I'm so happy Mina is back. She performed at the latest concert on Fukuoka. As someone who also has anxiety problem, I am very inspired by her. I know she's still struggling with it, now and in the future. Because anxiety is not something you can fight all at once and disappear. Anxiety is something that will still be there inside you, but it can be controlled and maintained. Anxiety is not something shameful or scary. It just needed to be treated right, by taking a break. Mina started taking a break in July last year. Now after seven months, she's back. It's a long time to wait, but it's really worth it. Anxiety is not that bad, people. Mina had shown us she can beat it! And so can we! I'm talking as someone who has a history of anxiety problems too.

Now onto the story. Let's make bunny drunk again. This will be a very pivotal chapter in this fic. The whole nine-slaps-scene won't happen without this chapter. So I suggest you read this chapter slowly and carefully. This will be a very long chapter, and I don't intend it to break it into smaller chapters/parts.

@ awvibe: Let's increase the tension more!

@ blank123: I never mentioned it because I haven't thought about it LOL! I haven't even decided who is Seoyeon's father! If you have any idea, you can talk to me privately! Oh wait, I forgot I'm invisible and will stay invisible. You can't talk to me privately. Sorry LOL

@ Wivern : Yeah, I'll drop the bomb here!

@ Hosana_to_highest : Thanks for the free Korean language course. This chapter might surprises you.

@ krina_love : Honey, you can't kick her . She will kick your first LOL.

@ jyp_stan : Here I give you 2yeon kiss!

SONG LYRICS : BTS V - Singularity

After the girl finished their lunch, they continued swimming and playing in the pool again.

This time, Jeongyeon had a plan.

"Sana, Nayeon! Let's switch! Mina and I will babysit Seoyeon, and you two can go to the third section. There's a lot of interesting slides there! Go and try it!" Jeongyeon said.

Sana stared at Jeongyeon, then at Mina.

"Go, Sana! It will be a waste if you don't try those challenges! Let Jeongyeon and I babysit Seoyeon here." Mina said, encouraging Sana.

"Nayeon, you go too!" Jeongyeon said.

Nayeon stared at Seoyeon. At this moment, she had lost any interest in going somewhere else and just wanted to stay with Seoyeon.

"No, I don't like extreme challenges. And I want to play here with Seoyeon." Nayeon said.

"Oh, okay then, Sana, let's come with me! I want to try those challenges one more time!" Jeongyeon said and grabbed Sana's arm.

Sana took a moment to look at Nayeon and Mina. Somehow she felt a bit uncomfortable to leave those two here.

However, Jeongyeon didn't want to wait longer and just continued dragging Sana away with her.

"Come on, Sana! Let's go!"

Mina and Nayeon were then left with Seoyeon. At first the two just looked at each other silently. Mina wanted to say something, but she didn't know where to start. Both knew what each other was thinking at the moment. Mina knew Nayeon wanted to avoid her, but still wanted to play with Seoyeon. And Nayeon knew that Mina knew she was avoiding her. No word was spoken, but they knew what each other was thinking.

Mina and Nayeon fell into an awkward silence. But fortunately, with Seoyeon being with them, they had another thing to occupy themselves.

"Mina-unnie, teach me to swim again!"

"Okay! Come here!"

Mina took Seoyeon's hands and held her. They were repeating Seoyeon's lesson earlier, floating in the water. Seoyeon still had trouble taking off her legs from the floor base. She then asked Nayeon to help hold her stomach again and lifting her body into a horizontal position. Then Seoyeon would move her legs up and down. And after a moment, Nayeon would release her hold on Seoyeon, and let Seoyeon float on her own.

Nayeon had another idea. She wanted to make Seoyeon able to lift her legs from the floor without assistance. It's like teaching a chick bird how to fly for the first time.

"Mina, I have an idea. Walk backward fast, and pull her with you. Seoyeon, kick the floor and leap like a frog, and let Mina-unnie pull you. Then move your legs up, and keep moving it up and down." Nayeon said.

"That's a good idea. Let's try it, Seoyeon. I will pull you."

"I'm scared." Seoyeon said. She still wanted Nayeon to come and hold her.

"Don't be scared, I will follow you from behind." Nayeon said, encouraging her daughter.

Although reluctant, Seoyeon agreed to try it. Mina then started pulling Seoyeon with her, at first Seoyeon still hesitated to lift her legs, but Mina pulled her faster and Seoyeon finally kicked her legs and leaped. And soon she had her body floating in the water, without being held by Nayeon.

Seoyeon screamed happily at this. They repeated this again and again, until Seoyeon didn't feel scared anymore.

Next, it's the breathing lesson.

