As the gun shots resounded loudly into the atmosphere, silence followed.

The plan worked exactly the way Kang Seungyoon had wanted. Within a blink of an eye, the entire port was surrounded by police officers who came out of their hiding spots, immediately immobilizing Kai's bodyguards while the boss himself, laid dead in a pool of blood. Chorong and Naeun covered the eyes of their children as they took them into the police cars that were on stand-by, making sure the kids were safe.

"Do you think this is the true end of everything?" asked Eunji as she sighed, looking at Kai's body laying helplessly on the ground. It was a horrid sight but for some reason, she was used to it.

"Hopefully we can finally live in peace. But I don't think life works that way, right?" asked Bomi as she looked at her friend with smile, before proceeding to high-five.

"You acted pretty well there Bom-ah. Ever thought of considering to become an actress?" Eunji asked with a joke.

"Well my emotions were real. I'm still mad that my daughter got involved in this mess."

"I apologize on behalf of my children."

"It's okay, they're cute. Apology accepted." said Bomi, laughing it off cooly.

"Well done girls." said a familiar voice from behind. It was Kang Seungyoon, the mastermind behind the whole plan and also the current CEO of Son Corporations. The girls bowed upon his appearance. Certainly, this incident has gained them respect for him. If it wasn't for his powerful connections and experiences as an undercover cop, none of this would've been possible. "I'll take care of the rest. Go home and have a warm shower and sleep well. I'll need you guys to cover for the testominals tommorow though."

"Thank you Seungyoon-ah! You're awesome!" smiled Eunji widely, hitting her friend's shoulder comfortably.

"Say, I can call you again if I get into trouble right?" Bomi asked jokingly.

"Well....I guess so..." laughed Seungyoon nervously as the two girls laughed off the joke.

At least, it was over. For now. Hopefully, this is the end of Lee Corporations and the girls would no longer have to face any more trouble in life.

"Now then, I'll have to take care of something more important. My kids are going to have a good hearing from me." sighed Eunji.

"I'm going to give Eunha a very good earful. Hopefully this will teach her a good lesson to not trust strangers." said Bomi as the 93-liner mothers glanced at the police car where their wives and children were.

The ride back home was quiet, without any questions. As they reached their apartment building and entered the living room, both Haneul and Haeun wanted to avoid any questions as they tried to sneakily go into their bedrooms.

"Stop right there." said Eunji with a sigh as the two children froze in their steps.

Haneul kept silent. He was scared, knowing fully well that it was his plan to run away from home. He felt guilty for dragging everyone into the mess, that even involved the police. Haeun on the other hand, was completely innocent as she just followed her brother. The girl could feel the tense atmosphere and decided to spill everything out.

"Haneul said we were going to run away from home." confessed Haeun to which Haneul glared at his sister. Mouthing the words "Shut up", clearly this was not the situation he wanted. 

"Haneul, you-" Before Eunji was about to extend her hand to hit her son, Naeun stepped in between, grabbing onto her wife's arm. Taking a quick glance at her, she shook her head. This wasn't the way to scold Haneul.

"Haneul-ah, why did you want to run away from home?" asked Naeun calmly as she bent down to maintain eye-level with him as she held his hands. "It's okay, mom won't hit you. I just want to know why."

"I don't like being at home.....because mom always hits me and scolds me....." mumbled Haneul avoiding eye contact with his two moms. "I hate being at school too. All the kids make fun of us, they make fun of me, they make fun of Eunha, they make fun of Haeun! It's so unfair! So what if I don't have a father?! I have two moms and I'm proud of that! I just don't understand!" said the boy, slowly bursting into tears as the frustrations he held inside, exploded. "Is it a sin to be born to two mothers?!"

Watching her son burst into tears, Naeun immediately pulled him into a warm embrace.

"No Haneul-ah. It's not a sin. It never is." she said while cupping his cheeks. "Life can be unfair at times. There are people who are born differently, some born without hands, some born blind, some born to parents of the same gender, like you. I don't want you to be ashamed of what you are Haneul-ah. You're just like everyone else. Don't listen to them, ignore them, it will only bring bad things. Instead, look at the brighter things, be proud of who you are and show everyone that you are not as different as them. Show them that you are one of them too." Naeun explained calmly as she smiled bitterly. 

She had never imagined her child to experience discrimination this early at his age. The world is really changing.

