A Kid and Two Soft Hearted Fools
 

It was a decision that did not take that long for Chaeyeon to make. One glance, another read, and whole lot of story thrown in the case file she had reviewed over and over, for her to be sure of this step. Nothing will change her mind, not when she’s already standing at her door, a duffle bag on her shoulder, and a kid in tow.

Yes a kid, a child of barely 7, shuffling her feet is with her. She can sense her nervousness. She herself is nervous too but she has no regret in making this decision. She had her certification, the training and a nice cozy place, ah well yeah something like that. 

One deep breath and Chaeyeon open the door.

“Chaeyeon-ah!”

Chaeyeon felt small hands hold the back of her leg, and adorable face trying to bury its existence behind her.

“Wh… What in the world?” Hyewon look at the awkward grinning face of her friend, that looks partly mischievous partly apologetic.

Two hours, one sleeping child, and…

“You decided to be a foster parent!?”

Chaeyeon covered Hyewon’s mouth, whispering “Tone your voice down. She’s sleeping…” and alot more along those lines.

Hyewon look at her, “That’s a big decision, Chaen.”

As shocking as the news is Hyewon is one fair fella, and as shocking as it is she is well versed to one Lee Chaeyeon and the way her brain works.

This is the reason why the “cozy place” aka the shared living space she has with her bestfriend and her understanding of how the same friend inner brain works. The fact that Hyewon does the opposite of your average human on just about anything made the decision easier to take.

“Yes, I…I’m going to be her mom. I mean. – until she found a proper home.” She look up to her friend with eyes of kicked puppy and the pleading force of thousand crying kittens, enough for Hyewon to avert her gaze and fully slam her face to her palm.

If the plea of crying kittens is not enough, here is Chaeyeon on her knees, eating all her pride, while narrating the horror of the foster system. All the things that make you lost faith in humanity, story of abuse, meandering lives, and souls that could be saved but was lost. How she, the one Lee Chaeyeon, couldn’t take into her good heart to let this brilliant kid be part of that flawed system and be potentially neglected even further. Nope one look into the child’s eye and Chaeyeon had into her full intent to take the kid, atleast as foster parent.

“What’s her name?” Hyewon look between her fingers, a sigh escape her lips. A sigh that perk Chaeyeon’s ear and made the corner of her lips to curve to a smile.

“Nako. Yabuki Nako-chan.” Chaeyeon quickly rummage her bag for the case file, the one she is allowed to share.

“What do you think she would want to eat in the morning?” Hyewon stood from her seat and made way to refrigerator, counting the ingredients they still have and if it’s enough to make something good for breakfast.

Take this she rarely take breakfast but Hyewon, who is fully resigned on ever trying to convince her best friend of doing the opposite, is moved by Chaeyeon’s word.  She had heard it, moments even the brave and ever caring Chaeyeon broke down because she herself can’t stomach the kind of abuse she sees and heard from the system.

Hyewon took her fave yogurt drink and drunk it in one shot, then slamming the same tiny bottle to the table looking directly at Chaeyeon whose jaw had hit the floor.  

“Ah… pancakes.” Chaeyeon gulp closing the case file she opened a few moments ago. “I’m thinking of making them tomorrow.”

“Dude. Chaen. My Earthling friend. Honey.” Hyewon rapped.

“Yes.” Chaeyeon tilt her head, trying to grasp whatever the heck is going on with her friend and her alien brain. It’s probably running a hundred miles and then some.

Hyewon took a deep breath, eyebrow raise, and yes all the hamster in her brain are running in circle in speed of winds in a category four typhoon. Asking herself one final question and it’s not about pancakes.

Why is she agreeing? Why can’t she bring into herself to disagree to her equally weird friend and her plan?

Look she’s not that of a softie, she’s more pragmatist with a golden heart according to this same friend but she’s not the kind that will give in because of sad story. She looks into Chaeyeon’s eyes – there’s no way she can convince her otherwise.

Chaeyeon’s eyes are caring at the same time it’s fiery, passionate, fully willing to take responsibility of the action she took – to jump into the unknown. That’s it. There’s only one other thing Chaeyeon been passionate about before, dancing, reasons made her gave that up.

Hyewon pinch the bridge of her nose. She guess she will be jumping to that unknown with her.

“Honey.” She repeated. “I know you’re the better cook between us. You’re tired right? and you have that hard case to handle tomorrow.”

Chaeyeon nodded.

“I’ll do it. It’s just pancake. I can handle that.”

“You are!?” Chaeyeon’s eyes lit up. “You are agreeing!” She shouted.

Hyewon nods, “Yes and I thought you said to be quite.”

Chaeyeon cover and tried to stifle a laugh.

“Like I can do anything about it.” Hyewon smirked. “I’ll do my best to help you.” Hyewon knows what those word entails ofcourse somewhere there’s a “I really can’t leave this to raise a kid at all”. Or just the plain she can’t let her friend fail on another thing she put herself into.

“Yas!!!” Chaeyeon lunge herself forward to Hyewon and hug her with all her might. “We’ll gonna be the best Moms to her.”

