Yongsun was out shopping with Wheein. The two ladies decided to hang out together; they missed each other’s company after whatever happened. And Moonbyul and Hyejin couldn’t complain much. The pair had each other when their hearts were breaking apart.

-

“You’re going to come back to me, right?”

“Of course, Byul. What the hell are you talking about?”

“Nothing!”

“Ah, you’re jealous of Wheein!”

“She’s pretty, smart and filthy rich.”

“So, do you want me to go to her?”

Moonbyul pouted her lips; obviously she didn’t want that. But Moonbyul didn’t answer. She just pulled away from Yongsun’s arms and sat at the edge of the bed. Yongsun followed behind her.

“Moon Byulyi, can you stop being silly and stupid?”

“I’m not.”

“Yes, you are. You just did.”

“Well, she was the second best for you. I still feel awful snatching you away from her.”

“Wait, let me clarify on that. She didn’t lose to you.”

Moonbyul looked up; confused with Yongsun’s words.

“Wheein will always have a soft spot in my heart. And she’s like a daughter to my dad; technically she’s like my baby sister now.”

Moonbyul smiled because she understood Yongsun’s feelings. She was equally grateful towards Wheein for taking care of Yongsun and Minhyuk while she was being stupid.

“I’ll embrace Wheein in our lives. I don’t want her to stay away from us either. I need her too. She’s always there to save me when it comes to Minhyuk.”

“Okay then. So, can I go out with my baby sister now?”

“Yes, you may. I’ll go out with Minhyuk and Hyejin if she’s free.”

-

“So, you and Yongsun?”

“Hmm.”

Wheein was wearing her make-up while Hyejin was staring at her from the bed. Wheein had informed her that she would be going out with Yongsun. But Wheein didn’t notice the imaginary grey clouds above Hyejin’s head.

“What will the two of you be doing?”

“Dating.”

“What?!”

“Date as in going out and have fun together; shopping; eating and whatever it is.”

“With feelings?”

Wheein stopped whatever she was doing and turned to look at her girlfriend on the bed. She gave a sly smirk.

“Wipe that smirk off your face.”

Hyejin rolled her eyes. Wheein grinned before she stood up and walked over to Hyejin’s side. She cupped Hyejin’s cheeks with her palms.

“Aigoo, you’re jealous.”

“You two had something going on before I met you.”

“But it didn’t happen at all.”

“It could happen.”

“How? When I like you a lot?”

Hyejin stuck her tongue out. She was blushing because of Wheein’s sweet words.

“Have you fallen for me?”

“I did. A long time ago. Since we were teenagers. I’m just continuing our love story from where it dropped off.”

Hyejin was smiling gleefully.

-

Yongsun and Wheein held hands as they walked around the shopping mall. They were just like sisters but at times, behaved like lovers. Yongsun has this habit to hug Wheein and Wheein has this habit to put Yongsun’s arms around her neck.

“If Hyejin sees me doing this, she will flip.”

“Moonbyul will get all depressed and suggest that I should go back to you.”

“Maybe we should just mess with them sometimes.”

Yongsun laughed; Wheein grinned before they settled down at the restaurant Wheein had made reservation. Yongsun loves the food there. They took orders and just spent time chatting with each other.

Yongsun took her time to observe Wheein. The lady has been smiling a lot. She’s always laughing at little things and she noticed how Wheein cares about Hyejin’s well-being every now and then. She always comes over to Yongsun’s office to have lunch with Hyejin.

“You’re really in love with Hyejin now.”

Wheein smiled then nodded. She never felt like that before.

“I don’t know how to express these feelings I have inside.”

“It’s okay, I think I can relate to it.”

“Of course, you do. You’re the most romantic person I met. How can one just stay faithful despite so much pain in between? You’re the only one who can endure all that because you love Moonbyul unnie.”

“You’re romantic too. Your heart is subconsciously still in love with Hyejin despite not having any memories of your past at all. And when she appeared, your heart just went along with the flow and now look at you. You’re filled with so much happiness that I have never seen you smile so much before.”

“Unnie, I’m really happy now. It feels like my life is complete because of Hyejin.”

