“... and they lived happily ever after!”

 

In her father’s embrace, a five years old Kim Yongsun clapped her hand enthusiastically. No matter how many times she had heard the story, it still made her heart flutter. How could she not when the princess looked so happy after all the obstacles gone and she got her one true love. 

 

She sighed and put her head on her father’s shoulder, “Appa?”

 

Her father hummed softly.

 

“Do you think I will be able to find my own Princess?”

 

A 40 years old man furrowed his eyebrows at hearing her youngest daughter’s question but disregarded it by thinking she'd said the wrong diction, “I think you mean Prince, Honey.”

 

The little girl shook her head, “Nooo! Princess. I want to find my Princess, Appa! And she has to be pretty like Cinderella, smart like Belle, good at singing like Ariel, and strong like Mulan. Will I find my Princess, Appa?”” as Yongsun tilted her head up to find her father staring at her determined eyes in silence. 

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to meet your Prince?” said her father calmly. 

 

Little Yongsun pouted and shook her head stronger, “Why should I find my Prince when I already have you, Appa? You’re my one and only Prince.” as she circled her hands over her father’s waist tightly. 

 

Her father pressed his lips tight to repress the sudden happy tears caused by Yongsun’s innocent answer. Unable to contain his emotions, he moved her daughter to his lap, and stared at her softly, “Don’t you already have your Princesses? Umma in heaven… and Yonghee Unnie?”

 

Yongsun curled to show her disagreement, “Umma is too far away, and I don’t want to kiss Yonghee, Appa...”

 

“I don’t either, Brat”, a fifteen years old girl’s heavy steps startled both of them. 

 

They turned their body around to see Yonghee holding Yongsun’s night time milk in her right hand which is a sign of Yongsun’s time to sleep. She stood beside the bed to look at the sight of her father pampering her already pouting little sister. Seeing her father's tiring eyes, she demands, “Yongsun! Appa is tired! You need to go to sleep!” 

 

“Five more minutes”, with a pleading tone while hugging her father and turning her head around to avoid Yonghee's scary stares. 

 

Yonghee sighed in frustration at handling her stubborn sister. 

 

Yet, one look from her kind father softened Yonghee’s cold heart. Especially, when he swiftly patted an empty spot on Yongsun’s bed to ask her oldest daughter to join them. Yonghee put the milk on the nightstand table and climbed into the bed. She purposefully hugged both of her most important persons. 

 

Feeling safe as Yonghee seems to have stopped being mad at her, she turned her head around again with a hopeful look at her big sister, “Do you think I will find my Princess, Unnie?”

 

Yonghee, not knowing how to answer the question, tried to find her father’s eyes to help her. They held their gaze for a while to search the answer together, but it was only until the man gave her a small nod, Yonghee answered her little sister, “Yes, you will, Little Brat. You will.”

 

Yongsun smiles while closing her already sleepy eyes and comfortably falls asleep at her father’s chest.

 

---

“Brat, why are you not eating?” asked Yonghee in worry as she found her usually energetic little sister seemed down. Her father who sat beside Yongsun at the dinner table was also concerned about Little Yong’s condition. 

 

Ten years old Yongsun looked down on her rice bowl weakly and ignored two pairs of eyes that kept looking at her uneasy. She pushed her rice bowl from her sight while pouting her lips. She sighed as she put both of her elbows on the table and let her chin rested on her intertwined hands, “I don’t want to eat...” while still looking down on the table. 

 

Yonghee hissed, “I made you breakfast so you can eat, Brat! Don’t make me-”

 

“I feel like I want to throw up whenever I see her.”

 

Being dumbfounded at Yongsun’s words, whether Yonghee or the Kim father, blinked. It was the man that finally stopped their weird silence, “Her?”

 

The youngest one nodded weakly, “Irene Seonsaengnim.”

 

Realizing her youngest daughter's true problem, the man pestered her with another question, “What did you really feel when you see Irene Seonsaengnim?”

 

Yongsun furrowed her eyebrows as she’s thinking hard, “It felt like something weird was going on inside my stomach whenever she smiled at me. But weirdly, I kept searching for her.”

