The table readings had been going fine, once production started, Tzuyu was very bummed to not have as much time with her girls. But they were shooting in Ansan, she could go home everyday and when there were late nights, she’d just get home in the morning. There was nothing more she could ask for while shooting for a drama, as the locations would usually be rather far away, and Jihyo also promised to visit the set with the girls, so there was that to look forward to as well. They did visit Ha Miran shortly after that dinner party, and the older woman was delighted to have the opportunity to meet the girls properly.

 

The older actress was so enamored that she wanted to be called aunty, to which the girls complied easily even without understanding exactly why. Jihyo was busy as always, which wasn’t much after she became CEO, just endless meetings that could have been emails but clients insisted on talking to her in person. The girls were also growing fine, Dahyun took a liking to music and her mothers didn’t even blink before allowing her to learn whatever instrument she wanted, for now, the kid was learning the piano and acoustic guitar. Yunjin, however, looked like she took an interest in tinkering with things, Jihyo lost count of how many times she’d walked into her youngest disassembling one of her toys just to put it back together. Tzuyu bought her youngest a few lego sets, if only to stop the girl from playing with her wife’s tools, it was dangerous for a four-year-old to be using screwdrivers without supervision like that.

 

As for their friends, Sana and Chaeyoung had put Mina in dance class because the girl watched Barbie and the Nutcracker and decided she wanted to dance like that too. It was fine, and a great thing that the girl wanted to do some physical activity instead of just playing her games all day. Ryunjin was also in dance class, mostly because Mina went and she said she wanted to go too, Jeongyeon was reluctant, but Momo was all for it immediately. As predicted by the older mother, Ryunjin didn’t really enjoy ballet, but took an immediate liking to street dance and went with that.

 

Nayeon? Well, she was working on the OST while production was happening. She did deliver a finished song on time, right before filming started, but the director liked it so much he asked for another song for Tzuyu’s character specifically. She really didn’t want to have to write for her ex-wife’s new wife, but work was work. To get a better feel of the character and understand what the director wanted, the idol and her composer attended some table readings, they would watch how the scenes should play out and then talk to the director and see what exactly he intended for them to do with the information. It was a bit tiring, but they were managing.

 

After one of said table readings, Nayeon and her composer were approached by the director and the actress herself, which the idol already didn’t feel too comfortable about. 

 

“Nayeon, Jaehyung!” The director calls cheerily. “I have a suggestion!”

 

“Director Lee, what could we help you with?” Jaehyung, the composer, asks politely.

 

“How about the four of us go out for coffee and then we can talk more freely about this OST I asked for.”

 

“Sure thing, director Lee. Just tell us where we should go and we’ll meet you there.” Nayeon agreed easily, she needed this gig to finally make her debut as a full fledged song writer.

 

Their meeting went great, and Nayeon found that she really liked Tzuyu. The actress was such a gem, very humble, down to earth and too cute when she was trying to sound fancy. The accent was still there, it would usually be well disguised when she acted, but Tzuyu still sounded just like when she first debuted, it was the cutest thing. They talked more about the character, how the story would go and Tzuyu’s understanding of how the story would progress, that gave the song writers a better footing about what they were working on. It was a very productive meeting, indeed.

 

“Nayeon!” Tzuyu called as everyone was heading out. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”

 

“Sure.” The singer agreed and both stepped aside.

 

“Look, I know this might be kind of weird for you and I’m sorry. I told the director my character didn’t need a song for herself, but he said the producers were also demanding it and they wanted you, specifically.”

 

“There’s no need to apologize for anything, really.” Nayeon is very honest. “Sure, Jihyo and I don’t have the best past, but that is for me to hold onto. You are a great woman, never failed to be very polite and accommodating to me. Plus, this is a great opportunity to carve my name as a producer and songwriter, not just an idol.”
 

“Idols are hardly a ‘just’, Nayeon.” The actress chuckles.

 

“Yeah, we have to be the perfect little robots, as an actress you should get it, but it’s harder to break from this little doll meant to entertain image than you’d think.”

 

“Oh, I know very well. When I was scouted, I was trained to be an idol. I have no idea why to this day, but in my third year of training I was moved to the actor division and had to start on a new path. Honestly, this ended up being right up my alley and I’m much freer than idols, but it gives me much more freedom and I couldn’t ask for anything else.”

 

“I didn’t know you trained as an idol, this explains how you sing so well.”

