Yuju wandered about, all the girls were still down from the talk they had, but she wasn't so good with such a sad atmosphere. She preferred it when everyone was smiling and having fun, best if they were laughing.

"Hey, cheer up?"

Sowon gave her a smile, silently thanking her for being the light. Yuju happily bounced away, letting Sowon comfort Yerin in peace. Arriving at Eunha's desk, she sat at the desk in front of Eunha's, but backwards on the chair to face her.

"Hey best friend."

"Hey."

"Are you sad?"

"Maybe."

"Don't be sad."

"How can I not? I never knew Yerin unnie was getting hurt."

"We're seven, I'm sure this situation shouldn't make sense."

Eunha looked up from her homework finally, her cute pout evident on her lips. Yuju smiled, tilting her head.

"I mean, how can we be happy? When we just learned something so sad?"

"We learned something sad, but we're going to do something about it right?"

"We are, well Sojung unnie said she will, I think I'll just stay around and hug Yerin unnie."

"That's still doing something. Since, we're doing something about it, it isn't a problem right?"

"Well, it's a problem until it's been solved."

"We will solve it. But later, we can enjoy our time until our turn to shine comes."

"That's true."

"Come on, I want to hear Yerin unnie laugh."

"Me too."

Yuju pulled Eunha from her seat, her smile much brighter and wider with her best friend with her. Eunha giggled a little as she skipped after Yuju, their hands intertwined.

"Yerin unnie! Look! I can imitate a crab!"

Eunha squatted low and pretended her hands were pincers, Sowon laughed a little, Yerin just smiled.

"Was that not accurate enough?"

Yuju grinned and pushed Eunha aside for a little bit.

"I can imitate a folding chair, Eunha yah, count down from three for me."

"Three, two, one!"

Collapsing into herself like a folding chair, Yerin stared wide eyed. She had never seen it before, but Sowon was howling with laughter.

"Unnie? What's a folding chair?"

"Hahahaha! A foldin-hahaha- a folding chair ahahha! Its a chair that you can fold to keep it somewhere smaller! Hahahaha! It folds just like Yuna did! Hahaha!"

Sowon kept laughing, clapping her hands like a seal, until slowly, slowly Yerin's small smile grew a bit, bit by bit. Yuju watched Yerin's eyes sparkle as she watched Sowon laughing, her smile slowly reached her eyes, turning them into beautiful crescents. Of course, it was Sowon unnie who was the key, it always has been for Yerin.

"Ne, Yerin unnie?"

"Yea?"

"Instead of your brother, why do you like Sowon unnie so much?"

At the mention of brother, Yerin's smile faltered, only to return at a slightly less intense smile.

"Na? I like Sowon unnie because she's the bigger sibling I never had. I wished my brother was like her, caring and loving, and adoring. I guess me and him are similar in wanting to replace each other."

Yerin looked down and Yuju panicked, this wasn't the desired outcome she wanted when she asked about Sowon.

"Hey, we just got you to smile after so long. Why are you moping around already? Come on, smile for me?"

Yuju smiled as she watched Sowon babying Yerin, feeling Eunha coming up to her side, she looekd over to give Eunha a smile as well. The shorter hugged Yuju's left arm tightly, but not too tight. They watched as Sowon worked her magic, making Yerin blush in joy and embarassment.

"I said you're different people with different reasons, you may want to replace him, because he's bad. But he doesn't even care for you. There's a difference Yerin ah. Always remember that we love your smile okay? I'll do everything I can to protect it."

"Thanks unnie."

"No problem my ginseng princess."

"You know, I don't even like to eat ginseng yet."

"I can't afford to eat ginseng."

They turned at the new voice. SinB shrugged.

"Hey, I just never had it before."

"You wouldn't like it Ddinbi, it's bitter."

"You've had it Eunha unnie?"

SinB siddled up to Eunha looking up at her like a teacher, Eunha nervously answered back.

"Yea, I did. Mum said it would be good for my future. And something about singing."

Yuju jumped up and down.

"Singing? Really? Singing? I love singing!"

Sowon chuckled.

"We know Yuna, you love singing, but shhhh, look over there."

The girls turned to look where Sowon pointed. A little ways away, Umji was asleep on top of a beanbag, she wasn't heavy enough to squish it out so her body just lay flopped atop the round top of the bag.

"I'll take a nap too, Eunha unnie tell me more about ginseng another time."

SinB patted Eunha's shoulder and went over to Umji's side, pulling a sleeping mat over. Carefully lowering herself to her knees without bending her back, she let herself fall forwards and splat herself on the mattress.

(like the insta post with the plushies)

"Wake me up later yea?"

"Sure little Eunbi."

Yuju quickly retrieved two blankets to cover the two maknaes, receiving a kiss from SinB as thanks. Pulling Eunha back to her desk, she watched as Eunha tried to do her homework.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Yerin ah."

"Yea unnie?"

They were still sat together atop the same beanbag, Yerin still held securely in Sowon's arms.

"When you mom comes later, will you be brave?"

"I don't know unnie."

"Can I ask you a favor then?"

"A favor? Okay."

"I want you to be brave."

Yerin broke eye contact and looked away, her hands falling from Sowon's shoulders. Sowon sighed and pulled Yerin by the neck to look back at her. They shared a staring contest, one pleading for Yerin to accept, one pleading for Sowon to take back her request. Sowon sighed as she ended their staring contest.

"If you're not brave, then I don't know what the outcome will be. But I can't blame you for not being brave. I'll just have to be brave enough for the both of us."

Yerin's hand returned to grip at Sowon's shoulder, tugging lightly, she caught Sowon's attention.

"Unnie, I...I'll be brave."

"Really?"

Sowon looked softly at Yerin, making sure that the younger was really okay with it and she wasn't forcing it either. Finding a sort of resolve in the younger's eyes, Sowon smiled and kissed her cheek.

"We'll be okay, promise."

============================

Yerin is a ginseng that needs to be protected, but she is the happy virus

Yuju is the light

Sowon is the hero

what about the others? :D mwahahaha