Chapter Text
House of cards — BTS.
“Hello? I'm home.” Yeji said as she walked in. Silence was the only thing that greeted her as she took off her shoes and left them by the front door. Again no one greeted her and they weren't too concerned about her arrival.
A long sigh came out of Yeji's mouth at the apparent absence of people in the house but she knew it was not. The TV on in the living room was proof enough that they were home, yet no one was there when Yeji passed by, crossing the hallway to her room. It didn't take Yeji to ask out loud to know what was going on... Again.
She closed the door behind her as she entered, tossing her backpack to the side of the bed and immediately plugged her phone into the speakers to play music to avoid being able to continue listening to the argument going on in the next room. More precisely her mothers room. And that was just a typical argument of the many that happened a week in what had been the last two months or so.
She wasn't quite sure what had happened to make their mothers fight constantly, to the point where Dahyun had spent a couple of nights at her aunt Chaeyoung's house until she decided to come home one day. When Yeji decided to ask the reason, Mina said not to worry, it was just an adult fight that they were going to settle soon enough.
Space, was what Mina had said. Dahyun and she were giving each other some space. However, as the days passed, the space between the two women kept growing, and even though they tried to conceal it in front of Yeji, the young student could tell the tension surrounding them. Even she knew that their mothers no longer shared the same room because lately she would see her mom Dahyun leave the guest room, where she slept at night. Yeji really wanted to believe that this was just another adult fight. Previously his moms had argued over banal things and after a couple of hours or days they would make up again like it was nothing and they would be so affectionate with each other again.
But Yeji's world started to fall apart completely when a couple of days ago she had gone into her mothers' room looking for a black sweatshirt that she used to steal from her mother Dahyun to wear when she was at home because it was comfortable and warm, plus it had her mother's characteristic smell, a mixture of chocolate and vanilla. But Yeji's search was diverted when she found by pure chance an envelope on her mother's bedside table, it was a letter containing a divorce petition that would be signed by a judge in two weeks. Young Yeji's heart broke when she learned that her mothers were going to separate. When her mother said they were giving each other space Yeji didn't think she meant space in terms of separation.
What had been the reason for making such an abrupt decision?
Perhaps she was to blame for her mothers' arguments?
She had to admit that she was being a bit rebellious lately, coming home a bit later, going on getaways with her friends to Itaewon on the weekends, and her grades had dropped a bit in some subjects because she had been more focused on dancing lately, although she had promised Mina that she wouldn't neglect her classes again. Yeji immediately felt a pang of guilt, she loved her mothers more than anything in the world and for no reason did she want to be the person to ruin their relationship.
The truth is that Yeji didn't really know what happiness was until those two women came into her life when she was only six years old. Back then she was constantly going from foster homes to orphanages because no one was ever interested in adopting her. They wanted energetic, happy children, ready to entertain adults with their typical childish nonsense. Everything Yeji did not possess.
At twenty-five Mina was volunteering at an orphanage in the Jung-gu district, where she was giving reading and writing lessons to the children when she met the little girl for the first time. Love was instantaneous. Yeji was quiet and reserved, she didn't smile much, talked just enough, and was almost always alone, away from the other childrens, and while Mina was there for those almost eleven months she tried to keep Yeji company and play with her, to give her the attention and containment Yeji needed. The girl did not refuse Mina's company, however it was something new, it took her some time to trust the woman and understand that Mina had no bad intentions for her. She wasn't used to adults paying attention to her, let alone wanting to sit and play with their barbies, but Mina was the first and Yeji liked it a lot, so much so that after lunch she would run to the big front door and sit on the front steps waiting for Mina and the other young volunteers to arrive.
And one day, during the autumn season, almost at the end of the volunteer work, Mina arrived at the orphanage accompanied by another woman. Just as young as Mina, her hair was brown and long, slightly wavy at the ends, skin as white as tofu, and a pleasant smile on her lips. This woman who arrived holding hands with Mina introduced herself as Kim Dahyun. That afternoon Mina and Dahyun played with Yeji in the yard. The girl showed Dahyun her small collection of dolls of which some had been gifts from Mina herself, as well as showing the woman her drawings and how she had learned to count large numbers. Immediately Dahyun could understand the charm Mina felt for the girl; it was endearing.
The decision was made unanimously, there was no doubt about it, they both wanted to do it. A month after the two women's first meeting with the child, Mina and Dahyun returned home with Yeji for the first time to begin the fostering and eventual adoption process. Even if it took time they were going to try and fight for custody of the little girl. It was a big sacrifice they were willing to make. Many months of waiting, paperwork and meetings that after almost a year and a half concluded with Yeji's legal adoption.
