She flips through the photographs on her phone, lingering on each one for several seconds before her finger hovers over the delete button. Most of them she manages to delete but some she finds herself unable to do so. She's well aware that moving on from Chorong requires not seeing photographs of them together every time she looks at her phone; she didn't need Bomi to inform her of that. Then again, she doesn't want to lose every memento she has of the girl. Memories will undoubtedly fade over time but at least she can save the pictures.

In time she's sure she'll be able to delete them but not right now. Time really does appear to be the pivotal point of everything.

It's safe to say she didn't expect to be back staying in her parent's house until a family birthday or next Christmas yet here she is. Right back to where she was eight years ago, hiding away in her bedroom trying to forget about her broken heart. Eight years ago she cried in her bedroom over Sohee but this time, she's determined not to cry.

Crying isn't going to help her. No matter how many tears she sheds over Chorong, their relationship isn't going to be rekindled. She picks up her phone after hearing it beep and opens the message.

When you get back, how would you feel about going out for coffee or something to eat?"

Eunji taps out her reply, saying she would love to do that, before sending the message back to Soyoung. Since Eunji started working at the high school over a year ago, her only interactions with Soyoung have primarily been brief greetings in passing, neither woman ever lingering for a proper conversation. She didn't really know Soyoung until recently. During the skiing holiday, they talked properly for the first time and an immediate friendship between the two of them was cemented. Soyoung has actually been her rock these last couple of weeks and Eunji will never be able to show Soyoung just how much she appreciates that.

When Sohee, Eunji had Hayoung to talk to but she can't talk to Hayoung now, not after finding out that her supposed friend knew about Chorong and Bomi and their little affair but chose to keep it a secret from her. By default, she ended up talking to Soyoung. They would spend their lunch hours together in one another's classrooms and even though Eunji must have sounded like a broken record, Soyoung continuously listened to her and never once told her to get over it or shut up.

Their blossoming friendship is something Eunji's thankful for. She doesn't know what she'd have done if she didn't at least have Soyoung in her corner.

"How are you sweetheart?"

Eunji looks up to find her mother standing in her bedroom. As a teenager, her mother would never knock on her bedroom door and evidently, it's a gesture she still decides against doing.

It's nice to know that some things never change.

"I'm fine mom. It's not like this is a new experience for me."

"Honey, it doesn't matter in the slightest if you're sixteen or sixty, heartbreak never gets any easier."

Eunji fiddles with her fingers. "You don't need to keep checking up on me, I'm not sixteen anymore."

"Age isn't important. No matter how old you are, you will always be my little girl and I will always feel the need to check on you." Yongim crosses her arms over her chest. "You know, I never liked Chorong."

Eunji scoffs. "Well now there's a lie if ever I've heard one. You adored her mom; you wanted me to marry her so she could be your daughter-in-law."

"I certainly don't like her anymore, not after what she's done." She moves towards Eunji's mini suitcase and starts unpacking her daughter's clothes, ignoring Eunji's statement that she can do it herself. "I think I need to have words with Bomi."

"I don't need you to fight my battles for me," Eunji states. "Bomi fell in love with Chorong and vice versa, I know how easy it is for that to happen. It took me less than a month to fall for Chorong."

"I certainly didn't expect to hear you defending them," her mother says softly. "I presumed you would have hated the pair of them."

"I do," Eunji admits quietly, her voice barely louder than a whisper. "I've known Bomi since we were four so deep down; I know that she would have stayed away from Chorong if she could. Deep down I know nothing would have happened unless they were…unless they had strong feelings for one another. They don't think I understand that but I do. That knowledge doesn't stop me from hurting though."

"You can fall in love with somebody and choose not to act on those feelings."

"Yeah," Eunji agrees. "But hypothetically, say Chorong and Bomi were dating and I met and fell in love with Chorong, I don't know whether I'd have been able to not act on how I feel."

"You would have Eunji because you're a good person."

"I'm not sure cheating and being a good person are necessarily synonymous," Eunji whispers. She's always believed Bomi was a good person at heart and she wants to tell her mother that but her feelings of sheer distain are preventing the words from leaving . "Everybody makes a bad choice at some point. I know I certainly have."

"You're defending her again. Eunji, are you intending on forgiving Bomi? I won't stand in your way if that's what you want to do, it's not my place. But I do have to tell you; I don't think it's the best idea."

"I'm not going to forgive her mom," Eunji informs her. "Our friendship may be over but that doesn't change the fact that we were part of each other's lives for twenty years. I doubt I'm going to be able to ever completely eradicate her from my life, even if I want to, but we can never be the same as we once were. I've accepted that. I think Bomi might have as well. If we happen to meet in a future, she'll remain a stranger to me."

"Are you sure about that?"

"I haven't been more certain of anything else but this in a very long time, mom."

After spending two weeks enjoying newly married life and alternating between lying on the beach in a bikini and lounging about in their hotel room, hardly leaving their bed, rainy Seoul leaves a lot to be desired. She used to adore the rain and would spend hours sitting inside, watching it batter against the windows. She found a certain level of comfort in the form of precipitation. Her first kiss with Namjoo had actually been in the rain. She'd been walking Namjoo home after their first date and about five blocks from Namjoo's apartment, Hayoung stopped. She can still remember how Namjoo's brow furrowed and how she'd asked why they were stopping when it was raining. Rather than give her a verbal response, Hayoung kissed her, claiming she didn't want to wait until they were at Namjoo's front door.

She's never been one for following stereotypes.

Right now, she'd give anything to be back on their honeymoon when the only concern they had was each other. She wishes she could still be lying on the beach, trailing her finger up and down Namjoo's bikini clad body, revelling in the envious looks a plethora of men and women threw in her direction. During their honeymoon, they could both relax and shy away from any problems occurring at home, it was just them and nothing else mattered.

