Chapter Text
Yongsun nearly has a heart attack the first time she sees the picture pop up on her phone screen. No way, she screams internally as she takes a second look. Her fingers move on their own accord and swipe right.
"Oh my god." She squeals once she realizes what she's done and it was followed up by more indistinguishable noises that finally earn Hyejin's attention.
"Unnie, are you okay?"
When Yongsun doesn't offer her any reply and was simply frozen staring at her phone, Hyejin takes it upon herself to see what was going on. She walks over towards the older woman and snatches the object in question.
What she saw was not something she expected at all.
"You're on Tinder?" Hyejin smirks which quickly turns into confusion once she sees a familiar face, "And you matched with...wait, Moonbyul unnie?"
"I know!" Yongsun shrieks, finally snapping out of her initial shock. "I-but-- There's no way right? This has to be fake. Moon Byul-yi-- the Moonbyul wouldn't be on Tinder. There's just no way."
Hyejin frowns and she scrolls through the profile.
"Catfish. This has to be a catfish. A fake! Of course. Moonbyul would never be on a dating app!"
"Unnie..." Although amused, Hyejin can't help but feel genuine concern for her best friend who was now pacing around the room, shaking her head once or twice repeatedly.
She knows Yongsun had it bad for the model for as long as she's known her but she didn't realize it was still this bad. Besides, they hadn't seen the woman since their graduation which was nearly...7 years ago.
"I mean why would she? She's-she's...she's practically perfect. She doesn't need a silly app to find dates or meet people. I bet a lot of people are lining up just to date her. Hah."
"Unnie..."
"Right?" Now her earlier excitement turning into dejection, Yongsun's face sours, "Of course. Who am I kidding? I'm sure she wouldn't waste her time on a stupid app like this."
Then the dejection rapidly turns into anger.
"Ya. How dare they? What the hell? An idiot is pretending to be Byul on a dating app!"
Finally having had enough, Hyejin forcefully pulls the older woman to sit down. "Unnie, calm down. You're freaking out for no reason. Chill. You're giving me a whiplash." She looks back at the phone and scrolls through the profile once more.
The person's bio was filled with overused pick-up lines but it was Moonbyul in the pictures all right. She reaches for her own phone and quickly does her research, going as far as to stalk every social platform the model has.
"What? What do you think? There's no way right? I mean, why? Why would she be on here? It's so weird. Should I tell her some idiot is pretending to be her? I could ask Seulgi for her number. I could call her. Oh wait, she probably changed her number. It's been so long. What-" Yongsun trails off and she gapes, eyes doubling in size once she realizes what Hyejin was doing.
"No what are you-"
Hyejin gives her an evil grin as she holds up her phone to her face and presses send.
Yongsun: Hey
"Yaa! Hyejin-ah!"
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"I'm going to kill you."
Hyejin's smirk widens, too unbothered to care for her unnie's threats.
"I'm going to strangle you then dump your body in the river."
"Uh-huh."
"I'm going to push you out the window-
A loud beep reverberates throughout the room and both Yongsun and Hyejin scramble to reach for the device placed squarely on top of the table. The younger woman was able to snatch it first and quickly opens the notification.
Moonbyul: Hi!!!!
Hyejin snorts and promptly shoves the phone back to a near-total breakdown Yongsun.
"Oh my gosh, Hyejin! What do I do? What do I say? This is all your fault! Aish. Hyejin-ah!" Yongsun whines over and over while the younger woman starts to pack up her stuff.
"Do whatever you want unnie. Talk to whoever that person is. If that's the real Moonbyul unnie then great! If it's not, well, you really have nothing to lose." Hyejin shrugs. "See you at work." She gives her a flying kiss and quickly heads out, leaving Yongsun just staring helplessly at her back.
Yongsun's phone beeps once again and she nearly drops it. She opens it slowly and sees another message from Moonbyul...or fake Moonbyul for that matter.
Moonbyul: Hello!!!
She stares and stares and she really doesn't want to get her hopes up and so she summarizes that attacking this person head-on would be the right way.
Yongsun: Why are you doing this?
