Small intermission!

---

Kim Chaewon is many things, and has many adjectives attached to her.

 

Cowardly is not one of those, and yet, here she was, ducking helplessly as Minju tried hitting her with her elbow.

 

"Get up! Eunyoung loves this aunt," Minju teased under her breath, making Chaewon huff in irritation.

 

One of the adjectives that is always attached to her is angry, and that is what she is feeling now. Angry towards who? Eunyoung's parents, for inviting Eunyoung's extended family in a way to try to get "Eunyoung" to remember, Minju, for reminding her that she promised to be a less ty person, and the gods, whichever exists, for putting her up for this, as if this was a huge cosmic joke to them.

 

"I'm not Eunyoung," she whispered back before pasting an awkward smile (which really resembled a grimace) to greet the elusive aunt Eunyoung seemed to love.

 

"Oh, dear, I'm so glad you're okay!" the aunt said before rushing to hug Eunyoung, disregarding the outstretched hand.

 

"Yeah, haha," she gritted out, turning her head to avoid being smothered. "I'm glad, too."

 

"When I heard about your accident, I couldn't help but hope you would come out fine, and, here! Look at you!" She finally ended the embrace, making Chaewon sigh inwardly. "I'm auntie Jisook. Jisook."

 

"I heard the first time," Chaewon grumbled in a low voice, grunting when she felt Minju pat her leg, probably having heard her. "Yes… auntie." The words barely came out, as she had never used such nicknames to talk about anyone, not even her parents. At most, she'd used at one point mom and dad, but that had gone unused pretty quickly.

 

Still, she was relieved that at least she had managed to more or less greet all of Eunyoung's family members politely (or, as politely as she could), all of them greeting her with well-being wishes and the presentation of new names.

 

"Well, let's talk a bit later, hmm?"

 

"Yes… auntie. Augh, how many people did they invite?" Chaewon huffed, already exasperated with the whole event.

 

"Eunyoung is pretty close to everyone in her family. They do family reunions once in a while, so this is not strange," Minju pointed out. "At the very least, they know you 'don't remember anything'," Minju said, trying to console herself. She'd rather have kept Eunyoung's disappearance a secret, but since that wasn't on the table now, she was at least relieved that Chaewon didn't have to pretend… much. She still had a long way to go when it came to kindness, but she was doing fine… as fine as Chaewon could do anyway.

 

Chaewon huffed again. "Do I really have to speak with all these people?"

 

"They all came all the way here to help Eunyoung remember, and that was born from kindness. Think about it when you speak to them," Minju advised softly instead.

 

Chaewon wanted to groan. "Yes, yes. They're kind, and I am an ."

 

"That's not what I'm saying."

 

"No, that's what I'm saying," Chaewon retorted. "It's just… they have all to do with me, Minju. They might have billions of stories to tell, and they mean nothing to me, but I have to nod as if they do."

 

"That's what kindness is, understanding that, although this has nothing to do with you, they have all come because they wish to help. If they knew what was happening, they would try to help you, too."

 

"Would they really?" Minju turned to look at Chaewon.

 

"Of course they would. Do you really think they wouldn't?"

 

Chaewon shrugged. "I dunno." To be honest, she had never found someone that would've helped her out of the kindness of their heart. These people… sure, they'd help Eunyoung because they're her family, but they surely wouldn't help a random stranger like her.

 

"They would," Minju said resolutely. "They definitely would." Her voice softened. "That is kindness, just as helping them cope with Eunyoung's condition is kindness."

 

"I guess," Chaewon said, her expression pensive. "I guess this is something I would have liked when mother was ill."

 

Minju frowned when she heard Chaewon mumble about her mother.

 

"Was your mother ill?"

 

"Huh?" Chaewon asked, awoken from her inner thoughts. "Oh. Ah, yes."

 

"If it's not too much to ask, what happened to her?" Minju whispered, aware that Chaewon might not want to talk about it.

 

"She was ill… then she wasn't," Chaewon answered shortly.

 

"Did she get…" Minju finally remembered the conversation about Chaewon's mother and how the woman had spoken about her mom in past tense. "Oh."

 

Chaewon groaned, making Minju turn to look at her.

 

"Hey, hey, Eunyoung-ie?" A man said as he grabbed Chaewon's hand and shook it vigorously. "Do you perhaps remember me? Or are your screws that loose?"

 

"I don't know who the- you are," she tried deadpanning, but stuttered when she remembered she couldn't curse.

