“M-MISS?” The spitting image of Seulgi called out to Irene. “I-Is my daughter, Katy, inside?”

“A-Ah…” Irene had to gulp. She couldn’t help but to panic internally. Cold sweat bullets building on her head.

She wasn’t the only one who froze that time. Even Joy was holding her breath while she saw how Gi reacted when she heard the voice of the said woman. Her eyes widened, her whole body started shaking. She could feel how much Gi was stopping herself to present herself.

“Finally, you’ve shown yourself, you witch!”

Joy got even more alerted when she heard that voice. That’s certainly neither Gi nor Seul’s voice. She was about to go near the said girl but then she noticed how her left hand was holding her right arm. She concluded that Gi’s still there. She’s still somehow in control but someone else is definitely co-conscious with her.

Worried about her sister, Yerim immediately stood up and ran towards the door.

“Mom? What are you doing here?” She greeted her mother in surprise, putting up a perfect act. She put her hands on her waist. “Didn’t I tell you that I will be having a sleepover with some friends?”

The woman was relieved to actually see her daughter but the worry didn’t completely leave her face. “I-I’m just really worried about you, dear. It’s the first time that I saw you staying in a place like this.”

“Come on, Mom…” Yerim’s shoulders dropped. “I’m already an adult. I already know what I am doing. This is embarrassing, you know?”

“I’m sorry, Katy.” Her mother held her by the arms. “You are my only child. I’ll go crazy if something bad happens to you.”

Irene felt the need to look at Gi but she couldn’t be so obvious. She pretended like she was looking at Yerim but she actually had a glimpse of Gi. Joy was already sitting beside her, trying to calm her down. She’s sure that hearing that statement angered her.

She has to do something to send the woman away. She can’t afford to have Gi meet her.

“A-Anyway, Madam.” Irene took their attention. “Let me introduce myself to you to somehow lessen your worry.”

She then took her phone out and searched her own name. She then showed the website of their company. “My name is Irene Bae. I’m actually running a business and you can check more of it on our website. My details are also there as I am the CEO of the company.”

“Oh my, you’re actually a CEO?” The woman was taken aback. “H-How did you manage to meet my daughter?”

‘I found her unconscious on my porch.’

“Ah, I am actually Katy’s senior in the university. I got to know her when I delivered a message during a seminar. I kind of talk with the Korean kids whenever I get called back at school. I offer them paid OJT at our company.”

Irene delivered her statement so articulately as if she was trying to sell a product. The woman was really amazed by her achievements at a young age.

“I see. So is Katy a candidate for the training?” The woman asked.

“Yes, Madam. We are actually doing something like an M.T. tonight. The other candidates will be arriving soon. I’m pretty impressed with Katy since she’s the first one to arrive.”

Irene gave Yerim a smile and the young lady smiled back at her though both of them had their hearts almost breaking their rib cages.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this then, Katy?” The woman asked with a shaky voice. “If you only told me this is an M.T.---”

“Well, it’s supposed to be a secret. I wanted to tell you about it when I secured the spot…” Yerim answered with a pout.

The woman took a deep breath and turned to Irene just to bow her head. “I’m really sorry for the interruption, Miss Irene. Please take care of my daughter for the night. I’ll be taking my leave now.”

‘I want to take care of your daughter forever.’

“Of course, Madam. I’ll take care of your daughter. I understand that you’re worried so there’s no need to apologise.” Irene wanted to shake the woman’s hand but she was worried the lady might notice how much she was shaking. “Please take care on your way home.”

“I’ll just send my mother until we reach the car. I’ll be back right away, Miss Irene.” Yerim gave her a meaningful wink before she dragged her mother away from the house. Irene could still hear them getting into little arguments but it seemed like everything went well.

She felt her legs weaken when she finally closed the door but she couldn’t afford to be weak now. She had to attend Gi.

