Evening, December 22nd

Kim Yongsun tasted the sauce one last time before turning off the stove. “Okay. Everything is perfect.” She walked to the dining room where her family had seated. She poured everyone a pomegranate juice and served the caesar salad. She smiled at everybody then was about to take a seat when the doorbell rang. She looked accusingly at her older sister. “Eonnie, did you invite someone? I told you this is a family dinner.”

“Yong, I swear I didn’t invite anyone.” Yonghee said with a mouthful of the salad.

Yongsun rolled her eyes then stood up. She walked faster towards the main door since whoever the guest was, kept ringing the bell. “Okay, wait up.” 

The English teacher finally reached the door and yanked it open without checking. “Yes, what can I…” She stopped dead once she saw the uninvited guest.

“Hello, Yongsun. It’s been a while.” Byulyi casted her brightest smile despite her raging heart. If she felt like her heart was about to burst when she rang the bell, now she felt like fainting when Yongsun herself opened the door.

Yongsun stood still with open. She scanned the woman before her from head to toe and had to swallow because Moon Byulyi looked so damn good. She cursed to herself that even after 10 years, her heart still yearned for the alpha. She regained her composure, walked outside and slammed the door. She grabbed Byulyi’s wrist and dragged her to the side garden. “What are you doing here?” She hissed.

Ugh, Byulyi knew that Yongsun still affected her greatly but she didn’t think it would be this strong. Her blood stirred in excitement and felt that crept of desire to hug and kiss the omega. She gulped and brought the bouquet in her hand. “Hi, Yong. It’s nice to meet you.”

Yongsun was baffled. Byulyi brought her favorite flowers and they were very beautiful. She rolled her eyes and accepted the bouquet. “No, it is not nice to meet you. You need to leave. This is not a good time.”

“Why?” Byulyi frowned.

“First, this is a very chilly day and second, my son is having a birthday party.” Yongsun gritted. Her omega body was not helping at all in this cold December.

Byulyi couldn’t fully comprehend Yongsun’s statement but her alpha’s instinct kicked in once she realized Yongsun was shivering. She took off her coat and draped it around the shorter omega. 

“Byul, I don’t need this.” Yongsun tried to remove the synthetic fur coat off of her but her hand was gently held.

“You do. You’re cold.” Byulyi squeezed her smaller hand and smiled.

. Byulyi’s scent on the coat forced her inner omega to instantly calm. Yongsun relented and let the coat stay. “Still, you need to go. I need to go back to my son.”

Byulyi blinked rapidly. “Son? You have an alpha?” When she thought that her heart couldn’t be more broken, she was again awed by how easily Yongsun broke her heart again.

The omega rolled her eyes. “Damn, Byul. This is not the 18th century. An omega can have a pup without any alpha!” She regretted the second she said that. She wanted to wipe the smile on Byulyi’s face.

“So, your son’s birthday is the same as mine?” The alpha grinned.

. Yongsun tried so hard to forget that fact but how could she? Her son was a constant reminder that a certain alpha had ever existed in her heart. “I can’t choose my son’s birthday, can I?”

“True.” Byulyi looked below, confused as to what else she should say.

“Look, you really need to go. This is really not a good time.” Yongsun sighed.

“Won’t you say it to me?” Byulyi looked at her expectantly.

Yongsun gulped. She removed one stalk of peonies from the bouquet and put it in Byulyi's jacket pocket. “Happy birthday, Byul. I wish you all happiness in the world. I really do.” She looked at the beautiful face she used to see every day and was about to walk away when there was a loud bang from the front door.

“Eomma! What are you doing outside? Oh… who is that?” An alpha boy came out and already looked all combative. 

Byulyi chuckled. Whoever the sire was, surely was a brat alpha. She smiled nonetheless but couldn’t help to shake the feeling of recognition when the boy got closer. She tilted her head then crouched down. “Hello, good evening.”

The boy stopped her track. “Oh, Moonbyul-nim?! Hello, good evening.” He bowed deeply and seemed to be frozen in place.

Yongsun sighed. She approached her son and took his hand. “It’s okay. Let’s go inside okay?”

“No! Eomma, did you invite Moonbyul-nim to my birthday? Is she my special present?” The boy’s eyes shone very brightly.

Sensing a way to stay longer with Yongsun, Byulyi  stood up and butted in. “Yes. Your mom invited me. I will give a special performance for your birthday.” She winked.

The boy squealed and hugged his mother. “Eomma! I love you so much!!! Thank you!!!

Yongsun glared at Byulyi and didn’t have any option but to invite the alpha for dinner. She leaned closer and whispered. “Behave!”

“I’m good with children, Yongsun. Don’t worry.” Byulyi smirked. “So, what’s your name, handsome?”

“Kim Minhyuk. I’m your fan, Moonbyul-nim!” Minhyuk bowed once again.

