Yerin woke up feeling warm, blinking open her eyes, she briefly wondered what happened before shaking her head, deciding that nothing mattered anymore. Looking down, she found that Yuju was asleep, holding her tightly in her sleep, her face buried in Yerin’s stomach. She reached a hand to caress her partner’s head out the dark tresses as she zoned out.

They ran from her mansion, they were considered kidnappers by her father. They were all here. Yuju shifted in her sleep, snapping Yerin out of her thoughts.

“Yerin unnie..”

Yerin froze, Yuju was sleep talking? Placing her hand on Yuju’s back, Yerin hummed quietly.

“I’m here.”

Yuju nuzzled into her as response to her voice, making Yerin smile. Maybe it was okay to run away from her responsibilities as an heiress. After all, they were trying to brainwash her with “updating” her chip. She touched the thin metal edge at her hairline just above her right eyebrow. Feeling the smooth metal there, Yerin sighed and rested her head back again.

“Mnh, Yerin unnie?”

“Morning Yuna.”

“Yerin unnie!”

Yuju removed her arms around Yerin’s waist just enough to throw them over her partner’s shoulders, tugging them into a tight hug.

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“Are you okay? Do you hurt anywhere?”

The hesitant smile on Yerin’s face made Yuju lean closer to make sure all Yerin could look at was her.

“I won’t take no for an answer if you avoid my gaze like that.”

“Well- not physically at least.”

“Mentally? Emotionally? Which is it?”

Yerin held her arms to herself, trying to avoid eye contact again.

“What if, what if somehow they can control me through this thing?”

“They can’t.”

“But they could.”

“Then I’d knock you out and drag you with me.”

There was a slight silence of disbelief, but Yerin started to laugh.

“You’d knock me out? Haha.”

“I would. SinB told me, that it’s okay to be selfish.”

“Selfishness can cause the world to end Yuna.”

“Not when I’m only doing it this once.”

Yuju held Yerin’s hands.

“You’re not going anywhere without my permission, ever again. You got that?”

“Whether I keep it or not, depends on you.”

“Eh?”

“Can you stop me?”

The determined look in Yuju’s eyes caused Yerin’s mirth to dissipate slightly, for that second, Yerin could not think of what Yuju was thinking of. She was unreadable.

“I can.”

Yerin watched as Yuju leaned closer, and…closer? Feeling lips on her cheek, Yerin’s eyes unfocused until she processed the sensation. Raising a hand to her cheek, Yerin held it for a second.

“What did you-?”

“You said you were a monster, which meant that you didn’t like yourself.”

Yuju smiled at her, filling Yerin with a sense of warmth and stability.

“If you don’t like yourself, at least I like you, right?”

“You…haha…do you know what you’re saying?”

Patiently, Yuju waited as Yerin started to cry, her words and her feelings clashing, making contradictory statements. She quietly hugged Yerin again, letting her cry on her shoulder.

“Even though the girls told me, even if you might not blame me, I still feel very strongly about your legs.”

“I don’t blame you at all.”

“But if could have healed you faster, or maybe been better at healing, you wouldn’t hate yourself.”

Yerin leaned her forehead to Yuju’s, her eyes closed.

“You said it yourself, right? At least I have you.”

“And now kiss.”

Yerin separated with Yuju as fast as light when she heard SinB’s voice.

“Yah! Hwang Eunbi! You ruined it!”

Umji smacked SinB’s shoulder who just shrugged and smiled. Her small little quarrel with Umji easily bringing a smile to the girls faces.

“Hey guys?”

Eunha held out her phone, a familiar number flashing across the screen.

“That’s….Sowon unnie’s number…”

“Do I pick up?”

Umji hurried over, smashing the answer button as fast as she could and turning it on speakerphone but not saying anything.

“H-hello? Th-this is Soeun. So…Sojung unnie is in trouble a-and I think Brian is mad.”

“Soeun? What happened?”

“Mama! Please! You have to save mom!”

“Mama?”

They looked curiously at Eunha who was just as confused as they were.

“I-I mean Eunha unnie. Please. Please come back quick. Sojung unnie is in trouble!”

“We’re getting on the next flight there okay? We’re on the way!”

The girls quickly gathered their things as they ran out to the airport.

“But really? You didn’t tell me she was your daughter.”

“I didn’t know!”

Yerin tsked at Eunha as she ran, the emotion in her returning in a form of a smile on her face.

“Irresponsible, that’s what you are. Imagine all the trouble you put Sowon unnie through to raise her alone!”

“I swear I have no idea what’s going on!”

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

“You did well.”

Soeun trembled as she handed the phone back. Looking beyond the table, Soeun stole a glance at Sowon, who was passed out in her chair, not looking very well.

“You promised that you’d help her.”

“I did little one.”

“And you swore on it but you never told me your name.”

“Because I can’t say it.”

“Eh? But you were born with that name.”

“I’ve been cursed to never be called again, sorry little one.”

The older girl patted Soeun’s hair softly.

“You won’t tell Brian?”

“I won’t. I owe your mom a lot after all.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, I do.”

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

so far no one has guessed who that person is, but at this point, it's kind of pretty obvious. Right?