Surprise, it comes with almost 14k words oneshot and you may stop midway (due to inconsistent writing, i was contemplating between a slowburn and lowkey timeline jump) but please do enjoy as much as i did when i wrote it bcs i personally really like the backstories of hyewon and yuri (more like joyuriz) and you'll find it in the 2nd half of the story, as well as the epilogue ofc. Here is the playlist (YT) or this (spotify, pc only i guess) (BIG FAT CONGRATULATION FOR BABYDEULS FOR WINNING SILVER MEDALS IN ISAC) 

 

Words count: 13,817Warning: contains curse wordsNotes: school equals to faculty; noirette means raven head   —

i would take the bullet for you

 

Chaeyeon never fond of children before. Not until she had to take her responsibility as a good parent and spouse since Sakura gave birth to their first ever child eleven months ago. There she was in the bathroom at 2 am, changing Nako’s diapers. During first few months Nako would constanly laugh at Chaeyeon’s lion hair when she hurriedly got up because of her cries in the middle of the night and accompanied her to sleep just because she didn’t want Sakura to wake up.

 

She would up in the morning covered in blanket with Nako in her embrace in which she didn’t remember to bring any cloth to cover them up the previous night. Her lips would tuck upward knowing who was the perpetrator.

 

“Hey, good morning,” a soft voice with light chuckles approaches from the kitchen, “you can always ask me for help you know, I dont want you to suffer alone at such ungodly hours.”

 

Chaeyeon shakes her head, her hoarse morning voice echoes softly inside the huge living room.

 

“You’ve done a lot for the past twelve months. I should do what I have to. Nako likes me a lot anyways.”

 

“You always next to me those times too,” Sakura frowned.

 

Even she never cared so much for someone else than her family. Sakura just made her own path to Chaeyeon’s heart, not so slow but certainly, and she taught her how to open her heart to others.

 

Sakura is simply a gift given by God where she has been very grateful for, she never saw herself as someone who deserves kindness and all the good things without hardwork. Sakura came into her life without her doing anything. Without a notice. A thunderstorm Chaeyeon didn’t curse at.

 

She just couldn’t accept her own zero effort for such wonderful things– Nako added to the list. She still blames herself until this very day. Just doesn’t let Sakura knows or else will get scolded after.

 

“You can wash up now, Jjae, I’ll take care of her,” Sakura puts herself on the carpeted floor in front of her beloved ones.

 

“Nice, my cells do not want to move without a morning kiss,” the younger pouted sadly. An attempt to look cute but unfortunately she looks like a meme from Sakura’s twitter. Still not as ridiculous as her lifetime buddy, Ms. Pepe the frog, Minjoo.

 

That was funny but Sakura gives in each time. A sweet strawberry-cherry-tasted lips landed on Chaeyeon’s before she grins oh-so-dumbly.

 

“Chaewon called earlier, she said the new recruitments are already waiting for you so be fast, sleepyhead,” Sakura added.

 

She actually was stating something nonsense yet make sense since Chaeyeon barely gets sleep almost everyday so to find her walking like zombie with heavy eyebags accompanied with her contagious laughs is a very common scene to see, as a matter of fact. To begin with, she is not someone who likes to sleep and sit still all day long, it’s just the other way around. She is about to pass the CEO title anyways, why bother to lazy around when she could work her off to make money– which she is fed-up already.

 

No. If truth be told, the retirement as CEO always up to her. She just has been thinking about it a lot lately, the way she wants to devote her time to her family– yeah, family. Sure she is still young, a hardworker founder of a multisector company which worth trillions of dollar, as of now.

 

Sakura is okay with her decision, always.

 

Retirement has never been a problem. Money never been one, in the first place. Man, she is still the chairman, her ricecooker even could update its own software (talk about money and oh– imagine advanced version of a mi (brand) ricecooker), duh.

 

In this universe, their worlds might have not any connection at all, initially. Two bodies grew up in different land and culture. Two family backgrounds. No close mutual friends, so no need on checking their blood relation. Everything was happened so fast if we could zoom out the universe’s timeline. Just that, Chaeyeon always remind Sakura– that she is a lightning, tell her a lame joke– is it hurt falling from Zeus’s throne? And say that she is grateful for whatever it takes to be together with her family.

