way up to the second floor, and the DJ transitioned into another upbeat song, followed by a collective chorus of applause from the guests. Life carried on down there, frantic and celebration-fueled.

But up here, time seemed to slow to a crawl.

They found themselves looking out over the edge of the balcony instead of up at the stars. The venue gardens stretched beneath them, beautifully bathed in silver moonlight. White roses and heavy peonies swayed gently in the evening breeze, and intricate strings of fairy lights wrapped around the trees glowed like tiny, fallen constellations. The cool air brushed against their skin, but neither of them moved to fix the space between them.

"It was beautiful." Sophia's voice was barely above a whisper, almost entirely swallowed by the wind.

Daniela looked over. "The ceremony?"

Sophia smiled faintly, her eyes fixed on the illuminated garden below. "It really was."

Daniela's gaze lingered on Sophia a second longer than she'd intended. The moonlight softened every feature of her face, tracing the bridge of her nose and the curve of her lips. Loose strands of hair drifted with the breeze, occasionally catching the silver light before settling against her cheek again. 

She looked impossibly at peace.

Daniela had to look away first.

"They looked..." Daniela began quietly, her chest tightening. "...happy."

Sophia nodded, her expression turning incredibly tender. "They did."

Another silence stretched between them. This one carried a little more weight, pressing into the small space that separated them. Watching two people stand before everyone they loved and promise a definitive forever had left an echo behind—something heavy and aching that neither of them quite knew how to name.

Daniela shifted, resting her elbows against the stone railing and letting her head drop slightly. "It makes you think."

Sophia glanced sideways, catching the sudden seriousness in Daniela's eyes. "About what?"

Daniela hesitated. She could still hear the vows echoing somewhere in the back of her mind, sharp and resonant against the dull thud of the bass downstairs. For better or for worse... All the days of my life...

She swallowed, the cold air suddenly tasting sharp in her throat. "I don't know..." She paused, staring down at her own manicured fingers tightly gripping the stone. "...the future, I guess."

Sophia waited, her quiet attention a safe space that practically begged Daniela to keep going.

Daniela laughed softly, a nervous, breathless sound that she tried to mask with a shrug.

"Like... what it'll be like when it's our turn."

A flicker of vulnerability crossed her face before she could hide it.

"If we ever even get a turn." The words slipped into the night before Daniela could decide whether she wanted to take them back.

Sophia didn't laugh.

She didn't tease.

She simply looked at her.

The playful idol persona quietly fell away, leaving only the grounded warmth of the girl who knew Daniela better than almost anyone.

Daniela looked away first, back toward the glowing reception below.

"...Can I ask you something?"

Sophia turned. "Mhm?"

Daniela smiled nervously. "What do you think your wedding would look like?"

The question hung gently between them, turning like a fragile glass ornament in the moonlight. Sophia didn't answer right away. Instead, she shifted her weight, turning so she was facing Daniela a little more fully, one shoulder still resting comfortably against the railing.

"My wedding?" A slow, thoughtful smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "You know... I've always had ridiculously high standards."

Daniela's eyebrows lifted, the heavy tension breaking just enough for a spark of amusement to return to her eyes. "Oh?"

Sophia laughed quietly, shaking her head. "I'm blaming Disney."

"Of course you are."

"I grew up watching princess movies," Sophia said, lifting her hand to count them off on her fingers. "Snow White. Cinderella. Sleeping Beauty. The Little Mermaid…and Tangled. They completely ruined my expectations forever."

Daniela laughed, the sound rich and grounding. "So your dream wedding involves woodland animals making your dress?"

"I mean..." Sophia tried—and spectacularly failed—to keep a straight face. "...if a flock of birds could help carry my veil down the aisle, I wouldn't exactly complain."

Daniela snorted, leaning into her space. "Noted."

"No, but seriously." Sophia’s smile softened, her gaze drifting past Daniela to the vast, star-speckled sky. "When I was younger, I thought weddings had to be... grand. Massive. Like something straight out of a fairy tale book. Everyone is watching, huge ball gowns, crystal chandeliers."

Daniela shifted so she was fully facing her now, mimicking Sophia’s posture. She rested her chin lightly against the back of her hand on the balustrade, listening with complete, unwavering attention.

The music below disappeared.

The cold night air disappeared.

There was only Sophia.

"And now?" Daniela asked gently, her voice slipping into a softer register.

Sophia looked out over the moonlit gardens below, watching the way the fairy lights blinked against the dark green leaves. Her answer came almost absentmindedly, her voice dropping into a register that made Daniela’s heart skip a beat.

"...I don't think I'd care how big it is anymore," Sophia murmured. "As long as..."

She stopped herself abruptly, the words catching in her throat.

Daniela tilted her head, her gaze boring into the side of Sophia's face, sensing the sudden shift in the air. "As long as...?"

Sophia smiled to herself, a little private, guarded thing, and shook her head. "...Never mind."

"No way." Daniela nudged her shoulder lightly, a playful protest. "You can't stop right there."

"I absolutely can."

"You absolutely can't." Daniela grinned, folding her arms dramatically over her chest. "So... I'm listening. Spill."

Sophia sighed in exaggerated defeat, though the fondness in her eyes gave her away completely. "Fine. But you have to promise not to laugh."

"I promise," Daniela said, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she leaned in a millimeter closer. "In fact, I swear on the tabo up there."

Sophia burst into a quiet giggle, nudging Daniela lightly with her shoulder.

"I can't believe you."

Daniela only smiled, completely unashamed, her eyes dancing with affection.

"Okay, look..." Sophia took a slow, grounding breath, her heartbeat scattering into something as impossible to map as the stars stretched above them.

She folded her arms atop the cool stone balustrade before letting out an exaggerated sigh.

"Alright." She nodded to herself. "My dream wedding."

Daniela straightened instinctively, placing a hand over her chest with mock seriousness. "I'm listening."

Sophia glanced up at the silver crescent moon before a nostalgic smile tugged at her lips. "When I was a kid, I wanted everything to be The Little Mermaid."

Daniela's eyes immediately lit up. "Ariel?"

Sophia nodded, her eyes crinkling. "Mhm."

"My favorite Disney princess."

"I would've guessed Snow White," Daniela teased.

Sophia gasped so dramatically she nearly stumbled backward off her heels. "Daniela."

"I'm sorry!"

"No, you're not."

"...I'm a little sorry."

"You should be."

Daniela placed a hand over her heart and bowed her head with exaggerated, chivalrous remorse. "My deepest, most sincere apologies."

"Hmph." Sophia tried to maintain the offended expression for exactly two seconds before a bright smile escaped anyway. "Anyway... I wanted seashell decorations everywhere."

Daniela nodded once, her focus entirely locked on Sophia's animated face. "Mhm."

"Blue flowers."

"Mhm."

"Everything in ocean colors."

"Mhm."

"A giant cake that looks like it's completely underwater."

"Mhm."

Sophia paused for ultimate dramatic effect. "And..." She pointed a stern, warning finger into the space between them. "Absolutely no lobster."

Daniela blinked, momentarily derailed. "...That's... surprisingly specific."

"No lobster."

"...Why?"

Sophia looked at her like she'd just asked why the sky was blue. "Because that's basically asking everyone to eat Sebastian."

Daniela froze for a split second, processing the logic, before doubling over in a fit of breathless laughter. "Oh my God. I DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT THAT!"

"Exactly!" Sophia threw both hands into the air, gesturing wildly to the night sky. "He spent an entire movie trying to keep Ariel alive! He composed 'Under the Sea!' He deserves a lot better than becoming dinner."

Daniela laughed so hard she had to brace her forearms against the stone railing to keep her balance. "So your wedding menu has one absolute rule."

"Correct."

"No Sebastian casualties."

"Exactly."

Daniela nodded solemnly, biting her lip to contain her giggles. "I respect that." She lifted an imaginary clipboard in the air. "No lobster." She pretended to check off a box with a flourish. "Got it. What about drinks?"

Sophia didn't even pause. "Yakult."

Daniela's invisible pen stopped moving mid-air. She slowly looked up. "...I'm sorry?"

"Yakult."

"At your wedding."

"Mhm."

"You'd serve..." Daniela searched desperately for another, more traditional possibility before giving up. "...Yakult."

"It's delicious."

"Can't argue there."

"It’s healthy."

"...Also true."

"And just imagine everyone making a wedding toast with those tiny little bottles." Sophia mimed peeling back the red foil lid with practiced precision before lifting an imaginary, miniature plastic bottle toward the sky. "Cheers."

Daniela covered her mouth, her laugh escaping through her fingers anyway. "...That might be the most Sophia thing you've ever said in your life."

A soft, helpless smile broke across Daniela's face as she looked at her.

"I kind of love it," she added quietly.

Sophia grinned proudly. "I know."

"No champagne?"

"I mean..." Sophia shrugged, leaning back against the stone balustrade. "Everyone else can have champagne if they want. But I'd probably just have Yakult."

