Once More, Love 3

26. Nighty Night

The main lights of the living room of Momo and Jihyo's apartment are turned off. The surrounding area is lit up with different colors of varying hue intensity from time to time while the sound of girls' voices harmonizing to each other echoes in the room.

Momo is on the edge of the couch with her body against the backrest. She is wearing red checkered pajama pants and a gray pullover. On her left arm is a large clear bowl full of cheesy popcorn while to her right arm is a grown up woman who goes by the name Park Jihyo.

Both the best friend's eyes are zeroed in on the smart television in front of them.

The dance studio secretary, who is in her yellow hoodie and identical pajama pants with Momo, uses her right hand to try and reach for the popcorn. She was blindly touching the other girl's left arm because she is not letting just a second of whatever they are watching be missed in her eyes.

The elementary teacher stifles a smile at her best friend's action. And unlike Jihyo, she was willing to miss a couple of seconds of entertainment time to help her best friend who is in a not so desperate search for food. She lifts her right arm, encasing Jihyo's body in what could pass as an unintentional hug, then uses it to hold the secretary's arm that was trying to grab food.

Jihyo, with her eyes still pinned to the smart television, smiles after her hand gets a touch of the food. "Thanks."

Momo did not reply back. She just lets her right arms go back to the top edge of the couch, not bothering to hold back her satisfied smile this time. "If I was Fat Amy, I would've also punched a floating shark in the middle of a cozy restaurant."

"I still love the older Bellas."

"Of course, you do. They're the real protagonists—"

"Ssshhh." Jihyo uses her hand that previously grabbed the popcorn to tap and rub the teacher's leg.

"Ya." Momo immediately protests. "You're dirtying my—"

"SSSHHH!" Jihyo wriggled the homeroom teacher's leg, getting more cheese onto Momo's pajama pants. "They're having a Bella meeting. This is going to be a good part."

This time Momo just scoffs and rolls her eyes. It didn't take a second more for her though to subtly smile at the other girl whose attention is once again laser focused on the television. She sighs and whispers right under her breath. "This right here is the good part."

*********

Mina leans on the side of the opened bedroom door and smiles at the man who just kissed their son in the forehead.

The room is barely lit with the light only coming from a warm lamp on top of the bedside table.

Chaeyoung grins and walks to the girl watching him.

"Hey." The dancer whispers.

The painter steps right beside Mina and snakes his arm on her waist. He places a short kiss on her temple and whispers back. "Hey to you, too."

The dancer lets the side of her head lean on Chaeyoung's shoulder. "Did he tell you?"

"Yeah. It took a while to convince him but yeah. He did."

Mina sighs. "How did you handle it?"

Chaeyoung got silent. He was just biting his lower lip while staring at his fast asleep son tucked in on the bed. The dancer patiently waited for a reply as dead air filled their atmosphere.

After a moment of contemplation, Chaeyoung finally opened his mouth. "Yeobo."

"Hmm?"

"I cheated on him."