 

She hates school since her childhood days. Why bother to go to conventional sit-straight-and-be-a-good-girl school when she could do all the amazing experiments in her private laboratory built by her and her father when she was 6. Her dad taught her to be imaginative. Her mom trained her to be a hardwoking and patient being. They accompany her throughout her first successful experiment, her own 3D printer. The next week she knew, her dad rebuilt her lab with legos produced by her 3D printer. An independent and stubborn daddy and mommy’s type of girl.

 

Contrast routines happened across the sea. In the land of sunrise, where a child was born in a certain day during spring. When she named after the identity of spring itself. She studied in a conventional school. Grew up in a small warm family. Spent her days with her grandmother when both her parents were busy with their job as doctors. Then graduated as one of the best students in her town. A conventional sit-straight-and-be-a-good-girl school’s graduate.

 

Thanks to college, Chaeyeon had to go one way or another. Hate it or not. With daddy and mommy or not. Thus, she applied for the best one where she could bring her old experimental days in her lab to the college. All the while Sakura just had to fullfil her own high expectation set for herself. A regular ambitious daughter of doctors who didn’t want to be like them, then she applied for something beyond her family’ standard. Both had love and hate relationship with college but if being honest is a must, then no lie, they started to enjoy it since their third year.

 

Those times when something unknown to them started to strengthen its roots inside their hearts. A visit began countless sleepovers and silence proved comfort.

 

If Hitler is always being correlated with Nazi, the same thing goes for the two since the day they didn’t realise that they hate being separated.

 

“Saku-chan,” a mere nickname, that is sacred if Chaeyeon the one who uses it, “I’m free after the meeting this morning, want me to accompany you around?” Chaeyeon asked, powered with her puppy eyes.

 

And Sakura always welcome her whenever she wants to go back home. Because she holds her heart. She is home to Chaeyeon.

 

“How about go for an ice cream date after my project presentation? Let’s bring Nako and visit Yuri too,” there, the architect said all smiley while holding Nako.

 

And Nako is the new inhabitant of Chaeyeon’s home.

—

She was all alone at her place. Chaeryeong loved to call it as super cozy flat but then Chaemin would in and said that it should be called apartment since Chaeyeon lived in the USA. Whatever it was called, her stuffs were neatly arranged. No dust dared to land. White and gray dominated the interrior. Adequate to represent the character of its owner.

 

She frowned. A message from Hyewon told her that Yena, one of her so-called friends –fortunately Chaeyeon had considered to not disown Yena last time– got into a fight– more like a debate, with a young lecturer, again. No day would pass without headache these people caused her. She didn’t know either why on earth in the first place she agreed to befriend them again. Mayhaps asian solidarity on a foreign land.

 

She was shocked when she found out that Yena was actually her neighbor in 160 W Broadway. Yena remembered her after few days of encounter in the hall and kept on budging her after. Therefore, she decided to moved in near Harvard instead. A place where a duck couldn’t fly that far to reach her.

 

Sometimes she thought that it was not that bad to have them. Her friends could be counted with your fingers but they always willingly keep her company. I mean, those two.

 

Yena might quacking and being so loud anywhere she goes while Hyewon trying to keep the second-hand embarassment for her own soul’s sake. However, they had been the reason Chaeyeon was still sane– she had to tame these runaway zoo creatures.

 

The two came from different school. It was rather hard for them to keep up like the old days. At least they were still in touch through group and personal messages– and sleepovers.

 

Thereafter, Chaeyeon dragged to an almost empty hall by Hyewon. Yena surprisingly had always been a straight A student in their school of management despite her goofy appearance. She was just so stubborn and loved to tease others to the extent of testing her own lecturer. That was how they verbally fought and before they throw hands at each other Chaeyeon came to the rescue.

 

To save that poor lecturer, literally. 

—

“This is goin to be the last time, ducky,” Chaeyeon facepalmed, so uninterested with whatever wrath Yena was going to say at the moment.

 

“Listen, that lecturer didn’t even want to admit her fault, I just tried to correct her, okay?”

 

The school’s cafeteria luckily was not that crowded. It was rainy outside. Hyewon sipped her green tea latté with so much tenderness and appreciation– the best latté she said, before ate two macarons in one go.

 

"Anyway, Chaen. A friend of mine from medical engineering asked for your contact. She said she wants to offer you to be part of her project,” Yena added, changing the topic.