“I know. And I’m really happy because you found your happiness.”

“Unnie, I’m happy too. Because you found your smile again!”

Yongsun agreed to that. She was happy to find her own happiness too. It might be long, and it took her one full circle before her life reached to this stage. This fragment of her life was much awaited for. Her heart had to bleed; her tears had dried up and she almost lost her faith and strength to believe in love and even worse, herself.

Now the puzzle was completed; and that fragment fitted well into her life. And this fragment came with Moonbyul, the woman she loves faithfully since the day she met her. And with their son, Minhyuk, Yongsun was looking forward to living her future.

She then looked up and reached out for Wheein’s hand. She clenched their fists together. Wheein was staring at their interlaced fingers.

“Why, Unnie?”

“I’m so thankful that you came into my life. I’m so grateful that you stepped into my life and gave me the courage to face the future especially when Minhyuk came along. If not for you, Wheein ah, I might just give up and take Minhyuk’s and my lives together.”

“Unnie, I’ll do it all over again if I have to. You’re so special to me. You mean so much to me, Unnie.”

“That’s why I told Moonbyul that you’ll always be part of my life. She can never take you away from the equation.”

“Haha, I told Hyejin the same thing!”

“Is she fine with it?”

“She’s fine with it. As long as I’m with her.”

Yongsun smiled widely. Her heart was filled with so much love and happiness; gratitude and warmth. She knew she could be happy somehow. She would find her happy ending and Wheein would find hers too.

“Unnie, shall we just spend time with each other today? Like watch movie and do things lovers will?”

“Are you going to take photos and upload on your IG just to irritate Moonbyul and Hyejin?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Call!”

These two women really got nothing to do.

-

“This Jung Wheein, she’s really trying to edge me on.”

Hyejin rolled her eyes when she saw Wheein’s uploaded photos taken with Yongsun. She was jealous; extremely jealous. The woman is hers. Yongsun is forever a threat which she cannot remove from her life. She needs to live with that. But she would not be complaining; she just needed to tolerate Wheein’s teasing.

She looked up to find Moonbyul running; kicking the soccer ball with Minhyuk. They were laughing and Minhyuk was chasing Moonbyul; that woman wouldn’t give up the ball to her own son.

“MAMA!”

“Come and chase me, Minhyuk ah!”

“But you have long legs! I cannot chase after you!”

“You have long legs too! You have Mama’s legs!”

Minhyuk looked at his legs; then at her Mama’s legs. Then he grinned. He was born long as a baby and he was so much taller than his own friends in school. So, his Mama was probably right about that. He ran after Moonbyul; managed to catch up. The truth was, Moonbyul purposely slowed down her movements so that her little boy could catch up with him.

Hyejin looked on with a huge smile on her face. Moonbyul has been smiling a lot lately. And Minhyuk has started calling her Mama. It opened a whole new world for Moonbyul. She once confessed to Hyejin; she felt like she was reborn once again when Minhyuk called her Mama for the very first time.

Minhyuk managed to catch up with Moonbyul and he jumped on her. Moonbyul grabbed him safely in her arms before she twirled around; leaving the boy screaming in delight. She kissed him all over his face before she joined Hyejin at the bench.

“What’s wrong? Why you look so gloomy?”

“Jung Wheein.”

“What did she do now?”

“She’s having a ball of her time with your girlfriend, Kim Yongsun.”

“Please don’t tell me you’re jealous?”

“And you’re not?”

“Yongsun loves me. I trust her.”

“You make me look like .”

“Chill, babe. Let them spend time together. Honestly, we have turned their lives upside down for the longest time. And they found each other; technically and healed together.”

Hyejin sighed. Moonbyul’s words made sense. She abandoned Wheein because she thought it was the right thing to do. Hyejin regretted everything and the thought of Wheein being all alone as she went through the horrific accident, it made Hyejin mad. She should have been there for Wheein. If only she knew how much Wheein went through being alone and not knowing about her past.

