Mina opens the door. forms a small ‘o’ when she sees the two people outside, trying to hide her shock.

 

“Myoui Mina, am I correct?” Mr. Hirai says. Mrs. Hirai is standing beside him.

 

“Y-Yes,” Mina replies, shaking a bit. “Come in.” She opens the door wide enough for the two to enter. Momo glances at Mina and when she sees her parents she’s surprised as well.

 

“Okasama? Otosama?” Momo says, walking towards them.

 

“Mina, where is your coat hanger?” Mr. Hirai asks, looking around the house with quite a disgusted look on his face.

 

“W-We don’t have one, sir,” Mina responds, her voice soft. Momo notices this so she stands beside her and holds her hand tightly.

 

Mr. Myoui scoffs. “I guess I’ll just put this anywhere, then.” He throws his coat over to their Christmas tree and hits Kai.

 

“Ow!” Kai shouts. “Who did that?!”

 

“Kai, don’t be so loud!” Mrs. Myoui whispers to him. “The whole Hirai family is here!”

 

“What?” Kai mutters, turning to the scene. “Oh.”

 

“Dad,” Momo says, her voice lower than usual now. “You didn’t have to do that. That was rude.”

 

“Oh, I’m sure the maid will pick it up,” her father replies. “Oh wait, is she their mom?”

 

“I didn’t notice because she looks like she’s wearing a maid uniform,” Mrs. Hirai adds with fake laughter.

 

Momo’s about to respond to them but Mina stops her by squeezing her hand, knowing that her girlfriend’s blood must be boiling now. Momo grits her teeth instead to let the anger subside.

 

“Oh my,” Mr. Myoui says, bowing to the other married couple. “It is an honor to have you here in our home.”

 

“Yes, yes, we’re a very important family and all,” Mr. Hirai replies, waving his hand. “Where’s your food?”

 

At that moment, Mrs. Myoui picks up her tray of jjajangmyun and walks in haste. And as if the Myouis’ luck couldn’t get any worse, Mina’s mother trips herself up, causing the hot bowl of jjajangmyun to spill over Mrs. Hirai’s clothing.

 

“Aaaaaahhh!!!!” Momo's mother shrieks.

 

“Oh my gosh, I-I’m so sorry,” Mrs. Myoui keeps repeating and bowing to the other lady.

 

In his panic, Mr. Myoui grabs a cloth and tries to help Mrs. Hirai dry.

 

“Don’t touch me!” Mrs. Hirai hisses. “I don’t want to be here anymore.”

 

Mr. Hirai grabs his coat and guides his wife outside. “Momo, we’re going.”

 

“No,” is all Momo answers. “I’m staying. I was invited here.”

 

Mr. Hirai glares at his daughter. “NOW, MOMO!”

 

Mina, who’s holding her girlfriend’s hand, feels Momo tremble. “Go,” she tells the older girl.

 

“I’m sorry,” Momo says. Mina nods at her, and they hold each other in a warm embrace before Momo finally leaves.

 

Mina approaches her mother and helps her clean up the mess.

 

“I’m so sorry, Mina-chan,” Mrs. Myoui mutters. “We embarrassed you in front of Momo’s family.”

 

“Mom, don’t say that. It wasn’t your fault.”

 

“Does Momo hate us now?” Kai asks.

 

Mina shakes her head. “She’s not like them, Kai. She’s… She’s like family to us now.”

 

—

 

Family. It’s all Momo wanted especially ever since Hana left. She considers herself lucky that Nayeon and her family are working for the Hirais because they were the closest she ever got to the real thing. Then she met Sana, who moved in with them at the age of 13 because her mother died (it was a very complicated time for the Hirais). And she’s glad she has a sister again, one who really shared her blood.

 

When Momo met Mina’s family she finally felt like complete. Momo loves the Im family, but she never got the chance to spend the holidays with them because her parents would never let her. That’s why she bought the Myouis all those gifts, as a sign of gratitude and appreciation for them.

 

But instead of celebrating, she just brought her mess of a family into their own lives.

 

Momo’s parents arrive their house earlier than she does, so when she opens the door, they’re already there.

 

“Tell me, Momo,” Mr. Hirai says. “Why do you even dare associate yourself with the likes of them?”

 

“They’re people like us, you know,” Momo spits out. “We may be richer than them, but they’re better than us in so many ways.”

