"Yena-yah, can you help me with this?" Yuri calls to the duck who is in the living room, squatted on the floor.

 

"Yeah, just a minute." Yena yells back.

 

Yuri peeked out from the laundry room and sees the older girl looking all serious with her back hunched over the table, scribbling something on the papers in front. On her sides are the two Japanese kids they've adopted who are patiently waiting for Yena to finish. A smile crept to her lips looking at the scene.

 

Yena doesn't really look like she would take anything seriously or be responsible enough to fulfill the duties of a parent but ever since they adopted two orphaned kids from Japan, Yuri noticed that the duck learned to be more responsible in life.

 

It's only been a year since they officially gained parental authority over Nako and Hitomi and people's opinions on the duck have changed a lot.

 

Even if she was dead tired from acting as an executive in both of their companies, Yena never failed to spend time with the kids. She feigns a renewed energy as she talks to them, plays with them, helps them improve their Korean better and, more often than not, get them to be her accomplice in pulling a prank on her wife.

 

But Yuri never complained about the latter. All she does when the kids have finally satisfyingly dismissed to their room is pamper Yena with kisses and help her get into bed.

 

"Yena-yah..." She calls to grab her attention again. After a few more , Yena finally released the pen and stood up.

 

"Try to understand what any of these means and I'll explain it later." She tells the two Japanese, pointing at the Korean proverbs she's written before waddling her way towards her wife.

 

Yuri hums as Yena wrapped her arms around her waist from the back and nuzzled on her neck. "What is it?"

 

"Can you please carry the basket to our room?"

 

Yena looked at the laundry basket full of newly washed clothes. "Do I get a reward for this?"

 

"Hmm... I'll think about it."

 

"Aww, come on. Just one." The duck pouted her lips further towards Yuri who tries her best to lean away.

 

When Yuri could no longer avoid it, she pinches Yena's lips and pushes them back with her palm.

 

"I said I'll think about it."

 

Bored by what the hamster did, Yena stuck her tongue out and purposefully es thhe palm of Yuri who withdrew in disgust and slapped her shoulder hard.

 

 

 

Yena has always been a mischievous partner yet still undeniably sweet despite all that.

 

Every month of their anniversary in every year, she always has a month-long planned activities to do with her wife. Sometimes it's a spontaneous out of country vacation, other times it's just a town hopping expedition. Yuri always wondered how Yena manages to get everything done even if she's busy juggling her time with family and work, especially when she finally took up the CEO position of the Choi's Video Game Development Company.

 

That has been going on for the entire nine—going ten—years that they've been together and she has been looking forward to the duck's plans for this year since it will be the first time they'll be celebrating it with the kids.

 

However, she's beginning to get skeptical about it.

 

 

She minimizes the music score she's been working on her laptop and opens the calendar.

 

"Only a week left..." She says her mind aloud, glancing at her wife who is sitting across the table and immensely focused on her own laptop.

 

As much as she enjoys watching Yena being all serious, she couldn't help but worry for her partner's sudden change of behavior. She is sure though that it is not cause by working nonstop since a week ago. Yena still does spend time with the kids but not that much with her. And Yuri doesn't even know the reason why Yena would be keeping herself busy when they're alone. And by busy, it's not her doing anything related to the company but rather it's all just her lazying around the house, either on her phone or on her laptop.

 

 

"Babe..." Yuri calls but is ignored. Yena didn't even show any reaction to the endearment which she usually does quickly respond to in the past.

 

 

On her supposed second attempt, she was interrupted by the buzzing of Yena's phone on the table. The duck answered it in a jiffy and went out of the room.

 

 

Yuri's shoulders began to slump as minutes passed since Yena walked out to answer the call. Yena never takes a call longer than five minutes when she's at home, muh more when they're both working. It ruins her rhythm, the duck always says. But now, it's been almost ten minutes and she is still not back in the room.

 

Yuri tried to focus back into her composition but the will just isn't there anymore and her mind was tied off to her wife's odd behavior.

 

In the end, she finally concluded that she couldn't get anything done for the day–or night–no matter how hard she tries. She closed her laptop and goes out of the room.

 

Her steps halted abruptly when she hears the most endearing laugh she has always loved coming from the kitchen. It sounded so genuine and full like she was the reason for it, but reality slapped her when she peeked by the door frame and saw Yena talking animatedly to whoever is on the phone. Yuri felt a tight, piercing squeeze in her heart for reasons she tries, but fails, to subdue.

 

 

"Yeah, sure. Expect me to be there before you arrive, arasso? Bye."

 

 

Yuri held her ground when Yena turned to her with a dumb grin still plastered on her face. It was definitely one of the rarest moments Yuri hated the gleeful look on the duck, especially when Yena just walked past her.