 

Big Yong covered both of her hands on to hide her smile, while Kim Father bites his lower lips to stop himself from laughing out loud. Yet, after having their calming down moment, Yonghee lifted herself up a bit from the chair and leaned closer to her little sister to pinched her cheeks, “It means you like Irene Seonsaengnim, Brat.” while grinning. 

 

“I am not!” as Yongsun with an annoyed expression tried to slap Yongsun’s hand from pinching her cheek. 

 

As she got back to her chair, she smiled at her little sister. Being a mother figure for Yongsun since she was ten years old made her see Yongsun more than a little sister, but also her kid. Knowing how Yonghee was too immersed with her feelings, the Kim Father stepped in as she her youngest daughter's hair softly, “Yongsun, it’s okay if you like Irene Seonsaengnim.”, he paused for a while to find the right words, “But I think, she’s a little bit… too old for you.”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but she’s young and beautiful, Appa.”

 

He sighed, “You like her like you like your Princesses, honey. And sorry to say this, but you’re 10 years old, meanwhile Irene Seonsaengnim, who I agree is really young and beautiful, is in her 20s…”

 

Yongsun clicked her tongue in frustration, “So, even when I finally met my Princess, I can’t say I love her?”

 

“Love?!” shouted Yonghee and the Kim Father together at a startled Yongsun. 

 

 “Well, you say I like her like I like my Princesses, so of course I love her, right?!”

 

Yonghee groaned in frustration, “I might die young because of you, Kim Yongsun.” She pointed her fingers at her little sister, “Dad, I can’t handle this. She’s yours totally” as Yonghee got up from her chair and took her bag to leave the house as she needed to get to her morning class. 

 

After the front door of their house was closed, the Kim Father looked at her youngest one with a kind smile, “Yes, you love her but yes, you also can’t say you love her too.”

 

“Why?” asked Yongsun genuinely.

 

“Because there is a stupid rule in this world that isn’t allowed you to do what you want freely, Honey.”

 

Despite being unable to understand her father’s words, Yongsun decided to take his advice. Because her kind father, who always let her do anything as long as it made her happy, must have one good reason why he advised her like this. 

 

But Yongsun still wanted to take one more chance, “But, can I hug her like I always do before?”

 

Her father shook his head like she’s not believing Yongsun’s words. Nevertheless, he approved it, “You are really my kid, huh? Yes, you can!”

 

Yongsun smiled as she hugged her father tightly. 

 

--- 

Fifteen years old Yongsun was covering herself inside a blanket. Regardless of how many times she asked her brain to stop remembering the recent event, she couldn’t help but think about it.

 

And it made her cry once again. 

 

Yongsun closed her eyes tightly when she heard her bedroom door being opened by somebody.

 

“Little Yong?”

 

Her sister’s worried voice made her sobbing harder than before. Instantly, the warmth from Yonghee’s body covers Yongsun who’s already shaking. Even with a blanket separating them, Yongsun was able to find one small comfort through this painful time.

 

“What’s wrong?” asked her big sister in concern. 

 

Between sobs, Yongsun said, “She… hated… me, Unnie… “

 

“Who?”

 

“Sora… “

 

Yonghee furrowed her eyebrows as she couldn’t get how her best friend’s sister would hate her baby, “Why?”

 

“I… tell her… I love… her, Unnie.”

 

As she heard the reason, Yonghee hugged Yongsun tighter as her little sister’s body started to shake even more. She sighed as she didn’t know how to make Yongsun less hurt now, “It’s okay, Little Yong. It’s going to be okay. 

 

Yongsun shook her head while trying her best to talk, despite feeling like being choked, “She… said… I am a freak… and no one will ever love… me, Unnie.”

 

Feeling so worthless for being unable to do anything, Yonghee’s tears started to run down on her cheeks while Yongsun’s body to calm her little sister down. She closed her eyes as she heard Yongsun’s heart-breaking crying sound while she prayed to any God in this universe for giving her little sister's happiness one day.

