Bae Hospital

After battling for an hour to stabilize You’s condition, Irene finally managed to regulate Youi’s heart beat and subdue the poison from Youi’s blood stream. Irene managed to get a few blood sample from Youi’s wound and she takes it to her lab to be analyze. She left Wendy and Ryujin to monitor Youi’s condition while she run some test on the blood sample.

Wendy sat at the corner of the room, and she intensely watch over her daughter. She was worried over Youi, and especially after what Yeri told her. There are so many questioned that she wanted to ask her daughters, but she didn’t want to know it because she’s afraid that if she knows what happened, she will unintentionally change the future timeline. The moment the hooded woman came to her and told her the prophecy about the dystopia future, Wendy had been anxious in keeping her city safe and she even went against the government. The news about Bae Company doing the genetic modification shook Wendy, she refused to believe that her fiancée would agree to do such experiment.

She gets up from her seat and goes to Youi’s side, she holds the girl’s hand and rub the back of Youi’s hand. Youi’s hand is cold to Wendy’s touch, a slight guilt washes over Wendy when she noticed how skinny Youi is. Wendy’s eyes stop at Youi’s watch, she remembered that Youi said, she gave her that watch and it was equipped with Yves’s intelligence. Wendy apologize to Youi and she takes off the watch from her.

Yeri and Ryujin were sitting on the other side of the room and they are busy discussing about the future.

“So…I died in the future huh?”

“I don’t know Ryujin…all I know is after the war, you and the other arrow squad disappear, only Seulgi and Joy stay behind to raise me up and look after the city. But there is nothing that they can do, though project T-ARA failed but the government is still corrupted.”

“I see…are we related in the future? I mean you even know Wendy is Robin.” Ryujin asked.

“Before I tell you, may I know how you know Wendy is Robin too? I was surprised that you barged into her secret lair like you’ve been there and you’re not surprised to see she hands us the Robin suits.” Said yeri.

“I know because I was there when Wendy established the Arrow Squad, I was one of them. I decided to quit the Arrow Squad because I started to work at my sister’s company. Irene unnie is a Robin anti…so to avoid getting caught by her, Wendy unnie agreed to let go of me. Though I did help Wendy unnie secretly.” Ryujin replied.

“Oh…”

“I didn’t know the future could be so grim…” Ryujin said with a sigh.

“That girl over there…” Yeri speaks up but she pauses “She’s special.”

“Special? Is she one of the T-ARA experiment specimen?” Ryujin asked.

“No…she’s your sister specimen.” Yeri replied and Ryujin’s eyes went wide.

“What?”

“Promise me you will keep this a secret from Irene and Wendy…” said Yeri and she puts up her pinky to make pinky promise with Ryujin.

“I…”

“Promise me! Or I will do something that might change the future timeline right now!” Yeri threatened Ryujin. She trusted Ryujin because Ryujin was her favorite aunt and Ryujin had always been there for her when her parents were busy saving the city. Ryujin used to babysit Yeri when she was young, and Yeri is happy that she gets to see Ryujin again. But she had to suppress her feeling without spoiling too much of the future to Ryujin.

Eearlier, Ryujin explained to Yeri the risk of them creating a time paradox if they aren’t careful with what they do in this timeline. Ryujin also explained to Yeri that there is also the possibility of alternative universe being created if Yeri and Youi messed up with the past. Ryujin warned Yeri to be careful with whatever that they do in this timeline, just for the sake of the future. Yeri had her own theory and thoughts, she wanted to tweak some events in the past so that Seulgi’s death can be avoided in the future. Yeri imagined how devastated Joy is now, that Seulgi is dead and she can’t be beside her to comfort her.

Ryujin hooked her pinky with Yeri and promised her that she will keep whatever Yeri told her as secret between them.

“Youi was genetically created.” Yeri whispered to Ryujin and causes Ryujin to gasp out loudly.

Wendy stares at them with a frown on her face. Ryujin smiles at her and waves her hand telling her that it was nothing. Ryujin turns to Yeri and whispers “What do you mean?”

Yeri looks around and tell Ryujin to follows her to a more seclude place. They lied to Wendy that they are going to get something to eat and Wendy give them the permission though they didn’t have to ask for any permission.

Ryujin leads them to a store room close to Youi’s room.

“What do you mean she was genetically created?!”

“Irene uses her gene and combined it with Wendy’s gene to create Youi.”

“How is that possible?! That is not…”

“Irene developed the formula, I think you would know since you work with her.” Yeri cuts Ryujin off before the girl can ask any further.

