A/N: some secrets are unfolding~ 🤭 but there are so much more! 🙈 I seriously have not decided the length of the story, chapter wise, so forgive me for these long ones. ALSO! know that I'm really trying my best not to write the story to the point where I have to eventually add an angst tag. 😅

as always, thanks for keeping up with this story! 💕

After Kang Minjoo and the rest of her labelmates from Double U ENT goes backstage following their evaluations, Chungha remarks, "NIZ*ONE's kids keep surprising us today."

Yena quickly retorts, "Don't worry. I'm pretty sure there won't be anyone else anymore since the rest of us here aren't married yet. And Chaeyeon's youngest daughter is only 4 years old. But If she did, now that would have been an actual prank!"

Chaeyeon awkwardly laughs with the rest of the mentors. She can't really blame the others for feeling happy and excited about Yujin's participation. After all, she is the only one who disapproves of it.

Suddenly, Kaeun turns to Chaeyeon assuming she would easily know the truth as Sakura's best friend. "I thought Kkura had legally adopted Minjoo?"

"She did." Chaeyeon replies shortly, hoping this was the only query Kaeun had.

"The form clearly says she's not using Kang as a screen name. Has Kkura ever mentioned anything about it?"

"No, not really." Chaeyeon answers curtly, and averts her gaze. She starts browsing the papers in front of her, unnecessarily busying herself.

"Ah, okay." Kaeun takes this as a sign that their conversation is over. She didn't want to pry, but couldn't help but wonder whether something was off with Chaeyeon. And as her friend pretends to read the papers in front of her, a realization hits Kaeun, So, it seems I'm not the only one who lost contact with Sakura.

“I’m sorry that I had to lie to you, Chae. That.. that is what it took for me to be a supportive mother to our daughter.” Eunbi confidently reasons to her wife, as soon as she closes the door of the master bedroom.

“But am I not her mother too, unnie? Did I not have the right to know?”

Eunbi challenges Chaeyeon’s logic. “Would you have supported Yujin if she told you about it sooner?”

Chaeyeon opens and yet closes it again, enough to reveal her inner thoughts. It makes Eunbi sigh deeply in exasperation, and turns to enter the bathroom. Chaeyeon closely followed behind Eunbi and they stood next to each other in front of the sink to brush their teeth.

Eunbi still has a scowl on her face, and though she is annoyed at Chaeyeon’s pouting in the reflection of the mirror, she took her wife’s toothbrush, put toothpaste on it, and held it in front of Chaeyeon’s mouth. And soon after Chaeyeon opened to take it from her, she took care of her own. Then they proceed with brushing their teeth at the same time, like they always do.

After they are finished with their nightly routines, and while changing into their pajamas, Chaeyeon tries to restart their conversation. “Unnie, I just wanted to protect Yujin. It’s going to be difficult… Certainly, so much more as the days go by. There will be people who wouldn’t like her or even be against her..”

“Exactly, Chae. Though it’s true you can’t really protect her from everything and everyone that may hurt her, you can lessen it by being on her side this time. You know, before all this happened Yujin had always done her part.”

Chaeyeon looked at her in a questioning manner, but didn’t reply to let Eunbi continue. “She asked if she could be enrolled in an arts school, but you enrolled her in a regular one. Our daughter complied, and I never once heard her complain about it. From then until now, she does so well in school, both in academics and extracurriculars. She’s even the ace of the Track & Field team, and won some competitions. But tell me, Chae.. where were you then?”

Chaeyeon’s head hung low as she sat on the edge of their bed, her own guilt shutting her up. Eunbi takes this chance to continue explaining while they are both still level-headed.

“And all this time, Yujin then found out, she wanted to be a performer–to sing and dance. Apparently, she was good enough to be casted as an idol trainee–the one thing that you don’t want her to do. So, it’s no question now why she chose not to tell you sooner.”

Chaeyeon couldn’t help but agree to that and she slowly nods her head. “I- I’m scared.. I think.”

“Scared of what?”

“What other people would say..”

“About Yujin?”

“About me.”

Eunbi is confused at Chaeyeon’s words, but she is physically and emotionally tired now. She went to her side of the bed, pulling the duvet off and prompting her wife to stand. “And will you please stop addressing me, ‘unnie.’ It’s making me so uncomfortable.” Eunbi adds as she gets in the bed, but with a softer tone; sounding more like an appeal than a scolding. Then she pulls the duvet off of her wife’s side of the bed, and taps on it, letting Chaeyeon know they should sleep and rest for now.

At the B level trainees practice room…

"To be honest, you are actually better than me at learning and memorizing the steps, unnie." Yujin says as she stands next to her new friend, Yabuki Nako, watching her through the mirrors.

"Shut it, Yujin. It's already 10 PM and I'm only just getting the hang of it." Nako retorts, but she quickly focuses back on dancing and humming the Pick Me song.

"I'm not even joking, unnie! If we didn't review the steps together, I might still be trying hard learning the choreography on my own." Yujin then pouts.

"Really? Says the one who's already on break 30 minutes ago." Nako shoots her a quick glare. "I only seem better because I have experience being in a girl group.. of which I'm the least. People only know me because apparently, I'm so funny at variety shows. Anyhow, you may be slow at learning the choreo but your skills are A level