"Joohyun?" Mrs. Bae's mellow voice screeched through Joohyun's phone.

 

Just hearing the voice of the woman whom Joohyun respected the most and missed the most, it brought a smile to Joohyun's face.

 

"Mum. Have you eaten yet?" Joohyun made sure her mother already had her meal.

 

"Dad and I are just finished our dinner. And you?"

 

"I'm eating. With Seungwan." Joohyun glanced toward her girlfriend who was busy eating the bibimbap and made a huge mess of herself.

 

Wendy lifted her chin up to look at her girlfriend as hearing her name being called.

 

And, Wendy's mouth was scattered with rice.

 

Joohyun chuckled at the hamster's clumsiness, reaching out to help her girlfriend to pick each of the rice, putting it into .

 

Wendy beamed a cheeky smile at her girlfriend's warm gesture.

 

Continued to dig in the bibimbap.

 

"Jooyeon called. I asked her about you and she said you two fought.."

 

The sorrow of mother as her children wasn't getting along.

 

Hearing the dejection in her mother's voice caused Joohyun's heart to ache.

 

Joohyun's smile dropped immediately, her face frowned at the mention of her sister. "Mum, she started it."

 

Wendy was there to observe the rapid expression change of her girlfriend, quickly reached out to rub Joohyun's knuckle.

 

Knowing it would help to diffuse the anger started to build in the bunny.

 

Joohyun glanced toward her girlfriend, grabbing Seungwan's hand.

 

Feeling herself relaxed under Seungwan's caress.

 

"Joohyun, you knew she can be too harsh sometimes. She doesn't mean what she said." Her mother justified.

 

"Then, why couldn't she apologize to me personally? Instead, she told you about our fight, making you to call me."

 

Joohyun wanted Jooyeon to admit her mistake.

 

At least, Joohyun thought she deserved an apology from Jooyeon.

 

For what Jooyeon said.

 

For the hurt Jooyeon caused.

 

"How about we come and find you in this Friday? It's been a long time since we eat together." Joohyun's father snatched the phone from his wife, voiced out his suggestion.

 

Knowing too well that both of his daughters were strong-willed.

 

Or, should they say, too prideful.

 

Without their interference, Bae sisters might never speak to each other again.

 

Joohyun could only agree to her parents' suggestion as she always listened to her parents.

 

They were her soft spot.

 

"Sure, my class ends at 3pm on Friday. I can bring you guys around after that."

 

"Okay, see you, Joohyun." Her dad ended the call.

 

Joohyun ended the call, putting her phone down, meeting her girlfriend's gaze.

 

"Uncle and auntie are coming this Friday?" Wendy asked.

 

Joohyun nodded. "Jooyeon told them we got into a fight."

 

This was what Jooyeon did whenever she got into trouble.

 

Asked other to cover it up for her.

 

The last time when Jooyeon asked her sister to act as Mrs Bae to talk to the lecturer. Jooyeon was a scholarship holder, the delay in submission of the assignment might cause her scholarship to be forfeited.

 

The reason of Jooyeon forgot was because she drank too much in the party and she slept for the whole day and missed the deadline.

 

Joohyun's eyes rolled so hard when her sister shoved the phone to her.

 

She widened her eyes at the phone, glancing toward her sister, mouthing. "What am I supposed to do?!"

 

"Pick it up!"

 

Joohyun wasn't much of a talker herself, and a terrible liar. She was stuttering throughout the phone.

 

And, how the she was going to imitate her mother's voice.

 

"H-hello. Lecturer?"

 

"Good afternoon, Mrs Bae. I'm calling regarding Jooyeon's late submission of the assignment. This contribute 50% of the semester. Hence, I am so sorry to tell that Jooyeon's scholarship may be forfeited."

 

"Lecturer, o-our Jooyeon didn't purposely submit it late, please give her a chance to resubmit." Joohyun gulped down, trying her best not to stutter.

 

Yet, it was failing.

 

"Mrs. Bae, I'm so sorry. There is nothing we can do. It wouldn't be fair to other student. As they all submit before the deadline."

 

"Lecturer, p-please give Jooyeon a second chance. She worked so hard for this scholarship. She didn't sleep because of it....." Joohyun knew the forfeit of scholarship would burden the family.

 

"...We couldn't afford it if Jooyeon's scholarship being forfeited."

 

And, the lecturer seemed to misunderstand the stutter from Joohyun, thinking Joohyun was, in fact, tearing up.

 

Completely restless.

 

"Mrs. Bae... Ask Jooyeon to submit it today but 10 marks will be deducted as a penalty."

 

Joohyun widened her eyes, quickly voice out her gratitude. "Thank you. Lecturer. Thank you. We will always be grateful for your kindness."

