Tzuyu had been crying, albeit in a calmer way, all morning. She and Nayeon had made themselves comfortable in the older's bed to watch television, but the short distance between the two was making the girl suffer.

"You're crying again" Nayeon gently wiped her cheeks, being careful not to touch her for more than a few seconds so as not to upset her "do you want me to put on cartoons? Some are crazy and make you laugh" she took the remote to look for something funny.

"I'd like another hug" she shyly grabbed the other girl's pajama sleeve "if it doesn't bother you" the long-desired hug made her feel safe immediately: the delicacy of Nayeon's hand in her hair and her scent calmed her down instantly.

The older had turned off the TV to dedicate herself totally to the one she considered a child to be protected "I was convinced that you hated physical contact, considering what I have known and what I have been able to see since I have lived with you"

Tzuyu had closed her eyes "I hate it with all of myself, but there are some moments when I don't mind. With you it's different and I don't know why, it started when I saw you hug Nana for the first time"

"Her hugs are better than mine, you should try them. The sweetness of children is unsurpassed, a bit like yours right now"

"I'm not a child, I'm fourteen"

Nayeon smiled amused "I didn't say it to discredit you, but because I firmly believe that you have never behaved like a child and this leads you to act like one sometimes, just like now. Nana hugs me like that too, she does when she wants to feel safe, when she wants to receive love"

"I don't know what it means to receive love"

"You receive it every day, your sisters shower you with love even just when they look at you. I know it can't be easy to perceive it given your condition, but I advise you to look more carefully at the people around you. My daughter loves you too, she always asks for you when you're not around"

Tzuyu sniffed before breaking the embrace "shall we go and get her? I'd like to play with her" she wiped her face with the pajama sleeve.

A short time later the younger was sitting in the car, waiting for Nayeon's return: she had gone to pick up Nana in the apartment she had shared with her ex and Tzuyu, feeling a strong antipathy towards the one who was making such a good person suffer, refused to meet her and remained in the vehicle.

Nana gave her a bright smile as her mother was placing her in the car seat "Yuyi!"

"Little Monster" the girl had decided to sit next to her in the back seat, using her older sister as an excuse as they were going to pick her up from work.

The ride to the publishing house was uneventful, the little girl had decided not to make a fuss and to play with Tzuyu's hand, clumsily squeezing her fingers. After several unsuccessful attempts it was the older of the two to make sure that Nana could hold her hand in the correct way, being careful not to hurt her.

Nayeon was smiling, occasionally glancing through the rearview mirror "they fell asleep, how cute" as soon as the car was parked perfectly she grabbed her cell phone to capture that precious moment.

Jihyo got into the car, ready to shout a warm greeting, but she avoided doing so after seeing the two sleeping "it's one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen"

"Your sister insisted on picking up Nana, it wasn't in the plans" she was still smiling "at least she won't be bored during your visit"

"I have absurd anxiety, I hope the baby is growing well" she was her belly, repeating that movement all the way in an attempt to calm down. Arriving at her doctor's office, her hand sought that of the oldrr "would you like to come in with me? I don't want to do it alone again"

They left the girls in the company of the other doctor, who was working hard to win their sympathy. Nana, sociable as she was, was enjoying herself while Tzuyu wanted to sleep in a corner, but she wasn't willing to leave the youngest with someone she didn't trust.

The other two were already in the middle of the visit "who are you?" the doctor smiled at Nayeon.

"I'm a friend of hers and the future godmother of the little baby" she smiled the same way.

"When was it decided? I don't remember" Jihyo was genuinely confused.

The older motioned her to be quiet "it was decided by fate, you will have to accept it. Here is your little bean!" she smiled excitedly, pointing at the monitor.

"We have an expert here" commented the doctor "are we perhaps colleagues?"

"No, but I have a daughter and, although the one in the monitor isn't my baby, I am particularly excited to watch" she had teary eyes and a stupid smile.

The visit went smoothly, but the doctor took a few minutes to encourage the pregnant girl, telling her to take better care of herself and to stress herself as little as possible. However, her peace of mind vanished as Nayeon stepped forward to pay for the visit, her credit card in her fingers.

"Don't think about it, put it away" Jihyo patted her hand.

"Did I ask your permission? It doesn't seem like it" she handed over the card, humming happily "I'm doing it because I want to do it, there's no need to react like that. Now that I think about it, you need vitamins, you run out of them"

"Nayeon, keep your thoughts in check" the other girl admonished her "I can take care of it"

After making the payment she took her by the arm, heading towards the room where their girls were "shut up and let me do it, a pregnancy must also be enjoyed and it is my duty as a roommate to spoil you a little"

Jihyo was smiling and she felt like crying because of all that attention "I will never thank you enough, your presence is doing us all good"

"I just need to know that you are happy and healthy, you don't have to thank me for anything" she stopped to caress her swollen belly "now we are a family"

The last statement saddened the younger, who had stood looking at the other girl while she was intent on putting the coat on Nana and Tzuyu. What Nayeon had said had a beautiful meaning, but she was aware of the sadness hidden in that sentence caused by her breakup with her ex.

