A/N: No TWs! Please note that double lines indicate big time skips (days/months), while a single line indicates a different moment in the same day. Good read, I hope you enjoy TSOTH’s finale :)

Chaewon woke up to the sound of her parents’ voices coming from the kitchen, she couldn’t tell what they were saying – be it because her hearing was limited or because she was too sleepy to focus properly – but it made her open her eyes. Soft, silky dark brown hair was the first thing she saw, her eyes trailing down to see Minjoo’s face barely hidden on her shoulder, had a gentle smile on it – it was a view she didn’t expect to have, but it made her heart a little softer.

She was also greeted by the girl’s familiar scent of vanilla, the one that matched so well her sweet personality, and the gentle grip of Minjoo’s hands on her sweater. The brunette still has her hands on the younger girl’s back, and she patted it light. “Min, wake up. My mother arrived.” She said quietly, close to the girl’s ear so she could hear her, but not too close to make her feel embarrassed over it – in fact, after what happened between them earlier, it seemed silly to even think about getting embarrassed over such thing. She had opened her heart, and her memories, to Minjoo and this was far more intimate than any physical contact they could have.

Slowly, the big chocolate eyes were opened, Minjoo lifting her head slightly to meet Chae’s gaze with a sleepy smile. Chaewon could feel a single, sharp yet pleasant tug at her heart, making it heavier and warmer.

Not bothering to conceal her smile, she greeted. “Hi. I guess we slept for a little too long, so I guess we should get up now.”

The taller girl nodded, letting out a small yawn that made her look like a little girl – again, Chaewon felt that thing that couldn’t be labeled, still was becoming a constant; she didn’t try to push the feeling away, embracing it instead.

Giving her a final, reassuring rub on her back, she stood up and stretched out.

“What time is it?” Minjoo asked using only one hand, the other busy rubbing her eyes.

“It’s still early for dinner, so don’t worry.” Chaewon replied stealing a look at the time on her phone screen. “There’s a bathroom in the end of the corridor, you can go and wash off. I’ll tidy things up here.”

As expected, Minjoo tried to reject her instructions, insisting on helping out, but Chaewon was even more stubborn and managed to convince her – she had a good reason to do so.

As if she was magically conjured there, her mom entered the room as soon as Minjoo was out of sight. “Really cute!” Jiyeon mouthed with a grin that Chaewon knew all too well.

Fighting her embarrassment, she mouthed back. “I know she is.” There was no point in denying the obvious and she knew her mother wouldn’t let her live if she tried to lie.

Apparently, it was the wrong answer, and the grin on the older woman’s face grew bigger. “I meant you two together, but this too.” Winking at her, Jiyeon came closer to help her tidy up the room. For Chaewon’s relief, her mom didn’t try to say anything else when Minjoo came back, only smiling warmly at the girl and putting up her best ‘mother’ face, instead of her playful one. The exchanged the usual greetings. “I’m glad you were able to come, Chaewon would sulky if you didn’t.” Okay, maybe she wasn’t completely out of her mischievous mode.

“So, shall we start on the dinner? Minjoo, I heard from Chaewon that you like cooking, what about giving me a hand?” Jiyeon asked, putting her hands together with a hopeful look – that’s what happens when you see someone who can cook after living with two people who can only boil water for so long.

Minjoo beamed at her, looking relieved to be able to help. Nodding, she agreed. “I’d love to! What are we doing?”

The small group moved to the kitchen as Jiyeon told Minjoo about her ideas for dinner and the girl gave her own input, they seem to get along just fine. Luda soon came to their meeting, being sent to the ‘cutting and cleaning’ duty along with Chaewon, Bona making sure to keep them away from the stove. Minjoo had a real talent with cooking, so it wasn’t hard for her to follow the older woman’s instructions and soon they were working diligently – even if Luda had told Minjoo that she and Chaewon didn’t need to help, she insisted on doing so, and Chae knowing her well didn’t even bother to argue.

While the group worked Jiyeon told them about her day, she couldn’t talk about her cases, so instead of focusing on it, she would tell about all the weird people this job allowed her to meet and the absurd situations that happened a little too often in the prosecution’s office. Luda would roll her eyes at her wife’s clear exaggeration, but she seemed to enjoy the stories as much as the kids that would keep on asking questions and laughing at the older woman’s remarks.

Before Minjoo knew it, she was feeling completely comfortable around the family, she even felt like she somehow fit well there, and it made her happier than it should – she hoped for her mom to be able to come for dinner, the woman would love this easy-going atmosphere.

Her phone vibrated on her pocket when dinner was almost ready, and the brunette excused herself to read the messages she received. It was her mother informing she was done with work and asking for the address, and with the biggest smile the girl quickly sent her location.

“She will come!” She informed to Chaewon who was by her side, they both were back at the living room while the adults were working on the finishing touches for the dinner. The other girl just nodded with a small smile, there was amusement in the way she looked at Minjoo but she didn’t mind if she was looking a little too excited in the moment.

“I’ll tell my moms to get things ready. Now stay here and wait, you already did too much for a day and I want to act like a host for once.” Chaewon pointed at her with her index finger, gesturing for her to stay behind as she disappeared into the dining room, off to help her parents to set the table. Minjoo wanted to argue, but she couldn’t, so she just stayed behind and texted her mother asking for her to try to not be late.

Minjoo’s mother was received with a big hug from her daughter – that almost sent the cake she was carrying to the floor – and friendly greetings from the others, the hosts making sure to invite her in and lead her to the dining room.

At first Jiwon was a little awkward around the others, thanking the couple again for helping with Minjoo’s situation even though they said it wasn’t needed, and Minjoo squeezed her hand under the table and tried to say through her gaze that the woman could relax now – eventually she did, as Jiyeon and Luda light hearted bickered about Luda’s lack of talent in the cooking department, the teasing soon also including their daughter that tried to defend herself too. The atmosphere was so light and homey that it would be impossible for someone to not feel welcome there.

As the dinner progressed the younger Kim’s mother was able to talk a bit more, finding a comfortable subject that all parents love – their kids and all the embarrassing, adorable stories about them…For Chaewon’s embarrassment her parents had pretty good memory.

It soon led to a question that the adults seemed very curious about.

“How did you two get so close?” Surprisingly, it was Luda who asked it, although by the way the other two nodded slightly they also shared her curiosity about it.

Chaewon glanced at Minjoo who was sitting besides her at the table, already feeling the embarrassment turning her ears red although she didn’t utter a single word. How could she explain what she didn’t know how to put into words? It felt like she knew Minjoo for a long time, but also that it all happened so fast…Fortunately, she didn’t have to say anything.

Minjoo smiled a smaller, almost timid smile, her brown eyes darting around to meet the older women curious gazes. “We just match well. We don’t like the same things always, but it’s nice to be around each other.” She explained simply, glancing back at Chae as for getting confirmation of her words.

The older girl just nodded with a tight lipped smile. “I don’t really like noise people, so she is the best seatmate I ever had.” Shrugging her shoulders, she tried to make her tone light and push aside her silly embarrassment by using humor. Of course it didn’t fool anyone and she had to deal with her parents light chuckles and Minjoo’s mom knowing smile. It was useless to try to play it cool. “Minjoo is very easy to like.” With this admission she turned back to her nearly empty plate, so she wouldn’t have to face anyone – she didn’t have to look to be able to feel Minjoo’s warm wrapped around her like a blanket; she couldn’t help but smile at the feeling either.

