Admittedly, Eunbi is nervous. Her mind is unable to erase the pained expression she saw on Sakura right before she left the kitchen. Then there was yesterday, as childish as Sakura’s cold facade was, Eunbi understands it will be like this for a while as they each get over what happened that night. She hates how she understands because Sakura isn’t wrong, Eunbi just can’t make it right. 

“The kiss isn’t nothing because…” 

“I like you.” 

Eunbi smiles at that recollection. That confession may not have come in the right time but its existence undeniably warms Eunbi’s heart. Wanting to protect Sakura may be how she slowly creeped into Eunbi’s heart but as frustrating as it was, Eunbi cannot deny that Sakura’s bold outer charm is probably what attracted her in the first place. The attempt, the confession, was every bit Sakura. 

Eunbi taps her fingers on the car door behind. Yujin, Chaewon and Yena who are around her, eyes the Captain’s fidgety action. When she feels their stare, she only simply replies. “I am bored.”

“Or are you excited to see the kids?” Yujin wittedly comments. Everybody knows how much Eunbi loves being around little children. That is why the Captain always jokes that her job also gives her that.

“Always.” Their chit chat does not last when Minjoo and Sakura both step out of the mansion. Both dressed in casual clothing, their beauty is unrivalled. It is hard to imagine how they aren’t related by blood when their visuals are of another level, far surpassing the average human being. 

“Oh unnie! Do you want to go in the same car? Then I can tell you more about the external activities Kim Corp participates in.” Eunbi hears Minjoo’s words clearer as the two sisters approach. 

Sakura nods at Minjoo’s request before glancing at the row of agents waiting. She makes brief eye contact with Eunbi and Minjoo catches that so she checks again. “Or I can tell you more later…?”

Sakura puts her arm around Minjoo and guides her towards Minjoo’s car. “Now’s good.” Sakura has an idea of what to do after the relieving conversation she had with Minjoo and Chaewon last night, but seeing Eunbi in person makes her nervous.

They enter the back seat. “She’s nerve-wracking to be around.” Minjoo says, commenting on Sakura’s earlier reaction. “But I don’t think it is going to stop.” The younger girl casts her eyes and Sakura follows along to see Chaewon and Eunbi approaching the vehicle. Minjoo reaches out for Sakura’s palm and manages to whisper before the agents enter. “It’ll be alright.”

Sakura smiles softly at Minjoo; her stepsister sticks through with her words - her friends may not be with her but she hasn’t lost an outlet to share her woes with. Let’s just hope she does not have to resort to that too much.

The ride was mostly covered with Minjoo talking. The younger Kim was telling her about past experiences helping out at the orphanage. She also mentioned that everything today is all sponsored by Kim Corp, ensuring no external organisations are involved because she truly wanted them to be gifts. Keeping in line with that, this event is not publicised because it is not a corporate promotional charity exercise; only the cost of this event noted down in the accounting books. Yet as interesting as Minjoo’s words were, being in the same confined space with Eunbi is still daunting as Sakura stays uneasy knowing what she first has to do today.

“Minjoo, welcome back. So nice of you to do this every year.” A mature looking, neatly groomed lady greets them when they arrive.

“Seohyun unnie, I love to spend my time here. Of course I’ll be back. I brought someone new this year. This is my stepsister, Sakura. I hope it’s alright.” Minjoo reaches out for Sakura’s forearm to hold her. “Sakura unnie, this is Seohyun unnie. She is the director in charge of this orphanage.”

Sakura bows politely and Seohyun is happy to see that. “Of course! When there’s more people to play with them, the kids love it. Although the toys and snacks you bring are always a big distraction too. The kids are waiting excitedly inside, we should head it. What can I help take?”

Minjoo brings Seohyun over to the car boot and the rest of the agents automatically know what their duties are: bringing everything they brought into the orphanage. “Sakura unnie!” Minjoo calls out with her arms full of gifts. “The macarons are in the car up front, can you grab them?”

