Days passed and what happened that day had sunk into oblivion. Yongsun was busy for the rest of that week so the next time they were able to meet was on the gender reveal party day.

Yongsun volunteered to come early and help with the preparation as she wanted to repay for their help on her moving day.  The couple was much delighted, welcoming her with big smiles and endless thanks. Yongsun passed the gifts to them and asked lively where they should start. She was looking forward to spending more time with Byulyi today.

“Noona, can you hand me the ribbons please?”

Junghoon’s voice dragged her back to reality. She grabbed the pink and blue ribbons on the table and passed them to him like a robot. 

“Thank you noona”, he gave her a smile and resumed to his current work.

Yongsun nodded awkwardly and continued plumping the balloons. It was not what she had expected. She thought she would stick with Byulyi the whole morning, not with the younger girl’s husband like this. Her attention then went to the cheerless hamster who was lying on the sofa, about to doze off. Byulyi seemed to have finally given in. She unconsciously let out a chuckle, they did not have another choice.

  Byulyi was the most excited person about this party, but her excitement had accidentally caused her to lose sleep the previous night. The moment they just took out the decorations, Yongsun had already lost count on how many times Byulyi yawned. Junghoon also noticed it and immediately told his wife to go in their room to rest, but there was no way Byulyi would listen to his words in the first place. The younger girl protested and opened her eyes widely to show them how awake she was, before letting out another big yawn.

After some unsuccessful persuasion from both him and Yongsun, Junghoon had to use a stricter way, resting or canceling the party. It worked, not perfectly but at least Byulyi agreed to rest on the sofa in case they needed any help from her. Yongsun had to try her best not to laugh at Byulyi’s worry, reminding herself how moody the younger girl was. After asking them every 5 minutes for a while, the sleep finally knocked Byulyi down. Yongsun excused herself to the bathroom, only to steal a glance at the younger girl’s peaceful sleeping face. A smile appeared on her face.

As soon as Yongsun finished the last task, the clock ticked at 11 o’clock. The guests were gonna come in less than an hour. The preparation was all done, now she only needed to wake Byulyi up so the younger girl could get ready. With that thought, Yongsun headed to the living room excitedly. She was gonna use this chance to pinch Byulyi’s cheeks as a revenge for what the younger girl had done to hers for years. At that time, Junghoon stepped out from the kitchen, he must have done with the cooking. Her feet automatically stopped when their eyes met. She knew he was having the same thought.

Yongsun watched him walk to the living room and kneel down by the sofa, staring lovingly at his sleeping wife. Junghoon always looked at Byulyi as if she was the most precious thing in the world, she had noticed it since the day Byulyi first introduced him to them. It was the same with the way Byulyi’s eyes twinkled whenever the younger girl talked about him. The look of love, she guessed.

As if Byulyi had sensed that someone was staring at her, the younger girl stirred in her sleep with an unpleasant groan. Her eyebrows knitted tightly, refused to open her eyes. Yongsun chuckled, it was Byulyi’s habit whenever the younger girl was awakened, cranky like a three-year-old toddler.  She had expected it, and she thought Byulyi would grumble for at least ten more minutes.

At that time, Junghoon bent forward and put a light kiss on Byulyi’s lips. The frown on Byulyi’s face disappeared in a blink of an eye, replaced by a big grin. The scene made Yongsun recall one of her favorite bedtime stories, the princess was woken up by a true love’s kiss. Byulyi was his princess.

Yongsun smiled, ignoring her clenching heart when Byulyi circled her arms around his neck and pulled him into another kiss.  

As long as Byulyi was happy, it didn’t matter.

-----------

The ringtone jolted Yongsun from her sleep. She grabbed the pillow nearby and pressed it tightly to her ear, refused to wake up. She had just fallen asleep. The drama which Byulyi recommended to her yesterday was so good that she couldn’t stop watching. When she took a glance at the clock with her puffy eyes, a box of tissues in her hands as the drama had come to an end, it was past three in the morning. That was how she had been spending her holiday recently.

The noise got louder and louder that Yongsun finally gave in with a groan. She pushed her body up and reached for her phone with her eyes shut. She slightly opened her eyes, just enough for her to touch the green button and brought the phone to her ear, not minding to look at the name on the screen. An unhappy growl was about to escape from . Whoever called at this damn hour?