Luckily for her, their parents were kind enough to not insist on the subject, going back to talk about more mundane topics until the dinner was over.

Sipping on her wine, Jiyeon looked over at the small group that gathered in front of the television to play some games she wasn’t familiar with – Even her lovely wife engaged on the battle, giving Minjoo tips on how to beat Chaewon, for their daughter's dismay. She grinned to herself, turning her gaze to Jiwon who watched the little interaction in awe, there was a glint in her eyes that made her look even more similar to her daughter.

“Luda loves games and Chaewon always loved to follow her around.” She said, lazily gesturing towards them.

“I have never seen Minjoo like this.” The woman shook her head slightly, a smile playing on her lips.

“I suppose we’re not talking about games.”

Jiwon nodded. “She is never so…Careless and spontaneous, like a teenager should be.”

Jiyeon's smile became smaller, her dark eyes a little greyer. “Chae is not like this always. When she is not at home she still struggles.” Leaving her wine glass aside, she once more focused her attention on her family and their new friend. In many ways their kids were similar, even if they had such different ways of coping with things.

“You know, when Chae came to live with us, she wouldn’t go near the TV. We would tell her she could watch cartoons while we made dinner, but whenever we came back to check on her she would be sat still in the same place we left her, the TV still off, and when we asked her why she didn’t turn it on she would say she didn’t want to 'mess it up' and looked at us as if expecting we would…” She sighed, painful, heavy sigh. It was so long ago, but the memories were still clear on her mind. The first few months are as a parent were the hardest and not because of he usual trouble kids cause, Chaewon had brought with her a heavy baggage that wouldn’t ever be completely left behind. “Not only that. She would wince whenever we raised our hands even if we never hit her. She was just so aware of her surroundings and so afraid of it all…It took a long time for her to become like this.” Glancing at Jiwon, she subtly pointed out Minjoo. “I know Minjoo also went through a hard time, and I think it’s the same for. Kids like them have it hard, but they’re also capable of so much, they just need time and love to grow and blossom.”

“Minjoo used to be such a bubbly child. Always running around and trying to embrace the world with her tiny arms…And then she became scared of it, closed off on herself and afraid of showing her feelings…it was like watching a butterfly lose her wings and no matter how hard I tried to patch it back it wouldn’t work.” Jiwon's lips became a thin line, frustration and sadness on her face for a moment before she shook her head again, her expression becoming softer. “But I can see she is learning to fly again. Going back to the person she is supposed to be.” Giving the other woman a small smile, she added. “And it has a lot to do with your daughter.”

“I could say the same about Minjoo, she has a special talent to get to Chaewon.” The usual grin made its way to Jiyeon face, the brunette allowing the happy present to fill in her mind instead of the past. “I suppose you don’t mind them being so close then?” Jiyeon used a friendly voice, although her eyes were still serious as she waited for a confirmation. She didn’t need to spell out her words for the other woman to be able to understand it, whether their kids were friends or something more, she wanted to make sure it would never be a problem – and Luda would probably nag her for being so direct, but this was the kind of person she was and when it comes down to protect their kid she didn’t even think twice.

Jiwon just nodded, the corner of her eyes crinkling gently as she watched over her kid. She wasn’t a fool and it was too clear for anyone to see it, however, it was never something that bothered her. Seeing her daughter so confident and happy after so many years, was all she ever wanted. “As long as Minguri is happy. If it’s Chaewon company, I’m really glad they’re together.”

Relaxing on her seat, Chaewon’s mother sipped on her wine before replying in a light tone. “Then I guess this is just the first of many family dinners.”

Bona offered Jiwon a glass and she accepted with a short nod. “I suppose.”

“We should get going soon, it’s getting late.” Minjoo’s mother said a couple of hours later, after they had finished another round of games – Luda had the other adults joining in this time and they were surprisingly competitive for a game that only consisted on cute characters racing each other. It was fun to see the older women acting like kids, bickering and trying to cheat to win the race, so fun that for a while Chaewon and Minjoo only watched them chuckling softly – and only now Chaewon realized she should have used this time to talk to Minjoo instead.

She shot her mother a pleading look that the woman didn’t miss. “What about a final game? I can take you guys home afterwards, so no need to worry about the time.” Luda suggested with her usual calm and reliable tone. “Jiyeon is sulking she didn’t get a win yet, so is only right we give her another chance.”

Of course, Jiyeon tried to argue about her alleged bad mood, but ended up agreeing after exchanging a look with her wife – her family was a pro at silent conversation after all. Therefore, Minjoo’s mom didn’t get to the chance to protest before being included in a new round of the game.

Tugging into Minjoo’s sleeve, she took the chance to take her out of the room. “You can say bye to Banggu first.”

The other girl didn’t oppose, her childish smile back on her face at the mention of the dog.

Upstairs they found Banggu chewing on one of her toys, too engrossed on it to mind the newcomers. Minjoo tried her best to get her attention and pet her, but Chaewon was busy fishing something out of her bag – an envelope with the symbol of a very prominent institution.

Sitting on her bed, Chaewon fidget with the papers, waiting for the brunette to notice her. Chocolate brown eyes faces her with curiosity and a bit of concern on them when Minjoo finally approached her a couple of minutes later.

“What’s that?” She asked referring to the envelope Chaewon still held in her hands.

“This…” The shorter brunette cleaned , trying to think about the words she had been planning the whole day. “You know my mother works as a speech therapist and after you told me about what happened, I asked her to…”

Minjoo’s eyes had grown bigger and slightly darker, a light shade of pink on her cheeks as she lifted her hands. “You shouldn’t have. You already do too much for me.”

“Wait! I didn’t ask her to treat you. I’d never ask it. I don’t want you to feel burdened.” Chaewon was quick to say, her fingers pressing harder against the soft material of the envelope. Asking her mother to treat Minjoo would be the simplest solution, and Luda even said she could do it if Chaewon wanted, but she didn’t want to make the girl feel like she owned her anything. “This is from the university my mother attended, they have a program that helps kids and teenagers with speech problems. That was how I met her in first place.” Handing the girl the envelope, she gestured her to open it.

She waited until the girl was able to take a look at the papers before continuing. “They still conduct this huge research and have all kind of doctors and such involved, they work with volunteers and it’s completely free. They will study your case and take notes about it, so you won’t be only getting the treatment you need, but you can also help others by helping them to understand your condition better.” Taking a deep breath, she faced the girl with hopeful eyes. “I know it’s not the traditional way, but…”

A pair of arms that were so familiar now, wrapped itself around her shoulders, the papers inside the envelope now scattered around the floor as Minjoo hugged her tightly. By now she was used to the girl's way of responding to things, her arms slowly finding the way to the Minjoo’s back to hug her back, giving her the time she needed.

Minjoo buried her face in the crock of Chaewon’s neck, refusing to move for a long moment. Her eyes were dry of tears, albeit she feared some might fall soon – happy tears this time. From day one, Chae’s presence in her life brought her nothing but good things, still it amazes her that someone would go to such extent for her, even to the point of thinking about her reaction to it…She was grateful, moreover, touched that Chaewon could surprise her in the best way always.

For the longest time she was locked inside herself, her words kept hidden deep inside her mind and heart, restricted to the conversations she could have with her mother and never completely able to tell her everything. But now Chaewon presented her with numerous different ways to make herself heard: through their silly, awkward first texts, the times she would pay her attention no matter how silly the subject was and teach her different words in sign language, to the way she was willing to fight for her and protect her not only physically but also help her to find her own voice to stand up for herself, and finally to their honest conversations that most of the time didn’t need words to be said…Now this, Chaewon wanted to gift her the chance of showing her voice to the rest of the world, to break free of the prison that she was kept on for pretty much her whole life.

