Hanni called Minji's dad regarding the apartment address. Both of them have never visited the house since their parents mentioned it to them.
By the time Minji pulled the car over to the fine area, she couldn't help but be amazed. "Babe, are you sure this is the place?"
"Yeah, GPS says so." Hanni rechecked the direction to make sure they weren't at the wrong location.
"Alright." Minji unfasten her seatbelt then Hanni follows.
"Let's get inside. Dad said he had informed the guard."
Hanni linked her arm to Minji's all the way to their new apartment complex. They chat a bit with the friendly guard for the sake of politeness.
"This way, please." The guard led the couple to the luxury door and smiled.
"I believe you have the passcode?"
"Thanks." Minji nodded a little.
"Shall we?" She asked her wife.
Minji punched the passcode then the guard opened the door for them.
"Welcome, Mrs. Kim."
They walked forward as they looked around. The guard gave them some space so he just stood by the door in case they needed anything. The two women couldn't believe what they saw before their eyes. They exchanged a glance.
"Okay"
"This is too much."
"Absolutely." Minji agreed.
"Should we cancel or?"
"Let's just call Dad back." Hanni searched Minji's father's number on her phone and waited for him to pick the call.
"Hello, Darling!"
"Hey Dad, we need to talk to you about the house, if you have time?" Hanni heard Minji's mom asking her husband who is that? Then there was a long pause.
"Honey!" That was Minji's mom.
"Have you seen the house?"
"Yeah, about that-"
"Don't even think of giving it back to us. It's not going to happen." The old woman cut her off.
"But Mom, this is too much. We can't accept it." Hanni said softly, she didn't want to offend her mother in law.
"Nonsense! That house is beautiful isn't it?"
"Yes, but-"
"Not buts." She spoke sternly.
"We only have two daughters. It is not a sin to spoil you both a bit more. We have to waste our money on something."
"Mom-"
"Let me talk to her." Minji asked for the phone.
"Mom, it's me."
"Oh Honey, if Hanni can't change my mind then you shouldn't even try." Her mom laughed whole-heartedly making Minji face-palmed.
"Anyway, your father and I will go to Osaka this weekend. Do you want something?"
"Lego Star Wars limited edition." She mumbled. She hated it when her mom used authority and coaxed her to something she couldn't refuse.
"And the Prison Island." Minji added quickly.
Hanni gave her an incredulous look and took the phone that Minji offered back. "Very helpful." She glared at her other half.
"My Dear, it's a present from us. It's never too much. I'll help you with shopping and arranging because obviously you can't rely on Minji for this," she giggled.
"Try to call your other Mom, see if she's free so we can get more hands."
Hanni sighed subtly. There was no way they could run from it. "Thank you, Mom. I definitely will call her later."
"Great! Oh, do you want something from Japan?"
"No thanks, Mom. I'm good."
"Okay then. Go look around so you can start considering stuff you want to buy. Call me often, Darling. I love you! Tell Minji I love her, too! Dad says he loves you both! Bye!"
"We love you too, Mom and Dad." Hanni ended the call with a smile. She was lucky to have such a lovely parents in law like them and not scary, trying so hard to sabotage their kid's wedding like those in soap operas she liked to watch.
"We have no choice."
"Well if that's the case... Welcome home, Love."
"Morning report is done but I need to attend to stay." The chief of surgery turned off the microphones as he took out a folder from his bag. The residents made a beeline to leave the conference room.
"What does he want to talk about?" Ryujin sat beside Haerin.
"I don't know." The shortest replied whilst typing on her phone.
"He's your uncle." Ryujin said as a matter of fact.
"Yeah, uncle. Which means I don't live with him."
The general surgeon shrugged it off. She turned to Minji then she saw Karina walked into the room with a cup of coffee in her hand. The doctor grimace in disgust at the sight of the words that written on the cup.
"I never knew my sister is such a yucky love sick." She mumbled to no one.
"What?"
"Look at that crap." Ryujin pointed to the cup she was talking about to Minji.
"Have a good day, My Baby!" She read out loud for Minji to hear.
"I mean it's disgusting, right?" She looked at Minji as if she was seeking Minji's approval.
"Or it's just you jealous of what she has." Minji rolled her eyes.
"Wh-What?" She couldn't believe her ears.
"So you think it's cute?"
"I didn't say that."
"That's exactly what you're saying!"
"Ryu, people do the stupidest thing when they're in love and it's bound to happen for the other pathetic lonely people to snicker and say bad things about it."
"Oh, so now you say I'm pathetic?" Ryujin folded her arms, irritated.
"What a good friend you are."
"Well then stop sticking your nose to Minjeong's happy dating live and get your own girl. Stop moping around, you're too good to be single.
"There's nothing wrong being single. I'm alone but that doesn't mean that I'm lonely. I'm happy."
"I know. I say this because I know you and I love you." Minji sighed.
"I was single for almost what? Five-six years before I met Hanni? All I'm saying, it's nice to have someone again, okay? Our work is stressful, so try to find a way to ventilate the pressure, Ryu. It's been long enough."
"May I have your attention, please?" The chief began the meeting.
"As you all know the fire in Dong-A University Hospital caused terrible damage. It is not possible for them to continue their service as a hospital let alone to teach their interns and residents. So half of them will join us and I hope you can work with them as a team."
"Uh, Sir?" Haerin raised her hand.
"Yes, Doctor Kang?"
"Why so sudden?"
"We don't have a choice. Some of the residents are in their fifth year and it affects them in the worst possible way. The higher up asks me personally to take them in. I'm sorry for the inconvenience but I believe in all of you. Any other questions? No one? Okay, I'll distribute your new schedule right away."
