Home Sweet Home

“Don’t worry about it. Nayeon’s friend is really nice. They’re basically sisters.”

Chaeyoung sighed on the phone, a backpack heavy behind her back and a suitcase in her right hand. She was waiting for the bus to go to her new home. “I know. I just hate to intrude, you know?”

“Chaeng, we already told you like a billion times, she’s totally okay with you staying there and she was more than happy to offer a room for you. It’s not your fault the place your dumbass company offered you is shit,” Dahyun said, there was a crinkling sound on her end of the line and an announcement loud in the background. “Okay, they called us for boarding. So just head to the place and introduce yourself. Be nice, okay?”

She scoffed. “When am I never not nice? I’m an angel.”

“Sure and I eat shit for breakfast.”

“I’m telling Nayeon you think her cooking is shit.”

“Don’t you fucking dare!”

Chaeyoung let out a laugh. “I’m kidding!” She looked to the side and saw her bus finally arriving. “Alright, you two enjoy your fucking honeymoon, alright? Have lots of sex and babies.”

“Oh, we will.” Dahyun laughed as well. “Tell Mina we said hi!”

With that they ended their call and Chaeyoung immediately hopped inside the bus. Once she was seated, she took off her bucket hat and wore her headphones on to drown herself in music.

Chaeyoung spent her adult life so far buried into her work. She worked at an international company as a graphics designer and because she did spend most of her adult life drowned in it, they finally gave her a big opportunity to work with their branch in Japan.

Despite it being the best thing that could possibly happen to her, she hesitated due to several factors. She didn’t know how to speak Japanese, she didn’t know anyone from the Japan branch and that it was far from her mother.

But when the company offered to pay for her travel expenses and an allowance to help her settle her in, including a place to stay, she decided to accept it.

Her friends were more than excited for her to go for it, since this was the big break she had been looking for in her career.

Though things turned for the worst when she arrived days ago and found out that the apartment building her company offered was infested with rats and cockroaches. She tried to call her office back in Korea but they said that was the best they could do.

She ended up sleeping in a pod hotel that night, weighing her options again and almost thought about declining the offer and going back to Korea.

But once she told Dahyun, who eventually told her wife, Nayeon, she called up a friend that just so happened to live in the same city where her company was. It didn’t take long for Nayeon to call her back to tell her that the friend agreed to let her stay in her house for the time being.

Of course, Chaeyoung refused at first. She didn’t want to impose on the friend. But Dahyun and Nayeon insisted since it was free and Chaeyoung didn’t really have the time to find another place for her to stay in.

For compensation, her company gave Chaeyoung a month to work from home while she tried to settle in. She thought it was a shitty way to compensate her for almost wasting her time and money but it was good enough. She loved her work too much, it wasn't like she was going to get this kind of opportunity again.

So now, here she was, on a bus going towards the friend's house. She didn’t know much about the host. All she knew was that she was one of Nayeon’s best friends, her name was Mina and that she was currently taking care of her brother’s daughter while he was working abroad.

The bus stopped and Chaeyoung immediately read the street name, when it was the exact same name on the text Nayeon sent her, she grabbed her belongings and hopped out. Hoping that her broken Japanese was enough to say thanks to the driver.

It was a quiet neighborhood, definitely different from the ones she’s used to seeing in Korea. Plus the weather was great and she couldn’t help but breathe in the cold air of early spring.

She read the text again and stopped at the small house that had the exact same details in the instructions. Brown roof with a black metal fence surrounding it. It also helped that it had the name ‘Myoui Residence’ plated next to the gate.

“This is definitely the place,” Chaeyoung mumbled to herself. She shoved her hat and phone in the pocket of her hoodie and rang the doorbell by the gate.

It didn’t take long to hear steps approaching from inside the house and the front door opened, a woman greeted her.

And my god, was she breathtaking.

“Oh! You must be Chaeyoung,” she said with a wide, gummy smile. Chaeyoung felt like she was going to have a massive heart attack with how beautiful this woman’s smile was.

“That’s me,” Chaeyoung managed to say, waving a weak hand at her. She should have taken the time to look more presentable than being visibly compared to a hobo.

The woman walked along the pathway and opened the gate for her. “I’m Mina. Nayeon told me about your situation. I’m really sorry that happened to you.”

Chaeyoung let out an awkward chuckle and rubbed the back of her neck. “Yeah, it’s okay.” She looked at Mina. “I’m sorry for being such a bother. I hope I’m not going to ruin your current living situation.”

Mina waved her hand. “Don’t ever think that way. It’s just me and my niece anyway. We have like two extra bedrooms in this house, so you being here is perfect.”

She offered to take Chaeyoung’s suitcase but the shorter one immediately declined. It was against her principle to let a gorgeous lady like Mina handle anything heavy.

They walked inside the house and Chaeyoung was surprised with how clean this place was. Jeongyeon would have loved living here.

“I’ll show you to your room?” Mina asked shyly and she started heading towards the stairs.

Chaeyoung followed behind her, being extra careful not to drag her suitcase on the steps. Once they reach the room on the left side of the hall, Mina opened it for her.

“Wow.” Chaeyoung breathed out. “It’s like in the anime I watched.”

Mina giggled. “Well, most houses here really do look like the ones in anime. But I assume that you’re okay with how your room looks?”

Chaeyoung turned to smile at Mina. “Yes, thank you so much.” She then placed her bags down and bowed at Mina. “Thank you for letting me stay here.”

“Oh god.” Mina made her stand up. Her cheeks were flushed. “I bet Nayeon and Dahyun told you to do that.”

Her brows knitted. “Well, they told me to show my appreciation when I got here.” She wanted to hear Mina’s laugh again. It was music to her ears.

“What a bunch of dorks.”

“Your Korean is really good, by the way.” Chaeyoung couldn’t help but say, leaning her body on the doorway.

Mina smiled again but avoided Chaeyoung’s gaze. “I used to live in Korea, studied there, then I was a teacher in one of the dance schools in Incheon. But I needed to be back home in Japan. So that’s why I’m here.” She lifted a shoulder close to her chin and it made Chaeyoung’s heart skip a beat.

“Oh okay.” She tried to cough out her nervousness. Then a thought came to her. “Were you at the wedding?”

“I was. And I did see you.”

“You did?” Chaeyoung would have remembered Mina if she did see her. Maybe asked her out and spent a wonderful evening with her after.

Mina let out a sigh. “I wasn’t at the reception though. Stuff happened and I needed to leave as soon as the wedding was over.” She looked at Chaeyoung. “So when Nayeon asked me for help, I immediately said yes.”

“Oh.” Chaeyoung blinked. “Sorry about that then.”

Mina placed her hand on her shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “I didn’t even think twice when I said yes to having you here.”

Chaeyoung felt a twitch inside her pants. She tried her best to calm down under Mina’s touch. “Okay, I’m very grateful for that.”