Slowly, she pulled away to face the girl, one hand still on her shoulder as she asked. “What did I do to deserve you?”

There was a glimpse of relief in Chaewon’s eyes, soon replaced by that special glint that seem to appear more often lately. Chaewon who was once so hard to read, was becoming an open book for her now.

“Probably the same thing I do to deserve you.” Leaning in, Chae placed a soft kiss on her cheek. “Will you go?”

Minjoo nodded slowly. She wanted to give a try, it was something she always thought about and now she had the chance to do so, even better – and she didn’t even need to use all her economies to do it. “Do you think I can do it? It’s been so long…”

“I have no doubt you can.” Chaewon assured with a smile that was as bright as the one in the pictures Minjoo had seen earlier. “My mother will explain it all to your mom, and I’m sure she will agree with me.”

The taller girl smiled, feeling a little more confident with Chaewon’s answer – it was amazing how Chaewon could soothe the wounds caused by years of insults coming from people like Boah, maybe because she knew Chae's words were sincere and full of genuine care.

She gave her an extra hug, her chest filled with a light and warm feeling that made it hard to keep her feet on the ground – she hoped it would never go away. And so did Chaewon.

The hug was only broken once Banggu, feeling left out, started to bark at them to grab their attention. The girls chuckled at the dog's cuteness, Minjoo reaching to gently grab the little one and placed her between them – a group hug seems to be everything it takes for Banggu to be happy again.

Luda drove them home, Chaewon keeping Minjoo company in the back seat while the girl’s mom took the passenger seat to allow her to talk properly with the driver. As expected of Luda, she got to the topic easily, telling Jiwon about the amazing research program her old school provided and how much they needed volunteers to keep it going – it was so smooth that by the time that she suggested Minjoo to apply for it, Jiwon was as invested in the idea as her. Of course, like any mother, Jiwon had her reservations regarding a potential treatment, but Luda had plenty of knowledge to answer all her questions and make her consider positively the idea – Chaewon was pretty sure they were at least 20km below the speed limit to allow the journey to be this long.

By the time they reached Minjoo’s place, the younger girl’s mother already had agreed on taking Minjoo for an appointment next week and the two teenagers on the back seat exchanged relieved and excited looks, holding each other’s hands in a silent celebration.

“It was a pleasure having you over. We should do it more often.” Luda waved them goodbye, watching the other Kim family climb down the car and Chaewon followed them to say her proper goodbyes.

“I’d like to pay the back the favor sometime. Maybe you guys could come over next week? I’ll bake more of that cake your wife seems to like.” Jiwon smiled at them, waving to Chaewon with a friendly look, before turning back to Luda. “Of course, only if you’ve time.”

“We’ll make time. Chaewon wouldn’t forgive me if I didn’t.” She lowered her voice at the end of the sentence. Was it a mischievous tone on it? Jiyeon’s personality was starting to rub off on her wife, for Chaewon’s embarrassment – not that she minded it in the moment, she was still happy everything went well to mind her mother’s teasing.

“Good night, Chae. I’ll text you tomorrow!” Minjoo gave her one of her bright smiles that was enough to distract Chaewon of any teasing, and Chaewon nodded with a grin.

“I know, you always do. Good night, Minjoo! Ma’am.” With a short polite bow, she sent them off.

Chaewon waited for them to go safely inside the house, to climb back up the car, seating beside her mother this time.

“Happy now?” Luda smirked, holding up a hand so Chaewon could lightly hit it with her own in a high five.

“Yes. Thank you.” Instead of high fiving her, Chaewon took her hand between hers. “For everything, mom.”

“What’s with this look? Suddenly I’m cool just because I helped you with something?” There was amusement on Luda’s face, but she squeezed her hand back for moment before letting go of it to start the car again. “You know we’ll always do our best to make you happy.”

“I know.” Chae nodded, a small smile on her face as she stared at her mom’s side profile. “That’s why I’m grateful. Not many people are as lucky as I’m.”

Luda returned her smile, glancing at her for a moment. There wasn’t a day she regretted taking in the shy kid she met years ago, the little stranger that slowly became part of her heart. “That means you’ll keep your band-aids even after coming back to school?”

“I…Mom.” Chaewon pleaded in a small voice, unconsciously touching the band-aid on her cheek.

“Think about it, I still got another five pokémons you didn’t use yet.” Giggling to herself, she reached out to pat Chaewon’s head lightly. “We’re family, Chae, that’s how this is supposed to be.”

“Still, I wanted to say it.” The younger insisted, fidgeting with her fingers. For most kids it probably never crossed their minds, but for someone like her it was often part of her thoughts, making her want to be the best she could even though she knew her parents would accept her no matter what – part of her would always remember that for a big chunk of her life, everything was very different and it would still be if not for Luda and Jiyeon. “I don’t want to take it for granted.”

Luda stopped at a red light, turning her head slightly to be able to face her daughter. “You don’t, Chaewon. You never did and sometimes I wish you s, because you don’t need to prove us anything.” She faced the girl with brown eyes that carried the same intelligent light Chaewon’s had, the gentle confidence she had passed down to her kid. “We’re very proud of you, and although I’m glad you’re good at school and all that, I’m even more proud that you’re here today as a happy and normal kid. That’s what me and Jiyeon always wanted for you.” Reaching to give her a quick hug, she added. “So, don’t overthink, we’ll always be here for you.”

It was late and there was no traffic, so they could afford to make the hug last a little longer. Chaewon felt like she was a small kid again, remembering the first time she risked to hug Luda after one of her visits to the orphanage – back then she felt awkward and unsure, but still wanted to show her growing affection to the kind woman that would visit her almost every day and was becoming part of her life; now she was her mother and she couldn’t imagine it any other way, therefore she hugged her tighter. “I love you, mom.”

“I love you too, Chae.” Breaking the hug, Luda gave her a final smile before turning back to the wheel. “Remember to tell Bona the same or she will get jealous.”

Chaewon let out a soft chuckle. “I’ll.”

And she did, as soon as they arrived back home, receiving a bear hug from her slightly tipsy, but still loving and carrying mother.

Minjoo held onto the straps of her bag and took in a deep breath, her eyes wandering around as she waited to spot the familiar figure of Chaewon at the bus stop

Today was the first day of school after her suspension and part of her was afraid of what she would face once she was back in that place. Would Boah still be there? Sukyung? Would they back down or try to take revenge on her and Chaewon for getting them into trouble? Would the principal even do something if it happened? Rationally she knew things wouldn’t be the same, that Chaewon’s mother influence was enough to make the school take action, still it was hard to push aside old fears. Still, she tried her best.

The weekend passed quickly, filled with nice moments that made her want to go back to them. She had the chance of talking freely with her mother for the first time in a long time and having this burden lifted of her shoulders made it all easier, allowing her to feel a new feeling of hoping and optimism. She had fun helping the woman bake and spending time with her, they also talked about her treatment and everything that could happen – they both decided to look at it in a positive way, after all Minjoo had nothing to lose and she was more than willing to try her best.

She also spent some time with Chaewon, always keeping in touch through texts and video calls, they helped each other to work on the homework the school sent them and discussing the movies Minjoo wanted watch next and Chaewon surprisingly agreed on. They even met once, Chaewon coming over to meet her and getting to know her collection of sketches and taste all the food Minjoo insisted on giving her. Meeting Chaewon outside the school was still something new, especially when they were past the awkward stage and could just act like the good friends they had becoming – before any of them could realize it.