 

“Tell her I’m not interested.”

 

"Nah, turn off her offer yourself, buddy,” Hyewon chipped in, “but, still, why don’t you try to read her project proposal first?”

 

Chaeyeon was a hard-headed girl, stubborn, and egoistic sometimes. Practically, she just hate to get dragged by others, like, what if they cause problems and Chaeyeon has to stand on the front line for them? Girlie had enough with Yena. No one spare their strength to befriend her anymore since they will be turned down seconds later. The infamous mind-your-own-business girl, and Sakura had heard about it.

 

"Yeah, whatever. Talk about it later, I’ve to go. Hope to not see you around,” Chaeyeon retorted, startled the two.

 

It’s Chaeyeon’s first time to reconsider an offer ever recorded. So Yena voluntarily said would write it down in her history class’s note later.

 

Anyways, years later, Chaeyeon thought that her decision to reconsider Yena’s friend offer that day was the beginning of some kind of miracle happened to her after. Her act that day might be counted as a kind one –since she thought she rarely did so kind-Chaeyeon was once in a blue moon– that was why God appreciated her. But appreciating her little act with giving Sakura in return, wasn’t it too much? And that’s a cycle of how Chaeyeon’s mind works. Back in time– these three might not the best combination ever but at the very least there is always a space left inside their brain to share the same brain cell. Bluetooth does work nowadays.

— 

The rain finally subsided, it was not that heavy to begin with. The sun gracefully went back to its rightful throne. As well cumulus and cirrus started to replace the nimbostratus ones.

 

Sakura walked back to the cafeteria when she remembered she left her pencil case on the table. Umbrella still in her grasp while the other hand held a cup of coffee. She did not regret for not trusting the weather forecast this morning. Her shoulder-length gray hair were dancing along her humming to some random melodies.

 

Just when she was already at the front door, one more stair to open it, it opened suddenly. Revealing a brunette in a rush who accidentally bumped into her.

 

The coffee unwillingly spilled on this person’s shirt in the process. She should not be the one who apologize first but yeah, call it formality.

 

"Oh my god, I’m so sorry.”

 

“Uh-oh, no, no. It’s my fault, I’m sorry. I should be aware of my surroundings,” turned out this brunette was not that heartless to not notice her own flaw. Maybe the heaven was blessed the stranger today as she wore plain black v-neck t-shirt so the stain was not that visible.

 

The coffee just multiple the hotness– the weather, Sakura meant.

 

Sakura just stared. And so did the latter.

 

The staring contest went on, and on, and on–

 

“Chaeng, I thought you said you’re going back,” sounded more like a question rather than a statement from an unfamiliar voice that approached them from the opposite direction Sakura stood on at the moment. Brought the both of them out of their trance.

 

"Oh, Hye. Ye- yeah, I’m about to. You go first, Martian,” this brunette girl shoved her seems-like-friend, but what a weird nickname to threw at.

 

So this Martian girl went away but before whispering something to her friend. Still audible, “ey, who is she? Ask her number for me?” Along with a wink.

 

Sakura naturally was an awkward person. She knew that stared at someone for long should be considered as rude. But she would take the blame. She enjoyed the view and what was happening before her eyes. The brunette seemed to be a bit flustered. So she cleared to be noticed again.

 

"Ah, sorry for that. Mind to lend me your phone?” the latter finally spoke.

 

Without a second thought Sakura gave her the phone she asked for. This girl then was typing something.

 

"I’m responsible for your coffee so please let me make it up to you. Contact me so I will know your free time. Since I’m in a hurry let’s meet some other time, this is my number, yes?”

 

"You don’t need to tho, I’m the one that should clean the mess actu– Lee Jjaeyeon?” Sakura dumbfounded after.

 

That was cute, Jjaeyeon, Chaeyeon thought.

 

"Yeah, it’s Lee Chaeyeon, do we know each other?” Suddenly the fear of socializing got the best of her.

 

Chaeyeon was afraid of being recognized by strangers. Attention, originally. Not to mention even lecturers and professors.

 

"Who wouldn’t know the Lee Jjaeyeon who was called for research award last semester? And the previous semester and the previous one also. Probably the whole institute know you,” Sakura curved a smile.

