TW: Language | Mention of mature contents

 

Just like the usual, Irene woke up early to prepare breakfast, prepare for work and send her daughter and brother off to school. She cannot rely on her sister Jennie, much more to her brother Sehun – both are just so hopeless that sometimes she imagine of throwing them to the street. But ofcourse, as a good and loving sister she is, she has no choice but to understand her siblings’ choices in life – and that is to sleep until thirty past nine.

She walked her way to the kitchen, tying her hair up to a bun when she suddenly taken a back by the shadow of a guy, standing by the door.

“Putang-ina! !” She doesn’t like cursing, she has a five year old daughter who shouldn’t hear those words but how can she not when a guy is INSIDE her house.

“Papatayin mo ba ako, Baekhyun?” Oh . It’s just Baekhyun, her brother’s bestfriend and her for-sure-not-just-a-secret-admirer. Baekhyun is a person who’s very vocal about his feelings towards her. He would tell his friends and even his family that his only wish is to marry Irene Bae.

“You know I’ll never do that, Irene, unless it’s-” With a smirk and a wink, Baekhyun never failed to make Irene cringe again

“What the- umalis ka nga diyan!” She shook her head and walked to the cupboard taking a mug. Baekhyun smiled and walked passed her (she might hate it sometimes, but Baehyun is part of their lives now, he’s like living with them too. For the love of God), and made his way to Sehun’s room, and when we say Sehun’s room, it’s the small space under the stairs.

When their parents finalized the annulment just four years ago, their family house was sold by their parents and each were given some amount of money, believing they are old enough to take care of themselves. Jeno’s though, is saved for college. Irene used all hers to start a new life with her daughter and buy a house with two rooms, which is now she shared with her siblings.

Irene is preparing food for herself, putting peanut butter and jelly on a bread after making her coffee when her sister suddenly came from the back door.

“ATE!” Shocked, Jennie stood there and smiled at her sister cutely, showing her gummy smile.

“Saan ka nanaman galing?”

“Hmm, group study kami nina Lisa” Jennie answered. Jennie is too old for that alibi; yes, she’s in college, but her sister won’t buy that, she is literally a grown, twenty four year old woman who doesn’t even report to her first class.

“Nag-aaral ka pala?” Irene asked, obviously sarcastic “Yung totoo? Hindi naman ako magagalit” She added

“Okay. Okay. You are right, nagkita kami ni Jongin kagabi” Jennie explained. Before she can continue, Sehun came, dragging his feet, scratching his head.

“Gago itong si Baekhyun, inagawan ba naman ako ng kama” he sighed. He sat across Irene and just like that took the bread she made for herself.

“You’re welcome!” Irene rolled her eyes

“Thank you, Ate” Sehun smiled. Irene can just sigh, then, she remembered “Ah pala, pwede bang kunin mo na kay Baekhyun ang susi mo? Papatayin niya ata ako sa takot e” Irene said

“Batukan ko mamaya” Sehun answered, chukling at Irene before looking at his twin sister “San ka galing?”

“Kanila Jongin” Jennie answered

“Ikaw pa talaga pumupunta sa kanya?”

“Anong gusto mo? Dito kami?”

“You know, hindi pwede yan!” Irene said, sipping her coffee “I don’t want Lulu to see na nagdadala ka ng lalaki dito” She added. She didn’t expect any answer but-

“I know! I cannot have here! Just imagine listening to your little sister, crack, some egg” Jennie said, rolling her eyes, that made both Irene and Sehun looked at her in disbelief

“Really, Jennie? You really just said that?!” Irene asked, disgusted while Sehun put his bread down

“Nakakawala ng gana, Jen. HAY!” He left with disgust on his face.

---

After sending her (five year old) daughter and (fifteen year old) brother off to school, Irene left for work. She works as a waitress at a resto, Heechul's. Her duty is 10am-7pm, as her colleagues and friends understand that she has a little girl to take care to.

Irene is now wiping some glass for the set-up but her eyes are on the middle of nowhere. She seems to be thinking deep and her friend Wendy didn’t fail to notice that.

“Hey, anong problema?”

“Ha?! Ah wala”

“Weh?!”

Irene knows Wendy will never stop interrogating her so she looked at her.

“Iniisip ko lang si Jen” She said while she continue to wipe the glasses

“What about her?”

