Im not too familiar with the Korean culture. I assume that Byulyi would have earn the ability to call Yongsun parents the Mother and Father (the formal version) Asians usually refer the other parents as the parents of Yongsun like Yongsun's Mom. I chose Kim Ama ( Kim Mum) and Kim Apa (Kim Dad)

Anyway, angst ahead for plot!

Moon Byulyi moved in with Kim Yongsun on a winter day that was not too cold. She gave up most of her furniture since she did not actually need them in Yongsun’s place, just her clothes, her personal grooming items, and her photographs. It was quite a quick move in.

The two kids were amused by her barely visible video. All they could tell was that they were probably dancing in the dark, their figures lighted up by the street lamps, to Byulyi's new song as she sang for the audience of one. And she professed her love, full of sincerity and the charms of Byulyi before she ended the video.

Fair enough, the video was sappy enough to consider a pass for their bargain. It was quite over the top anyway.

On one afternoon, the Kim family popped by for a visit.

Kim Yongsun had stepped out for a quick grocery shopping when the parents of Kim Yongsun visited earlier than expected. Kim Amma had surprise in her eyes when Byulyi answered the door, looking very much at home. “Good day, Father and Mother let me help you with that.” She took the package from her and his hands carefully as she held the door open. “Please come in, Father and Mother. Uh, Yong-unni is out for a bit and will be coming home soon.” She gestured the two Kim eldest into the apartment so that they could step out of the cold.

“Hello, that’s kind of you, Byul.” The older woman was slightly surprised that she had answered the door instead of her daughter.

The younger woman hung out the family members of Yongsun long enough for them to know her.

“I’ll use it as my workout for today,” grinned the younger woman as she flexed her muscles, much to the amusement of the elders, then set the bags carefully on the kitchen table.

She returned to the living room to take their coats and the scarves of the elders as they peer around the apartment absently. “Allow me.” She hung them carefully and asked if they needed drinks as she returned to the kitchen and began to sort through the bags slowly. Kim Yongsun being the baby of the family meant that her parents liked to indulge her with food. Her eyes lighted up at the sight of the container of homemade Kimchi. She placed most of the food in the refrigerator as the Kim elders walked around the apartment.

The apartment looked more live-in. There was a wall with a mixture of Byulyi and Yongsun’s photographs on display, something that Byulyi brought over from her apartment. A used Hamster doll, along an equally used Moonstar Rabbit sat along the grey sofa, next to each other.

Byulyi returned with two cups of hot tea for them and handed them a cup each respectfully before she returned to busy herself in the kitchen, stowing the food away. It meant a few days of fantastic homemade food.

“You have filming with our Yongsun later?” asked Kim Ama absently. “You’re here so early, Byul.”

Byulyi merely laughed, rubbing the back of her head, realising that Yongsun probably did not inform them of their new living arrangements. “Our schedules ran late last night.” She turned to look the clock again and realised that she might be running late for her schedule. “I hope you don’t mind. I need to get ready for work.”

Kim Apa just waved her away, amused at how polite she was with them. “We understand. We’ll be fine without you, Byul. Get busy.”

The younger woman hesitated in the living room for a moment. “I’ll let Yongsun-unnie know that you are here.” She rubbed the back of her head absently. She reached for her mobile and dropped a text before she the television for them. “Yong-unnie would be home soon,” returned the younger woman when she received a reply. She took her clothes and ducked into the shower to start her day.

Soon, the door opened, admitting a winded Yongsun with a small bag of groceries. The singer removed her face mask, a black baseball cap and scarf hastily before greeting her parents cheerfully. “I thought I had time to pick up some groceries.”

“You should have let us know what you need. We could have bought them and bring them along,” smiled Kim Apa, shaking his head.

Yongsun hugged both her parents, delighted they were here. “It’s OK, Apa. I don’t want you to make an extra trip in the cold.” She grabbed the bottle of body soap and a bag of toilet roll and headed to the washroom. She knocked on the door and the Byul allowed her in so that she could store the items before she exited again. Yongsun was in the middle of a conversation with the showering woman, reminding Byulyi about their plans for supper after her recording as she exited the bathroom.