 

“Ah, not that good tho,” Chaeyeon rubbed her nape timidly, “so, see you soon…”

 

“Sakura, it’s Sakura.”

 

“Ah, yeah. See you soon, Sakura,” Chaeyeon smiled a bit, a bit, a very little part of her lips tucked upwards.

 

Sakura waved at her, watching the tall figure slowly swallowed by the crowd. The pencil case probably already crying right now, being ditched and forgotten.

—

Their first proper meeting was not that ingratiating, but quiet memorable.

 

Late afternoon on Friday in the coworking space of Sakura’s department. Not many people were around. Most of them flew with the wind to their own escapade for the weekend. Chaeyeon brought herself an americano and a venti-sized cup of matcha latté for Sakura. As ordered.

 

Chaeyeon let her choose the place. When it turned out to be a place that didn’t provide them with beverages she asked what brand of drink she would like to have. This simple act out of consideration drives Sakura’s heart into a fluttering mess up until this day. And Chaeyeon was not knowing the effect of her action that day and still not for the next years. She just couldn’t realise when she actually did something that considered as kind, honestly. Hyewon often reminded her to be careful so people wont take her for granted.

 

She turned people down yet she was too kind. Complicated. Hyewon said to rather not overthink about it.

 

"Never been here before but often heard about it. It’s a very nice place, actually,” Sakura turned to the source of the voice.

 

"Jjaeyeon. Thank you,” Chaeyeon placed the matcha latté next to her macbook, “I thought you are going to come at 4?”

 

"I went earlier because I have nothing to do anymore,” brows raised with a grin plastered across her face.

 

Just if, if Sakura were already knew that day, she actually broke two records in one go. One, she made Chaeyeon skipped her precious late lunch just to met her earlier; two, last time Chaeyeon grinned was during her little Chaes’ visit which was almost one year ago. Sakura just made a particular Lee who was known as workaholic ditched her work, she was lying when she said she had nothing to do, and decided to hung out with her instead.

 

No particular reason. No logical explanation. Chaeyeon just suddenly felt like it.

 

"I still feel bad about your shirt, is that really okay?”

 

“Yes, the stain was easy to remove so no worries,” maybe the third record since Chaeyeon rarely comfortable in speaking with strangers and here she was, having a wholesome conversation with her at her place. Very unlikely of Chaeyeon.

 

The conversation went on for almost three hours long. From major studies to basic things like family to fundamental stuffs such as hobby, preference, and what-nots.

 

“I have this a bit sophisticated machine if I can say, to make americano and latté, but Hyewon could never do it by herself. Do you know what does it mean?”

 

"She can’t have her coffee?” Sakura tried to guess.

 

“Hyewont,”

 

Sakura gave her a hearty chuckles. That was a lame-certified dad joke, but Sakura got it and still laughed, “that was one hell of a lame joke why did you still laugh, Saku-chan.”

 

Saku-chan. Sakura likes it. It was cute and different when it comes from her.

 

“Speaking of environment for work, I got my own work space in my apartment. I mean, if you don’t mind you can pay a visit maybe,” she didn’t understand either why on earth she was nervous just to tell Sakura about that mere information– though lowkey invited her, “may as well judge the interior so I can renovate it or something, maybe getting new furnitures, idk,” she shrugged.

 

Deep down, she asked herself how could she suggest a supposed to be stranger to come to her home and asked her for interior advice.

 

Like, Lee Chaeyeon doesn’t accept any advice regarding her chosen interior design because no one should or has the rights to judge her taste. No one. Not even daddy and mommy. Not even little Chaes. Things just blurted out without her knowing and it rarely happens so.

 

Strange things happened lately. And spontaneously. Chaeyeon thought.

 

"Sure, expect me to show up at your place anytime then,” Sakura playfully retorted, “but, I ever heard someone once said that she has class at 6 pm, hmm I wonder who was that again?” Fingers tapping her chin like she was in a deep thought.

 

"Oh hell it’s ten more minutes I gotta go,” hurriedly she collected her stuff and shoved it into her backpack.

 

"Be careful, Jjaeyeon. Tell me your address in PM so I can drop by later,” it felt so natural, the caring sentences.

 

"Yeah, sure. See you around, Ms. Big Ears,” just then Chaeyeon ran for her life because, “HOW DARE YOU JUDGE MY EARS!” 

—

"Did I already tell you that your ears are pretty too?”