 

“I’m always pleased to meet a fan, ms Im.” Tzuyu laughs. “Well, I’ll let you leave, then. Your composer is looking at us with a frown.”

“Oh, that’s just his caffeinated face. He looks like that whenever the coffee starts kicking in. I’m sure he’ll have come up with three different harmonies by the time we are back at the company.” Nayeon says too casually.

 

“Far from me to disrupt the creative process, then.”

 

They say their goodbyes and each leaves to do their own thing. Manager Kim was already waiting for her, Tzuyu didn’t have anything else for the day and was free the next morning as well, he already knew his actress just wanted to go home and spend time with her girls. Tzuyu just said her goodbyes to the director, who laughed at how eager she was to go home to her family, and jumped in the car while telling manager Kim to hurry up. Both men just shook their heads fondly and greeted each other before heading their own way. The actress was just too eager to reach home and spend time with her family and manager Kim knew anything he said would just be ignored at this point.

 

“I was thinking…” Tzuyu starts when they get to bed.

 

“It’s never a good thing when you say that. And no, we won’t be doing any of it.” Jihyo cuts it out immediately, she knew her wife too well.

 

“Oh, c’mon! I didn’t even say anything yet!”

 

“Doesn’t matter, I oppose and it’s not gonna happen.”

 

“Can you, at least, listen to me first?”

 

“No need. it’s a no.” The computer engineer is very adamant. “Keep trying and I’ll be spending some time in the guest room so you can reflect.”

 

The actress shuts up and holds her wife tighter. Tzuyu was well aware that when Jihyo told her that, she had every intention to follow through. It’s something she learned well in their first year together, she was a bit forceful and learned really fast that there was no convincing Jihyo when she already said no to something. In truth, the younger woman was thinking about telling Nayeon about Dahyun, maybe not straight up saying it, but leaving an open suggestion that the little girl might be familiar to the idol. Jihyo had already been very clear that Nayeon was to never hear a word about Dahyun’s true origin.

 

Still, the younger woman couldn’t help but still believe it would be fine to let Nayeon know about her daughter, even if Jihyo was adamant she didn’t want the woman anywhere close to said daughter. But convincing Jihyo of, at least, mentioning to her ex wife they had a daughter together was like getting blood out of a stone, regardless, maybe they could revisit this topic again in another few years. For now, she’d finish this drama, try to talk a bit more with the idol and see what kind of person she is and if it would be alright to actually do what she wanted to do from the beginning. Call her whatever you want, but Chou Tzuyu knew, for a fact, that Chou Dahyun was her daughter, she was in the Chou family registry, nobody would ever be allowed to contest that, but she also believed Im Nayeon had the right to know.

 

The subject did come back up a few years later, back then the drama took about a year and a half shooting, Nayeon ended her participation in the production in talking terms with her ex wife and Tzuyu. Right now, Im Nayeon would be making her debut on the little screens, a secondary role in a comedy drama, but it would be a great beginning. Chou Tzuyu, as the house name she was established all those years before, would be the main villain, and Choi Jisu, an up and coming actress, would play the main lead. It’s been four years, Nayeon got more interested in acting after being around for table readings and recordings back then, and decided to go for the acting route once she left the idol life, and now she was starting to make her transition.

 

Tzuyu had taken Jihyo for a weekend away so they could relax and just be together. Their marriage was fine and still flourishing, but they felt that, with the girls growing up and becoming more curious, their intimacy as a couple started to get a bit dull, they didn’t have the chance to be as free as they were when the girls were still little. Because of that, Tzuyu’s parents came up from Taiwan so the couple could go away for a week and not worry. Not to mention mr and mrs Chou would take any and all opportunities to spend time spoiling their granddaughters, especially at this new house, which was bigger, had a pool and Jihyo insisted on buying that full on playground for their backyard. Not to mention they were now two houses away from Sana and Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon and Momo were two blocks down.

 

“I think we should tell Dahyun and Nayeon about each other.” Tzuyu blurts out one morning.

 

“No.” Jihyo’s response was immediate.

 

“Look, I know we’ve been at this for our entire marriage.” The taller woman huffs a bit. “But I’m serious, I think both should know of each other and Dubs is old enough to understand better now. Not to mention, it’s been ten years, I’m not at all as insecure as I was back then and my relationship with Dahyunnie is much deeper now.”

 

“Tzu, I know you have the biggest heart I’ve ever seen and are too good for this world. But I don’t know about this, it’s been a decade since Nayeon was last part of Dahyunnie’s life and I don’t know if it’s really needed at this point.”