 

Despite the lecturer's refusal, Joohyun insisted that Jooyeon would send something as a gratitude.

 

Till now, the lecturer still thought it was Mrs Bae whom he was talking in the phone with.

 

"She was just overwhelmed that her elder sister is dating a girl. It's understandable." Wendy shrugged while she said that.

 

The casual reaction from Seungwan caused Joohyun's eyebrows to furrow.

 

How could Seungwan be so nonchalant about it.

 

"Seungwan, she asked me to choose between family and you."

 

"Let me fetch you to the station where you two gonna pick up uncle and auntie this Friday?" 

 

"You wanna meet my parents?" Joohyun snapped up after she the suggestion from her girlfriend, surprise full in her tone.

 

She thought Seungwan wanted to take it slow.

 

"Of course not. I want to talk to Jooyeon." Wendy shook her head, saying her true intention.

 

Joohyun reproached Seungwan's idea, knowing what her sister was capable of.

 

The words came out from that mouth were always spiteful.

 

Nasty.

 

The only reason she kept it down was because Joohyun was her elder sister.

 

With Seungwan, Joohyun knew Jooyeon wouldn't hold back.

 

Because Seungwan was just no one.

 

A person who changed Joohyun.

 

A bad influence.

 

Joohyun wouldn't want Seungwan to hear any of that.

 

Didn't want Seungwan to experience such hateful comment.

 

"No. We're not meeting Jooyeon." Joohyun shook her head with a frown.

 

"Jooyeon was just being protective to you. Like Yeri was trying to protect me." Wendy reasoned, thinking the younger sisters' hostility toward each other.

 

Thinking they won't want to see their elder sister hurt by others.

 

But it wasn't the case.

 

Joohyun knew better, but she wouldn't want to break Seungwan's wishful guessing.

 

She didn't know what to reply.

 

The countless discord in her family.

 

Which Seungwan in the past already knew.

 

She didn't want to repeat it again.

 

It was exhausting to revisit the unpleasant memory again.

 

"Joohyun, I know you said something to Yeri. And that made her willing to accept you." Wendy saw the contemplation in Joohyun's face, grabbing Joohyun's hand.

 

As she spoke up, Joohyun looked up.

 

Wendy didn't stop rubbing her girlfriend's knuckles as she spoke.

 

Joohyun relaxed under her touch.

 

A new habit she just found and slowly grew accustomed to.

 

Finding her girlfriend's palm rather tiny as compared to hers.

 

Loving the sight of how her hand almost embedded her girlfriend's hand.

 

"So, now, please let me do the work this time." Wendy looked at her girlfriend expectantly, wishing her girlfriend would say yes.

 

"Making Jooyeon to accept us."

 

"Okay?" Wendy asked again.

 

Wanting to get her girlfriend's permission.

 

Her smile was wishful yet reassuring.

 

Her gaze was pensive yet persistent.

 

Joohyun found herself lost into the pair of beautiful pool, sighing at her stubborn girlfriend.

 

Though, her heart elated.

 

Nodding her head to give what Seungwan wanted to hear.

 

"Okay."

 

"Yeah!" Wendy raised up her hands at her girlfriend's approval.

 

Joohyun shook her head at her girlfriend's enthusiasm of meeting her sister.

 

Wishing nothing grave would happen.

 

 

Jooyeon was waiting with her boyfriend in terminal station, seating while waiting her parent to arrive.

 

Her arm looping around her boyfriend's arm.

 

Her head lying on the broad shoulder of the man.

 

She cocked up her head, her eyes widening at two women walking toward them.

 

Absolutely shocked at what she saw.

 

Her annoyance shot to the max.

 

She unwinded their intertwined arms, standing abruptly. Her boyfriend looked at her baffledly, didn't understand the sudden change of composure.

 

"You brought her?!" Jooyeon furiously pointed her finger toward Wendy, looking at her elder sister with disbelief.

 

Joohyun winced at the ear-piercing volume, sighing.

 

Knew this would happen.

 

She wasn't sure to blame it on Seungwan's hopeful suggestion.

 

Or her sister's low EQ.

 

Before Joohyun could speak up, Wendy already started talking.

 

"Jooyeon, it was my idea. I'd been wanting to talk to you. And I'm not joining you guys for dinner, if that's what you are worried about."

 

Joohyun glanced toward her girlfriend, giving the chance for Seungwan to talk.

 

Jooyeon seemed to be caught off guard at Wendy's well intention, not knowing how to react.

 

Jooyeon's boyfriend left his seat and joined the group of three women, recognising Joohyun, nodding his greeting to the two.

 

Wendy flashed a polite smile to the stranger, figured the man must be Jooyeon's boyfriend.

 

She continued, didn't waste any minute, knowing Joohyun's parent would arrive at any minute.

 

Wendy already had a speech prepared anyway.