“Unnie”

Yongsun sat straight up with her eyes wide open, her drowsiness was gone completely. She took a quick look at her phone screen, before bringing it close to her ear again.

“By..Byul-ah?” She stuttered. She had recognized Byulyi’s voice from the beginning, of course she always could. But the painfulness in the younger girl’s voice was what she had never expected, and what she had never wanted to hear. She must have heard it wrong. Maybe she was too sleepy, or maybe she was dreaming, hopefully. 

“It’s hurt-” A whimper from the other side took away her last hope. Her hands began shaking in fear.  

“I’m coming.” She said in a rush and ran out of her house, not even looking back to check if the main door had closed properly or not. Her mind could only think about Byulyi.

Byulie, what happened to Byulie?

Yongsun pushed on the buttons again and again. Her eyes kept shifting from one elevator panel to another, hoping at least one would reach her floor soon. Three of them were out of service, the others kept going down and down while the worry in her built up and up. Each second felt like a century to her now. 

At that time, a small whimper went in her ears. She had not hung up yet.  She turned away and sought for the fire exit door.

It’s only nine floors   

Yongsun panted heavily, taking short and rigid breaths once she had stood in front of Byulyi’s apartment. Her chest hurt, and her legs were shaking violently as if she was gonna collapse soon.

I should visit the gym more often for the rest of the holiday, she reminded herself. Spending too much time lazing around and watching drama the past days had made her become much weaker.

She bit her lips, trying to gather her strength to stand up straightly, before entering the password, the couple’s wedding day. Byulyi just gave her the password a few days ago as the younger girl was suffering in the toilet because of her constipation when she came with more gifts from the maknaes. Yongsun had become a reluctant delivery girl for Wheein and Hyejin’s endless who-is-gonna-be-the-godmother fight.  

Yongsun wasted no time to reach the couple’s bedroom, to find Byulyi whimpering on the bed. Her legs suddenly felt weak. She ran to Byulyi’s side and kneeled on the floor, touching the younger girl’s face in panic. The painful look on Byulyi’s face and the dampness on her hand scared her.

“What’s wrong Byul-ah? Where do you hurt?” She asked urgently. It can’t be…

“My stomach-” Byulyi mumbled, more like a whine. “It’s hurt so much.” The younger girl held her protruding belly in pain.

“I’m calling the ambulance.” Her hand was trembling so badly that she could barely hold the phone. She even almost told them the wrong address. Her eyes did not leave Byulyi for a single moment while her free hand grabbed one of the younger girl’s hands tightly.

Isn’t it too soon? She’s only at week 34th.    

“Unnie…” Byulyi squeezed her hand as soon as she finished the call. “I’m scared.” The younger girl looked at her with shaky eyes, her face was messed up with tears and sweats.

“It’s gonna be okay Byul-ah.” She soothed, but her own eyes also welled up with tears.

Junghoon

“Everything is gonna be okay.” She gently wiped the cold sweats on Byulyi’s forehead away with her palm.

 Where the hell is he?

“I’m here for you.”

 ----

A tall figure in blue uniform dashed across the counter, ruining the quietness of the dawn. 

“Don’t run in the corridor please!” The old nurse reminded. That person turned around and bowed politely, before changing to brisk walking.

“Is he from our hospital?” The young nurse asked. Her eyes kept following his back. She pouted slightly when he was out of her view.

“Dr. Lee is a pediatric surgeon.” The old nurse replied calmly. Her eyes focused on the computer’s screen.

“He’s exactly my type.”  The young nurse said excitedly with a wide smile. 

“He’s married.”  The smile on the young nurse’s face faded. “They’re expecting their first child.”   

“Byul-ah”

The sound of the door being opened rudely startled the two girls in the room. Junghoon immediately sought for his wife, who was lying on the hospital bed. A relieved sigh escaped his lung when their eyes met. Byulyi was looking at him with nervous eyes.

Junghoon remained silent, removing the scrub hat on his head, which he had forgotten to take off after running out of the operating room. He gripped it tightly, making the poor hat wrinkled.

“Moon.Byul.Yi.” The seriousness in his deep voice made Byulyi gulp. “How many times did I tell you not to eat too much ice cream???”