Now they're back, they've lost that luxury.

The second they stepped onto the plane at Incheon Airport, they decided to switch their phones off and leave them off for the duration of their honeymoon, with the exception of emergencies. They didn't want any distractions. After stepping off the flight home, Hayoung switched her phone back on only to find several messages and lost calls from Bomi and a couple from Eunji.

She hasn't returned any of the calls yet.

She hasn't found the strength.

"I can't believe we're back in Seoul," Namjoo comments as she throws her legs haphazardly over Hayoung as they sit together on the couch. "It's surreal."

Hayoung peers over her phone to stare at her wife. "When you say surreal, do you mean it in a good or a bad way?"

"Neither, it's just surreal." Namjoo shrugs her shoulders before attempting to explain her reasoning. "It's all been such a whirlwind. I'd been used to calling you my fiancée and now I get to say you're my wife. This is it Hayoung, the start of the rest of our lives."

Hayoung leans forward and gives her wife a quick peck. "I for one can't wait. There's a lot to look forward to, Joo."

"I know," Namjoo replies. "Our first house, our first child…"

Hayoung releases a short laugh. "Obviously I want those things but how about we slow things down a little bit? I mean, we've only just got married, we don't want to rush into anything."

Namjoo pouts before grinning. "I didn't mean we had to go and buy a house right this second, although the look on your face was definitely priceless. For the time being I just want to enjoy being married to you. We're lucky to have each other, not everybody has that luxury."

The implication of Namjoo's statement is clear. "Yeah, I know."

When Namjoo doesn't say anything else, Hayoung returns her attention back to her phone. She's only unlocked it when Namjoo speaks.

"If you had to wish for something right now, what would it be?"

Tilting her head in curiosity, Hayoung smirks. "Well, I certainly wouldn't mind being back at the beach."

"I wouldn't mind being back in the hotel room."

Hayoung quirks her right eyebrow in delight. "We may not have the sunshine or the beach but babe; we do not need a hotel room. In case it's escaped your notice, we have a perfectly good bedroom over there, which we have yet to christen as newlyweds."

"We christened the bedroom on our wedding night," Namjoo tells her. "And the bathtub."

Hayoung rolls her eyes playfully. "Okay, we've yet to christen it upon on return from honeymoon." She closes the distance between her and her wife and waits patiently for Namjoo to surrender before sighing when the other woman doesn't move. "What's wrong?"

"Why do you assume anything is wrong?"

"Normally you don't need me to ask twice so something is clearly on your mind."

Namjoo stares at her ring finger nervously. "Have you spoken to Eunji or Bomi yet?"

Hayoung's eyes flutter shut as she subconsciously tightens her grasp on her phone. She has to hand it to her wife, they returned just shy of twenty-four hours ago and this is the first time Namjoo has mentioned the women.

Although their flight did land at one in the morning so upon returning home, the pair of them immediately retired to bed and slept until midday.

"How long have you been waiting to ask me that?"

"Since we landed." Namjoo admits.

"Joo, we haven't even been back for a day yet, give me a chance."

"They're your best friends Hayoung, they need you. They've probably needed you these past weeks but you haven't been here."

Hayoung puffs out a breath before handing her phone to Namjoo. "Read the messages."

Namjoo doesn't even question it and does as requested. Hayoung sits in silence as Namjoo reads to every message on Hayoung's phone. "Have you called them back?"

"Not yet."

"Hayoung, you need to call them."

"I know I do but I don't know what I'm supposed to say to them. I want to tell Eunji how sorry I am about what's happened but won't that make me sound rather hypocritical since I knew about Bomi and Chorong and neglected to tell her."

"It wasn't your place to tell Eunji about the affair," Namjoo says softly.

"I don't think Eunji sees it like that. She thinks I should have told her and maybe I should have," Hayoung replies. "I made a mistake keeping it a secret."

"You were in an impossible situation, whatever you did, you've have hurt one of your friends."

Hayoung sighs heavily. "What do I say to Bomi? I don't condone what she has done but at the same time, I can't…I don't and will probably never hate her because she's still my best friend."

"I understand that but so is Eunji."

"In that week of limbo between our wedding and our honeymoon, Eunji barely gave me a chance to talk to her. I think she assumed I would automatically side with Bomi and she'd be left to deal with everything on her own." She runs her fingers through her hair as Namjoo stares at her intently. "I tried to mediate between the two of them but I couldn't. Eunji wouldn't tolerate a conversation which revolved around either Chorong or Bomi plus she didn't really want to talk to me. I couldn't talk to Bomi without wanting to slap her. Why do you think I asked you to come every time talked to her?"

"It's been weeks since Eunji found out about Chorong and Bomi, everything might have settled down now." Hayoung scoffs at her wife's response. "Okay, they might be starting to settle down. It might be easier to talk to Eunji and Bomi now; they could be willing to listen."

"Maybe you're right," Hayoung agrees. "But I still don't know what I'm supposed to say to them."

"I don't think you'll need to say anything to them. All you need to do is be there for Bomi and Eunji." Namjoo tilts her head to the side. "When I'm upset, just knowing you're there makes me feel better."

"It's not the same thing. I've purposely ignored them both for weeks."

"Well now is your chance to fix that." Namjoo removes her legs from Hayoung's lap.

"I don't understand why you don't appear to be having a problem with everything right now."

"I've known Chorong since high school. If I had to choose between all three of them, I'd choose her. It's not because I dislike Eunji or Bomi because obviously that's not how I feel, I just can't help but be loyal to Chorong. She wouldn't have slept with Bomi if she didn't love her. I'm not stuck in the middle. You are, and I can only imagine how much that hurts. The only problem I'm having is that I hate the fact that you're struggling."

