Hi! I have survived another week at uni and this week I'm having all of the exams and the semester is over!!! So I should be able to write more often again. Sorry for the wait and thank you for waiting for the next chapter! I hope that everyone is doing well and that you're taking care of yourselves. Thank you for keeping up with this story and for sharing your thoughts with me! Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Was there something in her life that she regretted? Probably. But nowadays everything seemed to have been going well for her. Except for the mishap with their parents. Nayeon was back, she apologized and is trying to be back in their life. Tzuyu gave Nayeon a chance and they got along well, almost like they did back when they were younger. Mina still had her daughter, Chaeyoung's safety and well-being were still the most important things to her. But there were also some changes, surprises that Mina couldn't quite define on her own. 

And she knew who she could go to for advice. And she did when they came back from the meeting with Sana, Nayeon, and Momo and Chaeyoung was sleeping peacefully in her bed. She was glad that Jihyo and Jeongyeon stayed over. And they didn't even argue with Haru. Which caught her attention, considering that apparently, they were in the same room almost all the time. But perhaps, Chaeyoung put them into a peaceful mode and they simply played with her. 

She didn't have the time to think about that though. She joined her two best friends in the living room after leaving Chaeyoung's room. They were occupying the sofa, checking something out on Jeongyeon's phone. Tzuyu wasn't there, though her presence wasn't necessary. 

Mina approached the sofa and sat next to the couple, thinking deeply about the way she was going to address it. 

 

"Jihyo, Jeongyeon?" She began, and she managed to get their attention almost instantaneously. "I have a dilemma and I need your help with it".

 

"You know it. That's what we were made for." Jihyo replied with a determined expression. She also sat straighter. 

 

"Yep, you've got our support." Jeongyeon added and they both were watching Mina.

 

"I have to admit that I feel quite lost and I can't fully comprehend everything. But there is something between Sana and I." Mina said with a serious tone. Though the expressions her friends had were lost.

 

"Did you finally realize that she forced herself on you?" Jihyo asked, a bit mockingly. Mina wasn't surprised.

 

"No. Sana left me alone when I asked her. She's respectful and helpful. She makes my day better every time she walks into my office with a tray full of food and a sweet smile." Jihyo and Jeongyeon stared at Mina with a blank expressions, their mouths slightly parted. "She's lovely. But why are you staring at me like that?"

 

"We are experiencing deep shock right now." Jeongyeon forced the words out. Mina was still confused by the reason for their behavior. 

 

"I have never heard you say things like that about another person." Jihyo finally spoke up after, another opposite to have a bit of silence. 

 

"I guess you're right."

 

"Are you serious? You actually like her?" Like her? Yes. Mina supposed that she did. She had no experience with having feelings for others. And she knew that Jihyo and Jeongyeon liked each other, simply because the two of them told Mina about their feelings. And when she thought about it, it was right. 

 

"I do. Now that I think about it." She admitted out loud and she had never heard a more troubled sigh from Jihyo until then. "Why the sigh?"

 

"You've known her for a month…" Jihyo said, concerned.

 

"Is that not enough time to develop feelings for someone? Shall I spend more time thinking about it?" Mina asked in a business-like voice. 

 

"Don't listen to her. She just can't accept that you are finally feeling love." Jeongyeon said melodiously and rested her chin on Jihyo's shoulder with a smirk.

 

"Love?! It's been a month!" Jihyo exclaimed anxiously. Jeongyeon only laughed at the distress her girlfriend was going through.

 

"I guess love is a strong word. But is liking ok? Do I have to feel love to start anything with her?"

 

"Can you stop sounding so serious?" Jeongyeon chuckled at the way Mina was processing all of that. But Mina was confused. How else was she supposed to look at the situation?

 

"Probably you should wait." Jihyo replied, her expression cold and her eyes wandered in the direction of the corridor briefly.

 

"We started dating before we were in love." Jeongyeon countered her girlfriend's baseless argument. 

 

"It was different. Mina's situation is complicated. And what if it turns out that they won't work out? Mina is still married and she still has a child." Jihyo voiced her concerns at last. Mina didn't have to ponder on it for long. Her best friend was right. She was still married…

 

"Then I should keep it friendly for now. I understand." She said simply.