As if her luck had suddenly changed, everything seem to be going well. The young Kim even got to see one of her old neighbors – one of the few friends she made through the years, albeit the girl lived a little far away now, Chaeyeon still visited her once in a while before going to college over a year ago. Without notice, the girl had just appeared at her door yesterday claiming she was visiting her grandma nearby and they got the chance of hanging out for the rest of the day, Minjoo filling her on everything that happened during the last couple of months – what meant she mentioned Chaewon an awful lot and Chaeyeon would just smirk at it.

Chaeyeon even walked her to school today, but the girl had to leave already and now she was left pacing back and forth. Getting her phone from her pocket she opened her conversation with Chaewon to ask her if she was on the way, but before she could type anything, she felt someone poking her shoulder and when she turned to check who it was, she was met by her favorite pair of chestnut brown eyes.

Minjoo’s expression naturally changed to form a big smile, as she waved to Chaewon still holding her phone.

“Morning. I think I overslept a bit today.” The shorter Kim greeted, her attentive eyes narrowing slightly as she stared at Minjoo’s hand. “MGA Chae? Who is that?”

It took Minjoo a moment to realize Chaewon was staring at her phone, where her contact name could be seen clearly. “You.” Quickly, she lowered her hand, giving the girl a bashful smile.

There was a crease on Chaewon’s forehead, her eyes small as she narrowed them further, thinking about the meaning behind the acronym. “My…” Letting out an airy chuckle, she shook her head. “A guardian angel wouldn’t get suspended for kicking people.”

Minjoo slipped her phone back to her pocket. “A good one would.” Returning her gaze to her friend, she straightened her back. “I told you before they come in all forms.”

She though Chaewon would joke about it again, but the girl took out her own phone and focused on typing something on it instead of replying her. She finished it quickly, a smirk on her face. “Now we’re even.”

“What did you do? I want to see it!” Minjoo complained, trying to sneak a peek at her phone, but she never got the chance of doing it.

Their friendly bickering was stopped by the sight of a familiar face, a girl walking with lazy steps and an annoyed expression on her face – Boah.

Minjoo’s gaze accidently met hers for a moment, the warm chocolate facing the cold black. Her instinct was to step back, to averted her eyes, but she didn’t. Keeping her head held high as the bully stared at her and Chaewon protectively moved to step in front of her – she grabbed her wrist, keeping her by her side. She had to fight her own battles.

Boah closed her hands into fists, cursing under her breath before changing the direction of her steps, crossing the street to continue her way – only then Minjoo notice she wasn’t wearing their school’s uniform, but a different one, probably from another academy nearby.

The girls just watched as the other disappeared in the distance, the heavy silence broken by Minjoo’s sigh. Something told her that going to school wouldn’t be as terrible from now on.

“MPP Minjoo.” Were the words Chaewon used to break the silence, her wrist gently breaking loose from Minjoo’s grip so she could slide her own hand onto hers. “That’s your contact name on my phone now.”

Blinking in confusion, the taller girl struggled for a moment to concentrate on Chaewon again, a small, grateful smile gracing her face as she faced the other Kim. “What does it mean?”

“I’ll let you know later. We should get going, we can’t be late.” Tugging on their jointed hands, Chaewon prompted them to start to make their way to the school.

Chaewon didn’t let go of Minjoo’s hand even after they crossed the school gates, ignoring the curious looks – she didn’t even bother trying to hear their whispers. People could think whatever they wanted to, it wouldn’t change anything between her and Minjoo, nor the way they behaved.

Having Boah out of the school was a relief, but she knew better than lower her guard. There will always be people ready to jump on a easy target, people who needed to use others to relieve their inner frustrations and hatred – she would make sure that Minjoo would never be in that spot again.

They walked past Sukyung in the hallway, the girl looking pale and hesitant as she slightly bowed to them before heading to one of the other classrooms for third years – the principal had kept her word, after all.

Their classmates kept their eyes on them as they made their way to the seats, and Chaewon could recognize all sort of emotions on their faces – from curiosity, to annoyance and even…Admiration? She wondered what kind of stories were running around the school, surely none of them was the actual truth.

She expected someone to come up to her and ask about her hearing, or maybe even try to check for themselves if she had her hearing-aids on, maybe even mock her...Still, there was nothing. She could feel them staring, but it didn’t seem any different from the usual ones, the ones they’ve been receiving ever since Boah started the rumor about their relationship being more than platonic.

Chaewon was puzzled, she had prepared herself mentally to face some sort of backlash, to deal with people looking down on her for her condition, to have to put up her strong face again and stand up for herself. The lack of attacks made her a little uneasy, but also relieved.

“Min, what are they talking about?” She asked using a small sticky note, subtly gesturing the other kids.

Minjoo just gave her a smile, shaking her head slightly. “Nothing important.”

Her sharp ears could pick up snips of the conversations here and there, most of them talking about an overly exaggerated version of what had happened between them and the bullies, once in a while she could discern some not-so-kind words, but it was mostly just the usual high school gossip – to her surprise, it didn’t bother her. There wasn’t a single word about Chaewon’s disability, and whether it was because people just didn’t care, or because they didn’t know, she was glad. Carrying the burden of having people judging you for something you have no control over wasn’t easy, she didn’t want it to happen to Chaewon when she already had so much to deal with.

A couple of girls turned to look at them for over their shoulders, she couldn’t hear what they were talking, but she could tell by their expressions – it didn’t matter for her. She looked back at them, her smile still there, although her gaze became much less gentle. The girls seem embarrassed to be caught and gave her apologetic smiles, turning to face the right direction again.

Minjoo relaxed on her seat, going back to take notes.

From now on she would make sure to protect them, in her own way.

Later that day, after they had lunch at the rooftop – they could’ve eaten at the cafeteria, and although Chaewon insisted they should do it once in a while, even if only to make an statement, they both agreed that eating there was much more comfortable –, they just stared down at the city enjoying the last few moments before it was time to go back to class.

“So, it looks Sukyung didn’t tell anyone about what happened.” Chaewon commented between sips on her soda. It surprised her the other girl didn’t make use of her knowledge to give her a hard time. “Her mother must’ve been harsh on her.”

Minjoo nodded, Sukyung must’ve her reasons to not tell anything, and even though she hoped the girl’s mother didn’t take her punishment too far, she couldn’t say she wasn’t glad Sukyung stayed silent. “Do you think it will be like this until the end of the year? That they will just leave us alone now?”

“It’s hard to tell, people are unpredictable.” Chaewon shrugged her shoulders, she didn’t want to be a pessimist, but she also didn’t want to give Minjoo false hope. “But I hope so.”

“Me too.” Minjoo agreed. Maybe having people spreading rumors and over exaggerating things wouldn’t be such a bad thing if it meant they wouldn’t try to get in their way.

Standing up, she started to put things away, getting ready to leave. Chaewon came to help her fold the blanket and they were almost done with things, when she felt her phone vibrating on her pocket with the alarm that marked that it was time to go. Deactivating the alarm, she looked up to Chaewon.

“Ready to go?”

“Wait, you didn’t tell me what MPP means.” She gestured her phone to emphasize her words.

“Oh that…” She hesitated, suddenly a little embarrassed of her own silly actions. Thankfully the bell rang in that moment. “It means ‘my precious person’.” Chaewon said fast, a little too fast, hoping Minjoo wouldn’t understand her – of course she did. “Now let’s go!” Quickly standing up to leave before the other could say anything, she dragged the girl downstairs back to class.

