"I'm... Mina. I-I uh, I just came by to..."

 

"Check on me." Tzuyu came to her rescue when Mina trailed off. "Melody called her last night. She's been here since." 

 

"Oh," The beautiful woman's eyes went between the two of them and finally settled on Tzuyu, a confused look on her face.

 

"Mina. This is Seolhyun, she's a friend of mine from back home. "

 

"I'm also her mentor, no matter how much she hates it." Seolhyun smiled at Mina who looked a bit lost. "It's nice to meet you, Mina."

 

Mina nodded. "Likewise."

 

Seolhyun moved closer to the CEO and kneeled down beside the couch, Melody still in her arms. "So,"

 

With Mina still sitting beside Tzuyu, Seolhyun was just...too close...to both of them. 

 

"You okay, now? You sound better than when I called you this morning..." Tzuyu's mentor whispered, her voice soft and kind. From the way they were looking at each other, Mina assumed she was supposed to pretend she wasn't hearing any of their conversation. She looked away.

 

Tzuyu hummed. "Thanks to a certain someone,"

 

Mina stopped blinking. She slowly turned her head and let her eyes meet Tzuyu's, taking in the small grateful smile on her lips and the way her eyes were shining– Mina opened slightly to say something but the look Tzuyu was giving her simply tongue-tied her.

 

The other woman in the room watched their little staring contest, curious. Meanwhile, Melody got bored and wiggled in Seolhyun's arms, squirming out of her hold. With wobbly steps she left the room and Seolhyun let her.

 

It was Mina who averted her eyes first, after not being able to say anything at all for almost a minute.

 

Tzuyu's smile grew at the sight of a blushing Mina, her dimple appearing. Then suddenly she started coughing, shielding with her arm. It sounded painful.

 

Supporting a concerned look on her face, Seolhyun gently rubbed circles on Tzuyu's back.

 

Mina stared at the two of them for a moment, her gaze fixed on the hand caressing the CEO's back. "I'll go get her some water."

 

But before she could even get up, Melody came running into the room. A baby blue sippy cup full of water was in her tiny hands and on her way she spilled some of it. "Here mommy," The toddler pushed between Mina and Seolhyun and tried to give her mother the sippy cup, doing her best to climb up on the couch.

 

After one last cough, Tzuyu chuckled. "Thank you, baby. I'm fine now." She cleared and wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. 

 

Melody didn't say anything back. She just drank from her sippy cup instead and once again waddled out of the room. Mina couldn't help the smile on her face.

 

"I see Mina had a tiny assistant to help take care of you for the day," Seolhyun playfully poked Tzuyu's cheek. 

 

Tzuyu giggled. But after catching the unsure look in Mina's eyes she slowly stopped, suddenly remembering how big of a shock it probably was for her employee to meet Melody. Tzuyu still didn't know what she thought of all...this. Yeah, Mina did stay and that said a lot about her opinion but still, the whispers of doubt inside Tzuyu's head somehow drowned out her logic.

 

And much to her inside voices surprise, Mina tilted her head and fondly spoke. "Yeah. Melody is...really cute."

 

Tzuyu bit her lower lip to stop herself from smiling like an idiot, sniffling. Mina was just so...perfect. Beautiful.

 

"Oh, she acts cute when she's around strangers. When she's around us though," Seolhyun laughed. "She's a tiny monster, believe me. You just don't know her well yet."

 

Mina tried not to get offended by the comment. She really did. But the way Seolhyun said it... there was something in her tone that irked her. 

 

And not to mention, the 'us' in the sentence and the possible meanings it could have under it gave Mina an upset stomach. Did Seolhyun also live here?

 

"Stop exaggerating. Melody's just being a toddler most of the time. It's totally normal." Tzuyu defended her daughter, crossing her arms.

 

"Yeah, okay. If you say so." Seolhyun rolled her eyes with an amused smile. 

 

Mina's phone suddenly buzzed. She flinched before she quickly fished it out of her pocket, dismissing the alarm. "It's time for your medicine."

 

"Ah, It's alright. I don't think I even have a fever anymore. I feel fine." She sniffled, her voice dry. "Just a runny nose and a itchy throat. Nothing my body can't handle on its own."

 

Mina softly smiled. Knowing Tzuyu hated taking medicine, she didn't want to push her. Instead, she grabbed the thermometer from the table near them and started shaking it. "Just to be sure."

 

Mina could feel Seolhyun's eyes watching her with interest for a while, a smile most would describe as charming lifting up the corners of her lips. 

