A month later

“Come here, baby, lemme fix your tassel,” Mommy Son fussed about her youngest child with so much enthusiasm, from fixing her toga to the hairs peeking over her cap to wiping down the sweat that accumulated on her brow, she did it as if Seungwan was graduating in kindergarten.

Seungwan ignored Seulgi and Joy’s snickering behind her, trying to will herself to believe that red hues forming on her cheeks isn’t from embarrassment but from the make-up professionally done on her face. She turned her head towards the couple, chuckling at how Seulgi was side-hugged by her father while Joy is sandwiched between her parents. 

And yet they laugh at her, she smirked.

“At least our parents don’t call us ‘baby’,” Joy said, as if hearing Seungwan’s thoughts.

“’Princess’ sounds better don’t you think?” Seulgi’s father piped in, pulling her daughter closer towards him while her mom chuckled at his affectionate gestures.

“All our daughters are princesses before our eyes, Hyung,” Seungwan felt her Dad’s hand on top of her head, his proud smile beaming towards her, all of them agreeing to his words nodding their heads.

Seungwan felt this day couldn’t get any better, Team Rocket (the name they decided to use after an overnight full of indecisions and anxious energy over what the future could bring to them, thinking a Rocket seems like the best way to face the future head-on) finally getting that diploma – their ticket to the adult world. But Seungwan felt the warm atmosphere seems lacking. Joy and Seulgi saw that brief frown flash on their friend's face, immediately flanking Seungwan’s side with an arm wrapped around her shoulders.

“Cheer up, Wan. Maybe she’s just late.”

“Yeah, unnie. Even Sunmi and Yeri aren’t answering either, maybe they’re still stuck in a meeting or something,” Joy said, patting Seungwan’s back affectionately.

Seungwan sighed, knowing there’s no point in airing out her frustration but her bestfriend’s still saw right through her, “I know. Joohyun already apologize to me about it but I just I—“

“Hey, love.”

And petite pair of arms wrapped around her waist from behind and the smell of lavender invaded her nose despite being in this crowded hall with bustling students and parents around them, her senses just seem to know her too well, her body already reacting by holding those onto those limbs encircled firmly around her, “Hyun,” she didn’t even realized her bestfriends has stepped away from them to give them space.

“I’m not late, aren’t I?” she heard Joohyun say, feeling the older woman nuzzled on the space between her shoulder blades.

“Nope, you’re just on time, love.”

***

As soon as the trio settled on their seats, waving one last time at their parents and friends before turning about-face on front, focusing their gaze on the opening speech, Irene felt a hand wrapped loosely by her elbow. She turned to face the person and was met by an elderly woman who looked familiar.

“Joohyunie,” the woman called out with a motherly smile at her, “I’m sorry, did I startle you?”

“Uh Ma’am, no—“

“Please, didn’t I tell you to call me ‘Umma’?”

Ah, and it hit right then why the woman elderly woman looked a tad bit too familiar. The shape of her face reminded her of Seungwan, although the younger woman seem to take her eyes after her father which, Joohyun found herself looking behind the elderly woman, and Seungwan’s Dad beamed at her, much like how Seungwan would.

Seungwan wasn’t able to introduce her to parents because they were ushered to fall in line outside of the hall after she arrived, a kiss on her cheek and cheery ‘See you later, love’ may have been the reason why she wasn’t able to ask her girlfriend about her parents.

“U-Umma,” Joohyun tried the word again, stammering a bit but strangely it doesn’t weird her out to call her girlfriend’s mother like this, maybe it’s because it wasn’t really the first time she called her ‘Umma’.

“Oh, dear,” Mommy Son laughed, eyes disappearing similarly like Seungwan’s, “You’ll get used to it.”

“I’m so sorry, Umma. That was rude of me not to introduce myself properly, I’m Bae Joohyun,” Irene offered a hand but was pulled into a motherly hug instead.

“Hmm, Joohyun,” she felt Mommy Son pat her back, “Thank you for taking care of my daughter.”

Mommy Son pulled away before she could respond, then Seungwan’s Dad appeared in front of her, patting her shoulder like his proud of something she did, “Joohyun ah, I’m glad she met you.”

Did she just get accepted into the family without any qualms? With no prove-yourself-first-before-you-jump-into-this-relationship? Irene blinked away her confusion, smiling reluctantly at Seungwan’s parents before she’s pulled to sit next to the couple she looked helplessly at Sunmi and Yeri, the two waving merrily at her.

“Guess we didn’t have to worry about Irene unnie getting grilled after all,” Sunmi said, smiling as they watched Joohyun being fussed by Seungwan’s mom.

“Give unnie some credits, unnie,” Yeri chuckled, “She may look a bit intimidating but ahjummas warms up easily to her.”

As if on cue, Seungwan’s parents laughed at something Irene has said, the latter smiling widely at  their reactions and then Seungwan’s mom pulled out her phone to take a selfie with her.

“See?” Yeri said, amused as Sunmi gape at the scene in front of them.

***

Seungwan felt her phone vibrate in her hand, pulling her out from her boredom-induced stupor. She opened her phone to read the message and smiled at what the sender said:

Your parents loves me, Seungwan ah <3 what do I do? I think I may have unknowingly replaced you as their daughter ><

She looked from behind her, seated by the bench, her girlfriend who’s smiling at her teasingly, sticking her tongue out to her to which she rolled her eyes to.

Love<3:  I would’ve been mad, love but I love you too much unfortunately sighs

Yah did u just sigh at me?!

Seungwan laughed, she doesn’t have to look behind her to know that her girlfriend is mock glaring at her phone. She saw her phone pull up a chat box, noticing it was it the groupchat she shares with her bestfriends.

#TeamRocket
Ddeulgi-nim: wan! Im hungry!

Syoung-nim: im hungry (2)

Wan-nim: shut it, u cn just text ur parents yknow

Ddeulgi-nim: didn’t ur mom mentioned she made sandwiches?

Syoung-nim: unnie come on its embarrassing to hv my seatmate hear my tummy grumble

Seungwan sighed, “I swear to god, I have five years old kids as best friends,” she mumbled under her breath, before shooting her mom a text telling her that ‘they are hungry’ her mom answering with a laughing emoji. How, she wondered, her mom knows how to use emojis now. Heol

She looked behind her and noticed her mom whisper something to Joohyun, the latter nodding her head every now and then, her mom turned around to open the basket beside her, pulling three lunchboxes and tissues and bottles of her favorite orange juice. Her mom may have noticed her staring with how she beamed at her, Seungwan mouthed ‘Thank you’ at her, then Joohyun stood up and gathered the items, walking down the bench.

Joohyun disappeared from her view which made her turn back to the speaker in front, sensing as it might take a while for the older girl to come down. She gradually got lost to the speaker’s words, relating to almost every word he said. She was nodding her head off, when she felt her seatmate poke her arm, turning her head.

“Wendy-sshi, I think that pretty lady is calling your attention,” she looked behind her and, Joohyun was beckoning at the items in her hand, smile directed at her completely unperturbed to the other students ogling at her. Joohyun asked the nearby students to pass the items in her hand.

Her seatmate who called her attention immediately handed the lunchbox and juice, saying, “She’s so pretty, Wendy-sshi, are you related?”

She didn’t bother to turn her head at her seatmate’s words, the awe in her voice not lost in her ears.

“Yeah. She’s my girlfriend,” she answered proudly, eyes only for Joohyun before the latter adorably waved and mouth a ‘Hwaiting’.

***

A couple of months after Team Rocket’s Graduation