Exactly two weeks went by since that little runaway in the middle of the night.

The Bae sisters were in their room. They're​ definitely past the age in which they share a room or bed just for fun but that never stops them from 'annoying' each other in the busier afternoons. Joohyun visits Seungwan's bedroom whenever she has work and Seungwan does the same. Now it was no exception, Seungwan had an essay due tomorrow while Joohyun had the usual homework. So the oldest of the sisters lays flat on the bed and the other claimed the desk completely with tons of books and her laptop.

Seungwan was lost on her phone while texting with Seulgi. She let out a laugh out of nowhere that made Joohyun stop writing on the clean sheet of her notebook and take a look at her with a raised eyebrow. Seungwan immediately blushed and felt ashamed of her reaction before making a slight bow in the direction of her sister who had already left her homework forgotten.

"Sorry, unnie," the girl said "But Seul is in detention again, she says she fell off her bench in the middle of the algebra class and the teacher thought she did it on purpose, look at her unnie, she looks so cute"

The youngest of the sisters raised her phone to show it in the direction of Joohyun

The screen of the device showed a spontaneous selfie from Seulgi sitting on a bench in the empty classroom with a expression of complete boredom and hate for the world. Joohyun couldn't​ help but smile slightly when she saw the suffering of her favorite bear-in-law, it was always a delight to take a look at her very bad luck. However, there was another person who called Joohyun's attention and the photo wouldn't show them... the classroom was really empty after all and she was definitely sure that the equation 'Kang Seulgi = problems' was never complete without a 'Park Sooyoung' in the middle.

Could it be possible that maybe Sooyoung is changing?

"Ask her if Sooyoung is with her"

Seungwan only nodded a couple of times and then continued texting. Joohyun returned to see her notebook and continued making notes that will help her to understand the text she was reading. They spent a couple of minutes in complete silence, Seungwan even returned to read and do her essay until they finally heard the little bell signaling a new notification on her phone.

"Sorry if I didn't​ answer, the teacher woke up from his nap" Seungwan read aloud "Nope, Sooyoung isn't even in school today"

Joohyun raised her head at that last sentence. If another thing hadn't caught her attention, that definitely made all the alarms go off inside her brain. Sooyoung absent from school was never a good sign...

"She skipped all her classes?" the older one said in a hoarse voice, full of doubt but at the same time worry. Seungwan looked at her with the same anguish as Joohyun looked for her phone somewhere in the room and made an effort not to have a nervous breakdown. Hee fingers flew over the screen of her phone until she found Sooyoung's number among the thousand of other numbers she had (the disadvantages of being the president of the student council). The other side of the line rang a couple of times before someone answered.

"Hello?"

"Sooyoung?" Joohyun was having trouble listening. There was too much noise in the background: a loud noise of a crows cheering for their favorite team and commentators narrating every movement "Where the hell are you?"

"At home... damn it, Donwoo! Care to turn that off?! I'm using the phone, man!"

"This is MY house and I do what I want, you ! Get out of here!"

"Ugh! Wait a minute, unnie"

The noise gradually faded until nothing more was heard other than Sooyoung's voice. Joohyun sighed

"I had to leave the house, Game day and you know how that bastard is... I'm sorry"

"Don't​ apologize, are you okay? Seulgi told me you didn't​ go to school"

"Ah…its not so serious, unnie. I worked until late at night in the bar and didn't​ have the time to wake up to go to class"

Joohyun felt that things were going worse than just that but couldn't​ get the right words to use without hurting Sooyoung's trust. After an intense filtering process inside her brain, Joohyun was finally able to continue the conversation

"Are you sure everything is fine? You can't​ hide much from me and you know it"

Sooyoung let out a laugh on the other side of the phone

"Of course I know, I'm really fine, unnie... don't​ worry so much about me. Mom should come around in any second and that should stop that bastard from taking it too far. I'm sorry if I have to leave so soon but... I should keep the guy from pissing in every corner of the house, I'll call you later"

"Good, take care, Sooyoung"

"I love you, unnie"

Those three magic words were listed within the list of words that Joohyun hated to pronounce. It was hard for her to say them and, although she had used them before, that didn't​ mean she was very used to reciting them for her girlfriend. Again she forced herself to say something but nothing came out of .