 

---

 

The Kim Father looked up at the rear-view mirror to see the reflection of her youngest daughter that seems to get paler each day. He sighed as he wished his last plan could make Yongsun back to her real self. 

 

Their cheerful and bubbly Yongsun. 

 

He pretended to cough, before asking her youngest daughter, “So, are you excited to meet your new friends in Seoul, Honey?”

 

Yongsun hummed softly while still staring emptily at the window’s car. 

 

After Yonghee told him about his youngest daughter’s first rejection that ended up badly on Yongsun being bullied for weeks by her classmates, the Kim Father decided to move out of his family house in Jeju Island to Seoul. 

 

Fortunately, his work and Yonghee’s school transfer could be processed easily. He even got helped by her best friend to find a nice apartment in the heart of Seoul city. He thought, maybe if Jeju people weren't ready to accept her youngest daughter’s ual preference, then Seoul, the biggest city in South Korea, should have a bigger opportunity to be a little bit open about it. 

 

He knew it’s his only tiny hope, but he had promised his late wife to protect their little angels and that is what he would do until his last breath. 

 

Knowing her father seemed sad, Yonghee held his hand and it softly. Like she’s saying, we’re in this together. 

 

He nodded while letting himself get comforted by her oldest daughter, and tried his best to concentrate one more time on the road. 

 

---

“Seunghyun!” 

 

After shouting so hard, he unconsciously released their luggage to the ground as soon as he saw his best friend from college. He ran towards his same-age friend and hugged him tightly. 

 

“You’re still handsome as before, Eun Yong!” says the man with long hair. He wears all black clothes and based on his band t-shirt, he might seem like someone that likes rock music. Behind him, there is a little girl that peeked out shyly towards Kim’s girls who’s slowly approaching them while carrying the luggage that their father dropped before. 

 

Seunghyun tilted his head back and asked her daughter to stop hiding. Finally, after three minutes of debating with his daughter, the child had given up and shown herself, “This is my only daughter, Ahn Hyejin. Say hi to Eun Yong Samchon and Unnies, Hyejin-ah…”

 

Hyejin bent her body politely, which was returned by the Kim Family. 

 

“Hello Hyejin-ah”, Eun Yong waved cutely at the little girl, “I’m Eun Yong Samchon, and they are my daughters. Yonghee, “ as he pointed his finger at her oldest daughter before moving it to her youngest one, “and Yongsun.” 

 

Hyejin stared at the other two Kim’s girls and innocently asked, “Why Yongsun-Unnie looked sad?”

 

Being told like that, Yongsun started to give her best fake smile, “I’m not, Hyejin-ah… Unnie isn’t sad… “

 

The little kid insisted by shaking her head, “No, you are, Unnie.”

 

Yongsun sighs, “Because, I miss my friends in Jeju… “ replied Yongsun with a half-truthful answer.

 

“Um, I can be your friend, Unnie!” exclaimed the little girl while smiling. 

 

After being down for weeks, Yongsun couldn’t help but give the little girl her first genuine smile, which made her father gasp in shock. While looking down to hide her watery eyes, Yonghee bites her lips as she’s feeling grateful for finding a small sign of having her happy little family back.

 

---

Knowing the first day as a new student would make Yongsun nervous, Eun Yong decided to drive her to the school. His jittery daughter intertwined both of her hands tightly while looking down on the floorboard. 

 

One more turn and they would arrive at his used-to-be middle school which would be Yongsun’s too later. 

 

He sighed before suddenly parked his car at the side of the road near the school. 

 

Yongsun startled while looking at her father with shaking eyes, “A- Appa?”

 

Finding his daughter pitiful, he couldn’t maintain his emotion anymore as he hugged her youngest one with so much affection. He said, “We named you Kim Yongsun. Because we want you to be brave as a dragon, to be the brightest star in our universe, and to be remembered eternally in people's minds for how great you are as a person. You are meant to be different, Honey. You need to embrace that. Don’t be scared, you have me and Yonghee.” he paused to take a deep breath before he continued, “And believe us, you will find your Princess.”

 

Yongsun nodded while bited her lips, “Ne, Appa.”