Mina's parents did not agree when they found out what the couple wanted to do. They said they were too young to take care of a child and tried to get Mina to go back on her decision. Mina argued with her parents and they stopped talking to each other for quite some time.
Yeji could never complain about anything bad because as soon as she arrived at her new home with her new moms, she could only feel and receive lots of love. The couple of women dedicated themselves to give her literally everything, but above all love, that which the little girl had always longed to have. Yeji could say that she believed in love and soul mates thanks to her mothers, they were the real proof of true love.
However, coming back to the present, now seventeen years old, Yeji understood the hard way that love could also end sometimes. Nothing was everlasting really.
Even the unwavering love of his mothers.
—
Dinner was too quiet for Yeji's taste. The quiet tension could easily be cut with a knife. The only sound that could be heard was the pouring rain that fell on the city that night, and Yeji wanted to finish eating his meal as soon as she could just to get back to his room as soon as possible and make a video call with Lia, his best friend. Yeji wanted to tell Lia about the plan she was building since the day before, involving their mothers and a strategy to bring them back together... or so she was going to try.
“Yeji, your birthday is in two days, do you already know what you want for a present?” Mina broke the silence looking at her daughter who was sitting across from her.
Every year on her birthday Yeji would make a wish and her mothers had fulfilled each one; from a teddy bear, a trip to the beach or to the game fair, and so on. But now the teenager doubted whether they would be able to fulfill her new wish, but Yeji would not give up easily.
“Well, since it's my eighteenth birthday, I was thinking about a trip.”
“Where do you want to travel to this time?” Dahyun became interested in the conversation. This was the first time in weeks that the three of them had dinner together, like the family they used to be.
Yeji swallowed hard and looked between the two women before answering, “I want to travel to Grandma Kim's house.”
Dahyun's eyes widened in surprise and she frowned immediately, “Why do you want to visit Grandma's house? There's nothing interesting there, it's just an old house in the middle of a distant village.”
“I know, but that's where you grew up ma and I liked it when we went there on summer vacation. It's a nice place.” Yeji shrugged. Although it was part of the plan, Yeji really missed his impromptu trips to Dahyun's grandmother's house (who was more like a mother to Dahyun and took care of her when her parents abandoned her when she was only five years old). Grandma Kim always had a big heart and was always willing to accept everyone, not least when Dahyun introduced her to Yeji for the first time. Grandma Kim had never looked so happy to know that she finally had a granddaughter.
“Well honey I'm sure your mother can take you there for the weekend.” Mina said. It wasn't a question, it sounded more like a confirmation or a command and she clearly wasn't including herself in the trip. Yeji had to act fast or his plan was ruined.
“Uh, actually I want the three of us to travel, mom.” Yeji looked at Mina, her eyes pleading. She watched her mother's demeanor and how her body stiffened. “Just like old times.” she added.
Just like old times. That meant having to spend two or three weeks at Grandma's house. After Yeji's arrival, a little tradition was created where they traveled every summer to Grandma Kim's house to spend a season there. Yeji longed for those days lately.
“Do you want to stay there for two weeks?” Dahyun asked incredulously. She wasn't sure she could spend two weeks together with Mina without arguing over the slightest things.
“Yes. This will be the last time I ask you guys for such a trip, I promise. Please?” Yeji insisted a little.
Actually she wasn't lying, this might be her last family trip before she graduated and eventually moved permanently to the Yonsei campus to start her freshman residency at the university. She wasn't sure that in the future she would have another chance to live with her moms like this.
Mina gave a long sigh, she would always be weak under her daughter's pleading gaze, so she relented without protest. “Okay, we'll go if that's what you want.”
Yeji smiled brightly. Wow, that had turned out so easy.
“What? But we should—”
“Dahyun, it'll only be two weeks. I'm sure Gahyeon can handle the music studio for two weeks without a problem. She'll be fine without you.” Mina interrupted her. There was a hint of spite in the way she mentioned that woman's name.
Dahyun gritted her teeth and made an effort not to answer something that would only cause another argument and she didn't want to argue in front of Yeji. She turned to her daughter finally and looked at her, “Yes, I guess we can travel to Grandma Kim's house.”
Yeji's smile grew as she thanked her mothers. They continued eating afterwards, with Yeji telling them about his dance lessons and the new choreography she was learning.
Now the first part of the plan was done.
Part one: convince their mothers.
Part two: start the reconciliation.
Part three: avoid divorce.
—
That same night, before bed, Dahyun made an emergency call to the one person on this planet who would follow her anywhere.
“Hello?”
“Chaeyoung? I need your help.”
“Hyun, are you okay?” Chaeyoung asked with concern about her friend's midnight call.
“Yes, but I need to ask you a favor.”
“Sure whatever you want.”
“Okay, then pack your things, we're leaving for two weeks to Gangwon.” Dahyun replied.