"See you later"

She hung up the call and looked at her phone as if it was haunted. On the screen was the photograph she took of Sooyoung while they were visiting an amusement park, just in front of the merry-go-round. Joohyun looked at her with an expression of pain and worry more than one of happiness and joy at the beautiful memory. They went there during the summer holidays that just ended, Sooyoung looked so happy to go to a place she almost never visited in her entire life and Joohyun felt infected by that happiness. Joohyun didn't​ refrain from taking her hand or share her cotton candy much less kissing her tirelessly as they went up in the ferris wheel and looked at the whole city covered with lights

"Unnie" Seungwan's voice broke her thoughts "What's wrong?"

"Nothing" Joohyun returned to write in her notebook "Sooyoung is fine"

The younger sister choose not to insist anymore and continue with her own activities in the same way as her sister did. If Joohyun didn't​ want to talk that meant she shouldn't insist

***

"Do you remember that you told me you didn't​ want to date me in secret, Seul? I have the perfect solution"

Seungwan and Seulgi were sitting in the school cafeteria during lunchtime. Seulgi devoured the rest of her instant ramen while Seungwan was fiddling with the rest of her chopped fruit. The words she said were enough for Seulgi to sip the rest of her meal in one gulp, close her eyes at the burning heat of the contents and clean of any leftovers.

"Really?!" shouted the girl with full, Seungwan wondered when she would take away that adorable (but disgusting) habit

"Yes. Look... Dad is celebrating his birthday in two days and he plans to have dinner with us and mom, if I take you to dinner then I can introduce you to both of them and we won't​ have to date in secret. Joohyun-unnie is planning the same with Sooyoung"

"But ... how are you sure your parents will accept us?" Seulgi scraped the inside of the plastic cup with the chopsticks as if she wanted to have more ramen.

"Seul" Seungwan took her girlfriend's hands in hers and forced her to face her. Their eyes met immediately and Seulgi choked a gasp in because it always brought her a ridiculous satisfaction to look at the brown orbs of her lover "I told you that I'm willing to face them only for you but if we don't​ try then we'll​ never know the result. We're preparing for war without even knowing if we are going to fight"

Seulgi smiled widely at those words and took Seungwan's hands to her lips to kiss her knuckles again and again.

"Very good. I trust you, Wannie and I hope things go well"

That's exactly how two days went by until the birthday of the patriarch of the Bae house finally arrived. Everyone was gathered at the dinner table.

"Is your friend not coming, Seungwan?" her mother spoke as she began to set the plates full of food on the table. Joohyun sat next to her sister at the other end of the table while her father sat in the main chair. There were still two empty chairs at each sister's side.

"She should arrive at any second, Mom" Seungwan added cheerfully and turned her head to look at Joohyun as if trying to ask where the girls were. Joohyun couldn't​ answer her even if she wanted to.

The doorbell rang soon. Joohyun offered to open and almost ran to the door.

After opening she had to hold a gasp not to scare their parents.

There was Seulgi and Sooyoung but the latter was even more beaten than the last time. The blow on her cheek was much more obvious and painful than the last time and now there was blood on her shirt. Joohyun felt her blood boiling but who could she blame? Who could be the target of her anger when there was no one to blame right there?

"Hello, unnie" Seulgi greeted enthusiastically "Sorry for the delay but there was a lot of traffic"

"Come in," Joohyun whispered as she looked at Sooyoung intently. Seulgi stepped forward on the house and the other couple stayed at the door. Joohyun tried to get close to Sooyoung and cradle her face between her hands but she moved away from them quickly, maybe wanting to avoid the pain and the burning of her wounds.

Maybe wanting to keep her from looking at the tears in her eyes

"Sooyoung?"

"I'm fine, let's have dinner"

The table became a graveyard as soon as Seulgi and Sooyoung arrived and sat next to the people they loved. The sister's father looked at them with eyes full of rage and the mother tried to divert attention to something else without being very successful because it only took a few minutes for the bomb to explode in the form of fury right from the Bae's father. None of the sisters remembered that their parents had already heard rumors before for both girls, rumors not exactly good, and they wouldn't stop from showing the obvious disagreement they felt for the love choices of their daughters.

"So you pay us like this, Joohyun? Seungwan? Bringing home these... two? And the worst of all is that they try to hide it under the excuse of being just friends. I know very well where things are going here!"

"Dad, why don't​ you take the time to know them? Seulgi loves me and Sooyoung also loves my unnie" Seungwan complained immediately "Are you really going to ignore them just like that?"

