“Happy birthday, my babies! Now say kimchi!” Tiffany's voice is not only loud and overly excited, but also demanding, like she would slap them if they don't do what she says. Scary.

Seulgi musters an awkward smile, the corners of twitching a little. She hears someone (she thinks it's Bomi) snicker in the background and feels Seungwan's hand pat her knee. Three or so smartphones make that shutter sound so they know that their picture had been taken.

Seulgi drops the pose and sighs, shoulders slouching forward. Seungwan turns to her, laughs.

“Why are you laughing?” Seulgi pouts. “Is this fun?”

Well, being forced to sit down together, in front of their birthday cake, to pose for pictures like elementary school children by their strict mom who likes to show off, in their case, Tiffany, is not exactly a pleasant experience. Especially since they’re 26 years old now, not 5. Not to mention they're doing it in front of the guests (friends of Bomi and Seulgi as well as Seungwan's because it's a joint birthday celebration, apparently).

But for Seungwan, being here with Seulgi right now is all that really matters so she's actually having fun and she has no trouble letting Seulgi know about this.

Seulgi blinks back at her, not expecting that answer. She hasn't exactly been the happy outgoing type which explains the surprise. Still, she takes Seulgi getting caught off guard for her advantage, picks up a party hat, puts it on Seulgi’s head and smiles at the sight. Then she thinks that time can stop now. All she really needs is to be with Seulgi like this.

She finds herself drawing closer to Seulgi, forehead pressing against Seulgi's.

“It's fun because I'm with you so just forget about everything else and smile with me, okay?” She whispers to her, pulls back.

Seulgi looks back at her for a moment like she couldn't believe what she's hearing but she smiles after she recovers and it's genuine.

“Alright! Time to make a wish, you two.” Tiffany speaks up again, holding up her camera phone as reinforcement to make them acquiesce to her demands.

Seungwan doesn't argue and quite enthusiastically folds her hands together. She closes her eyes immediately whereas Seulgi takes her time since she's unable to look away from this happy Seungwan. Well, that and she doesn't know what to wish for. She already has everything she could ever want with this girl sitting right next to her. What else could she ask for?

“Go on, Seulgi.” Chorong gently coaxes her, offers her a gentle smile like the great mom she is.

Slowly, Seulgi does the same as Seungwan but she still keeps one eye open to watch her. She hears someone in the room go ‘awww' but she doesn't have the time to check who it is because she finally figures what to wish for and she has to make that wish quick. Then, together with Seungwan, she blows out the candles.

The room is filled with applause from everyone as soon as the candles go out. Seungwan is smiling at her again and she returns that smile, takes her hand from under the table.

A shutter sound goes off again and Tiffany says “Look at them. They're so in love.” Even wipes away a tear from her eye as Taeyeon holds her.

Seungwan does this thing with her eyebrows, making Seulgi laugh. And then she sighs because it feels so much like everything's in place. She scoots closer to Seungwan and looks into her eyes.

“Well, yeah. They got that right. Happy birthday, Seungwan-ah.” She says, kisses her on the cheek.

“Alright! Time for you guys to cut the cake!” Tiffany interrupts again, rushing forward to hand them a knife.

Seungwan looks annoyed for a moment. Seulgi wonders what's going on now. What ever happened to ‘it's fun because I'm with you’? But Seulgi doesn't mind. Surely, there's a limit to things Seungwan can tolerate.

“But, unnie, it's not a wedding.” Seungwan says. She feels a bit embarrassed now, Seulgi thinks. So she figures that it's time to break away.

“And we would like to use this time to talk with the guests.” She quickly adds.

Tiffany looks at them like she wants to argue but her wife hugs her from behind and effectively stops her.

“Just let them, yeobo.” Taeyeon says. “They're right. It's not their wedding. You'll get another chance on their actual wedding.” Hallelujah.

Seulgi takes Seungwan's hand. “Let's go before they change their minds.”

They get up from their seats and walk away from Tiffany as fast as they can, laughing together. They blend in well with Seungwan's friends who were huddling in the living room where they are greeted warmly with smiles and thumps on the back.

“What did we say? We knew you two had something going on.” Suzy looks at them with rather gooey eyes.

“Right, Suzy? Ah. You look really good together. You’re even born on the same month. Happy birthday, you two.” Hyeri claps her hands together.

“Congratulations and happy birthday!” Mark and Jackson chorus.