The Kim elders exchanged a strange look between them. Their daughter and Byul behaved like a married couple living with each other. They thought about the ease she had in stowing everything like she was one of the owners of the apartment. Ah, they had something to ask their youngest daughter now.

Byulyi stepped out of the washroom, dressed in an overly-large white shirt that hung on her thin frame and jeans. She rushed to their bedroom to pick up her bag.

“Make up?” Yongsun followed her to the bedroom and was assessing if she needed help to be ready for work.

“Nah, I will do that in the studio. They are planning to put some hair extension,” answered the rapper as she met her gaze and dropped her hand on her waist idly. The beep of her mobile reminded her that she was late. “.” She squeezed her waist affectionately, leaned in and pecked her on her cheek fondly.

She merely laughed brightly, hugging her briefly. “Just go, Crinkles. I’ll be fine without you.” She shoved the taller girl towards the living room.

Byulyi returned to the living room to bid them goodbye hastily and dashed out of the apartment with her bag. Yongsun joined her parents at the living room, sensing that they had questions.

“I didn’t expect you to arrive before lunch, Apa and Ama,” decided Yongsun, looking at her parents.

“If we did, we’ll not get a chance to see Byul. It is always nice to see her. Is she busy with a new release?” asked Kim Ama, interested.

Yongsun relaxed visibly as she recounted happily about her future new release. She was very proud of the sweet new song, “Miracle 3 days ago.” She skipped the musical technicalities and expounded on just how talented she was for composing the tune and writing the lyrics.

Both parents noticed how proud and happy she was talking about her good friend, just like a proud parent or maybe a proud partner. Then, she talked about Hyejin’s solo win which made her so delighted, perhaps even more than their own win at vocal performance. It was nice to see that she was so fulfilled.

“Byul mentioned that she moved in with you?” prompted Kim Apa, smiling warmly.

“Aish, she did?” She paused, frowning. “I’m gonna give one to her later. I was going to tell you today. We decided to stay together. I mean it’s not the first time we are staying together—”

“Are your other members moving in too? This apartment is far too small then,” remarked Kim Ama, looking around pointedly.

She scratched the side of her face. “No, I don’t think they would want to live with us. I think Wheein and Hyejin are happy by themselves. They stay remarkably close to each other too.” She scratched the tip of her nose.

“Ah, and she shares the same bedroom with you?” persisted Kim Ama, surprised. “Was she chased out by her landlord recently?”

The singer could not help laughing at the image of a homeless Byul at her door, evicted by her landlord, wearing a puppy face, waiting for her to adopt her. She laughed harder before she realised that her parents were searching for answers.

“No, no. None of that. It would have appeared as gossip.” She waved absently before she regained her composure quickly. She made a mental note to recount this to Byulyi.

“And this wouldn’t when you share a bedroom? There is a perfectly acceptable office that you could convert into her bedroom. If you need help, we could do that today,’ offered Kim Apa, ready to get to work to help his youngest daughter.

“No, it’s OK, Apa.” She had to inherit her restless nature from someone. “I was planning to take you out for lunch—” She brushed her hand through her hair absently.

“No, I brought enough food for lunch. We can have that after heating it up,” decided Kim Ama. “It’s too much trouble to go out.”

“Ah, OK? Is it in the fridge?” She clapped her hands together before getting to work.

“Yes, Byul stowed them away just now."

“OK. She is organised that way. Just watch whatever you want, Apa and Ama. I’ll heat them up. I miss your cooking, Ama.” Humming a tune under her breath, she returned to the kitchen to re-heat the food in the fridge. She whipped out her mobile and scolded Byulyi for telling them about their living arrangements.

“By the way, my parents thought that you moved in because you were evicted by the landlord. The thought of you appearing at my doorstep with your things was too funny.” She put a thumb on her lip as she wrote that message as she smiled to herself.

Soon, the food was re-heated, and she set them on the table properly and placed three sets of cutleries for them on the kitchen table. She grabbed a jug of water and set it aside.

“That is funny but you’re really a Yeba. Squishy, I didn’t tell your parents anything. I was too busy trying to get ready for work just now.”