Minjoo didn’t say anything, but she kept a knowing smile for the rest of the day that almost made Chaewon regret playing along with her cheesiness – almost.

That day set the pace to the others to come. It wasn’t all good, people would still stare at them, sometimes in disrespectful, aggressive ways, clearly hostile, but no one would dare to approach them directly. The rumors and whispers were always there, it would be unrealistic to expect people to just shut up, especially when they didn’t do anything to deny it.

However, it wasn’t all bad either. Some of their classmates became more friendly now that Boah wasn’t there to intimidate them and they even worked together in some projects. Minjoo even had some underclassmen greeting her for the first and it gave her a little bit of hope about the future of the students there.

The principal also seemed pretty busy going around the school talking about the ‘anti-bullying policy’ and how she would make sure to ensure it from now, making the teachers keep a close eye on the students – Chaewon wasn’t sure how effective it would be, but it was a start.

They didn’t see Boah after that day, and none of them could say they missed her.

Her first appointment at the university was on the last day of the week, her mother coming to pick her up after school so they could go there together. Minjoo didn’t know what to expect, she tried her best to just smile and not let her nerves show, but of course her mother could see right through her – the woman hugged her by the shoulders and Minjoo snuggled up to her like she was a little girl.

She knew the university had a great program, during the week she had done her own research and found out a lot more about it, having Chaewon to tell her about the place and the people there too. However, it didn’t make her any less nervous, actually she felt a little intimidated and even a little scared. She knew her mother and Chaewon had a lot of faith in her, but what if she failed them by not getting any better even after treatment? Not knowing how long it would take for her even be able to know if she had a chance at succeeding made it all more nerve-racking.

The buildings of the university could be seen even at the distance, huge gates open as if waiting for her. It was like a small town within the city, and even though there were plenty of things to point out the right direction, she still felt she could get lost there. It took them a couple of minutes to reach the correct building, using an elevator to get to the floor where they were supposed to meet with one of the head researches of the program, the person who would make her initial evaluation and tell them if she would be able to join the program.

They were welcomed by some students that were quick to greet them and help them fill up the basic paperwork, asking Minjoo about her general health and condition – her mother answered most of them, the girl just standing there standing awkwardly. The students asked them to take a seat and wait, informing the professor would be there soon.

“They seem nice, right? It’s a nice place too.” Her mother spoke, giving her a reassuring smile.

Minjoo just nodded, forcing her own smile. It was indeed a very nice place and the people seem friendly and welcoming, but it didn’t make her nerves vanish. Looking around she could see some kids sat at the other corner of the room, alongside their parents – probably patients, most likely the people here would be around that age. It reminded her of her own speech therapy sessions, she wasn’t much younger than those kids and back then she was so excited about every meeting and little improvement…She just prayed it could happen again.

The gentle feel of her phone buzzing on her jacket brought her out of her thoughts, her hand reaching for the phone where a notification could be seen on the screen. Her smile became a little less tense as she opened the message.

From: MGA Chae

“Good luck today.

You can do it, don’t worry!

Mom said they can help you for sure!

And if they don’t, we’ll find another way.

Text me after you done, please”

Her lips naturally turned into an amused smile – it wasn’t like Chaewon to spam her with texts, she even added some colored heart emojis at the end of it, was probably trying her best to cheer up.

A woman opened the wood door at the end of the corridor, she had a white coat on and on a polite smile on her face as she greeted them. “Kim Minjoo? You may enter now, please this way.”

Minjoo took in a deep breath, her mother doing the same and giving her another reassuring smile.

“I’ll try my best.”

And it was enough to give her a chance.

After a long and detailed interview, and having her ears and vocal cords checked, she was sent to meet a speech therapist and a psychologist who would follow her case for the next months, they talked to her for a long time explaining the strategies used and how they expected her condition to improve as the treatment progressed.

It wouldn’t be easy, but it was possible and it was all that mattered.

Minjoo and her mother left the place hours later, with hopeful smiles and light hearts.

“Chae, I’m calling you when I’m home.

They said I have a good chance

Better than we expected :D

Wait for me, I’ll be home in 10!”

It’s been a little over a month since they came back to school, and to Chaewon’s relief – and surprise – things weren’t that bad, as she liked to say. Sukyung seemed content to mind her own business gossiping about the people in her new class and making her best to avoid meeting her eyes whenever they crossed paths – Chaewon wasn’t sure if she was scared of her or of what her mother would do if she ever got caught messing with them again; she wasn’t complaining about it though. Meanwhile there were still some nasty people in her classroom, the ones that would give her dirty gazes and whisper between themselves about her and Minjoo, they were all too coward to insult them directly – in short, they were annoying, but she was able to ignore their existence most of the time.

There were also their new ‘friends’ – she wouldn’t really call them friends, but Minjoo liked the word and she liked to keep her happy –, a small group of girls that were outcasts themselves, what apparently was enough similarity with the Kims to make them think it would be okay to talk to Chaewon and try to make conversation. She wasn’t particularly fond of them, even though they seemed okay, she couldn’t forget the fact that none of them tried to approach Minjoo before, when she needed the most. Minjoo, of course, being the kind hearted person she was, didn’t take much time to put her reservations aside and try her best to welcome these new friends in her life – needless to say she pretty much dragged Chaewon into it too.

They would have lunch with these new friends once in a while, however it was Chaewon’s turn to be stubborn and drag Minjoo to the roof at least three times a week so they could enjoy some alone time and talk freely – nice or not, the other kids still couldn’t understand Minjoo without her writing what made lunch time a little awkward for the brunette. Today was one of these days, not only she made sure they had lunch alone – and she was generously gifted with her favorite cake, the perks of being Minjoo’s unofficial best friend –, she also wanted to spend some time with the taller girl after school, maybe going to the movies as Minjoo liked it so much, or even visit a bookstore after getting ice cream at the usual place…

They didn’t get to do any of those things. And it wasn’t even because of her classmates.

Minjoo stopped in her tracks, her hand on Chaewon’s sleeve. “Aren’t those two your cousins?”

It was much worse: her relatives.

As soon as they stepped outside of school, they were met by the shiny sight of a brand new sportive car – yellow out of all colors –, and the two college students that were resting against it in their best impressive poses – what didn’t mean much, since Hyewon was too entertained eating something out of a bag and Yena was struggling to keep her shades on top of her nose.

“Ssamu, we are here to pick you up!” As expected from her cousin Yena, her greeting was loud and full of enthusiasm as she waved to her, completely ignoring the stares of the passerby. Hyewon was much more discreet, lazily waving with the bag of snacks still on hand – some in already.

“Why are you two here?” Chaewon asked more to herself than to her cousins, being engulfed in hugs as she approached them while a confused Minjoo just watched everything.

“She just said it, to pick you up.” Hyewon emphasized, breaking the hug.

Furrowing her eyebrows slightly, Chae looked from the girls to the bright yellow car – don’t get her wrong, she loved these two with her whole heart, it just didn’t mean she trusted them to kidnap her out of nowhere. “I mean I know that, but for what? Shouldn’t you two be at college right now?”

“It’s Friday, no one in college goes to class on Friday.” Yena shrugged her shoulders, as if it was common knowledge.