Sakura would respond but she knows Minjoo wouldn’t have noticed because Chaewon comes to her side with a hand trolley, giving Minjoo a better way to ferry the gifts. Chaewon also moves to pick up more gifts and they both head towards the building. Following instructions, Sakura goes to the mentioned car and carefully takes the boxes of macarons. However, they are bulkier and more than she can handle so she is fretting silently in front of the remaining pile. 

“Let me help.” Eunbi comes from behind and while startled, Sakura robotically moves aside. Eunbi picks up the rest which is lesser compared to Sakura’s. “Do you want to give me some?” 

Sakura automatically hands some over and Eunbi is about to move off when Sakura suddenly stops her. “Wait.”

“I am sorry for what I did that night in the kitchen.” She had rehearsed this morning, determined to get it out right. “I shouldn’t have sprung my confession onto you, putting you in an awkward position. I am sorry.”

Eunbi looks back at her clearly not expecting this. The Sakura she last interacted with was giving her cold words so this is a complete 180. How is Sakura no longer upset and in fact looks genuinely apologetic? Like that night, Eunbi doesn’t know what to say because everything is swirling in confusion inside her. Hearing Sakura apologising for the confession is something Eunbi never knew she never wanted to hear. Is she regretful? I said there’s nothing for us but why is this so hard to swallow...

Now is not the time and place for such extra thoughts. Eunbi forces herself to nod, somewhat as a response to the apology. “Shall we go in?” Eunbi changes the topic. Sakura nods and that’s the last said as they walk silently to the building. 

If Sakura never knew chaos, she knows what it is now: children running on sugar high flooded with toys. The ensuing mayhem with so many pockets of activities happening is overwhelming for the first time visitor, and also someone who barely interacts with children in her day to day. The excited screams of the children are unrestrained and loud as Sakura learns from the one boy who runs by her. She stares at that boy incredulously which is why she didn’t manage to avoid another who is too focused on his toy and rams straight into her.

“Oh!” Sakura immediately reaches out for the boy who collided into her but she isn’t fast enough as he lands bum on the ground. Her first worry is that the boy will break out into tears and she would be even more lost on what to do. When he looks back up at her unfazed, Sakura is relieved until…. his lip slowly forms an upside down smile. Sakura’s eyes widen in panic, hands dangling from her height as her brain short circuits. 

Someone suddenly comes into her view between her and the little boy on the ground and this is a back view of someone she is very familiar with. Eunbi squats in front of the boy and asks him in the cutest tone Sakura has never heard the agent speak with. “Orh. Did you just fall? I bet you are alright because you didn’t cry~ What’s your name brave boy?”

While distracting him with her words, Eunbi briefly lifts the boy’s shirt to check if there are any injuries. She sees nothing and deduces that the boy is probably going to end up with inevitable bruises. 

“Jinwoo.” The boy answers meekly as he is confused. He was going to cry until Eunbi spoke to him in a manner where he thinks it is strange now to. 

“Jinwooie, would you like to join us to design your own folders? I am going to teach everybody. Would you like to join my class?” Eunbi gazes adoringly into his eyes from the same level. 

“Does it have Pika?” He raises the Pikachu stuffed toy that was the cause of his distraction.

“I have stickers of aaaaallll the Pokemons!” Eunbi exaggerates her actions, drawing a wide circle to emphasize. “Yujin ah!” She points to Yujin who is setting up the tables for the activity. “That unnie will help you get started Jinwoo ah.” As instructed, the boy runs excitedly to Yujin with his Pikachu toy in hand. 

Since that is settled, Eunbi groans as she stands back up, dusting the invisible dusts off her pants. “Thank you.” She hears Sakura say so she turns around. “He was going to cry and luckily you charmed him.”

Eunbi grins. “There’s studies that show that children only cry because they think they should because it is painful. If the adults don’t acknowledge the crying, then they find it strange to. And a distraction always helps.” She looks over to Yujin helping the boy sieve through the sticker choices. “Plus I talked to him from his eye level, it will seem less scary than from high up.”