“Oh please, Lee Chaeyeon.” Hyewon rolled her eyes. “Stop with that we are already getting false notion that we are a thing.”

Chaeyeon just let out a devil summoning laughter.

“Oh my gosh. Chaeyeon.” Hyewon grimaced.

Yeah best friend they are that always get mistaken as lovers. It doesn’t help they call each other Honey on occasion as a running joke that only the two of them can get.  

“Don’t worry Kang Hyewon.” Chaeyeon chuckle, “You are not my type.” Before she could add anymore to that the door open as cute girl of about 4 ft walk out of it almost stumbling and still sleepy.

“Yah Chayeon. Look!” Hyewon hit her friend’s shoulder.

“M-ms. Lee.” The kid grumble, her eyes almost crying.

Chaeyeon run to her like a mother hen getting called by her chick. “Yes Nako-chan anything you like baby?” She cooed. The young girl shook her head and instead hugged Chaeyeon, melting into her arms, once again falling asleep to lullaby the bird hummed.

Hyewon gets it. On Why Chaeyeon had decided to be the foster parent of this child and in turn her home is her foster home and her, as the other parent. She sat beside Chaeyeon on the floor, the kid has a certain charm to her, and it’s hard to say no to those eyes. That goes both for Chaeyeon and Nako. Willing to fight to live. “I could use a bit of that.”

“Huh? You are saying anything, Hye?”

“Nothing.” Hyewon poke Nako’s cute cheeks. “Should we teach her to call you Mom?”

Hyewon couldn’t figure if Chaeyeon is about to cry or is just overly happy.  

“If she calls me Mom, she should call you Mom too or maybe Mama.”

♦♦♦

“That’s how that broke the news to me.” Hyewon recalled.

“It’s cute though. Are you regretting it?” The woman placed two cups of hot coffee on top of the table.

“No. Absolutely not.” Hyewon took a sip. “Eun, will I be here if I regret it?”

Eunbi smiled. She knows what her girlfriend is hinting to.

“Mama, Auntie!”

The women turn around to face cafe door and welcome bundle of cuteness and joy that is Nako.

“You can call me Mom too, Nako-chan.”

“Really!?” The young girl hugs the wavy haired woman. “Mom will you teach me how to make coffee?”

“Ofcourse, anything you wish my love.”

“Nako put your bag down first.” Chaeyeon entered the café bowing slightly to Eunbi. “Unnie, don’t spoil her too much.” She added. 

“Aren’t you the one spoiling her?” Hyewon scoffed.

“Yah. Hyewon!” Chaeyeon returned, “and you let her off the hooks most of the time.-Oof” 

Chaeyeon felt a hard thing hit her head.

“The two of you stop.” An elegant short haired woman hit Chaeyeon again with a book. “Kkura-yah.” Chaeyeon whimpered.

“I still couldn’t believe how you two parent Nako-chan for the last five years.” Sakura do get how this pair of bestfriend has managed to raise a well behave – erase that a mostly well behave child like Nako. It’s fun to tease them though.

“Nako-chan?” A sharp eyed child with mochi for cheeks tugs on Sakura’s dress. “She’s with Eunbi-unnie making coffee, do you want to go there Hii-chan?” The mochi kid shook her head and instead followed Sakura to seat on the nearest chair. She grabs the bread on the table and Sakura just quietly laugh at her precious half sister gobbling down her favorite food.

“Saku-chan. I was talking to my pr - Eunbi.”

Chaeyeon huff before Hyewon could finish her words. “Let’s get straight to it we all want one thing.” She pulled the chair beside her best friend. “That is to give Nako a place she can permanently call home.”

Hyewon nodded. That’s the problem. They all want to give Nako that home and both have talked to their significant others about it and they agreed.

“The question is… ” Sakura help Hitomi to clear up the bread crumbs off her shirt, though the girl is at the age where she get embarrassed at that thing so she dutifully swatted her sister hand causing amusement to her. “I mean the question once again is who among us can give the best home to her.” They all are willing.

Hitomi sighed. “I can do it.” The sharp tongued child glared to her sister.

“Ah Yes Ms. Hitomi will be able to keep herself from being messy.” Sakura murmured.

“I can and that’s not what I’m talking about.”

Sakura raised her eyebrow as a staring contest between sisters commenced.

“Ah Hii-chan is here too. Should I make you a coffee? I just learned how.”  

“Nako is a quick lear-“ Eunbi did not finish what she was about to say as she was cut off by a running Hitomi who immediately found Nako and hugged her. “Nako’s home is with me!”

Chaeyeon smirked upon hearing those words, elbowing Hyewon who just rolled her eyes.

“What are you saying Hii-chan?” Nako tried to return the hug.

“I’ll be Nako chan’s home.” She put her hand to the clueless Nako’s face. “I love…” There’s a bit of pause that made the adults in the room look to each other.

“You love bread?” Nako interjected.

“No. not bread. You. I love you!” She declared. “Nako-chan - marry me!” the adults in the room are left completely speechless.

And so start the unofficial competition to give Nako the loving home she deserve.