“Irene unnie never tell me anything about the research that she is conducting, it’s usually very confidential, only she and my father know about it.”

“Her research will lead to catastrophic event, which eventually lead to the T-ARA war…” Yeri replied.

“And it got anything to do with the mutants that attacked you and Youi?”

“I am not sure about that, only Youi knows. I don’t even know where she gets the info from but…I do think it has to do with the research that Irene is conducting.”

Ryujin shakes her head “I won’t believe my sister will agree to such thing as genetic modification…there must be a reason why she did what she did.” Ryujin continues to deny it.

“I’m just telling you what I know, and it’s up to you if you want to believe or not.” Said Yeri before she opens the door and leave the store room.

Ryujin was left with more unanswered questions. She wanted to know everything but she is scared of what really happened in the future. She follows Yeri to exit the store room and she bumped to her sister at the hallway.

“Ryujin what are you doing in there?” Irene asked.

“Ugh…just I…I saw a rat running in, so…ugh…yeah.”

“Oh…I got the result from that girl’s blood test and I found something shocking…let’s go and meet Wendy first.”

***

“How is she?” Yeri asked.

“Her heartbeat has stable and seems like her fever is subduing too. I’m surprise how quick her wound heal…it hasn’t been 24 hours but look at it.” Said Wendy as she pointed at You’s rib. Yeri was surprise too as she watches the wound slowly disappearing from Youi’s fragile body.

“Wendy…”

“Irene…how is the report?”

“I found a trace of poison in her blood stream, but that’s not what’s important…her body antibody managed to fend it off, and there’s something that I want to ask you.” Said Irene.

Wendy exchanges look with Yeri and then she turns to face Irene and nod. Irene hands Wendy Youi’s medical report. Wendy opens it and read it but she doesn’t understand anything at all. She turns to Irene with a frown and Irene scoffs at her fiancée’s reaction.

“Her DNA…it has weird pattern to it…it’s like it was genetically modified.” Said Irene as she is astonished by Youi’s DNA “I never seen anything like this before Wendy…who is she?”

“She’s from the future.” Said Ryujin and instantly Wendy feels like she wanted to shoot the girl with her arrow, and Ryujin is lucky that Wendy didn’t have her arrow and bow with her now.

“From the future? Wendy? Care to explain?” Irene turns to Wendy for an answer.

Wendy shoots Ryujin a deathly glare and Ryujin immediately correct herself “Unnie, I was joking! I mean you said you’ve never seen that kind of genes, ahaha, I thought I wanted to brighten up the tense atmosphere…” Ryujin lied.

“But it still doesn’t explain her ability to heal that fast. Who is she? Did you run any background check before you hire someone? And where did she gets that wound from? The poison components that I found in her wound is commonly found in snake venom, but that wound isn’t caused by a snake right, it more like a bite from some type of animal? You know how much I hate secret, Wendy.”

“She’s was raised in an orphanage…” Yeri speaks up when she sees how speechless is Wendy.

“Huh?” Irene turns to face Yeri, and Yeri for a moment felt like she wants to cry when she stares into her mother’s eyes that she had been missing for 18 years.

“Youi was abandoned by her parents when she was one, she grows up in an abusive environment in the orphanage. Her body must have adapted to the constant abuse, hence the fast healing…then earlier, we were attacked before we came for the interview with Ms Son…Youi didn’t want to miss the interview so she endured it. The guy probably attacked us with a venomous weapon...” Yeri lied in order to save their cover up.

“Hmm…I will keep her here until she gets better…and I would like to watch her closely, because her genes hold something that could be beneficial to the medical world. Wendy, let’s just cancel our date for today. I need to run a few reports on this girl.”

“Her name is Youi…” Wendy replied when she noticed that Irene didn’t even address Youi properly.

“Yes Youi…” Irene replies, and she was a little disturb at how protective Wendy is toward this girl that she just met today.

“I’m going home for a little bit to take a shower.” Wendy excuses herself, then she remembered Yeri “Oh…Yeri, you can stay at my house for meantime.” Offered Wendy.

“Why? Doesn’t she have her own place?” Irene asked jealously.

“They just came to K-City today Irene, and they don’t have any place to stay yet. I promised them a place to stay and job, so she can stay with me for the meantime.” Wendy replied.

“So it’s okay for other girls to go over your house but not me?” Irene asked again this time with angry tone.

Ryujin steps in to stop her sister “Unnie…”

“I’m tired Irene-ah…we’ll talk about this tomorrow.” Wendy dismisses Irene and she drags Yeri out with her.