"I wish I was in your situation right now."

Namjoo smiles sadly. "I'm going to see Chorong tomorrow; you could always come with me. You wouldn't be spending time with Chorong though. You'd be spending time with Bomi. Apparently they've been spending the majority of their days together."

Hayoung hums gently. "That sounds about right, when Bomi falls, she falls hard. She's been unable to be with Chorong for months; she's going to want to spend as much time with her as possible."

Namjoo leans forward slightly. "So will you come to with me tomorrow?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Yes."

Technically that's not true; she doesn't really have a choice. "I'll come with you."

"Does this dress look okay?" Chorong asks as she holds up a blue dress with a slight high cut.

"That depends on the occasion you're wearing it for. If you were wearing it for a night out in a club, then yes. If that's the dress you were contemplating wearing tomorrow when you meet my parents for the first time, I'd have to say not really."

Chorong glances at the dress once more. "Perhaps you're right."

"That being said, I have nothing against the dress. In fact, I think I'm going to take you out one night next week and you should definitely wear that. I'm sure you will look amazing in it."

Chorong's cheeks fill with colour as she smiles. "You're going to take me out?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"Wherever you want to go."

The smile on Chorong's face doesn't disappear. "As lovely as that sounds, we really need to prepare for tomorrow and the quick trip to your parents' house before anything else. What should I wear?" Chorong questions as she peruses her clothes, stopping to stare at each individual dress for some time, silently weighing up the pros and cons. She exhales heavily. "I'm meeting them tomorrow; we don't have time to go shopping so buying another outfit is out of the question."

"You don't need to go shopping." Bomi stands from the bed and wraps her arms around Chorong's waist from behind; dropping a kiss on her girlfriend's clothed shoulder. "Just dress like you normally would. You don't need to change who you are just because you're meeting my parents."

"I need to make a good first impression."

Bomi grimaces and prays Chorong doesn't notice. Technically Sunghee already has a first impression of Chorong from the wedding but she's yet to tell Chorong that. As far as Chorong's concerned, Sunghee doesn't know who she is. She walks past Chorong and starts searching through her girlfriend's clothes. "Wear this," she comments, handing over a sweater.

"I can't wear that, it's something I'd wear to nip to the grocery store, not to meet your parents."

"Stop worrying so much. My parents aren't going to judge you on what you wear. They are neither fashion icons nor fashion critics. I want you to wear what you feel comfortable in, if that means a dress, choose a dress. If that means your normal clothes, chose your normal clothes."

Chorong sighs and closes the dresser. "I'll decide tomorrow." She sits down on the bed and rubs her thighs. "Whose idea was it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did you suggest introducing me to them or did they suggest it?"

"I suggested it; I want them to meet you. We've spent months keeping everything that's happened between us a secret. I don't want to do that anymore. You are not a secret." A knock on the door causes Bomi to furrow her eyebrows. "Are you expecting somebody?"

"Ah yes, I may have forgotten to tell you about that."

"Tell me about what?"

Chorong stands and runs her hands over her clothes, smoothing them. "Hayoung and Namjoo are back from their honeymoon and Namjoo called me yesterday, asking if it was alright for them to come over. I said yes so I'm guessing that's them at the door."

"Babe, I haven't spoken to Hayoung in a while, I don't even know how she feels about me right now. She could well hate me. She wasn't exactly singing my praises at the wedding and before she went on her honeymoon, our conversations were chaperoned by Namjoo. I don't know what to say to her."

Chorong dips down and steals a kiss in an attempt to distract her girlfriend. "I'm sure she probably feels the same way. I doubt either of you need to worry, you've been friends for years, I think you'll find that when you're sat down with her, the words will come."

She leaves the bedroom and heads towards the front door, opening it and greeting her guests with a wide smile. "You both look incredibly refreshed. I can see you caught the sun Joo."

"Hey Rong," Namjoo says with a smile. "Can we come in?"

"Of course, where are my manners? Come on in." She holds the door open wider and allows the newlyweds to enter the apartment. "Bomi is just in the bedroom, she should be out in a minute. Do you want a drink?"

"I'll have whatever juice or tea you offer Rong. Hayoung will have the same."

"I'll get them," Bomi announces as she appears in the bedroom doorway. She walks towards the kitchen and opens the fridge, withdrawing the orange juice and pouring out two glasses. She hands one to Namjoo and extends her hand for Hayoung to accept the juice but the other woman doesn't move.

Namjoo nudges Hayoung and the woman begrudgingly takes the orange juice.

"I'd love to see the honeymoon photographs," Chorong announce as she links arms with Namjoo. "Why don't we go into the bedroom and you can show me them?"

"What's wrong with the living room?" Hayoung asks, her eyes never leaving Bomi's.

"Nothing," Chorong answers. "But I believe that you and Bomi need to talk so Namjoo and I will leave you to it. Four's a crowd and all that."

"You don't need to leave." Both Bomi and Hayoung issue the reply at the same time but Namjoo and Chorong choose to ignore them and start walking towards Chorong's bedroom.

Bomi clears to break the deathly silence which has coated her and Hayoung. Not speaking to one another and being uncomfortable in each other's presence is a new experience. They shared their first argument at the tender age of thirteen. It wasn't a big argument; in fact it was petty and stupid. The cause of the argument and the moment it kicked off escape her memory but she can vaguely recall it being over something to do with middle school. Three days and a not so heartfelt apology later on her part, Hayoung finally started speaking to Bomi again.

That was the only time they stopped speaking to one another.

"Do you want to sit down?"