 

"Well, now my heart aches. You sounded so dejected." Jeongyeon pointed out and her hand reached for Mina's. 

 

"I did?" 

 

"Yeah, you did." Jihyo answered with guilt in her tone. Well, Mina did feel dejected. But there was nothing she could do about it. For now. She couldn't go into it carelessly in her situation. And just because it wasn't a good idea to do anything more than what they were doing with Sana, didn't mean they had to stop meeting altogether.

 

"It's fine. I'm still going to hang out with her. And we'll see how it'll go." Mina stated her plan and her friends nodded in acknowledgment.

 

"I hope that it works out so that you can finally divorce Haru." Jeongyeon whispered with annoyance. 

 

"That I can agree on. And, Mina, just do whatever you two have been doing. Just don't try to give it a label…yet." Jihyo added and her arm wrapped Mina into a hug. Her expression was more relaxed as well. Mina knew that they were saying all of that in good faith.

 

"I will do that. Thank you, both." She sent them a warm smile and the gesture was reciprocated. 

 

"Like we said, always, Mina."

 

They lingered for a bit more in the living room. Mostly talking about what they were planning to do during the week. Mina mentioned that maybe they could organize a group meeting without the grave atmosphere. And her friends seemed to be looking forward to it. Mina just had to talk to Sana about it… Right, she truly did everything through Sana. As if Nayeon wasn't her own sister. Maybe that was something Mina should cut down a bit. She should get Nayeon's phone number. And she should get Sana's as well. So she would probably take Nayeon's number from Sana. 

 

"Hey, Mina." She almost didn't hear the voice calling her. She stopped in front of Tzuyu's room and looked inside. Haru walked closer and halted in the doorframe to lean on it with his shoulder.

 

"Yes? Something came up?" She asked, giving him her full attention. He looked embarrassed, his eyes wandered to the floor and his arms crossed over his chest. Quite an unusual sight.

 

"Kind of. Could you pick up Chaeyoung tomorrow?" 

 

"I guess so. Are you going to be back later?" She waited for a response, but he seemed to have trouble speaking. Another weird thing about this situation. 

 

"Something like that. Don't worry about it. Thank you and sleep well." He finished with a smile that looked sincere. Mina couldn't get even more confused by the way he was behaving. She also couldn't tell if that was a bad sign or if he simply didn't want to share something private with her.

 

"Of course, good night, Haru." She replied, with a polite smile and then walked to her room where Tzuyu was sleeping soundly.

 

She took it solemnly. She knew what she had to do and what she shouldn't do. And Mina was never slacking when it came to work. She was going to succeed in her task without breaking a sweat. 

She told herself those things, in her head, the whole night and morning. But somehow, deep down, she felt…anxious. That was unlike her. And it was worrying. She ignored it though. She wasn't going to surrender to her own irrational thoughts.

 

"Mommy, the milk is burning." Mina woke up at once and quickly took the small pot off of the burner and turned it off. It was quite burned indeed.

 

"I'm sorry, ChaengChaeng. I'll warm it up again." She apologized with a soft smile and patted Chaeyoung's head with her free hand. Chaeyoung nodded cutely and walked out. Mina sighed and put the pot into the sink and turned the sink on.

 

"I'll do it. Go and drink tea in peace." Haru surprised her by walking in. She wanted to argue but he walked close to her and put his hand on her shoulder. Mina eyed him with a confused expression. She tried to find something that would tell her what he was trying to achieve. But the answer was most likely simple. He was feeling guilty about the situation with her parents and now he was trying to do something nice for her. 

 

"I'm fine." She dismissed him and turned to face the sink so she could wash the pot. 

 

"You never burn the milk. You do everything perfectly. Come on, we're a team, right? Let's help each other." He sounded…sincere. She finished her task and glanced at him with a frown.

 

"Look, I know that you're feeling guilty. But you don't have to make it up to me." She replied and started wiping the pot to pour milk into it one more time.

 

"I truly ed up. And I'm sorry. So please, let me do something." He pleaded. And on the one hand, Mina wanted to refuse his help. She had all of the right to do that. But on the other hand, with Chaeyoung sitting a few meters away, she relented. She set the full pot on the burner and stepped back.