After leaving Nana, Jeongyeon had reached her parents' house. They had invited her to lunch, just like every week, to spend time together. However, when they saw her arrive by herself, they were all saddened.

"Where is my granddaughter?" her mother asked "and Nayeon? I made her favorite dessert"

The girl avoided answering, merely greeting her parents and her sister with a kiss on the cheek, but she blurted out during a moment of silence "we broke up, or rather, she broke up with me"

Mina dropped the napkin with which she had just finished cleaning her lips "you're kidding I hope"

"Does it look like a joke's face to you?" she clenched her fists on the table "she left home"

"May I know why? I had noticed something strange lately, but I didn't feel like being nosy" Ms. Yoo immediately asked.

It took her a few seconds to start talking "the main reason was my detachment from her, but I made it worse with my bad behavior. I even forgot our anniversary and I spent that evening drinking with my colleagues. She was destroyed and I didn't know what to do to convince her to stay"

The man, who had remained silent until that moment, was scolding her with his look "I don't want to look like an , but you deserved it. You changed suddenly and you also took the luxury of neglecting her for all this time, honestly I am amazed that she didn't leave you before"

"Did you do anything to bring her home or are you only capable of complaining?" Mina's eyes were teary with both anger and sadness "such a person is almost impossible to find, not to mention the love she has always had for you and Nana"

"I tried to talk to her, but she is firm in her decision and there is nothing else she can do. I can't even get close to her, how do you expect me to get her back to me?"

Ms. Yoo took her daughter's hand "try to give her some time and use this moment of detachment to figure out what you really want. I know you're scared, but wouldn't it be worse to lose her again? This time it would be your fault and no one else, you won't be able to blame her weak body. Think carefully and decide using both your head and your heart, without letting yourself be influenced by your fears"

"I will do my best to follow your advice, but I must confess that I would like to lock the door of the apartment every time she comes to pick up Nana. Maybe blocking her with me will convince her to talk to me and it could be a good opportunity to solve our problems"

"This isn't how you should behave in these cases, you have to let her free to make her choices and give her the space she needs. If you prove that you are the same person again she will come back to you. Forcing things is selfish and you must always keep in mind that the feelings must be genuine or you will never go anywhere together"

The words spoken by the woman came loud and clear to the ears of both of her daughters: Jeongyeon decided not to insist, but not to abandon Nayeon entirely; Mina promised herself to apologize to Dahyun and try not to ruin their friendship.

Dahyun had thrown her cell phone on the bed, sighing and puffing up her cheeks to underline her disappointment: a few days earlier she had managed to pick up her older sister's phone and had used it to memorize Sana's number.

She had sent messages to her several times, but the older hadn't replied to a single message. She wasn't bothering her, she'd just asked her to meet to talk for a while and to give her a chance to apologize for the childish behavior she'd had the last time they'd spent time together.

"What a bummer, Mina is acting like a stranger and Sana is ignoring me. Great Dahyun, you are such a loser" she was lying on the bed, concentrating on looking at the ceiling.

She was used to the absence of the person she liked, but her best friend had become the only staple of her days and she missed her a lot. Her displeasure for rejecting her was immense, but she felt she had done well to set the record straight; she was convinced that sincerity was always the right choice.

The school day had demoralized her due to her poor performance during her various tests which, coupled with Mina's detached demeanor, formed a lethal combo for her mood.

The sound of the front door made her jump up and it was natural for her to smile at the sight of her favorite people "you finally arrived, I was bored to death"

Nana immediately ran to her to hug her and to tell her about the day just passed, although the girl was unable to understand much about her due to her imprecise language.

"Sorry, but it was hard to convince your sister to go shopping" Nayeon put all the bags on the couch "her belly will get bigger and bigger and she only has to wear comfortable clothes. Needless to say, I finally used Tzuyu and Nana to distract her and buy what I prefer for her"

"You spent a lot of money, I'm still angry" Jihyo was sulking, but it was pretty clear that she was happy with all the attention the older was giving to her. What surprised Dahyun was the more relaxed expression of her younger sister, who seemed almost content to be pulled from one side of the living room to the other by Nana.

Nayeon gave a little applause to attract everyone's attention "tonight our dinner will be based on meat and vegetables, you never eat them and you all need them" she pulled up the sleeves of her shirt "who wants to help me? So I teach you how to cook properly"

"I'm passing, I need a hot bath" Jihyo had already ed her jeans, feeling freer "later I'll help wash the dishes"

Tzuyu was lying on the couch with Nana while watching TV "I'm staying here, someone has to keep an eye on this little brat"

The older smiled at all, focusing on Dahyun "you okay?"