Mina spoke to the little girl, "Seoyeon, let's try holding breath under water. Watch me." Mina stood in front of Seoyeon, then she crouched down in the water, her head was below the water surface.

Seoyeon stared at Mina. She looked scared just like before.

"See? It's easy right?" Mina said after she emerged from the water.

"Noooooo!!! I'm scared!!!" Seoyeon shook her head. Seeing Mina having her head under water made her scared as hell.

But of course, mommy bunny knew how to handle this.

She spoke, "Mina, don't make her scared. Teach her slowly." She came and stood in front of Seoyeon. "Seoyeon, I have an easier way for you. For now, you don't need to put your head under water. Just stand and do this. First, take a deep breath, then hold it, then pinch your nose with your fingers, close your nose tightly, hold it until five, then open your nose, and breathe. Watch me." Nayeon demonstrated it to Seoyeon. "Easy, right? If you can't do five, just counting to three is okay."

Seoyeon nodded. Of course, it's easy for everyone, even a kid to pinch your nose and hold your breath.

The little girl did as Nayeon told her.

"Great! Do it again several times!"

Seoyeon repeated it again, and everytime she managed to hold her breath a little bit longer.

"Great! Now you're ready for the next step. Take a deep breath, pinch your nose and close it tightly, then crouch down under water, hold it and count to five, then stand again, and open your nose and breath out. You get it?"

"Mmmm....." Seoyeon blinked, thinking.

Nayeon smiled. She patiently repeated her instruction. "Take a deep breath. Pinch nose. Crouch down. Hold it and count to five. Stand up. Open nose. Breathe out. Watch me again." Nayeon said and then demonstrated it.

Seoyeon watched it and she understood. She then did precisely as Nayeon instructed her. It seemed that her courage had been boosted up a lot after seeing how easy Nayeon did the task.

"Mommy!! I can do it!!" Seoyeon screamed happily. She kissed and hugged Nayeon once again.

"Yes! You can do it, Seoyeon! You're a smart kid!" Nayeon kissed and hugged Seoyeon back.

The two bunnies clapped and cheered to celebrate their achievement.

Meanwhile, the other species -the penguin- could only stare at the two bunnies, amazed upon seeing their interaction.

"Nayeon, you really know how to talk to Seoyeon and teach her." Mina commented. "You look like her mother, you know."

Those words made Nayeon's heart skip a beat. She froze for a second.

I look like her mother?
Mina, I am her mother.

A teardrop involuntarily made its way out from Nayeon's eyes. But because she was already drenched and soaked from top to toe after demonstrating the breathing lesson to Seoyeon earlier, nobody saw Nayeon's teardrops.

Seoyeon repeated her lessons several more times. And within less than an hour she already mastered the skill of holding breath under water.

The two bunnies and the penguin then spent the rest of the day, playing in the pool, splashing water and chasing each other.

The clock on the tower showed it was 4:15 PM when Mina and Nayeon decided to stop their playing time.

They got out of the water and sat on the benches nearby.

"I'll buy us a drink! Seoyeon, what do you want? Milk? Tea? Or milk tea?" Mina asked.

"Milk tea." Little Seoyeon answered.

"Nayeon? What do you want?"

"Same."

"Okay. Wait here."

Mina then walked to the vending machine located near the food court. She was backfacing and walking away from the sun. And it was summer so the sun was still shining so brightly. The ray of lights fell upon Mina's skin and it embraced her body like a blanket. Mina's skin was beautifully tanned. Not as tanned as Tzuyu, but still darker than Nayeon, Jeongyeon, and Sana. Nayeon couldn't help but stare at Mina from behind. The girl was wearing a light green tanktop and matching hot pants. Water dripped from her body as she walked. Her tanned skin was glowing under the sunlight. Nayeon felt envious and wondered how to have beautiful, healthy skin like Mina's.

Grass is always greener on the other side. People with darker skin often envy those with a white skin, they bought all kinds of skincare products and whitening cream. While people with pale skin envy those with tanned skin, they go to the beach and sunbathe. Girls with big s envy those with smaller ones, and girls with smaller ones envy those with bigger ones. Some did surgery to make their s smaller or bigger. People who have a petite/short body envy those people who are taller, because taller usually means more powerful and more beautiful, like a supermodel. While people with a taller body say people with a short body is actually very cute.

The thing that those people always seem to forget is that they're actually still very normal, as long as they're alive and breathing.

Mina returned a few minutes later with three bottles of milk tea. She gave each to Nayeon and Seoyeon. They rested themselves on the benches while enjoying their drinks. Playing and swimming for an hour had made them so thirsty. They finished their drinks fast. Mina and Nayeon sat side by side. Seoyeon looked so sleepy, she rested her head on Nayeon's laps while having her body resting on Mina's laps.