Seungwan's friends always had a way to make Seulgi feel a bit embarrassed. Still, it's the sincerity that counts so she just nods at them and thanks them while Seungwan just smiles shyly.

“Hey, has anyone seen Taehyun?” Suzy suddenly says, like she only remembered now. Her eyes roam the room in search of him, double-checking if he was with the group.

“He came with us?” Hyeri asks, busy with her fingernails all of a sudden.

“He came with us!” Suzy elbows her hard for being insensitive, glares a little at her.

“Maybe he left, then.” Hyeri says, still trying to reason out while she rubs her side gently.

“I think I last saw him in the kitchen. Should I-?” Jackson makes to get up but Seungwan throw her arm out to stop him.

“I'll go.” She says, stands.

“What?” Everyone of her friends almost yell. Seulgi gives her a curious look.

“I'll get him. You guys stay here. There's something I want to ask him about anyway.” She turns to Seulgi, gives her an assuring smile. “I'll be right back, okay?”

Trying to look like she knows what she's doing, she calmly walks to the adjacent room to look for Taehyun. She finds him by the window with a glass of punch in his hand.

“Oh, Seungwan-ah. Happy birthday.” He greets her, places his glass down on the window sill.

“Hmm. Thanks. I didn't know you would come.” Seungwan replies, keeps her distance from him. After all, it's not like they're on very good terms. Why did she volunteer to get him again?

“I wasn't going to but I realized how much of a jerk I had been in the past and I really want to apologize.” He wipes his hands on his pants. He must be nervous.

“I'm sorry about what I said during your anniversary. I know I shouldn't have used Yerim as bait but I was desperate. I just really, really like you.” Seungwan doesn't say anything and lets him continue.

“And we were good friends in high school too. Sorry if my greediness for you ruined that.” He smiles weakly at her.

“I can see now that what you have with Seulgi is going great so I'm officially waving the white flag. I hope you’ll find forgiveness for me in your heart even if it's not now.”

He bows his head low, shuffles his feet around like a child caught in doing something wrong.

“Apology accepted.” Seungwan smiles, surprising him. “You are forgiven so don't sulk around on your own. Come hang out with the gang.” To some extent, maybe she was hoping to hear that. It's, after all, time to smoothen things now and start anew with Seulgi.

“I would love to but I have to leave in a bit.” He says, sounding very much relieved.

“Busy with work?”

“Not really work. Volunteer work.” He answers.

“Oh, how's Yerim?” She asks without even thinking. Sadly, Taehyun looks at her and she doesn't want to hear what he would say next.

“The director told me that her adoption papers have been processed. She's going to meet her new family the week after next.” He looks away again.

“Oh. I-is it a good family? Do you perhaps know who?” Seungwan tries to keep her composure, fails.

Taehyun shakes his head. “I did hear that it was a well-off family. Maybe you should visit her before she goes. She still asks about you and Joohyun noona.” He looks even more apologetic than before if that was even possible.

How did it become like this? Seungwan remembers being happy about a lot of things today. But at the same time, she remembers every moment she spent in the orphanage playing with the kids, with Yerim. She remembers Joohyun being father material, allowing Yerim to sit on her lap and playing with her, and how much they both wanted to start a family.

Just when it all starts to get too overwhelming, Seulgi appears. Like relief, like rescue.

“Seungwan-ah?” She turns, sees that Seulgi has stepped to her side.

Taehyun gives her gracious bow and sincerely greets her a happy birthday. He might have also said his goodbye to them but Seungwan’s mind has gone elsewhere that she doesn't even see him leave.

“What's wrong? Did something happen?” Seulgi's voice brings her back to earth.

“Taehyun told me that Yerim's going to get adopted soon.” She says, out of breath. Seulgi takes her by the elbow and sits her down on a chair.

“She is?” Seulgi kneels to look her in the eye, holds her by the shoulders.

“Yeah.” She says, breathing still heavy.

“Okay. Calm down. What do you want to do? Do you want to go see her before that happens?” Seulgi asks, eyes never leaving hers.

“Will you come with me?” Seungwan asks, on the brink of tears.

“Of course. I have to go back and bring new books there for a little boy’s wish. Remember the wish tree?”

“Oh, right.” Seungwan nods.

“Don't worry. Because you wished for Yerim to find a good family, I know she will find a good family.” Seulgi assures her in a gentle voice, rubs her back.