"Then what am I supposed to do? I get so angry when I hear them insulting not just me but Haeun. I just can't help but to punch them in the face. I just want to fight them!" mumbled Haneul. 

"There are always better ways instead of resorting to violence." said Naeun calmly. "I don't hit Eunji omma when we quarrel."

This caused the boy to think deeply. He had always wondered why whenever Eunji and Naeun fought, it was always Naeun who ended up winning. What was more fascinating was how it was never solved through anything physical but simply through the usage of words.

The girl smiled, knowing that her son seemed to have realised something.

"It's getting late. Why don't you and Haeun go take a shower and rest up?"

"Alright mom......" said Haneul as he continued to think, heading into his room while Haeun followed behind.

Making sure that the kids were safely tucked and asleep in their beds, Naeun closed the door and sighed. Hearing her son's words, did surprise her a little. As busy as they were, she and Eunji tried their best to spend time with their twins even though the older girl would constantly return late from work, leaving Naeun to mostly take care of them. It was no wonder why Haneul and Haeun were relatively more comfortable and closer to her instead of Eunji.

Walking out into the living room, she noticed her wife, staring blankly at their balcony under the clear, starry night skies.

"What's wrong baby?" asked Naeun as it was her turn, to hug her from behind, head gently settled onto her shoulders.

"I'm a bad mom, Naeun-ah."

"No, you're not."

"All I've ever done is hitting our own son. I'm a terrible mom that caused Haneul to run away from home due to fear." said Eunji as her eyes became watery. Guilt consumed her heart. This wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for her. If only Haneul hadn't become so afraid of her, he wouldn't have ran away from home with Haeun and they wouldn't have to be caught by Kai and his bodyguards. She blamed everything on herself.

"Unnie..." said Naeun as she proceeded to wipe her wife's tears away.

"I'm sure Haneul hates me. I don't know about Haeun but she probably secretly hates me too. I just want them to grow up normally, be good kids and study hard. I don't want them to be like me. I don't want them to follow the path that I've gone through. I'm not good with kids so I don't know how to teach them other than giving them punishments."

"It isn't too late unnie." The girl turned her wife around to directly face her. "You-no, we can still change for the better. We can learn from our mistakes." she continued before lightly pecking her lips.

"You make it sound so easy."

"It takes two hands to clap. It's also hard for me but if we work together, we can become better mothers for our children."

"Being a mom is difficult." sighed Eunji as she gazed into the eyes of her wife. "If only we could go back to those peaceful days with just the two of us." she continued before pecking her lips.

"Well, we're not going to get any younger from now on. Face the reality unnie." chuckled the younger girl.

"Right, I'm going to hit forties soon but not before Chorong unnie does." grinned Eunji. "Come on, let's go to sleep too. It's been a long day."

It was a similiar situation too, for Eunha. She wasn't the type who held her own thoughts and fully expressed it in a straight-forward manner, just like how Bomi would. Chorong listened quietly as she tried to understand the situations and problems her daughter was experiencing. She too, was new to becoming a parent and wanted to do all she could so that Eunha could grow up happily.

"I don't care if I'm not the top in my class. I don't care if I'm not getting into a good school. Why do we have to be like everyone else?!" asked Eunha in frustration, arms crossed as she sat on the couch.

"Honey, the world just doesn't work that way." sighed Bomi as she ruffled her daughter's hair. "You'll know when you grow older Eunha-ya." 

"I don't understand mom...." mumbled Eunha with her eyebrows furrowed.

"What do you want to be when you grow up Eunha-ya?" asked Chorong.

"I want to be a police officer." said the child without hesitation. Both Chorong and Bomi looked at each other with surprise. "I hate it when people call me different. Who cares if I'm born with two mothers? Those kids in class are so annoying! They should be sent to jail!"

Hearing that, the two mothers bursted into laughter.

"Honey, you can't send them to jail like that." smiled Bomi brightly. "If you want to become a police officer like grandpa, you have to be a good girl. Don't listen to those boys in class. Ignore them and instead, aim for the top. Show them that you're better than them. If you're the top in school, no one will want to mess with you."

"R-Really?" 

"She's right Eunha-ya. How about you study hard and really become a police officer? That way, you can arrest them anytime you want." smiled Chorong.

For a moment, the child sat there in silence, thinking deeply.