Hayoung reluctantly does as Bomi asks and takes a seat on the couch, immediately crossing her legs. Bomi hovers for a couple of seconds before deciding against sitting directly beside her and chooses to sit down on Chorong's armchair.

"Do you not have anything stronger than orange juice? Or at least something I can add to this."

"It's barely mid-day."

Hayoung shrugs. "It's five o'clock somewhere."

"I see you're still in the honeymoon spirit," Bomi jokes before rubbing the back of her neck. "How was the honeymoon?"

Hayoung raises her head at the atypical question. "Sun, and sand basically sums it up."

"I assumed with you two it would have been , and more ."

In spite of herself, she releases a slight chuckle. "Namjoo wanted to actually venture outside the hotel room. I could have happily stayed inside but apparently you're supposed to explore and do standard touristy things."

"That's Namjoo for you. Remember when you surprised her with what was supposed to be a dirty weekend in Rome and you ended up visiting all the local attractions instead, the Colosseum, the Trevi fountain and the Vatican."

"She still owes me a dirty weekend away. I tried taking her to Jeju but once again, she was more interested in seeing the sights. Her reasoning is we have plenty of time when we're at home to have , when we're somewhere new, she wants to explore rather than stay cooped up in a hotel room."

"And you still married her."

"What can I say, I love her." Hayoung glances over her shoulder to see the closed bedroom door. "I wonder what they're talking about."

"Vacation snaps and all the juicy details which come with them probably," Bomi suggests. "Unless of course they're not talking and they're just eavesdropping, waiting for us to talk."

"Well then we better not disappoint them." Hayoung clears and places the glass of juice on the coffee table, still just as full as it had been when Bomi gave it to her. "Have you spoken to Eunji?"

"Before I answer that question, can I just ask, are you going to keep your hands to yourself or should I prepare myself for another slap?"

Hayoung places her hands by her side. "You're safe."

"In that case, yes I have spoken to her but it's not really helped," Bomi tells her. "Do you want the long version or the short version?"

"I just want you to tell me what happened."

"Well, for starters, she called Sohee."

"What?"

"Chorong and I were about to go out and suddenly Sohee is standing in my living room, as bold and brass as she was when we were sixteen," Bomi tells her.

"Did anything happen?"

"Of course nothing happened," Bomi spits harshly. "I wouldn't do that to Chorong but it's good to know how much faith you have in me."

"Are you seriously going to question the faith I have in you when we're sitting here talking about how your friendship with Eunji is destroyed because you slept with her girlfriend."

Bomi tilts her head. "Fair enough. Although I must say, I'm not entirely sure why you and Eunji presumed I'd kiss or sleep with Sohee."

"I guess it's because of your track record."

"My past is a constant anchor in my life, it seems."

Hayoung's tongue darts out to her lips. "I have to admit, I didn't see that one coming. Other than the massive curve ball which was Sohee, what else has happened?"

Bomi puffs out a breath. "Eunji still hates me, that much is completely clear. She says she needs time to hate me without me trying to suffocate her with apologies and remorse. I don't know if you've spoken to her…"

"Not yet. I called her but she didn't answer. I can't say I blame her; I didn't answer her calls when I was on honeymoon. Namjoo and I are going to go round to her apartment after we leave here."

"She's not there," Bomi informs her friend. "She's staying with her parents for a while. She wanted to get away from everything. I don't think she'll ever forgive me Hayoung."

"Well you have slept with the woman she loves," Hayoung comments quietly.

"Do you hate me Hayoung?" Bomi questions, her voice broken and barely louder than a whisper. "I know you said you'll always be there for me but do you hate me?"

"I hate what you did but I don't hate you. I told you that in Gwangju."

Bomi hums softly. "A lot has changed since then, for all I knew, your answer could have as well."

"Well it hasn't." Hayoung blinks quickly. "You know, when she stopped talking to you years ago, Eunji cried on my shoulder. I was the person she could turn to. I was there for her when she needed me, when she wanted me to be there. This time, she doesn't want me anywhere near her. I'm worried about her Bomi. She's had her heart ripped out and stomped on by her best friend and her girlfriend. I need to know she's okay. You have Chorong, Eunji doesn't have anybody."

"That's not true. Even if she doesn't want to accept it right now, she has you, Namjoo and eventually Chorong."

"What?"

"Eunji's a forgiving person, to a fault sometimes. At some point in the future, she's going to forgive Chorong. She may be devastated at the minute but soon enough, she'll let you back into her life and she'll let Chorong back as well."

"What about you?"

"I'll always be on the outside looking in."

"You don't know that for sure," Hayoung says softly, even though she's confident that Bomi is right. She can't foresee Eunji forgiving Bomi.

"Come on Hayoung, it's not like you to offer false hope. What do you think is going to happen? Don't worry about hurting my feelings, tell me the truth."

"Honestly, I think you're right. I can't see your friendship ever being repaired. I know it must be hard to hear but…"

"It's the truth. I know it is. I can give her all the time in the world but it'll be futile. She's not going to want anything more to do with me."

Hayoung contemplates wrapping her arm around her friend but she finds herself frozen to the spot. "I'm sorry."

Bomi smiles sadly. "Don't be. After all, it's my fault."

"Namjoo tells me you and Chorong have been spending a lot of time together, I take it your relationship with her is working out," Hayoung says, deciding it might be best to divert the topic away from Eunji for the time being.

Her friend's features brighten ever so slightly at the change in topic. "Yeah, it is. It's going really well actually, in spite of everything."

"I don't know if I trust her."

"Why not?"

Hayoung rolls her eyes. "She cheated on her girlfriend, she could do it again."

"She wouldn't do that."