 

“You’re fifteen now, and it’s one of the most ed up moments in anyone’s life.”

 

To hear her usually polite father cursing made Yongsun chuckle, but still she listened to his next words. 

 

“Those fifteen years old kids still don't know how to think for themselves. They will easily judge and hate people without any good reasons. But someday, they will learn that there is something more important than being the same. So, it’s okay, Honey… You just need to play pretend for a while, until you reach an adult age where you can choose people that will love you as much as I and Yonghee do.”

 

Even though it was a bitter pill to take, Yongsun has finally understood how the world works a little now. Nevertheless, she smiled as she knew she would get through this.

 

She had her family. 

 

---

Just like how her father said, Yongsun did find her Princess, and surprisingly, it only took three months for her to get her first-ever girlfriend. 

 

Her name was Kim Min Hee. 

 

She met her through the school's Journalism Club. Min Hee was one year older and actually the head of it, so it was natural for Yongsun to be taken care of by her. What first seemed like a Senior-Junior bond was starting to change when the older girl gave Yongsun her first kiss when they hung out at Min Hee’s bedroom. 

 

Being traumatized by her last experience, Yongsun couldn’t help but run away. Yet, Min Hee kept fighting for her, no matter how much Yongsun avoided the girl. At last, the youngest of Kim’s girls gave up and finally accepted Min Hee’s love. 

 

And from Yongsun’s perspective, she was the most perfect woman she’s ever met. She’s beautiful like Sora, she’s smart like Irene Seonsaengnim, she’s kind like her father, and she's strong like how Yonghee protected her. But most importantly, she was the one that reassured Yongsun again that it was okay to be different.

 

That her dream since a child to find her Princess was possible to be fulfilled. 

 

Yet, when she said that to Min Hee, the other girl laughed at her, “I’m not your Princess, Yong, but your soulmate.”, and even though it was the first time Yongsun heard the word, she quickly agreed at her girlfriend. 

 

Kim Min Hee was her soulmate and would always be one. 

 

Especially when they successfully dated each other for seven years straight: from middle school until their university days. 

 

Being influenced by the older girl’s interest in literature and writing, Yongsun chose this path as her university major. Meanwhile, her girlfriend, the one that introduced her to the world, decided to follow her parent’s wishes to become a doctor. 

 

Yongsun was so proud of her, no matter how much it bothered her that her girlfriend’s parents were kinda annoying for forcing their daughter to do something that the girl totally hated, but Yongun genuinely supported whatever her girlfriend chose. 

 

Because she was her soulmate and Yongsun would do anything to make it less hard for her. No matter how much Min Hee started to change, like how she’s easily angry for something as small as Yongsun not texting her back right away, or how the physical intimacy started to get less and less, especially in public because Min Hee becomes paranoid somehow. 

 

But it’s okay, people get stressed, right? It’s Medical School, after all. 

 

And no matter how much her father and Yonghee started to discourage their relationship because they thought the relationship had gone toxic, Yongsun totally put her faith in Min Hee. 

 

Her beautiful and kind and smart and strong girlfriend.

 

Well, until she cheated on her on the night of Yongsun’s graduation day. 

 

She still could remember their last day as a couple. 

 

How Yongsun was shocked to find Min Hee being with another person in her apartment and quickly dragged her out from it. 

 

How they’ve both sat on the bench in the empty park near her girlfriend’s apartment at night. 

 

How the sources of light was only from three street lights. 

 

How Min Hee cried so hard while saying, “We can’t live in a fairy tale anymore, Yong. I will never become your Princess or your soulmate… No matter how much I wanted to. We just can’t.”

 

How Yongsun could just ask one thing from the other girl for the last time, “Please kiss me, in this place, without worry and without fear that some strangers could see us. Just give me one thing, one ing thing, to prove that our love for the last seven years was ing real, Min Hee.”

 

And she kissed her. 

 

Yongsun thought, at least she truly loved her just as much as Yongsun did. 