Indeed, children were pretty easy to convince once you know how to twist your words.

"I'm sorry mom. I'm sorry for running away from home. I won't do it again." Eunha said after much thought. Indeed, she beared so much resemblance to Bomi as she was a gullible girl herself. "And....I'll not trust strangers ever again....." she mumbled, feeling awkward after her apology.

"Apology accepted honey." smiled Bomi as she lifted Eunha into her arms, showering her with kisses while Chorong hugged both girls together.

After making sure that Eunha was completely asleep, Chorong sighed as she collapsed herself on the couch.

"What's wrong unnie?" pouted Bomi as she snuggled herself, arms around her wife as they stayed in that position for a long time.

"It's my fault." blamed Chorong. "I shouldn't be nagging her so much. It probably stressed her and she was just fed up with going to school because I kept pressuring her."

"It's not your fault." said Bomi, gently kissing her cheek.

"I just can't believe our child has to face discrimination so early. I want to protect her yet-"

"Want me to call the teachers and find those boys who keeps insulting our Eunha? Not just Eunha but Haneul and Haeun too?" asked Bomi cutting in between.

"And what, have their parents come after us?"

"I can fight them."

"That's just the same thing all over again. Bom-ah, you're not a kid anymore. Stop picking unnecessary fights with strangers." frowned the girl.

"Alright. I'm a grown adult. I'll behave like one." pouted the younger girl as she leaned her head against Chorong's shoulder. The two had a long day, exhausted from both work and the turmoil from about three hours ago. For a moment, the couple just stared blankly at the black tv screen in their living room, watching the clock on the wall ticking away the minutes that soon reached 5am. They weren't going to have any sleep tonight because in about two hours, they would have to head back to their restuarant and prepare for another day ahead.

Perhaps, they were neglecting their daughter and hadn't had time to properly talk and understand her feelings. The couple had been so engrossed in managing the restaurant that they failed to realise what her daughter was experiencing in school. All they could was to nag her, scold her even though they didn't even had time to really sit down and get a one-on-one conversation.

Maybe, it was time to change their methods.

To choose between work or family.

She wasn't sure how long she had been knocked out. It felt like a very familiar situation again. The sharp smell of disinfectant stinging her nose, the gentle breeze of the air conditioner and the soft touch of blanket over her body, it was all too obvious. She was in the hospital, again.

"Oh god, not again."

Her memory was still very clear. Fragments of Sungjae and his bitter smile before she crashed into darkness.

"Did Hayoung save me again?"

Namjoo pondered with worry. She hated being hospitalized because she knew, how her wife would've felt. Hayoung hated the hospital so much because it reminded her of those memories. In her eyes, Hayoung was still a baby to her even though at times, she seemed like the older one and was clearly more aggressive in expressing her love. But she was a clingy girl who desired love, because she never had the chances as she grew up in a world without parents.

It was then, she heard the thud of the wooden door sliding open.

"Oh, you're awake." 

It was the doctor. For some reason, it brought more concern to Namjoo as she expected to see Hayoung, not the doctor.

"Let me guess, I was given a heavy dosage of sleeping pills right?"

"Good to know that you haven't lost your rust, Doctor Kim."

"Good to know that you still haven't forgotten me, Doctor Changjo." smiled Namjoo as she sat up with ease. 

"Well, we've ran tests and you're perfectly fine. You're free to be discharged anytime."

"Right. Have you seen Hayoung?"

"Hayoung?" the man turned around, his eyebrow arched.

"Um, my wife."

"Oh, that girl. I haven't seen her since the day you got admitted."

"Wait, how many days has it been?!" 

"Tw-no, three days. That was a really, crazy amount of sleeping pills you had."

"Crap. I have to go somewhere. Now." said Namjoo, getting out of bed.

"You still need to sign the papers for your discharge!" said Changjo, watching the girl dash outside the corridor.

"I'll just come back later to sign that! It's an emergency!"

Stumbling out of the entrance as she called for a cab, there was a phone call from an unknown number.

"Hello? Who's this?"

"Hi Namjoo-ssi. I'm sure you've heard of me from Hayoung before but I'm Yerin."

"Oh! Yerin-ssi, you're one of her colleagues right?"

"Yes but let's cut the introduction a little short. I have to apologize on everyone's behalf."