 

 

"Who were you talking to?" Yuri tried so hard not to sound offensive by asking as softly as she can.

 

 

Yena, however, did not seem to favor her tone, or her question in general, and stopped in her tracks, pivoting a foot to face her wife with a raised brow. The bright smile had left no trace on her features.

 

 

"Why are you asking?"

 

 

Now, Yuri felt the question backfire on her. She inhales sharply and clenches the hem of her shirt to stop herself from raising her voice any higher than a whisper.

 

 

"Why won't you just answer the question?"

 

 

"I don't need to tell you nothing about who it was, Yuri."

 

 

The hamster's eyes were now wide in disbelief. Did Yena really say that to her? She tries to recall a single instance of their nine-year relationship that the older acted that way under any circumstance, but there was none.

 

 

Now, Yuri is certain that there is something wrong going on.

 

 

"Yena–"

 

 

"Will you stop asking me questions? I've got a lot of work to finish before I leave tomorrow."

 

 

The unprecedented interruption and irritated tone in Yena's voice triggered Yuri's tears to form in her eyes. She bit her bottom lip hard to stop herself from crying out loud.

 

She's had enough of the duck's cold treatment towards her. The worst part about it is she doesn't even know why her wife is acting that way.

 

 

It took a few blinks and an audible sniffle before Yena realized what she's done, immediately pulling Yuri into her arms. A pang of guilt slapped her face and her heart fell when she hears the hamster's sobs.

 

"I'm sorry, baby, I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said. I'm sorry." She repeats the words over and over again while tightening her hold around Yuri.

 

Yuri did not resist and settled in the hug until she felt okay. Yena does not let go of her immediately, still whispering her apologies in her ear.

 

"I'm really sorry, Yuri-yah."

 

Yuri clenches onto the back of Yena's shirt and shakes her head. She stops herself from saying anything and buries her face on Yena's chest.

 

 

The short episode ended with Yena guiding her to their room still with a guilty look on her face upon seeing her wife's puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks. Yena reaches for a black shirt that she habitually leaves hanging by the edge of the bed (which Yuri often scolds her for) and uses it to wipe Yuri's face, but the latter stops her and pulls her hand down.

 

"You don't have to do this. I know you're just tired from all the work that's been piled up on you." Yuri says in a low, stern tone that Yena is all too familiar about when she's not in a good mood.

 

"I didn't mean what I said." Yena repeats but Yuri only stares at her. Questioning. Doubting? Yena doesn't know.

 

The duck releases a sigh as she puts the shirt aside and held both of Yuri's hands, squeezing them softly. "It was just Yujin."

 

Yuri inhales sharply, her brows furrowing deep. "You never talk to Yujin that way."

 

Yena's brow jerked upward. "What way?"

 

"Overjoyed, and not sarcastic."

 

Yena catches something flash in her wife's eyes before she looked away. She pulls her by the chin to face her.

 

"You're jealous." It was a statement that Yuri doesn't even deny. Yena heaved anther sigh and kisses Yuri's knuckles. "I'm sorry if I made you feel that way, but really, it was just Yujin and I might have been too excited about this all-expense-paid trip that I forgot how much I hated that kid."

 

"And you'll be gone for a week." Yuri doesn't blink when Yena nodded her head.

 

By the time Yena would be back from the trip, it would have been a day after their wedding anniversary already and the duck doesn't seem to even mind that at all when in the past, she always clears her schedule two day before that to spend time with her.

 

Yuri wanted to bring that up but eventually decides not to and instead tells her about the important mail she received earlier in the day.

 

"PDX wants our family to be there on the finale night." Yena only listens. "I already told them we'll just send a representative–" because we will be celebrating our anniversary "–but they were persistent about having our presence for publicity."

 

"Then we'll be there." Yena says with a smile. It could pull off as something comforting but Yuri just wasn't feeling any of it.

 

"You should rest. I need to finish my work." Yena says then leans to kiss her on the forehead. Yuri hums at the warm feeling of her wife's lips.

 

 

"You should tell her."

 

"Why me? You're older, you do it."

 

"You're at height advantage. You do it."

 

"That doesn't make any sense."

 

"And neither does staying here."

 

Yuri looked up from her phone and eyes the bickering kids behind her on the salon's couch. Although trying not to make it obvious to anyone else in the room by speaking in Japanese, it was difficult not to when one of them would suddenly push the other hard, almost ending up falling on the floor.

 

"Look, let's settle this thru janken." Nako finally suggests after failing to push the other girl and held out her hand. Yuri continues to watch out of curiosity and amusement. "Whoever wins must go tell her."