“Aigoo. You’re so cute, Minhyuk. Do you know that today is also my birthday?” Byulyi reached out her hand and was immediately shaken by the boy with so much happiness.

“Of course I know! Happy birthday Moonbyul-nim! Every year I ask Eomma to have two cakes. One for you and one for me. This year we can celebrate our birthday together!!” Minhyuk was beyond ecstatic to finally be able to celebrate their birthday together for real.

Byulyi was stunned. She looked at Yongsun and the omega was looking worried. She didn’t want to assume anything. “Hey, maybe we should go inside? It’s getting cold. I heard there will be snow today.”

“Right. Okay, let’s go inside shall we?” Yongsun smiled at her son. The three of them reached inside. Yongsun placed the bouquet on the coffee table then removed Byulyi’s coat. She hung it on the rack then took the flower again.

“Oh Eomma, those are peony, aren’t they? Those are your favorites.” Minhyuk commented.

“Yes, dear.”

Putting one and one together, Minhyuk glanced up at his favorite singer. “Moonbyul-nim, how do you know my mom likes those flowers?” 

“Well, your Mom and I…” Byulyi looked at the omega and saw Yongsun was pleading. “We were friends from university.”

Minhyuk nodded but frowned. “Eomma! How could you not tell me that she’s your friend? You know that I’m her biggest fan!”

Yongsun lost words. She didn’t know what to say to calm her son.

“Hey, Minhyuk. It’s okay. I told her not to tell you that. So, I can come here as a surprise.” Byulyi smirked.

“Whoaaa, Moonbyul-nim you’re the best!!!!” Minhyuk smiled from ear to ear. “Come on, Moonbyul-nim! Everybody must have been waiting for us!” He dragged the famous singer deeper into the house.

Byulyi looked at Yongsun and mouthed. “Everybody?”

Yongsun sighed. “It’s a family dinner.”

Byulyi’s blood drained out of her system once she stepped in the dining room. Yongsun’s father, appa and older sister looked at her with horror. As if she was the most unwanted guest in their entire life. Then in a split second, Yonghee stood up and launched.

“YOU!!!! Motherf….”

“EONNIE!!!!” Yongsun shouted to calm her angry sister.

Smell of aggressive hormones filled the room. They all come from the alphas present there. Her alpha father and older sister released the hormone to attack Byulyi, the CEO was ready to defend herself and Minhyuk being a brave alpha boy was prepared for all the worse. “Everybody calm down because today, we’re celebrating Minhyuk and Byulyi’s birthday. So, please, go back to your seat.” Yongsun spoke in a very calm intonation while releasing soothing hormones into the air.

The first one affected by Yongsun's sweet vanilla scent was Byulyi. She crouched down to look at Minhyuk’s eyes. “Hey, it’s alright. Aunty Yonghee and I haven’t met for so long and sometimes when grown-ups miss each other, they shout and curse. I’m sorry, okay?”

Minhyuk nodded even though he was still very confused. “Grown-ups are weird. Why don’t you guys hug each other like Eomma and Aunty Sodam when they meet each other after a long time?”

Byulyi was instantly annoyed and looked at Yongsun. The omega’s face was reddened. Their eyes met and Byulyi gave a questioning look.

Yongsun ignored it. “Let’s eat.”

Byulyi stood up and joined the dinner.

—

It was simply the most awkward dinner Byulyi ever had. Yonghee kept glaring at her. Father, that was how she used to call Yongsun’s alpha dad, kept clenching his jaws. Appa, Yongsun’s omega father, was sighing from time to time trying to calm his mate and his alpha daughter. Only Minhyuk who looked at her with so much adoration. She took time to study Yongsun’s pup. He had a sharp nose and sharp chin. His hair was naturally silver. Unlike his mother, his cheeks were not plump and he had a heart-shaped face rather than round. Then, Minhyuk laughed at Yongsun’s joke and the boy had a very cute indian dimple. The dimple was not deep but it was still apparent when he laughed out loud. ‘He certainly looks a lot like someone.’ Her brain tried to recall who that person was.

Then it was time to blow the candle. They moved to the living room where the upright piano was. Yongsun lit the candle then brought the cake to the room. She placed it carefully on the table. “Okay now let’s sing happy birthday.”

“Wait, Eomma. Where’s Moonbyul-nim's cake?” Minhyuk frowned.

“Ah, right. Wait a second." Yongsun went back to the kitchen. She rolled her eyes because Yonghee followed her. 

"What the hell is she doing here?" Yonghee hissed. "Did you invite her?"

"Of course not, Eonnie! Why would I?" Yongsun carefully placed the second cake on the kitchen counter. Then, she took the numeral candles from the drawer and put them on. Byulyi turned 35 this year.

"So, why the hell is she here?" Yonghee asked.

