From the very instance that Moon Byulyi, Kim Dopul and Kim Yongsun entered Lotteria, hand in hand, the thrilled family-of-three attracted the attention of everyone in the fast-food restaurant. Everyone turned to look at them openly, admiring the sheer wonderful splendour presented in front of them. If they still needed something to inspire their worship of the Moon Goddess, this very family would be the very reason, since they seemed to be created on the Goddess’s finest day.

The sire, the taller, imposing and lithe silver-haired woman was an exquisite masterpiece with delicate yet defined facial features. Her solid and stoic presence demanded the complete attention of everyone in the room. It was an assertive and powerful presence that could not be overlooked despite the woman’s causal dressing.

The mother of the handsome pup was a dichotomy; if the sire commanded the attention of the room through the invisible pressure she emitted naturally, it was the warmth and buoyancy she radiated that attracted others to her. With wavy blond hair, sweet and soft facial features, the mother radiated calming warmth, her soft mocha eyes bright like sunshine. She was effortlessly charming, her eyes curved like twinkling crescents as she laughed at a private joke shared by her family.

In between the two women with startling contrasting auras and personalities was their son, a handsome, silver-haired boy who seemed to inherit the best facial features from both parents. His short hair was platinum, just like his Sire, his almond-shaped eyes, a sparkling bright blue that radiated happiness and intelligence. In personality, he seemed to be a lot like his sire, equally cold and commanding, shaping up to be a very powerful and influential individual in the future. The little boy carried himself with the same effortless elegance as his sire, setting him apart from his peers. Yet, he was similarly influenced by his mother. There was a refreshing hint of childlikeness and warmth in his mannerism, courtesy of his sweet mother.

The family-of-three walked up to a self- service kiosk, just like any patrons of Lotteria. It was a station with a large touch screen, displaying a visual menu. “Byul, is there anything you would prefer to have?” Dopul asked warmly, studying the selections slowly.

Byulyi blinked continuously at the vast number of choices of main course. That did not include customisation of the menu and the selection of drinks. She scratched the side of her nose absently, far more used to a full course meal decided by an executive chef, than selecting her own main course. She glanced at Pip, warmth in her eyes. “Why don’t you pick something for me, Pip?” She offered generously, resting her hands on his small shoulders. Absently, she decided that she wanted the younger alpha to begin some resistance training to build more muscles. Even if Pip picked something that she did not like, she figured she could give most of it to her son.

“Byul, I’m not Pretty Noona,” protested the silver-haired boy, narrowing his gaze at her. He raised a single brow. “First, I wouldn’t know what you’d prefer, Byul. Second, it is time for you to make decisions on your meals.” He touched his chin vaguely and muttered under his breath. “How difficult could it be when you could effortlessly make so many decisions at board meetings which would have great impact on many people without blinking an eye?”

At once, Byulyi was plagued with the intense urge of pinching both of his plump cheeks, a facial feature he had inherited from his beautiful mother. “Pip, that’s a little different,” countered Byulyi patiently. “Those decisions I can make quickly in board meetings are the product of extensive research, experience and knowledge. I possess none of them to make snap decision about my meal.” She was very entertained by the verbal spar.

Dopul considered her point contemplatively, touching his chin. “OK, Byul.”

“And there is several more aspects that you overlook, my pup,” continued Byulyi light-heartedly, pretending to imitate the sagely appearance of Dopul. She smiled faintly at the way Dopul preened at the sweet endearment. “One, I gain satisfaction from making the right decisions in my career, two, the lives of many depends on my decision-making. Tell me, Pip, do you think making decision on my meal has comparable importance?”

Yongsun who was standing next to the bantering sire and pup, decided to take matters into her own hands. She ignored the two arguing alphas and silently chose three sets of burgers along with drinks. When she took out her mobile to make payment, Byulyi surprised her by intercepting and tapping a credit car that she had hidden on the card reader to pick up the tab. All she could do was to stare at Byulyi, surprised.

“My treat,” explained Byulyi, smiling smugly, proud of her nimbleness. “Unnie, you paid for the previous meal.”

“Byul, that isn’t the point! Mummy, why did you decide for us?” Dopul protested, his eyes wide.

“Aish,” groused Yongsun, annoyed at the two alphas. She turned to stare at the smirking Byulyi, raising a brow. “What do you mean?”

“I did not contribute any money to our first dinner at the apartment,” clarified Byulyi smoothly, her cherry-shaped lips curled in a devastating, crooked smile. “I should have the honour to pick up today’s meal. Besides, I initiated this dinner, reasoned the younger woman.