"Are you a hundred per cent sure about that? Look Bomi-ah, you will always be my best friend and I know that when you fall in love, you wear your heart on your sleeve. I don't want her to hurt you. I can't deal with another problem in this friendship group."

"I trust her Hayoung."

Hayoung is prepared to argue but she manages to bites her tongue. "Fine, that's all I needed to hear."

"Is it safe to come out?" Namjoo shouts from the bedroom. "You haven't killed each other have you?"

"No blood has been spilled this night," Bomi replies with a slight laugh. "You can stop eavesdropping on us now."

Namjoo and Chorong emerge from the bedroom, looking sheepish. "We weren't eavesdropping," Chorong corrects. "We were just patiently waiting for the screams."

Both women walk across the living room and sit down, Namjoo sitting close to Hayoung, their legs pressed together while Chorong opts to sit on the side of the armchair.

"Are you okay?" Chorong questions gently.

"I am now."

Bomi turns off the engine and unbuckles her seatbelt as she stares out of the window at her family home. She can feel the nerves bubbling up inside and suddenly she feels like the sixteen year old version of herself.

"Okay, deep breaths, everything is going to be fine."

Chorong reaches across the car and grasps Bomi's hand. "Bbom-ah, I do believe there are significantly worse people you could bring home to meet your parents than me. A serial killer immediately springs to mind."

"Did you just compare yourself to a serial killer?"

"It's hardly a comparison, I'd win every day."

Bomi chuckles heartily. "When I said everything is going to be fine, I wasn't talking to you babe. I was talking to myself."

"Okay, now that worries me slightly," Chorong confesses. "Your parents are going to despise me and wish you were dating somebody else are they?"

"No, of course not. They'll love you, I've told you that."

"If that's the case, why are you nervous?"

"I'm not nervous."

Chorong tilts her head to the side. "Your hands are shaking."

Bomi glances down at her hands and forces them to stay still. "You're only the second girl I've brought home to meet my parents so I suppose I am a little nervous because it's such a new experience. I've been telling my mom about this anonymous girl I was falling for so she's been angling for months to know who you were. I think she may have a heart attack when you finally meet. You mean everything to me; I want things to go perfectly." She clears . "Besides, there's something I may have forgotten to tell you."

"Colour me intrigued, what is it?"

"At the wedding, my mom finally put two and two together and found out the girl I loved was you. She wasn't exactly pleased that out of everybody, you were the person I wanted to be with. She didn't want me to ruin my friendship with Eunji by sleeping with her girlfriend."

Chorong releases her girlfriend's hand and leans back in the seat. "So she doesn't think very highly of me and I haven't even met her yet."

"I didn't want to worry you. I'm nervous as you've pointed out so I needed you to be the calm and collected one." Bomi pinches the bridge of her nose. "Your dad doesn't like me; at least it's something we have in common."

"My dad doesn't dislike you," Chorong corrects. "He's just not exactly your number one fan. You'll win him around; you're rather charming when you want to be."

"You'll win my mom around. I know it's usually dads who are protective of their daughters but it's always been my mother who looks out for me more. She's worried you'll hurt me because you cheated on your girlfriend. I think she believes in the philosophy 'once a cheater, always a cheater'."

"All the preparation I have done for this meeting has now been undone. How about we go back to my apartment and reschedule this meet for another day so I can have time to prepare?"

"Now who's nervous?" Bomi teases.

Chorong rolls her eyes. "Can you blame me?"

Bomi opens her car door and steps outside before leaning against the roof of the car. "Are you going to hide in the car or come with me?"

"I do not hide from anything."

Bomi closes the door before walking around to Chorong's side and opening the passenger door. "Come on them beautiful, the sooner we go inside, the sooner this is all over."

Chorong climbs out of the car, closing the door behind her and linking Bomi's arm. She decided to take Bomi's advice and wear clothes she felt comfortable in. Bomi locks the car and starts walking up the path towards the front door. She opens the front door and steps inside but Chorong stills her instantly.

"Shouldn't you knock?"

"It's my parent's house and they're expecting me. I think I'm allowed to just walk in."

"Of course, how silly of me." Chorong follows Bomi into the family home and inhales heavily to calm herself. If Bomi hadn't opened , Chorong would have remained cool and collected.

"Mom, Dad?" Bomi shouts as she leads Chorong through the house.

"Auntie Bomi!" Jinsol comes bounding down the stairs and Bomi has to laugh at how the young girl has clearly ignored her mother's warning to not run down stairs. She can already hear Sunmi's scolding in her head. She runs straight into Bomi's arms and the woman lifts her up.

"How is my favourite niece doing?"

Jinsol giggles. "I'm your only niece."

Bomi squeezes her eyes shut. "Of course you are, how foolish of me." She turns to face Chorong. "I highly doubt I need to reintroduce you to Chorong."

Jinsol shakes her head emphatically and the second Bomi places her back on the floor, she's in Chorong's arms.

"JinJin, why don't you give Chorong a tour of the house?"

"Can I show her my drawings first?"

Chorong nods slowly. "I would love to see your drawings. Maybe you could draw a portrait of me."

"See you've already won her over and to be honest, she's the head of this household. If she likes you, you're golden," she whispers into her girlfriend's ear, causing Chorong to smile shyly.

"Right Jinsol, where are these drawings? Do you have a gallery?"

Jinsol chuckles. "They're in my bedroom."

Chorong places Jinsol on the ground and the young girl immediately takes Chorong's hand. "Come on, we have to go upstairs."

Bomi pecks Chorong on the cheek. "I'm going to find my parents, have fun."

She heads through the house, bypassing Sunmi who's looking sufficiently stressed as she stands by the oven. She throws a quick hello over her shoulder but her sister doesn't reply. Deciding not to bother her, Bomi continues until she reaches the back yard. She spies her father standing topless in front of the ancient barbeque they've had for as long as Bomi can remember and her mother lying one of the sun loungers.

