Crescent // ATEEZ ✔

47 [park]

Their smiles never let up as they lovingly watch Hwayoung, until she tries to get into another round of the slide and she is pushed over by a boy much bigger and older than her, cutting the line. She falls onto the platform as she braces the fall with her hands, crying immediately as she scrapes her knee.

"Oh hell no, he did not just do that to my daughter," Byul stands up, the water sloshing around her ankles as she wades furiously towards the structure, Yunho following not long after. She climbs up the structure and wipes away Hwayoung's tears as she calms her down. She picks her up, goes down to the level of the pool before her eyes scan the whole area, Hwayoung in her arms still having her breath hitched from the nonstop tears. "Now where is that boy? I need to have a talk with his mother."

With a crying Hwayoung in her arms and Yunho by her side feeling equally angry, they approach the family of four gathered by the side, the boy's mother sipping on some juice as she wears a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, looking unbothered at what her child did.

"Excuse me," Byul tries to use a calmer tone, not wanting to provoke anything at first, even though she feels like she'd burst as Hwayoung still hasn't stopped crying. She hands over Hwayoung to Yunho, who takes her gently before using his thumb to wipe away her tears. He pats her head to calm her down, then rubbing his palm over her scraped knee.

"Excuse me," she tries again when it seems that the family is still ignoring them. "Excuse me, I need to talk to you about how your kid treated mine. It's unacceptable."

"Your kid?" she scoffs. "A legitimate one? Must be a child born out of wedlock seeing how the two of you are. Tattoos all over; what do you do, sell drugs?"

"Honey, stop it," the woman's husband taps on her shoulder as he looks a bit timid, different from his wife. Their children look on innocently, including the boy who never thought he did anything wrong.

This time, Byul lets out a sharp breath as she looks at her in bewilderment. She gives a look to Yunho and he understands; he clamps his hand over Hwayoung's ear and angles his shoulder to close the other one, blocking her from listening on.

"What did you say about my child, my husband and I? We're married and why does it matter whether the child is born before or after the marriage? It doesn't change the fact that she's ours. And these tattoos," she points a finger to her, "do not define who we are. Why, look at you, old woman. You don't have any tattoos but your mouth stinks like a drain. It wouldn't be a wonder, would it? Since I know where your child got his attitude from. Your son needs to apologize to my daughter right now."

"You bitch, you think I'm scared of you? I'll call the police if you don't stop right now. Why are you so uptight about some minor accident? Relax, they're kids. Let them be kids."

"Well yeah, they're kids and that's exactly why you have to teach them manners. It doesn't give the excuse for them to do whatever they like. Call the police but I'll make sure I'll punch you in the face first before I get taken away."

Yunho is quietly cheering Byul on, momentarily forgetting that they're not a real couple. The way Byul is defending Hwayoung sounds exactly like what a mother would do, and he's actually pretty grateful she is here.

"Honey, that's enough-" the husband keeps on pleading, but she ignores him, already feeling challenged.

"Try me bitch, I'll make sure your ass get sued for messing with me."

"Yunho, Byul, is there something wrong?" a familiar voice approaches them and they turn to see Akira and Seonghwa, finished with their rounds at the water park. They're about to go back to the designated meeting place, but noticed Byul confronting a family.