 

"Aw, that's too bad, Eunyoung-ie, but maybe I'll make you remember?" His eyes shone with mischievousness as he handed Chaewon a drink.

 

'What the hell is this old man planning?'

 

"Give it a shot," she said regardless, taking the can, grimacing when his expression brightened.

 

"You sure will regret it," he said with a fake deep voice, then scampered.

 

"What the ?" Chaewon said. "He acts like a kid."

 

"Yeah," Minju answered, embarrassed. "I should've told you he is kind of a jokester."

 

Chaewon narrowed her eyes. "What does that mean?"

 

"He kind of… pranks people?" Chaewon turned to look at Minju. Pointing the can elsewhere, she opened it, spraying tampered soda onto the grass.

 

"Are you sure everyone here deserves kindness?"

 

"Don't be mean," Minju said. "Just… I'll go talk to him."

 

Chaewon said nothing else, but her eyes widened when she turned to look elsewhere, making Minju look in the direction Chaewon was looking. She gasped when she saw her mother arrive, her father in tow.

 

Standing up quickly, she rushed towards her mother before anyone else could greet her. Chaewon followed quietly, not wanting to give any family member the opportunity to initiate a conversation.

 

"Mom…" Minju's mom threw Minju a stern gaze, making the latter quiet down.

 

"Minnie, why didn't you tell me about Eunyoung's condition?" she asked oh-so-sweetly, making the hairs on Chaewon's arms stand. It was menacing, and, if Chaewon didn't know it was Minju's mother and she wasn't completely healthy, she would have thrown herself in between Minju and her instinctively.

 

Minju turned to look at her dad, whose eyes were apologetic, but he had no fault. Minju bowed her head.

 

"We didn't want you to worry," Minju said finally.

 

"You made Eunyoung act like she was fine in front of me… How is that taking care of your fiancee?" Minju's mom chastised.

 

"I agreed to it," Chaewon intervened, disliking the idea of Minju being told off for nothing. Minju's mom looked at Chaewon, her eyes softening.

 

"You don't have to cape for Minnie, Eunyoung."

 

"I agreed to it," Chaewon insisted. "Nobody forced me to do anything." The three of them turned to look at Chaewon. "I did it because I wanted to."

 

The forcefulness of Chaewon's words stopped Minju's mom, who looked at her for a moment. At first, the look was one of surprise, then it changed to approval.

 

"Then what were you thinking, too?" Regardless, Minju's mom chastisement was now directed towards Chaewon. "Not thinking about your own health, clearly."

 

Chaewon couldn't possibly answer that question truthfully, so she ended up saying, "I thought you shouldn't feel bad about me."

 

"Why shouldn't I? Because I'm dying?" the woman asked scathingly. "No sickness would stop me from wanting to know what happens to you all."

 

"I know," Chaewon mumbled, remembering her mother, and their last conversation. "I know you wouldn't."

 

"Then you shouldn't do it again," Minju's mom said gravely after a moment. "Moreover, what is this nonsense of continuing with the wedding?"

 

"We wanted to get married before-" Minju said, but was cut off.

 

"I care more about Eunyoung's health. How can I be happy when I know Eunyoung is still recovering from her accident?" Minju's mom crossed her arms. "Move the date of the wedding."

 

"What?" Minju's head was spinning. Her (and Eunyoung's) biggest motive for marrying so soon was to do it before her mother was too weak or too ill to be able to attend. Moving the wedding to a later date was almost unthinkable. "But, everything-"

 

"Everything will be there when you get married. I want my daughter-in-law to be well before I see you both walking down the aisle." Minju's mom gave them both a glare before softening her expression. "Now, I'm hungry. Where's the food?"

 

As if Eunyoung's parents had been waiting for the discussion to finish, both of them appeared out of nowhere with identical smiles. It creeped Chaewon out.

 

"We prepared some good barbeque! Hopefully you can enjoy it, too?" Minju's mom turned to look at them, her expression critical (probably because she knew they were also in on Eunyoung's 'amnesia' and didn't tell her either), but then smiled dryly.

 

"Let's see then. Come, you two. Let's enjoy some time together."

 

They unwittingly followed.

 

Minju's parents greeted everyone on their path to the free table Eunyoung's parents had saved for them. When they finally were at the table, everyone sat down while Minju's dad when to fetch food for his wife.

 

"How did they let you go out of the hospital?" Minju asked tentatively, still afraid of her mother's wrath, but the older woman seemed to have already classified the matter as settled, as she seemed more affable.