"What do you want me to do, Seungwan? I don't​ like at all the idea of ​​you being a damn lesbian alongside your sister. Didn't we set a good example for you, your mother and me? This is a real marriage! We taught you how to be a woman! I can't believe you turned out to be a ing dyke"

Seungwan felt on the verge of crying and lowered her gaze to hide her tears. Her mother just crossed her arms and didn't​ seem to give any sign of support in her direction. Seulgi was the first and only one who came out in defense of her girlfriend.

"I don't​ think that's​ the right way to express yourself, Mr. Bae"
"Shut your mouth, Kang. I had an image of you full of virtues ​​and right now they just went down the drain"

"And that's perfectly fine, sir, but I don't​ think Seungwan deserves that treatment from you, she works every day and she is a great daughter, if you don't agree with her choices, I think is best to talk"

"Talk? I don't​ have anything to talk with a ing lesbian"

Joohyun couldn't​ hold herself anymore. She hit the table with an open hand and stood up

"And what exactly is a woman for you, dad? The one that hides all your cheating? Do you think we're too stupid to not know that you're ing your stupid secretary?"

The darker secret of the family came to light. Joohyun was the one who first learned the truth that one day she visited her father's office and found him in a very compromising situation with his young secretary. She immediately went home and told her mother but the woman pretended that nothing happened, she pretended that Joohyun was lying and she was only jealous of the relationship that both parents had. The only person who believed Joohyun was Seungwan.

"Unnie, no, stop" Seungwan tried to stop her with a lump in distorting her voice

"No, Seungwan, I'm not going to let dad fill his mouth with morals while acting like a bastard"

"What do you know about taking care of a family, Joohyun?" Their mother intervened for the first time "I did it because I love you"

"Well, your idea of love is really sick because I rather be a lesbian a thousand times than a coward who sleeps with girls as young as his children"

The man immediately got up from the table and raised a hand to hit Joohyun. But Sooyoung was faster and took the father's wrist with strength while looking at him coldly. He had just crossed a very thin line.

"Don't​ you dare to touch her" Sooyoung hissed "Don't​ even think about that"

The father broke free from the grip and dropped his fury on Sooyoung's already damaged cheek. The red-haired girl only remained with her head turned to the side while Seulgi already got up from her seat to try and help her best friend. The man spoke with violence etched in his voice.

"Shut up! Have you gone out of your ing minds?! I'm​ the man here! And none of you will come to question me! Especially you, Park! You, who is an unhappy good for nothing. You barely have decent grades, everyone knows you because of your gold-diggig skills and that blow on your cheek... surely you had it for being a . But what can you expect from a stupid girl, product of a and an alcoholic "

Joohyun could see Sooyoung tensing, her body turning into a statue. Sooyoung looked at the sisters' father with hatred, an expression that Joohyun  never saw in the woman she loved the most. Everything looked like things were going to escalate to something worse until Seulgi spoke

"I'm getting out of here, there's nothing to discuss with a disgusting​ human being like you are, Mr. Bae. Let's go Seungwan."

Seulgi took her girlfriend's hand and led her to the door, wrapping a hand around her waist to protect and comfort her a little. At that point the girl was an emotional wreck and Seulgi didn't​ know how she could handle the situation. 

"You don't​ have to put up with this, Sooyoung" Joohyun told her girlfriend while cradling her face "Let's go"

Sooyoung didn't​ look like herself even when she moved away from the discussion

"Where do you think you're going?!" the man claimed

"Just shut up!" Seulgi exclaimed "You and your wife can hold hands and go to hell!"

The four girls left the house immediately and went to Seulgi's house, which remained empty by their parents

***

"That must be the most ed up family dinner of our lives. I'm sorry, Seul... I shouldn't​ have taken you to that nightmare"

Seulgi, Seungwan, Joohyun and Sooyoung were in the living room of Seulgi's house. Hee parent's trip had extended after the bad weather caused them to cancel several of their flights back home. Joohyun was now healing Sooyoung's wounds who was sitting on a sofa and Seulgi and Seungwan shared the only loveseat in the room while they hugged and tried to put an end to the bad taste in their mouths.

Sooyoung complained after Joohyun put pressure on a specially deep cut.

"It was great how you defended Wannie, unnie" said Seulgi

Joohyun showed a small smile while still she still concentrated on her duty as an impromptu nurse

"You told him the whole truth" Seungwan continued amid the laughter "That was the most amazing thing you have ever done, thank you, unnie, I love you"

Sooyoung complained again and this time she tried to take Joohyun's hand off her, the older one jumped in fright at the redhead attitude. Since they left the house Sooyoung hadn't said a single word and her expression was too somber, perhaps too tired from everything that happened.