Daniela looked at her for a long moment.

Far longer than necessary.

The amusement lingering on her face gradually softened into something quieter, something that reached all the way to her eyes.

"I'd cheers to that," she said gently.

Sophia glanced over, caught slightly off guard by the sincerity in Daniela's voice. "...You would?"

"Of course."

Daniela smiled to herself. "I actually really like Yakult now."

She looked down at her hands resting against the stone railing. "I used to think it tasted weird."

Sophia laughed. "I remember."

"Then you kept handing me one after rehearsals."

Daniela's shoulders lifted in a tiny shrug. "Somewhere along the way..."

A quiet laugh escaped her.

"...it just started tasting like home."

Sophia's smile softened. "...Really?"

Daniela nodded.

"Now every time I see one, I think..." She paused, laughing at herself. "...Soph would definitely tell me to drink this."

Sophia laughed, the sound bright enough to make the quiet terrace feel warmer. "I didn't know my Yakult had that kind of influence."

Daniela smiled. "Apparently it does."

She hesitated for just a heartbeat.

"...And I don't think I'd mind having Yakult at my wedding either."

For a heartbeat, neither of them spoke.

It was such a small thing.

Just a little bottle of Yakult.

Just another joke between them.

Yet somehow, Daniela had slipped herself effortlessly into Sophia's future, speaking as though she'd always expected to stand somewhere inside it.

Neither of them acknowledged what she'd done.

They didn't have to.

The stars had already heard it.

A proud, incredibly sweet grin spread across Sophia's face. "Congratulations."

Daniela blinked.

"...For?"

She pointed a finger right at Daniela’s chest, leaning into her space.

"You now possess an elite population of lactobacillus."

Daniela blinked, the romantic tension instantly crashing into sheer confusion. "...I what?"

"Your gut microbiome," Sophia explained, nodding as though she were defending a doctoral thesis. "Your digestion should be thriving right now."

Daniela groaned loudly, dropping her forehead against her hand on the railing. "I cannot believe this is your wedding speech."

"I'm serious!" Sophia laughed, nudging her. "You'll thank me every morning."

"Oh?"

"Mhm. Your poops won't be as hard anymore."

Daniela stared at her in complete, utter disbelief before laughing so hard she had to grip the stone railing to keep her balance. She reached over and lightly smacked Sophia's arm, her face flushing. "...You just turned my dream wedding into a bowel movement."

Sophia nodded proudly. "Healthy bowels are important."

Their laughter echoed across the empty terrace before fading naturally into the night.

Neither of them rushed to speak again.

They simply stood together, watching the fairy lights shimmer below like tiny stars that had drifted down into the gardens.

Sophia's smile lingered.

Then...

it slowly faded.

"...But..."

She exhaled softly.

"...I guess none of that is really important."

Daniela turned toward her fully, her heart doing a slow, heavy roll in her chest. "The decorations?"

"The flowers," Sophia murmured, her gaze drifting back to Daniela’s face, catching the silver moonlight in her eyes. "The food. The drinks. None of it."

Sophia smiled faintly, the silver moonlight catching the edge of her cheek. "They're just details."

The breeze lifted a stray strand of hair across her face. She tucked it behind her ear with a slow, deliberate movement, her gaze dropping back to the quiet gardens below.

"I think..." She paused, her voice softening until it was nearly a whisper. "...the only thing that really matters is who you're standing next to."

Daniela forgot to answer.

Her heartbeat stumbled against her ribs.

Because for one impossible, reckless second...

she wondered if Sophia was talking about her.

Sophia continued almost absentmindedly, her words coming from a place of quiet, vulnerable honesty. "You could put me in a castle. Or a beach. Or a backyard. I honestly don't think I'd care anymore. As long as..." She hesitated, the wind catching her dress in a soft ruffle.

Daniela found herself holding her breath, the space between them suddenly feeling microscopic.

Daniela suddenly wasn't sure whether the cold she felt came from the mountain air...

or from the possibility that Sophia wasn't talking about Leon at all.

"...I liked the person waiting for me at the end of the aisle," Sophia finished.

Neither of them spoke. Not because there wasn't anything to say, but because suddenly... there was too much. The silence between them grew thick, charged with the heavy, unspoken truth that had been building since they first stood out here under the stars.

"...I mean..." She laughed softly.

"...as long as it felt like home."

Daniela caught the tremble in Sophia's voice. The way her smile never quite reached her eyes. The way she worried at her lower lip instead of looking at Daniela.

As though meeting her gaze would make something impossible to hide.

Daniela swallowed, her throat suddenly feeling impossibly dry. Her heart pounded heavily against her ribs.

"...Leon's a good guy," Daniela said quietly. The words tasted strangely bitter on her tongue.

Sophia nodded, her eyes remaining fixed on the distance. "He is."

Another pause stretched out, cold and heavy.

"He's kind," Daniela offered.

Another small nod from Sophia. "A gentleman." She smiled faintly, a little sad. "My best friend. Our families have known each other forever." Sophia let out a soft, almost wistful laugh that didn't hold any real joy. "My parents absolutely adore him. They've been joking for years that he's..." She hesitated, the word heavy in the air. "...the one."

"He deserves someone who loves him the way he deserves." Sophia immediately stops herself.

Daniela looked down at her own hands tightly gripping the stone. "He'll make someone really happy."

Sophia's smile faltered entirely, a shadow passing over her face.

"So is whoever ends up with you." The words slipped out of Daniela's mouth before she could even think to stop them, raw and completely unguarded.

Sophia looked at her.

Really looked.

For one suspended heartbeat, neither of them remembered how to look away.

Then, Sophia broke the spell. She forced a smile—small, gentle, and carefully pulling them back from the edge.

"...Enough about me." She nudged Daniela's shoulder lightly, the physical contact breaking the suffocating tension. "What about you?"

Daniela blinked, momentarily disoriented by the sudden shift. "My wedding?"

"Mhm." Sophia folded her arms over the stone balustrade, her eyes lighting up with a forced but determined mischief. "I already know for a fact you're hiring backup dancers."

Daniela let out a sudden, startled laugh. "What?"

"You'll have a fully choreographed entrance down the aisle."

"I will not!"

"There'll be smoke machines," Sophia insisted, pointing a finger at her.

Daniela bit her lip, trying to hide her smirk. "...Maybe."

"There it is!" Sophia pointed triumphantly, her voice rising in delight. "I knew it!"

Daniela covered her face with her hands, groaning softly. "Oh my God."

"You'll probably make the officiant learn the choreography before they can even license the marriage," Sophia teased.

"I am not that extra," Daniela protested, looking out from between her fingers.

Sophia simply raised a single, entirely skeptical eyebrow.

Daniela thought about it for a fraction of a second. "...Okay. Maybe just a little extra."

Sophia laughed, a bright, clear sound that completely chased away the lingering chill. "You should honestly just hire us."

Daniela frowned, amused. "Us?"

"KATSEYE," Sophia grinned mischievously, her eyes sparkling. "We'll perform 'Gnarly' right while you're exchanging your vows."

Daniela nearly choked on her own breath, a burst of laughter escaping her. "Sophia!"

"What?!"

"Imagine it," Sophia giggled, throwing an imaginary microphone into the air and dropping into a mock-pose in her wine-red gown. "'You may now kiss the bride—' GNARLY!"

Daniela completely doubled over, her hands on her knees as she laughed so hard her chest ached. "Stop. Oh my God, stop."

"I can't!"

"People would literally leave my wedding."

"No, they'd stay!"

"They'd be so confused."

"They'd be highly entertained," Sophia corrected proudly, her cheeks flushed as she watched Daniela laugh until her eyes began to water. For a few beautiful seconds, the heavy weight of the future dissolved into the crisp night air, leaving only the comforting, hilarious rhythm of the two of them.

Then, just as quickly as it had come, the laughter faded.

Sophia smiled at her, the mirth in her eyes softening into something quiet and deeply reflective. "You know..." she murmured, looking down at her hands on the balustrade. "I think I'd cry."

Daniela looked over, her brow tilting slightly. "At my wedding?"

Sophia shrugged, a helpless little curve to her lips. "I'm emotional, Dani. I cried watching strangers get married today. Imagine when it’s someone I actually know."

Her voice dropped a fraction, her eyes flickering over to Daniela. "I'd probably start crying the second you read your vows."

The lingering smile completely disappeared from Daniela's face. Her chest tightened so fast it was dizzying.

"...Me too," Daniela said. She’d spoken so quietly, so rawly, that the words were almost swallowed by the breeze.

Sophia blinked, surprised. "You'd cry at my wedding?"

Daniela let out a breathless, self-deprecating laugh under her breath, her eyes dropping to the stone floor. "...Yeah. I definitely would."

Sophia bumped her shoulder playfully, trying to keep the mood light, though the atmosphere was growing heavier by the second. "Well. You better make me your bridesmaid, then. I need to be at the front with the tissues."