 

“Jyo, I love my girls with everything I have, and I know you all love me with everything you have. But I still say we tell them.”

 

“Fine, we can tell the girls when we get back. But I’ll see about telling Nayeon later. Just remember you are their other mother, and I’m never telling them anything that might put that in doubt.”

 

“It’s all I ask. *ugh* And I’ll be right there with you. We can talk more about what to tell the girls until we get back.”

 

“Alright, now be a good girl and bite on this gag for me.”

 

With that, Jihyo tugs on the rope and hoits her wife up a little further. They end up having to stop sooner because Tzuyu insisted on the conversation and she tightened the ropes around herself too much. Sure, she was on the border of yellow, but still green. Regardless, Jihyo decided to put an end to their session and not do ropes anymore for the rest of their vacation. Once they do return home, Tzuyu asks her parents to stay around for a little longer and be there when they tell the girls. It was a long overdue conversation, but now that the girls were big enough, their older mother agreed with her wife that it would be fine to tell them. That, and there might be some bullying in their future, as the sisters don’t look too much like each other, and it would be good to get this conversation over with before that starts happening.

 

“Alright, girls, I need you both to focus on us right now. We have something very important to tell you.” Tzuyu asks her daughters.

 

“Okay!” Dahyun says energetically and takes a seat.

 

Yunjin just follows her sister silently and takes the seat beside her.

 

“I have to tell you both about our family.” Jihyo begins. “Your mama Tzu and I want to tell you both about how we got together.”

 

“Finally!” Dahyun raises her hands dramatically, yup, definitely Im Nayeon’s genes. “I’ve been asking for ages!”

 

“Okay, so mommy was married to someone else before marrying mama Tzu.” Jihyo says carefully.

 

“What? You were married to someone else?” Yunjin is baffled.

 

“Yes I was. It was a long time ago, before you two were born.”

 

“Why did you end up with mama, then?” Dahyun prods.

 

“Because it didn’t work the first time. It wasn’t the right marriage and we broke up.”

 

“And I’m happy that it didn’t work, because then auntie Sana and Auntie Chaengie introduced me to mommy and now I have all of you.” Tzuyu cuts in. “It was hard back then, mommy was suspicious of everyone and it took me a long time to prove to her she could introduce me to Dahyunnie.”

 

“Wait, I was there before mama?” The girl in question perks up.

 

“You were.” Jihyo says gently. “There was a short time when it was just me and you. Auntie Jeongie and aunty Sana always competed about who would take care of you when I went out with mama.”

 

“The first time your mommy took you along with us was the best.” The taller mother recalls. “We went for a picnic and you were so little. I was very happy to finally meet you and just wanted to marry your mommy so I could call you two my girls.”

 

“What about me?” Yunjin asked shyly.

 

“You came by a bit later. Mama and I had been dating for a while, and one day we found out we were expecting you, then we got married quickly to wait for you.” The shorter woman smiles and caresses her youngest’s head.

 

“It was the best surprise I could hope for.” Tzuyu recalls fondly. “But then we had to hurry up with the wedding so we could start preparing for you to arrive.”

 

“And with Dahyunnie also being little, we didn’t have that much time to do things slowly. So grandma and grandpa came over and stayed for a while to help out.” Jihyo adds.

 

“I remember.” Grandpa Chou decides to participate. “We were in charge of taking care of Dahyunnie, while your mammas prepared for the wedding and your aunties came by every day to help build Yunjinnie’s room.”

 

“It was such a mess.” Grandma Chou chuckles. “But everything was fine in the end.”

 

“I don’t remember anything.” Dahyun sounds very disappointed.

 

The adults laugh, little Dahyun has always been proud to be in the know, something she certainly got from Jihyo. There were a few more dramatic declarations from Dahyun and shy questions from Yunjin, which were all gently answered by their mothers but the whole experience was much better than Jihyo could ever have expected. And now she’d told their kids everything about their past. If they understood it all or not, it was another story, but they knew now. And Tzuyu couldn’t bug her wife about telling their girls anymore, just about telling Nayeon, but that was a war the actress knew she’d most likely lose.

 

“Told you it would be fine.” Tzuyu gloats when they are getting ready for bed.

 

“Yeah, sure.” Jihyo replies, a little clipped. “Just stop pushing the Nayeon thing, now. Please.”

 

“Alright, I’ll let it rest.” The taller woman raises her hands. “For now.”