 

"Fine. It won't hurt." He smiled thankfully and gestured for her to go to the living room. And she listened. Her steps led her to Chaeyoung and to her chair by the table. She sat down and grabbed her mug to take a sip. 

She had to figure out what was the source of the anxiety building down in her stomach. It wasn't Sana. But that seemed way too broad. She wasn't bothered enough about keeping their relationship platonic. So it wasn't about that. It just might've been everyone but Sana. Chaeyoung…how would she react if she heard that Mina liked someone? Haru…how would he react if he knew that they couldn't avoid a divorce anymore? What would her parents say? Would they try to take Chaeyoung away again? 

 

"Mommy, can you drive with us to kindergarten?" Chaeyoung's voice woke her up from her thoughts again. Thankfully.

 

"Did you get bored of going with your dad?" Mina asked with a humorous tone. Chaeyoung hummed softly as Haru walked in with a cup filled with warm milk, then he set it in front of Chaeyoung carefully. Mina observed him as she moved to his seat and then returned back to drinking his coffee.

 

"I want to go with both of you." Chaeyoung said in an extremely cute way. Definitely on purpose. And Mina was weak to that.

 

"I'll go. And I'll pick you up in the afternoon." She explained and reached out to pinch Chaeyoung's cheek. "I'll just let Tzuyu know." 

Chaeyoung's face brightened and she started gulping her milk in excitement. 

 

"Will you be fine without a car?" Haru voiced his worry and she simply nodded.

 

"It's not a problem." That was the end of that conversation. And once Tzuyu was up, she decided to go with them and then wait in Dahyun's room. That was the unusual start to her day. But it wasn't going to get better. 

 

She lost herself in work quite seamlessly. She went to a meeting with the staff members for the business event, she approved some ideas and told them to change a few things. Though she knew that some of the guests wouldn't be happy with the event no matter what they did. That wasn't her problem though. But what was her problem was that she returned 15 minutes late to the lunch break with Sana. The meeting dragged out, the traffic was horrible, and she couldn't tell her driver to break the law just so that she could be at her office in time. 

And of course, as she expected, Sana was waiting for her inside of the office. Mina's secretary sent her a telling look, though what was the exact message? Mina could only guess, but if it was a gesture of scolding her for being late, Mina accepted it. 

As soon as she opened the door, Sana bounced out of the chair, her expression, as always, radiating with joy. And Mina's mood changed drastically in a span of one second. 

 

"Hi! Ms. Kim told me that you had a meeting. Ah, it must've been so exhausting. I mean, they held you back for an hour? Are they that incompetent or do they hate you?" Sana's tone and expression cycled from happiness to utter annoyance. Mina smiled softly and started walking to her spot. On the way, as she was passing Sana, she felt the urge to…hug her. And normally, she would've done that without a second thought. The conversation she had with Jihyo and Jeongyeon played back in her head though and she started debating if the hug would be platonic or not. Considering how long their hugs were. And she didn't want to make it confusing. 

"Mina? Are you there?" Sana chuckled and poked Mina in the shoulder playfully. So Mina was just standing next to Sana silently. Great. 

 

"I'm just quite troubled today. I'm sorry." She explained shortly and decided to just take her seat. In front of her was the usual sight. A tray with various pastries Sana liked the most, two cups filled with their favorite drinks, and of course, Sana herself. Sana who's expression became worried, her eyebrows furrowed, the corners of her lips lowered, she sat on the chair, ready to jump out of it at once.

 

"Did something happen? You can talk to me about it. Oh, it's about your parents, right? They are too stubborn. They should be concerned for all three of you and respect your decisions. But they act so childishly. If they try to blackmail you again, just let me talk to them." Sana animated almost every word while speaking. And she finished with an angry huff. Her lips formed a tiny pout and the scowl was completing the image of a protective response well. But what was Mina supposed to say? In a way, yes, it was about her parents. But she didn't let their actions get to her. She knew that she had the high ground in that situation. She had the help of so many people too. Yet, saying that it was the sole reason for her troubled state would've been a lie. She couldn't tell Sana the other reason though. She promised herself and Jihyo. 

 

"It's about them too. But-" Sana cut her off by moving her hand.