Moonbyul: Huh?
Yongsun: Moon Byul-yi, really?
Moonbyul: Yes?
Yongsun: You could've chosen anyone but it really had to be her huh?
Moonbyul: What?
Moonbyul: I'm confused...
Yongsun: A model really?
Moonbyul: Nope, I'm a photographer!
She scoffs because...really? Catfishing people and you couldn't even get the right info?
Yongsun: Yeah whatever. Don't talk to me ever again.
Yongsun: And stop catfishing people! That's not good. Have a little more faith in yourself and be who you are. Okay?
And with that, Yongsun closes the app, puts her phone on silent before tossing it to her nightstand. She goes to her kitchen and fixes herself a light dinner while also preparing her lunch for tomorrow.
She does a few more chores before finally deciding to call it a night. It was when she was near finishing her nightly routine when her mind drifts back to her phone and so she searches for it. Once settled on her bed, she opens her phone with the intent of setting her alarm but was surprised to see several messages from her Tinder match.
Moonbyul: ???
Moonbyul: Wait.
Moonbyul: But what makes you think I'm catfishing you though?
Moonbyul: Hello?
Moonbyul: I was wondering if you could tell me: If you're here, who's running Heaven?
Yongsun frowns because what in the actual hell is this?
Moonbyul: If you were a vegetable, you'd be a 'cute-cumber.'
Yongsun: You're shameless.
Moonbyul: Some said that's one of my best traits. :)
Moonbyul: And hi!!! I was wondering why you stopped replying to my messages. :(
Yongsun: Why would I not stop replying to your messages?
Moonbyul: :(
Moonbyul: But we just started talking. Did I do something wrong?
Yongsun: You're doing it right now!
Moonbyul: I am not a catfish!!
Yongsun: Yeah right
Yongsun: Buzz off.
She tosses her phone back to the nightstand before closing her eyes and forcing herself to sleep.
Stupid fake Moonbyul.
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Moonbyul: If you were a song, you'd be the best track on the album.
Yongsun rolls her eyes and promptly shoves her phone into her bag as she rushes towards her car. She was running late and it was all because of this fake Moonbyul.
Yes, she probably shouldn't have stayed up so late tossing and turning and yes she should have set her alarm but...
Ugh.
"You're late." Hyejin states the obvious as soon as Yongsun enters her office.
"What are you doing here?" Yongsun shoos her away from her chair and hurriedly pulls out her laptop.
"You talked to her didn't you?" Hyejin teases. "So? Is she the real deal or-"
"No. I don't know. " Yongsun interrupts. "She said she's a photographer or whatever. Who knows. I told her to buzz off."
"Ah, but how are you so sure it's not the real Moonbyul? For all you know it could really be her."
"There's no way. Why? What would she need a dating app for?"
Hyejin raises an eyebrow. "To get dates obviously or maybe even just a quick hook-up here and there."
"I may not have known her personally but I feel like this isn't something that she would do."
"Exactly unnie, you don't know her personally so you can't be sure. Honestly, I still question how you developed the biggest, gayest crush on her when all you did was avoid her like she's the plague."
Yongsun feels her face heat up as she's reminded of her pitiful past. All those opportunities she had to talk to Moonbyul wasted just because she was too shy and afraid to approach her. It was truly tragic.
She still regrets it to this day.
"I don't know. She was just really...intimidating."
Hyejin couldn't argue with that because fair enough. Moonbyulyi had been a popular girl during their high school days and Hyejin herself couldn't deny that she had a crush on the woman back then, albeit fleeting.
There was just something about the woman that made her look so approachable and not at the same time. It was, oddly enough, charming.
"Are you going to keep talking to this person then?"
Yongsun shrugs, just typing away at her laptop.
"Maybe you should. Nothing wrong with it. Maybe you could even get some action out of it." Hyejin wiggles her eyebrows and with a shit-eating grin continues to say, "God knows you need it. It's been a while hasn't it?"
"Back to work, Hyejin-ah." Yongsun glares and the younger woman quickly obliges, leaving the room with a playful wave of her hand.
"Later unnie."