“That’s true, unless there’s an exam.” Hyewon nodded, kneading her now empty bag of chips to throw it at a trash bin nearby. Cleaning her palms one on other, she gestured Minjoo. “So, aren’t you going to introduce her to us?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Shaking her head slightly, she turned to Minjoo to give her a reassuring smile before starting the introductions. “Min, you already know who they’re. Guys, this is Minjoo, I told you about her before.”

“Hi, Minjoo! How is it going?” Yena was quick to add in sign language – a very bad one, but still it seemed to put Minjoo at ease and the girl smiled before replying.

“It’s nice to meet you. Chaewon told me a lot about you guys.” Her big brown eyes darted from one girl to the other, expectant – as expected of Minjoo, she was easily excited.

“Really?” Hyewon smirked, her ability in sign language were much better than Yena’s and she showcased it. Her cousin often looked lazy and uninterested, but she was actually really sharp and observant. “She also told us about you, but she never answered any questions, so maybe you-”

Clearing to interrupt them, Chaewon stepped up. “So, where are we going again? Minjoo and I already had plans.”

“Oh, my dear baby cousin, we’re going everywhere!” Yena informed, hugging her by the shoulders so she could dramatically gesture the vehicle. “We need to show off my Yenamobile!”

“I’m the one driving though, her dad gave her the car before he knew she didn’t pass the driving test.” Hyewon added, resting her elbow on Chaewon’s free shoulder – she shrugged them both off, sticking to Minjoo’s side instead.

“Details, details! Come on, it will be fun!” Yena waved her hands in dismiss, opening the back door and gesturing for them to enter already. “Don’t worry, I asked aunt Jiyeon to cover for us in case your mother is the nagging type!” She directed her words to Minjoo, as if she could predict the girl opposing her idea – her clumsy and loud cousin could also be pretty smart sometimes.

“But I should probably inform her before going. I never go home late.” Minjoo tried to argue, turning to Chaewon – even though somehow they were already locked in the back seat of the car as her cousins took the front seats and Hyewon was ready to drive away.

“Don’t worry, they are a little impulsive, but they won’t get us into trouble.” Chaewon guaranteed, raising her voice a bit so the others could hear her as well. “Just text your mom saying we’re going to hang out for a bit, we can send our locations to her as we go, so she will know where you’re. I’ll do the same with my parents.” Taking her phone out of her pocket, she started to do as she said and Minjoo nodded, doing the same. The girl was probably very confused with the quick turn of events, but Chaewon knew she would appreciate this outing if she had the chance to. “It will be fun, I promise.”

The light of a camera flash illuminated the high schoolers, the photographer putting her phone down to grin at them. “We can send her some selfies as proof too!” Of course, Yena had everything covered.

Chaewon was right, Minjoo was having a lot of fun.

The older girls actually had a plan, and different from what Yena told them, Hyewon drove straight to a small amusement park near the river line. It wasn’t her first time at that kind of place, but it’s been a while and it was the first time she would visit it with a group of friends – even if she only knew two of them for a couple of hours. Chaewon was good at keeping her company and making sure she wouldn’t feel out of place, however it wasn’t really necessary.

As Yena explained, in her not so great yet very eager signs, they had learned sign language when they were kids. “Aunt Luda taught us so we could talk to Chaewon, I used to think it was like a secret language just for us and it was pretty cool.” The older has said, adding that she never had much talent for it, but refused to be left behind by Hyewon. It wasn’t the only thing the duo told her, talking about how college life was and asking about her plans, sharing some funny stories and anecdotes. Different from their quiet and slightly socially awkward cousin, both girls were actually pretty easy going and approachable, Yena who seem to have so much to say all the time and Hyewon who liked to add her quirk remarks here and there. It was hard to not feel comfortable around them and she caught herself talking more and more, not mind if anyone stared at their little group. Chaewon didn’t say much, with the exception to letting out a protest here and there whenever the others would tell a particularly embarrassing story involving her.

They also went in so many rides that Minjoo was feeling her head light. At first it was a little intimidating and she caught herself clinging onto Chaewon more than usual, but as they went tried new rides, she started to enjoy it more and more, even though the most scary ride was the rollercoaster that was far from being the biggest in town – Hyewon had them going three times. They took a couple of breaks to play at the game stands – that were very much rigged, but Yena still spent a little too much trying to get a hamster plushie for her date who she was supposed to meet later on –, and eat at the food stalls that sold every kind of fried food and a couple of sweet treats that Hyewon was quick to buy. Minjoo herself was trying to restrain herself, after all she hadn’t bring that much money and the older girls already paid for their entrance tickets – ignoring her and Chaewon’s protests –, however Chaewon seemed to notice her behavior and she was the one buying all kind of food and pushing it onto her hands before she could say anything – perhaps she had a lot in common with her non-blood related relatives.

The older girls went ahead of them, looking for another game to play while Minjoo and Chaewon walked slowly, to enjoy their food.

“You really like this, don’t you?” She asked using her free hand, while the other held onto the big cloud of pink cotton candy Chaewon had just got them and seem to focused on consuming – she liked to say Minjoo was the one with a sweet tooth, but Chaewon also had a weak for anything sugary.

Chaewon stopped halfway through eating another big, fluffy piece of the candy, wiping her face from the sticky sugar. “It’s my favorite. When I was seven they had this big event at the place I was staying, and they were giving free cotton candy for all the children. I had a big one like this, and I can only recall that it was like having clouds melting in my mouth.” She explained with a small smile, her eyes a little darker as she looked from the cotton candy to Minjoo. She didn’t need to say anything more, Minjoo knew she was probably referring to one of the adoption events the orphanage should’ve held before she met her parents. It was probably a bittersweet memory for her. “I used to hate those days, but that one wasn’t so bad.”

Instinctively she reached for Chaewon’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze that was her way of comforting her always. Once in a while they shared this kind of small fragment about their past, little things that shouldn’t matter, but still lingered around their minds like painful reminders.

They exchanged a look, Chaewon’s lighting up a little as she gave her a small smile. “Stop making this face, they will tease us if they see you acting like.” She complained, however she didn’t let go of her hand, squeezing it back. Chae leaned in to grab the cotton candy to keep Minjoo’s hand free and steal another bite out of it. “Do you want to go home already? I know they can be a handful sometimes, but I hope you’re having fun too.”

Minjoo shook her head in a negative. “No, mom said I can stay as long as I want and no one is drinking, so we’re good.” Her mother didn’t even ask her many questions, once she told her she would be with Chaewon and that her cousin would drive them home later, she only told her to have fun and not get ‘overboard’ – Jiwon was probably just happy to see her hanging out with other kids. “They’re actually really nice. I never thought college students could be so excited over children games.” She subtly gestured the game stand where Yena and Hyewon were busy trying to win some kind of giant hot dog plushie – definitely Hyewon’s choice.

It was Chaewon’s turn to shake her head, letting out a chuckle as she watched her cousins trying to come up with a strategy to win and failing miserably. “I told you, they’re a bit weird, but really great.”

“I’m having a lot of fun.” Nodding, the taller brunette observed the expression on Chaewon’s face relax as she glanced at her cousins. Fondness. “Thank you for letting me come with you. It must’ve been nice growing up with them.”

“It was. They were my first friends and I didn’t even need a hearing-aid to hear them bickering.” Chaewon jokes, keeping the topic light. Meeting Yena and Hyewon was a little scary at first, her experience with kids in the orphanage hadn’t been the greatest and she didn’t want her new relatives to dislike her, afraid it would be a reason for her moms to change their mind about keeping her…It was foolish, now she knew it, the other girls were eager to meet her and more than willing to accept her in the family, and even if they weren’t, her parents wouldn’t have given up on her that easily. That first summer her cousins dragged her all over the place, showing her all sort of places and trying their best to make her open up – it worked. “They really wanted to meet you, but I wasn’t expecting them to just appear out of nowhere.”

