We’ll be the ones picking up Jihoon starting today since his Mommy is busy preparing for his birthday this weekend. She wants to surprise him and so, Miss Kim and I are assigned for babysitting duties for the entire week.

“Where do you say Jihoon is attending school?”

“ECLC”

“ECLC…” I gasped, eyes widening as I stared at Miss Kim.

“What?” she asked, eyes high alert.

“We did a mural for them in their library and playground”

“You had me worried, babe. I thought something was wrong.” She squeezed my hand while I only giggled at her. “We should check them out after getting Jihoon”

“Okay…” I shyly responded.

It’s been so long since we did the painting. I hope the quality is still intact. If there will be kids around, I hope they didn’t chip the paint off.

When me and my friends got here for the commissioned work, it wasn’t bustling with kids. It was empty and it was very quiet. But now, it’s exactly the opposite of that. Kids are running around. Parents are calling out their kids. There’s chatter everywhere.

We went to look for Jihoon. Even though we could tell which one is Jihoon from the others because of his natural blondish brown hair, there were just so many kids.

It seems that he wasn’t outside so we went inside. The first room on our left is the playground. From the windows, we could see Jihoon with a group of kids around the table. Their crayons and paper are out.

“Awe…” I cupped my own cheeks while my body melted into mush watching them draw. “They’re comparing each other’s drawing. How cute is that, unnie?”

“It is…”

Her phone was already out and her thumb was rapidly snapping photos.

I leaned my body on her as I giggled. “That’s way too much photo, unnie”

“I don’t want to miss a single moment. I’ll send this too to Yonghee-unnie”

Jihoon was talking with his friends and was too oblivious to us. When he heard his name, that’s when he finally looked up. He was adorable looking for whoever called him. But when our eyes locked, he broke into a toothy grin before he dropped everything to run to us.

“Auntie Yongyong! Auntie Whee! Why are you here?”

Miss Kim caught him and showered his cheek with kisses, making him giggle.

Once she was done, I leaned over too to kiss his cheek.

“We’re here to pick you up," Miss Kim said. “Are you done with playing?”

“Just a few more then I’ll be done”

Miss Kim placed him back down and he ran back to the table where his friends are.

“What are you drawing, Jihoon-ah?” I asked as I was approaching their table.

“We’re drawing dinosaurs!”

“This is a triceratops. Look at its horns!”

“I’m drawing a velociraptor!”

“And I’m drawing a tyrannosaurus!”

I was only asking Jihoon but everyone else but Jihoon answered my questions. The kid who drew the velociraptor and the other kid who drew the tyrannosaurus drew the same thing. I wouldn’t have known if not for the names they mentioned.

“Jihoon-ah” Miss Kim prompted, noticing how her nephew never answered.

“Brachiosaurus”

I leaned to Miss Kim and whispered, “Kids love dinosaurs, huh?”

“Yonghee-unnie told me that he has all the dinosaurs memorized”

“I only know the little dinosaur,” I admitted.

Miss Kim raised an eyebrow in a silent question.

“Dooly”

She has a blank expression on her face.

“Oh yeah. I forgot you didn’t grow up here. How about the purple dinosaur? I’m sure you knew him”

“Barney?”

Miss Kim and I shared a laugh while the kids looked confused.

When Jihoon was done, he packed his art materials and waved goodbye to his friends. Miss Kim grabbed his bag from him and then I showed them the painting I did in this room. I also introduced the paintings the unnies and oppa did.

“It’s very pretty”

“You think so, Jihoon?”

He nodded while smiling at me.

I cupped his cheek. “Awe… Thank you”

“Can you two stand in front of the wall? I want to take a picture”

Miss Kim took a picture of me and Jihoon with my painting and then lots of pictures of Jihoon. She also snapped a picture of just my painting before Jihoon’s teacher called her attention.

Jihoon wanted to go outside to play with the slide so we told Miss Kim we’ll wait outside for her.

I carried Jihoon’s bag with his water and towel. I sat on the bench directly across the slide so I could watch over him. He’s very friendly and kind towards the other kids. I feel so proud as if I’m the mother. Yonghee-unnie must feel this way.

“Hey, mind if I sit with you?” a woman said. She’s carrying a backpack so she’s probably here to fetch her kid.

I scooted to give her space and welcomed her to sit beside me.

“I saw you with Solar earlier” she suddenly said.

I looked at her differently this time, assessing her. I noticed her makeup was on the heavier side and her clothes fit to her body.

She noticed me checking her out so I instantly looked away while hearing her laugh at me.

I went to look for Jihoon and tried to ignore her laugh. I could feel my body warming up from being embarrassed.

“Did she sleep with you too?”

“I don’t think that’s any of your business”

“Ooh… feisty. I didn’t know she’s starting to bring her girls out. Back then, she’ll just bring them to some random hotel to them up before leaving them helpess and begging. The most awful one was that girl, I forgot her name, who begged her to take her as her girlfriend. Ughh…” she cringed to herself, laughing as if it’s funny but it’s not.

To me, at least.

Meanwhile, I was digesting all this information and I don’t know if I’m mad or disgusted or both. The last time, I was jealous but now, I’m just done with this. I’m over it.

“I’m not one of her girls” I whispered between clenched teeth. “I’m her girlfriend”

She was caught off guard by this and was momentarily speechless. “So that’s why she stopped going to clubs…” she mumbled to herself. “Well, good for you”

We were quiet afterwards. I wish she’ll just walk away because it’s so awkward having her sitting beside me. I don’t want another reminder of Miss Kim’s previous charades with women. I’m already questioning myself in her life right now.