 

The last part was said very quietly, but Jihyo caught it. The older woman knew her wife would let it rest for the foreseeable future and that was good enough for the moment. Mr and mrs Chou had also retired to the guestroom, they would leave the next evening and wanted to be rested for their flight, telling everyone not to wake them up the next morning. Dahyun and Yunjin, however, declared they would be sleeping together that evening and their mothers knew very well the girls wanted to talk about all their discoveries for the day. At least everyone would be able to have a late morning the next day.

 

About three weeks later, Tzuyu’s next drama would be starting and she really liked the script for this one. The taiwanese woman loved comedy, but was rarely ever casted for them because her face suited historical dramas perfectly, especially those with nobles and forbidden loves where she would either be a secret princess, a warrior or a scholar. It seemed that Tzuyu looked too gorgeous in historical outfits and it never failed to be a huge hit, especially with the female audience. But no! This was a comedy, and Chou Tzuyu would goddamn put in her best effort, hopefully she’d be casted to another comedy soon.

 

It was clear from the first table reading that this project would be a success, the new kid, Choi Jisu, was doing pretty well. Sure, there was the nervousness that came with working alongside Chou Tzuyu and Im Nayeon, but she was holding herself well. That, and it was also the first table readings, everyone hoped she’d get a hold of herself by the first day of shooting. Nayeon was surprisingly good, she memorized her lines well and was getting a feel for how to put emotions on her lines. The woman was also a newbie, despite being in the show business for decades already. It went really well. 

 

Tzuyu knew she was the big name that was intended to hold this project. It was normal that, at least, one big actor would be casted so the producers could sell it easier. This time, Tzuyu was said name and she would do her best to guarantee a good deal. Even if it meant having to hold a dinner party for possible investors so the entire team could kiss up to them. She definitely would have to do that and knew Jihyo wasn’t about to allow something like that to happen in their own home, so she sent a message to manager Kim asking for houses to rent for dinner parties. The actress wanted to pass the homey feeling without it actually being her home, most of the people attending wouldn’t even notice it wasn’t their actual house. She learned the trick from Miran, back when she visited to introduce her family and got a different address from where they had gone for dinner.

 

“So, you are telling me you are going to host a dinner party by yourself so your drama sells well?” Jihyo asked as she served dinner that evening.

 

“Well, it’s the most effective strategy to make sure it will have good funding and that we can have more episodes added in.” Tzuyu confirmed, setting the table.

 

“And this dinner thing should be a ‘home dinner party’?”

 

“Yes and no. Yes, we should sell the idea of us hosting them. But no, it wouldn’t be here. There are houses that can be rented for these types of events.”

 

“So, say I agree to this thing. Are you supposed to pay for all of this alone?”

 

“You know I’m a gold digger and married rich for a reason.” Tzuyu says with an annoying grin. “Plus, it won’t be that expensive. I called Miran unnie and she gave me a few numbers to contact about this.”

 

Jihyo says nothing, just grumbles her annoyance and focuses on finishing plating. “Call the girls, dinner is ready.” And then she places their plates on the table and the family sits down for their meal.

 

It was a rule Tzuyu made back when she was allowed to come over to Jihyo’s old apartment. She said they should always have a meal a day together, even when she wouldn’t be able to be home for that. Jihyo agreed and made sure the family never failed to have dinner together, no matter what. It was a moment for them to spend some quality time as a family and ask the girls about their days, getting updated with one another. After that, the couple sent the kids to take their showers and went up to double check their school bags and the message notebooks where the teachers would write anything they wanted the mothers to know. 

 

The girls would always fix their bags after finishing their homework, but sometimes they’d forget one thing or another, and Dahyun was very prone to not telling her mothers she’d need something or another for the next day of classes until it was time to leave for school. Too many pit stops on the way to class, Jihyo decided to have a cupboard with materials the girls might need, and also started the message notebooks, she’d always talk to the teachers about it on the first day of classes and it ended up being such a great system, most teachers ended up adopting it with all students. Yunjin was the first one to finish, her older sister always took a long time to decide which plushie she wanted for the evening, so her mothers tuck her in first, before hurrying up their eldest, as always.

 

“About the dinner…” Tzuyu tries as she puts on her pajamas. 

 

“Yes, we’ll host the damn dinner.” Jihyo sighs. She knew it was very important.

 

“Great! I’ll start calling tomorrow morning. I’m free for the day anyways.”
 