“I’m glad they did, then.” Minjoo chuckled at Chae’s slightly annoyed expression that still wasn’t able to hide her fondness. “To which side of your family they belong? Jiyeon’s?”

Pulling Minjoo by the hand, so they could reach the nearest trash bean and she could throw away the stick that once kept the cotton candy – the sweet was long gone –, she replied with pensive tone. “They remind you of her? I guess I can see why.” Finishing her task, she glanced at Minjoo’s profile. “They’re both from Luda’s side, their mothers are her cousins not sisters, but they’re very close. I don’t really know anyone on Jiyeon’s side, they’re…Not so pleasant.” Making a face, Chaewon proceeded. She never got to meet Jiyeon’s parents or siblings, she didn’t even know if she had any cousins. Different from her playful and kind mother, they were far from being gentle from the little Jiyeon told her about them. “Bigots.”

Minjoo frowned, concern on her face. No family was perfect and she knew it better than anyone, but she couldn’t help but feel bad for Chaewon’s mother. Chae definitely took after her parents, strong and confident no matter the situation, she had been taught well.

“You’re making that face again.” Chaewon clicked her tongue, a single finger gently touching her forehead to undo her frown. She didn’t want to make of this outing another one of their serious, deep conversations, for once she just wanted them to have fun like everyone else. “Don’t think too much, let’s play a little bit too.” Pulling her to the game stand beside the one where her cousins were still wasting their money, she pointed out the prizes. “Help me get some Digimon plushies!”

The taller let out a surprised chuckle, trying to catch up with Chaewon’s change of subject – as usual, she was quick to adapt and follow Chaewon’s instructions to try to get her the white plushie she wanted.

They could let the serious topics for another time. Today was a happy day, after all.

Chaewon at games, but Minjoo was surprising good at hitting the targets and even-out their score – they didn’t get the biggest prize, but Minjoo still got the cat-like Digimon plushie Chaewon wanted in the end, insisting for the girl to keep it. In exchange, Minjoo was happy to accept the mini frog plushie Chaewon manage to get with her lower score.

Hyewon also managed to win her hot-dog plushie and she somehow managed to squint it inside the small photobooth where the group reunited to take a couple of celebratory pictures – most of the frames were they just trying to find a position where everyone could be seem, but the very last one showed the four girl with broad smiles on their faces, another one for Chaewon’s collection of happy moments and a first for Minjoo’s.

It was getting late now, the moon high in the sky informing them they should go home soon. After playing in the amusement park, they had stopped by a much calmer place, seating by the steps that lead to the river to watch the light show that happened every day on the bridges. Yena and Hyewon were giving Chaewon funny looks since earlier and Minjoo was pretending to not have noticed it too.

“Minjoo, I was going to tell you earlier, but someone interrupted us.” Hyewon said taking a seat beside her. She was clearly referring to Chaewon, who was currently talking to Yena about something – she didn’t know what, but by the way Chaewon’s cheeks got red, she may have an idea. It made her smile to herself, nodding. “I think you already know what I’m going to say.” The older girl gave her a knowing smile and Minjoo nodded again, waiting for her to continue. “Thank you for being so good to our baby cousin, she is not that great at making friends, but she seems really happy around you.” The sentence surprised the Kim, albeit it brought a smile to her face.

Minjoo was expecting some questions, maybe even teasing about her and Chaewon, but it was much better. “Being with her makes me happy too, Hyewon. She is the best person I know.”

Hyewon seemed satisfied with her answer. “Chaewon told me the same thing about you. So, I’ll let you guys enjoy the rest of the night.” Standing up, the older brunette dusted off her jeans. “But if Yena asks you, just say I asked you if you two are dating. Okay?”

Letting out a silent chuckle, she nodded once more. “But why didn’t you ask me it?”

“Because I guess I already know the answer.” Hyewon crooked an eyebrow at her. “Not yet?”

Minjoo just shrugged her shoulders with a smile.

Chaewon and Yena approached them right after, Chaewon looking at them with questioning eyes that Minjoo just beamed at.

“I got run, can’t let my hamster waiting!” Yena asked with a smile, making her cousins roll her eyes at her cheesiness – Minjoo thought it was cute. “Hye, drive me there? You can come pick up the kids later.” Once more she no-so-subtly gave Chaewon a mischievous look and the older Kim shook her head slight.

“You can go, Hyewon. We’ll wait here.”

The eldest member of the group didn’t argue, getting the keys out of her pocket to spin them around her finger. “Let’s go, Ducky. I’ll be back in twenty minutes.” She directed her last sentence to the younger duo who only nodded.

“Take care, kids! Call me if you need anything.” She winked at Chaewon before hugging her and giving Minjoo a quick hug too. “It was nice to meet you. Our college dorm is only a couple of minutes away, Ssamu and you should pay us a visit.”

Minjoo returned the hug, stepping back to reply. “We’ll. Thank you for the day, it was really nice.”

With this, the duo left and Minjoo once more took a seat to watch the light show, patting the place beside her so Chaewon could do the same. The shorter brunette did as she was told, putting her bag aside and resting on her hands.

“Hyewon didn’t ask you anything weird, right?” Chae asked with her warm chestnut gaze on Minjoo’s face instead of looking at the river below. Yena had spent the last minutes trying to get some ‘honest information’ about her relationship with Minjoo and she could bet her older cousin wasn’t much better, these two were like children. She didn’t want the girl to feel uncomfortable and it bothered her that maybe her cousins teasing had crossed the line. – by how relaxed and happy Minjoo looked, it wasn’t the case.

“I told you, I really like your cousins. They’ve been really nice to me.” Minjoo reassured, gently patting on the back of her hand before leaning a little closer so their shoulders could touch. She didn’t like keeping things from Chaewon, but she felt like for now the best was to not mentioning it. Things between them worked fine so far, she didn’t mind being patient. “Your family is full of wonderful people, no wonder you fit right in.”

Chaewon almost sighed in relief, glad that for once her mischievous cousins didn’t put their plans into action, or else she would feel embarrassed for the rest of the night. With Minjoo everything was slow and gentle, their relationship was progressing well on its own, and even if good friends was the all they would ever be, she wouldn’t mind it. Her heart had learned to love the girl beside her before her mind could grasp the idea of it, and sometimes she still wondered when it happened, but one thing she knew for sure: having Minjoo with her was enough, and she wouldn’t risk it by rushing things with silly questions or wrong presumptions. “Then maybe I’ll take you to visit them…Maybe, and only after the exams.”

Minjoo beamed at her promise, clinging to her arm and resting her head on Chaewon’s shoulder. She would be looking forward it, but for now she wanted to enjoy their alone time. “It’s beginning.”

She was talking about the light show that was starting to illuminate the bridge with all sort of colors, reflecting beautifully on the dark water of the river like a mirror. She snuggled up to Chaewon, feeling her familiar scent of mint and strawberry and allowing it to invade her lungs, making her feel at home even when they were in a strange place, surrounded by unfamiliar people.

An easy smile made its way to Chaewon’s face as she watched Minjoo’s eyes shining so bright in the moment, the fact that the girl could enjoy so much little things like this would never cease to warm her heart and make her cherish these moments even more. Resting her head on Minjoo’s, she allowed her eyes to travel to the pretty view in front of her, feeling the gentle breezy and tuning out all the noise so she could focus only on the two of them.