“Lagi silang nagkikita ng boyfriend niya, alam mo naman ang nangyari sa akin. I mean, I love my daughter but it’s hard to be a single mom”

“Ba’t di mo pagalitan?” Wendy asked, but sounded more to be an advice

“Malaki na siya. Pinagsasabihan ko naman”

“So hindi yan ang worry mo? Ano nga?”

“Wala naman”

“Ano nga?”

“Wala nga!” Irene said and closed to answer no follow up question. Suddenly, Joy came from the back area

“Irene, Irene, Irene, Irene, I know you too well my friend, and now, I am sure you are thinking about the F-word!” Joy teased, making sure to emphasize the F-WORD. Irene turned to look at her friend

“F-word?” She raised her eyebrow, kind of annoyed with the question

“The other word of ?” Wendy teased

“Or maybe F as in the Father of Lulu?” Seulgi teased

“HELL NO!”

“Well, Wends is right. The F-word! Miss mo na no?” Joy teased, even poking Irene’s side

“Tigilan mo nga ako! Hindi ah!”

“Eh bakit nga? When was the last time you had the F-word? Kailan huling nadiligan ang iyong-” Joy wasn’t able to finish as she cannot find the right word to say

“Bulaklak?” Wendy cringed at her own words, curling her fingers.

“Nah, hindi na mukhang bulaklak yan, wala ng dilig di pa naaarawan”

“Ang bastos mo, Joy!” Irene said but laughed as she kind of find that funny

“Anyway, totoo naman. Kailan? Don’t tell me last na yung tatay ni Lulu?” Joy asked “How old is Lulu again?” She asked but Irene didn’t answer so she looked at Seulgi

“Five”

“OH ! SAD LIFE!”

“CHE! Wag ka ng kakain sa bahay ko!”

“Ay, galit na galit, gustong manakit?!”

---

It’s 12:05pm when Jeno and Lulu came from school. Jeno will just drop Lulu to the resto where Irene is working for she will stay there with her mother until after her shift.

“Mama” Lulu greeted her mother, and Irene immediately welcome the girl with a hug. Irene kissed her cheek before greeting Jeno too, ruffling his hair and kissing his cheek. “Kumain ka na dun” She told Jeno. Irene’s boss might be so weird and crazy in a very strange way but he is so understanding and let Lulu and Jeno stay there for lunch and Lulu stay until Irene’s out.

“Behave lang ha” She reminded her daughter and the girl nodded. She left her at the back area, with her favorite strawberry cake.

Irene is busy welcoming the guests/customers when her friend, Joy and Seulgi came again, giggling

 “Ireneeee!” Joy giggled, with a phone in her hand

“Pwede magtrabaho muna tayo? Phone pa talaga, gusto niyo mawala ng trabaho?”

“Hindi tayo paalisin niyang si Heechul. Tayo lang loyal sa kanya. And we’re done setting up na! AND you need to know this, as in now na”

“Ano?”

“I think matutupad na ang wish mo, and madiligaaaan!”

“Shhh! Gaga!” Irene looked around; afraid that the customers heard what Joy said but thankfully, nobody seem to hear her

“Do you remember that cute, gummy bear from college?”

“Gummy Bear?”

“Kim Minseok! Yung nanligaw sayo pero inayawan mo dahil mas gusto mo yung totoong F-word!”

“Please, enough with the F-word?!” Irene said it with a serious tone this time

“Okay. But ayun na nga. We searched for him and you know what, he is single and ready to mingle”

“Sinearch mo lang alam mo na buong buhay niya?”

“Hindi lang sinearch, we messaged him”

“Close na kayo?”

“Hindi kami, kayo!”

“What?”

“Oo, we messaged him using your account and nagyaya agad siya ng dinner”

“ANO?! Hindi ako nakapagsign-out sa phone mo? bwesit ka!”

“YEP. And we said yes na. Wala ka ng choice”

---

7:25PM

 “Irene! Pwede bang wag kang OA!” Joy said, following Irene. They are now at Irene’s house to have their dinner. Irene is carrying Lulu as she fell asleep, so she tucked her to bed first, removed her shoes and changed her clothes.