"W-Why? What happened?"

"Regarding the incident that occured with Sungjae three days ago..."

Namjoo gulped with anxiety reaching her heart.

"Hayoung killed him with her own hands. It was our order as we had no other choice. I'm sorry."

"Where's Hayoung now?" Namjoo asked, clearly her concern was about her wife more than Sungjae's death.

"I'm sorry. Since that incident, we haven't been able to contact her. We believe that you're the only one who knows where she is right now. I'm sorry, please do us a favour. We too, want to express our apology to her. We had no idea it would turn out like this."

"Well, you'd better." sighed Namjoo as she ended the call before entering into the cab.

"Where to Miss?"

"Mapo Apartments please, thank you."

Three days since the children's kidnapping, everything seemed to be normal except with a little change. Both Chorong and Eunji had stopped recieving calls from school about Haneul and Eunha's daily fights among the students at school and surprisingly, the two had begun to take studies seriously. It was quite a surprise. Eunha had stopped ditching classes, Haneul was more passive while Haeun was still her same, usual self.

Perhaps, that incident did gave the children something to think about. A memory that they would remember forever.

"What are you doing Bomi-ya" asked Irene as she was busy cleaning the tables.

"I'm typing out a requirements list for some new managers and cooks. We're going to start hiring more staff!" smiled Bomi.

"Are you sacking me?" asked Irene with a joke.

"NO WAY IRENE UNN-"

"You're too loud Bom-ah!" shouted Chorong from the kitchen to which Bomi quickly lowered her tone. "I didn't mean that. We need to hire more people because I feel like my wife and I need a little break from all this hectic work. Y'know need to spend time with our daughter too."

"I see! It would be great if the two of you could have a good vacation with Eunha. Plus, I'm going to be the one in charge when you two aren't here." giggled Irene.

"I trust that you don't bully our young employees too much." laughed Bomi nervously as her eyes were still focused on the laptop screen.

"I won't. I'm not as scary as you think." said Irene with a smile that somehow resembled Chorong's signature "death" smile to which Bomi gulped nervously.

"Oh! It's Friday today! Eunha finishes school early!" bolted Bomi from her seat upon glancing the time.

"It's okay, I'll-"

"NO I'M FETCHING EUNHA TODAY!" said Bomi, before Irene could even complete her sentence. Rather than getting jealous as to how intimate Irene was with her wife, Bomi now had a new competitor to earn Eunha's love. "She's always talking about you in the car, never about ME!" whined the girl as she packed her laptop and took the car keys.

"Suit yourself Bomi-ya. I didn't say anything." laughed Irene, finding Bomi's behaviour adorable. Even though she was a lady in her mid-thirties, she still acted like a high schooler.

"Bom-ah, don't forget to pump the fuel when you're on the way back." reminded Chorong, peeking out from the small, kitchen opening.

"Of course baby." smiled Bomi as she leaned it for a quick peck before walking off to the entrance, leaving the older girl frozen still as her face flushed.

"Y-Y-You idiot! Customers are looking at us!!" stuttered Chorong.

"Who cares, we own the place. See ya later unnie." grinned Bomi proudly as she headed out.

Irene had always envied the couple's cute little moments at the restaurant. It was always full of their usual bickering but also sometimes, sweet moments that often swayed her heart. She wondered if it was time to really move on. She wondered if she should stop swaying in the memory of her former girlfriend, Wendy's death and start anew.

"Will I ever be like them too?"

In the early hours of afternoon at Seoul University, the veteren lecturer or rather Mrs. Jung worked as normal despite the lack of sleep from last night. Conducting her classes as she followed her classical, often boring talk of musical theories, it was fun to catch her students dozing off in the middle in which she would ask them to either make a funny expression or do a funny dance as punishment. Although it was always her dream to become a singer but she assumed it was just too late into her age and preferred to nurture young talents who possess great potential.

"Alright. That's all for today. Don't forget to submit your assignments due next week!" said Eunji as she closed her laptop. With a sigh, she took a glance at her watch.

"Will I be able to make it?" she wondered because it was Friday, meaning Haneul and Haeun would finish classes early. That's when, she had a great idea. Taking out her phone, she dialled someone. 

"Hey Bom-ah! You're fetching Eunha today right? Then how about you fetch Haneul and Haeun too? Please?"

"So are you gonna treat me to a meal?"

