“My girls!” Jessica called out as she threw the door open and stepped out onto the front porch. Yewon smiled as she paid the taxi driver and climbed out with Angkko. She accepted her bag from Sojung and the two of them followed Eunha up the porch steps to greet Jessica.

“Hi sweetie,” Jessica smiled at Yewon, wrapping her in a wrap and rubbing her back.

“Hello Jessica, how are you?” Yewon asked, returning the hug as she smiled.

“I’m good! I’m so happy you came!” Jessica said, stopping to pet Angkko before guiding the three girls inside, along with the dog.

After hanging up their coats and taking their shoes off, Yewon followed Eunha upstairs with their bags, dropping hers off in Eunbi’s room. She lingered in the doorway for a moment, smiling sadly as she looked around the room. Yewon could almost imagine that Eunbi was going to come walking into her room and collapse onto the bed.

Eunha walked past, on her way back downstairs, and stopped as she saw Yewon standing in Eunbi’s room. “You okay?” she asked, and Yewon spun around, giving her a smile.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Yewon told her, walking out into the hallway and shutting Eunbi’s door behind her. She followed Eunha downstairs in silence, thinking about Eunbi. It was nighttime in Afghanistan, she would be fast asleep by now. They had spoken for a moment on the train, but the signal had been so terrible that they had to cut their conversation short, much to both of their disappointment.

The two of them walked into the living room, and Jessica looked up from her conversation with Sojung to smile at them. “I just made some coffee,” she told them, before returning her conversation.

“I’ll get it,” Yewon murmured to Eunha, walking into the kitchen to pull out two cups and fill them. She returned a minute later and sat down next to Eunha, handing her one of the cups.

“So, do you know what you’re doing yet?” Jessica asked Sojung.

“Hm, well I don’t know yet. Probably something small,” Sojung replied.

Yewon frowned slightly in confusion. “What’s this for?”

“Sojung’s birthday,” Eunha told her.

“Oh, you’ve never mentioned it to me. When is it?” Yewon said, blinking in surprise. Of course, she would have to do something nice for her, buy her a present and all of that. She had never had friends to do that for before and she was wondering what she could get her.

“Two weeks from Monday,” Sojung replied.

“Ah,” Yewon said, narrowing her eyes as she looked at her. What did Sojung like? Guns? Scotch? They weren’t presents. Unless Yewon invented her own gun for her, but she didn’t have enough time to do it with this much time left.

“What?” Sojung asked, narrowing her own eyes in return.

Yewon shrugged carelessly, taking a sip of her coffee. “Nothing….just thinking about what I can get you,” Yewon said.

Sojung laughed quietly, “You don’t have to get me anything.”

“Of course I do, it’s your birthday,” Yewon insisted. “What do you want? Another leather jacket to add to your collection? A knife? Some other instrument of torture?”

Eunha laughed, widening her eyes as she shook her head, “No way, she does not need more weapons.”

“Fine,” Sojung huffed, “but one can never have too many leather jackets.”

“If you could, I think you would have way too many,” Yewon laughed. She had another gift in mind though, something that had come to her as they spoke. Smiling to herself, Yewon smugly drank her coffee.

“I for one, can’t wait for it. I love birthdays,” Eunha said, smiling widely at Sojung.

Yewon scoffed at her words, and three pairs of eyes looked at her. “What? You don’t like birthdays?” Eunha asked.

“Not particularly,” Yewon said, shrugging half-heartedly.

“When is yours anyway? You never told us,” Sojung asked, her eyebrows raised expectantly.

“Well I didn’t know yours until two minutes ago,” Yewon said, rolling her eyes. “And my birthday is a secret. I can’t have everyone knowing everything about me, I’ll lose my air of mystery.”

“Mystery?” Sojung snorted. “You’re about as mysterious as a rock. You’re a broody, stubborn little , is what you are.”

Yewon made a noise of protest, scowling slightly, It was true though, she did have a habit of brooding and sulking, especially when she didn’t get her own way.

“Oh how I’ve missed you all,” Jessica sighed, shaking her head at their bickering, even as she smiled. Jessica loved to have the house full, it made her happy to be surrounded by her girls. Even if one was missing.

“I’m going to make something to eat. Is anyone hungry?” Eunha asked, pushing herself up off the couch.

“Um...sure,” Yewon agreed. “I’ll come help.”

The two of them walked into the kitchen, and Yewon hovered near the sink as she watched Eunha rummage around in the fridge for some food to make. “Hey,” Yewon whispered, trying not to be overheard by Sojung.

“Hm?” Eunha mumbled, looking over her shoulder with raised eyebrows.

“How long do you think you can get off work at a short notice?” Yewon whispered.

“I don’t know, a week? Two if I’m lucky,” Eunha shrugged, turning back around to look for food. She came out with an armful of things to make sandwiches and dropped them on the counter. Yewon pulled four plates out from the cupboard and the two of them set about making sandwiches.

“So...um..if I were to pay for you and Sojung to go to Korea for her birthday, would you book work off for that?” Yewon asked quietly.

“What?!” Eunha exclaimed, and Yewon quickly hushed her.

“Shh keep your ing voice down,” Yewon hissed, peeking around Eunha to look in the living room.

“You want to pay for my girlfriend and I to go to Korea for her birthday?” Eunha muttered, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Yeah. She’s always yapping about riding in my private jet, and well, it is her birthday,” Yewon shrugged. “I think she would really like it.”

“Of course she would ing like it! It’s a trip to Korea!” Eunha said.

Why do you keep saying it like that?” Yewon said, giving her an exasperated look.

“Because it’s a trip to Korea!” Eunha hissed at her. “That’s not a birthday present from a friend.”

“Well, what am I supposed to get her then? A book? It would probably become a shooting target for her.” Yewon quietly snorted.

“Well, that would be within a better price range,” Eunha told her.

“Oh come on,” Yewon said, rolling her eyes. “Is this really about money? Honestly, it won’t be expensive. You can take my plan, and I’ll put you up in a villa. It’ll be fun.”

Eunha looked at her with uncertainty. “You say it won’t be expensive because to you it won’t be, but I’m not rich, Yewon. I can’t afford to buy my girlfriend something that expensive, and I can’t expect you to do something like that for her either.”

“Oh okay...I see your point. Sorry, I just thought it would be nice for you both,” Yewon said.

“It would!” Eunha reassured her. “It’s very generous and thoughtful, so thank you. But I can’t let you spend that much money on a gift when we can’t repay it.”

“But I was going to take you to Korea anyway when Eunbi came home. I meant to keep my promise to Sojung, I just thought that this way, it would have a meaning to it, and you could have a holiday by yourself,” Yewon explained, shrugging slightly. “And I didn’t intend for you to repay it. It’s not a favor, it’s a gift.”

“But why?” Eunha asked, laughing quietly.

“Look, to be honest, I’ve never had to buy anyone present before. Well, I have for my family, but only as a child with my parent’s own money, so that doesn’t count. I don’t know what’s acceptable. I don’t even know how much a banana costs for sake,” Yewon sigh