Daniela's smile faltered.

Just for a second.

Bridesmaid.

Somehow the word hurt more than it should have.

For a terrifying second, she thought she might actually cry right now, under the indifferent stars. She forced a laugh, because crying would have been much harder to explain.

"I don't know..." Daniela smiled, though the expression felt impossibly fragile, like stained glass waiting for the slightest crack. "I think you'd complain about the dress."

"I totally would."

"And the shoes."

"If they're over four inches, I'm going on strike."

"And somehow," Daniela continued, unable to hide her widening grin, "you'd lose the bouquet before I even made it halfway down the aisle."

Sophia gasped in mock offense, flattening a hand over her chest. "I would never!"

Daniela simply leveled her with a look.

Sophia held the regal, innocent act for exactly three seconds before breaking into a helpless giggle. "...Okay. That actually sounds exactly like me."

"It does."

Their laughter drifted out across the empty hillside, light and bright, before dissolving into the crisp evening breeze.

Then, almost without realizing it, they began doing something dangerous.

Standing side by side beneath the stars, they started planning weddings that didn't exist.

"So..." Sophia rested her chin on her folded arms, looking out into the dark. "Church or outdoor ceremony?"

Daniela answered without a single second of hesitation. "Church."

Sophia looked over, her eyebrows lifting in pleasant surprise. "Really?"

"Mhm." Daniela smiled softly, a fond warmth taking over her features. "My grandmother would literally haunt me for the rest of my life if I got married anywhere else."

Sophia laughed quietly. "Mine too."

"And besides..." Daniela glanced toward the tiny chapel sitting farther down the mountain, its beautiful stained-glass windows glowing faintly beneath the silver moonlight. "There's just something about walking down the aisle of a church." Daniela smiled softly. "The history. The tradition. The feeling that generations have stood exactly where you're standing." 

"The bells," Sophia murmured.

"The vows."

"The total silence right before the doors open."

Sophia nodded slowly, the image painting itself clearly in her mind. "I've always imagined that."

"So church?"

Daniela extended her pinky finger into the space between them. "Church."

Sophia hooked her own pinky around it, a soft smile playing on her lips. "Church."

Their pinkies lingered together for just a heartbeat before they both laughed, almost embarrassed by how serious they'd accidentally made it. 

"Flowers?" Daniela asked, leaning back against the balustrade.

"Oh, easy." Sophia answered so quickly it caught Daniela off guard. "Pink carnations."

Daniela blinked. "That's specific."

"And purple ones," Sophia added confidently, gesturing with her hands. "Lots of them."

"Carnations?"

"People sleep on carnations." 

Daniela tilted her head, thoroughly amused. "I was fully expecting roses."

"I knew you were."

"You know me too well."

Sophia smiled, her eyes crinkling. "So, what are yours?"

Daniela looked out toward the moonlit gardens, imagining the vibrant colors against a white aisle. "Red roses. Definitely."

"Mhm."

"...Or tulips."

Sophia nodded thoughtfully. "I can see that."

"You can?"

"They're elegant."

Daniela let out a soft laugh. "Wow. That sounded way nicer than 'they're less dramatic than you.'"

"I was trying to be supportive, okay?"

"You almost succeeded."

Sophia nudged her shoulder playfully. "Rude."

"What about the reception?" Daniela asked, turning her head to watch Sophia's profile.

Sophia didn't even have to think. "A castle."

Daniela burst out laughing. "A castle?"

"Or somewhere that feels exactly like one." Sophia spread her hands dramatically toward the starry canopy above. "I want massive chandeliers. I want fairy lights everywhere. I want people genuinely wondering if they accidentally walked into Disneyland."

Daniela nodded with exaggerated, solemn seriousness. "So... subtle."

"Exactly."

Daniela shook her head, a tender smile gracing her lips. "I think I'd want something more like this." She gestured toward the rolling hills stretching endlessly beneath the bright moon. "The mountains. The open air. A lot of trees."

Sophia looked around them, taking in the serene, quiet beauty of the peaks. "...This is nice."

"It is."

"I wouldn't mind this at all," Sophia murmured.

Daniela's smile softened, her voice dropping to a gentle whisper. "I figured you wouldn't."

A comfortable, heavy silence settled between them before Sophia spoke again, a mischievous glint returning to her eyes. "Guest list?"

Daniela groaned immediately, dropping her head. "Don't make me think about that."

"I'm absolutely making you think about that. Come on."

"Family. Close friends."

"KATSEYE," Sophia added.

"Obviously." Sophia began counting them off on her fingers. "Megan."

"Definitely maid of honor material."

"Lara?"

Daniela smiled instantly. "Wedding coordinator."

Sophia laughed. "Without even asking her?"

"Especially without asking her."

"She'd somehow end up taking over and doing it anyway."

"Exactly."

"What about Yoonchae?"

Daniela didn't even need a second to process. "Flower girl."

Sophia stared at her, deadpan. "...She's literally taller than both of us."

"I know. I'm still making her throw petals."

Sophia laughed so hard she instinctively reached out and grabbed Daniela's arm for support. "She would absolutely refuse!"

"No," Daniela grinned, leaning into the touch. "She'd sigh dramatically..." She folded her arms over her chest, lowering her voice into a terrifyingly accurate imitation. "...'Fine.'"

Sophia nearly doubled over. "That's literally her!"

"And then she'd throw exactly three petals," Daniela continued.

"With the exact same expression she uses during long interviews."

"Completely deadpan."

"'This fulfills my contractual obligations,'" Sophia supplied. She laughed until tiny tears pricked the corners of her eyes. "I hate how accurate that is."

Daniela smiled, her gaze warm. "I know her."

Sophia shook her head, still giggling as she leaned back against the stone. "...Okay. What about Manon?"

Daniela smiled immediately. "Oh. She'd catch the bouquet."

Sophia blinked. "...She's not even single."

"I know."

"Then why?"

"Because she'd somehow end up with it anyway."

"...How?"

Daniela shrugged.

"Aura."

Sophia laughed, picturing it. "...Yeah. Actually, you're so right. She'd be standing nowhere near the crowd, minding her own business..."

"And it'd still just land perfectly in her hands."

"She'd look around like..." Sophia shrugged with perfect, effortless innocence. "'I literally wasn't even trying.'"

Daniela laughed loudly. "And everyone would accuse her of cheating."

"She'd deny everything with the most guilty smile imaginable."

They both laughed, the sound echoing softly against the mountain air. Then, Sophia tilted her head, her gaze dropping to Daniela's dress. "What about your gown?"

Daniela didn't answer right away. She looked down at herself, absentmindedly smoothing an invisible wrinkle from the fabric of her formal dress. "I've always liked a fit-and-flare silhouette. Nothing too huge. Elegant. I still want to be able to breathe and move."

Sophia smiled, the moonlight catching the deep pools of her eyes.

"I think you'd look beautiful."

Daniela stopped.

Sophia looked up, her breath catching in her throat.

Daniela smiled, a soft, vulnerable expression that made it look as if she’d completely forgotten to guard herself against the quiet intimacy of the night.

"In anything."

Silence fell over the terrace, sudden and thick. Sophia stared at her for a beat longer than she should have, the words hanging heavily in the space between them.

"...Even a paper bag?" Daniela asked, her voice smaller now, a fragile attempt to pull them back to safety.

But Sophia didn't laugh immediately. She just kept her eyes locked on Daniela's, intense and entirely unguarded.

"I mean it."

The words slipped out before Sophia could think to filter them. For a suspended heartbeat, neither of them moved, the gravity of the compliment pulling them closer.

Sophia ducked her head, a sudden, bright warmth blooming across her cheeks. "What about you?" Daniela asked gently, saving her.

Sophia's eyes immediately lit up again. "Oh. I want a dress that looks like it walked straight out of a Disney movie." 

Daniela laughed softly. "I knew it."

"I want layers upon layers. I want sparkle. I want the skirt so big that people literally have to move out of the way when I walk past."

Daniela nodded solemnly, a teasing smirk on her lips. "So... absolutely impossible to dance in."

"I'll figure it out."

"You'll trip, Soph."

"I'll trip beautifully."

Daniela smiled.

It was one of those smiles that happened before she could stop it—small, helpless, impossibly fond.

"...You absolutely would."

Daniela could see it so clearly.

She could picture Sophia laughing beneath the soaring arches of a cathedral, pink and purple carnations spilling over rows of white wooden pews, the train of an impossibly extravagant gown trailing behind her like something borrowed from a fairy tale. Above them, sunlight streamed through stained-glass windows, scattering soft colors across Sophia's veil as though the light itself had decided she deserved to wear it.

Somehow...

It suited her perfectly.

The conversation drifted, as naturally as breathing, toward honeymoons.

"Paris," Sophia declared, resting her chin in her hands with a dreamy sigh.

"Italy," Daniela countered immediately.

