A/N: Thanks for reading and leaving comments! Today's chapter is to tie some loose ends of the last arc and more fluff in terms of what the future holds--we should be around the half-way mark now, thanks for sticking around and can't wait for the comeback!!! T.T Happy belated birthday Minju!

Saku-chan came back very late last night, and she came back with Eunbi Unnie, which was a rare sight these days, not to mention that they just kind of had a fight over her job. They both sat Nako down and put on a solemn face, made Nako panic for a few seconds until she remembered that the form on future university ambitions were still tucked nicely into the folder as it is only due tomorrow. 

Sakura told her about her decision to stay here, then she embarked on a long story about their mother. Or Okaasans, to be exact. Apart from a Sashihara Rino, there was Sashihara Haruka, who was actually Saku-chan’s birth mother? 

“I think we should go back to find Saku-chan’s mother… I mean, our aunt.” Nako closed her eyes and rubbed her temples to absorb everything. She was just trying to adjust to the fact that Saku-chan was leaving, accept that her dad was in town and never thought to see her, and now she’s suddenly told to scrap everything she knew about Okaasan?

“Nako… Aunt Haruka has been, you know, dead for twenty one years… there’s really nothing to…” Sakura furrowed her eyebrows and commented unsurely. 

“Yeah...I know,” Nako sighed and finally opened her eyes, and shifted her elbows on the table to prop her head up. “I’m just thinking out loud. I can’t stop thinking about how Okaasan has… how much has she kept from us?”

Nako looked up to Okaasan and she was pretty much the only parental figure she could rely on for the most part of her life. Unlike her father, which was a distant figure, Nako admits that she has formed a lion sized image of her mother. Even if she was not the perfect mum, she was convinced that Okaasan had always loved them most, and were fair and open towards them. However, one thing happening after another had left Nako questioning exactly when and how decisions were being made. For example, father had always been distant even before the divorce, and she never felt anything strange about his absence, but after Okaasan’s and Eomma’s sudden marriage, Nako has been wondering if there was more to their dad being extra avoidant towards the family, and now she has found out the true reason, which was more shocking than anything she imagined.

“It’s just little things that aren’t adding up for me.” Nako was showing signs of annoyance and distress as her knuckles turned white from the clenching of her fists.

“Nako-ya...I think it’s been a long night.” Eunbi moved towards the girl from the kitchen counter. “As your sister said, nothing has changed in terms of the present, in terms of how much you are our family. We love you.” She patted her shoulder but Nako remained unmoved.

“Unnie, don’t you have questions about how Eomma… I mean, one day they suddenly told us that she was sick, and not long after, she passed? Why have they been hiding from us?”

“Nako.” Eunbi’s voice deepened a bit as a warning. “It’s liver cancer, and that’s not something easy to detect. They were probably just worried about us, so they chose to keep it under wraps for as long as possible. And what does that have to do with all this?”

“But within half a year of the marriage? And what about their wedding? That was ‘not easy to detect’ to me too. They barely dated. I am not hating on the decision or anything...I knew that they were happy, and I am also happy about meeting you and Eomma. But after what Saku-chan has said… I’ve gotta… I need to rethink what kind of person Okaasan really was-- what she had really gone through. I don’t mean to distrust her or anything, I just want to know the whole truth. I just thought I deserve to know the ‘why’.”

The part that Nako found agitating were all the things that Okaasan never told them. To Nako, Okaasan had always been straightforward, funny and treated her more like a friend-- an equal rather than a child to look down upon. She was the closest person she had, and yet she took these enormous secrets into the grave without telling her? She’s now convinced that the timing of the marriage and the illness were not coincidence. There has got to be something.

“I agree.” Sakura nodded and also came up to the dinner table to sit down. “I guess, I just wanted to make sure that you know what I know, and the reason for Dad's distance. I don’t want you to feel left out or abandoned. If anything, it’s been my fault to try and change any of that.”

“No, Saku-chan, don’t say that, I was never mad at you at all, but I also don’t like sitting here waiting for answers that won’t come by themselves. We should go find Grandma.”

Nako looked up and saw Eunbi eye Sakura with a worried face.

“Unnie, she’s right. I tried it once way back but she wasn’t telling me anything. I think we should make a trip back to Kagoshima this summer to find out everything, once and for all.” 

“Well, it’s up to you guys. I’m just saying, you might uncover answers you don’t want to hear.” Eunbi looked down but Nako could sense some darkness in her eyes.