"I know its May but it's nowhere near hot enough to see your bare torso, dad. Actually, scratch that, it's never hot enough for me to see that. Can you please put on a shirt before I bring Chorong out?"

Seunghyun scoffs before reaching for his shirt and shrugging it on. "I only took it off because it's dirty. Your mother told me to change my shirt but then asked me to try and fix the barbeque and I can only do one thing at a time. Unlike your mother, I can't multitask."

Bomi shakes her head when she sees how dirty the shirt is. "You can't wear that dad; it looks like you've murdered somebody."

"Make up your mind my dear, first you wanted me to wear the shirt and now you want it to take me off." Seunghyun looks down at the ketchup stained shirt with a smirk. "I can explain this. Your mother and I may have engaged in some outlandish behaviour earlier."

"I wish you hadn't told me that," Bomi spits, squeezing her eyes shut in a desperate attempt to rid herself of the image. "Just change dad. Mom, do you mind to come inside with me, please."

Her mother removes her sunglasses before standing. "Anybody would think you're uneasy about us meeting your new girlfriend. You're not are you?"

"I'm anxious you'll scare her off so for the time being can you please try and be normal?"

"Normal is our middle name," Sunghee tells her. "Now, where is this infamous Chorong then? I am quite looking forward to talking to her."

"She's inside; Jinsol is showing off her drawings." When Sunghee and Seunghyun both start walking towards the back door of the house, Bomi stops them. "Just a gentle warning, don't interrogate her, don't ask her uncomfortable questions and Mom, if you dare bring the photograph album out, I will never forgive you."

"Bomi, you were an adorable baby!" Chorong coos as she looks at the photographs of Bomi, ranging from her as a baby to her on her graduation. "You were certainly a messy baby. It's almost as if you sought it as a challenge to cover every part of your body in food except for your mouth."

Bomi pinches the bridge of her nose and contemplates whether it is actually possible to die from embarrassment. If her mother ever wanted to murder somebody, she wouldn't need a gun or poison, she could shame them to death. She's been embarrassing Bomi since she was a child. It's her mother's favourite past time.

"I see you were a tomboy growing up."

Intrigued, Bomi glances at the photograph Chorong is pointing to. "It was my tenth birthday party and I wanted a costume party. Most girls came as princesses but I decided I wanted to be a pirate. Pirates were scary, princesses weren't."

"I take it you grew out of being a tomboy," Chorong comments absent-mindedly as she traces the photograph of Bomi in, what she presumes, is her prom dress. She looks beautiful.

"Maybe in my choice of clothing, there are only so many times you can wear a pirate outfit."

Chorong grins widely before glancing up to see Bomi's parents watching them with unabashed fascination. She's thankful that Bomi's sister is currently playing with Jinsol upstairs; at least she doesn't have to face the entire family in one sitting. She keeps hold of the photograph album and silently wishes she doesn't look as uncomfortable as she feels. With Bomi, she's calm and she always feels comfortable. But right now, knowing two people are silently judging her, it unnerves her.

"You've raised a wonderful daughter Mr and Mrs Yoon."

"Well we like her," Seunghyun replies.

Sunghee nods her head in agreement. "We all know she has her flaws but I do agree with you Chorong, she is a wonderful daughter. If only she could refrain from hitting on unattached women."

Bomi flinches at the response. That's the first firework of the day and undoubtedly, it won't be the last.

"Mom," Bomi warns.

"In Bomi's defence, she didn't know I was in a relationship when we first met. I didn't tell her so I am to blame rather than her. When she found out about Eunji, she backed off. I made the first move." Chorong tugs her bottom lip between her teeth. "I kissed her first Mrs Yoon."

"So what you're leading me to understand is that you willingly cheated on your girlfriend?"

Chorong ducks her head nervously at the question. "Bomi didn't force me to do anything. Everything which has happened between the two of us has been consensual."

"When I used the word willingly, I meant you decided to pursue Bomi even though you knew you shouldn't."

"Yes, that's right."

"Why?"

"I fell in love with your daughter."

"If I'm correct in my understanding, you slept with Bomi before you even knew her. You had a one-night stand with her. Am I to believe it was love at first sight?"

Chorong rubs her hands together anxiously and glances at Bomi for some help but Bomi remains silent. When she first met Eunji's parents, they did appear to fall in love with her right away but understandably, Bomi's parents are more hesitant. At least Chorong now understands how Bomi has felt when she's been interrogated by Chorong's dad and Sana.

It's certainly not a pleasant feeling.

"I certainly believe that love at first sight exists, I fell in love with Bomi's father the moment I laid eyes on him. Didn't I Seunghyun?"

She nudges her husband and he clears his throat. "Love at first sight, absolutely."

Chorong smiles shyly. "I can only speak for myself and not Bomi but for me, it wasn't love at first sight. That being said, I certainly felt something which I had never felt before. When I met Bomi, I knew there was something different about her. Over time, that something grew stronger and became love. I wouldn't have cheated on my girlfriend and broken her heart on a whim Mr and Mrs Yoon."

"You have to understand that I have a few concerns. I know Bomi isn't one for relationships but when she finds somebody special enough to date, she puts her entire heart on the line. Since you cheated on Eunji, I have to worry you're capable of doing the same thing to Bomi. I've already seen her heartbroken once, I don't want to see it again."

"I don't plan on cheating on your daughter."

"I should hope not but surely you said the same thing about Eunji and look what happened."

"Mom, stop it," Bomi interjects. "We all make mistakes; you can't judge somebody based on the mistakes they've made, I should know, I'm constantly judged on my past mistakes."

