Days passed by really quickly for Joy.

She finds herself going back to Joohyun's house on another Sunday.

One week passed since she talked with Joohyun about what's going on in her mind, but she couldn't talk to her mother about it. She just kept on framing sentences in her head and then deleting it.

She remembers how close she was to saying it all when her mother came to apologize to her on Tuesday night.

"Joyiee open up!" Wendy said dragging her words.

Joy quickly rushed and opened the gate of her room. She didn't expect her mother to come at this time of the day, but she guessed it's because she only got free time now.

"Mommy what it I was sleeping right now?" Joy whines. She glances at the time. "You would've woken me up. It's 11 after all."

Wendy shows all her teeth in a Cheshire grin.

"Well, I heard you sing your heart out to Because of you so...."

A blush found it's way on Joy's face. It's not like she's never sung before her mother, but this was new. This song was hard and she was practicing. Without realising she looked down, maybe Wendy caught onto that.

"Hey, why? What happened? You were amazing Joy. You almost fooled me into thinking that was a cover you were playing." Wendy held both of her shoulders and shook her a little.

When Joy looked up, her mother had this proud smile as she was nodding. Relief washed over Joy, she knew why. That encouraging smile from her mother would always cheer her up. Her mother always has this bright energy with her, enough to light up the whole world.

She wished she was like her mother too.

She moved inside and settled down on the bed, and Wendy waddled behind her.

"You've been there for now long exactly?" Joy threw a questioning glance to Wendy.

"Well...uhh...I didn't mean to eavesdrop but when I heard your amazing voice I couldn't move." Wendy grinned sheepishly.

Joy just let the topic slide since all her mother did by listening to that was encourage her to do even better.

"So what's up?" Joy asked looking at Wendy.

"Look, I'll just be straightforward. I'm really really really sorry I couldn't come with you on Sunday." Wendy waved her hands frantically to explain. "I had work and I hate that I bailed after promising, I shouldn't make excuses but-"

"Mommy it's fine. We'll go out some other day." It was honestly fine, Joy had almost forgotten that. Yes, she was upset at first, but then she understood why they were here in the first place.

Work.

Wendy sighed. "Is it really?"

"Yesss, mommyy~~" Joy giggled and started tapping her mother's head.

Wendy immediately brightened up. "Okayy! So I have a plan, I'll take you to Lotte World. It's like....so amazing." Wendy looked like she was relieving tons of memories in her head.

"We last went there when you were about to turn 3." Wendy looked lost in her memories. "I remember that clearly." She said the last part quietly and there was a sad tone under it.

Joy wondered why.

Maybe something bad happened there.

She figured this is the correct time to ask about her dad, but some part in her brain said no.

She still tried.

"What else happened there?" She paused before throwing the final dagger.

"Who did you go with?"

Her mother's face perked up. Her eyebrows were furrowed. Seeing that expression made her retaliate.

"I mean, you couldn't have had any fun with a little baby. You must be busy taking care of me all the time." She quickly thought of something.

Wendy's face visibly relaxed a bit. But then it looked like she was calculating something.

"I'll tell you everything after we have fun there."

She thinks about that sentence.

That must mean that her mother was going to tell her about the past, right?

She has no idea and she's been thinking about that for the whole week now. She thought they'd be going out today but turns out they can't. She didn't complain though. She's sure her mother will take her there, she was so happy when she proposed the idea.

She also talked to Joohyun in the past week, but this never came up and they never talked if Joy had the conversation with her mother or not.

She wanted to talk about it today.

After all Joohyun said it's better to talk about it than bottle it inside.

Just then an idea strikes her.

Maybe Rosé knows something? I could ask her.

She almost immediately forgets about it the moment she sees Joohyun's house. She quickly pays the cab driver and gets out. She also scowls thinking about how high the prices of taxis are these days.

She rings the bell.

Yeri greets her at the entrance. She gives Yeri a little side hug. "Hellooo~".

She moves inside and a smell of amazing food welcomes her. "Wow! What did you cook Joohyun?" She almost screams.

"Look at you, more interested in meeting the food over your own friend." Yeri huffs in annoyance and rolls her eyes.

"Who wouldn't at the smell of Joohyun's food?"

Yeri just nods to herself, accepting the fact that Joy is absolutely right.

"Heyy, Joy!" Joohyun washes her hands in the sink, wipes them and envelopes Joy in a hug.

They part and Joohyun rushes to the kitchen seconds later. Joy realises that she had only come out to hug Joy and she grins widely thinking about that.

"Oh my god, are you thinking about Sungjae again?" Yeri stands just beside her with an annoying smirk plastered on her face.

She wasn't thinking about him but now thanks to Yeri she is. Sungjae is just a friend and they got really close over the past few days but he never texts her anymore.

"Okay, please stop." Yeri raises a palm in front of her. "You look like a lovesick girl."

Joy smacks her in the shoulder.

"Yeri...uhh...is he actually busy these days. We...we weren't able to....umm...meet." 

Yeri smirks.

Gosh, can't she ever be serious?!

"So you were thinking about him." Yeri chuckles. "Anyways, I think he really is. Even I couldn't see him around. He must be studying really hard." Yeri puts her finger on her chin.

"Who is 'he' here? Please fill me in." Joy hears Joohyun's voice front the kitchen.

"Oh, it's Joy's lover."

Yeri chortles as she runs for her life while Joy chases her around the house.

Joy could even hear Joohyun's muffled laughter, she's not suprised though, considering the loud laugh Joohyun has.

Yeri and Joy found themselves in the living room beating each other ruthlessly with pillows, until Joohyun's voice distracted them.

"Guys, lunch is ready. Come here now."

Like little obedient kids they shuffle thier way back to the dining table.

"I'll wake Seul up, just a second." Joohyun rushes to the same room from which Joy heard some unwanted things before.

Joy hears indistinct whines and a smile makes it's way up to her face.

"You know, Yeri. Sometimes I feel like you're