Her eyes widened at that answer as her heart stopped. Her parents were fishing information about them. She could imagine her girlfriend howling in laughter when she saw the message and she clicked her tongue in annoyance. Her parents had said it so plainly she believed them immediately.

“Apa, Ama, the food is ready.”

Her parents joined her at the kitchen table.

When they were halfway in the meal, she brought up the revelation that Byul had not mentioned anything about their living arrangements.

Her mother did not seem guilty. “I assume that you were not going to tell us, Yong. We wouldn’t have met Byul if we arrived at the agreed time.”

Yongsun stared at her, surprised. “No, she is just busy with work. She had to release another single,” protested the singer, scratching the side of her nose. She wanted to break the news gently to her parents, but she found it tough. Her parents were very sharp.

The singer gave her food an extra chew as she tried to delay the inevitable before her shoulders slumped. “Apa and Ama, why don’t you tell me what you’re thinking?” began Yongsun finally.

Her mother placed her chopsticks down. “I think that you’re confusing a deep and meaningful friendship with love. It is amazingly easy to fall in love with Byul when you share so many experiences. I know it has been so lonely for you because you can’t keep any significant relationship without worrying about the media. And Byul, the sweet girl, is simply just convenient.”

Her heart stopped.

Yongsun’s lips thinned quickly as she bit her lip.

“We were planning to arrange a few simple gatherings among our friends. Nothing too outrageous. You know them before your debut.”

Her stomach coiled painfully.

Yongsun could only stare at her mother, agape. “Ama, you think that I am dating Byulyi?”

“Aren’t you?"

She had no answer to that.

"There is simply no reason for you to live together at the peak of your careers unless it was for companionship.”

She ran her hand through her short hair idly as she stuck her tongue in her cheek. She could not argue against that logic.

“I think that it is fine that you’re dating Byul,” placated her father, looking kindly at her. “I think she is good for you. She makes you incredibly happy, especially in an industry that is so critical of you.”

Her eyes welled with tears.

“But I don’t think Byul is the one you want to spend the rest of your life with. Like your Ama, I just think that this is just an expression for a need of companion,” continued her father plainly, frowning. “You’re starting to realise that you need more than the successes of your career to be fulfilled. And, Byul will eventually want to find someone to settle down with and have a family. She is very family-orientated.”

Tears dripped down her plain cheeks slowly.

“I just think maybe you’ll need to meet more people and try to connect to them in a more meaningful way?” concluded her father in a measured tone.

“Apa and Ama, we’re not teenagers,” protested Yongsun finally, balling her hands into fists. “Do you think we’re going through a phrase of exploring? Ama, I dated in the past and these relationships don’t last.” She brushed the tears away from her face absently. She stared at her rice bowl.

“Maybe you just need to meet a good man,” prompted her mother hopefully.

“Do you think my industry is lacking good men? There is always Eric whom I had a connection with but we’re not together. There are producers, dancers, make-up artists, sound-engineers, managers—"

“You were just put off by the intense attention of the media to consider even trying anything worthwhile. It is probably the same for that poor man who was flamed for being with you,” placated her mother soothingly.

She grounded and ungrounded her jaws openly but she did not say a word. She wasn’t too sure if she could hold her tongue even though her parents were just genuinely concerned about her. “Ama and Apa, I love Byul. I love her for who she is, and I won’t hold back my feelings for something as trivial as being in mismatched earthly vessels.” Her pitch hitched slightly with emotions.

“You are always such a determined child even if it brings you so much pain,” murmured her mother softly, shaking her head, knowing that determined look in her eyes.

She brushed off a tear from her eyes with the back of the hand.

“We don’t want you to do something that you will regret when you’re older,” sighed her mother, looking as affected as her daughter but not less determined.

“And you want to introduce me to others even if it would hurt Byul and me?” asked Yongsun, her voice cracking from the emotions she was suppressing.

“Yes,” agreed her father finally. “Byul ought to understand since you’re already thirty. Her family will have plans for her too. She is a wonderful girl.”

She scowled at the thought that Byulyi needed to attend matchmaking sessions. No, it w