At the same time, at a different place ---

The sounds of joyful laughter permeated the air as the sun shone down on the green, lush lawn where a group of kids were frolicking on, chasing each other around, and knocking over garden decorations here and there.

Ga Eul smiled as she watched her well-dressed care running around carefreely. Although, the school staff had taken great efforts to dress them like adults, kids will always be kids --- the fear of dirtying their attires or incurring the wrath of controlling adults would never bother them as much as missing out on a chance to have fun. "Geez, these kids" Ha Neul tsked in annoyance, watching their efforts to maintain order and beauty go down the drain.

"Well... It's beautiful like that too, isn't it?" Joong Ki quipped. The other two could only nod in silent agreement as the infectious joy .., until they came to a realization.

"Ah! We have to get ready for the play! Where's the two playing the groom and bride?!" Ha Neul exclaimed. "Ahh.. Chill, chill, we'll get then all in place!", Joong Ki replied, as he turned towards the kids, and blowed through a whistle to get their attention.

Before long, they had all the kids seated on neatly arranged white chairs, except for those who were supposed to perform -- they, were all ushered to the makeshift backstage, where the last minute preparations were made.

"Have you memorized all your lines, Hyun Jin, ya?" HaNeul asked a boy dressed in a suit. "And you, Ae ri, put on your shoes!" Ha Neul commanded as she spotted a girl walking around barefooted.

"Hye in, stop pulling on your hair!" , Ga Eul shouted as she struggled to help the girl sitting on the chair in front of her. "Jeremy, don't eat anymore, you'll spoil your lipstick!" "Mi--" Ga eul stopped in mid sentence as someone suddenly locked her field of view.

"Hello!" Jan di had burst in through the entrance of the backstage, surprising everyone there. "Eh? Why are you here so early?"

Ga Eul had previously invited her to her schoolplay because Jan Di had wanted more experience with kids, since her own was about to come into the world "Oh! Why does she have a big stomach?" a curious kid inquired. "Silly, she has a baby!" Another kid took the liberty to answer.

"Hee. I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help, it's so boring at home!" "Help? With your condition?" Ga Eul sounded doubtful, as she sent a look in the direction of Jandi's stomsch. "Hey, I can still do many things all right, I can even send a small flying kick, don't you look down on me! Ga Eul chuckled, her best friend, still as stubborn as ever, like the first day she had met her.

"All right, all right, could you help tie the hair of the two girls sitting over there?" Ga Eul used her elbow to point out the girls to Jandi, as she continued to "Hurry, hurry! The visitors are streaming in! The children need to start lining the stage!" In the chaos, the teachers managed to send out the kids who were already prepared, -- As Ga Eul and Jandi sat to watch the play unfolding in front of them, Jandi asked, "How did you all decided on a wedding as the theme of the play?"

"It's not really our decision, a kid was clamouring about wanting to be a flower girl and then the class started demanding to have a wedding.... Does it really matter, anyway? It's just a child's play, after all, as long as everyone is happy!" "It's quite cute hah, little kids dressed as adults. Funny how they're so eager to grow up." "Weren't we all like that? Wanting to dress up with our mother's shoes, wearing make up... Ah, those memories" Jandi rubbed her tummy, sinking in her thoughts, as the wedding music played and the kids started to march up on stage when suddenly one of the little bridesmaid stepped on the make-believe wife's dress' train and tripped, causing her to topple over the girl in front of her, as well as stop the entire train of movement for the troop following behind as they could not stop in time too.

As one collided to another, a domino effect occurred and eventually, all of the little kids were down on the bottoms, either on the stage or on the steps or down below. The cries and laughter eemerged not long later. Cries from kids who could not accept what was going on, and from kids who had injured themselves. Laughter from the kids and adults who cannot believe what had just happened.

Even the teachers couldn't stop laughing, as they tried their best to attend to all the crying kids. "Omo!" Jandi could only exclaim and laughed as she couldn't bring herself to help with her own big tummy, Jandi stopped to catch her breath among her laughster and turned to Ga Eul, who was helping a kid nearby, quietly observing down for a few minutes, before speaking again, "Ga Eul, it's cute isn't it, how these kids make marriage feel like a joke, the way they play it? Oh, children! How innocent and pure their world are! You know, it's strange isn't it, the world we grew up in makes marriage so pure and fairytale like but only when we really encounter it, we realize a marriage is not a fairytale at all."

"Jandi?" Ga Eul was a little taken aback at the sudden philosophical thoughts of her friends. She has certainly been thinking a lot since she got pregnant. "I was just thinking of my own marriage, Ga Eul....", a smile appeared on her face, "It has been quite a journey, but I don't regret it though. Ga Eul ya, when it's your turn, choose a choice you won't regret too, okay? What the world says won't matter as much as your own heart." Jandi smiled again , and patted Ga Eul's hand.

Ga Eul could only return her a sad little smile of her own, thinking of her own life -- with all the scars she was clinging onto, marriage has become the furthest thing on her mind.

End of Chapter 21

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A/N: Somehow, this feels like an little awkward chapter to me... some joy in the middle of the sad vibe of this fanfic, but I wanted a contrast, and I hope this chapter has been entertaining too! And yes, I'll be working on the last 3 chapters this month. I already have the gist of it although the flow of the story might appear a little rushed, please bear with me, thanks! And once again, thanks for all support so far -- the silent readers, the follows and especially the comments! Appreciate them as always! :)