"Of course I will!"

"Heck, you still haven't treated me a meal after like what, seven years?!"

"I'll repay that too!"

"You might as well give me unlimited free meals!"

"Fine, fine. Just fetch my two kids and maybe, let them chill at your place for a bit?"

"I'll be looking forward to my unlimited free meals Mrs.Jung" said Bomi jokingly before hanging up.

With a giggle, Eunji put her phone back into her pocket, took her things and started walking out. Returning to the staff room where her messy desk was, she sat down and began to dial someone else.

"Hey Seungyoon-ah? Yeah about the thing we discussed yesterday, I think we'll need further meetings on this. Are you free this afternoon?" the girl asked.

Arriving at Mapo Apartments, Namjoo knew this had to be the place. It was the only area Hayoung could hide. In the comfort of their own home. Despite moving over to the countryside seven years ago, the couple never sold out their home in Seoul. It still had many memories and they couldn't bring themselves to sell it to someone else. The apartment home now, was spotless and empty without much furniture but time to time, they would still use the home whenever they had short trips back to the city.

"She's going to blame everything on herself. I can't let her fall into darkness again. I can't." 

Reaching the door of their old house, she noticed the door was left open halfway in the middle of the corridor. Stepping inside quietly as she was greeted with a blank living area that used to be full of furniture and decorational items, there was no sight of the girl. Passing into the bedroom where memories of how they would make love so frequently, there she was. In the same exact position, seven years ago. Curled up in her favourite corner right beside the windows where the curtains were and had just enough sunlight to peek through, she was sitting there with her head buried in her knees.

"You're still crying again, you big baby. What do I do with you?"

Her heart shattered into pieces, seeing her wife in that state. She promised herself to never let Hayoung do that again. Yet, it happened.

"Baby..." said Namjoo as she sat on the floor, reaching her hands out but Hayoung immediately moved away.

"I-I'm a murderer! D-Don't touch me!" 

"Hayoung-ah..."

"I..I killed him....I killed him with the gun.....with my own hands.....I'm a murderer.....I don't deserve to look at you....anymore.....A murderer can't love someone anymore..."

"I don't care if a murderer touches me. Whether you killed someone or not, I still love you no matter what." said Namjoo as she wrapped her arms. Noticing that the girl didn't back away, she pulled her closer into a warm embrace before ruffling her fingers through Hayoung's disheveled hair. "Of course, I'm sad that Sungjae had to die. That you had to be the one to end his life but he would be happier now, to be with Joy in the skies. You did what was right and there's nothing wrong about that."

"But..."

"Who cares if you killed someone. You're still the same you. The same Oh Hayoung I fell in love with. No matter what happens, I'm always by your side baby." said Namjoo cupping the younger girl's cheek before lightly pecking her soft, delicate lips. Noticing that Hayoung stayed silent after her kiss, she pulled in another one. She wanted to shower her with kisses, she wanted Hayoung to know that she loves her so much, that even when there is no where to run, she can always come back into her arms.

"You didn't cry today baby. Come on, let's go out and eat some good food. We can't spend the rest of the week stuck in here right?" smiled Namjoo as she looked into her eyes.

"I-I'm all grown up now, I-I don't need to cry...." mumbled Hayoung with a pout.

"Sure, you're all grown up but you'll still be my baby in my eyes, Hayoung-ah." giggled Namjoo as she held Hayoung's hands tightly as they headed out.

With customers packed at the restaurant, there was less things to worry about despite having three children around. Chorong had earlier silenced the triplets with food and that was enough to keep them out of trouble at least.

"Maths is so complicated...." mumbled Haneul while stuffing food into his mouth. The three elementary students were seated in an empty table at the far corner, filled with food and books. 

"Come on emptyhead, let me teach you. Don't you know your multiples?" sighed Eunha as she pulled the textbook over while Haeun quietly scribbling on her workbook, drawing something.

"How the heck would I know what's 18 times 200?!"

"You idiot! It's like this!" said Eunha as she hit Haneul's head with a pen, before proceeding to teach him.

"Eunha-ya, are you going to date my brother when we get older?" asked Haeun out of nowhere.

"NO WAY!" said the two in unison in which Haeun giggled by herself. The drawing she was scribbling earlier was a picture of the two of them.