“I cannot help it, Unnie. I almost lost her. I almost lost her to an accident which I wasn’t even aware of. Imagine if she had died in that accident and I had found out much later; can you imagine how the amount of regrets I would feel? I could have gone crazy and lost myself because Wheein would have no longer be on this Earth. Just a mere thought of that possibility made me wanted to protect Wheein and keep her with me 24/7.”

Moonbyul nodded. She understood Hyejin’s fears well. She remembered when Wheein told her about Yongsun went into premature labour and could have lost Minhyuk. If Wheein hadn’t rush over, Yongsun and Minhyuk would have died.

“I know. I almost lost Yongsun and Minhyuk too. They could have died because Yongsun was losing so much blood and Minhyuk was on the verge of being miscarried. But if not for Wheein, I wouldn’t be able to see my son or return to Yongsun either.”

“My girlfriend sounds like an angel in this story.”

“Your girlfriend is an angel. That’s why I’m not going to let her stay away from us. She’s my family now.”

“We are all a family now. You, Yongsun unnie, Minhyuk, Wheein and I – we are a big family now.”

Moonbyul smiled widely before Minhyuk came running towards them. He went off to buy ice cream and returned shortly. Minhyuk was smiling widely.

“MAMA! HYEJIN MAMA!”

The boy jumped on them with his hands full of ice-cream cones. Hyejin managed to grab hers before it spills on the floor.

“Be careful, Minhyuk ah.”

He was grinning widely before he leaned over and took Hyejin’s photos. The screen was still showing Wheein’s Instagram and there were photos of his Omma and his Mommy.

“Oh! Mommy took photos with Omma!”

“Yeah, they look beautiful together?”

Moonbyul asked.

“Of course! Mommy and Omma always beautiful. Minhyuk’s friends jealous Minhyuk have pretty Mommies.”

Then he stopped chatting before he suggested something.

“MAMA! Let’s take pictures with Hyejin Mama!”

“That’s a good idea. I know of a good way to retaliate Jung Wheein’s edging.”

Hyejin started taking photos of them 3 together like as though they were a family. And she put the captions carefully and deliberately.

-

Jung Wheein rolled her eyes. Hyejin’s photo together with Moonbyul and Minhyuk got a 1000 likes. And some commented how they looked good together as a family. And she read Hyejin’s captions.

“My fake wife and my god-son. Don’t we look good together?”

Wheein was livid.

“IS SHE FOR REAL?!”

Yongsun was amused. Wheein’s one scary girlfriend.

“What’s wrong now?”

“Look!”

She shoved her phone to Yongsun. She was blowing air from her nose; pouted her lips together and her arms folded.

“What’s wrong with the pictures?”

“They have more likes than us!”

“Well, they do look good together.”

“UNNIE!”

“Oh god, Jung Wheein! Relax! You know Hyejin will not go anywhere without you.”

“STILL!”

“You should start a family with her really soon if you’re this jittery.”

“I’m going to propose her next month.”

Wheein spoke her mind; absent-mindedly. Yongsun’s jaw dropped to the floor. She was stunned.

“WHAT?!”

Wheein bit her lower lip. It was supposed to be a secret. Next month would be the 15^th year anniversary – the first time she met Hyejin back in school. And she thought it would be the best moment for her to propose to Hyejin.

“YOU ARE GOING TO PROPOSE TO HER?!”

“Yeah, next month would be our exact 15 years since I met her for the first time.”

“Oh my god! I’m so happy for you!”

Yongsun pulled Wheein and hugged her closer. Yongsun was genuinely happy that Wheein had found the reason to live with someone; to have someone in her life and live together till old age. She just wanted that for Wheein and it came true.

“You don’t have any idea how much I pray so that you will find someone; fall in love and then marry that person and be happy for the rest of your life. I couldn’t provide you all this but damn it, Jung Wheein! I really pray so hard that God will give you better than I could ever give you.”

Wheein went teary. She was moved.

“Unnie, I’m really glad that I met you. And I’m glad to be part of your family now. Let’s just be like this; spending our lives together with Moonbyul unnie, Hyejin and Minhyuk. I never want to be apart with anyone of you, Unnie.”

“Let’s do that. We will be together as a family. I promise. We will always be happy from now onwards.”

Both did a pinky promise.

