Sooyoung looked nervously at Changmin. She expected the boy to mirror the same anxious expression she has on her face but was surprised to see the said boy smiling at Seohyun as if he has expected the question all along.

"We don't have a marriage certificate yet, Seohyun-ssi." He flashed a smile before continuing. "Civil weddings may seem fast and easy-to-do but it takes a lot of days to go through all the bureaucracies of paperwork. It takes at least three days to process marriage certificates. Two days if we're lucky and if the line is short."

Sooyoung carefully observed the maknae’s features to see if she had fallen into Changmin's well-spun tale. Seohyun looked at loss for words for a few seconds and Sooyoung can’t believe her eyes when she saw her sporting her rarely-used defeated look.

Oh my gaseous atmosphere. She fell for that? I can’t believe it!

Sooyoung threw a fearful look at Changmin, mouth slightly agape. Now she really has to watch her steps closely. It seems like this boy shouldn’t be underestimated at all. She was still looking stupid with slightly opened when Seohyun spoke again.

"Mianhae unnie."
Sooyoung’s head snapped back to the younger girl in front of her.
"Neh? For what?" she asked dumbly.
"For doubting you and Changmin-ssi."
"Huh?"
"I know marriage certificates take long to process and I just asked to make sure that what you were saying is true. Mianhae." Seohyun was looking on her lap, thus failing to catch Sooyoung’s clueless expression as she looked at a calm Changmin beside her.

"It's okay Seohyun-ssi. Your apprehension is understandable since everything happened too fast." Changmin reached out to pat the younger girl's head.

Yoona and Yuri exchanged glances before grinning guiltily at the two.

"Oppa, don't think that Seohyunnie doesn't trust you." Yoona said with a nervous laugh.
"Yes. She's just... a bit protective over Sooyounggie. Yes, a bit over-protective." Yuri added and the two girls looked at each other and laughed nervously together.

Changmin gave them a small smile before continuing "No. It's okay, really. I understand."

Seohyun was still looking at her lap and the two other girls were still exchanging guilty smiles when Sooyoung interrupted them.

"“Yah, why are you three here anyway? Where is Hyo?"

"Ah, yeah we almost forgot." Yuri scratched her head unconsciously. "Maknae ran away from home so she'll gonna stay here for hmmm..." she put finger on her chin and mentally calculated the days Seohyun would probably spend in the house. "...maybe about a week!"

Sooyoung ogled her for a few seconds before bursting out when the realization hit her.

"WHAT?!"
"Unnie, they had a fight again. Worse, this time around." Yoona said as she slung her arms around the youngest girl. "Seohyunnie needs us most at this point in her life. Please let her stay here." Her doe-eyes pleading mercy on the tall girl before her.

Sooyoung knows who the 'they' were.

"You know for a fact that I don’t have any problem with Makdoongie being here but WHAT THE HELL IS HER PARENTS' PROBLEM?! ISN'T THE DIVORCE ENOUGH?! CAN'T THEY SEE HOW MUCH IT AFFECTS HER?! AISH!" she stood up angrily from her seat, completely forgetting her swollen ankle. She only managed to take a few steps before she fell down in a heap.

"Darn!"
"Unnie..." Seohyun finally raised her head, a bit alarmed at Sooyoung’s sudden outburst. She promised herself not to cry over the fact that her parents are fighting again, heck, she should have been used to it by now! But seeing Sooyoung’s angered face and the thousand silent messages of “are you okay?” in her eyes, the tears can’t help pouring out.

Why can't her parents care for her the way her unnies do?

"Seohyunnie, don't cry!" Sooyoung said instinctively before crawling her way towards where the youngest was sitting. She held the younger girl in her arms the moment she reached her place. Seohyun leaned her head on Sooyoung's chest as the latter pats her back reassuringly. "Don't cry. Oh please, don’t cry. Everything will be fine soon. Okay? Unnie will find a way. We will resolve this as soon as possible. Hush now."

Yoona, who was sitting beside them, patted Seohyun before leaning her head on her best friend's back. "Seohyunnie, we're always here for you." She rested her chin on the youngest girl's back and bit her lips so as not to cry along with her. Yuri, who was looking at the three of them, reached out to touch Yoona's hand and gave out a sigh.

Changmin looked transfixed at the scene before him. The sudden change in atmosphere left a certain clenching feeling around his heart. He has known the four girls from the news he has often heard. But the said news failed to note the bond between them. He looked helplessly at the crying maknae and her unnies around her. His eyes darted from girl to girl. Yuri is just staring at the floor, one hand absentmindedly clawing at the plush carpet, but he can sense the frustration coming out from her. Yoona still had her head on Seohyun's back, her eyes staring into space. Somehow the image of an always-smiling Yoona in his head faded away to be replaced by that solemn, lonely look. Seohyun's face was buried on Sooyoung's chest and her shoulders shook for every strand of pain she feels in her innocent heart.

And Sooyoung… Changmin can't make out of what emotions she might be feeling. There's a mix of anger, frustration, worry, and deep melancholy in her eyes. She keeps looking up at the ceiling, failing miserably to keep the tears from flowing. Her face is wet from the fresh trails of tears leaking from her eyes and Changmin feels the urge to wipe those pains away.

He was about to say something when Yuri broke the silence.

"Hyoyeon's out of town. Went visiting her grandparents. Heard her grandma's confined in a hospital." She stared at the marks her fingers left on the carpet before looking at Sooyoung.

"Is she alone?" Sooyoung asked, her face clouded with worry.
"No. She's with Hyukjae-oppa. She'll be fine."

Yuri crept towards the coffee table and poured a glass of milk on all five glasses. Yoona raised her head and went near her to