A/N:  There is no special formatting for Minjoo’s dialogues in the flashback here. I didn’t really pick anyone as her parents, therefore they’re not inspired on idols, just OCs. TW: Some offensive words.

Right now, her head was filled with so much worry she was having a hard time keeping her breath even. She was worried about what would happen to them once their parents arrived, worried she would disappoint her mother and cause trouble, worried they might even get expelled and it would be all her fault for being silly enough to not avoid Boah while she could…

Turning to face Chaewon, her eyes traced the fine contours of her pretty face, noticing the skin around the left side of her jaw turning from red to purple where a wound was left by the other girls, the left corner of her lips had a faint trace of blood from the cracked skin, her hair was still a bit messy, her uniform shirt was stained with tiny droplets of blood and Chaewon had nervously untied her necktie to get more breathing room…She looked like a mess, so far from the well put together cold person Minjoo had met at first. Chaewon looked so human, vulnerable and hurt.

If anything, seeing her like this only made Minjoo grow fonder of her.

She was afraid of the consequences, but in no way she regretted her actions – not if it meant to stick with Chaewon and try to protect her like she had always protected her.

“I’m sorry.” Was the first thing Chaewon told her ever since they both were left in those uncomfortable chairs nears the principal’s office, waiting for their parents to arrive in a safe distance from Boah and Sukyung – these two were sent to the infirmary to check on their injuries, making sure the four of them wouldn’t try to engage in another fight; as if they had any energy left to do so after being obligated to write down their statements about what happened and be left to wait for their parents.

She knew what Chaewon meant, the image of the girl holding onto her hearing aid so tightly as if it was such an important thing, her gaze fixed on it as her shoulders shake slightly…It wasn’t something Minjoo wished to ever see again. She was indeed surprised that Chaewon had hidden from her something like this, but could she really blame her? If the situations were reversed, wouldn’t she have done the same? Unfortunately, her disability wasn’t something she could easily hide… Shaking her head, she stared at the pretty chestnut eyes that reflect the inner anxiety of Chae so well. “Are you okay? Does it hurt a lot?”

Chaewon gave her a stiff smile, before reassuring. “Hurts less than Boah’s nose, for sure.”

The taller brunette ignored Chae’s try at a joke, she didn’t quite believe her words, Boah might have a broken nose and maybe even a rib or two, but it didn’t mean they hadn’t hurt her. The way that Chaewon was having a hard time to maintain her smile and her unusually hunched posture said otherwise – she wondered if the girls had hit her somewhere else. She wanted to touch her face and give her a comforting hug, to somewhat make the girl feel better, but she wasn’t sure if Chaewon would like it in the moment. So, she just did what Chaewon had always done for her. “It’s okay if you don’t tell me everything, just let me know if you need me. I can be here for you too.”

Getting ahold of Chaewon’s hand, she squeezed it lightly, however when she tried to pull it back, Chaewon held her back, firm yet gently. “You got hurt too, didn’t you?” The older Kim gestured her hand with bruised knuckles, the one she had used to punch Boah earlier.

Minjoo blinked, for a moment she had forgot about the pain in her right hand that now held onto Chaewon’s, this pain seemed too small and unimportant compared to everything else. Shaking her head again, she answered with her free hand. “It’s okay.”

Chaewon mirrored her own skeptical look, her attempted of a smile turning into a very faint one as her fingers lightly touched the bruised skin of Minjoo’s hand. “It’s not. But it will be.” Her tone carried more faith than confidence, as if she was trying to convince the both of them. “We’ll be fine.” She repeated, as her lighter gaze met Minjoo’s darker one. There was something special in Chaewon’s eyes in that moment, something Minjoo couldn’t label just yet, but it made her feel a little less worried.

In a rare moment of braveness, one that was born from both, her affection and care, and the need of comfort, she leaned in to engulfed Chaewon into a tight hug. It must have surprised the shorter girl, but it surprised her even more to feel Chaewon hugging her back with as much strength – how comforting, warm and safe it felt was new for both, and none of them minded if it last longer than it should’ve.

For a long moment nothing but the sound of their breaths could be heard in the empty corridor, the heartbeats of Minjoo’s heart a little too loud for her to acknowledge anything else. Her rational side knew they needed to prepare to face their parents and the principal soon, but a much bigger part of her just wanted to keep her eyes closed and focus on the moment and pretend that the safety of Chaewon’s mint scented embrace would keep them safe for good.

The only sound of heels clicking against the polished floor echoed through the corridor, indicating that the steps were coming closer quickly, informing her it was time to let go of Chae – she reluctantly did.

When she broke the embrace, opening her eyes to see who was the newcomer, her gaze was match by black orbs filled with concern and intelligence.

The older woman stopped right in front of them, looking so formal in her working clothes that matched well her elegant appearance.

Minjoo didn’t have time to feel intimidate, Chaewon stood up to face the woman before she could ask anything.

“Mom.”

“Chae.” The woman’s voice was well modulated, light yet serious, as she put her daughter’s face between her hands. “Are you okay? Just tell me you had a good reason to get into trouble.”

Chaewon reluctantly nodded.

“Good. Then you don’t need to worry, mom will protect you.” Jiyeon risked a look at Minjoo, a small smile on her face. “You too, Chaewon’s friend.”

Chaewon ignored the pain on her face as her sharp eyes watched with attention as her parents talk with the principal – Jiyeon mainly, Luda would just nod along and gently caress her back to reassure her once in a while.

Her mother was the first one to arrive, shortly followed by her wife and Minjoo’s mom – the woman looked like she was in a rush, worry stamped on the face that resembled so much her daughter’s as she came to check in on the girl –, and finally Sukyung’s grumpy mom that seemed a little too used to being called at the office by now. Boah’s parents didn’t show up, what didn’t really seem to surprise the principal.

Now all of them were in this cramped office, her parents and her, alongside with Minjoo and her mother in one side, meanwhile the others were at the other side, everyone following the unspoken rule of not looking directly at each other.

Tension was in the air and she couldn’t help but move uncomfortably in her seat.

“The school’s policy is very strict. We don’t accept violence in any circumstances. Therefore, we have to take drastic measures in cases like this. The suspension in the lightest punishment for something like this, ma’am, I’m already being too lenient. Otherwise…” The principal’s expression was dark as she spoke in resolute tone – what wasn’t very effective as Jiyeon didn’t seem to respond well to her words, meanwhile Sukyung’s mother looked like she just wanted to be done with it; Minjoo’s mom, on the other hand, seem restless, as worried as her daughter.