-

“Okay, let’s do this.”

“How do you even?”

“Grab the chopper. I’m going with a ladle.”

“YA! That’s so cruel!”

“You have a better idea?!”

“Drown them.”

“They live in the sea.”

“Oh.”

“MOON BYULYI, ARE YOU SERIOUSLY ING KIDDING ME NOW?!”

“Just make them faint.”

Minhyuk innocently butted into the conversation between two dumb women. They turned to look at him.

“What?”

“Just smack them and they will faint.”

“Crabs can faint?”

“Moonbyul, shut up.”

“MAMA, DON’T YOU WATCH TV?!”

Moonbyul felt dumb so she just shrugged her shoulders. They wanted to make black pepper crab for dinner but Moonbyul had the brightest idea to buy live crabs. Now the pair had struggles to deal with them.

And Minhyuk was fascinated with the live crabs. He seems smarter than the two. He watched too much television shows and he remembered watching a cooking show with his Omma. The chef threw the crabs into the basin and they fainted immediately.

“So, you were saying, I should smack them?”

“Yeah, just throw them hard into the sink.”

“God forgive us all.”

“Moonbyul, I’m really close to throw the crab claws in your face. It’s your idea to buy live crabs!”

“Why can’t we just throw them into the pot of hot water?”

“And that’s not cruel?!”

The two women continued to argue but eventually, after an hour later, they decided to freeze the crabs too death. Minhyuk lost interest in them so he went off to play his toys. Moonbyul and Hyejin were staring at the frozen crabs. Moonbyul felt awful.

“Don’t start.”

“How can we eat animals that we killed?!”

“So, what are you going to do with them now?”

“Bury them.”

“MOON BYULYI! GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN!”

Hyejin finally managed to cook peacefully when Moonbyul left the kitchen. It was so difficult to have a softie in the kitchen with live animals. Soon, the kitchen was filled with savoury smell of black pepper and Minhyuk was first to run into the kitchen.

“Wow, smells so good!”

“We will eat when your Omma and Wheein Mommy come home. Is that okay?”

Minhyuk nodded and ran to the living room. Moonbyul was still gagging at the corner; feeling pitiful for the dead crabs. Hyejin rolled her eyes.

“You don’t get to eat.”

“I don’t think I can since I witnessed how they died.”

“Shut up and today’s your diet is on salad.”

“Fine by me.”

Minutes later, Yongsun and Wheein got home. They walked in hand in hand; Hyejin spotted them first. She rolled her eyes like the zillion times. She focused on her black pepper crabs instead.

“Omma, you’re home!”

Minhyuk ran towards his mother and hugged her tightly. Yongsun smiled as she lifted her son in her arms. She looked at him; realized how much Minhyuk has grown up and looking a lot more like his mother, Moonbyul.

“I miss my baby.”

She kissed her son all over his face; Minhyuk was squealing in delight. He allowed his mother to squeeze him and he didn’t mind at all. The boy is a little affectionate just like his mother.

“My turn!”

Minhyuk gladly jumped onto Wheein’s arms and he hugged her tightly. Honestly anyone could see the special bond Minhyuk has with Wheein. The other 3 ladies looked on with huge smiles on their faces.

Yongsun had always been moved to see Minhyuk with Wheein. Maybe because Wheein watched him grew up; looked after him and being a second mom to Minhyuk gave Yongsun a reason to hold on to Wheein no matter what.

“Mommy! Minhyuk have homework and there is one question Minhyuk doesn’t know how to do.”

“Oh? Show me. I’ll teach you.”

“Okay! Let’s go to Minhyuk’s room!”

“Sure, but I need to make a quick stop.”

“Huh?”

Wheein smiled before she made her way to Hyejin with Minhyuk in her arms. She leaned closer and pulled Hyejin towards her. She kissed Hyejin on her lips.

“I’m home, darling!”

Hyejin’s cheeks turned redder than usual. Wheein was being romantic and it was a little cringey. Minhyuk made a weird face.

“Stop being scandalous in front of my son. Now, go ahead and help him with his homework. Then bathe and we can have dinner together. We bought some food.”

“Oh, Hyejin cooks!”