Irene rushed to where Gi was only to be surprised to see someone else. Joy looked at Irene with those worried eyes. “S-She was so hurt… I guess her heart couldn’t take it and just reverted back to her mind…”

The other girl looked at Irene with those teary eyes. She also noticed how the girl was clenching her hands. There’s no mistake about it, the girl in front of them is Seul.

“U-Unnie…” Seul called in a frail voice. “T-That’s the birth mother, right?”

Just by how Seul’s voice sounded, Irene already knew what’s coming.

“S-Seul, i-it’s indeed her but—”

“Why didn’t you let them meet!?” Seul shouted which actually surprised Joy as well. Seul pressed her lips together as she tried her best not to cry but ultimately failed in the end. “This is the very reason for coming here to Chicago! Why didn’t you let them meet!? Why did you have to lie like that!?”

“Come on, Seul… You shouldn’t be angry with this…” Irene asked, she sounded so tired.

“Why not!?” Seul stood up to properly face Irene. “She would have already disappeared if you just let them meet! She would have already—”

“Do you really want Gi to disappear that much!?” Irene shouted back. She couldn’t help it anymore. She saw much Gi was struggling earlier. She saw much she was hurt. She had already suffered enough but is now hurting again.

Seul was obviously taken aback especially when Irene started crying.

“I know I might not understand how hard it is to live with other people in the same body but… but Gi…” Irene wiped her tears away. “She finally found a reason to continue living… She wants to get healing… She suffered so much just for you to live a happy life and to see you wanting her to disappear this aggressively just breaks my heart…”

But instead of calming down, Seul got even angrier with that statement.

“That’s because you like her, Unnie!” She even shoved Irene’s hand that was trying to reach out to her. “And to be clear, I never once asked her to suffer for me!”

“SEUL!”

Irene gasped audibly after what she just witnessed. Joy just laid a hand on Seul. She slapped her hard in the face.

Seul slowly turned to Joy while holding the part of her face that was slapped. “J-Joy?”

“How could you say that, Seul!?” Joy shouted, tears were overflowing from her eyes as well. “You already had the idea of how much she suffered! You are not completely clueless even though she tried to hide everything from you! How could you even say that!? Have you tried putting yourself in her shoes!? You don’t know the things she did just for you to live a better life!”

Seul lowered her head in embarrassment and started sobbing. Even her shoulders were moving with each sob. “Just as expected… I-I’m not really needed here…”

“It’s not like that, Seul…” Irene carefully moved towards her and held her hand. “It’s never like that. At times like this, your understanding is what Gi needs the most. She might’ve not properly expressed it to you but she cares for you a lot…”

“Unnie…” Seul called out to Irene with a helpless voice. Irene couldn’t help it anymore and embraced the younger girl. “I’m just really afraid… Will I disappear as well? I am not the real one, am I right?”

Joy’s head was quick to turn their way and she met Irene’s surprised eyes. She was stunned at how Seul even arrived at that conclusion. She knew well about Seul since she’s the cheerful one who was there most of the time. Seul only forgot about her because Gi wanted Seul to trust Joy. Joy believes that Seul is the real Kang Seulgi and Gi serves as her protector despite Wendy having a theory that Seul is also just an alter.

But the silence coming from Irene expressed something else.

“D-Don’t tell me…” Joy’s mouth remained open for quite some time as she processed everything.

“Please don’t deny it… My memories started when I was in middle school and the voice that guided me at first was her voice. I recognised her voice when I watched the clips from the hearing.”

Seul held Irene by her arms but the older girl couldn’t look back at her properly.

“I’m not the real Kang Seulgi, right? I am going to disappear one day too, right?” Seul cried harder.

Irene looked up to take a deep breath. She wiped her tears once more and tried to wipe Seul’s after. “Seullie-ya… You are indeed Kang Seulgi… You are Kang Seulgi–”

“Please don’t lie to me, Irene-unnie…” Seul also turned to Joy who was deep in her thoughts. “So many things are hidden to me. There are so many things that I can’t remember just like how I don’t remember Joy when she was in the same class as me in middle school.”