“Omo, that doesn’t count, Byul. You should have let me pick up the tab,” countered Yongsun, shaking her head lightly. She had an inkling that the rich CEO had no access to her cards since she had run away from home.

Dopul frowned at Yongsun. “Mummy, that’s not the point. I thought we were supposed to let Byul decide on her own meal.” There was some heat in his tone as he looked at her accusingly.

The blonde wanted to throw her hands into the air, exasperated by the two silver-haired alphas who didn’t see their behaviour as problematic.

Byulyi, sensing her exasperation, squeezed Yongsun’s hand reassuringly, looking intently into her mocha eyes. “Thank you for indulging me this time, Unnie.” Her sapphire eyes were brimmed with gentleness. “Unnie, you could always pay for our next meal.”

Yongsun’s gaze softened in equal measure. The very thought that they would have dinner as a family in the future filled her heart with incredible warmth. The promise seemed somehow reassured her that Byulyi wasn’t going to let them go no matter the struggles that she might face. A lump formed in . She coughed to clear her voice. “Just this time,” acceded Yongsun sternly. Her spirit became buoyant when Byulyi’s face brightened up like dawn.

She noticed that Pip was staring at them with stars twinkling in his eyes. She coughed, hiding her embarrassment. “Doldol, we could leave Byul alone at the kiosk to order her meal the next time.”

“Now that we’ve paid for the meal, what do we do now, Pip?” Byulyi asked, changing the subject expertly. She shared a quick, reassuring smile with Yongsun, comprehending her concealed concerns: neither of them wanted Dopul become too hopeful when it came to their relationship. Dopul, glad to be of help, explained to Byulyi happily in great detail on the process of getting their food. He took the receipt with their order number and handed it to Byulyi and explaint the purpose of the different counters beyond the kiosk.

The generous lips of Yongsun curled in a faint smile as she paid close attention to the interactions between Byulyi and Dopul. Byulyi listened to his lengthy explanation with such attentiveness that she was impressed—her mind would have spaced out a minute ago. She looked around them causally and observed that a queue was starting to form behind them. Automatically, she took the hands of Dopul and Byulyi and led them away from the main door to an empty and quiet table down the aisle.

Yongsun did not notice the way Byulyi’s cheeks became crimson as she eyed their connected hands, mesmerised. Not even Dopul who was walking ahead of his parents. Dopul opted to sit by himself on the further side of the table, leaving his parents to the other side. Like clockwork, Byulyi drew the chair that was closer to the wall for Yongsun while remaining standing.

“Byul, you don’t have to seat me,” sighed Yongsun, blushing at the over-the-top chivalry. Her cheeks felt so warm, she was certain that Dopul knew that she was embarrassed. Despite her discomfort, she decided not to put Byul on the spot and allowed the younger woman to seat her.

Dopul sat across her, smiling widely, the little indent under his lips deepening. “Mummy, you should sit first in the future. That’s what Pretty Noona does all the time,” divulged the younger silver-haired alpha, his remarkably blue eyes bright with amusement.

“Geez, Wheepup shared such details with you huh,” groused Byulyi good-naturedly as she sat down with mesmerising elegance. By habit, she scanned the restaurant swiftly, taking note of all the exits and the patrons. “I see the screen,” prompted Byulyi. “It seems like our good is going to be done soon.” She checked the receipt just to be certain of the queue number. “Did your Pretty Noona tell you that she found such chivalry very greasy?”

The little boy smiled faintly. “Not chivalry per se, Byul. Just you.”

Byulyi chuckled heartily, her nose scrunched adorably. “That’s true. Don’t you think that Wheepup’s reaction is really entertaining?” The smile on Byulyi’s face became rakish.

The little boy raised a brow. “Byul, that isn’t a mature behaviour.”

“No, it isn’t but it is fun. I like to see how far Wheepup would take this particular dislike.” She rubbed her hands together. “She is now my official younger sister. Too bad, she has to live with this for the rest of her life.”

Yongsun snorted at the impish gleam in her blue eyes. “Wheepup is going to regret joining your family officially.”

Byulyi shrugged absently. “There is little room for regret, Unnie. She has been family for about a decade.”

“Where is Wheepup anyway?” Yongsun prompted, folding her arms on the table.

“She needed to go home,” explained Byulyi, her gaze vacillating to Dopul briefly before returning to Yongsun. There was no need for Dopul to know that Wheepup did not return home the night before and needed to make an appearance. “She will be fine,” reassured Byulyi calmly when she spotted the worry in Yongsun’s eyes. She reached for Yongsun’s hand and squeezed it reassuringly. “Don’t worry about Wheepup. There is nothing my sister cannot handle. Ah, that’s our order.  Let me pick it up,” offered Byulyi, rising to her feet with panther-like grace. She smiled at Yongsun and Dopul. “I’ll be fine.” She walked to the counter to fetch their food, leaving the mother and son alone.