“Great! We will join u shortly.”

Yongsun started pushing Wheein and Minhyuk to their rooms. Moonbyul decided to set up the table and Hyejin made some last-minute touches to her black pepper crab. Yongsun and Wheein had a quick wash-up. Wheein managed to teach Minhyuk and the boy got it fast. He did the rest himself.

Dinner was served. Everyone was at the dining table. Yongsun and Wheein were smiling and grinning at each other. They had the biggest secret kept. Moonbyul didn’t really notice it much but the jealous Anh Hyejin did.

“What’s with the two of you? What’s with the smiles and grins?”

“Someone’s jealous.”

Hyejin stuck her tongue at Yongsun.

“We have something to share with you.”

Yongsun started the ball rolling. She had discussed with Wheein and maybe it was the right move for them. The dynamics made Yongsun decided things should be this way in order to keep everyone happy in the family.

“What is it?”

Moonbyul finally paid attention. She was staring at the crabs all the while.

“Yongsun unnie suggested that all 4 of us including Minhyuk should stay together in one apartment. We will get a bigger apartment; probably a freehold property and just live together as one family.”

Wheein was upbeat about it. Hyejin and Moonbyul looked at each other; they were in deep thoughts.

“I know it might be weird for the two of you. But Wheein has been staying with me and Minhyuk for the last 5 years. I don’t want such sudden change to affect Minhyuk. He needs his Wheein Mommy.”

“And no, we’re not in love. We just thought that our dynamics right now are best suited with the suggestion given by Yongsun unnie. We can look out for each other; we can spend so much time together and honestly, I don’t want to live apart from Minhyuk either.”

Hyejin and Moonbyul still kept their silence. They probably needed more time.

“Give us time to think this through.”

“Yeah, I mean we understand your reasons but it’s fair that you allow us to digest this before coming up with a decision.”

“Sure, of course you can have the time to think about this. It’s just a suggestion.”

“Yup, Yongsun unnie feels that it’s right for us to discuss with the two of you.”

Hyejin and Moonbyul decided to think this through.

-

Minhyuk was fast asleep. Yongsun had put him to sleep before she joined Moonbyul in their own room. Minhyuk told Yongsun about his day and how much he enjoys being with Moonbyul and Hyejin.

Of course, he does. They love him as much as she does. And she’s happy that Moonbyul made efforts to spend time with Minhyuk. She went back to her room and found Moonbyul sitting at the edge of the bed; staring into space. She was probably thinking about the conversation they had during dinner.

Yongsun quietly moved to the side of the bed before she put her arms around Moonbyul. The bed dipped a little; Moonbyul looked over her shoulder and smiled.

“Still thinking?”

“Actually, I don’t have much to think about.”

“Then? Why are you staring into space?”

“I’m just thinking about the crabs earlier on.”

The crab story came up during her conversation with Minhyuk. Yongsun was greatly amused but she knew it was just Moonbyul’s soft character.

“You must have mustered a lot of guts and hatred to shoot that man in the head.”

“Huh?”

“I have always known you as a softie. You’re just gentle despite your tomboyish image.”

“I shot that guy in the head because he threatened to hurt you and our unborn baby.”

“That’s why I said. You must have mustered a lot of courage to do that. And you must have loved me a lot to go through that horrible .”

Moonbyul smiled before she shook her head.

“Honestly, I haven’t really killed anyone. He was the first one. I was raised to be a professional killer but as far as I know, I haven’t really killed anyone. I don’t have the guts to be a hitman despite the training I received. I just aced in everything but when it was the real thing, I couldn’t do it.”

“So, what did you do those people that you needed to kill?”

“That bastard probably knew me well, so he got someone else to finish the job. All I had to do was to be a spy or be a mole in the organisation so that I could get closer to those victims. Then someone else would come in and kill them.”

“So, you were an accomplice?”

“Sort of. But I usually spare the lives of the elderly, children and the women. I would just send them far away from that bastard. And he would assume I have settled the jobs.”

“But I heard you’re powerful enough to ruin someone’s life in one day.”

“I had the resources.”