 

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I just want you to know that you can count on me. I will do anything to take away these troubling thoughts and feelings." These were simple words. But they moved Mina's heart deeply. Moments like these made her believe that she wouldn't regret going into it with Sana. 

 

"You don't even know how much this means to me." Mina said with utmost sincerity. And Sana became bashful immediately. That was one of the endearing things about Sana. 

 

"Well, you know I mean it. I'm going to stick with you through everything." Sana let the words out before thinking, Mina could tell from the reaction she witnessed. The widened eyes, the parted lips, the jump in the chair and the way Sana leaned over the desk, almost knocking over the things in the tray.

"That was weird. Just forget it. I am just here as a support machine. I didn't mean to make it so grand and like I'm pro-" She halted her rambling by quite literally biting her tongue. A little bit too hard, because she started whining and Mina could not stop the laughter bubbling inside of her.

 

"Thank you. I would like to do the same for you." As always, Mina didn't question the way Sana confessed things. It was another thing that Mina found endearing. Sana was so honest in everything she did and said. 

 

"Of course, I know that." Sana chuckled a bit awkwardly, her right hand moved up to scratch her cheek. And as usual, she couldn't meet Mina's eyes. 

 

"I will tell you the full story soon. And please, don't worry about it too much. It's…not a situation where I can't see a happy ending." Mina assured and then reached out over the desk to grasp Sana's hands. And Sana almost fell out of the chair because of the speed at which she pushed her hands toward Mina. That created yet another sweet moment between them. 

 

"If you say so, then I will believe that it's going to end happily. You deserve all the best life's got to offer." And before Mina could open to say, probably another sappy thing, Sana quickly squeezed her hands and changed the subject.

"By the way, so we agreed to meet outside of work, right? And I didn't forget about the meeting with my favorite songs so maybe we could do it today?" 

Mina wanted to say yes without thinking, immediately. But then she remembered that she promised to pick up Chaeyoung. Though that wouldn't take too long. But then the preparation of dinner would move in time as well. She could still do it.

 

"I promised to pick Chaeyoung up from kindergarten and I'll have to prepare dinner but after that, I'm sure that I can fit you into my schedule." 

 

"You said it so seriously…" Sana said with a bit of humor. Mina didn't even realize how stoic she sounded. "And I'm honored that I have a spot in your schedule. Before you say anything else. I can go with you? And I learned quite a few things from Momo in the kitchen." The suggestion was never going to be declined by Mina. She liked that idea. She wanted Chaeyoung to get comfortable with Sana, and then hopefully with Nayeon and Momo. And she could spend time with Sana doing anything. Cooking was included.

 

"I'd love that." The smile that brightened Sana's face was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. 

 

"Great! Perfect!" Sana exclaimed and laughed heartily. " Well, we should start eating." She was right. But Mina didn't mind skipping lunch if it meant that they could stay like that for a little bit more. Their hands separated at last, reluctantly. Then in a short moment of silence, the two of them picked their pastry of choice and so their lunch began.

"You know what happened in the morning? Mr. Choi let me drive in the passenger seat. That was an achievement. He didn't even let me talk at first. He must like me now." 

 

"He didn't let you talk? Why didn't you tell me about that? But the change of heart isn't a surprise. You have this effect on people." Mina replied, fully focused on Sana. The sharp, but heavy inhale and dreamy expression on Sana's face didn't escape her gaze.

 

"I guess I didn't think about that during our talks. But we're totally cool now. Maybe we can be friends soon as well. He seems like he could use a friend." Sana added with a thoughtful sigh and took a giant bite of her bagel. Her cheeks expanded and resembled the ones of a chipmunk. 

 

"I can recommend your friendship services to him if you want." She tried to joke and Sana laughed in response. So Mina assumed that she succeeded in her task.

 

"Be careful. If you keep doing that, everyone will want to be my friend and you'll have to fight for my attention." Sana said with a teasing voice and Mina started feeling a bit of pain in her facial muscles from the way her lips were constantly stretched out and her jaw was trying to chew her food at the same time. 

 

"Don't I get special privileges as the one that found you first?" Sana looked like she was pretending to think about Mina's words. And the expression she had was endearing. 