 

“Jjaeyeon, you’ve said that each day and it’s like the third time today,” Sakura is used to it, and so does Nako. The little kid grows fond of touching her mom's ears before sleep.

 

"Nako even likes your ears too. She must thinks it looks like the ones hanging on the elephant’s head, right, Nako?” Chaeyeon looks for justification so she wont get killed by her wifey. Nako just giggled at her parent’s antics.

 

“You know,” Sakura hums while cutting the carrots loudly, “that is why I would never forget our first decent encounter.”

 

"But, thanks to it for popped out at the right time so I could find you easily that time–,”

 

–flying knife, “CHAEYEON!”

 

"YES MA’AM!”

 

When she worried of getting killed, she was dead serious.

—

“You touch your phone frequently lately, dude,” Yena chirped, “are you perhaps getting laid on?! OMG HYEWON-AH!”

 

“Wtf, I did not for duck’s sake just shut up!”

 

"So, what are you getting so mad for? We wont snatch her away, okay?” Hyewon interferred, “chill girl, but tell us,” oh that damn smirk.

 

"Kwangbae, no. Ugh, y’all are disgusting. I-it’s just that girl I bumped y’know, in front of the cafeteria last week. I just have to be responsible since I caused her to spill off her coffee– on me.”

 

“NoOOoO, WHERE IS LEE CHAEYEON YOU ARE NOT LEE CHAEYEON WHO ARE YOU EARTHLING?!”

 

Yena– just had to act that shocked. Yes.

 

"Wait, Chaen,” Yena sighed. “What if she’s your stalker? You said once you saw someone was following you for weeks,” pouted her lips, Yena looked like a duck about to burst.

 

"Your mind, duck. No, but I guarantee she must be pretty since Chaeyeon is weak to pretty girls, hm?”

 

“You hoes can stop and I’m not weak to pretty girls, okay? I don’t and I’m just trying to be nice here because you are right. You two are right that I should try to be nicer to people and seems like it is the right timing since maybe God above there wants me to be one so he changed how my mind works just now and–”

 

she chokes on her breath.

 

"… are you a pastor giving us a preach?”

 

"… you done?”

 

“… y-yes.”

 

A thud then filling the silent room. But the silence went on. Two pairs of eyes were still prying their pry in an intense interogation mode.

 

“E-excuse me but the rice cooker said it’s done cooking…”

 

The other kept on eyeing her. They rarely seen this level of nervousness from Chaeyeon, so since they’d go for another drought of getting any blackmail material later they would just enjoy this moment. On the other words, these two might communicate without saying anything– the agreement was sealed inside their shared one brain cell.

 

"Sure, let’s eat. Food first, love second,” Hyewon said first, followed by Yena after, “yeah, we let you go this time.”

 

The poor girl just sighed, defeated on her seat. Reluctantly followed suit afterwards.

 

“It’s gonna be the end of me.”

—

Sakura was a typical girl. Woke up early in the morning, took a shower, grab a simple breakfast, finished any assignment until her first class came. Other students looked up to her a lot, mainly the freshmen. Other than her top tier beauty she was favoured by her professors due to her ability and unique sense of arts.

 

Another facts to add were she was a simple girl with simple taste and simple short bob, wore a nice a bit-girly outfits during the day and an ikemen look during the night. She looked rather like a drug dealer with that ripped jeans, oversized hoodie hovered over a baseball cap, and an old chucks– sometimes with a mask if she caught a cold.

 

Her roommate, Juri, often got startled when Sakura suddenly showed up with that night look walking down the hall like a robber. However, there was one season where all the inner girl sides inside her crept out both when the sun high on the horizon and when the moon got back its throne.

 

Summer.

 

It was hot and Sakura couldn’t agree more. So, she decided to wore a jean shorts paired with a blue striped sleeveless tshirt–

 

(can u imagine it? bcs i just have to hold my squeal she must be looks so cUTe, okay im stopping sorry).

 

On a nice shining Saturday morning during mid July where the sun almost on its peak on the northern hemisphere. Brought her mood to cook and go for a walk, hand in hand, eat from a picnic basket then watch a movie together.

 

But that was a joke for her, she got no one to do such things and she wouldn’t have Juri as a company since most likely the latter will leave her eventually for her dearest so called friend, the infamous ducky. She didn’t know this duck person personally so she’d just leave her alone.