 

Wendy glanced toward her girlfriend for support before she started.

 

"I know it must be overwhelmed for you to see your sister dating a girl."

 

Jooyeon frowned at the statement, glancing around, worried others might hear them.

 

Wendy continued despite seeing Jooyeon's reaction.

 

Her hand never left Joohyun's.

 

Getting the courage she needed from her girlfriend's grip.

 

"But, I can assure you, I'm serious in this relationship. I have no intention to hurt Joohyun."

 

Wendy threw a glance at Joohyun while she said that.

 

"I just wish you could hang out with us, sometimes. Let us get to know each other more."

 

Jooyeon was stupefied at Wendy's attitude, couldn't bring herself to reply, just looked at Wendy with wariness.

 

"Give me a chance to know you more."

 

Before Jooyeon was able to throw any rejection, Jooyeon's boyfriend spoke up with a welcoming smile, nodding toward Wendy's suggestion.

 

"We would love that."

 

Joohyun was startled at the interruption from the man, turning herself to the young man.

 

Wendy quickly stretched out her hand with a warm smile, saying."I didn't get your name. I'm Wendy."

 

"Hi, Wendy. I'm Eric, Jooyeon's boyfriend." Eric took the hand and shook it, mirroring the smile, and then turned to Joohyun.

 

"Hi, Joohyun noona. Jooyeon told me so much about you."

 

Joohyun quickly reacted, nodding her head. "Hi, Eric. Nice to meet you."

 

"So, I'll leave you guys to it? Nice to meet you, Eric. And, please consider my suggestion, Jooyeon." Wendy nodded to Eric and turned toward Jooyeon.

 

Flashing one of her warmest smile to Jooyeon.

 

Hoping it would diminish Jooyeon's prejudice about them.

 

Mostly wanting Jooyeon to understand.

 

Their love didn't differ much from Jooyeon's.

 

Love were all the same, after all.

 

Jooyeon was still at lost of words, blinking at the girl's friendly coaxing.

 

She was there to watch Wendy shifted her attention to her elder sister.

 

She noticed the change of tone when Wendy talked to her elder sister.

 

"Call me when you guys finish dinner, okay?" The eyebrows of Wendy arched up when she locked eyes with her sister, squeezing the holding hands as she said.

 

The adoration from Wendy's eyes was too prominent to be ignored.

 

The radiant smile on Wendy's lips.

 

Noticed how her sister's eyes brightened up when Wendy threw her the smile.

 

The couple was literally lost in their own world.

 

As if her boyfriend and her weren't there.

 

Her sister nodding her head with a mirrored smile.

 

The matching expression wore by the couple.

 

Jooyeon couldn't look past the profound chemistry between the couple.

 

Just like Eric and her.

 

Before Wendy turned to leave, she nodded her goodbye again to Jooyeon and her boyfriend.

 

"She is nice. I like her." Eric spoke out as Wendy already disappeared into the crowd.

 

Jooyeon clicked her tongue at her boyfriend's comment, throwing a side glare to her boyfriend.

 

Eric was recoiled at her girlfriend's glare, being slightly afraid. "What?"

 

"I'm gonna call mum." Jooyeon turned around and stormed off while taking out her phone.

 

Eric flashed an apologetic smile to Joohyun, saying. "She's just prideful, sometimes."

 

Joohyun chuckled at Eric's remark toward her sister, nodding her head as she agreed with the statement wholly.

 

She started to like Eric, too.

 

 

They were seated in a restaurant on a table of five. Despite the delayed arrival of the train, the elders weren't worn out by the travel, they were conversing about how Eric and Jooyeon got together.

 

"Why aren't you meeting anyone yet, Joohyun." Mrs Bae won't miss a chance to ask her elder daughter.

 

Thinking her daughters weren't plain-looking. In fact, she knew her daughters were famous in school.

 

With milky white skin and the defined features on her beautiful daughters' face.

 

Her own makings.

 

She took pride in both her daughters.

 

Both scholarship holders, both obedient.

 

It was a blessing to have them.

 

So, she couldn't understand the mystery behind her daughter's single status.

 

"Mom, I wanna focus in my study." Joohyun sighed at her mum's question, disregarding the glances threw by Jooyeon.

 

"Do you want me to ask my friend? I'm sure their son..." Mrs Bae started to suggest.

 

"Honey, Joohyun said she wanted to focus her study. Let her be." Mr Bae quickly interrupted while asking his wife to drink a glass of water.

 

Mrs Bae couldn't bring herself to rebuke as a glass was shoved to her hand.

 

"Where are you guys staying?" Eric asked, knowing the elderly would stay in Seoul for the weekend as it would be too troublesome to travel back and forth in one day.

 

"We booked them a hotel." Jooyeon answered, even brought c