"I don't​ think we can go home for now" Seungwan sighed and snuggled closer to Seulgi's chest "Tomorrow we must look for a place to stay"

"Don't worry about that for now" Seulgi kissed Seungwan's cheek and then pushed her slightly to get up from the loveseat "Let's go take a bath and sleep ok? We'll think better tomorrow. By the way, Joohyun-unnie" Seulgi looked at Joohyun who was packing the first aid kit she used to take care of Sooyoung "There are clean sheets and clothes for you and Sooyoungie in the guest room"

"Thank you, Seulgi"

Seulgi and Seungwan went lost in the corridors while Joohyun stayed with Sooyoung. After looking at the empty look in her girlfriend​ eyes, Joohyun heart didn't​ resist anymore and sighed, placing a long kiss on her forehead.

"You are quiet"

Sooyoung nodded

"I have nothing to say"

Joohyun could feel the cold, rough voice. Sooyoung wasn't​ at her best and this is when she needed her the most

"Do you want to take a bath? Your wounds won't bother you and..."

It was there when Sooyoung exploded unable to contain her dark side anymore

"Stop treating me like this, I don't​ want your pity"

Joohyun looked at her scared

"What are you saying?"

"I don't​ want your pity, or your sister's, much less your parents. Stop treating me like that... you know that what that man said is true and that's why you feel guilty, you've never healed my wounds before. Do you feel guilty that your father just told the truth about myseld? That I'm no more than the daughter of a and an alcoholic? Is that it?"

"Sooyoung, no... I did it because..."

"Don't​ lie to me!" Sooyoung shouted as she got up from her own seat and faced Joohyun. Her eyes were full of pain, pain that darkened her soul and hurt her heart in all kind of ways "Stop pretending that you're hurt from what hurts me! You do it out of pity! Because your father knows my truth!"

"Of course not, Sooyoung" Joohyun protested immediately as she approached her "I'm worried about you, I don't​ care what my father says. I'll never use you, I..."

Joohyun had to force herself to say those words. 

Come on, Bae Joohyun. You have to say them

"Donwoo beat the out of me before I left my house and then he sent my mother to the hospital, she was alone with that stupid man at home after I left. He was drinking but she didn't​ know that and Donwoo went crazy when she saw her coming from work" Sooyoung's voice sounded fragile but her expression didn't​ bend "I couldn't protect her... I could've​ protected her if I wasn't on my way to your so called dinner and even though I knew about my mother, I chose to go to your house because I had faith. I was supposed to receive support and I only ran into hate and anger. As if I hadn't had enough of that"

Sooyoung took a few steps away from Joohyun, towards the front door of the house. 

"It was all pity, isn't it? You just tried to make yourself feel better because your father hates me... every time you kissed me, every time you took me to a date it was just for pity, isn't it, unnie? Did it feel good to me?! Did it feel good every time you had with me?!

Do it now, Joohyun

"I did all of that because I love you!" Joohyun shouted without caring about if Seungwan and Seulgi would rush out of the room to see what was going on "It wasn't​ just for me, Sooyoung, I love you! I love you more than my voice can tell you! Did you never felt​ it? It was always love, pity wouldn't make me kiss you, pity wouldn't make me love you, pity wouldn't​ make me worry about how you are, it's love, Sooyoung, it's only love!"

Sooyoung felt her eyes fill with tears and fell to the ground on her knees, Joohyun approached her immediately and wrapped her in a strong hug before kissing the side of her head

"I can't​ do this anymore" Sooyoung whispered in the midst of her crying as she snuggled against Joohyun looking for her protection "Unnie... I can't​ do this anymore"

Joohyun heard her sister's laughter and realized how hard things were because on one hand Seungwan felt protected with Seulgi and on the other hand her girl collapsed into a thousand pieces unable to bear the burden and stress of a life that wasn't​ meant for her

Sooyoung didn't​ feel safe

But the older girl couldn't find the words. She was never a woman of words after all

So what she did was caress Sooyoung's tear-soaked cheeks and leave a long kiss on her lips, putting heart and soul into that contact. She felt Sooyoung slowly melting in her arms and letting the pain go away. Eventually they needed air and they had to break away, Joohyun continued to caress her cheeks.

"Don't​ shut me out," whispered the older "Give me your pain, Sooyoung, give me your sorrows and let me carry them with you... it's not out of pity, it's because I love you" Joohyun pressed her forehead against her girlfriend's "Let's do this together, okay?"