"Paris, Dani. Think of the lights, the cafes, the fashion."

"Italy has the pasta, Soph. And the wine. And Rome."

"Paris has the Eiffel Tower."

"Florence."

"Art museums."

"Gelato."

Sophia narrowed her eyes in deep suspicion. "...That's cheating."

Daniela grinned victoriously, leaning back against the counter. "Carbs are never cheating. They're a counterpoint."

Sophia gasped, her expression turning utterly scandalized. "...That's actually a very strong argument."

Daniela laughed, a rich, satisfied sound. "I knew it."

"Fine." Sophia sighed dramatically, tossing her head back with a reluctant smile. "Italy has officially entered the competition."

They continued debating as though they genuinely needed to settle it right then and there. One destination became two, then three. They argued over beaches and mountains, historic museums and hiking trails, sunrise walks and late-night street food, entirely blind to the shift taking place between them. Somewhere along the way, every sentence had quietly stopped being about my honeymoon.

It became:

We should go there.

You'd love that place.

We'd have to see this.

Neither of them noticed.

Or perhaps...

Neither of them wanted to.

The conversation wandered again, drifting down a path that was somewhere even more dangerous.

"I've always wanted to be a mom."

Sophia spoke so quietly the words nearly disappeared entirely into the wind.

Daniela looked at her immediately.

Something warm settled quietly in her chest.

"Me too."

Sophia turned, her eyes widening slightly in surprise. "Really?"

Daniela nodded, a gentle smile touching her lips. "Two." She thought for another second, her gaze tracking the silver moonlight on the leaves. "...Maybe three."

"Why three?"

Daniela rested her forearms against the cool stone railing, watching the distant hills disappear into the blackness beyond the estate gardens. "I'm an only child. I love my parents, but... it gets quiet." The admission hung heavily between them. "Really quiet."

She laughed softly, though there wasn't much real humor behind it. "I don't want my kids growing up like that. I want them to have someone to annoy."

Sophia’s expression softened into an amused smile. "That's incredibly specific."

Daniela smiled back, bumping her shoulder lightly. "It's important. Someone to fight with."

"Exactly."

"Someone to steal fries from."

"Obviously."

"Someone to blame when they inevitably break a vase."

Daniela laughed, the tightness in her chest easing. "See? You're getting it."

Sophia watched her for another moment, the playfulness fading into something deeply reverent. "They'd be lucky."

Daniela frowned. "Who?"

Sophia smiled. "Your kids."

Daniela looked away almost immediately, suddenly fascinated by the string of fairy lights illuminating the party below to hide the sudden heat in her face. "...They're not even real yet, Soph."

"I know," Sophia murmured.

She stepped just a fraction closer, closing the last sliver of air between them until their arms rested fully against each other, quietly sharing warmth against the growing midnight chill.

"But they'll be lucky anyway." A small smile tugged at her lips. "You'd love them with everything you have." She glanced sideways at Daniela, her gaze holding a rare, heavy reverence. "I don't think you'd know how not to."

Daniela tried very hard to steady her breathing, her pulse hammering against her ribs.

Then Sophia smiled to herself, breaking the weight of the moment just enough. "You'd probably spoil them completely rotten."

Daniela let out a breathless laugh under her breath. "I would," she admitted, her shoulder anchored against Sophia's. "Guilty."

Sophia's smile lingered, but it slowly softened into something much quieter, a vulnerability creeping back into her expression.

"...And when one of them inevitably feels left out..." she said, her voice turning impossibly gentle. "...especially the middle one..."

Daniela looked at her. The shift was immediate. The playfulness was entirely gone.

Sophia's eyes had drifted somewhere far beyond the silhouette of the mountains, far beyond the string of fairy lights below, fixing on a place only she could see. She smiled, but it was a fragile, guarded thing.

"I know what that's like."

A quiet breeze stirred the loose strands of her hair.

"Don't get me wrong," she continued softly, her voice dipping to a raw, hushed register. "My family loves us. They really do. Sometimes it even feels like they love bomb us, like it's too much. But... there are circumstances." Her fingers tightened almost imperceptibly around the cold stone railing. "Sometimes you can't help wondering if you're... enough."

The heavy confession settled gently between them, hanging in the midnight air. She never explicitly mentioned being the middle child. She never detailed the crushing weight of expectations. She never had to.

Daniela understood immediately.

Before she could think herself out of it, before fear could catch up to her courage, she reached over. Her hand came to rest gently atop Sophia's where it gripped the balustrade. Warm. Steady. Certain.

Sophia looked down. Daniela's fingers lay softly across hers—the black lace of her sleeve resting against the deep wine-red satin of Sophia's gown. Daniela's thumb gave the back of her hand a small, comforting squeeze.

"I'd never let them feel that way," Daniela said quietly. There wasn't a single trace of hesitation in her voice. "Not one of them."

She looked at Sophia then, with a fierce certainty that almost frightened herself.

"They'd never have to wonder if they were loved."

Sophia looked back up at her. Something impossibly warm settled between them—not spoken, not acknowledged, but quietly, unmistakably there.

The wind swept across the open terrace, cool enough that both of them shivered. Their hands slipped apart naturally as Sophia adjusted her grip on the railing, but neither of them commented on it, and neither of them made any effort to put the space back between them. They simply remained attached at the shoulder.

After a long moment, Daniela let out a slow breath, the tension finally easing from her shoulders.

"So..." she said, a faint, teasing smile returning to her lips. "If we're apparently planning our entire futures tonight..."

Sophia laughed, the lingering heaviness lifting just enough. "We kind of are."

"...What kind of house would you want?"

Sophia blinked, momentarily derailed. "Oh." She laughed again, her eyes brightening. "Now that's a dangerous question."

"It is?"

"I've been designing mine in my head since I was twelve, Soph."

Sophia nudged her shoulder playfully. "I should've known."

Daniela looked out toward the dark hills rolling endlessly beneath the stars, picturing a blueprint only she could see. "Nothing ridiculously huge," she said. "No mansion."

Sophia raised an eyebrow. "Really? The great Daniela Avanzini doesn't want a palace?"

Daniela snorted. "Nah."

"Why not?"

"I'd get lost. I'd end up having to call one of my kids on the phone because I couldn't find the kitchen."

"You'd have to install a family GPS system."

Daniela laughed, a rich, happy sound. "Honestly? I probably would."

Sophia's laugh echoed softly across the quiet terrace. Daniela smiled to herself before continuing, her gaze fixing on the dark landscape.

"I'd want lots of windows. Floor-to-ceiling ones, so the house always feels bright." Daniela leaned a little farther over the stone balustrade, looking out across the moonlit hills. "I like sunlight." She smiled to herself, her expression turning incredibly peaceful. "And plants. So many plants."

Sophia slowly turned to face her, her features twisting into an expression of theatrical disbelief. "You?"

"What?"

"Dani," Sophia said, trying very hard to keep a straight face. "You literally forgot to water the single cactus we had in the apartment."

Daniela gasped dramatically, her hand flying to her chest. "I watered him!"

Sophia raised an eyebrow, entirely unimpressed. "...Eventually."

"He survived, didn't he?"

"Barely. That cactus had a stronger survival instinct than most people."

Daniela nudged her shoulder, trying—and failing miserably—to look genuinely offended. "Rude."

Sophia's expression suddenly softened into something unbearably gentle, her gaze dropping to Daniela's hands. "I'll water them."

Daniela looked at her. Whatever playful comeback she had prepared died somewhere between her heart and her mouth. The sheer, casual sincerity of the offer hung heavily in the cool night air.

"...Deal," Daniela whispered.

The word escaped so naturally, so effortlessly, that neither of them seemed to fully realize the massive domestic promise they’d just made to each other. Sophia looked away first, a sudden, beautiful warmth blooming across her cheeks as she cleared her throat to find her voice.

"I'd want a cozy house," she murmured, her eyes tracing the silver crescent moon. "Not fancy. Just... lived in."

Daniela rested her chin on her folded arms, entirely captivated, listening.

"Blankets everywhere," Sophia continued softly, a small, fond smile playing on her lips at the picture forming in her head. "Books. A giant couch—the kind everyone accidentally falls asleep on after a long movie night."

Daniela smiled, her voice a low murmur. "I can already picture it."

"And a fireplace." Sophia's eyes brightened. "I don't even care if we barely use it. I just want somewhere to sit on the floor with hot chocolate while it's pouring rain outside."

Daniela laughed quietly, charmed by the sheer vividness of it. "You've really thought about this."

Sophia scratched the back of her neck, a bit bashful. "A little."

Daniela gave her a knowing, pointed look.

"...Okay," Sophia admitted, her smile widening. "A lot."

Daniela's smile only deepened, her eyes crinkling. "What about the kitchen?"

Sophia answered so quickly it almost overlapped with the question. "Big."

"That was fast."