“Otherwise what? You’ll expel the kids? Well, I beg to differ.” Jiyeon interrupted her. Her mother’s tone was calm, a little too cold compared to her usual playful self – she was speaking like a lawyer, not her mom in the moment. “I agree that the school should make sure this is a safe space for the children. But punishing innocents won’t make it any safer. Besides, I won’t agree with such a thing, and I’m pretty sure the parents association wouldn’t either.” She extended her hand, demanding the papers on the principal’s desk. “Those are their statements, correct? You said their stories aren’t the same, what means that someone is lying here. I already know my daughter’s version, so if you don’t mind it, I’d like to see what the other have to say.”

Chaewon could notice the principal’s face getting redder as her mom spoke, annoyance clear in her expression – it only got worse when the other mothers in the room also reinforced Jiyeon’s request. With an annoyed sigh, the woman gave in, herself reading the statements for everyone to hear.

Boah and Sukyung’s story was basically that they were the ones to find Chaewon and Minjoo smoking in the bathroom, and Boah even added that Chaewon was the one that started the fight because she would have threatened to tell the teachers about it – Boah surely was smart when it comes to telling lies. It took Chaewon all her might to not laugh at such ridiculous words. “As you see, it’s impossible to tell who is saying the truth. Nevertheless, all of them were involved and-“

“And some of them were just defending themselves from bullies.” Jiyeon cut her off again. “Ensuring the same punishment wouldn’t only be extremely unfair, but also abusive.”

“I agree. My daughter doesn’t smoke, Mrs. Oh, and she has never got into trouble either. She didn’t do anything wrong!” Minjoo’s mother was quick to join Jiyeon.

Mrs. Oh, the principal, tensed up on her seat. “I’m sorry, I know every parent always thinks their kid isn’t problematic, but we can’t point fingers here.”

“But we can, and we’ll.” Jiyeon’s stern voice sounded again. Chaewon was starting to understand why her mother was so good at her job, she wouldn’t even let the principal finish her sentences before refuting them. “Chae, can you show me your phone for a moment?” Her mother asked and Chaewon was quick to hand her the device, allowing the woman to look at the call log. “As you can see, ma’am, my daughter indeed received a call around 3 o’clock, just like she and Minjoo said in their reports. The call lasted for three minutes, what also confirms their statements that Minjoo went to the bathroom on her own while Chaewon was on the phone. We can also call Dr. Nam, her physician, if you want to confirm it.” Jiyeon showed the Principal the screen where the call log was displayed, showing her last call. Dr. Nam was the doctor that accompanied Chaewon since she started her treatment at age eight, she had called her to ask about how she was adapting to her new hearing aids and to confirm their appointment later that day.

If the principal was flustered before, now she was getting paler – Jiyeon was probably her least favorite person in the other in the moment. Chaewon could see Boah and Sukyung elbowing each other at the corner of the office, they probably knew things wouldn’t go down well for them.

“Well,” Mrs. Oh cleaned , straightening her back. “Indeed, this is true. But it’s not enough proof, as she could have answered the call before the events, or even answered it in the bathroom.”

Another torrent of protests started, Minjoo’s mom insisting on her daughter’s innocence and Sukyung’s mom asking if they could just end it already because she had a business to take care of.

Chaewon exchanged a look at Minjoo, noticing how pale and shaky the girl was – she knew that for the other girl school was important, moreover she knew how hard it would be for her to find a new school if she was forced to. She signed to her, “Mom will take care of it, don’t worry.” trying to give her best smile to make her calm down – if there was something as a life mission for her, it seem to be to make sure Minjoo wouldn’t be a scared-cat forever.

“Bona, the CCTV.” Luda intervene, her quiet voice only loud enough for her wife to hear. As expected of the short woman, she was always sharp.

A glint shined on Jiyeon’s eyes as she nodded. “Thank you, Ludi.” She mouthed before raising her hand to grab the Principal’s attention. “I noticed a lot of surveillance cameras around the school, including in the hallway where the bathroom is. We can simply watch it and see whose story is correct.”

Mrs. Oh sighed. “This won’t be possible, the security cameras are for-“

“If our daughters are in the footage, we’ve the right to see it. So, you can either show us now, and we can solve things up now, or I’ll have to request for the footage by legal means. I don’t want to make use of my position, ma’am, but I’ll if I have to.” Jiyeon said the last part in a quiet voice, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared at the Principal – Jiyeon worked at the prosecution office as one of the head prosecutors and she surely could make it happen quickly.

Livid. Mrs. Oh was livid as she finally gave up and grabbed the phone to request the footage.

It took a little over half an hour for them to go over the footage and confirm what the kids already knew. The cameras didn’t record the fight, but it was clear whose version was the real one as it was possible to see Boah and Sukyung entering the bathroom much earlier than Minjoo, than the girl walking alone and finally Chaewon making her appearance just a couple of minutes before the teacher walked in.

The Principal didn’t seem very pleased to be proved wrong, but there was no way to argue against facts.

“Well, it looks like the school has to review their bullying policy instead of insisting on punishing innocent kids.” Jiyeon had a smirk on her, the same sarcastic one that Chaewon would display whenever Boah tried to bother them – they may not have the same blood, but she surely resembled her mothers in many ways. “It doesn’t make any sense for Chaewon and Minjoo to be punished. Even if they broke the rules, they were just defending themselves from bullies.”

“The rules still should prevail. I can’t let them without any punishment. I’ll adjust it appropriately.” Mrs. Oh insistence to stick to the rules was impressive, but not as much as the group of angry moms ready to fight back.

While Jiyeon was busy arguing with the Principal, Luda turned to face her daughter, asking through sign language. “Do you still want to stay here? I can ask for a transference.” Her mother’s eyes were as gentle and warm as ever, making sure she knew they wouldn’t argue if she decided to leave this school for good. Of course, her parents were always her biggest protectors and under other circumstances she might have agreed on. But not now.

“I want to stay.” She couldn’t let Minjoo alone there. Her mom seem to understand it, as her brown eyes quickly glanced at the other pair who was also having a silent conversation of their own.

“Okay.” Luda said before turning back to the Principal. “You can suspend them, if you want to make of it an example, after all they need some time to heal physically and mentally.” She said in a tone that was very different from her gentle one, maybe she had learned it with Jiyeon. “As long as it doesn’t go on their permanent record, nor this affects their grades.”

