The next day comes and it started with Seungwan calling her phone just to give a few heads up about a new client she’ll be attending for the next few days. Seulgi didn’t mind it one bit. Seungwan must have done it on purpose to distract Seulgi’s mind from a certain ex-client. So, it’s all good, at least Seulgi can busy herself for a little while.

And yet, Seungwan also said something else.

“Yesterday Yerim said she wants you to give her a call.”

Oh well, Seulgi may want to distract her mind but it seems like Yerim is not letting her rest even just a little. But alas, Seulgi still happy knowing how much Yerim likes her.

She chuckles, “Well, when I’m done, can you handle the rest? I’d like to visit her instead after this.”

Seungwan agreed to help out.

It’s not like she’s okay now with Joohyun. No, definitely not. Seungwan knows helping Seulgi to see Yerim means she’s more likely going to see Joohyun again. But she’s putting that matter aside because she doesn’t want to let down Yerim. The little seems to like Seulgi a lot and Seulgi is loving the kid too as if she’s her own daughter. The only flaw in them was just Yerim’s mother.

So, yes, no matter how bad is the mother… Yerim is still just an innocent little child.

Seulgi finished her work an hour later and she went straight to Yerim’s school to pick her up from there. She glanced at her wristwatch and realized she’s a bit too early but it’s okay because she wanted to surprise Yerim at school.

“Oh?!” Seulgi heard that familiar voice. Her eyes caught Yerim’s immediately. “Bear Aunty, you’re here!”

Yerim quickly ran toward her, arms open wide and Seulgi was there to catch her and lift her up in her arms. She couldn’t help the smile the moment she sees this little girl and too bad her surprise plan didn’t actually go to plan but then… Guess it’s not that hard to spot someone like Seulgi in a crowd—what with her wearing such lawyer-y attire and parking her car by the sidewalk in front of the school. It’s pretty obvious.

“You’re came!” Yerim almost shouted.

“Of course, my little angel.” Seulgi placed a sweet kiss on Yerim’s forehead. “Let’s eat out and get some ice cream and snacks before going home, hm?” The little girl nods and it makes Seulgi crease her eyebrows because what’s with that much less enthusiastic respond? That’s very un-Yerim-like. She also looks a little down and Seulgi wondered if something serious happened today—or the other day. “What’s wrong, Yerimmie?”

“Is Mama going to come too?”

Yerim didn’t wait for Seulgi’s answer.

“Mama looked sad but I think it’s my fault for being angry at her— but I don’t like it when Mama said we can’t count on you. I’m… I’m angry and I yelled at her and I think Mama cried last night because of me.”

Seulgi didn’t know what to react to this revelation.

So, something really did happen last night.

She wanted to ask more from Yerim, but it doesn’t seem like a good idea to put her in an interrogation regarding what happened between her and her mother last night. But for sure she can tell that what Joohyun said must’ve triggered Yerim to be angry at her, still it was wrong for Yerim to be that angry until Joohyun cried.

She gives Yerim a little light flick on her forehead. “Ah—” She then caressed the spot to soothe the pain, though it’s not much to begin with.

“Yerimmie, you can’t yell at your mom, okay? And you know that you can always count on me, right?” Yerim nods. “Alright, you can tell me more about it—”

“Yerimmie?” That is definitely the mother.

Yerim’s mother.

Seulgi completely forgot that Joohyun would definitely come to Yerim’s school too to pick her daughter up as always. Their last encounter the other night wasn’t exactly…pleasant. Well, it was pleasant but at the same time it wasn’t too— Seulgi shakes her head to throw her thoughts away.

This is definitely not the time, Seulgi.

“Mama!” It wasn’t an excited happy tone Yerim always use, it sounded more like an alerted one. Joohyun tried to not frown too much when her eyes see her daughter holding on to Seulgi tighter, as if she doesn’t want her mother to take her away from Seulgi.

“Ah, Joohyun… Um, sorry, I heard from Seungwan that Yerim wanted me to call her, so I decided to visit—”

“Sorry to bother you. Y, Yerimmie, come down, let’s go home.”

“No, I don’t want to! I want to go home if Bear Aunty is coming home too!”

“Don’t bother her like this.”

“No,” Seulgi had to cut in so quickly the moment those words left Joohyun’s lips. “It’s my own decision that I came to see her. Besides, I miss Yerimmie.”

“I miss Bear Aunty too!” Joohyun watch how her daughter’s demeanor changed. Yerim looks so attached with Seulgi, but she can tell that it’s not in a bad way because Yerim is smiling and laughing so freely. “I plan to take her out for lunch. Joohyun, you should come, it won’t be fun without you.”

Joohyun hesitates and it shows. Seeing this Seulgi know it may not be the best time for them to eat out yet.

“Well, how about we give a taste of my cooking?” She offered, trying to appear natural changing her plan from eating out to eating in at home. Joohyun may have seen it, but her daughter definitely didn’t.

The little girl’s eyes went wide in surprise. “You can cook?! Let’s go now!” She tried to bounce in Seulgi’s arms, nearly making Seulgi lose her balance. Joohyun was about to scold her daughter again, but Seulgi sends her a look that tells her, ‘It’s okay, Joohyun.’ So, in then end she let her daughter be as all three of them heads to Seulgi’s car.

They stopped by a bit because Seulgi needs to buy a few things for her cooking. She asked Joohyun and her daughter to stay in the car because she said she won’t take long. Seulgi stayed true to her words and came back with three bags of grocery. Soon, they’re back on the road to Joohyun’s apartment.

Silence had never been a problem whenever Yerim is in-between Joohyun and Seulgi. The little girl never ran out of things to talk about and she always to find a way to make Seulgi smile and even laugh.

Every now and then, Seulgi would steal glances at Joohyun, and little did she know Joohyun has been doing the same thing to her for the past few minutes now. Joohyun couldn’t lie that Seulgi always look better when she smiles, especially when she’s laughing—it’s the way her eyes turn into crecents and her cheeks, gods…she looks cute that way. Seulgi was busy chatting and putting her attention to the little girl when she sneakily slips her hand into Joohyun’s lonely one.

To say that she was surprised, was an understatement.

But if this was a movie, Joohyun deserves an Oscar for the act she put up. She was trying hard to put up a normal face, as if the hand that’s holding hers right now isn’t doing anything to her heart and mind. And she didn’t know what comes to her that she didn’t pull back, instead she holds that hand back. Joohyun didn’t reject, she accepts it and returns it.

She takes a short look at Seulgi and the latter was looking at the road ahead, blushing.

They stayed like that until Seulgi parked the car in the basement. Seulgi was the one to let go first because she needs to m