 

"I thought about it thoroughly and reached the conclusion that you deserve special privileges." They started laughing at the same time. But Mina wasn't sure what was the reason for that laugh, the words, or the situation they were in.

"And they include having exclusive meetings with me every day. As if we haven't been doing that already." 

 

"The privileges sound acceptable. These meetings might be the best part of the day. Or right after doing anything with Chaeyoung and Tzuyu." Mina clarified. She truly wanted to let Sana know how she felt without revealing too much. Of course, the confession made Sana a mess. And Mina knew well what all of those reactions she had been getting from Sana meant. And she couldn't deny that it made her heart swell. 

 

"Yeah…they are the best part." Sana whispered with her head lowered and went silent for a second. "Though obviously, your daughter and your sister take up the biggest space in your heart. Wait! Not that I think that I'm taking any space in your heart. Not at all. I didn't mean to imply that. You see, I was just-" 

 

"Sana, breathe." Mina cut her off and observed how Sana inhaled and exhaled the air, unimaginably red. Somehow, they always cycled to that topic. As if something wanted them to just admit their feelings whenever they talked. But the rational part of Mina's brain wouldn't let her do that yet. Finally, Sana took one last deep breath and closed her eyes to fully calm her anxious thoughts. "You don't have to explain yourself. I understand what you mean. You don't have to worry about the way you say or word things." And for once, Sana's eyes were glued to Mina's. It felt like she was trying to search for an answer in Mina's eyes. This confirmation of what she was probably thinking at that moment. And Mina was sure that she was an open book, she didn't try to hide anything. Sana swallowed and her lips parted. With a quick inhale, her voice started coming out of as Mina's phone started ringing. The mood died, the realization and disappointment on Sana's face obvious, and painful to watch. But Mina had to pick it up, it was her business phone. She smiled apologetically at Sana and picked up her phone. It was a call from one of the businessmen that would attend the event they were preparing, her secretary informed her. And she had to do something she didn't want to do.

 

"Hold on a second," she told her secretary and then returned her attention to Sana. "I hate to say it, but it's a call from one of the businessmen that will attend our event. I had to pick it up. Can we-" Sana jumped off the chair, with a soft, understanding smile. She grabbed her drink and two more pastries in her hands. 

 

"I understand. You're the boss here. So when should I come back?" She asked, still bashful.

 

"3 pm. And thank you again, Sana." Mina sent her a warm smile and Sana's expression brightened a bit. With a nod, she turned around and started walking to the door. Mina observed her leave until she couldn't see her anymore and only then she returned the call.

 

She wouldn't have known that it was 3 pm. if it wasn't for Sana bouncing into her office like she lived there. Cheery as always. She skipped all the way to the desk and started swaying slightly after stopping. 

 

"Why am I not surprised that you're still working?" She laughed melodiously and shook her head slowly. Mina smiled brightly at her and started saving every document she was working on before turning off her computer.

 

"I have to catch up on everything related to the event and come up with new things. It's been a couple of days but I wish that I could supervise the renovation again." She sighed softly and stood up to gather all of the folders she needed to take with her.

 

"I wish so too. I met the new supervisor…I swear, she doesn't know a thing about manners. She stormed into the grounds and started yelling at me of all people, that she was moved to supervise us. Ma'am, you should ask your CEO about that." Mina wasn't sure who was put in her place, but she was going to ask her secretary. And have a conversation with that lady about manners and how she should be treating the team.

 

"I'm so sorry, Sana. I'll make sure that this won't happen again." She must've sounded weird because Sana's eyes widened ever so slightly for a split second and her teeth caught her bottom lip. She didn't mean to sound scary.

 

"Now that's something I wouldn't mind seeing." Sana whispered awkwardly and Mina wasn't sure of the meaning behind these words. Sana wasn't looking, but at the desk, the fingers of her right hand were playing with the strands of her hair, a small smile was playing on her lips, they were swollen from the previous chewing. 

 

"Do you want to scold her as well?" Mina asked with a tiny laugh and walked around her desk to join Sana.

 

"What?" Sana's head jerked up and she stared at Mina with confusion. So she was completely lost in thoughts. But soon realization appeared on her face and Mina couldn't truly describe the expression Sana made.

