(The conversation between Mrs. Bae and Seulgi happened, when Joohyun, Jennie and Hyojoo were hanging out, from the previous chapter. So that you won't get confused.)

"Seulgi, come with me to the office" Mrs. Bae said coldly.

Seulgi gulped and slowly followed Mrs. Bae.

It would be the first time that Mrs. Bae would talk to her alone and she was nervous.

Two days after they came back from Busan. Seulgi decided to finally admit her feelings for Joohyun, to the older girl's parents and brother. She also wanted to ask their permission to court her. 

Mr. Bae and Jihoon were both okay with it. But Mrs. Bae disapproved. She didn't want Joohyun to be romantically involved with a girl.

Thankfully Mr. Bae was able to convince her wife to think about it first before deciding. And Mrs. Bae agreed.

So now here she was, alone inside the office, standing nervously infront of a stern looking Mrs. Bae. Waiting for whatever decision she would make.

"Seulgi" Mrs. Bae called again with the same tone.

"Yes, a-auntie?" Seulgi stared at her shaking hands. Trying hard to stop it from shaking so much.

"Look at me" 

Seulgi gulped and slowly looked up. 

Mrs. Bae's face remained blank.

"Do you really like my daughter?" 

"Y-yes auntie" 

Mrs. Bae sighed. "Seulgi, you're a good kid. I like you as a person, but I don't know if I like you for my daughter."

"Auntie, I promise. I'll make Joohyun unnie happy." Seulgi looked at Mrs. Bae with determination.

Mrs. Bae leaned back on the chair and stared at Seulgi.

Seulgi's eyes started to water, but she blinked it back. She didn't want to appear weak in front of Joohyun's mother.

Mrs. Bae sighed again. "You do know why I disapprove of you and Joohyun, right?" 

Seulgi felt her heart break again, but held herself together.

"Because we're both girls" She answered weakly.

"Yes. If you were a boy. I'll gladly let you be with my daughter, but that's not the case here." 

Seulgi couldn't take it anymore and finally let her tears flow. She bit her lips and then kneeled down infront of Mrs. Bae, bowing her head.

"What are you doing? Get up" Mrs. Bae said before standing up and walking around the desk. She grabbed Seulgi's arm, forcing her to stand up. But Seulgi remained kneeling.

"Auntie, please give me a chance. Let me make Joohyun unnie happy" 

Mrs. Bae lets go of Seulgi's arm. She straightened up and sighed.

"Aigoo this kid. If you weren't a good person. I wouldn't have approved of it." Mrs. Bae chuckled.

Seulgi was confused by what she heard. She looked up and frowned.

"What do you mean auntie" She asked with tears still streaming down her cheeks.

"You two are free to do whatever you want now. I won't stop you" 

Seulgi's eyes lit up. "You mean, you're okay with me and Joohyun unnie being together, auntie? As in romantically together? Like girlfriends?"

"Yes. Why do you think I let my daughter sleep over at your house?" Mrs. Bae laughed at the younger girl's stunned face.

"These past few days I was testing you actually. To see if your feelings for my daughter were genuine." Mrs. Bae smiled. "And I can see that it's real. So get up now or else I'll take it back."

Seulgi quickly stood up and hugged Mrs. Bae.

"Thank you auntie. I promise I won't hurt Joohyun unnie" 

"Don't thank me. Thank your uncle and Jihoon oppa for opening my mind" Mrs. Bae patted Seulgi's back.

Mrs. Bae wasn't going to change her mind at first, but her husband and son wouldn't stop talking about how happy Joohyun looked after coming home from Busan, making sure she heard it. 

She too noticed the changes, but she just didn't want to believe that it was because of Seulgi.

She even thought of telling Joohyun to avoid Seulgi, but she also didn't want her daughter to hate her. 

So in the end, she just subtly asked Joohyun random things about Seulgi. And her daughter's face would instanly lit up and her eyes would twinkle, everytime she talks about the girl.

Mrs. Bae knew then, that she couldn't stop her daughter's feelings anymore and finally decided to just let them be together.

"But still, I want to thank you auntie." Seulgi broke the hug and bowed respectfully. 

Mrs. Bae smiled. "Don't mention it. Just make Joohyun happy. That's all I want from you" 

Seulgi straightened up and nodded before excusing herself.

She has to come up with a plan on how to properly ask Joohyun to be her girlfriend. And she needed all the help she could get.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joohyun got off the bus and fixed her hair. She fished her phone out and started dialing a number.

"Hello?" 

"I'm already here" Joohyun said while looking around the bus stop. "Where are you?"

"Wait. I'll just go take a shower."

"Why didn't you do it earlier?" Joohyun sighed and sat down on the empty seat of the bus stop.

"I didn't know you'll be on time. You're usually late" The girl on the line chuckled.

"Well I'm a changed woman"

The girl snorted. "Yeah. I doubt it. Anyway, why don't you to come up here? So that you can rest? Since it will probably take a few minutes for me to shower and change."

Joohyun pursed her lips. "No. It's alright. I'll just stay here" 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yeah."