Her other mom wasn’t as nice though. “I don’t want these kids interacting with my daughter or her friend again. Transfer them to another class or whatever, but make sure they won’t cause anymore harm. You see, ma’am, the last thing this school would want is to have its name in the news as the school that allows a hearing-impaired kid and a mute one to be bullied.” Jiyeon’s demand may seem excessive, but Chaewon couldn’t be any more glad for her strong stance, Boah and her minion already proved to be a real threat to Minjoo’s safety and even her own, therefore she couldn’t bring herself to feel bad for them.

“I ask the same. I knew Minjoo didn’t fit well with the kids here, but to something like this to happen…Please take action!” Minjoo’s mom added, her arms safely wrapped around her daughter.

Chaewon expected Sukyung’s mom to try to argue, but she only smacked the girl in the back of the head, forcing her to bow to them. “Please don’t expel my daughter, I’ll make sure she becomes a better person.” The woman also bowed to them, and Chae could tell by her tone that Sukyung would be having a hard time at home.

Boah just stared at them with empty eyes, before shrugging her shoulders. “Whatever, is not like I care.” She said, but Chaewon could tell by the way her eyes darted around that it wasn’t the truth. She wondered how bad her family life was for no one to come to check on her now, maybe it was the reason for her behavior – it didn’t mean she could excuse it. Bad things happen to all the people, this doesn’t mean you can push into other people your pain.

In the end, Mrs. Oh was obligated to comply with the requests and agreed on transferring the bullies to another classroom, as well as giving them a harsher punishment. Chaewon and Minjoo would still be suspend for the rest of the week – two days –, but it wouldn’t go on their permanent record.

Boah was the first to leave, followed by Sukyung and her mother – who was clearly ready to give her an ear full for the coming days –, leaving the two Kim families behind.

Minjoo’s mother bowed deeply to them. “Thank you for your help. Thank you for helping my daughter.” Her words were directed to Chaewon’s parents first, but soon she turned to face the girl. “Thank you for stand up for my Minjoo.” She gave her the same shaky smile Minjoo had, the one that was so full of vulnerability and so genuine.

“She is my friend.” Was all she could reply. Chaewon awkward bowed to her, feeling a different kind of embarrassment. Her parents followed suit.

The group walked together to the exit, still some awkwardness due to the situation, but Chaewon could feel her shoulders light now that the worst already passed.

Minjoo should feel the same way, because as soon as they reached the exit and were about to part ways, she hugged her suddenly, as tightly as the one from earlier – Chaewon returned the gesture once more. It was so warm and she could feel Minjoo’s emotions on it, her gentle fragrance of vanilla putting Chaewon at ease, as her heart was slowly reached by the warmth of her embrace. She almost teared up, and it was hard to tell the reason why, maybe it was relief because things turned out well, or maybe just the guilt that made her feel sorry towards Minjoo for hiding her own disability for and still be accepted by her wholehearted; perhaps it was all of those things. Chaewon only knew she didn’t want to break the embrace.

Their parents just watched the duo with fond eyes, small smiles on her face as they nodded at each other knowingly. Their bond was clear for everyone to see and it was something too precious to harm.

That day Chaewon said her goodbyes to Minjoo with a promise. “I’ll tell you about it later. I promise.”

Minjoo held onto her mother’s arm all the way back to their house, their silent journey seemed longer than ever.

Their house was silent as expected, the two of them getting inside as her mother led the way to her room and told her to take a shower and change into comfortable clothes – her tone seemed hollow, lifeless as she did it. They shared many similarities that went beyond the physical traits, both were sensitive, soft hearted people, and she knew that her mom was going through a hard time right now.

Wearing an oversized white sweater and sweatpants, she met her mother at the living room, taking a place on the couch besides the older woman. She tried to give her a smile, but the older woman just looked at her with a grave expression before reaching out for something in the center table – an ice pack –, and placing it on Minjoo’s hand. “You thought I wouldn’t notice it?” With a sigh Jiwon shook her head.

Minjoo gave her mom an apologetic look and they fell into a heavy silence.

Thanks to Chaewon’s parents, they were able to get out of trouble, but it didn’t mean that everything was fine. She could tell her mother was disturbed and it was a matter of time until she breaks down.

Gently, she put down the ice pack to take a hold onto her mom’s callous hands instead.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” The question came in a low, almost inaudible voice. Her mother’s eyes were red with unreleased tears. “I knew school was hard for you, but this? For how long they’ve been hurting you?”

Minjoo winced, her own lips quivering. She never wanted to burden her mom with problems the woman wouldn’t be able to solve. Asking to change schools wasn’t a simple thing, chances were that she would find the same type of people in a new school, maybe even worse, and going to a special school would mean to spend all their economies – she couldn’t do it to her mother.

Slowly, she let go of the woman’s hand so she could answer her. “I didn’t want you to worry you even more. It wasn’t that bad, I never fought with them before.”

“Just because they didn’t hurt you physically, it doesn’t mean it was anything better.” The reply came quickly, her mother’s brown orbs fixed on hers. “Tell me. Tell me everything now.”

Minjoo hesitated, she didn’t like to recall these events, the more talk about them. Still, her mother deserved her honesty and she couldn’t simply pretend there was nothing wrong. With a heavy sigh, she started to tell about all the ‘jokes’ and insults she received through the years, how things started with casual comments and escalated to daily threats until Chaewon arrived, and how things had went down that day. It was hard to say everything, and she could feel her gestures becoming clumsier as her own eyes teared up at some of her memories – it hurt even more to see her mom’s face responding to every single word, the pain painting her pretty features and making them darker and sadder.

By the end of the story, she had to try her best to not cry, holding her own tears to be strong for her mother at least one more time – it was silly of her, there wasn’t anything noble about masking your pain, instead she needed to let it out to allow herself to heal. Her mother knew it all too well.

“Minjoo, they tormented you for years! Do you know how I feel now?” The older woman asked with a mixture of pain and anger in her voice, her lips quivering as the tears started to fall from her eyes. “A failure! A complete failure as a mother! I should be the one protecting you!” She sobbed hard, her arms coming to hug the girl to her chest, so tightly it was a little difficult to breath. Her mom’s body was shaking due to the sobs, so hard that Minjoo had to grab onto her to try to comfort her. “I’d have tried to help! Even if I couldn’t do anything other than support you, it would still be better than letting you suffer this pain alone!”

She couldn’t blame her mother for feeling frustrated, after all she was right. Still, she hated to be the cause of her pain and part of her just wanted to ask her forgiveness. But she couldn’t say anything in the moment, so she just hugged her back, allowing herself to act like the kid she still was and find comfort in her mother’s arms. Her own tears now wetted her mom’s shoulder, her grip on the woman growing stronger as her own sobs took over.