“Good luck. Just remember to talk to Kimmy oppa and start making a guest list as soon as possible. The invitations should be sent quickly.”

 

“I know, and I must give them, at least, two weeks' notice.” Tzuyu is already tired. 

 

“Well, I’m sure you are more than capable of pulling it off.”
 

And Tzuyu was, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t dreading it. Organizing a dinner party was already difficult, when she would need to sell the idea that she was hosting a home party, it became a whole other level of annoyance. Sure, Miran had also given her the number for a party planner who worked with these kinds of events, but choosing the venue, menu and guests was all on her alone. No matter, it will be the best party those people have ever attended and she will make sure of it.

 

Three weeks after she decided to host the party, about a month before production started, the dinner was being hosted. Jihyo got more stressed out about it than she was hoping she would, but it was mostly because Tzuyu kept forgetting little details that would make a lot of difference in the end and she decided to keep checking after her wife to make sure everything was fine. The place rented was beautiful and it did give the impression children lived there, maybe not exactly theirs, but it was good enough. It had a few outside toys and a toybox in one of the rooms. Sure, nothing like the Chou girls were used to, but it would do for a few hours.

 

“Alright, girls, get changed so we can go to the dinner place soon.” Jihyo urged her daughters. “We have to leave in half an hour.”

 

“Mommy, can you help me with my hair?” Yunjin asks, already heading to her bedroom.

 

“I’ll help you both. Just call me over when you are done changing.”

 

“What about me, mommy?” Dahyun asks as well, but she wasn’t moving to get ready yet.

 

“If you actually move and go change, maybe I can do your hair. But you are still laying there and coloring.” The woman chides gently.

 

Dahyun halts, looks at her mother, looks down, then towards the bedrooms, and to her mother again, before jumping up and putting away her markers and book. Jihyo reminds the girl to be careful with her materials, and that she would want to color again later but wouldn’t be able to if she did everything carelessly as she was doing. Yunjin, as always, gets ready first, her older mother gently fixes her hair in a princess style, making two braids in the front and pulling them back to frame it, then taking everything in a ponytail. It was always easier to have the girls’ hair tied up whenever there were events happening. 

 

The older Chou took quite a while, But Jihyo knew her daughters and did Dahyun’s hair while the girl was still deciding between the baby blue dress and the baby orange one. The girl had decided on the blue that morning, her mother had no idea why she pulled out the orange one at all, but that was just how she was and her mothers loved her for it. Tzuyu had to leave first, she had to be at the venue early to sign off on the services she hired and would be changing there. The couple had agreed to take an overnight bag for the family, as they didn’t know when the whole thing would be over and it would be better to not drive back that day.

 

Jihyo arrives with the girls about an hour before the event starts, the girls immediately running towards their younger mother and the makeup artist was so enamored by the cute scene she didn’t even mind the two girls sitting on Tzuyu’s lap and talking their ears off. It was cute, despite how big the girls were getting, their mothers would never not love when their girls sat on their laps. The event was scheduled to start at eight, which meant people would start arriving around seven thirty, and the family had to be ready at seven and Tzuyu was already running late because she stopped to play with the girls for a little and the stylist joined in, both losing track of time until Jihyo came over and told them it was seven fifteen.

 

The dinner went fine, all the cast and crew was there, a lot of possible investors, people from tv stations they would want to sell the show to, some people they wanted to join the project as well. It was tiring, very tiring, but definitely needed. After everything was said and done, most people who weren’t directly related to the show started leaving. Nayeon found herself at the back patio, mindlessly looking at the kids playing, her eyes unconsciously traveling to Jihyo’s older daughter. Tzuyu had been observing the woman, she really wanted to go over there and tell her everything, but Jihyo was very adamant she would decide on it herself and nobody else. Speaking of which, the computer engineer managed to escape the sound director and made her way towards her wife.

 

“You really want me to tell her, don’t you.” The older woman says as she side-hugs her wife.

 

“I do. But I also know you want to do this when you are comfortable and I’ll wait for you to decide.” Tzuyu kisses her wife’s head, then walks towards the stylists who had just called her.

 

Jihyo only looks on and sighs, might as well do something. The computer engineer decides to walk towards her ex, she’ll try to get a feel about everything and play by ear. Nayeon had a soft smile while watching the kids playing, she always loved children and now thinks it’s time she settles down for real and starts her own family. The kids were playing around, Yunjin fell on her own and scraped her hands a little, Jihyo knew her eldest would handle the situation perfectly so she didn’t fret, but Nayeon looked like she wanted to do something.