"Mommy! Rub my tummy!" Seoyeon asked.

"Okay." Seoyeon said smilingly.

She moved her hand to reach Seoyeon's stomach, but at the same time, Mina also moved her hand there. Their hands touched each others. There was nothing unusual with this, but due to their current tension, this simple gesture made them slightly stunned from the sudden touch. Mina pulled her hand back, and just let Nayeon rubbed Seoyeon's tummy. Nayeon lifted Seoyeon's shirt and her eyes landed on the all familiar pattern of the birthmark on Seoyeon's stomach. She kept staring on Seoyeon's birthmark, occupying herself with it.

"Sing to me, mommy!" Seoyeon asked again.

"Okay." Nayeon said smilingly. Of course she would do anything Seoyeon asked her.

Nayeon then sang some lullaby songs for Seoyeon, and soon the bunny kid was drifting away to the dreamland.

And with the bunny kid no longer taking their attention, Mina and Nayeon found themselves back into an awkward silence. The atmosphere suddenly changed from warm to cold. Nayeon's smile suddenly disappeared, and her aura suddenly became gloomy.

Seeing Nayeon acting cold, Mina didn't know what to do and what to say. They were on vacation. And Mina didn't want to ruin it with a fight or a confrontation between them.

"So, are you going to stay in the hotel tonight?" Was the only thing that managed to roll out from Mina's mouth at that moment. Easy question. Easy answer. No fight. No confrontation.

"Yes." Nayeon replied shortly. Her voice bland.

"Oh, me too." Mina said. She racked her brain again, trying to find something more to say. The silence and awkwardness between them had become a pure torture on its own for the Japanese cowgirl.

"Dahyun really misses Seoyeon so much." Nayeon suddenly said.

"Oh, yeah, I know. She rarely comes to our house anymore." Mina commented.

"She can't. Our mother prevents her."

"I hope everything will be okay for them. Seoyeon misses Dahyun so much too." Mina said.

The two went silent again for another long minutes.

"Jihyo is going to Seoul with Momo tomorrow." Nayeon said.

"Yeah, I know. They will spend one week there." Mina nodded.

They went silent again. And the same thing repeated. Mina or Nayeon would try to talk about other people and other stuff, except for themselves and their broken relationship. Most of the time, the two just fell silent. It was really torturing. Both Mina and Nayeon silently wanted to go back to the hotel, but they had to wait for their respective partners to come back to them first.

Fortunately for them, Jeongyeon and Sana returned not long after, and they found Mina and Nayeon sitting side by side on the bench, Seoyeon was resting on their laps, sleeping.

Jeongyeon found Mina and Nayeon looked kinda cute but awkward. The penguin and the bunny were silent most of the time, but they couldn't move and go anywhere because they had Seoyeon resting on their laps. They were afraid that if they moved, they would wake Seoyeon up.

"She's just fell asleep. Let's wait a moment." Nayeon said.

"Okay."

Sana sat beside Mina. Jeongyeon sat beside Nayeon. And thankfully with those two come back, the atmosphere became brighter again.

It was almost 5 PM when Seoyeon woke up. The little girl was still a bit sleepy and she was acting cranky because of this. Sana said Seoyeon can continue her sleep once they arrive at their hotel.

The girls took a brief shower at the water park area, and then went directly to the hotel where they had made a reservation.

Coincidentally, Mina and Sana's room was located at the same hotel, the same floor, and the same corridor with Nayeon and Jeongyeon's floor. Their rooms were just across from each other.

"Bye, mommy bunny!" Seoyeon waved goodbye at the mommy bunny before they went inside their rooms.

"Bye, bunny kid!" Nayeon waved back.

And as soon as they closed the door, Nayeon found herself turning into a brooding mother again.

She didn't say anything to Jeongyeon and just went to unpack her stuff.

Jeongyeon noticed the sudden gloomy atmosphere in the room. At that moment, Nayeon looked like a brooding Demeter whose daughter had just been taken away by Hades, the God of the Underworld. Demeter was the Goddess of Fertility who protects the farm, crops, and vegetation on earth. Soon after she found that her daughter Persephone had been taken away by Hades, Demeter refused to do her duty, and the earth then turned into a disaster. All crops and vegetables on earth were ruined and refused to grow. Crop failures and famine erupted everywhere in the world. That was what happened if someone dared to mess up with the Goddess of Fertility.

Nayeon wasn't a goddess, but she had an effect like a goddess. In her hand, she held the future of a thousand people working in her enterprise, in this town, in Seoul, Busan, and other cities in this country. If she was moody and becoming unproductive, it would make a huge impact on the company's profit and it would make everyone lost their income as well.

