After saying goodnight to the girls, Yong and Moonbyul finally returned to their own bed. It was only once they were in the comfort of their room did they finally burst out laughing. Both from their daughter’s reaction to Hyejin staying the night, and to the memories that were flooding back to them. Which has been happening more lately. 

Ever since Wheein told them all about Hyejin, from the alleyway incident, to their moments in school, and now the past couple of days, the married couple were reminded of their youth. Their own days in highschool. Their own antics in the way of romance.

They were in bed, contemplating many things. Some of those things dealt with what they were going to do the coming morning. Other things were the mundane of what the weather is going to be. And just a tiny bit, contemplated if their daughter will be alright. 

Every now and then they would hear screaming from downstairs, but it was screams filled with wild youth. Wild youth that enjoyed life and had no worries. There was nothing to fear in the screaming. Especially since the screams were shortly followed by loud laughter.

Moonbyul chuckled, “Doesn’t it bring back memories?”

Yong smiled softly as she turned the page in her book, “Plenty. I remember you using the excuse of returning something to me in order to see me again in order to bypass my parents.”

Moonbyul laughed aloud before giving her wife a smile full of love.

“At least Hyejin had to actually return something. I don’t think I could’ve gone along with your plan of letting her in if she didn’t have an actual item to return.” Moonbyul ended her sentence with a stretch. A stretch that resulted in her wrapping her arms around Yong and snuggling closer. 

Yong paid no mind, she was somewhat engrossed in her book just enough. And besides, she was used to Byul’s presence enough that it was weird not having Byul touching her in some sort of fashion. 

Soon Moonbyul’s snuggling turned into soft butterfly kisses on Yong’s neck. At first, she didn’t mind. Moonbyul would just shower her in kisses whenever the opportunity will present itself. But, then the kisses started to go lower. 

Or at least tried to go lower. 

Before Moonbyul could pass Yong’s collarbone, a book was shoved in front of her face and gently shoved her over. Moonbyul looked at Yong with a pout and a whimper. Yong only waved a finger at her.

“Not tonight. We have to be good examples.”

“Hah? We’re already amazing examples.” Moonbyul puffed out her chest in pride. 

Yong only rolled her eyes, “We are now. And I intend to keep it that way until Hyejin becomes either our daughter-in-law or second child in general.”

Moonbyul scoffed, “We are now? What are you trying to imply? We’ve always been the perfect examples.”

Moonbyul crossed her arms in jest. She knows Yong is right. It was time to be on their best behavior. They need to set an example. The best example they can be. There will be moments where it’s rough, but that is to be expected. 

Yong’s worried sigh caught Moonbyul off guard. She turned to face her wife and found her to be deep in thought. Her brows furrowed, in a grimace, and her eyes stared into nothingness. The happy Yong from earlier vanished, and in her place was the after dark Yong. The Yong that thought about everything at once.

Moonbyul took Yong’s hands into her own and kissed them. A gesture to bring Yong back to the present instead of thinking about the past and the future.

“What’s wrong?” A question that was barely above a whisper. 
Another sigh escaped from Yong as she faced her wife. She met a pair of worried eyes on a worried, but sleepy, face. With a tired smile on her face, Yong leaned over to give Moonbyul an assuring kiss on the cheek before answering her. 

“Just, I’m worried.”

Moonbyul never let go of Yong’s hands. She knows how Yong is when she’s worried, and she knows that her wife needs to vent. Her thumb gently glided over Yong’s hands, a signal to continue. A sign to continue and that Moonbyul will be listening.

“Worried about Wheein mostly,” Yong trailed off for a bit before regaining focus. “She hasn’t really talked about her friends lately. If anything, the only friends she’s been talking about are Ji Yeon & Hyejin but what about the others?”

Yong looked at Moonbyul, “I think that something may have happened between them but, despite not pushing her about it, she’s never said anything…”

She trailed off again, but this time it was to seek comfort in Moonbyul’s embrace. 