 

Yet today was different. She got an absolutely great motivation on why she should do whatever inside her latest daydream told her to. Following her instinct she made a stack of monte cristo sandwich and a jar of strawberry rhubarb baked oatmeal. Took a bottle of milk from her fridge then she was ready to go. To a particular place in her mind which address she already memorized.

 

It was not hard to find it. The place was in an luxurious complex. The problem was Hanover Cambridge Park located quite far from her place, it was much nearer to Harvard. She didn’t understand either why would this person chose it. By that what Sakura meant was there were many other expensive properties –if that what she was looking for– available close to their campus, she could have chosen one but for some reason she had to go that far.

 

"Unit 608. Unit 608. Unit 608. Ah! Here you are,” she hooray-ed herself.

 

The door was opened. She took a peek and it looked empty, most of the furnitures were still at its place but it seemed new as if nobody lives there. She squinted her eyes again at the unit number and she was right. It’s the unit, was the owner moved out?

 

She ventured inside. Fortunately, there was a tall figure of a woman with a long wavy black hair neatly wore a black shirt with grey smart pants stood up near the wide window. Maybe she could ask her on why the apartment looked empty and where approximately the owner was.

 

Just before she went further inside, the tall figure turned around and just that, Sakura was smitten. She stuck on her place when the tall figure just stared deeply into her brown orbs. No one was talking– and it happened for the second time since their first meeting.

 

It’s just Chaeyeon, dyed her hair back to black yet Sakura thought it was such a magnificent view.

 

"Oh, Sakura?” Chaeyeon broke the silence first, dragged her out from the daydream.

 

"Oh, Jjaeyeon. I thought of visiting you but are you moving out?”

 

“Ah yes, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you yet, I’m about to, actually, since maybe you want to drop by anytime but here you are,” Chaeyeon curved a smile, “we are lucky I’m here to carry out my last box. I’m sorry you have to come this far, Sakura.”

 

“Ahh, it’s okay,” with a quiet dumb grin, “so, where are you gonna moving in exactly?”

 

"It’s kinda nearer because yeah– you might have questions like why I settled here, far from the campus.”

 

“Yeah, I do.”

 

"I moved back in Boston, in Pierce Boston to be exact and I want to bring you there as my first guest right now.”

 

Is that a smirk, Sakura thought.

 

“Sure, I’ve prepared foods so may as well I accompany you today,” Sakura nodded in agreement.

 

Chaeyeon was excited, in a way that she couldn’t describe. Later on, she led Sakura to the front of the building to wait for their Uber. Sakura expected her to drive her own car but Chaeyeon beat her to it–

 

“Scientists said that climate change is a normal occurance since the earth’s formation but what humans do could possibly be a catalyst so, greener life vibe at its finest inside me,” both chuckled but Chaeyeon’s upgraded hers into a set of weird laughs. Those drew Sakura into another hearty laughs as well.

 

As of this moment, she changed her mind that actually Chaeyeon was a mind reader.

—

It was early Saturday afternoon that they finally settled in Chaeyeon’s new place. She wanted a place like Hyewon’s with a nice harbour view and strong homy vibe or place like Yena’s, her old house, which was not too big but screams cozy, she said. On the other hand, Sakura thought she was going to help her– lift and arrange box and stuffs but it was all neatly arranged and she just went in and sat on the sofa.

 

She must say it was a nice place, not too bright or dark, had enough light sources, and it fit her taste without a doubt. Somehow felt like she was in a private coworking space café and she liked it.

 

“So, Saku-chan,” there goes the nickname, “as my honored guest, I invite you m’lady to join me in the kitchen to complete our amazing lunch time, yes?” She extended her right hand to her with a little bow and kept the left one behind her back like how a maid would do.

 

"Yes!”

 

Did she sound a little bit too excited?

 

Reheat the baked oatmeals and sandwich. Cutting vegetables for a giant bowl of salad. Then Chaeyeon offered Sakura to use her milk as beverages’ base. She watched the Lee in awe as for her skillful barista side.

 

Sat across each other and just when they were about to dig in the door opened suddenly, revealing the doer.

 

",” Chaeyeon released a long sigh, “I’m going to dig my grave for this–,”

 

“–YOOO WHAT COMMOTION IS THERE M’DUDE?” With a quacking effect echoed throughout Sakura’s brain after looking at the owner of the voice.