“You really know a lot about kids.”

“I picked some tips along the way.” Eunbi brushes off the compliment, finding it strange to hear it from Sakura. But she cannot push the way the little sparkles she get from watching Sakura stand around in this foreign environment. How awkward Sakura is makes Eunbi amused as she found herself constantly checking in on her principal in the corner of her eyes to make sure she’s surviving well. Admittedly, the confession and Sakura’s apology for that happening is still weighing on her mind. 

Now she fears if she leaves Sakura to her class, the girl will just go back to being an awkward decoration. “Do you want to join us? Actually interacting with kids will help you get familiarised. Plus Minjoo is there, she can help.” Eunbi draws her attention to the table with Yujin, Minjoo, Yena and Chaewon seated between the interested kids. 

Sakura stealthily pulls a chair to sit beside Minjoo and her sister who is focused on helping a little girl decorate notices Sakura’s presence. “You came to join Eunbi unnie’s class as well?” Minjoo says cheekily until the little girl distracts by waving a sticker in her face.

“Minjoo unnie Minjoo unnie! I want to stick this!”

Minjoo beams at the cute act and helps peel off the seal of the Cinderella sticker. “Here you go, Haeyeon ah.” The girl goes back to being occupied.

“A boy nearly cried in my presence and she came and saved the day. Otherwise, it would be big trouble.” Sakura tells Minjoo seriously and this seriousness makes Minjoo laugh.

“Kids cry all the time.” Right then, a cry breaks out from the corner of the room and an agent goes to pacify the kid. “But you are right, it if it happens in your presence. Lucky for you I guess.” Minjoo purposely glances at Eunbi and without following her eye line she knows who Minjoo is looking at. Eunbi is in her peripheral vision as the Captain is helping out one of the children with his designs.

“She is very good with kids.” Sakura says matter-of-factly, staring aimlessly at the kid in Minjoo’s hold.

Minjoo leans towards Sakura and whispers. “Well something you can learn is that Eunbi unnie always wanted to be a kindergarten teacher if she wasn’t a trained agent. She really likes children.” She leans away when she is done, proud that she remembers Sakura’s new resolution she envisioned last night.

Sakura softens her widened eyes and mindlessly picks up one of the stickers. “It makes sense now.” 

Seohyun comes over a tray full of drinks. “Here are some drinks. You guys must be thirsty from entertaining the kids. I’ll watch over them, take a short break.”

Chaewon carefully makes space on the table for the drinks to be placed. Seohyun kindly takes the girl Minjoo was helping over to another table and Sakura takes the initiative to pass the drinks around. “Yujinie, what do you want?” Sakura asks the agent who is a couple of tables away still helping Jinwoo with his stickers.

“Cola!” Yujin shouts and Sakura puts aside a can for Yujin. Seeing that Minjoo has hers and Chaewon settled both Yena and hers, there is only one person left unaccounted for. Sakura glances at Eunbi who is surrounded by many children clearly entranced with the Captain’s art skills. 

Not wanting to disturb, Sakura is about to put a can of Cola aside for Eunbi when Chaewon stops her.

“She likes Sprite.”

This information causes Sakura to be embarrassed and she slowly puts the can back down. Minjoo gives her a cheeky gaze while swapping the can of Cola with Sprite. Sakura looks thankfully at the two Kims for helping her, a reminder of last night. Well Chaewon was obviously roped in unintentionally but the small grin she gives Sakura now proves that Sakura has more people to rely on than she thought. 

Not long after, Yena, Yujin and lastly Eunbi join them at their table - six adults crowding over a small children sized yellow table with equally small kids sized stools of their own. Eunbi places the folder she has been designing while teaching the children on the table before refreshing herself with her favourite drink. The happy sigh that comes after affirms the newfound information Sakura attained as the Captain visibly brightens up.

“Woah!” Minjoo picks up Eunbi’s folder, squealin