“Has she told you you’re her type?”

I’m clenching my fist to control my anger but the question made me loosen my fist but made my shoulders tense.

“We’re all her type, you know? She always goes for the cute girls. The ones with a dimple or two. The ones that are shorter than her”

“How did you know that?” I wasn’t able to hold myself from asking the question.

“Because I’ve seen her in action so many times in the club I was working at. And I was one of them too.” She sighed while staring at me with sadness in her eyes. “Look, I don’t know what you two are”

“I am her girlfriend”

“And so did what the others have claimed”

“But I’m not lying. I’m telling the truth”

She raised her hands up and leaned back when my voice unintentionally raised. “Okay, okay. Fine. I’m just here to tell you to be careful, okay? She’s a person living in her past. You might not want to hear this but I think you need to. You know Gabby?”

My eyes widened and she smirked when she saw it.

“I assume you know based on your reaction. That’s the only name she’d utter in bed. I’ve talked to some other girls before because we think we can save her.” She rolled her eyes, probably to herself. “But we can’t and certainly you can’t. So just a little warning, stay away before it’s too late”

I looked away, fighting myself from crying. “I think that’s none of your business”

“That’s true. What you two have is definitely none of my business but I’m just here to help. You looked too innocent to be broken. Excuse me”

She then left while a kid went to her who called her her aunt. 

Way to drop off a bomb and leave like nothing happened.

So what do I have here?

Almost a year of being in a relationship and we haven’t moved in together yet. Isn’t it still too early for that? I don’t know. But what I know is that Byulyi-unnie and Hyejin have moved in together and are already getting married. Wendy-unnie said Joy is starting to move in with her. Even Seulgi-unnie is now staying in Miss Irene’s condo.

Does she still have Gabriella in her house? Yes. She always forgets to turn it off when I am at her place and she has never bothered turning it off anymore.

“Wheein”

I snapped out of my thoughts and was a little startled when Miss Kim called me.

“Hey, something’s bothering you?” she asked, eyes worriedly scanning my face as she sat beside me.

I shook my head and tried to give her a small smile. “Nothing, unnie. Just thinking”

“Okay…” She placed her arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to her to give my temple a kiss. “Is there something I can help you with?”

Maybe… But I chose to keep it to myself.

“Nothing. I think I’ll figure it out in time”

“Okay…” She grabbed my hand and helped me stand up. “Let’s go. Yonghee-unnie promised Jihoon that we’ll treat him with ice cream”

I giggled, pushing my worries away. “That’s very tricky of her”

“It is but it’s ice cream.” She wiggled her eyebrows and winked at me, making me giggle. “Come on, I’ll let you have as many scoops as you want”

“I’m not the kid here, unnie”

She scrunched up her nose while ruffling my hair affectionately. “Yeah… You’re not. But you’re my baby nugget. Let’s go get you and Jihoon some ice cream”

She was so excited, dragging me and calling Jihoon, I couldn’t help but giggle.

I don’t think I’m one of those girls she has slept with. I think I’m more than that. And I’m very certain of that.

As for anything else… I don’t want to think about that yet.

“Are you kidding me!?” Miss Kim dumped her whole body weight on me and showered my face with kisses. “You’re so cute, Wheenie! I’m keeping you to myself”

“Unnie, I can’t breathe!”

I’m holding my costume’s headpiece. The suit I put on is already thick and warm. With her weight on me too, it’s a lot harder to breathe comfortably.

“Are you going out with this costume? Oh, Jihoon would love it! What are you?” She finally laid off me and I sought for air as soon as the weight was gone. She grabbed my headpiece and started laughing. “Why are you a pig? A puppy would suit you more though”

“Because I was born on the year of the pig”

She pouted at me while helping me fix my costume. “Being a puppy suits you, but this is also cute. You’re always cute.” She hugged me again but less suffocating this time. “Awe… I’m dying to keep you to myself. I feel like it’s my birthday, actually”

I laughed at her. “Stop hogging me, Yongsunnie. I’m doing this for Jihoon. Not for you”

“I know. Because if it were for me, then you’d be out of this costume. And out of your clothes.” She winked at my blushed face. “You’d be lying —”

“Okay! Enough of that. I’m going out now to surprise Jihoon. Help me not get stumble. That’s your role”

She was having way too much fun teasing me.

“Alright. Come here, you little piggy”

“Wait, I’ll wear the headpiece first”

With how stuffy it was in her car, she helped me wear the headpiece after watching me struggle. Then she held my hand as I got out of her car. She was laughing the whole time and was taking pictures. I think she didn’t have any plans to lead me to the party. She might actually make do of her words in keeping me to herself.

“Yongsunnie, that’s enough pictures please”

She chuckled and finally walked me inside the house and led me to the backyard where the party was held.

Today is Jihoon’s 5th birthday. That little boy is growing big now. His Auntie Jen flew here too to attend his birthday. Hyejin has also introduced Byulyi-unnie to him earlier. From what I heard, he likes his new auntie.

He has received so much love and has returned it by being such a good boy. His Mommy and aunties are very proud of him.

“Are you okay?” Miss Kim asked to check on me.

“Yes. The headpiece is a little heavy but it’s fine. I hope Jihoon likes my surprise”

“He loves it. I can bet on it, sweetheart”

She stopped by the backdoor first and told me to wait. She peeked outside and called her sister.

Inside the headpiece, my glasses started to fog because of my breath and my sweat