"I'll never date you! You're so not my style! I prefer feminine girls who don't hit people!" said Haneul.

"And I'll never date you! I prefer polite guys!" said Eunha as the two started bickering again.

"Ah, they are so cute." laughed Bomi who watched them from afar. "Eunha and Haneul are like me and Eunji." 

It was then a ring echoed the restaurant, signalling the arrival of a new customer. But instead, it was just Eunji and Naeun who came to pick up their twins.

"Mom!!" shouted Haneul and Haeun in unison as they ran straight into their arms.

"How's school today? Did you study hard?" asked Eunji.

"Um...I made it to the football team but maths isn't working well for me...." mumbled Haneul awkwardly.

"How about you Haeun-ah?" asked Naeun with a smile.

"Teacher said she liked my drawings!" grinned the younger girl to which Eunji couldn't help but to pinch her puffy cheeks.

"Hello auntie." greeted Eunha politely with a bow.

"Eunha-ya, you're starting to look a lot like your mother these days." grinned Eunji.

"Which one?"

"Uh, the scarier one." whispered Eunji to which she suddenly recieved a hit from behind. It was the "scarier" one she had been talking about.

"Hey, who said I'm the scarier one?" said Chorong with a glare.

"You wouldn't know who I'm talking about anyway, Bomi could be scary too!" said Eunji nervously as she glanced at Bomi who was clearly head over heels for Haeun. 

"Yeah sure, as if Bom is scary." Chorong rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Hopefully, that would be the last of everything. We've completed all the testimonials required from the police and the case is now in Seungyoon's hands now."

"Don't worry unnie. I'll make sure Lee Corporations won't come after us anymore. After all, all this stress will make you older and get you more wrinkl- ouch!" teased Eunji before getting another hit from Chorong, causing Naeun to laugh.

"Thank you Chorong unnie and Bomi unnie for taking care of our kids. Give my thanks to Irene too." smiled Naeun.

"Hey, we should arrange for a family vacation one day. With all seven of us! Including Namjoo and Hayoung, if we can force them out of the countryside!" suggested Bomi out of the blue.

"Why not, that sounds great. I can finally treat you those unlimited meals!" agreed Eunji.

The former high schoolers who were now mothers, couldn't wait for a future together with their children. Going through so many hardships together, surely nothing else would stand in their way.

The seeds of maturity, have certainly changed these four girls into stronger women.

A week passed quickly despite the turn of events that occured recently. But the case seemed to be covered up quickly without a single trace thanks to the Kang Seungyoon's efforts. Life continued normally and within a blink of an eye, Namjoo and Hayoung were headed back into the countryside. As they spent the rest of the week meeting up with old friends from college and work, they weren't able to arrange another meeting with their high school friends. But they believed they would return back to Seoul again. Very soon.

"You didn't leave anything behind right?" reminded Namjoo as she sat down in the KTX train while Hayoung made good use of her tall height to place their bags in the upper shelves.

"Of course. I'm not that forgetful." smiled Hayoung. She had been feeling better since then. "Here, it's for you." she said, handing a lollipop to her wife.

"Indeed, you know me best. I need sugar. Thanks baby." said Namjoo as she pecked her cheek before onto the lollipop.

"Unnie..actually, I have something to tell you." 

"What is it?"

"Yerin called me two days ago. She said the company needs me back. A lot of things happened in those seven years we were away in the countryside and there's just a whole load of mess. They're understaffed and she asked me if, I'm willing to return."

"Hayoung-ah, I wanted to tell you this too." said Namjoo as she looked at her wife. "The doctors back at Seoul Hospital welcomed me with open arms. They missed me. They missed Doctor Kim and hoped that I would consider the thoughts of working again."

"I guess, we can't run away forever can we?" sighed Hayoung before turning her frown into a smile.

"We had a pretty long break and money won't drop from the skies. Are you ready to hit back the Seoul life?" asked Namjoo.

"As long as you're with me, I'm good."

"Then, it's settled." said Namjoo as the couple made a decision. It was then, a kid accidentally fell after running excitedly on the train. "Oh my, are you hurt anywhere honey?" asked the older girl immediately, heading to her side.

"I'm okay. Thank you aunty!" grinned the child as she bowed politely before running back to her seat. 

Hayoung who saw her wife interacting with the child, made her think a little. Never before had she seen Namjoo look so happy around children. Perhaps, it was really time to take that big step into their life.