 

"I have my ways." She winked at Minju before turning to look at Chaewon. "I fear then, that you don't know me, do you?"

 

"Not really," Chaewon admitted.

 

"Well, then, we have time to talk to get to know each other again, don't we?" Minju's mom concluded. "Call me Eunjung."

 

"Okay," Chaewon agreed, far more comfortable with that than with affectionate nicknames.

 

"To be honest, I have never seen you defend Minnie so readily," Minju's mom said, a teasing smile on her face.

 

"I've never defended her?" Chaewon asked, already thinking of Eunyoung.

 

"Eunyoung-ie tends to be… pretty subservient," Minju's mom said carefully. "She won't usually get in the way of any problems I might have with Minnie, but you jumped immediately to her defense."

 

"Ah." Chaewon exclaimed.

 

"It's good to see you stick to Minju, even when you both did something dumb."

 

"Oh."

 

"Do you remember Minju?"

 

"Not really," Chaewon scratched her neck.

 

"And, have you spoken with her often?" Chaewon nodded. "Good. Are you still uncomfortable around her?"

 

"Not really."

 

"That's good. Maybe your memories will return. And? What have you been doing these past few days? Doubt you could really stay put."

 

"Oh, just… been with Minju," Chaewon answered; there wasn't much she could say, anyway.

 

"So you've been sticking up to Minnie?" Eunjung's smile was that of satisfaction. "This is what I want to see from you two. Hopefully, when you recover your memory, you'll stay close with Minnie."

 

"Uh, sure." Though the idea of Eunyoung being with Minju made her feel a like a rock dropped in her stomach, she agreed.

 

"So, what have you been up to, mom?" Minju asked, willing to take the spotlight away from Chaewon, thing that the latter appreciated.

 

"Nothing much, what with me being confined to that bed," Minju's mom answered with a hint of dramatism, making Chaewon smile a little.

 

Minju sighed, though there was a good-natured smile on her face. "So, you've just slept."

 

"Of course not! I read a new book this week," her mom answered. "And I beat several nurses at go."

 

"Did you really?" Minju asked skeptically.

 

"Of course," her mother declared with pride. "I really got better at it. I could definitely defeat your grandfather now if I played against him."

 

In that moment, Minju's dad returned with some food. "Well, here. I got you some meat. Take your pick."

 

"Oh, I've wanted to eat some beef for a while," Minju's mom said as her husband put a plate of beef in front of her. "Thank you, honey."

 

Suddenly, that weird uncle appeared in Chaewon's vision. "Hey, Eunyoung-ie. Wouldn't you like some meat, too?"

 

"Uh." The words ' off' were at the tip of her tongue, but she had to be nice, as she had promised Minju. "No… Thanks."

 

"Why not? It looks delicious to me? Well, how about chicken?"

 

"I'm good." The uncle pouted.

 

"You're such a spoilsport, Eunyoung-ie. But, oh well." He shrugged. "We'll speak later." Chaewon turned to look at Minju, who only smiled at her, amused.

 

"You really don't want to eat anything?"

 

"Nah, I'm not hungry. Maybe later," Chaewon answered, turning to look at the cooler where the drinks were. "Maybe a drink or something."

 

"Eunyoung doesn't have a good alcohol tolerance," Minju warned.

 

"It's good. I wasn't planning on drinking alcohol." After a moment, Chaewon returned with a soda can in hand.

 

"Say, are you good at drinking?" Minju asked curiously, whispering so as to not be heard by her parents.

 

"I kind of have to," Chaewon answered. "Business transactions are usually done over a drink or a smoke. Then there's the occasional club party."

 

"Do you like it?"

 

"It's a chore," Chaewon answered. "I've done it so many times that it's boring to do on my free time."

 

"Ah." Minju exhaled in relief at the answer, as she preferred moderate drinkers. "That's good."

 

"Why? Are you going to police my drinking now?" Chaewon said, though her tone was light.

 

"If I have to," Minju teased.

 

"What? Are you my keeper now?" The idea didn't sound so bad to Minju, but that same feeling made her realize that she was thinking of Chaewon in a way she shouldn't.

 

"I guess not," she answered, though her mind was in trouble. If Chaewon really was another person altogether, why was she acting like she would with Eunyoung? She really needed to stop. Though, Chaewon was her friend, right? It was just natural to care for her friends.

 

Chaewon nodded, although Minju's answer left her dissatisfied for some reason.