The girl nodded quickly, returning her smile and following her into the kitchen. She didn't say anything the whole time, just following the directions she was given.

"I don't want to seem intrusive, but I've noticed the wounds on your face since the night I arrived" she said in a low voice "you send me a lot of sadness even when you smile and I'm sorry, you know that with me you can talk about anything without receiving judgments"

Dahyun waited until she finished cutting the vegetables before replying "Jihyo has probably told you everything about us and you can imagine that this affects both my sisters and me, but I would be a liar if I said I was really happy. I don't think I'm a sad person, but I often miss something and it makes me feel empty"

The other girl was looking at her "I wish I could tell you that you are simply going through the adolescent phase, but it would be indelicate and false of me and I won't do it although it could be reassuring for you. Unfortunately we have no power over many things as they depend from others, but I would like to advise you to fight for what you want"

"I would like to do it, but I cannot have what I want because it doesn't depend only on me"

"You can always try as many things take time, especially love"

The older found Dahyun's eyes on her "how did you know?"

"It wasn't difficult, I know what it means to suffer for someone who doesn't want you around" she lit the stove, being very careful not to get burned "but I am of the opinion that, as long as there are feelings, it's never too late" she smiled at her to encourage her "don't get discouraged after a few falls, it is from the injuries that you can see the path taken to achieve something"

The next morning Momo hadn't had time to get to work that the boss had entrusted her with a woman in her thirties to show the whole structure and to teach everything necessary to work there, but fortunately she had arrived with a little early to leave breakfast on Jihyo's desk.

She had no desire to be sociable as it was a bad day for her, but her desire to look good was stronger than her bad mood and she convinced herself to do the best of her to educate the newcomer.

She showed her everything, feeling a slight annoyance immediately after crossing the threshold of the copier closet: that small room had been the 'secret' place where she and Jihyo had spent a lot of time flirting and she hated having to show it to others "we do photocopies here, but very few of us do since their use depends on the sector in which they are placed"

"I understand, it's really welcoming here" Cassandra, a foreigner with a gorgeous face and an equally beautiful body, gave her a kind smile "Thank you very much for showing me everything, I hope we will work well together" she shook her hand with enthusiasm.

When she went to sit at her desk she let out a sigh, allowing herself to glance at Jihyo. That day she had her hair tied in a ponytail and Momo couldn't keep her thoughts in check: she wanted to kiss her neck and do much more.

A pinch on the leg brought her back to reality, but only for a second "I asked you the same question three times and you didn't deign to answer me. Stop staring at her, you're creepy" Sana had once again asked for dinner together, but getting no response "Hirai Momo, someone is trying to steal your chocolates!"

At that exclamation the brunette whirled towards the drawer, finding it closed "when will you stop playing these bad taste jokes?"

"I'll do it when my best friend deserves her attention to me, but even seeing her stop staring at that gorgeous girl who is my friend could convince me to stop lying about her food being stolen"

"I wasn't staring at her, I was looking at the wall behind her" muttered the other immediately.

"Do the walls turn you on? Of course you're weird" she made sure to say it in a fairly loud voice.

Jihyo turned to look at them with a confused expression "I didn't know you liked them, but now I can explain some things" she had her cheeks flushed.

Sana looked more disgusted than ever "damn it, I haven't digested my breakfast yet. Against which walls have you given yourselves to mad joy? At least I'll avoid leaning on them"

"I've never paid much attention to it, but I have to admit I remember all the moments when I pressed Jihyo against a wall" 

"I'm going to the bar, I don't want to hear a word more on this subject" the redhead had taken her wallet and stood up.

Momo smiled "you say so only because you haven't had since the Paleolithic and because you are envious"

A middle finger was placed against her nose "you won't get away with this, I will see you tonight" Sana mumbled away.

Jihyo was smiling amused "you bully her all the time"

"She deserves it, she's always the one to start" she was turning a pen in her fingers "but I didn't lie"

"I know, I remember very well everything we did together" she smiled gently before getting up to go and make some photocopies, stopping immediately after standing up and breathing heavily.

"Do you feel bad?" Momo was watching her.

The other girl tried desperately to hold on to something before losing her balance. Luckily for her, the brunette had had the readiness to get up and avoid a bad fall.

"Damn you, you have to stop trying too hard" Jihyo had fainted and Momo knew very well that the accumulated fatigue had caused it all "I'll take you home" she called Sana for help and they took her away, the redhead had got behind the wheel and Momo was taking care of the pregnant girl, making sure she was comfortable all the way.