 

---

 

Once Yongsun walked her puffy-eyed ex-girlfriend home, it was the time for Yongsun to be comforted by the chocolate cake that was made by the already eighteen years old Hyejin. Her used-to-be tiny friend has grown into a sensual woman and had lived together with her older girlfriend by two years, Wheein. 

 

Seunghyun Uncle has given them a blessing to live together after Wheein asked him for permission to take Hyejin under her care in such a proper way. It was practically a marriage proposal, Yongsun thought.

 

Despite their rejection to go to college after graduating from high school, with Wheein’s already stable job as a photographer, and Hyejin’s out-of-this-world skills as a baker, both of the girls are quite settled with their life.

 

Her friend looked at Yongsun who keeps eating the cake without breathing with chopsticks in worry, “Unnie when you asked me to make the cake this morning, I never thought you would eat it all alone… “

 

Yongsun shook her head, “No, I thought I would share it with Min Hee, but she cheated on me and broke up with me tonight. So, I couldn’t bring her here.” as she casually kept eating the cake. 

 

Right before Hyejin wanted to shout her shock towards the news, Wheein, with wet hair, suddenly appeared from the bathroom and screamed, “YOU BROKE UP?!” behind Yongsun. 

 

The oldest one nodded while munching the cake, and ignoring the other two girls concerning stares. 

 

Unable to view another pitiful sight of Kim Yongsun, Hyejin lifted her body from the chair and snatched the chopstick from Yongsun who sat in front of her. The older girl snapped, “What?!”

 

“Your stomach will get hurt, Unnie!” as she folded her arms while still holding the chopsticks, so Yongsun couldn’t snatch it back. 

 

Her glaring act was only activated for five seconds before tears started to form in her eyes, “I will live without a lover and die loveless.”

 

Behind her, Wheein rolled her eyes at hearing Yongsun’s exaggerating prophecy of her future, while taking a seat beside her, “Literature major has definitely made you more dramatic than before, Unnie.”

 

Hearing her girlfriend say that to her childhood idol made her snickered. 

 

“Shut up!” as she folded both of her hands on the table and put her head on it while crying hard.

 

Wheein looked at Hyejin, and her girlfriend innocently shrugged as she really didn’t know how to handle the situation. 

 

The photographer sighed and put her hand on Yongsun’s shoulder, “Does your father and Yonghee Unnie know?”

 

With a mumbling sound, “No…”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because they will tell me, I told you so… And I hated it because they were right… “ and finished the sentence with frustration groaned, “But I love Min Hee so much… I thought we would end up like you guys.”

 

The other two girls remained silent as they, in fact, thought Yongsun and Min Hee would end up together too. But, what already ended shouldn’t be regretted, so Wheein chose one way that she believed would cheer her favorite Unnie up, “Unnie… I just read an article... A scientific one... about soulmates… ”

 

Hyejin gasped as she wanted to stop her girlfriend’s plan but was stopped by Wheein’s finger gesture to shut her up. In silence conversation between the couples, Hyejin says, “Are you crazy?” and Wheein casually said back, “I got this, Babe.”. 

 

Just like the two girls expected, it intrigued their Unnie as she instantly stopped crying. 

 

Because one thing you needed to know about Kim Yongsun is if she was a dog, her ears might start to move backward now, and her tail would totally move right and left in excitement because articles and soulmates in one sentence wouldn’t ever fail to flick Yongsun interest up. 

 

But of course, because she was indeed a human, she showed it by lifting her head up, sat straight, while wiping the remaining tears on her cheeks, “And you’re saying?”

 

Wheein mentally smirked while Hyejin sighed hard. 

 

“The article said that you need to date six-person first before you can meet your soulmate.”

 

Yongsun squinched her eyes in suspicion, “But you’re Hyejin’s first girlfriend, Wheein-ah.”

 

“We’re talking about scientific articles, Unnie. So, they came up with the answers through samples and all, right? And it means they crack the code of the general pattern of any human romantic life. And they got the average number, which is seven.” 

 

The older one was staring at Wheein in doubt, “You’re not answering my question. What about you and Hyejin?”