"No, no. I don't need to be there. I'm sure that you'll be enough of a force to correct her behavior." She said awkwardly. Mina smiled warmly at her and hoped that it would relieve the worry in Sana's mind. 

 

"I'm not going to force you. Though I don't doubt that you talked back to her." Mina hoped that she managed to say it with humor. She didn't wait for the answer though. Her steps led her to the door, she opened it for Sana. "Shall we?"

 

"Well, I might've talked back a little…" Mina giggled sweetly at the answer because an image of an angry Sana appeared in her head and she somehow looked more cute than intimidating. But it was just Mina's biased mind creating an image. In reality, Sana could've looked quite scary. 

 

"Don't worry, even if she tries to use it against you, I won't let her." Sana walked out at last, Mina was right behind. She locked the door and they both said their goodbyes to Ms. Kim. And then they made their way to the elevator. 

 

"Ok, if she says something about being called a discount evil queen, ignore it." Mina laughed quietly at the warning. She could also tell that Sana said it with the sole purpose of getting a laugh out of her. Because her face lit up as soon as she heard Mina's laugh and the satisfaction in her smile was apparent. The elevator arrived, with 3 people inside. That was enough reason to halt their conversation for a moment. Though the bright smiles never left their faces, as their arms brushed against each other during the short journey down the building. 

They were relatively silent all the way to the business car, mostly because of the people passing them by in the corridors. It wasn't awkward though. Mina didn't feel that deep feeling of needing to say something. 

Of course, once they reached the car, Mina started walking a tiny bit faster to open the door for Sana. And Sana? Sana covered her face with her hands, bashful.

 

"Do you always open doors for others like that?" She asked, only revealing her face once she was sitting in the passenger seat. Mina didn't say anything, she closed the door and walked around the car to enter it from the driver's side. Then once she was seated and buckled, the answer left .

 

"No." She smiled softly and started the car. Sana looked out of the window, her eyes closed. "If you don't want me to do that, I can stop."

 

"No! That's not it. It's…" Mina waited for an explanation patiently, her eyes stealing a few glances at Sana as she focused on the road. 

"But you know, driving a car is a perfect opportunity to listen to music." The change of the topic was unexpected. Though Mina didn't mind it. 

 

"We can probably fit in a few songs. You can connect your phone and play the infamous playlist." Sana laughed proudly and did exactly what she was told. She tapped on her phone a few times and soon the sound of EDM began to play from the speakers. Mina had to admit, she usually listened to classical music or blues. That song was something completely different. Lively. It was hard to explain, but Mina felt like she could dance at the moment, and she was a terrible dancer. But the true highlight of the moment was Sana, who was actually dancing on her seat and mouthing the lyrics as if she was belting them. Mina decided that even if the song wasn't catchy, she still would've enjoyed it because of the way Sana was enjoying it. 

 

"And?" Sana stopped the songs just to ask about Mina's opinion. She replied after taking a turn.

 

"It was fun. I felt like I could dance. But I am bad at doing that." She replied with an awkward chuckle and stopped at a red light. "And it was an even better experience with the way you enjoyed the song." She said honestly. Sana couldn't stop a cute giggle from escaping . 

 

"I lose control over my body when these songs start playing." Sana explained, slightly embarrassed. Though Mina believed that there was nothing to be embarrassed about.

"Soon, you'll be doing the same. And I don't take the I'm bad at dancing. If you let yourself go, let the music fill you in, your body will move on its own and you'll show the best dance you're capable of." 

 

Mina smiled, feeling like she could probably survive making a fool of herself in front of Sana. Though definitely not when she was driving a car.

"We'll have to try it at home then. I'm quite busy right now."

 

"Well, of course." Sana laughed heartily. "Then when we arrive at your apartment and deal with every task we have set, we can throw a party. Chaeyoung's likes stuff like this, right?"

 

"She does. Especially, when no one has the strength to party." Mina clarified and took a turn into the street where the kindergarten was standing.

 

"Oh, I can totally imagine that. And I can see how you're barely standing on your feet but you are still twirling around with Chaeyoung in your arms." Sana sounded as if she was daydreaming about that situation. And she was correct, Mina did twirl around with Chaeyoung, even when she was exhausted. 

 

"You have guessed correctly because I do that." 