 

And maybe that smirk had been a hint because really, Mina shouldn't have been surprised at all (but she definitely was) when Seolhyun leaned in close and her lips tenderly pressed against Tzuyu's forehead, lingering for a few seconds.

 

Mina stopped shaking the thermometer. She watched as Tzuyu's eyes first closed and then opened right away as she looked up, a little confused.

 

Seolhyun pulled back and hummed. "Yup, no fever."

 

Tzuyu rubbed the spot Seolhyun basically kissed, throwing a puzzled look at her mentor.

 

"I uh," Mina extended the thermometer to Tzuyu with her cold as ice eyes, unable to hide her feelings towards this show of affection and closeness the CEO shared with her mentor. "I still think–"

 

"Yeah." Tzuyu gladly grabbed the thermometer, clearing . "I don't trust Seolhyun." She joked with an unsure smile, trying to get rid of the sudden awkwardness in the air.

 

"Now that's just a big fat lie. You love me." Seolhyun played along, giggling. She still had this... smugness in her smile and Mina felt irritated by it. She stayed silent though. There was no need to create a scene. And what would Mina do that for anyway?

 

After checking the thermometer and confirming that Tzuyu indeed had no fever, Mina stood up with a sigh. She felt like she was overstaying her welcome now that there was someone else in the house. And besides, she still had to give Sana her car back.

 

As she was trying to come up with a believable excuse to leave, she saw Melody sitting in between all the legos on the floor. The toddler was happily drinking water from her sippy cup and coloring, clearly not in the mood to play with her toys anymore. 

 

Mina looked around the room. It was a mess. Knowing she'd feel bad if she left Tzuyu to tidy this place up, she crouched beside Melody. Picking up a few little cars from the floor, she spoke, "Come on Melody, let's put these back."

 

"No!"

 

Mina frowned, confused. "But you're not playing with them anymore and we should tidy up." She grabbed the toy basket and put the cars she was holding inside it. "Won't you help me?"

 

"No. I don't want to!" Melody yelled, clenching the pink pencil in her hand tighter, turning the next page of her coloring book.

 

To say that Mina was shocked would be an understatement. Melody had been a sweetheart all day. What was going on?

 

"Melody, remember what I told you?" Tzuyu intervened with a gentle, careful tone. "The toys get lonely when you're not playing with them. But if you put them in the basket, they'll be happy because they'll be together."

 

Mina turned to softly look at Tzuyu, unable to stop thinking about just how cute she was as a mother. Seeing her CEO under this new light...well, it was something. 

 

Tzuyu didn't notice Mina was staring, instead she was having a stare off with her daughter. It ended with Melody ripping the basket out of Mina's hands and scaring the hell out of her.

 

"Tows a' happy!" Melody yelled with a frown, turning the basket upside down and spilling every toy inside it on the floor, creating a pile right in front of a surprised Mina.

 

"Melody..." Tzuyu sat up straighter on the couch, furrowing her eyebrows. 

 

Mina helplessly looked between the mother and the daughter, worried of what was to come next and thinking what she could say.

 

With a pat on Tzuyu's thigh, Seolhyun walked towards them, crouching down beside Melody. "If you help Mina and I clean up, I might have a little present for you." She said, booping the toddler's tiny nose.

 

"What is it?"

 

Seolhyun shook her head. "I can't tell you until all the toys are happily back in the basket. But it's something you really really like." She winked.

 

Melody lit up visibly as if she knew what Seolhyun was talking about, and like the small ball of energy she was, she jumped on the balls of her feet and grinned. "Okay!" 

 

Mina giggled as she watched Melody hug the pile and pick up as many toys as she could, dropping them back in the basket. She ran around collecting toys and wobbling back to Mina, who now had the basket in her lap. Mina high-fived Melody each time she put a toy inside the basket. Melody seemed to greatly enjoy this, giggling each time Mina praised her.

 

"Thank you,"

 

Mina turned her head when she heard the whisper. But Tzuyu wasn't looking at her. She was smiling gratefully at Seolhyun. After watching the said woman smile back at the CEO, Mina turned her attention back on Melody.

 

After so many high-fives and laughter and every single toy was back in the basket, Melody ran and hugged Seolhyun's legs.

 

"Pwesent!" She demanded with a grin, looking up at the tall woman.

 

Seolhyun laughed at the death grip the tiny girl had on her leg. She leaned down and.picked her up. "Ready?"

 

Not losing the huge grin on her face, Melody nodded.

 

Tzuyu and Mina both let out a noise of protest as Seolhyun threw Melody up in the air then swiftly caught the baby in her arms. Melody screamed in joy and laughed loudly when Seolhyun let go of her again and landed back in the woman's arms safely.