 

"What are you chatting about?" Minju's mom asked, turning away from her husband to look at them.

 

"Oh, I'm just telling her about her drinking habits."

 

"Oh, right," Minju's mom said, laughing. "I remember one Christmas, the one Eunyoung-ie had already become an adult. She had one beer, and that was enough for her to cry over every little thing." Chaewon snorted.

 

"How pathetic," she said, but her smile was humorous.

 

"Yah!" Minju exclaimed, slapping Chaewon's thigh. "That's not pathetic."

 

"Moreover, are you saying you are pathetic?" Minju's mom asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

No, I'm saying Eunyoung is pathetic. "Maybe," Chaewon shrugged her shoulders. "Are you a lightweight?" she asked Minju.

 

"A little," Minju admitted. Eunjung laughed.

 

"Do you want to know what Minju ended up doing when she herself drank for the first time?"

 

"No, mom," Minju whined, but Eunjung's words already had Chaewon's full attention.

 

"What did she do?"

 

"She ended up throwing up on her uncle's sweater." Chaewon laughed at the mental image.

 

"Don't laugh," Minju whined, her face reddening at the memory.

 

"I can't not," Chaewon said. "How can one drink get you to throw up?"

 

"Maybe I'm intolerant to alcohol," Minju defended, indignant.

 

"Or you are weak as hell," Chaewon concluded, forgetting that she shouldn't curse. She was about to talk about herself, but she stopped, remembering that she wasn't Chaewon to these people. She was Eunyoung, and they were listening to her because they thought she was Eunyoung. She couldn't even tell them anything about her life. There was no point to it anyways.

 

Minju managed to see the dimming in Chaewon's mood, and tried helping by patting softly Chaewon's thigh, but that was of no help.

 

"I'm going to get another drink," Chaewon announced, standing up from her seat and walking towards the cooler. There was already one drink sitting on top of it, so she grabbed it absentmindedly.

 

Minju turned to look at her parents, who had also been surprised at the change in mood, and said, "I'll see what's going on." Following Chaewon, she grabbed onto her arm.

 

"What are you doing?" Chaewon asked dryly.

 

"Let's talk," Minju said. "Somewhere else," she added after a moment.

 

"Sorry," Chaewon apologized automatically, her voice void of any repentance.

 

"No, you didn't do anything wrong," Minju explained, then sighed. "Let's talk?"

 

"About what?" Chaewon asked, confused about the sudden need for a 'talk'.

 

"Let's get inside," Minju said, her voice more pleading. Chaewon looked at her for a moment before nodding. Walking inside Eunyoung's house, Minju took her to Eunyoung's room, where she knew they wouldn't be bothered.

 

After she had closed the door, she asked, "What's on your mind?"

 

"Not much," Chaewon said nonchalantly.

 

"Don't lie to me," Minju warned. "You were having fun when talking to my mom… What happened?"

 

"Nothing." And really, it was nothing. She had just been reminded that this was nothing but a performance.

 

"It can't be nothing," Minju insisted. "Chaewon, I saw you."

 

"Well, what do you want me to say?" Chaewon asked defensively.

 

"The truth."

 

"What truth?"

 

"Why did you suddenly stand up in the middle of our talk?"

 

"I was thirsty."

 

"Chaewon," Minju said, exasperated. "Your can wasn't even empty."

 

"How did you know? Did you weigh the damn can?" Minju sighed. She was aware of where this conversation was heading.

 

"Chaewon, stop. I don't want to fight you."

 

"Then maybe stop asking stupid ." Chaewon immediately realized the effect of her words when she saw the hurt in Minju's eyes. "Wait… No, sorry."

 

"You should stop saying sorry if you don't mean it," Minju said before turning to walk out of the room. She wanted to hide the sting that Chaewon's words produced.

 

Chaewon rushed to grab her arm. "No, Minju. I am sorry. I really am. I'm a ing idiot." There was silence for a moment, but Chaewon was relieved that Minju didn't shake off her grip.

 

"Why do you feel the need to insult me when I want to care for you?"

 

Chaewon wanted to lash out, but she contained herself. It was Minju, and talking to Minju was… okay. "I… it's just… I don't know how to do these things."

 

"What things?" Chaewon squirmed, uncomfortable with the question.

 

"The talking about… how you feel and such."

 

"I don't want you to do an essay on your feelings." Minju sighed, turning around to face Chaewon. "I just want you to be honest. What made you leave the table?" she asked again.