 

"Oh…I didn't mean to sound like I'm imagining things with you as the main character. That probably didn't sound better." Sana said in a low voice, and she slumped in the seat just a tiny bit. Mina caught it with the corner of her eyes and then pulled up into the parking spot. 

 

"It's nice though. Me being in your mind." Mina said, charmed. "I'll go pick up Chaeyoung. I believe that I can trust you with the car." 

 

"Hold on." Sana grasped her wrist to pull her back down. Mina didn't fight. "How should I act? I am still a stranger to Chaeyoung. And I don't want her to feel weird around me." 

 

"The way that you always are is enough to make her comfortable. But you can ask about what she drew today. She probably isn't going to stop explaining everything." Mina felt happy that Sana cared so much about making a good impression on Chaeyoung. And the worry was justified, Mina was sure that Chaeyoung would like Sana too. 

 

"So is it like mother, like daughter. If you like me, she likes me?" Mina smiled reassuringly and put her hand over Sana's. 

 

"This is exactly how this works, Sana." She replied and retracted her hands. It took Sana a second to wake up from whatever frozen state she was in and her hand sprung away from Mina's wrist. Though a gorgeous smile was resting upon Sana's face after registering Mina's words fully. 

 

Getting Chaeyoung out of the building was a matter of a couple of minutes. Mostly because Chaeyoung wasn't acting as if she couldn't get dressed and her teacher told Mina that nothing of interest happened. Also, the hug Chaeyoung trapped her in didn't last as long as it could sometimes. 

Once they were ready to leave, Mina took Chaeyoung's tiny hand into hers and led them out of the kindergarten.

 

"Chaeyoung, we have a guest today." Mina started and she glanced at Chaeyoung to check her reaction. 

 

"Is daddy here after all?" Well…Mina felt awful that she had to deny that.

 

"No, he isn't the guest. Sana will join us today. She wanted to cook something for us." She explained very carefully. She didn't want Chaeyoung to throw a tantrum or cry. But the mention of Sana caught her attention.

 

"Sana? The lady that waved at me when you were all talking at home?" It was a bit surprising that Chaeyoung pointed that out. Mina almost forgot that even happened. 

 

"Yes, that one." Chaeyoung hummed and remained silent. Though Mina could see on her face that she was deep in thought. 

 

When they were close to the car, Sana opened the door and got out.

 

"Hi, I'm Sana." Sana's smile was as inviting as ever. 

 

"Hello, I'm Chaeyoung."

 

"I'm so happy that I can spend time with you and your mom." There was no way that Chaeyoung couldn't feel the sincerity radiating off of Sana. 

"Oh, here, jump in." She added and opened the door to the backseat. Chaeyoung didn't hesitate to get in and Mina helped her get everything done in the child seat. Sana entered the car again and then Mina followed both of them. She started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. 

 

"So did anything interesting happen in kindergarten? Did you draw something cool?" Sana used Mina's advice from earlier. And almost instantly, Chaeyoung forgot about shyness. 

 

"It was fun today. I draw Tzuyu as a worm in the morning." Chaeyoung began talking enthusiastically. Mina and Sana stifled their laughter at the thought of Tzuyu as a worm. Mina also corrected Chaeyoung's little mistake. "And then I drew my dolls with their future children. Lastly, I drew my dream dog."

 

"I need to see all of these masterpieces when we're at your home. Especially your future dog. I'll help you convince mommy to take your future dog in soon." Sana whispered the last sentence, leaning over the back of her seat, closer to Chaeyoung. The little girl giggled happily at the little secret promise.

 

"I'll show you all of my drawings! Do you like princesses?" 

 

"Of course, I do! Mulan is my favorite one." Sana sounded just as excited as Chaeyoung did. Mina decided then, that she didn't have to worry about Chaeyoung not liking Sana anymore. 

 

"I like Rapunzel!" Chaeyoung exclaimed and continued smiling brightly. And Mina let them be. She didn't have to step in to keep the conversation going. Sana might've just had the ability to get along with everyone. Mina was also sure that Chaeyoung was most likely going to cry when Sana left for the night.

 

And the joyous atmosphere didn't leave them after arriving at their apartment building either. They left the car and Chaeyoung was still talking to Sana about the whole plot behind her dolls' life. And Sana was completely engrossed in the story as if she was watching the best drama. 