As the show progressed, the vibrant colors bringing a rainbow to the water, illuminating the night, she caught herself humming an old ballad only for the two of them to hear. Minjoo once told her she liked her voice and it seem fitting for the moment, so when the girl looked up to her, she didn’t stop, only asking using her hands “You want me to stop?”

Minjoo smiled at her, brighter than any light of the city. “No. I love it.” She once more snuggled up to Chaewon, her smile still there.

Therefore, Chaewon didn’t stop, her humming evolving to a steady voice as she sang for them.

It was their first time watching the light show, and although it was beautiful, none of them could say it would’ve been as good if they weren’t together.

“It’s finally over! Ready to say goodbye to this place?” Chaewon said with a grin as she took a seat besides Minjoo at their place, the roof.

“Almost.” Minjoo corrected, a nervous look on her face as she glanced at the other girl.

“You’ll do just fine. After all, they won’t be able to tell if you mess it up.” Chaewon said in a light tone, patting the younger girl’s back to try and calm her down. “I still think you shouldn’t have agreed on it, they’re using you for publicity.”

It was their final day at school, just a couple more hours and they’ll be free of that place for good, carrying their degrees to a better life hopefully. The graduation ceremony would begin in an hour or so, but they had sneaked out to have one more chance to be in the place that had become like their second home in the course of the last months.

While Chaewon would probably get one of the awards given to the top students after acing her exams, Minjoo would receive a very different type of honor.

“I know. But I want to do it, just in case there’s someone out there who needs it.” Minjoo elaborated, thinking about herself back in her first year of high school and how having someone there could’ve helped her even if only a bit.

The principal had asked her for a very special favor: she would be there besides the class’ orator, translating everything into sign language and she even took part in writing the speech. It was the school’s way to start their new program that included extra classes on Korean sign language and was supposed to help to accommodate better the new students with disabilities – something that had a lot more to do with the pressure from the parents association and the principal’s fear of losing funds, than with the kids well-being.

Still, it was a huge step into the right direction and Minjoo wanted to be a part of it. Hopefully in the future the new kids wouldn’t have to deal with the kind of things she had to, and this possibility was what had made her accept the offer, even if she was a little nervous of going up there and having so many people looking and judging her at once.

“Minjoo, you’ll be fine. After all, you’re the one that loves to talk.” Chaewon reassured with a playful smile, her hand going up the brunette’s back to caress Minjoo’s hair. They had rehearsed her speech for the last couple of days, Chaewon helping her with sharpening her moves and memorizing it. Part of her was worried Minjoo would be overwhelmed by the audience, but this wasn’t the Minjoo she met months ago, this Minjoo was able to stand up for herself and keep her head held high – she was sure she would be able to do it today. “Just look at our parents, okay? Even if you can’t see me, I’ll be there for you too.”

Minjoo let out a soft chuckle – not a silent one, but the slowly progressing one that showed the deepest colors of her voice. “Mom promised she would be in the front row, I want to make her proud.” She came closer, lacing Chaewon’s left arm with her right one and resting against her shoulder – her favorite position, the safe place that only Chaewon could be for her.

“She already is, so don’t worry about that.” Chaewon intertwined their fingers, her thumb caressing the skin of Minjoo’s warmer hands. She brought their joint hands to her lips, leaving a quick kiss on it.

“Chae?” The low, sweet and captivating voice sounded, still shy and a little unstable, but it was already Chaewon’s favorite sound. She smiled, looking at Minjoo.

It’s been almost five months since Minjoo started her treatment, and albeit small, her improvement was there, she was progressing in her own pace and it was amazing for Chaewon to see how happy it made her. She would still love and appreciate Minjoo if she never got to hear her voice, but now that she did, she couldn’t help but love it too. Minjoo still didn’t use it often, be it because she still had a hard time forming words properly and keeping her pitch correct, or because she was afraid of the way she sounded, Chaewon didn’t try to pressure her. In her own time, Minjoo would be able to speak, and she was willing to be there supporting and encouraging her until this day comes.

“Yes, Min? Don’t even thinking about thanking me again, I know this face.”

“I won’t.” Shaking her head, Minjoo took a deep breath, a small smile on her face as she looked at the person who was able to change her life so much in so little time. She would always be thankful for having Chaewon in her life, but gratitude wasn’t the only thing she felt towards the other Kim. “I love you.” Throughout the time they had been together, she had said it many times, in many different ways: through the way she looked at Chaewon, to the way her hand would always find the way to the girl’s, to the hugs and innocent cheek kisses, through the tears that she shed for the other’s pain…Her love was everywhere, and she knew Chaewon could feel it just like she could feel Chaewon’s affection. Still, she wanted to be able to tell her, to use her voice to show love to the one person that could love her even in her silence.

Chaewon just stared back at Minjoo, every little trait that make up the face she knew by heart, the pretty dark eyes that captured her since the very start. It seems like it was years ago that she first spot that girl, she could remember her scaredy-cat eyes that were so full of fear, but also of hope and innocence, of the smile that she could barely keep but still carried so much kindness on it…Minjoo had changed a lot, yet some things didn’t. Her eyes still reflected her pure soul, but now they carried confidence and fondness; the smile was small, but genuine, no trace of fear or hesitation, only happiness. Minjoo was always someone who deserved love, now she looked like someone who had it.

With a smile, Chaewon lifted her free hand to say. “I love you, too.”

It wasn’t a surprise for any of them, still it felt good to be finally say it and seeing the happy glint on each other’s eyes made it worth the wait.

Cupping Minjoo’s face with her right hand, Chae’s finger caressed the line of her jaw gently. Minjoo’s slightly bigger left hand covered hers, keeping it in place. The chestnut brown of hers met the dark chocolate of Minjoo’s eyes, both seeing the same thing reflect on them: love, fondness and trust.

There was no rush, no nerves or unsureness. As their faces came closer and their lips gently touch, only the light, so warm and comfortable feeling of each other’s presence grew, lacing them into a bubble of affection that couldn’t be broken. It was brief and sweet, Minjoo beaming at the sight of Chaewon as she opened her eyes and Chaewon smiled back at her.

“I love you, Min.” She said, this time using her voice to do so and as expected it made Minjoo’s eyes shine even brighter. Chaewon kissed her again, her lips pressing lightly on hers, showing the same care her touches always carry, but this time it lasted a little longer.

Minjoo’s hand slipped from Chaewon’s to her hair, bringing her closer and making sure the contact wouldn’t be broken. There were no butterflies in her stomach, but her whole body felt light, her head slightly dizzy, high on the feeling of Chaewon’s familiar scent and the sweet taste of her lips. Kissing her didn’t make her heart beat fast, but it made it felt safe and happy, as if Chaewon’s loved had put it into the warmest embrace – one she hoped to never be able to break free.

For several moments they just stayed like that, the sun light kissing their skin as they shared that precious moment together. When the bell finally rang, informing it was time for them to go downstairs and prepare to receive their degrees, they didn’t separate immediately. Chaewon pecking her lips one final time, before resting her forehead on Minjoo’s, stealing a kiss on her cheek. “Are you ready?”

Minjoo’s reply was another short, but loving kiss on her lips, before she stood up taking Chaewon with her. “Let’s do it.” She didn’t let go of Chae’s hand as they went downstairs, keeping their fingers intertwined all the way.

And like every step along this path, they took the last step in this journey together, just like they would take all the next ones in the future.