 

"Ah… well…" Chaewon stuttered, not really knowing what to say. "It's just… it's stupid."

 

"What you feel isn't stupid," Minju said, her tone softer. "Your feelings aren't stupid."

 

"It's just…" Chaewon tried again. "I just… Agh… I just realized… they think I'm Eunyoung, so it doesn't even matter what I say to them."

 

"Why wouldn't it matter?"

 

"They wouldn't give a if they knew I'm not their precious daughter-in-law." Minju ignored the jab at Eunyoung.

 

"You really think they wouldn't care?" Minju asked sadly. "They would, Chaewon. If they knew what was going on, they would care about you." Chaewon hummed, not giving away her real thoughts. "What makes you think they wouldn't?"

 

"Why would they?" Chaewon countered. "I'm an absolute stranger to them. Why the would they care about a stranger?"

 

"That IS kindness," Minju pointed out.

 

"It's not. It's ing charity."

 

"What? What are you talking about?" Minju knew that Chaewon's words stemmed from somewhere else.

 

"What other reason would you have to speak to a stranger if not because you want to feel good about yourself?"

 

"Maybe because, inside them, there's is empathy, and empathy is not the same as pity."

 

"It's not?" Chaewon asked in defiance, arching an eyebrow.

 

"We weren't friends," Minju tried approaching the matter in another way. "You and me."

 

"But you thought I was your fiancee," Chaewon pointed out.

 

"And when I discovered you weren't, I still cared about you, even when you have treated me badly." Minju's words made Chaewon feel a pinprick of guilt. Chaewon shook her head, hating the feeling.

 

"But you're… you," Chaewon countered.

 

"And you think nobody else can be like me?"

 

Chaewon's sudden intense gaze made Minju feel nervous. What was she thinking? "You… I have never met someone like you." Minju lowered her head, unable to meet Chaewon's eyes. She heard a sigh. "Through all my life, the rule has been every man for himself… Just… There has never been a person I've met who has truly cared for no reason… Until you, that is."

 

"There are many people like me, people that truly care. Believe me when I say I'm not the only one." Chaewon found it hard to believe in the beginning, but then again, she had lived in a neighborhood, and she worked in a ty job, so what did she know?

 

"I'll… take your word for it," Chaewon said finally, making Minju sigh. "But it's weird to talk to your parents as if I'm someone else."

 

"You want to stay here for a while?" Minju asked, aware that, at the end of the day, Chaewon hadn't asked for this. She had been burdened with someone else's life.

 

Chaewon thought about it for a moment. "Nah. Eunyoung's room kind of freaks me out."

 

"Why? What's wrong with it?"

 

"It's too… clean." Chaewon's answer made Minju laugh in disbelief.

 

"Is your room a pigsty?"

 

"No," Chaewon denied. "Just not… this."

 

"Okay, then you want to return with my parents?"

 

"I guess so." Chaewon shrugged.

 

"Let's go, then."

 

When they returned to the table, Minju's mom was already talking to some of Eunyoung's family members, who seemed to have sat with Minju's parents when they left.

 

"Hey, come play!" said another family member who was sitting at another table.

 

"What's that?" Chaewon asked, but her questions were answered when they got closer to the table. "Monopoly?"

 

"Oh, I love Monopoly!" Minju exclaimed, but then turned to look at Chaewon, as if reminded of her awkward partner. "Is it okay if we play?"

 

"Uh, yeah, sure," Chaewon answered. She had no idea of how to play Monopoly, but Minju seemed pretty enthusiastic, so she would roll with it.

 

"Do you still remember how to play Monopoly, Eunyoungie?" the annoying uncle asked, nudging her slightly.

 

Resisting the need to slap his smug face senseless, she said, "I'm not playing."

 

"How come, Eunyoung?" asked another aunt. "You loved Monopoly!"

 

Chaewon cringed, turning to look at Minju, so as to look for some support, but the latter just smiled at her encouragingly. "I promise you'll love it."

 

Either Minju had magically forgotten Chaewon's personality or had lied.

 

"Teehee, you fell again in my hotel," the annoying uncle announced innocently, batting his eyelashes at Chaewon, who scowled at him.

 

"-"

 

"You'll have to mortgage your house, honey," Minju interrupted her outburst with a loud voice. Chaewon could feel Minju grabbing her arm as if to stop her from saying more.