 

Startled, Wheein tried her best to calm her Unnie down, “Maybe… We’re the exception… “ but as soon as the photographer sees Yongsun’s sad stares of not being the exception, she tried to fix it fast, “But that’s not important, Unnie. What’s important is how you still have five chances until you can find your soulmate… “

 

Yongsun furrowed her eyebrows while looking down on the table. Through Yongsun’s silence, Wheein’s shaking eyes start to search for her girlfriend’s eyes to comfort her, but Hyejin purposefully avoids it as she couldn’t believe how her girlfriend was manipulating her Unnie right in front of her face. 

 

“So-”

 

Unconsciously both of the girls leaned closer to hear the thoughts of Yongsun nervously. They said the words at the same time, “Yes?” 

 

“In theory, I can have five failed relationships, before I meet my soulmate, which is the seventh person I will date later, right? So-”

 

Another, “Yes?” from the couples.

 

“Again, in theory, I just need to make sure that the seventh relationship I will have later be successful, right?”

 

Wheein started to regret her plan as she realized how serious Yongsun took the article’s idea, “In theory, yes, but Unnie-”

 

“So, I still have a chance to have my… you know… one true love, right? Hyejin-ah? Wheein-ah?”

 

Sparked in Yongsun’s eyes made the couples give their best fake smile at her because they couldn’t let her Unnie have another heartbreak in one day. But still, unable to find the strength to answer the question. 

 

Which made Yongsun repeat her question again, “Right?” with a more cheerful tone. 

 

The couples looked at each other and nodded at her Unnie in defeat. 

 

Yongsun clapped in victory before she said, “Let’s go to the club tonight.”

 

Both of the younger girls blinked, “Sorry?” said Wheein. 

 

“I need to find my second date… I can’t wait for my soulmate.” while stomping her feet excitedly. 

 

Unable to let her Unnie make a reckless move, Hyejin stepped in, “How could you choose who’s your second and third and so on, Unnie?” 

 

Yongsun smiled at her in confidence, “Fate, Hyejin-ah. Fate.”

 

---

BONUS SCENE: AFTER YONGSUN WENT HOME… 

 

The couple sat side-by-side at their small red couch while staring emptily at the black tv screen. Hyejin’s head on Wheein’s shoulder and both of them seemed so tired after talking her Unnie out to change her plan to go clubbing tonight. 

 

It was Hyejin who’s talking about the big elephant in the room, “You’re an idiot, Wheein-ah. Eun Yong Samchon and Yonghee Unnie will kill us… “

 

Her girlfriend gulped at imagining the wrath of Kim’s family sans Yongsun, “.”

 

Both sighed at the same time. 

 

Yet, Wheein started to find a solution, “But, Babe, we still have time to save ourselves. So when, I hope not and God please help us, the seventh relationship turns out to be a failure, we can give Yongsun Unnie another article like ’Oh no! The Actual Number of Soulmates is Actually Fifteen!’, you know?”

 

Her girlfriend tilted her head and glared at Wheein, “Are you insane?!”

 

The photographer answered quickly, “It’s science! It’s evolving, Hyejin-ah!” in panic. 

 

Both held stares for a while before once again sighed together in frustration. 

 

“I just want to say I love you and we’re in this together, Wheein-ah” as Hyejin put her head back at her girlfriend's shoulder weakly. 

 

Wheein put her head softly at Hyejin’s head too while holding her hand, “If Kim Yongsun will be the death of us, it’s okay. At least, we died together, Babe.”

 

After minutes of silence, the couples started to laugh their asses off for situating themselves in this unexplainable matter. 

 

___

Author's note: 

I just want to say Moonsun will be the death of me as I keep getting distracted to write my final paper :) and why am i make another new story, like i'm so frustrated of my self, like when will I get my degree if I'm being like this? (Sorry, just want to share a bit because i'm feeling a little bit crazy today HEHE)

But, this is my attempt to make a romantic comedy/fluff Moonsun story with a littleee bit tragedy in each character's background (but I promise it won't be the big part of the story, I promise), and a slightly angst just to make the story more fun to read... Little bit of angst... just a little... 

Please, just read this story HEHE

and whoever read this, I love you.