“Do you know something?” Nako asked but even she didn’t sound convinced since Eunbi had never questioned Eomma or Okaasan as far as she knew. Yes, Nako thought, she had also acted avoidant about their parents’ past; that’s not just a feeling, but a fact. Unnie is also hiding something.

“No, of course not…” Eunbi looked troubled on how to explain herself.

“Unnie…” Sakura sat closer and shook her arm gently to make the oldest girl face her. “It’s not just the two of us. You are coming with Nako and I. We’re going to find the answers together.” Seeing Sakura’s gestures and the surprised look on Eunbi’s face, Nako decided to add in.

“We also need to introduce Unnie to Obaasan too, don’t we? It will be the first Kwon family trip!” A wide grin spread across her face, giving some comfort to Eunbi, who finally broke into a smile and ruffled her hair adoringly.

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That night, Nako barely got any sleep as her mind was trying to let all the news sink in. She went back to school early and sat alone at her desk at the corner, letting her mind wander as she waits for people to arrive. In a way, she felt closer towards Sakura as the veil of her motivations got lifted and she could understand her a lot more. The fact that she chose them over Father this time was a relief that she didn’t think she needed till now.  On the other hand, the fact that all three of them actually shared three different biological mothers didn’t escape her. The fact that her father possibly had never loved her because of the doomed marriage also looms large in her mind.

“Hey!” The first person to arrive was as expected.

“Good morning, Hii-chan.” Nako greets and her friend sat down two rows up across the aisle. She quickly set down her things, and rushed back to Nako’s desk.

“Nako-chan Nako-chan!” The girl is wearing a single high ponytail today and she looks quite energetic. “Last night was amazing! Thanks for telling me about PLAYZ and you know...being my cover…” 

The little bread’s voice trails off at the last part and she looks down in guilt. Hitomi is from a family of doctors and both of her parents got a long research assignment in Seoul, leading to her move here. They are too busy to care for her minute by minute, but they have strict discipline and high expectations of her. They wanted her to excel in studies and follow in their footsteps. Going to a dance club, especially one that is out of school and unorthodox, is basically out of the question. 

However, Nako saw how good Hitomi is, always dancing to songs she saw online alone during breaks or lunch hours, and she suggested that she might be interested in meeting some fellow dancers in real life. She told her that she knew about a crew that is awesome and accepting, but Hiichan didn’t look interested to step out at the time, so she didn’t elaborate too much. It wasn’t until yesterday that she found out she had decided to go, when she asked her to lie and say they were both in cram school if Hiichan’s parents called. Of course, no calls ever happened because they were too busy at work to realize she wasn’t home.

“No problem Hii~ but what made you change your mind? If I had known earlier, I would have come with you!”

“This…” She took the form on future ambitions out, where three top medical universities were written in neat handwriting. “I filled that in and realized high school is my last chance. I don’t want to wonder how it could be like to be freestyling. I wanted to see if I could do it.”

Nako smiles as she thought about the fields “University/Major” being ceremoniously crossed out in her own form. She wonders what happens when the adults find out.

“Good for us that this ‘future’ thing is really making us think about what we want to do. Yea, I’m definitely going to come with you this Saturday and check it out. I hope I can still see some familiar faces there, but I think the chances will be slim…”

Nako wonders if Chaeyeon Unnie will be there. She hasn't actually been brought back to the studio for a long time, way before Eunbi left the group, but she sometimes sees Chaeyeon at the cafe, and knows that it’s still thriving well with loads of new members. Some older oppas and unnies who played with her cheeks when she was younger had moved on to jobs or professional dancing, so she believes that she doesn’t know anyone there.

“It’s fine! They dance to TWICE songs too, so you could definitely join in! I met a couple of Japanese there, and the leader you told me about-- Chaeyeon Unnie-- she was so nice!”

Hiichan started gushing about all the cool moves and dances she saw, and how nice Chaeyeon was, then she mentioned something interesting.

“But the person who got me to try out in front of everyone, who really believed in me even though I looked so out of place-- she turned out to be the ex-leader of the crew. Eunbi-Unnie ne… she has a y aura in her dance, and she literally pulled me into the dance floor without caring about how bad I am.”

Nako was going to interject at this revelation. No, Hiichan, you’re not bad, and Eunbi Unnie was there? But Hiichan follow