“She's meeting her new family in two weeks.” Seungwan gushes.

“We'll go before that, then.” Seulgi puts an arm around her, squeezes her shoulder. “But can I ask you trust me on this one, Seungwan? I just know that it will be all right so you have nothing to worry about anything, okay?”

Seungwan doesn't understand where this assurance is coming from but she nods anyway because she does trust Seulgi. “Okay. I trust you.”

--

Sometime later, after the party had ended, Seulgi had to be left behind with Bomi and Chorong, and Seungwan lies awake in her bed, thinking about what Taehyun said.

The clock on the nightstand tells her it's past eleven o'clock. The silence in the house suggest that the two older girls are already asleep. Maybe she should go to sleep too but her thoughts plague her and leave her with no choice but to stay up.

Yerim is getting a family now. Wow. It should be good, right? She won't have to spend the rest of her life in the orphanage, feeling like she's not wanted and that she's abandoned. She'll have a home, parents, and maybe siblings too! She can go to a nice school and meet new friends.

It will be for the best. Seungwan just hopes that the family, whoever it is, will be able to take care of Yerim the way she and Joohyun wanted to.

Just thinking about it makes her restless so she stands from her bed and paces around her room, biting into her nails nervously. How many cases of runaway or abused foster children has she heard from the news? Taehyun did say that it was a well-off family, right? But that's no guarantee that they will be kind to Yerim.

She starts biting on her nails. Her eyes dart back and forth the room in anxiety. As her sight skims past the window, she double takes. She sees a figure in the front yard below. In the dark, she makes out who it is. It could just be her imagination or it could be real. Still she walks to the window and pulls it open.

“Seulgi?” She rubs her eyes, trying to see better.

Seulgi looks up at her, waves and then extends her arms at either side. It's real. She's real.

 Seungwan doesn't think twice when she runs down to meet her, jumping several steps on the stairs and just dashes into Seulgi's waiting arms.

The force of their collision has Seulgi staggering backwards a little but it's all good. She wraps her arms tightly around Seungwan and sighs into her warmth.

“What are you doing here?” Seungwan wants to pull away so she could see Seulgi's face but Seulgi doesn't let her, not yet.

“Does that mean you're not happy to see me?” Seulgi asks.

“How can I not be happy?” She says, hits her softly. “Did you runaway from home again?” She asks after a pause.

“Hmm. The way I look at it, I just ran home.” Seulgi lets go of her, smiles at her. Seungwan looks confused.

“You know what they say, home is where the heart is. And my heart is… right here.” She taps the spot by Seungwan's chest. “Right next to yours.” She beams at her.

Seungwan feels her cheeks get warm and her lips tug to a smile. Who wouldn't when they basically get told that they're home to the person they love?

“Want to go inside?” She offers when she recovers. Seulgi ponders for a moment.

“Can we go to the studio and have a sleepover instead? Just the two of us.” She asks, shyly looks away.

“You're not going back to Bomi unnie's?”

“Not tonight.” She puts her hands in her coat pocket, rocks back and forth on her heels.

“Did they fight again?” Seungwan wonders if she should be worried.

“No, it's not like that. It's what comes after the fighting.” Seulgi looks at her shoes now.

Seungwan thinks hard on what she's trying to say. “Making up?”

“Which includes…” Seulgi trails off.

“Oh.” Seungwan's eyes grow wide in understanding.

“It's like hearing my real parents.” Seulgi shudders. Seungwan laughs, feeling her burdens get taken away just like that.

“Okay. Let's go to your studio. Let me just grab my jacket first.” She says, smile never leaving her face.

--

They decide to walk to get there, keeping close side by side. Seulgi's scarf is wrapped around Seungwan's neck now. So much for thinking that the weather is getting warmer now. No matter. This gives them an excuse to stay really close and maybe cuddle when they get there.

“Seungwan-ah,” Seulgi takes her hand, locks their fingers together and shoves their entwined hands down the pocket of her coat.

It's a quiet night and everything is peaceful. Quite hard to believe that not even twenty minutes have passed when Seungwan was so close to a breakdown. But that's just the way it is. Seulgi has a way of making her feel like this.

“Hmm?” She looks up at her.

“I have something to tell you.” Seulgi starts.

“What is it now?” Every time Seulgi says that, she somehow always ends up crying so who can blame her if it makes her nervous?

Seulgi takes a deep breath.

“Remember when we used to walk around the city all the time so you can watch Yerim from a far?”