Her mother had always been there for her and she knew how much she had sacrificed to raise her with all the challenges that a special kid comes with. All she ever wanted was to less the burden on the woman. Minjoo hugged her mother tighter, her fingers drawing a pattern on her back, doing what she couldn’t do through words: apologize.

They spent a long time like this, until the older woman pulled back to face her with bloated eyes due to all the crying.

“Don’t apologize for suffering, Minjoo. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy, you understand?” She risked a smile that was still filled with tears, her hands cupping Minjoo’s face and her thumbs cleaning the tears on her cheeks. “Don’t keep me in the dark, please. Don’t keep me out.”

Minjoo nodded, trying to control her sobs, what was hard considering that it was impossible to not look at her mother’s pained expression. “I won’t do it again.” She managed to sign.

Her mother sighed, a glimpse of unsureness in her eyes. “There are only a few months to go now. We may not have that much money, but it’s more than enough to get you a place in a better school.”

The younger brunette looked at her with and reached out to touch her face and do the same as her mom had done to her, drying her tears.

If the things were different, if she had gone through that situation on her own, maybe she could’ve agreed and gave up on her stubbornness. But it wasn’t the case. She wasn’t alone anymore, she had someone who was there for her, someone who was willing to risk her own well-being for her. She couldn’t leave Chaewon behind.

“I will stay.” She said, her gestures firm as she made sure to show how sure of it she was. She knew that things may not get any better, that maybe the Principal would fail to keep her word and that maybe her and Chaewon would have it even worse now that the other girl’s secret was out – still, she wanted to be there for her too. “I want to stay with Chaewon. I want to try until the end.”

Jiwon didn’t seem quite convinced, worries probably still filling her mind. Therefore, Minjoo only squeezed her hand, giving the best smile she could in her current situation. “Please, let me try. I’ll tell you if it happens again.”

“You two are really close, aren’t you? And you didn’t even tell me about it.” Her mom stared back at her, her chocolate eyes reflecting her worried thoughts for a long moment. Minjoo gave her another apologetic smile, she didn’t mean to not tell her about Chaewon, she had just told her she made a new friend, but explaining how they became closer would also mean to tell her about the bullies and she couldn’t do it.

With another, heavier, sigh, the older woman slowly nodded. “Okay. But if anything happens you’ll transfer schools and this is final.”

It was Minjoo’s turn to nod in agreement and hug her. She could only be thankful for her mother being so understanding, and hope that her decision was the right one.

“Now that you’ll have so much free time and I already asked for an early leave, I guess we should do something else than act like cry babies.” Jiwon said as she broke the hug and stood up, using her sleeves to clean the last remains of tears on her face. “Come on. Help me to get us something to eat, so we can watch a movie and forget about this awful day for a bit.”

With a smile, a much more genuine one this time, Minjoo followed her mother to the kitchen.

Ever since her dad left, they had to face numerous problems, that were far more complicated than just a matter of not having enough money to spare. However, she was glad for having her mother’s support all along.

Chaewon had a big Pokémon themed band-aid on her left cheek – a Squirtle one – as well as a thick layer of ointment on her bruised jaw, and on her right arm there was a huge Bulbasaur plaster and she was pretty sure her mother would stick another one on her ribs if she let her know it was hurting too.

Luda had made her shower and change into her pajamas as soon as they arrived, and then proceeded on taking care of her injuries – it was a miracle, really, that they hadn’t visit the hospital –, with a whole kids-friendly first aid kit and she didn’t hesitate in using it, it didn’t seem to matter to her that the only child in their household was almost eighteen already – this kid also knew better than to complain about it, otherwise she might as well get completely covered in Pokémon band-aids.

“Are you sure nowhere else is hurting? I’ll know if you’re lying.” Her mother nagged, her brown eyes inspecting her from head to toe. Chaewon sighed, knowing she would receive another plaster. She just pointed to the place where it was hurting and her mother was quick to waste half a tube of ointment on it before another Bulbasaur plaster was placed on her body.

“Enough with it, Luda. She will end up looking like a mummy Pokémon and I think she looks more like Jigglypuff.” Jiyeon said as she entered the room, giving Chaewon a small smile before poking the healthy side of her face. “This is what you get for skipping our taekwondo classes this year.” She clicked her tongue, but there was nothing but fondness in her eyes as she reached out to gently grab her hearing aid and check on it. “I talked to Dr. Nam, rescheduled your appointment for tomorrow. We can get you a new aid if this one is not working well.” Her mother had passed the device to Luda and was using sign language to talk now.

Chaewon could still understand her without the hearing aid, but her hearing was drastically worse without it, especially the left side that was only able to detect the loudest noises. Not using her hearing aid after a long time with it always made her feel a little lost, she would even feel a bit dizzy if she was walking as her balance would also be affected by the sudden change.

The device was in many ways essential for her, even though she could stay the whole day without it at home, she wouldn’t dare to step outside without it.

When Boah had pulled her by the hair, she had accidentally knocked off the hearing aid sending it right to the floor, and turning Chaewon’s world into a huge mess of muffled sounds and echo. She was sent her into panic since she was so dependent of the device that not having it with her all of sudden was the same as not having a part of herself – part of the reason why she hit Boah particularly hard that one last time had to do with it, she knew she had to end the fight before they notice her weakness.

Luckily the device wasn’t broken, however the secret was out now, what meant more people might target it in the future – it wouldn’t be the first time other kids tried to steal it to pick on her.

Luda inspected the device, nodding slowly as she gave it back to Chaewon to hold. “It seems fine, but I’ll ask Dawon to check it properly tomorrow. It’s better if you stay without it for now, I don’t want to risk it causing you pain later.” The woman gesture, her signs as sharp as ever, just like she had taught Chaewon when she was still a kid.

Holding onto the hearing aid, she put into on her nightstand. “Thanks, mom. I’ll be more careful with it.”

As if they shared the same mind, both of her parents shook their heads at her – signed – words. “Just take care of yourself. We can always buy a new hearing aid, but you’re not replaceable.” Luda was the first to talk, her hand coming to caress lightly her bruised cheek. Chae rested her hand on hers, giving her a small, grateful smile.

Jiyeon’s hand come into contact with her damp hair, messing it as she always does. “I’ll get you an extra one for emergencies. So, don’t worry about it and just get a rest now, I’ll call when dinner is ready.” Her mom graced her with one her smiles that always put her at ease. “You did well today, you know? Kicking those girls’ asses.”

Chaewon chuckled at her words and she could swear she saw Luda doing the same, however the shorter woman made her best to keep her ‘serious mother’ expression on. “I’m proud of your for standing up for yourself and for your friend, but next time you should tell us if something is wrong before starting to kick people.”