 

“It’s alright, Dahyun will handle her sister.” The shorter woman said with a calm smile.

 

“Are you sure? Shouldn’t we help out?” The idol was still a little agitated.

 

“Just watch them.” Jihyo shook her head then pointed with it to the kids.

 

Nayeon followed and saw that the older sister was already there, Dahyun made a huge deal out of it, she knew her sister would laugh and get distracted from the pain. The older girl never failed to carry some wet wipes and bandaids with her, this time in her little purse, so she proceeded to clean the younger’s hands and bandage them. All the while, Dahyun was being her dramatic self, she fake wept because of the accident, then gasped theatrically when she saw the scrapes, proceeding to make a great impression of their older mother whenever Jihyo went on a tangent about being more careful and how their mothers get worried when they are hurt.

 

“Certainly Tzuyu’s child.” The older woman chuckled after everything. “That skill for acting is already very well developed.”

 

“Oh, yeah, it was hell when she learned we got annoyed when she imitated us.” Jihyo remembered fondly. “But those dramatic tendencies she got from you. She has your curls too, but the taste for drama is more dominant.”

 

Nayeon didn’t catch it at first, she was busy looking at the kids. Jihyo just smiled and decided to check on her daughters, she revealed what she had to, now it was up to her ex wife on how to react. The idol didn’t really have the time to ask anything, she was whisked away by the director to shake hands with a few producers who were willing to fund the project if she agreed to sing a specific song they liked and should be added to an episode. Tzuyu had been watching everything, she wasn’t close enough to hear, but she knew her wife and was certain Jihyo had come around and said something about Dahyun, what it was, she’d find out later.

 

“I hinted to Nayeon that Dahyun had some contribution from her.” Jihyo sighs, her wife had been looking at her silently since they put the girls to sleep.

 

“Oh my!” Tzuyu squeals. “Tell me everything!”

 

“Listen here, you little -”

 

“Language!” The actress chides and gets rightfully smacked. “I don’t deserve this abuse!”

 

“Will you be quiet!?! We just got the girls to sleep and you know that if Hyunnie wakes up she’ll decide we are having a girls’ night and talk our ears off until morning.” The older woman did have a point, their eldest was terrible with sleeping.

 

“Yeah, you are completely right on that.” The younger woman lowers her voice and controls her excitement. “Now tell me about what you did.”

 

“You saw it all happen, I take it?”

 

“Yeah, I was observing, and I know it was when Jinnie fell and Hyunnie was taking care of her.”
 

“Right, so Nayeon commented on how she was definitely your daughter, because the acting was on point.” Tzuyu just nods excitedly but keeps listening. “I said she is your daughter indeed, but the dramatic part came from her. I also commented on how Hyunnie had her curls, but the dramatic side was the stronger link. Then I left to check on the girls before she had time to say anything and we didn’t really see each other again for the rest of the night.”

 

“Oh, so THAT is why she was looking at me funny when she came over to say she was leaving.”

 

“Probably. And most likely, she’ll want to talk to you about it next time you meet. Prolly try to get you to set a meeting with me to talk as well.”
 

“And what would YOU want to do?”

 

“I don’t know. I certainly don’t want her trying to play happy family with Dahyun at all. I just told her so she knows, I don’t really feel comfortable with them interacting much at all. maybe just the normal greetings whenever they are in the same place, like today or when I take the girls to the set to see you.”

 

“Alright, so they won’t interact. I’ll work around that if she comes to me.”

 

“Oh, she will. It’s likely she’ll go after Sana and Chaengie first, they knew everything and never said a word.”

 

“Yeah, I feel like we should get them something nice.” Tzuyu comments and they really should, not that the couple ever failed to show how much they loved and appreciated their friends, but those two were pivotal back then.

 

“We’ll figure something out tomorrow. Now let’s take advantage of this bed and let me show you how much I’ve missed you today.”

 

Let’s just say it’s a good thing this rental would be completely clean after the event. Tzuyu insisted on paying for a complete cleaning, she knew some deals were made behind closed doors and the house had five bedrooms. Two bedrooms had remained locked for the family to use, but the others were free game and thoroughly used, if the fresh marks on a few necks they’d spotted through the evening said something. The Chous woke up mid morning, cleaning crew was scheduled for two pm exactly so they could take their time. Jihyo suggests stopping by their favorite pancake place on the way home and the girls were too excited about it for Tzuyu to say anything about it, not that she ever would.