“So, that’s the reason why you pretended to be a kindergarten teacher and came into my life without even knowing that we would be together forever?”

“I never had the intention to fall in love. I thought your father killed my family. I admitted I was blind; blinded by revenge but the moment I saw your father, I turned sceptical. He didn’t fit the image I had in my mind; he was just too cuddly and too careless in his movements. There was no way someone like him could kill anyone. But I was stupid, Yongsun ah. I listened to that bastard too much. After all, he raised me up.”

“It’s okay, sweetie. It’s over now. I’m just glad that you put this black history behind you. The first time I saw you, you were a little cold and aloof, but I couldn’t stop myself. I fell in love with you the moment our eyes met.”

“Really? What did I have back then for you to fall in love with me just over a mere gaze?”

“I don’t know. Your eyes were cold but there was something underneath it. You were hiding many things. Like you had many secrets that you kept hidden.”

“It wasn’t easy living your life; growing up with memories of your slain family at the back of your mind. I saw how my parents were shot to death; and how my siblings got butchered right in front of my eyes. I could have grown up doing many things, but I lost them in just one day.”

Yongsun’s heart ached. She scooted closer and pulled Moonbyul into her arms. She hugged her tightly.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

“How could you know when I had never told anyone about this before?”

“Let’s put all this behind us. From today onwards, just be honest with each other and live happily for the longest time. We may have lost our last 5 years, but we have many forever to go. I need you. Can we do this together?”

Moonbyul reached out for Yongsun’s hand and squeezed it tightly. Of course, she would love that. She would love another chance to make up for her mistakes. She would do anything to make it happen. But Yongsun was forgiving. She opened her heart and took Moonbyul back.

So, what should she wait any longer?

“Of course, Yongsun. Let’s do this together and raise Minhyuk together.”

They hugged each other tightly.

-

Wheein watched Hyejin moving around the room; with her pouty lips and sluggish movements. Wheein grinned as she knew Hyejin was jealous of Yongsun since this morning. And probably the photos in her Instagram just edged Hyejin further.

“My dear girlfriend, are you going to stay pouty until tomorrow?”

“I’m not. No, I’m not even jealous.”

“Sweetie, I can see you from here. Your reflection is showing everything in the mirror.”

Hyejin turned to the mirror and noticed Wheein winking at her. She rolled her eyes before walking over to where Wheein was. She sat in front of Wheein; before putting her arms around Wheein’s waist. Wheein smiled and gave a peck on Hyejin’s lips.

“What did you do today with Yongsun unnie?”

“We were just hanging out; having lunch then discussed about our situation.”

“Do you really want to live with them together?”

Wheein observed Hyejin’s expressions and read her reactions. Hyejin was a little hesitant and apprehensive. Wheein already knew Hyejin would react that way.

“Are you worried that I might change my mind about me and Yongsun unnie?”

“No, it’s not that. I mean, I don’t mind but I’m not sure.”

“We’re getting a freehold property. There will be 2 levels. Yongsun unnie suggested that we will stay on the 2^nd level while she and Moonbyul unnie will occupy the 1^st level. We still have our own privacy.”

“Then what’s going to happen to your apartment?”

“We will be renting out this apartment and including mine too. We will use the money to pay for our expenses and we will open a joint bank account. I want to start living like a couple with you; like how a husband and wife should be.”

Hyejin’s eyes got teary. Wheein had bigger picture while she was being selfish and self-centred. Of course, Wheein was planning for something better. Hyejin should have trusted Wheein’s suggestion.

“I’m serious about us, Hyejin ah. We have missed out our youth and we only met after a long separation. I’m not going to waste time anymore. I just want us to be together forever. Is that okay with you?”

Hyejin’s heart swelled with warmth. It shouldn’t matter where they would be as long as she has Wheein by her side. Everything else would just be secondary. She couldn’t care about anything else.

“So will you hold my hand and stay by my side? I’ll always be with you, no matter where we are; where we would live or whoever would be there with us. Because in my eyes, there’s only you.”

“I trust you, Wheein. It doesn’t matter at all. Just stay by my side, that’s all I want.”

“I will and forever will be.”

Hyejin cried openly.

-