MI RAE SETTLED by the feet of her mother who was seated comfortably in a plush lavender chair. Looking around the purple stained walls of her old bedroom, a melancholy smile appeared on Mi Rae’s face. Every decoration she had put up herself was still hanging in its same position, holding so many memories from the past. She still remembered spending hours with her mother, trying to find the perfect way to design her room and then finally falling in love with the preppy fairytale look, with little lights strung at every corner and the off white furniture tying the entire room together. Oh, the little joys of childhood.

"How are you feeling now, Mama?” Mi Rae asked, swirling her head around so her mother’s face came into view.

Bin Na Woon smiled weakly at her daughter, gently caressing the top of Mi Rae’s head. “Better, dear.” But Mi Rae’s every wavered as she smiled in return, her eyes holding uncertainty. “How about you, how are you?” Na Woon pressed, knowing that something was wrong.

A week had passed since Baekhyun had entered her daughter’s life again, and of course Na Woon noticed the change in Mi Rae. Whenever she would call, Mi Rae’s voice always quivered, as if she would burst into tears at any moment. Worry lines were printed onto her forehead, and dark circles covered the skin underneath her eyes. Most of all, Mi Rae’s eye’s kept wandering away, as if someone else had completely taken control of her thoughts. Mi Rae was never like this; she always had complete control of her emotions but Na Woon wasn’t sure how much longer her daughter could keep herself together.

Despite all this, Mi Rae took a long breath and sighed. “I’m fine, Mama.”

"No, you’re—” Na Woon began protesting, with the hope that her daughter would speak of her feelings, but had no luck once again. Mi Rae placed her hands on the floor and pushed herself off the ground.

"I'll go make some tea,” she said, her voice low as she made her way out of her room and walked to the kitchen. The mustard yellow walls came into view and Mi Rae rested her palms on the countertops, leaning her body against them.

Her head began spinning as the thoughts and memories of being in her childhood home overwhelmed her, and Mi Rae shut her eyes as she tried to push the tears that were threatening to fall right back in.

Mi Rae wiped the sweat off her forehead as she rolled the cookie dough in front of her. She looked out the windows next to the mustard yellow walls of her kitchen and frowned seeing the bright blue sky, with not a cloud in sight. It was too much of a nice day to be stuck inside the house, baking cookies for her school’s student council meeting, but it came with the responsibilities and duties of being the president.

Just as she reached over to add more water to the dry mixture, she heard a knock on the front door, follow by two more urgent knocks. A very old habit of her boyfriend’s, Mi Rae immediately knew it was Baekhyun coming home after football practice.

"Mihi, can you get the door please?” She called out to her sister, looking at her dirty hands.

"Its your boyfriend, you go answer it,” Mihi responded, not looking up from her phone from where she was settled on a couch. Mi Rae sighed, and ran the water on her hands, getting all the dough off. The knocks increased and Mi Rae rolled her eyes, let out a low chuckle.

She walked over to the front door and pulled it open, a very sweaty Baekhyun coming into her view. His auburn hair matted against his forehead, he opened up his arms in attempted to hug his girlfriend, but Mi Rae swatted him out of the way.

"Ew you’re all sweaty.” Mi Rae laughed, covering her face with her hands. Baekhyun pushed them out of the way and leaned forward, stealing a kiss and grinning in victory.

"You really need to fix the bell, you can barely hear my knocks.” He crossed his arms at his chest and stood up straight.

"I heard you, but my hands were dirty from making cookies.” Mi Rae explained and smiled when she saw Baekhyun pout. “What?”

"You're in here making cookies? Chanyeol and I are heading to the fields with some other friends to just play ar