 

Mr. Hirai slaps Momo’s face. She expected it. She knew her father would react this way.

 

But she accepts it, anyway.

 

—

 

“Momo, are you sure about this?” Sana asks in the middle of the night. They’re inside Momo’s game room, but there’s a luggage prepared which Momo is holding.

 

“Yes, Sana-chan. I have to do this.”

 

“You always have my back, sis,” she assures Momo. “I’ll be right here if you need me.”

 

Momo nods and smiles at the girl. She always relied on Sana ever since they met, but she has to do this alone. “Look after Mina for me, okay?”

 

“Yah, Momo. Aren’t you gonna tell her?”

 

Momo sighs. “I just don’t want to burden her. If she asks, don’t tell her anything, alright?”

 

This time it’s Sana’s turn to sigh. “Arasso.”

 

“Be safe, Sana-chan.”

 

“I should be saying that to you.”

 

“Don’t worry about me too much. I’ll be fine.”

 

—

 

Momo drives. She drives far away from her house—she never called it a home because it never felt like it whenever her parents were there. She’s off to the airport, but she couldn’t stop herself from going to Mina’s house—she wants to see the girl before leaving indefinitely.

 

She parks her Audi in front of their house and calls Mina. She hopes the penguin is still awake, or at least the sound of her phone would wake her up.

 

Fortunately, Mina picks up.

 

“Yeoboseyo?” Mina says, her voice raspy.

 

“Hey, Mitang. I’m so sorry to wake you up.”

 

“No, it’s fine,” Mina replies, sitting up. “What’s up? You haven’t texted me since two days ago.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Momo tells her. She keeps to be repeating this statement again and again to Mina. “Can I… Can I come up? I’m outside your house.”

 

“What? Why?”

 

“I just miss you.”

 

A few minutes later the front door opens, revealing Mina in her night gown. When she sees Momo, she opens up her arms and gives the older girl a tight hug.

 

“I missed you, too,” Mina says as she buries her face on Momo’s neck.

 

“How are you and your parents?” Mina asks when she and Momo lie on her bed. They’re cuddling now. Momo wishes they could stay like this forever, but she knows they can’t.

 

“Let’s not talk about them,” is the older girl’s reply. “They’re not worthy of our time. They’ll just always be like that. But they can’t stop me from… from feeling the way I feel about you.”

 

“Someone’s extra cheesy tonight,” Mina teases her. “What’s gotten into you, huh?”

 

Momo chuckles, trying to hide the sadness and enjoy this moment. “Nothing. I just want you to know that I’m glad you came in my life.”

 

“Well, you stalked me, didn’t you?”

 

“No, I didn’t!”

 

“I’m just messing, Momoring.” Mina looks into Momo’s eyes and kisses the girl. Slowly their kisses become deeper, and all you can hear are lips touching each other, as Mina turns her body to turn Momo, and Momo puts her hands on Mina’s waist. She leans even closer to Mina, closing whatever distance there ever was between them.

 

“You really missed me a lot, didn’t you?” Mina says, teasing Momo even more, completely unaware of how Momo’s feeling at the moment. “That was… a really good kiss, to say the least.”

 

Momo grins at that. “I only do my best. Hey Mina, can I sleep with you?”

 

Momo doesn’t need a light to sense that Mina blushes at her blatant request.

 

“Momo, you know I’m very comfortable with you but I don’t know if I’m…”

 

The older girl snorts, trying to hold back her laughter.

 

“What?” Mina frowns.

 

“By sleep with you, I literally meant sleep with you. Aigoo, you and your dirty mind, Mina.”

 

“Hey!” Mina slaps Momo’s shoulders and turns away from her.

 

“Mitang,” Momo says in a soothing voice. “Don’t be mad. I was just tessing you. Hey, I wanna be here with you.” She buries her face in Mina’s hair. The younger girl turns back to Momo and smiles at her. Mina can’t help but yawn.

 

“You can sleep now,” Momo mutters. “I’ll watch over you.”

 

Mina nods, her eyelids drooping. She scoots closer to Momo and puts her head just below Momo’s. “Good night, Momoring.”

 

“Good night, Mitang.” Momo kisses the top of Mina’s head.

 

Mina’s sure that she’ll get a good sleep that night. But that is the last night Mina finds a peaceful sleep.

 

“I'm sorry, Mitang.”

Because the next day, Momo’s already gone.