"It has to be." Sophia spread her hands out in front of her as though unveiling actual architectural blueprints. "A massive island right in the middle. Lots of counter space. Everyone should be able to cook together."

Daniela tilted her head, a teasing glint in her eyes. "You cook?"

Sophia looked positively offended, pulling back slightly. "Excuse you."

Daniela laughed, the sound bright against the night air. "I know you cook."

"Good."

"I'm just trying to figure out whether you're actually going to let anyone else use the kitchen."

Sophia narrowed her eyes, calculating. "...Depends."

"On?"

"Whether they're making a total mess."

Daniela burst into a rich, breathless laugh. "There it is."

"What?"

"Control freak."

"I'm not a control freak!"

"Sophia."

"...I'm an efficiency enthusiast."

"That's literally the same thing."

Sophia grinned shamelessly, leaning back against the railing. "Agree to disagree."

Daniela shook her head, her laughter tapering into a fond, lingering sigh. "Hey. I know how to cook too, you know."

Sophia raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "I know."

"I'm serious."

"And I'm agreeing with you."

Daniela shifted, looking almost genuinely offended. "You don't sound very convinced."

Sophia laughed softly. "I'm just waiting for the part where you admit you don't actually want to cook every single day."

Daniela sighed dramatically, throwing her hands up in defeat. "...Fine."

"There it is."

"I like cooking," Daniela defended.

"Mhm."

"I just don't want to be solely responsible for dinner every single night."

Sophia’s expression softened, her gaze turning incredibly warm. "Good."

Daniela blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Why?"

Sophia bumped her shoulder gently against Daniela's. "Because I'd help."

Daniela looked at her for a long moment, her throat suddenly tight. "...Okay," she whispered.

Another comfortable, heavy silence drifted between them. It was the rare kind of quiet born from imagining a shared future so vividly that it almost felt tangible under their fingertips.

"What about a backyard?" Sophia asked softly, her silk cloth brushing lightly against Daniela's arm.

Daniela nodded immediately, the image forming easily in her mind. "Definitely."

"A garden?"

"Mhm."

"And somewhere the kids can run around."

Sophia smiled, her heart doing a happy, quiet ache. "I was thinking the exact same thing."

"A swing," Daniela added, looking up at the stars.

"That’s connected to a treehouse?" Sophia suggested, her eyes brightening.

"Yeah, that!" Daniela turned to her, her face lighting up with childish excitement. "You know I've always wanted a treehouse."

"Me too," Sophia murmured.

Daniela paused, a sudden realization hitting her. "...Wait. Neither of us actually knows how to build a treehouse."

Sophia just smiled, entirely unfazed. "We'll figure it out."

"The backyard's going to feel a little empty until we do," Daniela pointed out, a playful smirk returning to her lips.

"Then we're gonna need a pet," Sophia countered smoothly.

Daniela didn't even hesitate. "Two."

Sophia laughed softly. "You're negotiating already?"

Daniela smirked, casting a sideways glance. "I'm compromising."

"What kind?"

"Golden retrievers."

Sophia stopped, her breath catching as she stared at Daniela. "Copycat. You completely stole my dream dog."

"I said it first!"

Sophia huffed, then paused, a mischievous glint taking over her eyes. "Can we get a capybara?"

Daniela blinked, entirely derailed. "...A what?"

"A capybara."

"A real capybara?"

"They're adorable, Dani."

"They're giant rodents, Soph."

"They make friends with literally every animal."

"They're still rodents."

"They're friend-shaped."

Daniela burst out laughing, shaking her head. "I really don't think that's how official animal classifications work."

Their laughter echoed softly across the empty, moonlit terrace before fading once more into the quiet night.

Neither of them realized it. Neither of them spoke it aloud. But somewhere between promising to water forgotten plants, arguing over dogs, planning treehouses they didn't know how to build, and deciding who would handle the kitchen...

the future they'd been describing no longer sounded like two different stories.

A gentle breeze wandered across the terrace, carrying with it the crisp, sweet scent of roses from the gardens below. Somewhere inside the venue, the music shifted. The upbeat, bass-heavy tracks faded one by one until only the soft, nostalgic crackle of an old record drifted through the open balcony doors. Then came the opening chords of a familiar piano. It was gentle, unhurried, and almost impossibly tender.

Norah Jones. Come Away With Me.

Sophia smiled to herself, her shoulders dropping in instant recognition. "I love this song."

Daniela looked at her, the moonlight reflecting perfectly in her dark eyes. "So do I," she murmured, the words slipping out before she could think to stop them.

The melody drifted onto the terrace, filling the silence they'd left untouched. Daniela simply watched Sophia listening, the faintest smile resting on her lips. The silver light, the cool breeze, the music—it all felt unfairly, dangerously beautiful. It suddenly felt impossible not to ask.

Before she could convince herself it was a terrible idea, Daniela slowly lifted her hand between them, palm up. Her fingers trembled ever so slightly in the open air.

"...Dance with me?"

Sophia looked down at the offered hand. For a heartbeat, she didn't move, and Daniela wondered with a sudden spike of panic if she'd made a massive mistake. Then, Sophia smiled. Softly. Wordlessly. She placed her hand in Daniela's.

Sophia's fingers slipped into hers with an ease that stole the breath from Daniela's lungs.

Daniela hadn't expected it to feel so effortless. Sophia's hand settled into hers as though it had always belonged there.

"So..." Sophia tilted her head, unable to resist teasing even now. "You better hope your future hubby knows how to dance."

Daniela laughed softly, adjusting her footing. "I'm the one who's worried."

"Oh?"

Sophia rested her free hand lightly against Daniela's bare shoulder, her fingertips warm against her skin. "I'd hate for her to spend your entire first dance apologizing because she keeps stepping on your feet."

Sophia almost stopped mid-step.

The word had escaped before she could catch it.

For the briefest moment, Daniela's heart forgot how to beat.

Neither of them acknowledged it.

Instead, Daniela simply smiled, her gaze dropping instinctively to Sophia's lips. "...Then I don't think I'd notice." 

The words escaped in barely more than a whisper.

Neither of them moved.

The music continued as though nothing extraordinary had happened.

Daniela felt the meaning of her own sentence catch up to her a heartbeat too late.

Heat rushed into her cheeks.

"...I swear that made a lot more sense in my head."

Sophia burst into a genuine laugh, the sound bright and breathless enough to rival the stars above. "You are unbelievable."

"I know."

"You've set the bar alarmingly low, Avanzini."

"I've accepted my fate."

Their laughter lingered between them, softening naturally into silence as they began to move. Neither of them quite remembered who had taken the first step. Somehow, the dance found them before either of them figured out how to begin. There was no practiced choreography, no audience, and no applause—just small, careful steps that matched the slow rhythm of the song.

Daniela's hand rested gently against the curve of Sophia's waist, while Sophia's hand remained steady on Daniela's shoulder. With every slow turn, the space between them quietly disappeared until scarcely a breath could fit between them. Neither seemed interested in putting it back. Below them, the reception shimmered like its own little constellation, while beyond it the hills dissolved into moonlit darkness, and the stars watched quietly overhead.

For a while, neither of them trusted themselves to look up. Sophia watched the slow rise and fall of Daniela's breathing instead of meeting her eyes. When she finally looked up, her voice had become quiet and thoughtful. "You know... I don't actually think I'd care if my first dance was perfect. I'd probably miss half the steps anyway."

"So would I," Daniela whispered.

"I'd be too busy looking at..." Sophia stopped herself, the words catching in her throat.

Daniela waited, her heart hammering violently against her ribs. "...Looking at who?"

Sophia's eyes drifted downward for the briefest second before finding Daniela's again, heavy and clear. "...The person in front of me."

Daniela could only look at her.

Somewhere behind them, Norah Jones kept singing.

The music slipped gently around the silence neither of them knew how to break, speaking for them in ways they still couldn't.

Still caught in the weight of Sophia's words, Daniela stepped squarely onto Sophia's foot.

Sophia looked down at their shoes.

Daniela froze, her cheeks burning instantly. "...Well." 

"...That's embarrassing." 

Sophia looked back up, her expression incredibly soft as a small smile broke across her face as though nothing painful had happened. "I don’t mind,"

Daniela let out a nervous, breathless laugh. "You definitely do."

"I definitely don't, Dani," Sophia murmured, her fingers tightening around Daniela's hand just enough to guide her back into the rhythm. "But I guess your future hubby really does have something to worry about." 

They drifted deeper into the music, the world outside the stone terrace shrinking until it was just the slow sway of their bodies and the steady hum of the record. 

Daniela noticed it first—the faintest vibration against her shoulder. Sophia was humming, her voice a low, melodious murmur that blended perfectly with Norah Jones's vocals. It was a private, unhurried sound, meant only for the inches of air between them. 

“And I wanna walk with you on a cloudy day…”

Against Sophia's waist, she felt the gentle pulse of Daniela's thumb counting the music without realizing it.