"I don't know! Okay? I was about to send her away when Minhyuk saw us. He would not let Byulyi go. You know how he is fascinated by her. I don't have any options. So, for the sake of my son, let's just behave. Okay?" Yongsun looked at her sister intently. She needed her on board. 

Yonghee sighed. "Did she know?"

"Oh my God, Eonnie! Of course she didn't know. If she did, would she be this docile?" Yongsun quickly lit the candles. "Like I said, just behave. Come on." She lifted the cake then went back to the living room. 

Minhyuk grinned widely. Beside him was his idol, Moonbyul, sitting on the same couch as him. His idol was very beautiful up close and she smelled so good. Well, not as good as his Eomma but everytime he inhaled Moonbyul's scent, he instantly respected her and wanted to do whatever she asked. Unlike with her Eomma, whenever he smelled her Eomma, he would feel instantly calm. He looked at two cakes in front of him and his smile got even wider. “Moonbyul-nim, let’s blow the candle together.”

Byulyi smiled and nodded. She looked at the candles on Minhyuk's cake and they showed 10. Her mind picked something odd but she didn’t quite grasp it yet. She was too overwhelmed by her own cake. Yongsun deliberately prepared a cake for her and celebrated her birthday with her son. Well, even though it was all because Minhyuk was her fan, still, the image of the two of them celebrating her birthday sent enough fluffiness in her soul. “Shall we sing together?”

“Oh, Eomma can play the piano!” Minhyuk was very excited to have a duet with his favorite singer. “Aunty Yonghee, please record us!”

Yonghee forced a smile then took her phone out. She positioned herself and was ready to record. “Okay, boy, I’m ready.”

Yongsun sat on the piano bench and started the happy birthday melody.

Byulyi looked at Minhyuk and they sang harmoniously. 

The combined voice of Byulyi and Minhyuk captivated everyone in the room. Even Yongsun managed to shed a tear before focusing back on her duty as the pianist. Byulyi looked at Minhyuk with awe. Her mind wondered whether this was the voice of an angel that she heard. Minhyuk was naturally talented. No, she was not talking about a nice voice or a high range of vocals, but she was talking about technique. Minhyuk in his young age was able to match his note with her and even recognized a missed note when Yongsun was somehow distracted. When they finished singing, Byulyi smiled wider. They leaned and blew the candles then everyone in the room clapped for them.

“Happy 10th birthday, Minhyuk.” Byulyi hugged the boy.

“Happy birthday, Moonbyul-nim.” Minhyuk hugged his idol even more tightly.

At that exact moment, just like magic, Byulyi swore that she had a weird connection with the boy in her hold. She instinctively sniffed him and a wave of sweet vanilla, fresh bergamot and a fine hint of amber filled her nostril. She inhaled deeper and couldn’t shake the feeling like she was part of him. Tranquil immediately filled her heart. It was like she was coming home. She didn’t know how long she hugged Minhyuk but she felt like she didn’t want to let him go. Weird. Very weird.

“Uhm, well maybe we should cut the cake?” Yongsun tried to break her ex-girlfriend and her son’s hug. She didn’t want her son to be emotionally attached to Byulyi.

Byulyi suddenly realized her bizarre behavior and released the boy. To her surprise, Minhyuk didn’t look bothered at all by their hug. Their close proximity made her look into his eyes. They were hazel just like Yongsun’s but there was a mix of azzurre in them. She couldn’t help but to be mesmerized. “Oh Minhyuk, you’re gonna break a lot of omega’s hearts when you are an adult.”

Minhyuk frowned. “I’m not a bad alpha.”

Byulyi chuckled. “I’m sorry. Of course, you’re not a bad alpha. I mean you’re gonna make your mother very proud of you. You’re the most handsome boy I have ever met.”

Minhyuk flustered. To hear such wonderful words from his idol, let alone an alpha, made his confidence boost like never before. It wasn’t that he thought his Eomma was not enough but he couldn’t help to compare himself to other kids in school who had both alpha and omega parents by their side. And sometimes, it made him feel a little bit inferior. “Thank you Moonbyul-nim.”

“Let’s cut the cake.” Byulyi smiled then turned to look at Yongsun. She was surprised that the omega looked at her with anger. What was it that made Yongsun look at her like that? Didn’t she say something nice to her son? She decided to ignore her because Minhyuk nudged her hand.

Minhyuk gave the first slice of his cake to his Eomma. He hugged her tightly and whispered a thank you for bringing his idol to celebrate the party. “You’re the best, Eomma. I love you.”

“I love you too, my baby boy.” Yongsun kissed Minhyuk’s forehead.

“I’m not a baby, Eomma.” Minhyuk pouted but kissed her Eomma’s cheek.

Once everyone got their cake, Yongsun’s Appa played soft music from his phone. After tasting the homemade cake, he stood up. “I think it’s time to open the plum wine.” He retracted from the room. Not long after that, he came back with