“She seems happier now but I just hope,” She buried her face in Moonbyul’s neck. “I just hope that whatever happened doesn’t come back to haunt her.”

There. It finally clicked as to why Yong was more worried than usual. With Wheein as their daughter, they saw reflections of themselves, the good and the bad. And while they tried to better themselves, the reflection that they saw within Wheein was too raw to change. 

Back when they were younger, also in highschool, Yong had a big fall out with her best friend. But, while she managed the friend group she built up around herself, the now ex-best friend took every opportunity to sabotage whatever Yong was doing. This ranged from the most petty of inconveniences to the extreme. The extreme of actual property being destroyed and constant threatening notes. 

This all happened before Moonbyul entered her life, so Yong had no one. She told her parents but they brushed it off as petty tenage squabbles. Her only ally was her big sister but she was already out of highschool by then so she was of no help. She had her friends but she soon realised that they were just all talk and none tried to actually help her.

If something like that happened to Wheein, Yong wouldn’t know what to do. She knows that you need to become the adult you needed when you were young. But, back then, the adult she needed was an adult who could kick someone's . Which is not the adult Wheein needs if she was going through her own variation of what Yong went through.

As Yong contemplated, Moonbyul rubbed Yong’s back and had her own contemplation. She contemplated on how much she has been missing out. Missing out on Wheein growing up, missing out on spending time with her family. Yes, Yong and Wheein both understand and accept and constantly reassure her that it’s alright. But, that doesn’t stop the ache in her heart from not being with her family more. 

She’ll always remember the day that she decided on wanting to have a family with Yong. It was after their last finals of the semester and they were hanging out, per usual. But there was something different about this hang out. The air shifted from strictly platonic to a more grey area. Where neither knew what the other felt. 

But that air soon shifted once one of Yong’s friend came in like a whirlwind to drop off a baby. It seemed like they were going to be babysitters for a bit. And it was from that experience, seeing Yong with a child, and how they just clicked even more with said child, the choice was made. More than anything, Moonbyul wanted a family with Yong. 

It may have happened years after that moment, but it happened. But it was within those years her situation changed. Moonbyul found herself to be the CEO of a small company. A small company that was growing by the day. And with more growth comes more responsibility. So much responsibility that Moonbyul missed out. Missed out on--

Another yell made them both jump and snapped them out of their contemplation.

“When will they ever sleep??” Moonbyul asked with a yawn.

“If we were like this when we were younger then I feel so sorry for anybody that put up with us. Especially my parents.” Yong stated.

Moonbyul looked at her wife before laughing. She did have a point.

“I think we need to give your parents an apology. Again.”

Yong shot a playful glare towards Moonbyul, “Oh? We can, if you apologize for breaking into their house that one time.”

Moonbyul only groaned while Yong laughed. She’ll never let that one down.

“I broke into your house to see you!”

“I wasn’t even there!”

“How was I supposed to know that?”

“By calling!”

They stared at each other for a good couple seconds. Finally, it hit Moonbyul.

“Wait, is that why you let Hyejin in?”

Yong smiled proudly, “Yup.”

Moonbyul looked at her wife incredulously, “What made you think she would try to break in??”

“You broke in. And that was when we were in college. If someone can do that, or even think about it, at 20, then no doubt a teenager would think the same thing.” Yong stated matter of factly. 

Moonbyul wanted to keep arguing but she knew better. On to the next question.

“So, if Hyejin did break in, what would’ve you done?” Moonbyul had an idea on what her wife would do. But Yong can always surprise her in the most unexpected ways.

Yong shrugged before cuddling Moonbyul and getting comfy, “Chase her out with a broom. I have the broom ready and everything in case it came to that.”

A chuckle escaped Moonbyul’s mouth as she could easily picture the kind of scene that would entail. Another yawn and that was her clue that maybe it was time to go to bed. So, with one last kiss, Moonbyul and Yong slept the night away in the comfort of each other’s arms.