"Unnie."

"What?"

"Maybe when we head back to Seoul....."

"Hm?"

"How about....we start thinking about having.....a baby?" mumbled Hayoung with a blush, causing Namjoo to laugh out loud.

"Are you sure about that? I'm already taking care of this big baby right here." smiled Namjoo as she cupped Hayoung's cheeks.

"I-I'm not a baby..I'm a fully-grown lady in her late twenties...." mumbled the younger girl with a pout. 

"I love you Hayoung-ah." said Namjoo as she pecked her lips.

"I love you too, Namjoo unnie." smiled Hayoung as she returned the kiss. 

The youngest couple, were finally making the move. One step closer, to becoming mothers.

"It's a weekend tommorow. I've cancelled all of the extra tuition classes you have because we're going on a trip!" smiled Eunji widely while at the wheel.

"WOAH REALLY MOM?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" shouted Haneul in surprise yet the ends of his mouth were curling up.

"Where are we going?" asked Haeun.

"Mom's hometown, Busan. I think it's been awhile since you've meet grandpa and grandma." replied Eunji as she too, was smiling. Her children's happiness, was her happiness.

"But you still have to go to school next week so make sure you finish your homework tonight." said Naeun in a stern tone to which Haneul and Haeun groaned. 

With night falling and their kids quietly in their rooms, cramming onto their homework, Eunji peeked over in the kitchen to find her wife cooking. She smirked as she sneaked behind and surprised her with a backhug.

"What are you cooking today?" asked Eunji as she leaned forward, able to sniff Naeun's scent from her hair.

"Kimchi pancake and tteokbokki. Aren't you busy marking papers from your classes today?" 

"Mm but I think it'll be the last time doing that."

"What do you mean?"

"Actually, Seungyoon called me about a week ago and he asked me to consider about joining back Son Corporations."

"Do you miss that place?" asked Naeun hesitantly, clearly she didn't like the idea of Eunji going back to that company. After all, letting Eunji working there was the start of their problems in the first place. When the girl was there, they had their first ever divorce. It also placed Naeun in danger with the Taemin incident. It felt as if working in Son Corporations brought nothing but bad luck to the two of them.

"Not really. They do give me a lot of trouble but he said that I have skills. He wants me to become his assistant and help out together with the staff and police force. After all, the salary is triple times the amount I make. With that money, we can definitely guarantee that Haneul and Haeun's education would be safe." explained Eunji slowly as she had considered it for a long time. 

As she was a mother to two children, she put them first instead of herself. Rather than thinking about her own future, she thought about Haneul and Haeun. Her priorities had changed ever since Naeun gave birth to the twins. Eunji vowed to build up a good family and be a good wife.

"But what about you? Working there again will put you in danger." said Naeun in worry as she stopped cooking for moment, turned the stove down as she turned around, looking at her wife.

"I'm not someone who likes to run away. Danger in fact, excites me. Knowing the fact that I will probably make great allies and new enemies at the same time is thrilling. The business world can be pretty dirty and complicated but I have Seungyoon and his pals. I want to make myself useful for the family. Not just for you but for the kids too."

"Then why can't I join you as wel-" Eunji suddenly placed her finger on her lips.

"If you do that, no one is going to take care of Haneul and Haeun. Who's going to be there when they're in trouble or stress? They need someone to turn for advice or just someone to be their pillar of support. You know me better. I'm terrible at handling kids. You're the perfect housewife anyone could ask for, Naeun-ah."

"So you're going to be the father figure in the house?" asked Naeun as she couldn't help but to peck Eunji's lips. It was just right in front of her face and the couple had promised not to show any form of intimate skinship whenever the children were around.

"Someone's gotta take the role and I'm not letting you be that." smiled Eunji, feeling Naeun's gentle lips on hers. "I wanted to ask you first because I needed the permission of my wife, that's you Naeun-ah."

"I'm not holding back but I hope it won't happen again. Those mistakes from years ago."

"I won't. I promise. No matter what happens from now on, I'm putting family first."

"Mm...permission granted unnie...." nodded Naeun lightly. She loved how Eunji would always talk things out seriously instead of doing things first hand. There had been a lot of changes since their rollercoaster-like relationship that was almost on the verge of breaking apart. They learned from their mistakes and knew how to sort it out together. Love was like a give and take. There may be things Naeun didn't like about what Eunji thinks or does, but sometimes she has to let go and let her do what she wants. 

