Work Text:
The thing about Jiwoo was that she genuinely didn't realize she was clingy.
Everyone else did.
The members did.
The staff did.
The fans definitely did.
Jiwoo, meanwhile, remained completely oblivious.
Case in point:
"Where's Yoona?"
Haewon checked the time.
It was 9:02 a.m.
Yoona had been gone for approximately four minutes.
"Bathroom."
"Oh."
Jiwoo nodded.
Then immediately resumed waiting by the door.
Haewon stared.
"Jiwoo."
"What?"
"You know she'll come back, right?"
"Obviously."
"Then why are you standing there?"
Jiwoo blinked.
"...I don't know."
The bathroom door opened.
Yoona stepped out.
Instantly, Jiwoo brightened. Likesomeone had turned the sun back on.
"Oh, there you are!”
Yoona smiled.
"There I am."
And just like that, Jiwoo followed her back into the room like a duckling.
A very determined duckling.
Haewon, exasperated, put her head in her hands.
—
The thing was, Jiwoo wasn't trying to be clingy.
She simply liked being near Yoona.
As near as physically possible, preferably.
If there was a couch, she'd somehow end up pressed against Yoona's side.
If there was a group photo, she'd materialize beside her.
If there was free time, she'd spend it in whatever room Yoona happened to be occupying.
It wasn't intentional.
It was instinct.
Like breathing.
Like gravity.
Unfortunately, Jiwoo’s gravity had a name and a beautiful smile.
—
"Jiwoo."
Jiwoo hummed.
"You're holding my sleeve."
Jiwoo looked down.
Sure enough, her hand was wrapped around the cuff of Yoona's hoodie.
"Oh."
Neither moved.
"You've been holding it for ten minutes."
"Oh."
"You can let go."
Jiwoo considered this.
Then tightened her grip slightly.
"No, thanks.”
Yoona laughed.
A bright, beautiful, helpless laugh.
"Okay."
Across the room, Bae looked physically ill.
"Please get married already."
—
The members started making a game out of it.
Not because they were mean, but because the whole ordeal had a ridiculous hilariousness to it.
"Jiwoo."
"Yeah?"
"Where's Yoona?"
Jiwoo pointed without looking up from her phone.
"Behind me."
Everyone turned.
Yoona was indeed directly behind her.
Haewon narrowed her eyes.
"How did you know?"
Jiwoo looked confused.
"I can hear her."
The room exploded.
"No you cannot."
"I can."
"No."
"Yes."
"That's insane."
Jiwoo gestured behind her again.
"Now she's drinking water."
A pause.
"She is drinking water."
The room somehow got louder.
Yoona was trying and failing not to laugh.
—
One evening after practice, the members ended up scattered throughout the dorm.
Some were cooking.
Others were eating.
Kyujin was pretending to clean up.
Jiwoo was lying across the couch.
Yoona sat beside her reading. It was peaceful, quiet. Normal, for them.
At least, until Jiwoo rolled over and rested her head directly in Yoona's lap like a cat.
Yoona glanced down, positively beaming.
"Comfortable?"
"Very."
"Good."
She returned to her reading as if nothing had happened.
Five minutes later, Jiwoo reached up.
Grabbed Yoona's hand.
Placed it in her hair.
Then closed her eyes expectantly.
Yoona stared.
Then laughed.
"You didn't even ask."
"You know what I want."
"I do."
Yoona started running her fingers through Jiwoo's hair.
Immediately, Jiwoo melted.
Completely.
Gone.
Utterly destroyed.
Bae walked through the living room, saw it was occupied, and turned around.
Then walked backward to make sure she'd actually seen what she thought she'd seen.
"Oh my god."
Neither reacted.
"You two are ridiculous."
Still nothing.
"Are you even listening?"
"No," Jiwoo answered.
Which was somehow worse.
—
The funny thing was that everyone assumed Yoona merely tolerated it.
That she humored Jiwoo.
That she was endlessly patient.
Which wasn't entirely wrong.
But it missed the bigger picture.
The truth was, Yoona loved it.
Every second of it.
Loved the way Jiwoo instinctively reached for her.
Loved the way she searched for her in crowded rooms.
Loved the way she always scooted closer.
Loved the way she never pretended not to need affection.
Because Yoona knew something Jiwoo didn't.
The days Jiwoo was busy, distracted. The days Jiwoo forgot to cling…
Those were the days Yoona missed it.
Terribly.
—
The realization hit Jiwoo by accident, as most important realizations did.
The group had spent the entire day filming separately.
Different schedules.
Different teams.
Different locations.
By the time everyone returned to the dorm, it was late.
Jiwoo immediately spotted Yoona in the kitchen.
Without thinking, walked straight over, like always.
Only this time, Yoona got there first.
The moment Jiwoo entered the room, Yoona crossed the distance between them.
She wrapped both arms around her waist and buried her face in Jiwoo's shoulder.
Jiwoo froze.
"Uh."
Yoona just squeezed tighter.
"Hi."
"Hi?"
"You were gone all day."
The words came out suspiciously pouty.
Jiwoo blinked.
Then blinked again.
"Did you miss me?"
Yoona immediately hid her face.
Which was answer enough.
"Oh."
Oh.
A smile started spreading across Jiwoo's face.
"Oh."
"Don't."
"You missed me."
"Stop."
"You missed me."
"Jiwoo."
"You were clingy."
Yoona groaned.
The tips of her ears turned pink.
Jiwoo felt like she'd unlocked a very important secret level.
"You like it."
"What?"
"The clinginess."
"No."
"Yoona."
"No."
"Yoona." Softer this time.
A pause. Yoona looked her in the eyes.
"A little."
Jiwoo gasped.
"A little?"
"Maybe more than a little."
Jiwoo looked delighted.
Absolutely delighted.
Instead, Yoona found herself smiling too.
Because there it was.
That expression.
The one she loved most.
Bright.
Happy.
Entirely hers.
"Come here."
Jiwoo immediately obeyed.
No hesitation whatsoever.
Wrapping herself around Yoona like she'd been personally invited.
Which, to be fair, she had.
Yoona laughed and kissed her cheek.
Then began to pepper her face with kisses.
Jiwoo made the happiest noise she'd ever heard.
"There she is."
"There who is?"
"My clingy Jiwoo."
Jiwoo beamed.
Somehow she managed to scoot even closer.
A physical impossibility, yet there she was defying science.
For a moment, Yoona simply looked at her. Her bright smile, her trusting eyes.
The way she never hesitated to show affection.
Then she leaned forward and kissed her properly.
Soft.
Warm.
Lingering.
When they pulled apart, Jiwoo immediately chased after another kiss.
Yoona laughed.
"See?"
"What?"
"Clingy."
Jiwoo smiled.
Completely unapologetic.
"Only for you."
And honestly? That was exactly how Yoona liked it.