The youngest Kim just nodded again at her words, her mother was right about that and she would try to keep that in mind in the future, and use her words not her fists – or feet, to be more exact.

“Tell your friend we’d like to have dinner with her and her mother tomorrow, if they’re available. It’s about time we get to meet her outside the principal’s office and I’m sure her mom thinks the same about you.” Luda completed, and to this Chaewon had to contain a little grimace – she was terrible at socializing and she was pretty sure it would be more than a little embarrassing, however she was glad she would be able to see Minjoo outside the school. “Now get some rest, Chae. We can talk more later.” Leaving a kiss on her head, Luda stood up to leave the room.

Bona did the same, leaning in to kiss her head and taking the opportunity to mouth something to her. “Chae, that girl is pretty cute. I approve!” She winked playfully, giving her a thumbs up before leaving.

Chaewon covered her face in embarrassment.

She loved her overprotective, incredibly embarrassing and loving parents.

 “Minjoo?”

Chaewon texted the brunette after dinner. She wanted to make sure everything was fine with the girl, after all it had been a day far too unpleasant for both of them, but Minjoo had went back to her scared-cat mode after the fight and she was afraid the girl was still overthinking about it.

“Chae!

Did you go check your wounds? Is everything okay?”

The reply came as quick as always, although it lacked the usual cute emojis Minjoo liked to use. It somehow made her feel a little more at ease.

With a small smile, she quickly replied to it.

“Yeah, don’t worry about it.

Actually

Do you mind if I call you?

I mean, we can facetime.”

She let out a relieved sigh as the three dots came into the screen right away, Minjoo’s answer came a couple of seconds later.

“Of course.

I’ll call you now! :D”

Voice calls were a nightmare for both of them, for very different reasons. Chaewon didn’t like having sounds to close to her ears, all thanks to the fact that it took her quite some time to get used to using her senses properly and adapt to the various hearing aids she had tried throughout the years, what meant that earphones and even talking on the phone made her uncomfortable – it would also be nearly impossible in the moment as she didn’t have her hearing aid on. And for Minjoo...Well, the reason was more than obvious.

Chaewon sat on her bed, leaning against the headboard in a comfortable position. It didn’t take long for Minjoo’s request to appear and she accepted it right away.

Giving her a small smile, she lift a hand to say hi – talking without being able to properly listen to herself was a little difficult, therefore she would try to not use her voice; it was foolish and she knew it, but she didn’t want to sound weird to Minjoo and end up talking too loudly or out of pitch because she wasn’t well aware of her own voice. In moments like this made her realize that even though she might put a strong front, she was much more of a coward than the younger girl – after all she could hide behind her hearing aid and pretend she was just a normal kid most of the time, but Minjoo didn’t get to choose and had to be open about her condition and her limitations all the time.

Her eyes took in the details of Minjoo’s image, disregarding the white background of her bedroom and focusing only on the girl, as usual she wanted to make sure she was okay – again, how foolish of her. Minjoo wasn’t active part of the fight until the very ending and no one had the chance to hurt her, still here she was looking for wounds that couldn’t be seen – the ones on the inside, the kind of wounds Boah and Sukyung inflicted on the girl for so long. Chaewon searched for the shaky smile, for the paleness and the lack of a glint in her eyes…She didn’t find any of it, instead there was only a fond, yet worried look on her face as she finally greeted her back.

“Your cheek…Cute!” Minjoo said with a grin so bright that it took Chaewon a minute to understand what she meant.

When she finally did, she could feel her ears – and cheeks, for her horror – getting actively pink under the other brunette’s gaze. Touching her own cheek for a moment, she felt the little Pokémon band-aid still safely there.

“Oh, this…” Letting out the embarrassed words before she could prevent, she tried to not grimace at both, her mother’s choice of bandages and her own little slip just now. “My mother is a first-aid enthusiastic, she has a box full of it.” She managed to push away her embarrassment and reply trough signs again. “She already put all the ointment and band-aids she could find on me, no doctor could do better.”

Minjoo let out a silent laugh at her words, her eyes turning into half crescents as she nodded – even the small, cute, dimples in the upper part of her cheeks were there. Chae relaxed again, shaking her own head to try to shrug off her own silly smile, still she couldn’t. She expected Minjoo to be nervous today, to feel guilty or even anxious, but she seemed so at ease, almost carefree. This wasn’t her scared-cat friend, but maybe the first glimpse of the person underneath it…

Her thoughts took a path of their own as she looked at the screen appreciating the sight of a new Minjoo – so much that she even got distracted to the point of not being able to catch what Minjoo was trying to tell her. Something about liking the cartoon or something? She tried her best to smile and nod, in the hopes it would be enough of an answer.

“What about you? How is your hand?” She changed the subject – not only for her honest concern, but also for thinking she might end up agreeing on marathoning Pokémon with Minjoo if she just keeps nodding to everything.

“I’m fine. Really. It doesn’t even hurt.” Minjoo nodded once more and showed the back of her hand where a light bruise was formed, her smile not wavering even for a moment – what was a very odd occurrence.

Chaewon must not have been able to hide her skepticism – if Minjoo was an optimistic, she was a pessimist and it takes her some time to believe things are as perfect as they seem –, because the other girl’s smile gave place for a timid expression, as she shyly continued. “I spoke to my mom…She was worried about me going back there and wanted to try to send me to another school…”

“Another school? But the closest school for hearing impaired people is in the other side of the town!” Once more she spoke before she could realize it, a sense of something close to panic getting the best of her – Since when she showed her emotions that easily? Moreover, since when she cared so much?

She knew pretty well since when.

She covered her face with a hand for a moment, putting the phone down as well. Taking a deep breath, she mentally reprehended herself.

“Sorry about that, I thought Banggu wanted to go out.” She tried to fix it, going back into the frame with a stiff smile – Banggu, the house’s dog, who was actually sleeping on her bed in the moment. Minjoo just nodded, probably recalling about the time she mentioned the cute dog that had been with her since she was eight. “So, your mom will transfer you…?”

“She wanted to do it, but I…” Minjoo hesitated, and for a moment Chaewon thought she would also go off camera – but then again, Minjoo was the braver one between the two of them, at least when it comes to things like this. “I said I wanted to stay since you’ll be there.” She signalized without making eye contact, the small smile that was often on her face was there again, not shaky or unsure, just…shy? Lifting her brown gaze, her smile grew bigger. “And also, I want to stay and face them…Not fight, but prove I can stand up for myself and I think I can do it now.”