"Bomi, it's fine," Chorong comments. "Obviously your mother has a right to have these concerns."

"No it's not fine," Bomi tells her. "You can't snidely infer that she'll cheat on me in the future. I love Chorong mom, I trust her."

"I'm just trying to look out for you."

Bomi bobs her head. "I know you are but I'm not a little girl anymore, I can look after myself."

Sunghee raises her hands in surrender. "May I ask you one final question?"

"Oh now you ask rather than just firing the question out," Bomi mutters under her breath.

"Actually this question isn't specifically for Chorong. It's for both of you." Bomi raises her head at the reply and waits for the question. "What are you going to do now with regards to Eunji?"

" I don't want to lose her from my life but I am aware that is a possibility," Chorong begins. "I'm going to try my hardest to ensure we maintain some form of friendship, even if it's only sending a Christmas card once a year."

"I have to say that's admirable if a tad naive. What about you Bomi?"

There are only so many times she can answer this question without crying. "I'm going to do what she wants and give her space and then I don't know. I'm glad that Chorong wants to try and keep a friendship alive but I'm not under any illusion that Eunji and I will remain friends," Bomi tells her mother.

Sunghee opens to speak but Seunghyun beats her to it. "How about we end this interrogation and do something else. Anything else."

Sunghee checks the clock. "I should actually start preparing dinner. Sunmi has attempted to make dessert but cooking has never been one of her best attributes so I'd like to make sure the main course is delicious, even if the dessert is…" She pauses, searching for the right word. "Questionable. Chorong, would you care to help me? It will give me a chance to learn more about you. No interrogation, I promise."

Chorong's tongue darts out to her lips and tosses a fleeting glance towards Bomi who smiles. "Of course I'll help. I'd be happy to."

"Mom, you do know Chorong's lacto-vegetarian right, you have catered for that haven't you?"

Eager to have Bomi's parents like her, Chorong shakes her head. "I don't want to cause you extra bother."

Sunghee bobs her head. "Of course I've catered for her eating habits; I wouldn't make her eat something she didn't want. Honestly Bomi, what kind of mother do you think I am?"

He picks up the photo frame which rests on his bedside table. It's a photo of him and Bomi and he can still remember the day it was taken as if it was yesterday. She was five years old and smiling proudly towards the camera. His sister had just married her childhood sweetheart after years of dating and his daughter had been chosen as a bridesmaid and had spent weeks preparing for the day, as if it was her special day. He laughs slightly at the memory because he can't envision Bomi doing that nowadays, not even for her own wedding. After the ceremony, he asked her if he could have a picture with her because she was the prettiest girl at the wedding and when she beamed and clambered into his arms, he knew the photograph would be something he always treasured.

Nearly twenty years later and the photograph has never left his bedside table.

It would be one of the first things he grabbed if the house was on fire.

He leaves his bedroom, carrying the photograph under his arm and walks towards Bomi's old bedroom, knocking first. He learned the hard way to always knock on his daughter's door rather than walk in. He'll never be able to remove the image of her and Sohee from his mind. When his daughter grants him entry, he opens the door, closing it over behind him.

"Hiding away in your bedroom isn't like you."

"I just needed a minute; everything's pretty full on downstairs. Plus, I'm trying to get over my mortification at mom," Bomi tells him. "Could she be any more embarrassing?"

Seunghyun sits beside Bomi on the bed. "If I could offer you some advice, I'd never ask her that question. She'll only see it as a personal challenge."

A short laugh escapes Bomi's lips as her eyes fall to the photograph her dad is holding. "I hope when I get married, I have a bridesmaid that will steal everybody's hearts."

"Well if you get married within the next couple of years, it could be Jinsol," Seunghyun replies. "She'll definitely steal the attention away from you."

Bomi doesn't attempt to argue with him because she knows he's correct. It only took mere seconds for Chorong to fall in love with Jinsol. Jinsol just appears to have a certain power over everybody.

"What are you doing up here? I thought you were going to watch the football game while mom and Chorong made dinner."

"You disappeared rather quickly after your mother asked Chorong to help make dinner; I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Bomi frowns at her father. "Did mom send you up here to check on me?"

Her father tilts her head to the side before shaking his head. "Chorong actually asked me if you were okay. She was going to come up here herself but I volunteered instead."

"I'm fine dad, it's just…I want you both to love Chorong as much as I do. The whole day is a little overwhelming. Meeting the parents, it's…it's a serious step. Months ago, Chorong and I were this sordid secret and now, everything is real. I've met her dad, now she's met you and mom. It's dreamlike."

"You're not having second thoughts about everything are you?"

"No," Bomi states firmly. "It's just…when I realised who Chorong was; I didn't expect today to be happening. I didn't even bother to entertain the possibility that we could have a future but now it's no longer just a possibility, it's reality."

She's never really been one to discuss her love life with her father. Her parents have always treated her love life in different ways. While her mother has always been nosey and inquisitive, her father doesn't tend to ask any questions. In his opinion, her love life is her business and he does his very best to stay clear of the subject. She knows her mother is disappointed the girl she loves used to date Eunji but she doesn't know how her father feels.

Yoon Seunghyun has always been good at keeping his cards close to his chest.

"Are you disappointed in me?"

"Why would I be disappointed in you?"

Bomi puffs out a breath because her father would need her to spell everything out for him. "I slept with Eunji's girlfriend."

"Yes, that wasn't ideal of you," Seunghyun replies. "You know your mother and I have always embraced Eunji as another daughter but you are our daughter. We're always going to side with you, even when you do the wrong thing. Obviously we would have preferred it if you'd waited for Chorong to be single or at least talked to Eunji but you can't change your past."

"Mom's disappointed."