 

Chaewon had to take a deep breath before answering. "Okay, let me mortgage this," she said, gritting her teeth. For some damn reason, that uncle had done the most to Chaewon over, ignoring the other members of Eunyoung's family who were playing as well. And what vexed Chaewon the most was that the damn man had managed to not fall in any of her spaces, gloating as he passed them by.

 

With difficulty, she handed him the money she owed him, cursing under her breath as she did so.

 

"Okay, my turn," another aunt said, throwing the  dices. "One, two, three... Oh, whose space is this?"

 

"It's mine," Minju said in a sing-song voice. "Pay up, auntie." Chaewon tried hard to keep herself angry, but the sight of Minju's victorious grin made it difficult to.

 

"Thank you," the younger woman said, taking the money and putting it in the big pile of money she already had.

 

The only salvageable thing about this stupid game was seeing Minju wipe the floor with everyone. Right at the beginning, Chaewon had thought that Minju would easily lose, as her choices didn't seem to make sense, but soon enough, she was setting hotels left and right, leaving some of the other players in bankruptcy with a wide smile on her face and a victorious dance. Chaewon had never been more amused at someone.

 

Who would've thought softie Minju would be so competitive?

 

"Are you yet in love with her again?" an aunt whispered, startling Chaewon slightly.

 

"What?" Chaewon deadpanned.

 

"You can't hide it, Eunyoung-ie. I can see your smile," the aunt teased.

 

Chaewon felt tempted to tell the woman off, but she knew she was supposed to be acting as Eunyoung, and swearing at people was off limits, so she just grumbled, "So what? I can't smile?"

 

The questions went unanswered, which just fit Chaewon fine, as it was finally that woman's turn.

 

"Oh, seems I'm out of the game," the aunt said, not as bummed as Chaewon would've felt if she was in her shoes, most likely because she saw it coming. "Guess I'll just watch." Or who knows? She was watching Chaewon with a suspicious glint in her eyes.

 

The game proceded with no other incident, with Minju becoming even richer, and Chaewon barely escaping bankruptcy. The aunt continued to watch both her and Minju, irking the former off, but, unable to actually scare her off, she just grumbled every now and then about nosy aunts, whose strange surveillance made their comments overstay their welcome in Chaewon's head.

 

"Okay, then it's your turn." Chaewon had felt the pressure rise in the last turns, as Minju had managed to bankrupt another player, and the annoying uncle was still on the game, still giving her this infuriating smirk, as if he was waiting for the moment that she would lose.

 

"Right."

 

Throwing the dices, Chaewon mentally counted the spaces she'd have to go. "," she bursted out when she realized what was about to happen. Minju sputtered.

 

"Sorry, sorry you had to hear that," Minju apologized to the people at the table, who looked mildly surprised at Chaewon's involuntary curse.

 

Chaewon didn't say anything, as she was completely concentrated in not bursting into flames of rage. Her figurine fell in another space of that annoying er.

 

"Oh, again?" The uncle looked at Chaewon, indulging entirely on Chaewon's deadpan expression.

 

"Yes," she answered crisply. Moving quietly, she took the rest of her money, giving it to the person who was managing the bank. "I'm out."

 

"Well, better luck next time."

 

Minju was immediately able to see how Chaewon's expression colored with anger, but, quicker to act than her friend, she circled Chaewon's waist with her arms, knowing that, if Chaewon was furious, she wouldn't be able to stop her by just pulling her sleeve.

 

"You played well," Minju said as calmly as she could, so no one would really catch what was actually happening between her and Chaewon.

 

Chaewon, whose body had gone rigid, just like every time Minju had ever hugged her, just sat there for a few moments in silence, as if she was trying to find her voice, then said, "Yeah, I know." She tried shrugging Minju off, but since the latter wouldn't let go, Chaewon huffed, moving to whisper in Minju's ear. "I'm not going to murder him. Not today, at least."

 

"You promise?"

 

"Yeah, yeah," Chaewon said dismissively. The arms around her finally loosened, and Chaewon got up from her seat. "I'm getting a drink."

 

Although Minju had realized that Chaewon was using the drinks as a way to detach herself from a bad situation, she just let her go, thinking that it was probably for the best if Chaewon was still angry at Eunyoung's uncle.

 

However, the emotion that compelled Chaewon to leave the table was not anger, but irritation (yes, there is a difference between those two emotions; Chaewon would know). Irritation against the uncle? No, although she would definitely plan her (bloodless, as she had promised Minju) revenge soon. She was irritated at the aunt who had stayed to stare at her like a creepy stalker.