“What about it?” Seungwan carefully watches her.

“I think it was around that time that I thought to myself ‘oh, she's not so bad after all’.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Seungwan asks, tone higher than what she had intended. Seulgi just laughs.

“I mean, it was during that time that I started thinking how much I wanted to see you happy because if you become happy again, I'll be happy too. It was during that time that I started wishing for you to have everything you want.” She becomes serious, lets go off Seungwan's hand and steers her to face her as they stop walking.

She swears under her breath and Seungwan is taken aback because Seulgi never swears.

“I was going to keep it a secret so I could surprise you but I can't have you worrying needlessly and overthinking about this.” She bites her lip, nervous.

“Anyway, here it goes.” Seulgi takes another deep breath. “How do you feel about becoming Yerim's family from now on?” Seungwan blinks.

“But she's getting adopted soon and there's no way we can have her unless-” She stops, mouth agape at Seulgi. “Unless it was you?”

Seulgi nods slowly.

“It was going to be my birthday present to you.” She sighs, twiddles with her thumbs.

“I'm serious, okay? I have all the papers kept in the studio. You only need to sign and Yerim will become your daughter.” She says, feeling embarrassed, thinking that maybe it wasn't such a good idea seeing how Seungwan reacts now (or her lack of reaction, rather).

A minute passes when Seungwan tiptoes and says “Oh, Seulgi.”

She throws her arms around her and sighs deeply, contently. “What did I do to deserve you?”

Seulgi smiles, feels relieved that Seungwan didn't get mad or something similar. She holds her like that, allows her chin to rest on Seungwan's shoulder.

They bask in the silence, in each other's arms for some time until Seulgi speaks again.

“But you didn't answer my question.” Seulgi says to her. “Do you still want to be Yerim's family?”

“I didn't answer because you asked wrong.” Seungwan says, pulls back. “How about asking this instead: ‘how do you feel about becoming Yerim's family with me from now on’?”

Seulgi looks at her in surprise. Even she hasn't thought of it that far ahead. Why? Because she doesn't know much about kids. But, of course, she would be more than happy to start a family with Seungwan because there is no question that she is and will always be her ending and Seungwan deserves all the happiness in the world. If having a family with her is what will make Seungwan happy,  Seulgi will do it. Isn't that the whole point of her having Bomi jumpstart the adoption, Seungwan's happiness? She never thought Seungwan would ask her is all.

“It doesn't sound like things are going too fast for you?” Seulgi regains her composure, takes Seungwan's hand again. Seungwan shakes her head and smiles.

“I waited for four long years, Seulgi. Even if I didn't know that it was you who I was waiting for.” She runs her thumb over the back of Seulgi's hand. “This pace is just right.”

“Besides, even if you don't agree now, you'll eventually do it later because I'm never going to let you get away from me.” She adds as an afterthought.

Seulgi laughs, feels bliss coursing through her veins.

“Well, I have no complaints so let's do it then. Let's become a family with Yerim.” Seulgi smiles and it's the only thing Seungwan wants to see right now.

 But as they walk past the gates of the studio, she has to stop in her tracks, catching sight of someone on the porch. Seulgi turns to her, wonders why and what's with the look of shock on her face. As she follows her line of sight, she sees her, standing by her front door.

She wears a white dress with a black blazer hanging over her shoulders. She has on high heels that makes her taller than she already is without them. She wears her hair down, long silky black locks flowing down her back. She looks very beautiful (Seungwan starts to feel uncomfortable in her sweatpants and hoody ensemble).

And when she speaks, her voice is warm - for someone with such a cold aura.

“I see that you've changed the code.” Her eyes, shaky and wet, twinkle with the lamplights over head.

Several expressions flash on Seulgi's face, shock, disbelief, confusion, frustration, hurt, and rage, before she settles for a blank look.

Seungwan swallows.

“I guess you've been well then, Seulgi-yah?” That single question confirms what Seungwan already knows but refuses to acknowledge.

So this is really her, huh? This is Jung Soojung.

-------------------------------

A/N: Waah. I finally get to update again. Sorry for making y'all wait. I wanted to get this chapter out as soon as possible so sorry if it's kind of rushed. (I'm really busy with school with internship and thesis outline). Also, since I'm trying to go for the fluffier parts now, expect that things will get less emotional. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this. So, support our girls and The Velvet!!! - Bluekimchi