The manager was endeared by the way Dopul’s worried gaze rested on Byulyi. “Mummy, I think I will help Byul with the sauces,” added Dopul when he noticed that Byulyi only grabbed their food order from the counter and ignored the condiment counter. His mother needed a lot of condiments to go with her burger if she had to have one. The little boy slipped out of his seat and headed to the condiment to fetch them.

“Doldol is growing too fast,” murmured Yongsun to herself, enjoying the positive influence Byulyi had on Dopul.

Naturally, Byulyi was the first to return, confused when she noticed that Dopul was missing. She set the trays of food on the table expertly, looking as if she was used to busing around. The very image of this proud heiress working diligently as a waitress in some café tickled Yongsun for some odd reason and she chuckled, covering with a hand.

“What?” Byulyi asked brusquely when she noticed that the older woman was sniggering at her. She was still monitoring Dopul from the corner of her eyes, watching him approach them with the sauces.

“Byul-ah, I just cannot imagine you working as a waitress,” confessed Yongsun honestly. “Thank you, Doldol.” She smiled sweetly at her pup when the little boy arrived with the condiments and placed them in front of his mother.

The proud silver-haired woman puffed her cheeks in annoyance, looking like an adorable little hamster. “I worked as a waitress for a short time,” huffed Byulyi, visibly insulted. She put her straw through her drink, pouting adorably.

“Why did you? I’m sure that you were never in want. Don’t the government pay you a large sum of money as compensation for every Olympic gold medal you have won?” Yongsun asked idly.

Byulyi brightened up at once, resting her face on her hand lazily as she looked at the older woman. “I see that Unnie has done some research on me.” Her cherry-shaped lips curled in a crooked smile. She was flattered that the older woman wanted to know more about her.

Yongsun averted her gaze, blushing furiously.

“Yes, Byul. Mummy pays a lot of attention to you when you are featured in the news,” added Dopul nonchalantly, sipping from his drink. He made a face. “Mummy, this is Sprite.”

Yongsun’s eyes widened dramatically at the way her son just exposed her in front of the smug alpha. “Just to know what you do,” justified Yongsun vehemently. “I’m mostly certainly not stalking you.”

Byulyi’s brows furrowed at once as she took an experimental sip of her drink. She grimaced at once. “It’s sprite.”

The manager sipped her drink, wondering what the fuss was. The soft drink was OK. She raised a brow at them. “And?”

“Unnie, how could you drink that?” Byulyi protested fervently. “I’m gonna get a cup of Coke—”

“One for me too, Byul,” quipped Dopul, cheering up.

The two alphas traded a knowing smile. “Pip, it’s good that you have taste—”

“Aiggo, what is wrong with Sprite?” Yongsun lambasted. Her gaze vacillated between the two alphas as she glared at them.

“Unnie, we aren’t stopping you from enjoying your Sprite. Just leave us to enjoy our Coke too,” reasoned Byulyi. “Anyway, I don’t mind that you want to know more about Moonbyul through the media and social media.” She smiled at Dopul. “That reminds me. We’ll get started on that after we work through accepting the alpha instincts,” elaborated the silver-haired woman, looking at her son.

The blond brows of Yongsun furrowed slightly. She held her silence when Dopul’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

“Aish, go get your coke now, Byul.” She took the cup away from Dopul.

“OK, Unnie. Start without me. Burgers aren’t nice when they are cold,” remarked Byulyi as she left for the kiosk to order two cups of coke.

“Byul is missing out,” commented Dopul absently as he bit into his burger, enjoying the way the hot mozzarella cheese stretched out of the hot, deep-fried patty. His sapphire eyes gleamed at the sheer texture of the burger as he chewed through a mouthful of fresh, crunchy vegetables and soft bun.

Yongsun simply dug in, knowing that if the burger had cooled down, it would not be as delicious. When Byulyi returned to the table with a fresh round of drinks for Dopul and her, she was astonished by the cheese that was in the patty.

“This is interesting,” commented Byulyi, excitement gleaming in her blue eyes. She swiftly sat down and tried her burger. Her brows furrowed when she did not get that stretchy texture of the mozzarella cheese since it had hardened. She chewed her burger and pouted adorably.

Yongsun swallowed her mouthful of food and sipped her Sprite. “At least, you have your Coke.”

Dopul looked suitably guilty that Byul did not have that unique experience. He mumbled his thanks as he sipped his coke.