 

They also scheduled for a full breakfast to be delivered the next morning at the Son-Minatozaki house. This place was also a favorite of the other family and, despite not opening on sunday mornings, they would deliver if scheduled properly. It was the least they could do, knowing Nayeon would probably bother the couple that day about what she’d learned the night before. They got home around lunch time, but since everyone was too full from their very late breakfast, the girls just decided to study for a bit, Jihyo said she’d start a load of laundry and Tzuyu decided to check her emails, there were quite a few from the directing crew with updates about their dealings the night before.

 

“What the hell are you doing here at this hour?” Chaeyoung asks once she opens the door on saturday morning.

 

“I have to talk to you and Sana.” Nayeon says a little manically.

 

If there was one thing everyone knew about the Son-Minatozakis, it’s that they refuse to wake up early on weekends. Even little Mina would be the devil incarnate if she was woken up from her slumber. Im Nayeon was risking (rightfully) getting her beaten by showing up at nine in the morning, but she didn’t sleep and needed to clarify a few things as soon as possible. She let herself in after her friend and saw that Sana had also woken up. Good, Nayeon wanted both of them for this conversation. The japanese was coming from the kitchen with two big mugs, by the smell it was coffee and the couple clearly needed it. They sat in silence while the couple woke up a bit more.

 

“Why are you here, Nayeon?” Sana was certainly the parent sleep-interrupted-Mina took after.

 

“Is Jihyo’s older daughter related to me?” The idol blurted out.

 

That certainly woke the couple up. Their reactions told Nayeon there was a story there, but she was sleep deprived, hungover and maybe a little paranoid after spending the entire night mulling over it.

 

“What makes you say that?” Chaeyoung asked calmly.

 

“Jihyo.”

 

“What about her? Don’t tell me you are in one of those ‘I want my wife back’ crisis.” The lawyer squints suspiciously.

 

“Oh, not at all.” Nayeon was quick to assure them. “You two know we had that dinner thing last night, right?”

 

“Speaking of which, why are you not sleeping at this hour?” The former manager questions. “It should have ended very late last night.”
 

“I’ll get there if you let me speak.” The older woman whines.

 

“Alright, continue.” Sana intervenes before their bickering begins.

 

“So, after dinner I found myself watching the kids.”

 

“You always tended to do that. Now more than ever.” 

 

“Chaengie, please let her speak.”

 

The shorter one makes a zipping motion over her lips and Sana just gestures for the other to continue.

 

“So, Jihyo’s youngest too a fall. I wanted to help out but didn’t know if it would be okay. Luckily Jihyo was approaching and said to leave it to the big sister.” Nayeon rambles on. “Then I just watched and Dahyun really did take care of it. She was very dramatic and exaggerated everything, but it got her sister laughing while the wounds were treated.”

 

“Oh yeah, Hyunnie learned it was easy to make Jinnie laugh and forget she got hurt.” Sana comments with a smile. “It was even more dramatic when they were younger.”

 

“Right, so I commented that Dahyun was certainly Chou Tzuyu’s daughter because the acting was on point. Then Jihyo said she got the dramatic side from me.”

 

The couple is very surprised by the revelation, Chaeyoung was taking a sip of her coffee and choked. Nayeon was certain she wasn’t paranoid anymore, there definitely was a story she didn’t know about. And now she wasn’t leaving until she got her answers.

 

“Alright, you two should have something to tell me, no?”

 

“Okay, first off, yes we knew.” Chaeyoung fesses up easily. “And before you go on and start raging, you have to remember how things were back then and what you had just done when she asked for the divorce.”

 

“I know, I know.” The older woman calms them down. “This is not about me wanting anything back or to interfere in their family. But you have to admit, I deserve some answers.”

 

“Not really, no.” Sana says dryly, she decided to actually come out and say everything already. “You destroyed Jihyo’s first marriage, she was a mess when she was with you and everything you did, knowing she was well aware. Hell, you would have with other people in the bed you two should be sharing as a couple, knowing you had invited her over. Was that a kink? Keeping her hostage and showing her she wasn’t respected by her own wife?”

 

Nayeon can’t deny that, not that she would want to. “I’ll take it. I guess this has been in the back of your mind for a good while, huh.” 

 

“I really wanted to have spoken up back then, but I was defending Jihyo and had to keep professional. And then Chae said she stopped helping you out and after a while you seemed to have woken up to life.”