"Thank you Naeun-ah." said Eunji pulling for a kiss.

"T-The kids might see us..."

"Nah, they're all busy studying. No way they won't come out yet." The older girl started crashing her lips inside. It had been a long time since they had a moment like this. 

The now, married couple had matured greatly. Instead of hurting each other, they loved each other even more.

Love was much more powerful than ever.

"Irene-ah!" said Bomi as she waved over with a bright smile, entering the kitchen.

"Yes Bomi-ya?"

"I just managed to hire a new manager! Come and meet her, I think you two will go along fine!"

"So fast?" said Irene with a surprise.

"Yup, although I still haven't been able to find any kitchen helper though.." said Bomi as Irene followed her out, where there was a tall, slim lady at the counter. From the back, she seemed to have a lot of experience in dancing and gave off a very celebrity-like feel. When that lady turned around, Irene made eye contact with her. For some reason, her heart fluttered.

"Seulgi-ya, this is Irene, our other manager. Irene, this is Kang Seulgi. Hope you two would work well together!" The b manager then escaped into the kitchen, as if purposely wanting to leave the two ladies alone.

"Bom-ah, you're making it too obvious." whispered Chorong as she nudged her wife, sneaking into the kitchen as she pretended to help out. But instead, Bomi's eyes were all on Irene and Seulgi.

"Well, don't you think it's a coincidence how our old school mate found our hiring list online and wanted to work here? Not only that, she's the same age as Irene's former girlfriend! This is an amazing match make don't you think?!"

"You're not a cupid so stop forcing them." sighed Chorong as she focused on washing the dishes.

"Hey, do you think a cupid made us together as well?" asked Bomi out of the blue. "Do you think us meeting was fate itself?"

"W-W-Why are you asking me that all of sudden?" stuttered Chorong.

"I don't know. I think I'll still fall in love with you no matter what." grinned Bomi as she was this close to wanting to kiss her in the restuarant's kitchen but held back, because she knew how Chorong would react.

"And I'll still fall in love with you because you're the same pabomi that I love." smiled Chorong, surprising Bomi with a quick peck on the cheek.

"Unnie..." said Bomi as her smile widened, staring at her with loving eyes.

"No. You can kiss me all you want at home but you have to go to work. Go and serve the customers."

"Alright.." mumbled Bomi as she formed a pout in her lips, walking out sadly as she did as she was told.

This caused Chorong to giggle at her wife's adorable behaviour.

Maybe not everyone changes and matures the way they are supposed to be. Looking back at their years together, everyone seemed to have changed in terms of their maturity. Eunji, Naeun, Namjoo and Hayoung have grown into proper adults, taking responsibilites in their lives as their methods of thinking were much more adult-like than ever. The girl wondered whether she too, has changed. But she knows for sure, Yoon Bomi will always remain the same. It's just her charm and the reasons why she fell in love with this lovable idiot.

Innocent youth days, experimental yet wild adulthood and the anxious periods of entering motherhood. It seemed like a package of life that made these six girls to become who they are now. 

Girls who were so in love with each other and are now, ladies who took responsibility for their family.

Maturity.

~END~

A/N: The end! It has been quite the adventure with many ups and downs in Maturity. Thank you for joining me into this rather thrilling ride. It was my first time trying out a genre and obviously, I clearly not very good at that haha~ (don't think I'll try s again any time soon...) We've got every couple's happy endings, Hajoo who had finally decided to really get out of their shell and actually start a family, 2eun who realised the sacrifices needed to make a happy family and Chomi who are still as sweet as ever, yet able to learn more with their daughter around, how are these six girls going to be like when they become grandparents then? I apologize for making Taemin, Kai, Sungjae and Joy as quite hated villians in this story, I just had to choose them as the characters for the role. Team Seulrene over Wenrene heh. Thank you for reading and subscribing to Maturity! I hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I had fun writing it! Perhaps, we'll see each other again in my future fanfics? Until then~ pinkpanda419 (4/9/2017)

p.s i'll be taking a hiatus as i will be starting college soon so i don't think i'll be writing any fanfics at the moment. but i'll promise to come back to aff again to present more Apink fanfics with better quality ^^