𝐧𝐲𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚 ✓ | ˢᵉᵘˡʳᵉⁿᵉ

30

"Seulgi unnie and Bunny sitting in the tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G"

Joohyun's sensitive ears detected faint sounds from around her, her eyelids fluttered open giving a perfect view of the blue sky. Tilting her head a bit to the left, she found two girls hanging outside down on the branch, both hands on their mouth trying to suppress laughter which failed totally.

Feeling nothing on her lap, Seulgi then woke up. She saw them still up there on their feet and sleepily asked them to climb down. Her hands busy rummaging the ground for her precious post-it. On the other side, Joohyun still couldn't believe she had slept that way last night, her smile was now uncontrollable.

'Did you teach Yeojin to climb a tree, Ryujin?'

Once their tiny feet reach the ground, Ryujin spoke up with full enthusiasm, "Yes I did! We can even dangle with our heads upside down, cool right?" Seulgi smiled at them, ruffling their heads. She signed an all so familiar 'be careful' with her fingers that at this point every kid there knew. Just after she told it, a thud startled them. Seulgi turned her back and saw Joohyun grunting on the ground, another petite figure landed on her back. "Oops, I kinda forgot Semi was still up there. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, miss...."

"Joohyun, Joohyun unnie is fine."

Ryujin repeatedly apologized to Joohyun and Semi herself as it was her fault. They helped both girls get back up, luckily no injuries were found, instead Semi was jumping up and down, proud with the fact she could climb a tree. After the dirt was cleared up, more noises greeted their ears.

"Jeongin, pass the ball!"

"Hyunjin-ah focus!"

"Beomgyu hyung, I'm tired of being the keeper."

The boys were playing soccer this early in the morning, the two older ones fought off against Beomgyu, Jeongin, and Dongpyo. In another area, the Chinese twins were running around the garden, piggybacking little Yujin and Seongmin whose holding a water gun in one hand, squirting one another endlessly.

Seulgi glanced at Joohyun watching the kids playfully running all over the place. Seeing them up close was surely different from the fifth floor, there was this overwhelming feeling that Joohyun couldn't clearly described. Her eyes longing for a childhood happiness, maybe more to a getaway from the world full of responsibilities at her age.

"KIDS, BREAKFAST IS SERVED."

The loud morning call from Sunmi brought Joohyun back to her sense. Children abandoned what they were doing just now and came sprinting back inside, ready to feast. Sunmi walked towards the two left outside and warmly welcome the newcomer. "You must be Joohyun, Seulgi talks about you a lot."

Seulgi slapped her unnie's arm, her mouth forming a cute pout. Joohyun badly wanted to pinch those squishy cheeks. "Sorry to bother you, I'm here to talk with a girl named Ahn Yujin. May I know how did she get here?"

"Almost two years ago I found her in front of the orphanage." Sunmi reconciled the memories from back then, but her expressions soon changed to a worried one. "Is there something wrong with her?"

"No, no, no. I'm here to find out about her past regarding a case."

"She never talks about it. Whenever I ask, she would always cry even before starting. What I'm scared of is that she's frequently having nightmares until this date. She has been doing some therapy and it helped. If anyone knows about her the best, it must be Ryujin."