 

“No commotion, ducky. All is well before you come so please don’t make me you to the exit door.”

 

“Okay, chill, but wow, I didn’t expect any early guest so who is this, Chaen?” Yena used all her dumb smirk’s power to annoy Chaeyeon so she could get the tea being spilled.

 

“H-hello, I’m Sakura,” she used her broken korean greetings thanks to Red Velvet.

 

“A friend of mine, Yena,” Chaeyeon spoke up, “and would you sit here and have a lunch with us? Because if you don’t then you can put down whatever you want to give me and take yourself out of the house,” and smiled– rather like a creepy smiled clown.

 

“O-okay, okay. I’m joining okay,” stuttered while she whispered the last part,

 

“y’all look like about to perform some sacrifice ritual.”

 

"Much to your dismay, let’s dig in to the freshly prepared Hyewon’s flesh, my men.”

—

"Hmm! This is so good, Sakura-san! You made it by yourself?”

 

“Yes, I use my mom’s recipe though, a bit different from the common one but roughly the same,” Sakura answered.

 

While Chaeyeon excused herself to the toilet, Yena asked her sneakily.

 

"How did you know Chaeyeon up to this extent, Sakura-san? I mean, she is not someone who can easily socialize, you know that.”

 

Yena just got curious over this matter in which Sakura answered with the initial story on how Chaeyeon ended up spilling her coffee and some sort.

 

"Ahh, it was you. So, before your first decent meeting you two just exchange some texts? Hmm, that’s pretty quick for her to decide to even ask you to show up at her place,” Sakura just nodded her head obediently, “interesting.”

 

“What is interesting?”

 

“Nope! I’ll call Hyewon.”

 

Daddy and mommy’s girl had this particular pair of plate and bowl that became her favourite and she didn’t like to share– as far as Yena knew. The pair consisted of a blue wide plate and an orange-browny plate decorated with the same simple pattern inside. Yet again here she was, dumbfounded.

 

Chaeyeon helped Yena to scoop some salad into her white plate before serving herself another scoop of salad into her blue plate, but she gave it to Sakura instead. Before Yena could spit anything in front of her, Chaeyeon shoved with a monte cristo.

 

"Yah! You never lemmppHHHH!”

 

Nevermind her. Yena’s existence would cause mass hysteria, anyways.

 

Hyewon usually come to her rescue but not today son, not today.

—

For once, Yena didn’t mind. For once, she knew what was best, even if it meant sacrifice her pride– again.

 

This time, she had faith in God. That He set the wind direction, to where the hearts want. Maybe she had to let Chaeyeon pass, it’s okay to confront her about the plate later. With her own eyes she witnessed something thay maybe, maybe even the people involved didn’t realise it yet.

 

So she let it be.

—

Sakura loves Chaeyeon’s cooking.

 

However, today, the luck is not on her side. Chaeyeon has to prepare fastly for her early morning meetings with the new recruitments. That’s equal to herself being responsible for the kitchen. Half part of her is sorry since Chaeyeon is taking care of Nako at the same time but it works everytime and Chaeyeon always say that “two can play this game”.

 

“Jjaeyeon, Nako-chan, breakfast is ready!”

 

"Roger that!”

 

Chaeyeon comes out from her room with Nako on her shoulders, both are ready to go. She puts Nako on her high chair and helps Sakura to set up the meals.

 

"What time does your presentation start, Saku-chan?”

 

"9 o’clock if the client isn’t late.”

 

"I’ll come at 10 then, yes?”

 

“Sure, baby,” and the smile that makes Chaeyeon swoon everytime, “I hope Nako wont bother you that much.”

 

Right after the breakfast, Chaeyeon brings and positioned Nako on her booster seat and tighten her belt before sets up herself next to her child in the driver seat. One forehead kiss for both and plus one on the lips for Chaeyeon.

 

The car speeds up just before Sakura’s eyes, but the faint blush remains.

 

"I’ve to set up the dartboard later, in case I throw a knife tomorrow.”

—

"Yah, Choi Yena. Do you think a wife who has the skill to throw knives is a normal occurrence in a household?”

 

Yena sighs. She just doesn’t understand why these two keep on developing such weird practice.

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