July 2017.

Unable to fall asleep, Haebin decides to give up and get herself some water from the kitchen. As she carefully exits the bedroom she notices a small ray of light from the living room and walks over slowly with quiet footsteps. 

"Hyeyeoni?" Haebin calls out when she sees the young on crouching by the table, trying her best with her studying despite the only help being a small source of light. 

"Unnie?" The younger one turns, confused. 

Haebin walks over and sees Mina on the other side, already fallen asleep. 

"The agency's letting us back to school for a while before our unit promotions, we're trying to finish whatever homework we can," Hyeyeon explains. 

"That, I know," Haebin flashes a small smile, "You kids need a rest though."

Hyeyeon's lips drop to a pout. "I wish we could," she mumbles. 

Regretting her words, Haebin makes up by bringing her hand up and pinching lightly the maknae's cheek. 

Hyeyeon whines and pushes the hand away, "Unnie!"

"Shh!" to which Haebin shushes her, with large eyes. 

"Should I bring her in?" Haebin asks, turning to the second youngest. 

Hyeyeon silently nods. 

Haebin returns the nod and tries to lift Mina up, causing the latter to stir up in her slumber. 

"Wae," Mina mumbles with her eyes still closed.

"Ah mian Mina yah, unnie will just piggyback you back to the room alright?" Haebin gently whispers and carries the younger girl. 

Hyeyeon watches as the senior members disappear into the bedroom, remaining still even as they are no longer in her sight.

Hyeyeon blinks. She feels her eyes slowly well up. 

When she hears Haebin returning to the living room Hyeyeon immediately rubs her eyes to deny her tears any chance of falling. 

"Unnie, you don't want to sleep?" Hyeyeon asks, her voice uncontrollably cracking. 

Haebin's heart immediately softens once again, full of concern for the younger one. "How can I sleep when you're out here needing the sleep more?" Haebin sighs. 

Hyeyeon purses her lips and turns back to her homework, not knowing what to reply, only to be glared at by fierce numbers she doesn't understand when she flips the page. 

Hyeyeon releases a sigh. 

"Unnie doesn't remember anything I learnt in high school, I'm sorry," Haebin softly chuckles, partly apologetic (more so). 

Hyeyeon chokes on a laughter, "It's okay unnie," before bursting into tears. 

Haebin doesn't feel surprised, but the scene does make her heart ache. She wraps her arms around the smaller girl and rubs her back gently as a form of comfort. 

"I'm so tired unnie," Hyeyeon bawls.

"It's okay, I'm here," Haebin speaks softly, Hyeyeon's hair.

"Haebin umma," Hyeyeon continues to wail. 

"Umma's here Hyeyeon-ah," Haebin hugs the girl close. "Umma's here," she whispers. 

Hyeyeon cries for a while more into Haebin's shoulder before she finally calms down and catches her breath, her eyes now swollen from both the lack of sleep and the crying. 

"Unnie's shirt is all wet," Hyeyeon states with a pout, still whining, causing Haebin to laugh at the child she is looking like. 

"It's okay," Haebin chuckles. 

"Unnie I want to sleep," Hyeyeon says while sniffing. 

"Let's go to sleep, baby," Haebin smiles and helps the girl up. She watches as the younger one turns back to the mess of papers in the table, and says, "I'll clear that up later."

"Tomorrow," Hyeyeon asserts. 

"Arasseo," Haebin nods her head and laughs. "Want to wash your face?" she then asks. 

"Mm," the high-schooler nods. 

"Unnie will go change, alright?" Haebin says as she gently rubs Hyeyeon's arm. 

"Come back quick," Hyeyeon is still whining. 

"Of course," Haebin smiles. 

Hyeyeon washes her face with running water then buries it in a facecloth. She then brushes her teeth, still refusing to see her reflection in the mirror. She wonders when Haebin will return.

When she's done with her teeth, Haebin finally does. 

"Unnie took long," she grumpily mumbles. 

"Mian Hyeyeon ah," Haebin says with the same eye smile that always makes Hyeyeon feel at ease, including now. 

"Unnie let's go sleep," she says and trudges her way to the bedroom. 

"Sleep well baby," Haebin Hyeyeon's hair as she follows the younger from behind her. 

Hyeyeon nods her head and hums a response, before proceeding to hide under the sheets. 

The next day Hyeyeon wakes up after the sun does. She can smell food from the kitchen, and presumes that Haebin is making breakfast like the mother she is. Excitedly she gets off her bed and makes her way to the kitchen.

She enters and sees Haebin by the basin. Hyeyeon breaks into a small run and gives Haebin a tight hug from the back.

"Morning, baby," Hyeyeon can feel Haebin laughing. 

"Gomawo unnie!" Hyeyeon cheerfully exclaims and tightens the hug. 

"It's nothing, Hyeyeon ah," Haebin chuckles. "Now get ready for school," Haebin says and pats her head, to which Hyeyeon obediently nods her head.