Irene scoffs when Wendy slammed the door in front of her “I can’t believe her!!”

***

Wendy is still holding Yeri’s hand, she didn’t let go. When they reached the car park, Wendy let go and faces Yeri “What you said just now, is it true?”

“About?”

“I don’t know why I feel like when you said that Youi’s parents abandoned her when she was one is the truth…did we really abandoned Youi?” Wendy asked.

“I…It was a lie!” Yeri denied.

Wendy doesn’t believe Yeri but she understands if Yeri didn’t want to tell her the truth. Right now they need to be very careful to not alter the future.

“Get in the car, we’re going home…” Wendy invites Yeri in.

***

Irene was alone with Youi in that room after Ryujin left to have dinner with Lia. Irene brought her laptop in with her. She wanted to monitor Youi closely so she had the hospital staff to arrange for her working station in Youi’s room. Irene had a medical education specialist in genetics, thus her father made her the director of the Bae Hospital.

Irene eyes got tired from staring at the laptop screen for long hours and she sees that the time is already 12 in the midnight. She rested her eyes for a while and a glimpse of Youi’s face caught her attention. She stares at Youi closely and she thought that Youi resembles Wendy a lot. Then she remembers that Yeri mentioned about Youi grows up in the orphanage. She stares at Youi for a long time, but she shakes her head.

“No, that’s impossible…it cannot be that she is related to Wendy…but she looks so much like Wendy…”

***

Yeri feels just like at home, well it used to be her home when she was younger before they moved to a bigger house. Wendy finally 100% believed that Yeri is her daughter from the future when Yeri can navigate her way in the house seamlessly, almost like she had been there before.

“Yeri, do you want something to drink?”

“I want soda, thank you.”

“Sure.” Said Wendy and she goes to the kitchen to get a bottle of soda for Yeri. She went back to the living room to hand Yeri the drink but she couldn’t find her and she sees the sliding door excess to the garden is open, so she goes there to check on it. She sees Yeri sitting at the patio at the garden. Wendy approaches her “It’s cold out here…we don’t want you to catch cold, let’s go inside.” said Wendy.

“Can I stay here awhile? I missed this place so much.” Said Yeri as she smiles softly at Wendy.

“Ugh…sure…here, your drink.”

“Thanks…” Yeri thanked Wendy and she open the bottle to take a sip “That cherry tree over there…”

“Oh that tree…I tried to grow it but it seems like not going to fruit anytime soon…” said Wendy with a sigh, she tried to nurture the cherry tree but it seems like it doesn’t want to bear any fruits, and Wendy was thinking that she should just get rid of the tree.

“It will one day.” Said Yeri with a cheeky smile “And I remember how pissed you were when I destroyed that tree.” Yeri laughed as she reminisces the old memories of her childhood where she played with her parents in this house.

“You destroyed the tree?” Wendy asked again.

“We were playing tag and I accidentally destroyed it, you were pissed but got scolded by mom…I mean Irene. I really missed the weekends where you and mom would wake me up and you make me my favourite waffle, and then we would come out here and water all the plants, then we would go out to the nearest park and you would play pirates with me, while mom watches us from a far, then we’ll come back home to have lunch which the three of us will prepared together. I missed riding Wendy Airline Airplane, where you would carry me behind and pretended that you are an airplane and I’m the passenger. Mom would always scold us when we made mess.”

Wendy was astonished when the story that Yeri told her, it was the kind of life that she dreamed off. She wanted to have a happy family, but with her current situation with Irene, she is not sure if that dream will come true, but now that she heard Yeri’s story, she is less worried about her relationship with Irene in the future.

Wendy joins Yeri on the patio and seated next to her “So…were we happy?”

“Yeah…we were…”

“How about Youi?”

“…something happened and the two of you had to give up Youi to the orphanage…”

“I thought you said it was a lie?” Wendy questioned Yeri.

“Half of it is a lie…Youi grew up without her parents. And you know what? Yesterday was her birthday, and also the first day that I met with her, my little sister. I resented her because I thought she is going to snatch away everything from me. And yet, she selflessly rescued me earlier…if it wasn’t for me, Youi wouldn’t be in this situation now…”

“What actually happened before you landed in this timeline?” Wendy questioned but Yeri refuses to answers.

The mother and daughter stay silent for a while until Yeri broke the silence.

“I saw you and Irene’s interaction, it seems like there’s a distant between the two of you. I thought she’s your fiancée?” Yeri asked.