She smiled to herself.

Of course she was.

As the song slowed, drawing them into a tighter turn, the breeze shifted.

Daniela breathed in almost by accident.

Sophia's perfume smelled different this close.

Lighter than she'd expected. Clean, warm, with something she couldn't quite name. Whatever it was, it was unmistakably Sophia.

Sophia leaned her head back just enough to look at her, but the moment she did, Daniela’s gaze darted toward the mountains. Sophia realized then, with a quiet spark of certainty, that Daniela kept looking away the exact second she caught Sophia staring. It was a silent game of hide-and-seek, fueled by a sudden, shared shyness neither of them knew how to handle.

Then, the rhythm dipped.

They stepped inward at the exact same time, their movements falling completely out of sync for a fraction of a second. The space between them vanished. Their foreheads almost touched, the tips of their noses brushing so lightly it was barely a whisper of contact.

Neither of them pulled away.

The music continued around them, but neither was listening anymore.

They could feel each other's breath now, warm despite the midnight air.

Daniela wasn't sure if it was the cold or her heartbeat that made her hands tremble.

Sophia didn't seem to notice.

Or maybe she did.

Their foreheads hovered only a breath apart beneath the silver light of the moon. 

Their feet tangled for the briefest moment.

Daniela's hand tightened instinctively at Sophia's waist.

Somewhere above them, Orion watched in perfect silence. 

Sophia kept humming softly beneath her breath.

The space between them felt electrified, heavy with a gravity that made it impossible to pull away. Daniela didn't know if she was following the music anymore, or simply following Sophia. She wasn't entirely sure there was a difference. 

The piano notes of the song began to trail off, dissolving into the quiet rustle of the leaves below, but neither of them dropped their hands. Neither of them took a step back.

"Soph..."

Daniela's voice cracked, a fragile sound against the vastness of the night. She swallowed hard, trying to force down the sudden panic clawing at her throat, and tried again.

"Sophia..."

Sophia didn't blink. Her dark eyes were wide, tracking the slight tremble in Daniela's jaw, her breathing shallow and deliberate.

"...I don't think I've been talking about some imaginary future tonight," Daniela's voice barely existed anymore. The words caught somewhere deep in her throat, raw and utterly terrifying now that they were out in the open air.

Sophia didn't answer.

She stayed completely still, her forehead still hovering only millimeters from Daniela's, her expression unreadable beneath the silver wash of the moon.

"...I think I've been talking about you." 

The silence stretched too long. The absolute stillness broke something inside Daniela, and the sudden, overwhelming fear of rejection and panic rushed in to fill the void.

"I'm sorry," Daniela blurted out, her words suddenly tumbling over one another as she tried to pull her hand back. "I'm so sorry, Soph, I shouldn't have said that, I ruined the—"

"Dani."

Sophia interrupted her by simply leaning in.

Because Daniela was still turning her head to apologize, Sophia’s lips missed the center, landing instead as a tiny, tentative kiss right on the corner of Daniela's mouth. It barely lasted a heartbeat—just a soft, quiet touch that effectively cut off Daniela's frantic rambling.

When they separated, it was only by an inch. They both stayed there, blinking rapidly, the sheer, clumsy absurdity of the moment catching up to them.

A breathless, nervous laugh escaped Sophia first, followed quickly by Daniela, both of them giggling softly because neither of them had any idea what had just happened, or how a conversation about Yakult and capybaras had brought them here.

But the laughter didn't last.

As Daniela’s smile began to fade, her eyes dropped back down to Sophia's lips, the lingering warmth on the corner of her mouth still buzzing fiercely. This time, there was no hesitation, no missed angles.

Sophia reached back in.

Her hand slid from Daniela's shoulder to the back of her neck, fingers disappearing gently into her hair as she tilted Daniela's face toward hers.

The second kiss wasn't a question.

It was an answer.

At first it was impossibly gentle, as though they were still learning the shape of each other. Sophia's thumb brushed slowly across Daniela's jaw, and Daniela's breath caught.

Then the hesitation dissolved.

Years of restraint, longing, almosts, and maybes melted into something certain.

It became everything they’d been too afraid to say out loud, a sudden, beautiful release of all the unspoken truths they’d been hiding behind clever pronouns and imaginary blueprints all night.

Daniela let out a soft, shuddering sigh against Sophia’s mouth, a sound of pure surrender. Her arms wrapped tightly around Sophia’s waist, her fingers bunching into the deep wine-red fabric of her gown, until the last trace of space disappeared between them.

Then Daniela leaned back in, trailing a path of quiet, deliberate kisses—first against Sophia's cheek, then down the sharp line of her jaw, before pressing one gentle, lingering kiss to the warm hollow of her neck.

A breathless shiver ran through Sophia. Daniela slid her hand up to cradle Sophia’s cheek, her thumb sweeping over her cheekbone, before bringing her lips back to Sophia's for a soft, deep kiss.

They both sighed into the touch, a simultaneous release of breath as they melted completely into each other.

Every point of contact burned.

The distance between them vanished so completely that the midnight chill disappeared entirely, leaving only the intoxicating warmth of each other, the rush of their shared breath, and the steady, racing beat of their hearts in the quiet dark.

"Shibal!"

Daniela and Sophia ripped themselves apart so fast they nearly tripped over their own heels. Their heads whipped toward the terrace stairs.

Their heads whipped toward the terrace stairs.

Someone was standing there.

Yoonchae.

Mouth hanging open.

Three plastic containers of wedding cake clutched protectively against her chest.

Absolute, blinding panic set in.

Daniela’s brain short-circuited completely. Desperate to explain away why their lips had just been fused together, she blurted out the first thing that stumbled out of her mouth. "I was choking!"

Yoonchae blinked, completely bewildered. "...On what?"

Daniela’s eyes darted around wildly. "...Saliva." 

"No."

"...Air."

Sophia looked at Daniela with the unmistakable expression of someone wondering why, exactly, she had just entrusted her entire hypothetical future to this woman.

"...I swallowed wrong." 

Yoonchae didn't blink.

Then, fully committing to the panic, Daniela spun around, grabbed the cold stone balustrade, and began to violently fake-vomit over the edge of the railing.

"Hrrrk."

Beat.

"...Hrrrk."

Sophia didn't even hesitate—she lunged forward, dramatically patting Daniela's back with frantic, heavy thuds. "She's okay now! She's getting it out! It's okay!"

Yoonchae watched the entire theatrical performance, her expression slowly flattening into a state of total, unbothered deadpan. The silence stretched between them, save for Daniela's incredibly unconvincing dry-heaving against the midnight skyline.

Slowly, Yoonchae looked down at her cake containers, then back up at them.

"You two are terrible liars."

A long, agonizing beat passed. The wind rustled the leaves below, the only sound filling the awkward space.

Yoonchae silently walked over, the plastic containers faintly clicking in her hands. She extended her arms and simply handed the cake over to a thoroughly flushed Sophia.

Another beat.

"The bride's mom said you'd miss dessert," Yoonchae said, her tone entirely even.

Neither Daniela nor Sophia could find their words.

Satisfied with her delivery, Yoonchae turned on her heel and started walking away, her heels clicking softly against the stone floor. Just as she reached the top of the stairs, she stopped.

Without turning around, she let out a small sigh. "...Also..."

A tiny, torturous pause.

"Wipe the lipstick off first."

And with that, she vanished down the stairs, leaving them alone in the quiet dark.

They both stood frozen. The embarrassment lingered for a heartbeat, but as the silence stretched, the tension shifted back into something heavy and still.

Sophia quietly reached up.

Her thumb brushed against Daniela's lips, slowly wiping away the wine-red smudge at the corner of her mouth. Her touch was gentle, deliberate, and entirely unhurried. When she finished, she didn't pull away immediately. She let her hand linger against Daniela's jaw, looking up to meet her eyes with a tiny, knowing smile.

No words were spoken.

Daniela let out a breathless sound and started laughing, the tension breaking completely. Sophia leaned into her, laughing too, their shared warmth erasing the midnight chill as they held onto each other in the dark.

Below them, applause erupted from the reception as another song began.

Neither of them made any move to go back inside.

They simply stood there smiling like complete idiots.

The backseat of the car was dead silent.

Not peaceful.

Not awkward.

The kind of silence that practically vibrated.

Daniela sat pressed against the left-side window, staring so intently into the darkness that anyone would've assumed the passing trees were delivering a life-changing performance.

Across from her, Sophia was practically fused to the opposite window, her chin propped on one hand as she watched the blur of highway lights with equally suspicious concentration.

Trapped directly between them sat Yoonchae.

Perfectly upright.

Knees together.

Hands folded neatly in her lap.

She looked less like a passenger and more like someone serving an involuntary prison sentence.

The only sound inside the car was the steady hum of the tires against the road.

To her left, Daniela's shoulders twitched.

To her right, Sophia's lips betrayed her first, curling into the faintest smile before she quickly bit the inside of her cheek to force it back down.