 

“It’s alright. And you aren’t wrong. But Jihyo prompted this and I’ve been mulling it over all night. So I decided to come here for some clarity before I talk to Tzuyu on monday.” Nayeon had worked through her past over the years, she accepted the japanese’s feelings easily.

 

“Fair enough. Then I’ll tell you what I lived and Chaengie can add her views later on.” The lawyer places her mug down and adjusts herself on the couch. “When the whole headline fiasco happened, Chae was very worried about Jihyo, so we both got in the car and headed to her apartment. 

 

I was already decided to never represent you when the divorce came up, but I was taking a chance to try and convince Jihyo to take me as her representative. Thankfully, she did, but when I was allowed inside her apartment, I just saw a broken woman who needed a shoulder to lean on. The moment she accepted me, I told her I needed to know everything if I was going to represent her.

 

That’s when she said she was pregnant and didn’t want you to know about it. I told her it would be a bit difficult to hide it towards the end of the process, but we’d do our best. After that, I grabbed all the documents she had and took her to my office so we could sign a contract and I would officially be her legal representative.”

 

“That was before I went to get you for that shoot you had and couldn’t get out of. Then there was the staff meeting and you were a jerk, as usual, and Jihyo told you she wanted the divorce.” Chaeyoung added. “I remember you asking if I wasn’t going to give your case to Sana. But she had already taken Jihyo and we didn’t really want you to know that before the first court date.”

 

“I guess it was easy, I really didn’t care and it was fun being in a different bed each evening.” Nayeon admitted. “Sure, now I see it was a rather empty life but at the time, I thought I was on top of the world.”

 

“We know. Regardless, the hearings went pretty much as I’d predicted.” Sana continues. “Your lawyer was present, but you never even bothered. I knew you probably didn’t think it was important enough. You’d just pay Jihyo whatever she wanted and be done with it, especially since you were in the middle of a scandal and people even suspecting you were married on top of it all would be career ending. 

 

Luckily, Jihyo’s only demand was that you’d never know she was ever pregnant. She didn’t want your money, she didn’t want anything that wasn’t untying herself from you.”

 

“Jihyo said she knew you’d never agree to the divorce if you suspected she was pregnant.” The lyricist offered. “And frankly, we knew she was right. You’d never have freed her to live her life and raise her daughter if you knew you had anything to do with the kid.”
 

“I can’t deny that.” The idol sighs dejectedly. “If I even suspected she was pregnant I’d probably have made her life hell. I wouldn’t put it past my former self just leaking our marriage license and her lab results just so she would keep tied to me and I could keep the kid.”

 

“You said it yourself, Dahyun is definitely Tzuyu’s daughter.” The lawyer smiles a little.

 

“She definitely is.” Nayeon agrees promptly. “And Tzuyu really does love her daughters with everything she has. It’s impressive every time I see it, her eyes drip honey each time she looks at them.”

 

“I guess now you know, then.” Chaeyoung slumps back on the couch.

 

“Now I know. It’s really weird, though. LIke I feel like I should do something, but I have no idea what. At the same time, I don’t even know the kid. I was nothing but half her chromosomes, Jihyo and Tzuyu are the ones who raised her, they are her parents.”

 

“I don’t think there’s anything you should nor need to do.” Sana shrugs. “Jihyo probably just told you because Tzuyu keeps bugging her to and they told the girls their story just a few weeks ago.”

 

“They told the girls about me?”

 

“No, no.” Chaeyoung is quick to deny. “Not like that. They told the girls Jihyo had a wife before and vaguely said Dahyun was born before Tzuyu and Jihyo met each other. It was all in very simple terms and not much detail at all.”

 

“Well, it’s something, I guess. And Sana is right, there isn’t anything for TO do. I guess I’ll just be ready to have a conversation if ever the kids get curious and ask to talk to me, but that should be it.”

 

“That sounds like the best plan.” The japanese nods in satisfaction.

 

Nayeon talks a bit more, mostly getting everything out of her chest. Sana is great to reality check her and Chaeyoung is the one connecting both worlds whenever Nayeon says something that has another story from the other side of it. It was a good morning, regardless of how early it had started, and now Nayeon feels very relaxed about everything. Maybe she just needed more information on everything to get her head straight. Plus, she could just ask Tzuyu out for lunch and talk more then, maybe later visit their home and properly apologize to Jihyo for everything, this time understanding everything and actually regretting all she did.