Perhaps she was getting infected by Minjoo’s very own nature, because Chaewon feel the corners of her lips curving into a smile again. “I’m sure you can do it. Even if I wasn’t there, but I’ll be just in case you need.”

She didn’t like that school filled with self-centered coward kids who wouldn’t even say a word when a classmate was suffering or even try to offer them some support, where she would have to face Boah’s annoying face – and possibly have to beat it again – and deal with the consequences of the senseless rumors she spread…Still, if it was to keep Minjoo safe and happy, she would attend every single day until the end, when they both would finally be free of high school forever.

“I know, Chaewon. We’ll graduate together.” That smile appeared once more on Minjoo’s face, reaching her eyes. “So, I told my mom this, and about how we met and everything else too. I think I should’ve done it long ago, but now that I did it just feels…Fells really nice.” Now it made perfect sense why Minjoo was acting like this.

Chaewon knew how much the girl tried so hard to hide her suffering and minimize things, to be able to finally express it to the person she loved the most was a big step for her, maybe even bigger than fighting the bullies.

“I’m happy for you, Min. I really am.” The fuzzy, warm feeling that filled Chaewon’s chest this time was easy to label: pride, she was proud to see her friend grow so much in such a short time. With a childish excitement that was very unusual to her, she moved in the bed, plumping down on it as she put the cellphone in front of her so she could still be seen properly, before asking. “By the way, my moms asked if you would like to have dinner with us tomorrow? I mean, you and your mother, they think it would be nice to meet without Mrs. Oh’s presence or something like this.” She shrugged with an easy smile – even Banggu raised her short ears, opening her eyes lazily to watch her owner’s odd behavior.

“I’d love to! I’ve to ask my mother if she has time tomorrow, but I’m pretty sure she will go if she can.” The enthusiastic reply came quickly – if they were texting, she would surely add a bunch of those cute emojis that Chaewon liked to pretend to not like but always made her smile; actually, Minjoo’s face was much more efficient at it and it was pretty obvious in the moment.

After a couple of minutes where Minjoo went off camera to check with her mother about the dinner and Chaewon petted Banggu while waiting for a confirmation about the dinner, the taller brunette came back with the positive answer.

“Good! I’ll text you my address later, is not that far from school so it will be easy to find.”

Chaewon expected Minjoo to ask her a bunch of questions – the usual ones that the other always did, small things that seem so important –, but the younger Kim only stayed silent for a couple of seconds, her smile becoming closer to a smirk. “Your voice…There is something different about it tonight.”

“It does?” She asked using sign language only. Of course, she was a fool. She was so focused in the moment and on Minjoo that she completely forgot she wasn’t supposed to speak today. She wondered if she had been screaming to her phone for the past minutes without realizing it.  “My hearing aid…I don’t have it on now. Sorry, I forgot to tell you about it.” With a stiff smile, she went back to her original seating position. “I don’t think it’s broken or anything, but mom thought would be better to not use it for now and sometimes I like to take it off when I’m home, since I feel more…Free without it.” Averting her eyes, she completed “But is not really good for talking to people, I’m sorry.”

“I guess I know what you mean.” Narrowing her eyes slightly, Minjoo nodded. “But that’s not what I meant. I can understand you just fine.” Minjoo reassured, seeing right through her – what shouldn’t really shock Chaewon, after all they were very similar in some aspects, what means Minjoo could understand her worries and fears, even the silliest ones, better than most people. “I just really like listening to you. Especially now.”

Chaewon blinked, still a little uncomfortable for being so exposed about her own disability. “Huh?”

“Nothing.” With a silly smile that Chaewon couldn’t quite understand, the younger just shrugged her shoulders.

They fell in a short silence, the type they often shared when they were at school, but that seem somewhat wrong to have when they were on the phone.

Minjoo looked like she was about to say something, when Chaewon started. “Minjoo…” Maybe it wasn’t the right moment to ask it, but she wanted to do it before opening up about her own problems. “I know I promised to explain about me and I will, but…Can I ask you something first?”

With a light, surprised frown, the taller brunette nodded. “Sure.”

“I met many kids who couldn’t speak before, but never someone who didn’t have a hearing problem too…” She tried, her voice hesitant, this time not because she afraid of how she may sound, but about how her words must be perceived. She didn’t want to be too invasive and ruin the atmosphere. “I also couldn’t talk properly before I got my hearing aid and treatment…What I mean is, you’re not like this. You can hear just fine.”

The reply didn’t come right away, the frown on Minjoo’s face becoming deeper as her expression became pensive. “I wasn’t born like this...But I was never good at speaking and then it just…” Grimacing the brunette sighed. “Happened.”

It was Chaewon’s turn to frown, the concern she felt earlier coming back stronger as she noticed the tension on Minjoo’s face. “What happened?” The question came out before she could contain it, but she regretted it immediately. “Sorry, forget it. I don’t have the right to ask-“

“It’s fine. I want to tell you.” Minjoo cut her off, her gestures sharp, showing the same determination her face presented. “Maybe it will make easier for you to tell me your story too.” Forcing a smile, Minjoo took a seat in her bed, the camera shaking for a moment as the girl accommodate herself. “I don’t know the signs for some things, so it may take a little while.”

Chaewon nodded slowly, wondering if she should try again to take back her request, but she decided against it. If Minjoo wanted to be open about it with her, she would listen to her well, just like she knew the girl would listen to her someday.

Minjoo smile faltered as she recalled the events that led them to this all. With a deep sigh, she prepared herself to tell a short version of her own life story, the one she would rather not to think about that often.

Eight-year-old Minjoo was like any other kid: bubbly, playful and very talkative – or at least she tried to be.

Apraxia of speech wasn’t the rarest condition for children, however the severity of it could vary greatly and Minjoo had an advanced degree of it. She would slur her words, stuttering over even the simplest phrases, she would think she had said something, but actually only utter a bunch of broken words that were hardly understandable. It was frustrating, and although she was a very patient, polite kid, sometimes she would get mad at her school mates for not understanding her words when it sounded completely normal to her – this led to a variety of problems, from being excluded by others to her mother exchanging harsh words with other parents over their ‘advice’ regarding her condition.

There was nothing wrong with her intellect, she was as smart as any other kid, yet people would often look down on her and she had heard the ‘r’ word a little too often to not know what it meant by now – she shed a fair share of tears because of it too, but she tried her best to pretend it didn’t bother her.

Her mother insisted on taking her to therapy, while her dad didn’t seem very pleased with this – Minjoo wasn’t sure exactly why, however he always seem extra annoyed when the subject of her speech problem was brought up.