Yoonchae kept staring straight ahead.

She refused to look at either of them.

She didn't need visual confirmation of what she'd witnessed tonight.

Another minute crawled by.

Silence.

Finally, without turning her head, Yoonchae spoke into the void.

"So..."

Another beat.

"...Are we seriously going to pretend nothing happened?"

Daniela cleared her throat.

It wasn't a real cough.

It sounded more like someone who had suddenly remembered coughing existed.

"Ahem."

Without missing a beat, Sophia leaned forward, peering through the windshield with exaggerated curiosity.

"...Wow."

Daniela blinked, her forehead still practically against the window.

"What?"

"...That traffic light is really green."

Daniela nodded immediately, grateful for the lifeline.

"So green."

"The greenest."

Yoonchae slowly closed her eyes.

Then she let out a long, heavy, world-weary sigh.

No one spoke again.

Five minutes later, Daniela quietly reached into the grocery bag on the floor and took out one of the slices of wedding cake.

She hesitated. "...Can I eat this?"

Yoonchae opened her eyes. "...Yes, when we get home."

Another pause.

"...Just don't choke."

The moment the apartment door unlocked, Daniela fled.

"I'm changing. Goodnight, everyone."

She didn't wait for an answer. Her bedroom door clicked shut barely three seconds later.

Silence settled over the entryway. Yoonchae slowly slipped off her heels. Sophia stood awkwardly beside the shoe rack, still clutching the plastic container of wedding cake as though she'd forgotten it existed.

"...Well," Sophia muttered.

Yoonchae looked at her. "...Yeah."

She watched Daniela's closed bedroom door for another second before letting out a small sigh. "...I can't believe the internet was right."

Sophia blinked. "...About what?"

Yoonchae looked at her with complete seriousness. "They keep calling me Sodani's daughter. Turns out I really am the child caught in the middle of whatever this is."

Sophia stared at her for half a second before an incredulous laugh escaped. "Oh my God."

"I'm being forced to co-parent my own mothers."

Sophia stared at her.

"...That's not how parenting works."

"Neither is kissing your co-parent on a terrace."

Sophia immediately covered her face."...Okay."

"I've spent months denying the allegations," Yoonchae continued, entirely deadpan. "...Now I owe the entire internet an apology."

Sophia burst into laughter, doubling over. "Chae..."

"They figured it out before I did. They're going to say they knew all along."

Sophia covered her face with both hands. "Chae, stop..."

"They absolutely are," Yoonchae sighed with theatrical resignation. "I expect emotional damages. And therapy."

"I don't think I can reimburse you for therapy."

"You can start by paying for dinner."

"I'll buy you dessert."

"You literally already have dessert."

Sophia looked down at the container in her hands. "...Right."

Yoonchae nodded solemnly. "...My moms are hopeless."

Their laughter echoed briefly through the apartment before fading into the familiar quiet. It helped loosen the knot that had followed them home, but it wasn't enough to completely untie it. The silence that remained simply felt... new.

The awkwardness followed them into their shared bedroom. Sophia avoided eye contact as she crossed to her dresser, pulling open a drawer.

Sophia looked toward the hallway. "...I'm going to shower."

"Good idea." "...Why?"

"You still have lipstick on your neck."

Sophia practically escaped into the bathroom. A minute later, the water started running.

Yoonchae sat on the edge of her bed. She stared at the bathroom door. Then up at the ceiling. Then back at the door.

"...Huh."

Twenty minutes later, Sophia emerged with damp hair and an oversized hoodie. She stopped short when she found Yoonchae still awake.

"...You're still up?"

"I've been thinking."

Sophia let out a nervous laugh. "...That's never a good sign."

"It isn't."

A heavy pause settled over the room. Yoonchae looked down at her hands, searching carefully for the right words.

"I wasn't expecting..." She hesitated. "...you."

Sophia's smile faded. "I know."

Another silence.

"I grew up thinking..." Yoonchae admitted quietly, "...that people like us weren't supposed to. My parents never said they hated anyone. They just... never imagined it."

Sophia didn't try to defend herself. She just listened.

Yoonchae rubbed the back of her neck. "I think I'm still trying to catch up."

Sophia nodded. "I understand."

"...But." Yoonchae finally looked up, her eyes clear. "I also know you. I know Dani." A tiny smile touched her lips. "And I've never seen either of you look at anyone the way you look at each other."

Sophia swallowed hard. "...Are you mad?"

Yoonchae looked genuinely confused. "Why would I be?"

"You caught us."

"...Yeah." Yoonchae let out a breathless laugh. "I was shocked. Very shocked. I think my soul left my body."

Sophia covered her face. "I'm sorry."

"...Don't apologize." Yoonchae's smile softened. "I just need a little time. I've spent years thinking of you two as sisters. My brain has to... reorganize some files."

Sophia burst into a relieved laugh. Yoonchae laughed too.

As the tension finally broke, Yoonchae reached over and squeezed Sophia's hand.

"But... I'm happy."

Sophia blinked. "You are?"

"I am." Yoonchae smiled softly. "I've seen you happy before. After debut. After our first music show. After our first win." Her smile grew just a little. "...But I've never seen you look at someone the way you looked at Dani tonight."

Sophia's eyes immediately filled with tears.

"So," Yoonchae murmured steadily. "...don't make her cry."

Sophia laughed through her tears, squeezing Yoonchae's hand back. "I won't."

Yoonchae smiled. "Good."

A beat.

"...Because if you do, I'm taking her side."

Sophia gasped, pulling her hand back in a flash of playful offense. "Wow. I literally practically raised you in this dorm, and you’re turning on me already?"

Yoonchae didn't even blink, her expression turning utterly serene. "Dani gives me her extra snacks. You make me do the dishes."

"I am teaching you life skills!" Sophia protested, gesturing dramatically. "I am the mother here!"

"Exactly," Yoonchae said, pulling her blanket up to her chin with a smug little nod. "And daughters always side with the fun parent. Goodnight, unnie."

Sophia couldn't sleep.

The bedroom was quiet, the silence broken only by the slow, steady rhythm of Yoonchae's breathing. Across the room, Yoonchae was already fast asleep, one arm flung dramatically across the mattress, half the blanket stolen with it.

Sophia lay on her back, staring up at the dark ceiling. Sleep refused to come. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Daniela. Her smile. Her laugh. The quiet, breathless way she'd whispered, "...Dance with me?"

And then—their first kiss.

Sophia immediately buried her face into her pillow, a flush of heat creeping up her neck. "...Oh my God," she muffled into the fabric, a helpless smile stretching across her face.

Then everything else came rushing back. The church. The carnations. The treehouse. The golden retrievers. The kitchen. The Yakult. The ridiculous little future they'd built together beneath the stars. Her smile somehow became even bigger.

Grrrrrrr.

Sophia blinked into the darkness, pressing a hand to her stomach. "...Seriously?"

Giving up on sleep, she slipped out of bed. Barefoot and silent, she tiptoed out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. The apartment was completely dark except for the pale green glow of the microwave clock. 

She quietly pulled open the refrigerator door. The yellow internal bulb flared to life, illuminating the shelves. And there it was, sitting right in the middle: the wedding cake.

Sophia smiled like she’d just discovered buried treasure. "...Jackpot."

Right next to it stood a familiar pack of little plastic bottles. Yakult. "Perfect."

The apartment still held onto the warmth of the summer night, so instead of closing the fridge, Sophia just left the door wide open, letting the cool draft wash over her bare legs. She knew if her mom or dad saw her doing this, they’d lecture her about the electric bill, but at this point, she didn't care. She grabbed a fork, shook the Yakult, peeled off the foil lip, and took a bite of the cake straight from the container.

Closing her eyes, she let out a soft mumble. “Damn, this is good.”

As she ate, her gaze drifted toward the kitchen window. Beyond the glass, the sky stretched endlessly over the sleeping city. Almost without thinking, she searched for the familiar pattern.

There. Orion. The same constellation they'd laughed about only hours earlier.

Sophia smiled to herself. "...Hi again."

She took another bite of cake, so focused on the frosting that she didn't hear the quiet, pad-pad-pad of footsteps approaching from the hallway.

"Didn't think you'd eat the whole thing without me."

Sophia almost choked on the cake. In fact, she did choke.

"Cough—!"

Sophia spun around so fast she practically inhaled the sponge cake, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.

Daniela rushed forward, her eyes wide with sudden panic. "Whoa—hey—" She reached out, frantically patting Sophia's back with a series of heavy thuds. "...Are you actually choking this time?"

Sophia leaned against the counter, coughing a few more times until her airway cleared. She glared at Daniela, her eyes watering. "This is your fault."

"My fault?" Daniela laughed, her hands lingering on Sophia's shoulders.

"You manifested this," Sophia wheezed, wiping her mouth.

