KimKim's Kids

VIII. They're Growing Up

//4 years later//

A lot had changed in four years. Wonyoung became a five-year-old and could finally start going to school. She was so excited to be just like her older sister. Unfortunately, they didn't go to the same school. Wonyoung was just a kindergartener after all. But Sakura made sure to spend time with her little sister no matter what. Sakura was nine by then. She got used to sharing her mothers and got really close to Wonyoung. When Wonyoung was old enough to sleep in her own room, she would always wake up in the middle of the night and crawl into her mothers' bed instead. After Sakura noticed this, she would stay in her younger sister's room at night until Wonyoung got used to staying alone. Even then, from time to time, there would be a soft knock on Sakura's room door in the night and a small figure dragging a bunny plushie would climb under her duvet. The two would snuggle close together and would sometimes even tell each other stories until sleep caught up to them. 

Chaewon and Minju would always admire the bond their daughters shared. It was comforting to know that even if there would ever be a point in time where they can't be there for their children, they would take care of each other.

Another thing that had changed in four years was that Yuri finally agreed to have another child. Well, children. Yena was especially ecstatic. They adopted two baby girls who were a year older than Wonyoung. The two were actually cousins but Yena and Yuri couldn't bear to separate them so they took them both in. Their names were Nako and Hitomi. 

Chaeyeon was probably the most excited. She always saw Wonyoung as her own little sister, and she always will, but there was something different about Nako and Tomi, as she liked to call Hitomi. Maybe it was the fact that she saw them all the time or that they shared the same mothers or maybe it was because Nako and Hitomi would always hold on tightly to either of her hands when they were together. She couldn't quite tell what was the difference but whatever it was, it made her promise to herself that she would always be their big sister.

The five girls grew very close to each other. Chaewon, Minju, Yena and Yuri would often joke about how it felt like they had five girls instead of two or three. Their houses were never quiet when they were all together. They didn't mind it though. They loved seeing their girls be best friends just like them. 

Often, Yena and Minju would join in the games and wreck havoc as well, while Chaewon and Yuri would be extra careful that they didn't accidentally break something. Or someone. Once, Yena had fallen and fractured her ankle while sliding down the stairs in an inflatable unicorn pool float. And it had happened the day right before a performance at an award show. When the MC asked how Yena's foot ended up in a cast, Yuri described the entire scenario while Chaewon showed the video recorded on her phone and the whole audience burst into a fit of laughter while Yena scratched the back of her neck, embarrassed.

At age nine, Sakura and Chaeyeon were doing things that most kids their age could only dream about. 

Chaeyeon had begged to be enrolled in dance classes from the moment she could walk. When she started getting better at dancing, she would follow her mothers to the studio for practice and soon, she could pick up the choreography faster than Yuri and Chaewon combined. Yena posted a video of her dancing with Chaeyeon and it blew up. Soon, Chaeyeon was called to participate in multiple shows and competitions and won lots of them.

Sakura, on the other hand, liked to stay as far away from the dance studio as she could. Chaewon did bring her along for practice a couple of times but she realised Sakura preferred to go to photo shoots with Minju. Minju had also started acting and Sakura was a huge fan of that. It didn't surprise her mothers though. That kid was dramatic whenever she wanted to be.

For Sakura's eighth birthday, her biggest present was becoming the cover of a famous kids magazine. She also joined Minju in some photo shoots instead of just watching from the sidelines. Chaewon's favourite picture of them was one where Sakura, wearing a light pink dress, was hugging Minju from behind. Minju was sitting in the middle of a flower field in a white dress and her head was turned to look over her shoulder at her daughter, their noses touching and their eyes curved into fond smiles. It wasn't just Chaewon who loved that photo, the whole country did. After that, they did a family photo shoot with all four of them but it was just that once since Wonyoung was still young and quite startled by the number of eyes on her.