“NO! Bahala ka! Basta I’ll tell him na hindi ako ang nagchat sa kanya!” Irene said walking to the kitchen. She texted Jennie before her out to cook rice and prepare the ingredients for the sinigang she will be cooking and thankfully the girl didn’t fail her this time.

“Hi Ate!” Jennie and her friend, Lisa greeted. Baekhyun, Sehun and Yeri are there too. They are at the dining table, playing snake and ladder. "Ate wala na bang ibang laruan dito sa bahay mo? Ito talaga?" Lisa smiled but Irene just sighed, shaking her head

“Hindi naman ako nainform, bahay amponan na pala itong bahay mo, Irene” Joy laughed “Anyway, Irene sige na~”

“Hindi nga!”

“Ito naman. Jen, pilitin mo nga itong ate mo na makipagdate dun sa dati niyang manliligaw” Joy looked at Jennie. Jennie is just a year younger than Joy but calls her Ate

“Si Kuya Junmyeon?!” Jennie asked with so much joy on her face, she cupped her hands together, putting it against her chest

“NO! EW!” But as soon as she heard the name, Irene showed a violent reaction with pure disgust on her face

“Maka ew ka kay kuya Jun parang hindi mo siya iniyakan ah!” Jennie said

“Wait, who’s Junmyeon?!” Baekhyun asked

“Ate’s first love, first boyfriend, first everything. Yeee kilig” Jennie giggled, with her gummy smile, eyes forming into crescent

"Tatay ni Lulu?" Lisa asked, with wide eyes, filled with curiosity

"Nah, sana nga siya nalang" Jennie answered

“Nasaan na siya?” Joy asked

“Hmmm, Japan. Went there to study and now working full-time”

“Anong kwento?” Yeri asked this time but before Jennie or anyone can answer-

“At talagang pag chichismisan niyo ako, sa harap ko?” Irene said, shaking her head. She sighed before she starts cooking

“KJ!” Joy rolled her eyes “Anyway, ang layo ng Japan, si Minseok dito lang kaya siya nalang ipush natin”

“Nah. Loyal ako kay kuya Jun” Jennie said, crossing her arms

“Kasi pinsan ni Jongin?!” Sehun interrupted

“Hoy, mabait si Kuya Jun ah!”

“Panong mabait?” Sehun teased “Yung ikakasal na?!” Sehun added that made Irene stopped what she is doing

“FOUL!” Jennie said “CHISMIS LANG YAN”

“Yun ang balita eh” Sehun smirked “Pero totoo naman, mabait si Kuya Jun. May paluhod-luhod pa habang umiiyak dahil ayaw sumama ni Ate sa Japan?”

“Sehun!” Irene reprimanded her brother

“Yan! foul ulit!”

 “Anyway, kahit sino naman pwedeng umiyak. Ako nga kaya ko e” Baekhyun said, to maybe break the tension that is now building up

“Sige nga Baekhyun, umiyak ka! Let me see. CRY!” Lisa said, challenging Baekhyun.

“Sisiw. Madali lang yan. Let’s just imagine paano nanalo yung pagong dahil sa-” Baekhyun is enumerating those words while trying to cry and purposely crack his voice. Everyone is looking at him, waiting for him to cry when they suddenly heard little footsteps.

“MAMA!” Everyone’s attention was shifted from Baekhyun to the girl, calling for Irene. Lulu came and Irene lifted the girl with her right arm, putting her on her side for support. Lulu wrapped her arms around her mother’s neck.

“I’m hungry”

“Sure you are, bunny. Jennie, prepare mo na ang table. Kakain na tayo.”

Everyone are just waiting for the food, and even prepared the table when they suddenly heard Yeri sobbing from the corner

“Ye, anything wrong?” Lisa asked. Yeri looked at them, wiping her face with the tissue. Her cheeks are wet with tears.

“Wala, I just thought, yung kwento ni Baekhyun, imagine, nanalo pa ang pagong, sa liit niyang yun- hindi ko lang ma- hmmm- sorry” She wasn’t able to finish as her tears won’t stop rolling down her cheeks.

“Baliw ka na?” Jennie asked and everyone looked at each other, confused if Yeri is being serious or fooling around. They will never know if it’s Yeri, she can be so weird sometimes

 

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A/N: Please tell me what you think, juseyo?

If may mali po ako, sorry. hehe  and  thank you  for reading:)