Sooyoung cradled Joohyun's face in her own hands

"Together? Really?"

"Yes, let's find help for you and your mother, let's look for opportunities. You don't​ deserve to suffer all this... tomorrow we can go and file a report for these bruises and for what happened to your mother"

There was so much determination in Joohyun's eyes that Sooyoung couldn't​ contain the pride in her chest. This woman really loved her to the last fiber of her being

"I promise that I'll​ give you whatever you need... we'll​ come out of this together Sooyoung"

Sooyoung nodded relentlessly and a small smile played across her face.

Joohyun was opening her heart completely to her in order to support her and that was the biggest breakthrough in their relationship.

"Together, unnie"

***

Seulgi jumped up and down on her bed, Seungwan could only laugh at her girlfriend's attitude

"Why are you so happy, Seul?"

"Why?! Well, because my girlfriend is going to live with me!"

Seungwan smiled at that sentence: living together... it was a dream not yet fulfilled for both but it looked much closer than on other occasions. She knew that it wouldn't​ be easy to meet that goal, even though Seulgi's parents would support and allow her to stay at home while they look for a better place to live.

Seulgi finally burned down her euphoria and dropped by Seungwan's side. There was barely enough room for both of them, after all it was a single bed just meant for Seulgi and getting comfortable was quite an adventure. That didn't​ stop Seulgi from hugging her girlfriend around the waist and tangling her legs with hers in the style of a koala

"I don't​ want to think about anything but you" Seungwan spoke softly as she Seulgi's hair and almost heard her purring under the touch of her fingers "There are so many things in my head but... I want you to be the only one"

Seulgi smiled widely and went over to kiss her lover lips briefly.

"If you're with me, I don't​ care about anything" Seungwan added. "Even if everything goes wrong... I'll always find a solution for that, but I don't​ think I'll find a solution if I lose you"

"You're not going to lose me, never, we've taken the first step, haven't​ we? We aren't a secret anymore "Seulgi lost herself in her own mind for a moment before continuing "I know we'll get out of this, Wan"

Seungwan kissed Seulgi's forehead

"I'm sure of that"

***

Time went without rest. After all kinds of adversity, the girls managed to move on

Sooyoung finally had the courage to report her stepfather. The report proceeded without a doubt after they were able to verify a countless amount of evidence against him. Now the guy was in jail awaiting trial and Sooyoung's mother was recovering in the hospital in a satisfactory way

Seulgi and Seungwan managed to graduate and, with the support of Seulgi's parents, they were looking for a place to live together and fulfill that dream they loved so much.

Joohyun also managed to finish college with the big difference that her academic excellence led her to get a job opportunity in another country. The interested company would pay the trip and the stay as long as she chooses​ to move to that country. Joohyun didn't doubt it for a second

Which leads to the current situation

Seulgi and Seungwan were at the airport with Joohyun. Her flight was a few minutes away

"I'm going to miss you, unnie." Seungwan hugged her older sister with more strength than necessary and her eyes full of tears. "Take care of yourself and call me often, okay?"

"Of course I will" Joohyun patted her sister's back and then ruffled her hair "Take care of yourself and take care of Seulgi, I hope you don't​ destroy your apartment"

Seulgi laughed and then came over to hug Joohyun. After breaking the hug, she went to Seungwan and circled a hand around her waist

"See you later, Joohyun-unnie, I promise that I'll take care of Wannie as much as possible"

Joohyun nodded with a soft smile and then made a hand gesture to say goodbye. Right now they had just called all the passengers to the security checkpoint. Joohyun knew that she still missed one last person to say goodbye to her but days before they had an argument after Sooyoung refused to receive help from Joohyun (this time in the form of a recommendation for a job) claiming that she had already received a lot from her girlfriend

"Unnie!!"

Joohyun turned around at the powerful scream that she heard and her eyes filled with tears

Sooyoung was running towards her in an uncontrolled way. Soon she cut the distance with a strong hug that Joohyun didn't​ hesitate to answer... it was perhaps the last time she would see her in years, the last time she would feel the warmth of her body and hear the sound of her voice

"I love you" was the only thing Sooyoung told her and Joohyun almost lost control of her tears

"I love you too. A lot"

"Never forget me"

"Never"

The airport was filled again with the voice of the loudspeakers asking passengers to be ready before the plane left. Sooyoung and Joohyun parted reluctantly and gave each other a last smile before leaving

The promise remained in the air

They all began to build their own future