 

Minju hadn't been able to see, but when she had grabbed onto Chaewon to stop her from throttling the uncle, the aunt had smiled at her knowingly, mouthing something at Chaewon that she couldn't decipher, but that it wasn't that hard to guess. For some reason or the other, that aunt was deadset on her falling in love with Minju.

 

And that's a ing ridiculous notion, isn't it? Just because she found Minju amusing, it doesn't mean she's going to fall in love with her. Minju is likable, period. Love is, and has never been, on the equation.

 

But why was she so worked up about it? After all, the aunt believes she is Eunyoung, who is going to marry Minju soon. Love is a pretty urgent matter in that apparent situation.

 

Yeah, she was overthinking a lot, when she is usually not prone to doing so.

 

But it still irritated her, somehow.

 

She could sense Minju coming closer, so she turned around, shrugging off her thoughts.

 

"I won," Minju said victoriously, gleaming a smile at her. It made Chaewon's heart feel strange, but she knew it was just her irritation. Right?

 

"Called it," she answered simply.

 

"So, no more murder plans?"

 

"Nah, I'm just…" Chaewon looked around. "Here… doing nothing."

 

Her words were not convincing to Minju, but they made the latter smile nonetheless. Chaewon's unexpected awkwardness was a bit endearing to watch.

 

"So, how long until we leave?" The question erased Minju's smile.

 

"Do you really dislike them that much?" Minju's tone was sad. She understood Chaewon's awkwardness in acting like someone she was not, but the strong feelings she seemed to have towards Eunyoung's family members saddened her.

 

"No," Chaewon denied. "It's just that I don't get how people can spend so many hours together and not want to go home."

 

Ah, so Chaewon was an introvert. Minju felt quite surprised that the person that could literally break a mortician's nose or enter into a fight ring was rather introverted. "You don't spend time with others when you're… you?"

 

Chaewon snorted. "Spending time is literally just to stay there guarding some big dog or something. We don't do talking, unless it's to talk about some plans or a job the higher ups give you."

 

"Isn't that boring, though? Guarding someone, I mean." She had never had the opportunity to really ask something like this, so she was curious. She had always wondered about bodyguards and although Chaewon was not one (very, very far from it), her job description was still a bit closer to that.

 

"It bores me to tears," Chaewon answered. "That's why I've always liked going out on jobs."

 

That made Minju grimace. Despite already knowing what Chaewon's job was, she still couldn't get used to getting reminded about what her job precisely entailed.

 

She wanted to question further, as a way to reassure herself that Chaewon is not the cruel person most would think her to be, but she remembered their conversation a few days ago. She let it be, hoping that Chaewon maybe could explain this to her one day. "I get it."

 

Chaewon contained a sigh. "You don't, but that's cool."

 

Their conversation was cut short when they heard the thrum of a guitar, alongside the voices of people who sounded like they were drunk.

 

"What the ?" Chaewon asked, looking at the people that were sitting in a circle around the person who was playing the guitar.

 

"Uh, it's kind of normal for the family to hear music and sing." Minju hit Chaewon's arm when she saw her expression. "Don't be so judgemental."

 

"Uh huh." But it was obvious that Chaewon was judging them. "You sure they're not drunk?"

 

"Come join us!" Another family member yelled, making Chaewon cringe.

 

"It's not that bad," Minju said when Chaewon looked at her, her expression the embodiment of a fight or flight response. "Come on."

 

With a sigh, Chaewon just followed Minju, mumbling to herself, "I promised I wouldn't be . I promised."

 

By the time they arrived, Eunyoung's family had already made enough space for both of the women to sit together. It was a relief that they continued singing, not paying much attention to either of them. As it was, Chaewon was bewildered to be in the middle of all of these people singing for no reason.

 

Feeling a hand on her arm, she turned to look at Minju, who was gazing at her probingly.

 

"What?"

 

"Do you know this song?" At this prompting, Chaewon paid attention to the song. She recognized it immediately. It took her to those times her father would be fine-tuning his truck on a weekend, music blasting from his old fashioned radio.

 

"Of course." Chaewon nodded.

 

"Then sing with us, Eunyoung-ie!" someone, who had overheard, prompted, making Chaewon cringe again.

 

"Hell-"

 

"Please," Minju pleaded under her breath. "Just this one song." When Chaewon was about to protest again, Minju said, "for me?"

 

Chaewon sighed. She hated Minju's aegyo, dammit. "Fine."