She was in her fourth month of speech therapy when her dad decided to throw a party to his work colleagues. Back then they lived at typical middle-class house, her dad worked at a food company and he had his eyes set on a promotion, what meant he was more than willing to up to his boss if it meant a better chance of getting it.

“Minjoo, listen up.” Her dad had said as he crouched in front of her, his big hands on her shoulders as he demanded her attention. “Be a good girl today, okay? Make sure to be polite and to not cause any trouble, okay? You know what to do, you’re a big girl now.”

Minjoo nodded with a smile before hugging the man tightly, she tried to make the contact last, but her dad only returned it for a quick moment before pulling back and standing up. “Remember what I said.” Were his final words before he left to go greet the first guests.

The little girl’s smile became smaller, with a hint of disappointment. After a couple of months in therapy she was finally starting to feel confident enough to risk some words and she wanted to show it to her dad, but as usual he didn’t seem to have enough time to hear her.

Taking a deep breath, she decided she would try her best today, maybe if she could impress the guests her dad would notice her efforts and be proud of her.

It was the complete opposite.

She went around the party trying to socialize, giving the men and women her cute smile and bowing her head politely, before greeting them with the few phrases she was confident in saying. At first it went well, but of course there was always a bump in the road, and the bump came in the form of a grumpy teenager boy who was accompanying his dad in the visit.

Minjoo greeted the boy just like everyone else, however, while the man greeted her back with a kind smile, before excusing himself to go to the bathroom, the boy waited for him to go away to face her with a judgmental eyebrow raised. “Why do you talk like this? Aren’t you too old to talk like a baby?” He asked with a sneer – he was probably annoyed to be dragged to this boring party, therefore Minjoo was only the scapegoat for his frustration. “H-e-l-l-o h-o-w a-r-e y-o-u” He mocked making his words incredibly slowly. “Are you an idiot?”

Minjoo gulped down, her little hands grabbing on the fabric of her white summer dress as she tried to not cry – what was more than you could expect from a sensitive kid like her. “I’m so…so…” She tried, but her nervousness was coming in the way, making even the simplest of the words get stuck in .

“So-so-so what? So dumb?” The boy snickered at her tries, finding amusement in her failure.

The brunette shook her head firmly, biting on her bottom lip to try to hold back the tears. She had trained so much for this day, out so much effort in her sessions with the speech therapist, and this one boy was ruining it all now. “You…You…You a-are bad!” She managed to say, raising her voice to try to confront him as the tears finally made the way down her chubby face.

“What? I can’t speak retarded language.”

Their argument must have caught people’s attention, because now she could feel eyes on her and it only made her even more nervous, her eyes darting around in anxiety as she looked for help. She almost run to him when she spotted her dad coming this way, but something in his expression made her stay put.

“D-dad. I-“

He shut her up with a sharp glance, before turning to the boy with a polished smile. “I’m sorry about her. She has a little…Problem. I’m sorry if she disturbed you.” He bowed politely, his right hand pressing against Minjoo’s back so she would do the same. “Now if you excuse us…Sweetie, come with me for a moment.”

Minjoo stared at him in confusion, why was he apologizing to that evil kid who mistreated her? It should be the other way around. She would have tried to argue, but her father’s cold eyes stopped her once more. He leaned in to grab her by the arm and guide her upstairs, far from people’s eyes.

Her dad closed the door of her room, his posture was rigid as he made his way back to her, who was uncomfortably standing by her bed. She wasn’t dumb, she knew he was going to scold her – she only didn’t understand why. Dad doesn’t like it when she stutters, but she only did it because the boy was rude to her first, so why she was the one getting scolded? She glanced at the door, hoping mom could find them soon, her mother would be able to understand her better – dad always gets mad when she tries to talk to him for too long.

“Da-da…”

“Shut up, Minjoo. Shut up!” He came closer to her, his rigid hands reaching for her shoulders just like earlier, but his grip was far from gentle now. “Do you know what you did there? You’ve embarrassed me! Do you want to ruin everything for me, do you?” His voice wasn’t loud, yet his hands were heavy on her, as if he could crash her under them at any minute. Minjoo’s eyes grew wide in fear and she tried to move holding back her tears, but he kept her in place. She tried to say something, but he cut her off again. “I asked you to be a good girl! You know what I meant. Just smile and stay quiet, don’t ever talk!” Yes, she knew what he meant. He wanted her to act like a porcelain doll, to not let anyone to spot her flaws and embarrass him, he would insist on keeping her silent even when they’d go out to eat or visit a relative. Her mother would often argue with him about it and tell her to just do whatever she wanted to – the girl was always torn between the two of them, unsure about what to do. She wanted to keep dad happy, but it didn’t make her feel happy. “Why did you do that? Was it your mom who told you to do this? To everything up and ruin things like you always do?”

She tried to deny by shaking her head, but he ignored her actions, continuing his angry speech. “Great because you did! Now everyone knows I have a ing retarded daughter who doesn’t know where her place is!”

He let go of her roughly, making her fall on her knees as she tried to support herself by grabbing on the bed sheets – the sheets just slide, covering her partially. It was hard to contain her need to cry, tears clogging as she looked at the man with pleading eyes. Dad had never used this word with her, it was a word only bad people used – her mother had said it, so this meant dad was also a bad person? Sniffing, she tried to push aside her sobs and stand up again, forming words of apologize once more. Dad was just mad, if she apologized again maybe he would change his mind.

He didn’t.

It was hard to tell when her mother arrived, but she would always be grateful for having her protection in this moment and in all the others.

Her dad had raised his hand to slap her, anger overcoming his polite façade completely, however his hand never made contact with Minjoo’s face since Jiwon had grabbed his arm from behind, frustrating his attempt. Jiwon let go off him before he could push her, she stood in front of Minjoo as a shield. “What do you thinking you’re doing to my daughter?!”

“This is all her fault! She ashamed me in front of everyone! I told you to keep her under control!” He said, his voice growing in volume as he continued. “You’re the one that made her weak like this. So much money to those ing doctors and what, nothing? She is only getting worse.”

His wife scolded at his ridiculous remarks. “It’s not her fault you failed to get that promotion. Maybe if you spent more time working and less time in room salons, you’d have you’re a better chance than to just up to your boss!”

“You!” He ruffed, his face red with anger and what was probably the last bit of shame he had. “How dare you! Get off my way or I might not spare you too!”

He took a dangerous step closer and Jiwon grabbed onto Minjoo’s arms, probably preparing to run away if it was needed. “Try me and you’ll see if I don’t call the cops on you, Jinho.”