 

The blonde took a while to answer before holding Nako's hand. "Okay deal."

 

They let go of each other and clenched their fists.

 

"最初はグー、じゃんけんぽん！" They chanted together and threw out their moves.

 

One had scissors, the other a rock.

 

"Hah! You're it! Ganbatte ne, Hiichan!" Nako cheers for the frowning Hitomi, the latter mumbling something before getting up from her seat.

 

Yuri notices that she was heading towards her direction. Hitomi was obviously hesitant to go near her that Yuri had to raise a brow.

 

"What is it, Hii?"

 

She didn't mean to startle her but the Japanese already jolted.

 

"Eomma, there's something I need to tell you." Yuri caught the way Hitomi gulped but decides not poke on it.

 

"Hmm?"

 

She glanced at the hairstylist who was busy with Yuri's hair before leaning in to whisper something and showed a picture on her phone that flipped her mom's entire mood for the day.

 

 

Soulmate ♡
19 Jul 2019
5:23 PM

I can't make it on time. 
There's an emergency I need
to settle. I'll see you at the venue.
I love you.

 

"Emergency my ." Yuri scoffed and dipps the phone back in her purse. She moves to grab the car keys on the table.

 

"Nako, Hitomi, time to go!" She yells over her shoulder and doors clicked open from the second floor, simultaneously slamming shut before two figures walked down the stairs.

 

Yuri smiles at them being beautifully dressed . She couldn't help but walk up to them and fondle on both of her kids' cheeks.

 

"Aigoo~ look at babies being so beautiful tonight! I bet you'll both be a headturner at the event."

 

"Ahh! Eomma! My makeup!" Nako complains and tries to avoid her mom's hand but Yuri is persistent and instead wrapped her arms around her children and rubbed their cheeks together.

 

Hitomi and Nako echoed the same groans and complaints about their makeup getting smudged. Yuri doesn't care about it and just laughes at them.

 

"Just do your retouches in the car. Let's go." 

 

 

 

The venue was already packed with people when they arrived. Fans and families of the contestants filled the spaces near the stage and the bleachers. Guests were also settled in front of the bleachers where Yuri and her kids were led to their table. Friends and colleagues greeted them and started chatting with each other. Nako and Hitomi began talking with their classmate Wonyoung while Yuri was dragged to another table to talk with Eunbi, a senior she's always looked up to since their high school days. And the foster mom of Yena at school.

 

"Where's Yena?" Eunbi askes after looking around the venue and found no familiar duck.

 

Yuri smiles. "She'll be late. Company emergencies." 

 

"Aish, that duck really should set her priorities straight. She should have come here together with her family!" 

 

"It's okay, unnie. It's really been just a hectic month for the company." She tries to make it sound convincing but Eunbi doesn't seem to believe it.

 

"No matter the reason, she should learn to manage her time properly." Eunbi clickes her tongue, her motherly aura radiating stronger while Yuri feigned a reassuring smile. "I think we need to set a dinner date so I can teach her a lesson about treating her family better."

 

Yuri wanted to stop her and defend her wife from Eunbi, but she can't deny that the woman does have some major points taken. 

 

"It was your anniversary yesterday, right?" The question made Yuri stop as she remembered that Yena didn't even call or text her a greeting the entire day. She held back her tears and swallowed the forming lump in as she answeres, "Yes." 

 

"Yuri, you know you can tell me if something's wrong, right?" 

 

"Yes, unnie." She forces a smile on her face again, this time, she hoped it convinced the woman enough. "Don't worry. Everything's perfectly fine. It's just been stressful for the two of us with all the company matters."

 

"Okay. If you say so." Eunbi shruggs before her eyes shifted to Yuri's back. "Oh, look. Here comes the duck."

 

Yuri turns around and sees Yena arriving together with her friends Yujin, Chaeyeon and Hyewon. As always, her wife knows how to dress to kill whenever she wants. But no matter how attractive she looks at that moment and how much she misses her wife, Yuri didn't want to talk to her. At least, not yet.

 

When Yena was about to look at her after greeting other colleagues, Yuri immediately turns around, wanting an escape from an encounter. But her hopes of a diversion, aka Eunbi, was already called by a staff to talk about an important part of the program.

 

Steps came in closer and fast so she decides to go back to their table instead. But before she could even take a seat, a hand grabbed hold of her arm. When she saw that it was Yena, she shrugs away, stunning the woman.

 

"Yuri?"

 

She didn't look at her again and went directly to her seat beside Nako. The two kids pretended they didn't see what just happened although their other mom was already looking at their direction confusingly.

 

Thankfully for her, Yena was dragged away by Yu