 

Minju's expectations for Chaewon's singing (which were more of amusement than anything) were dashed to the ground when she heard Chaewon sing softly. Her voice was careful, but clear, ringing in her ears like an angel's melody. This voice was a contrast to Chaewon's otherwise rough facade, but, most importantly… This was most definitely NOT Eunyoung's voice.

 

Most of the family members were similarly floored, to the point that even the person playing the guitar stopped, as he was unable to stop himself from gaping at Chaewon in shock.

 

"What?" Chaewon asked, irritation seeping into her tone, most likely due to the fact that everyone's eyes were on her. Minju noted dully that Chaewon's voice was again Eunyoung's voice.

 

"No, just… where did you learn to sing, Eunyoung-ie?" one aunt asked.

 

"Nowhere," Chaewon answered bitingly, her body already on the defensive. This made the family members murmur between themselves. "What?"

 

"We just didn't know you could sing that well," a cousin playing the guitar said.

 

"Yeah," some uncle said. "Your voice is amazing."

 

These words froze Chaewon for a moment, but she ended up shrugging her shoulders. Despite that, Minju could see the fluster she was desperately trying to hide. "I dunno about that."

 

After those words were uttered, everyone sent a barrage of comments on Chaewon's voice, which only made Chaewon look to the ground, her body sinking into itself, as if to hide herself from everyone. Minju, noticing the strange body language, grinned, endeared at Chaewon's shyness.

 

Although Minju had wanted to question Chaewon immediately, she waited until the comments ceased to finally take Chaewon aside.

 

"What?" Chaewon asked again when they were finally far enough from the rest of the family.

 

"Is that your real voice?" The question made Chaewon flinch a little, but she hid it quickly.

 

"Yeah, weird, huh?" The fake nonchalant response tickled Minju.

 

"It's really beautiful." If Chaewon's response to the praise bestowed by the rest of the family members was fluster, Minju's words made Chaewon blush to the tip of her ears. She tried hiding by turning her head, but Minju's was able to see it. "It really is. I'd really love to hear more," Minju praised further, wanting to see more of this embarrassed Chaewon.

 

"Stop bullting me," she growled, but her tone had no bite. "Whatever, do you think this means something?"

 

This sobered Minju up. "I don't know," she answered. "You think it does?"

 

"Maybe… maybe this means that Eunyoung and I will change bodies again."

 

Minju could only hope that this was true, but, "Did you feel something different when you were singing?"

 

Chaewon shook her head. "I felt normal, just noticed I was singing with my real voice."

 

"Then we really need to get to the shaman as soon as possible," Minju said, her mind whirling with the possibilities. Composing herself, she told Chaewon, "we should go back."

 

"Do we have to?"

 

Minju grinned wildly at Chaewon's tone. "Is… is that a whine?"

 

"No," Chaewon growled, but it was obvious by now that her menacing tone held no ground.

 

"It is," Minju confirmed, giggling right after. "Are you really that embarrassed by compliments?"

 

"No," Chaewon continued denying, getting even more flustered at the question.

 

"You are, but that's okay." Minju linked her arm with Chaewon, surprising the latter. "Let's go?"

 

"Uh, okay," Chaewon mumbled. Somehow, Minju's touch made her feel even more embarrassed. Maybe she needed to be alone? Who knows.

 

When they had sat back on the floor, everyone was already singing another song, but it was obvious they were expecting Chaewon to join. The latter didn't join, and Minju didn't plead with her anymore.

 

After two songs where Chaewon didn't sing, the cousin playing the guitar questioned, "Why are you not singing?"

 

"Why should I?" Chaewon raised an eyebrow, her normal hostile tone regained. This made Minju grimace.

 

"Why shouldn't you?" he shot back. Despite the rebuttal, Chaewon didn't seem to get irritated at it (at least, no more than she usually gets).

 

"I don't want to?" Minju grabbed Chaewon's arm. "I'm good with just listening," she mended.

 

"It's fine if she doesn't want to," the annoying Monopoly aunt intervened. "It's enough that she is here with us, safe and sound."

 

Other family members nodded, agreeing with the sentiment.

 

"It's true," Eunyoung's father said. "As long as you are here with us, we're happy."

 

There was no answer from Chaewon, so Minju turned to look at her. Her expression revealed something almost wondorous happening inside her mind, as if a revolution was taking place. The resulting expression, however, made Minju's heart pang.

 

Longing.