Nayeon's mood is the embodiment of the whole future of the Im Corporation, and everyone whose life depends on it. If Nayeon was happy and productive, the profit and income will be high and everyone will be happy. But if Nayeon was in a bad mood, nothing seems fine and no one seems happy.

Jeongyeon observed Nayeon for a moment. She noticed the darkened eyes and puckered lips of the mommy bunny. And she came closer to her.

"Nayeon, how are you feeling?" She asked.

"I'm fine."

Jeongyeon tilted her head, observing.

"No, you're not."

Nayeon didn't answer, and just looked away, hiding her face from Jeongyeon.

"Hey, look at me. Look me in the eye, Nayeon." Jeongyeon grabbed Nayeon's shoulder gently, making the woman turn to her. She then took Nayeon by the chin, and spoke to her,

"Nayeon, you wanna cry now?"

"No. Why would I?"

"Because you're hurting."

"I'm not."

"Liar. I can see your tears threatening to fall down."

Nayeon bit her lips.

"You're hurting because you miss Seoyeon so much."

"...."

"You're hurting when you see her sleeping in other people's arms."

"...."

"You're feeling guilty because you can't get your daughter back to you just like you have planned."

"...."

"If I were you, I would be crying by now."

That was it. The CEO broke down. She couldn't hide her sadness anymore. She put her hands on her face, and began crying.

Jeongyeon took Nayeon's head and made the latter lean onto her shoulder.

Nayeon didn't cry out loud, and didn't cry like a river. She's only silently sobbing. Even when crying, she still looked calm and reserved as if she was still holding back. But considering this was the first time for her to cry in front of someone outside her family, this was already a good progress. And Jeongyeon should be proud to be the first person who lent their shoulders for Nayeon to cry on.

Aside from not crying out loud, Nayeon didn't cry for too long either. Only a minute or two is enough. And Jeongyeon's shoulder was still dry without being wetted by Nayeon's tears.

Nayeon took a deep breath, and pulled herself away from Jeongyeon. Her eyes were reddened a bit.

"Feel better now?"

"Yeah, I feel better. I'm sorry, Jeong, I don't mean to let you see me like this."

"Like this like what?"

"Uhm... weak?"

Jeongyeon smiled. "Crying doesn't mean you're weak. It just means you're human, and that you have a very big burden right now."

"Don't tell this to anyone."

"About what? About your secret with Seoyeon? Or about you crying on my shoulder?"

"Both."

Jeongyeon let out a chuckle.

"I'm going to take a long shower. Do you wanna go first?"

"No, go ahead. I want to take a nap first."

"Okay."

AT THE OTHER ROOM.

Mina, Sana, and Seoyeon had just finished taking shower. And now they were lying lazily on the bed. Seoyeon, as usual, was sandwiched between the two. Mina was reading a magazine, while Sana was rubbing Seoyeon's stomach.

"Mina, can I ask something?"

"Shoot."

"What were you talking with Nayeon today?"

"Hm. Nothing."

"When you two were with Seoyeon, she didn't say anything to you?"

"No." Mina said while reading the magazine.

Sana took Mina's magazine to show that she wanted a serious conversation.

"She still doesn't explain why she's avoiding you?"

"No."

Sana let out a sigh. "Mina, look, I want to be honest with you."

Mina stared at Sana, listening.

"After the last tournament, three weeks ago, Nayeon and I had a talk. You know that, right?"

"Yes."

"She apologized to me for slapping me earlier, and I forgave her. Then I asked her to stay away from you-"

"WHAT!? Sana, you- you asked her to avoid me?" Mina stared at Sana.

"Calm down, Mina. No, I never told her to avoid you. I said to her that I want her to stay away from you, in regard to you being my girlfriend. But I also said that she can keep friendship and business relationships with you, as long as she treats you with respect. I said that because I was angry at how she put the high bet on you at the boxing match. I mean, she made you fight beyond your limit."

"Sana, you don't have to get angry at that. She just wants to see me doing my best."

"I know, Mina. But maybe I'm just jealous because she has such a big influence on you, and I'm not only talking about her money."

Mina didn't say anything.

"Mina, look, I like Nayeon too, she's nice. Not as nice as her sisters, but she is nice, especially to Seoyeon. She was angry at me and hit me that day because she really worried for Seoyeon. I don't want her to get too close to you, but I don't want her to alienate herself from us too. Dahyun is dating Chaeng. And Jihyo is dating Momo. Jeongyeon has become our friend too. So at least Nayeon should be friends with t