 

"I told you not to do that!" Tzuyu said, clutching the blanket on herself. "What if you can't catch her and she falls?!"

 

Mina pulled her arms back to her sides and shook her head slightly to fix her bangs, acting like she wasn't just ready to jump and save the baby from a very possible fall.

 

"You worry too much," Seolhyun smiled, kissing Melody's chubby cheek before putting her down. "I only let go of her for barely a second, it's fine." Seolhyun looks back at Melody who's still giggling. "And she likes it."

 

The toddler puts her hands up. "I like it!" 

 

Tzuyu sighed and honestly, Mina understood her anger. If someone threw her dog, Ray, up in the air like that when he was just a tiny puppy, she would've been angry too. 

 

"Melody likes a lot of things." Tzuyu started, her voice still rough, "Most of them aren't exactly safe for a three-year-old."

 

"Okay, okay. Geez. Message recieved." Seolhyun crossed her arms, lifting an eyebrow at Tzuyu's protectiveness. "Right, Melody?"

 

"Yeah! Message re-res–reveesed." Melody confidently crossed her arms, copying Seolhyun with a grin even though she had no idea what was going on.

 

Tzuyu's worried look turned into an amused one and she laughed. "Good. Now, it's nap time. Come on," Tzuyu slowly started to stand up from the couch but Mina was quick to push her back down.

 

"It's fine. I'll tuck her in,"

 

Surprised, Tzuyu nodded. A small smile played on her lips as she watched Mina approach Melody. 

 

"I don't want s'eep!" Melody hid behind Tzuyu's mentor and when Mina leaned down and held her hand out, Melody walked around Seolhyun's legs and escaped with a loud giggle.

 

After Mina helplessly circled around Seolhyun a few times, trying to get Melody to hold her hand, Seolhyun grabbed Melody and laughed as she picked her up. "Stop playing with poor Mina here, Mel. It's nap time."

 

Melody squealed and screamed in Seolhyun's arms, not happy her play-time was interrupted. Mina watched Seolhyun carry the toddler out of the room despite her cries as if she was used to it and Mina's heart stung a little.

 

"Looks like she has things under control here." Mina muttered, "I better go now anyway." Mina checked her phone, desperately wishing there was a new message from Sana to save her from this situation but there was nothing. Still, she sent her a quick text and locked her phone before her eyes caught Tzuyu's disappointed ones staring at her.

 

"I'm sorry. Melody can get really grumpy when she's sleepy." Tzuyu couldn't find the courage to say just how much she wanted Mina to stay. Her employee had been so kind, she didn't want to take advantage of that. And now that Tzuyu really thought about it, she highly doubted she even had the right to ask her to stay anyway.

 

"I guess that's something we have in common." Mina joked and the air cleared up a bit between them as they both chuckled.

 

A few beats of silence passed and Mina bowed slightly. "I'll see you tomorrow at work, Ms. Chou. If you're feeling better by then that is. Please don't forget to get checked up at the hospital." With a small smile Mina turned around and grabbed her coat from the corner of the couch. Tzuyu didn't call after her as she left the room, unlocked the front door and walked outside. 

 

But the CEO did grab her wrist once she was about to shut the door. And immediately let go of it when Mina turned around, her eyes wide.

 

Tzuyu took a deep breath. It was cold outside her apartment and the blanket she wrapped around herself didn't help much. She gulped down her nervousness and winced when hurt, knowing she didn't have much time until Mina's patience ran out.

 

"I just wanted to say um...thank you. For today and for everything. And I'm also very sorry. I thought–" She paused, shutting her eyes briefly and shook her head. "No, actually it doesn't matter what I thought. It was wrong of me either way. And I understand if you want to file a complaint against me. I deserve it."

 

"Tzuyu," Mina's eyes softened.

 

"And about Melody... I'm sorry you had to find out like this. Must have been quite a shock." Tzuyu chuckled softly, breaking eye-contact as she continued talking. "My parents strictly want me to hide her until I established my leadership or whatever. Every piece about her on paper gets silenced by my mother. And they won't even... talk to their granddaughter. She's only three."

 

Mina wanted to reach out and offer some comfort but she decided it would be best not to. She clutched her coat tighter and looked away for a second, wondering what she could say.

 

Tzuyu looked up at the ceiling and sighed loudly. Only then Mina noticed the unshed tears in her sad eyes. "I'm sorry," she croaked out, dry. "When it's... about Melody–"

 

Screw it.

 

Going against her previous decision and grabbing Tzuyu's hand in both of her own, Mina nodded with a smile. "I understand. I won't tell anyone about her until you say it's okay."