“It’s fine,” added Byulyi airily. “If you ask me to choose between melted mozzarella in the patty and coke, I will choose coke.” To make a point, she sipped her coke happily, her nose scrunched cutely as she smiled blissfully.

Dopul chuckled at the look of pure bliss on his sire’s face. He punched his fist into the air. “I guess we’re Team Coke then.”

Yongsun sighed theatrically, covering her face with her hand. “Where have I gone wrong in teaching my pup?”

The two silver-haired alphas shared a smile. Instantly, they burst into hearty laughter, amused by the dejected Sprite lover in their midst. Soon, the family of three had finished their meal and headed back to the SUV, still chatting light-heartedly.

“I’ll send Doldol and you home first before I return to Jinie,” stated Yongsun as she ignited the engine of the SUV after they were strapped in for the ride.

Byulyi inclined her head. “Sure. I’ll be with Pip.”

The driver hummed a sound of acknowledgement. “Doldol is very self-sufficient.”

The silver-haired woman turned to glance at her, amusement dancing in her eyes. “I’m aware of that. He doesn’t need babysitting. I want to continue some of my lessons with him. The classes that are taught to Moon alpha pups.”

Yongsun met her gaze and nodded. “Certainly if it helps Doldol in his development.” She wondered if these classes were taught so that the pups could inherit the leadership of the clan.

Byulyi could see that Yongsun had questions in her eyes and nodded at her. The older woman relaxed visibly. “I guess that is the plan for the rest of the day, Pip.”

“Do you think Pretty Noona will swing by?”

Byulyi touched her chin. “Probably if she is done with matters.”

“Aww. It’s fun when Pretty Noona is around.”

Yongsun and Byulyi exchanged a knowing look, amused at Dopul’s crush on the beautiful, red-haired omega.

The rest of the ride back to the apartment was in companionable silence. Yongsun pulled over at the specific elevator lobby that would take them straight to the doorstep. The little silver-haired boy poked his head between the seats and kissed Yongsun on her cheek affectionately. “Have a good day at work.”

Yongsun’s eyes curved like twinkling stars as she smiled from ear to ear, little indents appearing under her generous lips. “I will now.”

Byulyi’s nose scrunched adorably as she watched the sweet interaction between mother and son. She knew that it was a sight that she would never get old of, a sight that she wanted to protect with all her power.

Yongsun’s cheeks pinked when she met the intense gaze of Byulyi. “Are you planning to make it even, Byul?” She teased.

Byulyi blinked continuously and her cherry-shaped lips lifted to form a rakish, crooked smile. “The better question is, Unnie, do you want me to bid you farewell like an adoring wife sending off her partner to work?” Her sapphire eyes gleamed impishly.

“Aish! Just get out of the car,” chided Yongsun, frowning, moving her hands animatedly. “You always spoil the mood!”

Byulyi simply just stared at her innocently which caused Dopul to nearly burst out laughing. The precocious child slipped out of the car swiftly, stifling his laughter with a hand, leaving his parents behind.

That innocent look was replaced by a faint smile and the pinking of Byulyi’s cheeks. She leaned in and kissed Yongsun on the other cheek. “Have a good day, Unnie,” coughed Byulyi, clearing her voice. “Uh…I’ll be waiting for your return.” She scrambled out of the car without looking back, closing the door. She nearly broke into a run into the lobby to meet Dopul.

Yongsun simply touched her cheek, smiling goofily to herself. Never had she thought that Byulyi would indulge this spontaneous request. Smiling like an idiot, she drove off to work. Nothing could bring her down even the idea of suffering through Hyejin’s relentless teasing when her charge caught this smirk.

Hyejin’s schedule ran as per normal. Yongsun felt like she was walking on sunshine despite the constant teasing of Hyejin. Their final schedule of the day was at a renowned TV station owned by the Lee Chaebol, a place that Yongsun rarely visited. Hwasa was so established in the industry that she did not need her manager to babysit her all the time.

Still experiencing the happiness from the kisses she had received from the two silver-haired alphas, Yongsun lost her stoic persona and infected others with her bubbliness.

“Solar, it is so nice to hear your laughter,” greeted a tall, remarkably fair and youthful man who could passed off as an idol. Lee Changsub grinned at her boyishly, his eyes curved in twinkling crescents. His short, black hair was windswept and wavy.

Hwasa repressed the roll of her eyes at his swift entrance, knowing that the manager of this broadcasting station was here just for Solar. It was an open secret in the industry that Lee Changsub was courting Solar Kim from the moment he had laid his eyes on her.

Solar had tried to deter his advances by bringing Dopul along with her, but it had only captivated the humorous and tall alpha further.

Everyone bowed slightly at his entrance, including Y