"Okay. I'll take a shower now. Bye" 

"Bye" Joohyun sighed once the call ended.

A few minutes later, her phone started ringing. She looked at it and saw Seulgi's name flashing on the screen.

She bit her lips. Contemplating on what to do. In the end, she decided to just answer it.

"Hello?" 

"Hi, unnie. I miss you"

Joohyun smiled. "I miss you too"

There was a few seconds pause before Seulgi talked again.

"Unnie, where are you?"

Joohyun cleared . "I told you. Jennie and Hyojoo wanted to spend more time together, right? So now we're going back to our favourite cafè again" She lied.

"Oh." Seulgi paused. "When are you coming here? At the restaurant?" 

"I don't know. Jennie might want to go to the mall after going to the cafè. So maybe I'll be back around 4 or 5 in the afternoon" Joohyun clenched her fist, feeling guilty for lying.

Seulgi remained silent for a few seconds and Joohyun wondered if the call was accidentally cut off. She was about to look at her phone screen, when she heard Seulgi's voice again.  

"Unnie" 

"Hmm?" 

A pause.

"You know, that I like you right?" Seulgi said hesitantly.

"Yes. And I like you too. Incase you've forgotten" Joohyun chuckled.

"Unnie" Seulgi paused before talking again. "I just want to let you know that whatever happens. I'll always be here for you"

Joohyun frowned. Seulgi was acting weird.

"Are you okay?" 

"Yeah. I'll go now, unnie. I still have a lot of things to do. Bye" Seulgi quickly ended the call.

Joohyun stared at her phone screen. Wondering what happened to the younger girl. 

"Hyun!" 

Joohyun turned around and smiled at the girl approaching her. 

"Sorry I took so long."

"It's alright" Joohyun put her phone back on her bag. She reminded herself to talk to Seulgi later.

"Let's go?" The girl offered her arm.

Joohyun nodded and held the girl's arm. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

Seulgi closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. She doesn't know why the older girl had to lie to her. 

She sighed and went back inside the restaurant. She went to the changing room first, to put her phone back in her locker, before going back to the kitchen. She washed her hands and wiped it dry.

"Have you already called Joohyun?" Mr. Bae asked while placing the dish on the bowl.

"Yes uncle. She said she'll be here in the afternoon" Seulgi grabbed the bowl and placed it on the tray. 

Mr. Bae nodded and put the other two dishes and drinks on the tray.

"Go now. Tell the girls, it's on the house" 

"Thank you uncle"

"I already told you to start calling me appa, right?" 

Seulgi blushed. "Yes, a-appa" 

Mr. Bae smiled and patted her shoulder.

"Go" 

Seulgi nodded and grabbed the tray. She walked out of the kitchen and into the dining area.

She saw Hyojoo and Jennie sitting at the table near the door. Talking about something on the phone.

The restaurant was still close. It was still eight in the morning, but the two older girls were already there because she messaged them yesterday for help and told them to keep it a secret from Joohyun. Since she knew they were hanging out together.

Seulgi forced out a smile and walked towards the older girls.

"Hi, unnies. Here's your orders"

"But we didn't order anything?" Hyojoo said confusedly.

"A-appa wanted to give this to you. He said it's on the house." Seulgi said shyly while placing the plates and drinks on the table one by one. She's still not used to calling Joohyun's father like that.

"Appa, huh?" Hyojoo teased. While Jennie just laughed at the blushing Seulgi.

"Un- Appa wanted me to call him that" Seulgi hugged the tray, trying to hide her blushing cheeks.

"Seulgi, have you bought a ring?" Jennie suddenly asked seriously.

Seulgi tilted her head. "No, unnie. Why?"

She was confused as to why the older girl asked her about a ring.

"Because I think it's more fitting if you just ask Joohyun straight away to marry you, instead of just asking her to be your girlfriend" Jennie laughed after seeing Seulgi blushed harder.

"I agree with Jennie. I mean you already got the approval of Joohyun's parents and brother. Plus, uncle already made you call him 'appa'. The only thing that's lacking now, is a ring. And you can already propose to Joohyun." Hyojoo joined in with the teasing.

"Unnies" Seulgi whined. 

The two older girls laughed harder and continued teasing the younger girl.

They only stopped when the two other part-timers arrived at the restaurant for their shift.

Seulgi went back to work, while the two older girls continued to brainstorm about Seulgi's (marriage proposal) plan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joohyun checked her watch and saw that it was already 6pm. Thirty minutes left before Seulgi's shift at the restaurant ends.

She sighed.

Since she got sweaty and dirty from the activity earlier, she went home to shower and change first. That's why it got her longer than expected to go to the restaurant.

She walked faster. She couldn't wait to see the younger girl.

After what seemed like forever, Joohyun finally arrived at the restaurant. She decided to walk through the back door as to not disturb the customers.

She smiled when she saw Seulgi walking into the storage room and quickly followed the younger girl. She looked around first, to make sure no one saw her, before entering and shutting the door quietly.

She made sure to lock the door before searching for the younger girl. She saw Seulgi bending down while arranging the empty plastic crates at the corn