 

Tzuyu breathed in shakily and smiled, bringing her other hand on top of Mina's. Her tears didn't fall which she was immensely thankful for. "Why are you still so kind to me?"

 

"I don't know." Mina admitted with a shrug. "That's just what friends do." At Tzuyu's surprised stare she quickly added, blushing, "I... I assume that's what we are. Friends?"

 

Tzuyu's tense shoulders relaxed. She tilted her head just a tiny bit. "Are we friends?" She asked in what sounded like awe, resembling an excited kid.

 

The CEO's soft eyes helped Mina gather enough courage and she bit on her lower lip before looking back up into her eyes. "Are you single?" She blurted out, her own eyes widening as soon as the words left .

 

The CEO's eyebrows rose and her lips parted to say something but Mina panicked and took a step back, letting go of her hands. "Sorry! I'm sorry... I don't know why I–"

 

"I'm single." Tzuyu gave her a tight-lipped smile as if she was trying to hide her grin, her dimple forming happily in her cheek.

 

"But the...the phonecall?" 

 

"What phonecall?" Tzuyu frowned, grabbing the blanket around her shoulders and wrapping it tighter around herself.

 

"Mommy..." Melody appeared behind Tzuyu and hugged her leg, her eyes closed as she leaned her cheek against it.

 

And in that moment, it finally hit Mina. The phonecall was...Melody. Her daughter. God, did Mina feel stupid. And embarassed. From then on, she promised herself to listen to Nayeon more. And Ray.

 

Not aware of Mina's inner turmoil, Tzuyu looked down fondly at her daughter and ruffled her hair. "Why are you still awake, baby? Where's Seolhyun?"

 

"Is mommy leaving?"

 

Something hurt inside the CEO after she heard the words her daughter muttered, quickly leaning down and picking her up. The baby immediately threw her tiny arms around her neck and hugged her tight. "Mommy isn't going anywhere, don't worry." 

 

"Good!" Melody pulled back and put her tiny hands around Tzuyu's ear and leaned in. "I love you." She 'whispered', but Mina heard it clear as day and Tzuyu winced at her loud voice, amused.

 

"I love you too." She whispered, kissing the toddler's hair before catching Mina's stare.

 

Noticing where her mother was staring, Melody turned to Mina and pointed at her. "Is Mima leaving?"

 

Mina giggled and brought her hand up to hide it. She leaned forward slightly and poked Melody's leg. "Yeah, I am."

 

Melody jutted her bottom lip out, her big eyes observing Mina. "Will you come back?"

 

Mina hesitated. The truth was, she didn't know. She looked up, her eyes finding Tzuyu's. And the bright glimmer of hope she saw in them, anticipating her answer was enough for any doubt inside Mina's heart to vanish.

 

"I think I might." She said, her eyes still locked with the CEO's as the hint of a smile showed on her face. She turned back to Melody. "Do you want me to?"

 

"Yeah," Melody looked down with a tiny frown and Mina could only focus on her big droopy cheeks before the toddler got shy and turned away to hide her face in Tzuyu's neck. "You said you...you cou'd buiwd the hous' on it. The hous' on the pi'ture."

 

Mina frowned for a second, tilting her head. Then she opened her eyes wide in excitement when she understood what the baby was talking about. "Oh, the legos! I didn't know you wanted me to build it for you."

 

Melody turned just a bit to glance at Mina.

 

Mina thought it was incredible how shy the toddler could get one second and then turn into an uncontrollable ray of sunshine the next. 

 

"I'm sorry kiddo," she started, "We'll build it together next time. Is that okay?"

 

Melody nodded.

 

Tzuyu adjusted Melody in her arms. "Mina was very kind to offer that, Melody. What should we say in return?"

 

"Thank you, Mima."

 

Tzuyu kissed her forehead and smiled. "Good girl."

 

Mina's biggest wish in that moment was to tell Tzuyu how beautiful she looked. But she couldn't without making things weird, so she saved the sight of Tzuyu with messy hair and pajamas, holding onto her daughter with a soft smile into her memory beside the others, in case a time would come where she could tell Tzuyu everything she ever wanted to.

 

She smiled at the thought. After the whole phonecall thing, she had to make it up to Tzuyu and explain the best she could. But right now didn't seem like the best time, with Melody searching for affection from her mother after worrying about her more than anyone should at her age.

 

"I'll go now,"

 

Tzuyu smiled, her dimple once again appearing and making Mina's heart flutter. "Okay. I hope we can talk more tomorrow?"

 

"Yeah. That would be great."