"She'll get over it." Seunghyun pats her thighs. "You know, your mother has spent the last few months updating me about your love life. We just want you to be happy."

"I am happy."

"I can tell, your eyes light up whenever you look at Chorong. Is she the one?"

"I feel in me she is, but dad, you don't need to do this."

"It might be your mom's area of expertise but I do have my uses you know. I'm not just a silly old man." He falls silent for a second before clearing his throat. "I met your mother through a friend, have I ever told you that?"

Bomi shakes her head even though he has told her the story before, several times, but he always lights up when he tells the story, so as long as he can't remember, Bomi will allow him to tell the story over and over again.

Maybe one day she'll be repeatedly telling her children the story of how she met Chorong.

"It was my best friend, Kwon Jiyong's eighteenth birthday and your mother was one of his brother's friends," he tells her. "I know I teased your mother earlier but it really was love at first sight."

"How did you know?"

"Know what?"

"That it was love at first sight."

"I'm not sure I can really explain it but it just felt right. Once I saw her, I knew I didn't want to not see her again. When I told her a ridiculously awful joke, she laughed so much she snorted and in that moment, I just knew she was the person I always wanted to tell my pathetic jokes to."

"I feel that way about Chorong."

Seunghyun smiles softly. "She seems like a lovely girl, extremely well-mannered and friendly. I think she'll be good for you Bomi. I think she's the type of girl you need in your life. I have to admit, so far, I prefer her to Sohee."

Bomi smiles softly. "What does mom think?"

"Your mother just wants you to be happy."

"That's not an answer."

Seunghyun sighs lightly. "She cares about you Bomi; she doesn't want you to end up heartbroken again. She does like Chorong; she wouldn't be trying to embarrass you as much if she didn't. She just wishes you hadn't met her under the circumstances in which you did."

"So do I." A knock at the door interrupts their conversation. "I think her ears must have been burning."

When she shouts come in, Chorong cracks open the door gently and peers inside the bedroom. "Am I interrupting?"

"No, we're finished."

"Mr Yoon, your wife's asking for you."

Seunghyun bobs his head. "Bomi, will you do me a favour?"

"Anything."

"Humour your mother and her ways," he asks. "She's been waiting a long time for you to bring somebody home. She was starting to believe it wasn't going to happen again. Besides, it's her job to embarrass you." The corner of Bomi's mouth curls upwards. "I best go see what Sunghee wants; no doubt I've done something wrong."

When Seunghyun brushes past Chorong, Chorong steps further inside the room, glancing surreptitiously at the four walls. "So this is your old bedroom. It's…it's not what I was expecting. It's surprisingly ordinary."

"Ordinary?" Bomi says with a laugh. "What does that mean?"

"I imaged it to be dark and filled with posters, possibly of either women or gothic design."

"Did you imagine me to be a punk or something?"

"Maybe a little bit." Chorong walks over to Bomi and sits beside her, occupying the space Seunghyun had just been occupying.

"What do you think?" Chorong asks as she hands the piece of paper over to Bomi. "I think Jinsol could have a future as an artist. She really has captivated my likeness."

Bomi observes the drawing and laughs deeply. "I didn't realise you had blue hair. Obviously I need to start paying you more attention."

"Apparently she thinks I'd suit blue hair."

"The first time she drew me, she gave me a nose the size of Earth," Bomi says quietly, subconsciously touching her nose. "She said that was how she saw me. It's actually incredibly mystifying to think about what she must see when she looks at us."

Chorong chuckles lightly. "I don't want to speak too soon but I think this afternoon has been rather successful. Do you?"

"Yeah it has, my parents have given you the Yoon seal of approval," Bomi tells her. "Well, my dad has, I think you'll have to wait until Clue to receive my mother's."

"Actually I believe your mother and I made some headway when we were preparing dinner. She asked me a plethora of mundane questions like my favourite movie and my star sign before progressing to more personal questions but by the end, she smiled at me and said I could cease with the Mrs Yoon and call her Sunghee. That's a good sign right?"

"Wow, yes. It totally is."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Babe, I've told you, you don't need to ask me that. You can ask me anything you want."

"Did you mean what you said the other day and just then to your mother? About accepting your friendship with Eunji is over."

Bomi inhales sharply. "Yes I did. Our last conversation…there was an overwhelming sense of finality to it. Maybe by some miracle, we'll be civil to each other but that's it, she doesn't want me in her life. For once, I'm going to respect her wishes." She rubs the back of her neck.

Chorong bobs her head, in silent agreement. "Did you ever imagine that we'd be meeting each other's parents after the circumstances in which we met?" Chorong asks slowly. "If I'm being honest, I never expected you to become anything more than a one-night stand."

"Me neither."

"It's remarkable how life can lead you in a completely different direction to what you originally imagined."

Bomi entwines her fingers with Chorong's. "You know, even though us being together has caused an irrevocably scar in our circle of friends, I wouldn't change what's happened between us. I'd change how it happened, sure. But not us. I would never change us."

"Neither would I."

"So," Bomi begins. "What's next?"

"What do you mean?"

Bomi ducks her head, somewhat nervously. "We've probably already faced more problems than most couples do upon first meeting and we've already met the parents. What do we do next?"

Chorong kisses Bomi lightly. Calmly. "Why don't we stop asking questions and just see what happens?"

"What if we don't like what happens?"

"One thing I've learned these months is that you never know what is going to happen so worrying about the future can be frivolous. Let's just enjoy right now. We've spent months worrying about what will happen next and I don't know about you but I'm sick of worrying. I just want to be with you Bomi. For the time being, can't we just do that? Can't we just be together?"

"Yeah." Bomi smiles genuinely and for the first time in months, she feels relaxed. "We can."