"Hey, you're the one who snuck out for midnight cake," Daniela pointed out playfully. She looked past Sophia, her eyebrows raising. "...You left the door open."

"Mhm."

"...On purpose?"

"Mhm."

"You know electricity costs money, right?"

"I'll think about that tomorrow," Sophia murmured, leaning back against the cool edge of the open refrigerator.

Daniela let out a soft laugh. "...Fair."

For a little while, neither of them spoke. The apartment had settled into the peculiar stillness that only existed after midnight. The refrigerator hummed softly behind them. Somewhere outside, a car rolled past before disappearing into the sleeping city.

Daniela reached for a second fork lying in the drying rack and quietly joined Sophia beside the open refrigerator. "...I got hungry too," she admitted.

Sophia shifted the cake container between them without a word. They ate from the same tupperware, passing it back and forth in comfortable silence, occasionally stealing bites before the other could.

It felt strangely domestic.

As though sharing dessert from the same container had always belonged to them.

After another bite, Daniela finally spoke. "...Did Yoonchae interrogate you?"

Sophia laughed through a mouthful of frosting. "You mean after she watched us commit several crimes against believable acting?"

Daniela groaned, covering her face. "...Please don't remind me."

"'I was choking,'" Sophia repeated in an almost perfect imitation.

Daniela pointed her fork accusingly. "I panicked."

"'...On air?'"

"I panicked creatively!"

Sophia dissolved into another fit of laughter. "You fake-vomited, Dani."

"It was all I had!"

"You made dinosaur noises."

"I was improvising!" Sophia laughed so hard she had to steady herself against the refrigerator door. Daniela watched her for a moment, smiling despite herself.

"...Seriously though." Daniela's smile faded into something quieter. "What did she say?"

Sophia's laughter slowly settled. For a second, she simply stared down at the half-finished cake. "She was shocked."

"I figured."

"I think her soul genuinely left her body for about thirty seconds."

Daniela winced. "...Yeah."

Sophia smiled to herself. "But she wasn't angry."

Daniela looked up immediately. "She wasn't?"

Sophia slowly shook her head. "Confused. A little overwhelmed. A lot surprised." Her thumb traced absent circles against the plastic lid. "She told me she grew up thinking people like us... weren't really something she ever imagined."

Daniela listened without interrupting.

"But then she said..." Sophia's smile softened. "...that she'd never seen either of us look at anyone the way we look at each other."

Daniela's chest tightened. "And then?"

Sophia laughed quietly. "Then she threatened me."

Daniela blinked. "...She what?"

"'Don't make Dani cry.'" Daniela couldn't help smiling. "And then she said if I ever hurt you... she's taking your side."

Daniela burst into laughter. "I knew it!"

"I practically raised that kid."

"And yet."

"And yet she sold me out for your snacks."

Daniela nodded proudly. "My investment finally paid off."

Sophia nudged her shoulder. "Traitor."

"Speaking of Chae..." Daniela reached into the pocket of her hoodie and pulled out her phone. "I forgot to show you something."

She unlocked the screen and held it between them.

A video began to play.

The camera bounced with laughter as Yoonchae absolutely dominated the dance floor, abandoning every last ounce of dignity. She was spinning, laughing, and somehow pulling half the wedding guests into an impromptu dance battle while everyone around her cheered.

Sophia burst into laughter almost instantly.

"No way."

"I know," Daniela laughed. "Look at her."

"She's actually eating everyone up."

"Completely."

On-screen, Yoonchae twirled one of the bridesmaids before launching into another move that had the entire reception clapping along.

Sophia was laughing so hard she had to lean against Daniela's shoulder.

"She looks so happy."

"Wait." Daniela tapped the screen, opening another page. "It gets better."

She scrolled down to a flood of posts.

The video had somehow escaped the private wedding reception and found its way onto X.

Millions of views.

Hundreds of thousands of likes.

The hashtag #MaknaeEatsFirst had climbed into the trending topics overnight.

Sophia's eyes widened. "...No."

Daniela nodded solemnly. "Oh yes."

One post read:

"WHO LET YOONCHAE COOK??? 😭 SHE JUST STOLE THE BRIDE'S SPOTLIGHT."

Another simply said:

"Forget the bouquet. I want whatever confidence Yoonchae brought to this wedding."

Sophia snorted.

"Oh my God."

Daniela kept scrolling.

"There are edits already."

"There are edits?"

"There are fancams."

"From a wedding?"

"From a wedding."

Sophia laughed so hard tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. "She's going to be so embarrassed."

Daniela grinned. "...Or incredibly proud."

"I give it until breakfast before Megan sends it to the group chat."

"Lara already has."

Sophia blinked. "...Already?"

Daniela turned the screen toward her again.

There, sitting at the very top of the notifications, was Lara's message.

Lara: EXPLAIN WHY CHAE HAS MORE STAGE PRESENCE AT SOMEONE ELSE'S WEDDING THAN HALF THE INDUSTRY 😭

Sophia dissolved into another fit of laughter. "...Too bad we missed it."

Daniela watched the video loop one more time before smiling fondly. "She probably would've cooked both of us anyway."

"Oh, absolutely."

They replayed the clip once more, laughing just as hard the second time.

Eventually, Daniela locked her phone and slipped it back into her pocket.

The teasing faded naturally into another comfortable silence. This one felt different. Lighter. Like the future had become just a little less frightening.

After a long moment, Daniela looked down at the melting frosting coating the edge of the container.

"...I still can't believe we actually did it."

Sophia looked at her. "Me neither."

"I kept thinking something would stop us. Leon. The wedding. Us."

Sophia nodded slowly. "I know."

Daniela looked down at the little bottle of Yakult in her hand. "I've wanted to kiss you for so long." The confession landed so softly it almost disappeared beneath the refrigerator's quiet hum.

Sophia stared at her. "...Really?"

Daniela laughed under her breath. "I've had to actively avoid looking at your lips for years."

Sophia's ears immediately turned pink. "I thought..." She smiled sheepishly. "...I thought I was the only one doing that."

Daniela looked up. Their eyes met, and the silence between them became wonderfully familiar.

Sophia reached over first this time. She tapped the neck of her Yakult lightly against Daniela's. "Cheers?"

Daniela smiled. "To what?"

Sophia thought about it. "To finally being honest."

Daniela lifted her own bottle. "...And to Yakult."

Sophia laughed. "The true hero of our relationship."

They linked arms without needing to discuss it, crossing them carefully before taking synchronized sips. The familiar sweet, tangy taste made both of them smile.

Daniela lowered her bottle first. "I still can't believe this is how our love story tastes."

Sophia's eyes sparkled. "...Probiotics?"

Daniela laughed. "Probiotics."

Sophia stepped closer. The refrigerator light spilled around them, casting both of them in a pool of soft gold while the rest of the apartment slept in darkness. "...Can I kiss you again?"

Daniela didn't answer with words. She smiled, a soft, helpless expression that reached all the way to her eyes. She set her Yakult bottle carefully on the counter behind her, then closed the last few inches between them.

Their foreheads met first, a quiet, grounding touch that let them both breathe each other in. Their noses brushed, a tiny, playful friction that had them both smiling against each other's skin. Neither of them hesitated.

When Daniela finally tilted her head to press her lips to Sophia’s, the kiss was pure sweetness. It was the slow, unhurried kiss of two people who knew they had all the time in the world. Daniela’s hands came up to rest gently on Sophia’s waist, her thumbs smoothing over the soft cotton of her oversized hoodie, while Sophia’s arms wrapped naturally around Daniela’s neck, pulling her impossibly close.

It felt less like the beginning of something new and more like finding their way back to something they'd somehow always known. They tasted faintly of sweet frosting and tangy Yakult. Every time they pulled back just a fraction to catch their breath, they lingered, their lips brushing in tiny, affectionate nuzzles before deepening the kiss once more. It was a gentle promise made in the dark, accompanied only by soft sighs and the quiet rustle of their clothes. 

This time, there was no panic. No interruption. No pretending to choke.

This time, there was nowhere else they needed to be.

Just two women standing barefoot in a quiet kitchen at two in the morning, sharing wedding cake, Yakult, and another kiss beneath the glow of an open refrigerator.

After they pulled apart, they stayed close, foreheads resting together, neither of them quite ready to let the moment end.

Sophia smiled softly, her heart completely full. "Guess you were right."

Daniela, still catching her breath, murmured, "...I was?" 

Sophia glanced up at the window, toward Orion. "The stars." She looked back at Daniela, her thumb gently tracing her jawline. "They really did lead me to what I was looking for."

Daniela leaned forward, pressing one last lingering kiss against her forehead. 

Outside, the city slept beneath the same stars that had watched them all evening.

Inside, the refrigerator still stood open, the wedding cake sat half-finished on the counter, two empty Yakult bottles rested side by side, and neither of them noticed the time.

Sophia looked toward Orion one last time.

This time, she didn't need to wish on the stars.

She already had what she'd been looking for.