Chaeyoung wasn't going to let Sana leave her for a second without whining and complaining. Mina thought to herself as they left the elevator on their floor and Chaeyoung reached out to grab Sana's hand as well so that she was walking in between the two women. 

Mina searched for the apartment keys and let everyone inside. But Mina stopped focusing on Sana and Chaeyoung when she noticed Haru's shoes and bag in the corridor. Just as if he could hear her thoughts, Haru walked out of the living room, in an apron. 

 

"Welcome back, baby cub." He called out and his voice managed to break Chaeyoung out of the conversation she had with Sana. In a matter of a second, she was hugging her dad tightly. 

Though the mood on the other side of the corridor was the opposite. Mina noticed Sana step closer to her as if she was trying to hide behind her. 

"Hello, Sana, right? Mina."

 

"I thought that you were busy today." Mina tried to get an explanation immediately. She couldn't hide her disappointment, even if she wanted to. 

 

"Daddy, Sana is so fun!" Chaeyoung said happily and detached herself from Haru.

 

"I don't doubt. I am busy. I wanted to clean around and prepare a nice dinner for us. We haven't had a family meal in a while." Mina couldn't help but look for a catch in that confession. Not that Haru wasn't helping her out. But the whole aura of the situation was…weird. 

 

"Oh, that's lovely. I'll leave you to it then. I'll stop by tomorrow to see all of your drawings, Chaeyoung, all right?" Sana sounded embarrassed and sad. Mina wanted to tell Sana that she didn't have to leave. But she felt Sana's hand squeeze her lightly. As if to stop her from saying anything. 

 

"You will?! I will prepare everything!" Chaeyoung said with a grin and then jumped in the distance to Sana to trap her in a hug. And with a giggle, Sana reciprocated it. 

 

"I promise. So enjoy your dinner. I will see you tomorrow, Mina." 

 

"Until tomorrow." Mina replied quietly and observed as Sana walked out the door. She caught for just a split of second, the gutted expression on Sana's face. She didn't have time to worry about it though, because Chaeyoung was dragging her to the living room with a happy skip. 

And of course, the dinner was good. The way Chaeyoung beamed at them the whole time was heartwarming. But it was all just…off. Maybe it was just the guilt and disappointment that caused her to feel that way. Or maybe…she couldn't tell. Yet. But even when she decided to ask Haru about it later, after Chaeyoung was asleep, she didn't get the answer she was looking for.

 

"May I know what the occasion was?" She spoke up after stopping by Tzuyu's room where he was staying. Haru halted his task, probably something related to work, and gestured for her to enter. Mina did so.

 

"I don't think there needs to be an occasion to spend time with my family. But, I acted wrong by informing your parents about Nayeon. It should've been your action. I don't want to take Chaeyoung away from you. I just wanted to show it by doing something nice." That reveal wasn't as shocking as one could think. Mina got to know Haru, she could tell when he was hiding something. At that moment, he was honest. And Mina couldn't say that it was an awful thing. 

 

"Thank you, Haru. It's enough that you understand that you didn't do the right thing. You don't have to do anything nice." Mina answered sincerely as well.

 

"But I want to. And Chaeyoung will be happy. Because her parents will spend time with her. In a fun atmosphere. It isn't bad, is it?" He smiled at her gently and she couldn't deny that it wasn't bad as long as they could keep away from disagreements. Because Chaeyoung was the happiest at moments like these.

 

"I guess so. Well, thank you again. I assume that you'll pick her up tomorrow?" He nodded, with an apologetic smile.

 

"Yes, I'm not going to inconvenience you every day." Mina hummed, still trying to decipher what was the meaning behind his behavior. 

 

"All right, I'm not going to bother you anymore. I'll wait for Tzuyu and go to bed. Good night." 

 

"You're not a bother, Mina. And sleep well." He replied softly and waved at her. With a nod, Mina walked out of the room and returned to the living room to rest on the sofa.

She needed to talk to Jihyo and Jeongyeon about it. And she had to make sure to make it up to Sana the next day. She couldn't bear the image of Sana's devastated expression as she was leaving the apartment. It felt wrong to force such a look on her beautiful face.