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Moonbyul: If you were a taser, you'd be set to 'stun.'
Yongsun rolls her eyes for the nth time that day. She doesn't understand why this fake Moonbyul was still messaging her. And they were all cheesy pick-up lines too.
Admittedly she might have giggled at a few of them but no way it was going to work on her.
Moonbyul: Sorry. You're really pretty. And familiar.
Moonbyul: I'm not stalking you I swear!! I might have searched you online?
Moonbyul: Okay that sounds totally creepy. :( But I saw you went to Balg-eun Girl's high?
Moonbyul: I went there too! Small world eh?
Yongsun freezes once she reads the last message and she finally types out a response.
Yongsun: While I do find it a bit creepy you searched me online, yes I went to that school. Are you from Seoul?
Moonbyul: No, Bucheon actually but we moved to Seoul when my father got transferred.
Yongsun: I see.
Moonbyul: Are you working now?
Yongsun: Why do you keep messaging me?
Yongsun knows she should just ignore this person or better yet just delete the whole app in general but she did just pay for a premium account.
She was going to get her money's worth, fake Moonbyul be damned.
Moonbyul: You're interesting.
Yongsun: I'm interesting?
Moonbyul: Yep. And very pretty.
Moonbyul: Pretty women are my weakness.
Yongsun: You're a greaseball.
Moonbyul: Thanks!
Yongsun: That wasn't a compliment??
Moonbyul: Hey Yongsun!
Yongsun: Yes?
Moonbyul: If you were a fruit, you'd be a 'fine-apple.'
Yongsun actually facepalms and once again puts her phone on silent before tossing it back to her bag.
Stupid fake Moonbyul.
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It was later at home when she remembers her phone and wasn't at all surprised to find new messages on the app.
Moonbyul: Are you a parking ticket? 'Cause you've got 'fine' written all over you.
Yongsun: You never run out do you?
Moonbyul: Nope! Plenty more where they came from. Are you still working?
Yongsun: No. I'm at home now actually.
Moonbyul: Awesome. I'm assuming you're from Seoul as well. Now apart from being cute, what do you do for work?
Yongsun hesitates for a minute and contemplates well about what she's about to do. She remembers Hyejin's words and thinks that maybe her best friend is right. She has nothing to lose anyway.
Yongsun: I work for an entertainment agency. You?
Moonbyul: Ohhhh. Interesting. As I said, I'm a photographer. I'm actually at Busan right now, wrapping up a few shoots :D
Yongsun: Ah. That's nice.
Yongsun: So can I at least know your real name?
Moonbyul: ????
Moonbyul: Wait.
Moonbyul: Are you seriously thinking I'm still catfishing you?
Yongsun rolls her eyes and thinks maybe talking to this weirdo wasn't the right call after all.
Moonbyul: Like why? Why would I waste my time pretending to be someone on a dating app?
Yongsun: Exactly. Why would you do that?
Moonbyul: :l
Moonbyul: And I'm supposed to be catfishing who? Moonbyul???
Moonbyul: What's so special about Moonbyul??????
She scoffs at the audacity of this person.
Yongsun: FYI, Moon Byul-yi is a local celebrity out here.
Moonbyul: Since when???
Yongsun: Duh. Shameless. You are shameless.
Moonbyul: But what if I really am the Moon Byul-yi tho?
Yongsun: Impossible.
Moonbyul: ?????????????????????????????????????
Yongsun: Because someone like Moon Byul-yi would never be on a dating app. She's gorgeous, kind, and caring. People flock to her naturally. She wouldn't need an app such as this to get dates.
Yongsun: And she sure as hell wouldn't be spamming someone with pick-up lines.
Moonbyul: ...
Moonbyul: You must really like her a lot huh?
Yongsun: She is a wonderful person.
Moonbyul: How do you know? You met her personally?
Yongsun: Well, technically no...
Yongsun: And wait I don't have to explain anything to you
Yongsun: Just stop tricking people. That's not cool at all.
Yongsun makes sure her messages are sent before closing the app and putting her phone away.
She wonders if Tinder issues refunds.
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