“Yeah…but, I don’t know how to explain to you Yeri. I was scared I might lose her if she knows my identity as Robin. Irene hates Robin, because she’s a pro government supporter, and you know how the government is. Even you told me it was way more corrupted in the future. I admit that I love her, but sometimes, she’s a little intimidated, to tell you the truth Yeri, I fell for her the first time we met during the gala that her family organized.”

“Oh~ spill the tea sis!” Yeri said to Wendy.

“Spill what?” Wendy said as she looks at Yeri confusedly.

“Oh…ugh, it’s slang from the future, which literally mean tell me all the information.” Explained Yeri to the confused Wendy.

“Oh...yeah the tea is…I met her the first time that day, though I’ve seen her face everywhere in the magazine as the youngest Managing Director of the Bae company…” said Wendy and she can’t keep herself from smiling. “She was so beautiful that night…”

Flashback to the Gala Diner by the Bae Family

“Stop stuffing yourself with food Rosé-ah!” Seulgi scolded the intern when she can’t stop herself from stuffing herself with food at the buffet table.

“Unnie, we’re here to eat right? Just let her eat.” Jisoo defended the young woman.

“Where is Wendy?” Rosé asked with her mouthful.

“She’ll be here in a minute.” Said Seulgi.

“I don’t understand why are we here…” said Seulgi.

“You work for Wendy.” Jisoo replied sarcastically.

“The rest of you?” asked Seulgi.

“We’re team Arrow remembered?” Jisoo whispered.

“Yes I remember, just don’t ask too many question and enjoy yourself.” Said Seulgi before she disappeared into the crowd to look for Joy.

“Hey girls!” Wendy greeted her squad.

“Wendy! You’re late!” Jisoo scolded the heiress to the biggest weaponry company in Korea.

“Traffic.” Wendy justified her lateness.

“Seungwan-ah.” Someone called for the heiress.

“Oh mom!” she greeted her mother and then she greeted her father who stands behind her mom.

“I asked you to wear something nice and you come in like this?” her mom commented on her appearance. Wendy was too engrossed in her training with the new arrow that she developed and she forgot about the gala, so she came in with her work attire.

“I was busy.” Wendy replied.

“You are always busy…” her father chided her.

“Dad~ it’s not easy to run a company now that you’ve left everything to me to manage.” Wendy sighed.

Wendy’s father laughed at her daughter response because Wendy refused to take over the company before but then she agreed if her father let her to take over the weaponry research lab. “Anyway Seungwan ah…there’s someone that I want you to meet. Will you come with me?”

Wendy excused herself and followed her father. They approached the gala organized, Mr.Bae. Wendy’s heart stopped when her eyes met with the Bae’s heiress. She was wearing pearl white off shoulder dress, with her hair tied up and she was wearing a long diamond earing. Wendy stumbled to Mr.Bae and she apologized, Irene chuckled at Wendy’s clumsiness.

“Wendy, this is Mr.Bae, I think you know him already.”

“Hi Mr.Bae, I was a big fan of your work for the community.” said Wendy to Mr.Bae as she shook hand with him.

“I heard a lot about you too Seungwan. Anyway here meets my daughter, Joohyun.”

The two heiress exchanged hand shake, and Wendy was smitten by Irene’s beauty to which she forgot to let go of Irene’s hand. Wendy apologized again when Irene forcefully pry her hand away from Wendy’s grasped.

“Wendy and Irene, we were thinking to expand our business together and…announce your engagement later on.”

“What?!” both Irene and Wendy looked at their fathers with a surprise expression.

End of Flashback

“The engagement went well and Irene accepted the engagement too…but something felt forced between us…” Wendy said out her concern.

Yeri holds Wendy’s hand and give it a little squeeze “Thing will change…I promise you, because I’ve seen how your relationship develop in the future.”

“Thanks for your assurance…but now I just gotta make sure our wedding goes well.” Wendy sighed.

“You know…I know I shouldn’t be messing with the timeline but…please don’t die…mom…” Yeri begged with tears in her eyes “Youi…needs you and Irene.” She cried.

“Youi…”

“Youi is your biological daughter mom…yours and Irene.” Said Yeri.

“What? Biological? But…how?”

To be continued…

Next Chapter Preview

“Wendy!” Irene called for her fiancée as she barged into her office.

“I’m busy Irene.” Wendy replied without even looking at Irene.

“What the hell is this?” Irene asked as she throw the files on Wendy’s desk.

“That kid DNA and yours matched!” Irene replied with a slight anger tone “What is this?! Even if you are her long lost sibling the DNA wouldn’t be a direct copy of yours, unless she is your twins! What is the meaning of all these?!!”