The room was filled with tension, her dad’s anger still emanated from him, but her mother didn’t move an inch, maintaining her protective posture. Minjoo wanted to scream for them to stop, to ask dad to forgive her and promise she wouldn’t do it again, but she never got the chance.

Her dad’s violent instinct won over his rational side, making him try to attack them again. Her mother tensed up, but the hit never came.

“Jinho? What are you doing to your wife?” The voice of the gentleman from earlier sounded coming from the door, the old man looking at them with concern. “Ma’am, are you fine? Little girl? I came to apologize for what my son did, but it seems like it’s not the biggest problem here.” His tone became harsher as he looked at Jinho with cold eyes.

Jinho looked from his family to the man, clearly conflicted about what to do, and Minjoo’s mom was quick to take the chance. “We’re fine thanks to you, sir. I’m sorry but we need to go.” She said, pulling Minjoo towards the door so they could leave the room while the old man was still there.

Minjoo’s memory of that day was unclear, she could only recall being taken to her maternal grandparents’ place where she stayed over with her mother. She remembered hearing her dad’s voice coming from outside, inarticulate screams that were mixed with her mother’s voice as they argued until her grandpa intervened.

She was too young to understand well what was happening – to know that her parents’ marriage was ruined long ago and that her dad was far from being a good man, to know that his reckless behavior had costed his job and that their house would soon be sold to pay for all the debts he had been hiding for years, to understand how much the divorce process demanded of her mother and how coward her dad was to just disappear before he had to pay for child support –, however, she still felt the heavy weight of guilt on her shoulders for being the cause of their fight that day. She promised herself that she would be good from now on and not embarrass dad any longer, she even tried her best to be as quiet as possible always in the hopes he would come back.

He never came back, and as if her voice also escaped her, it also eventually disappeared. She didn’t know exactly when, but her words went from broken ones, to inarticulate grunts and finally to nothing.

The divorce had ruined her mom’s finances, leaving them with very little money to maintain themselves and giving her no choice but to take odd jobs to pay the bills. Her grandparents were old and sick, the money was short and they couldn’t do much. Like this, it was impossible for her mother to give her proper treatment, although she managed to take her to a couple of doctors, the answer was always the same: the trauma had made Minjoo’s condition worse and her brain was repressing her speech abilities. There was nothing they could do besides therapy and even this wasn’t a guarantee of success.

Minjoo finished her story with a smile that was sadder than tears, the chocolate brown eyes opaque thanks to the sour memories that still filled her mind and all Chaewon wanted was to run to her and give her a tight hug. In the moment she was having a hard time controlling her own hands from shaking, the weight of hot tears in her eyes – it was ironic, she was never the kind to cry, not even for her own sad story, but knowing that Minjoo had been hurt like this and was stuck in a condition that made her life so hard every day…It was tearing her apart.

“Thanks for telling me. I guess we really have much in common, in the worst ways.” She cracked a humorless, pained chuckle.

Taking a deep breath and swallowing her tears, she decided she would make things her way. “Tomorrow. I’ll tell you about me tomorrow.” She promised. No ‘I’m sorry’ or words of consolation that really didn’t mean much now. Minjoo’s pain was real and still there, but the cause was long lost in the past and there was no point in acting like her words could fix it now. She could, however, comfort her in other ways. “I know your mom will be busy until night time, so you can come here earlier and we can watch those movies you wanted and talk. Let’s make the most out of that suspension.”

Chaewon couldn’t make Minjoo’s past better, but she could make her present happier and she would try her best to do it.

The younger girl seemed a little taken aback by her sudden request and the change of subject, nonetheless she nodded again. “I’ll go and bring the movies with me. You’ll see it’s actually really fun.” A weak version of her radiant smile appeared on her face as the realization of Chaewon’s intentions hit her. As much as the things said were important for them, be it through voice or sign, the things unsaid were even more important sometimes – now it was a perfect example of it. Minjoo could see every emotion run through Chaewon’s face: anger, pain, worry, frustration, determination and even love…Such a weird, yet relatable mix of emotions, and every bit of it warmed her heart like nothing else. There was no cheap pity or fake concern, Chaewon wasn’t trying to make herself feel better by offering solidarity. Instead, she was trying to do what she seems to be able to do so well: be there for her, in the best way she could.

“I can’t wait to meet you and Banggu tomorrow.” The light came back to Minjoo’s eyes, still dim, but there, as she smiled. Her words were sweet, as if this fact was something dear to her.

With simple ‘goodbye’s they ended the call, each girl laying in their own beds, in the own rooms, still the connection between them still felt strong even if the call was over.

Later that night, when Minjoo was ready to sleep and take a rest of such long day, a set of three simple messages made fall asleep much easier. Minjoo knew how much it meant, after all she felt the same way.

“From: MGA Chae

Min, I’m also glad for meeting you

I really like you.

I just thought you should know.”

Those words weren’t the type of thing you’d expect to hear from Chaewon, the girl herself couldn’t even recall saying those to anyone who wasn’t directly related to her – still, her and Minjoo also shared a bond now, and just like her bond with her parents, it had nothing to do with blood or labels, it was born from genuine affection and care, and this is the one kind of bond you can’t break.

While Minjoo was already fast asleep with a smile on her face, the older Kim didn’t bother checking her phone for a reply, instead she took small steps towards her parents room.

“Mom?” She called after knocking, finding Luda laying down on the bed reading something with big specs on her face, meanwhile Jiyeon was in the bathroom getting ready to sleep.

“Oh, hello, baby.” The speech therapist greeted, lowering her book to have a better look at her daughter. “I thought you were sleeping already.”

“I’ll soon, but first…” Chaewon stepped inside the room, coming closer to her mother. “Can I ask you a favor?”

Closing her book, Luda patted the place next to her on the bed. “Sure, Chae. What do you need?”

With a grateful smile, she sat beside her mother and started to talk.

A/N: Hello there. I’m a little earlier again, but this is somehow a little too big and yes this author has too much fun making bonlu the best parents ever :D

Anyway, finally Minjoo’s story is out and I’m sorry if it’s a little underwhelming, I don’t really know what you guys were expecting but I tried to make sure this wasn’t that terrible (shout of to my psychology major friend for the tips). Chae’s story is coming up next and it’s already written, and I guess after it we can take a little break of the angst here.

Thank you for reading ‘till here, I’m sorry for all the mistakes and I hope it was an okay read. See you soon :)

P.S: Banggu is Luda’s adorable dog, in case you’ve never seen her, you can check her cuteness  here