“Y-You—”

“I saw it.” Seul didn’t even let Joy finish. “I saw the yearbook. I just acted like I didn't know anything because it might get deleted from my memory again…”

Seul dropped herself to the sofa. “Please… Just tell me everything… If I am really Kang Seulgi then don’t I deserve to know everything? Please… If you know anything… Enlighten me up…”

Irene sat beside her and held her by the hand. “If there’s someone here who can enlighten you then there’s only Gi who can do it. It doesn’t matter if we know anything, the two of you should settle this.”

“But what if she just erased my memories again?” Seul continued sobbing like a child.

“She won’t be…” Irene gently pulled the girl in an embrace. “I believe she’d be pleased to talk with you.”

The doorbell rang once more and Joy took the initiative to open the door. It was Yerim. She briefly told the younger girl what happened and Yerim could only sigh. She took a look at her sister and just one look, she already knew that it’s the other Seulgi.

“I kinda understand you…”

Yerim said as she went nearer to Seul, making her presence known to the said girl. Seul looked aghast when she recognised Yerim. “Y-You…”

The younger girl just gave her a weak smile. “A lot of things were hidden from me while I was growing up. So many important things were taken away from me.”

Yerim sat on the other side of Seul. “I know you don’t know me but I am Kang Seulgi’s sister. My name is Yerim. You might’ve heard a bit of our conversation earlier and yes, that woman earlier is our mother. And just like you, she hid a lot of very important things from me.”

“S-Sister…?” Seul repeated, her sobs already calming down.

Yerim nodded. “She hid from me that I have a sister. I’ve been wanting a sibling since I was young so I was really happy when I found out that I have a sister by the name of Kang Seulgi. But I couldn’t deny the fact that I was afraid of her at first because she was so angry at me. She was so mad, believing that I took something that should’ve been for her.”

Irene let go of Seul to have her comfortably face Yerim. She gave her soft caresses on her hair before standing up. She then went to Joy and placed a hand on the other girl’s back. Joy just gave her a faint smile.

“She was so scary but guess what, I showed her kindness and made sure that she feels that I am really happy to know that she is my sister. And it was like magic. She just opened up to me just like that.”

Yerim reached out to hold Seul’s hand. “I believe it would be the same with you. You have to open up first for her and I am sure she will open up for you. Just like what Irene-unnie and Joy-unnie did. My sister isn’t a bad person… All she needs is acceptance.”

Irene felt Joy twitch with that statement. Seul’s eyes started watering again when she realised what the meaning of that statement was but Yerim was there to give her a hug.

Yerim then turned to Joy and Irene saying that the truth shall set everyone free and healing would start with acceptance.

“Please trust my sister…” Yerim told Seul as her hug tightened. “Please know that you are very important to her…”

“THEY already fell asleep.”

Joy told Irene after she got out of the bedroom. The other girl just finished putting the leftover foods in the fridge. Seul didn’t eat a lot so she made sure she left some for Gi if ever she wakes up hungry.

Her girlfriend is aching. She’s hurting but she couldn’t even hug her and comfort her and Irene couldn’t help but to feel helpless.

“They must be really tired.” Irene said with a weak smile. Joy then came to help with the cleaning.

“You should also take a rest, too. Your eyes are really swollen right now.”

Irene chuckled a bit. “We’re just the same, Officer.”

There was dead air between the two as they finished their own tasks. But Irene knew that Joy wouldn’t just stay silent. There’s a reason why she came out and she knew it’s not just about helping her.

She heard Joy clear and she knew it’s already coming.

“About Gi being the real Kang Seulgi…” Joy started. “Did she tell you that?”

Irene wasn’t able to answer right away so Joy had to tell what’s on her mind. “Please don’t try to hide it. It was clearly written in your face earlier that you know about it.”

“I don’t really know if I should tell you the details since it’s a secret she shared with me…” Irene told her, knowing that lying