"So... more teaching hours, how fun does that sound?" Ryujin spoke sarcastically as she received her schedule.
"Kang!" Minji nudged her friend.
"Date Ryujin."
"What?"
"Go date Shin Ryujin so she can stop being cynical about everything. Also, I can't have lunch with you guys today. I have an appointment with Minjeong." Minji grabbed her paper then casually left her shocked friend behind.
"What did she say?"
"I'm not going to date you." Haerin pretended to shudder.
"It's like I'm dating my own sister and it's so wrong! What the hell is wrong with that woman?! Geez."
"She said what?"
"Forget it." Haerin cleaned her table.
"I have surgery and you--" The plastic surgeon furrowed her brows, rapidly scanning the paper she was holding, "you have a new bunch of interns to teach. Good luck!"
"How-?"
"Look at your own schedule, Bye!"
"Oh, damn it!"
*****
"I can't believe this day has finally come." Minji covered her face with both palms in shame.
"This is embarrassing for me as much as it is, too." Minjeong replied without taking off her concentration on what she was doing.
"Make it quick, Minjeong."
"I'm trying, Unnie. Now stop talking. Let's pretend that you're not Minji Unnie." The ob-gyn doctor skillfully synchronised her hands and eyes to retrieve some eggs from Minji.
"Just don't stare too long at my vagina, Oh God, this is so embarrassing!"
"I'm not looking at it! I'm watching the monitor. Unnie, please don't disturb me." Minjeong shook her head and continued her work in silence.
"Let's never mention it ever in the future." Minji mumbled but loud enough for the latter to hear.
"I should've put you under general anaesthesia." The girl groaned.
"If you keep doing this it'll take more time for me to finish. For the next five minutes act like a stranger to me, Unnie."
"Okay."
When Minjeong was done with her work, she cleaned everything and secured Minji's precious egg in its place. "You'll probably experience a mild cramp but it should subside during the following day. If it gets worse, call me."
"Will do that, Doctor Kim."
"Why didn't you allow Hanni to accompany you?"
"She's going to tease me endlessly." Minji folded her arms.
"Just the discussion about it already makes her lose her voice while laughing at me."
"Hey, you're my patient and I'm your doctor. Keep it professional and we'll be good." Minjeong smiled reassuringly.
"You can never unsee my vagina. And every time I look at you, my brain will simultaneously say 'my dongsaeng have her eyes on my vagina and actually stab it with a needle."
"Oh God, don't make it sound so bad! I'm helping you!"
"That's not the point!"
"What's the point then?"
"You see my vagina."
"Oh God!" Minjeong laughed hysterically.
"My stomach hurts!"
"Well, I'm glad at least one of us is actually enjoying this."
*****
The three best friends sat comfortably in Danielle's house. They were having a sleepover since it had been a while. It was a perfect time because Minji was on call so Hanni didn't have to spend the night alone. The original plan was using Hanni's place but the house was not done yet.
"How's the procedure going, Han?"
"Minjeong says the fertilisation is ongoing. So we're waiting at the moment. She'll call when it's ready to be transferred to my uterus. It could be tomorrow or the day after."
"Did Minji seriously do the egg retrieval alone?"
"She's been very emotional since she got those hormone shots. She cried a lot through the night when I accidentally laughed at her worry over the inevitable of Sana seeing her lady part." Hanni sighed.
"I've tried to console her, saying that we're a team and I'm sorry for being ignorant but she's not buying it. So she forbade me to accompany her to the procedure."
Yeji and Danielle laughed out loud. Hanni told them about the hormone shots Minji received since they decided to use Minji's egg to be fertilized. Dealing with the emotions controlled by hormone Minji was not fun most of the time. Her irritating level extended far crossing Hanni's line but the latter had no choice but handled it with her best manner. She was somehow relieved that she was the one who would carry their baby.
"Whose sperm, by the way?" Danielle asked with a mouth full of chicken.
"A donor sperm." Hanni replied shortly.
"I know, but who?"
"We don't know. Minjeong takes care of it all. We give her the specification we want but we don't know whose sperm that we use." Hanni took her phone and opened the message features. She sent a short good night text to her wife then locked it back.
"Oh, I get it." Yeji chimed in.
"How's Minji anxiety by the way?"
"She's getting better but she's seriously stressing herself out about this whole thing. One minute she's excited but then she doubts herself."
"You shouldn't be surprised. The only adult thing Minji has is her age. I mean, yes she's a doctor and really good at what she does but her maturity is... you can't deny it, Han"
"In some aspects she's childish, yeah, but she's going to be a great mother." She defended Minji.
"I'm not saying she's going to be a bad parent." Yeji patted Hanni's shoulder.
"I'm saying maybe it's normal for her to be in this state. She'll get through it and you're going to be there. So, it's going to be okay."
"Yeah, Han. It's going to be wonderful." Danielle smirked happily.
"Now, who's the candidate for me again?"
*****
"I thought I lost her."
"Excuse me?"
"I finally got my Minji that I raised and learned back." Minji's mother smiled as she reached for the old photo album. She blew the dust and let Hanni sit at the wooden chair in the center of the room.
"See, this one was when she was only three. Oh, see, her eyes were so big."
"Yeah," Hanni chuckled.
"But her smile is just the same." She looked at the young Minji adoringly.
"She wasn't a rebellious teenager. She barely left the house if it wasn't for English courses or Taekwondo. When she was in high school she met this girl and fell in love with her. She was her first girlfriend. Dad and I never meddle about her sexuality because we give her freedom to be whoever she wants as long as she knows the boundary and be responsible for whatever she chooses."
To be perfectly honest, Minji never told her anything about her ex aside from that girl cheated on her and Minji had to witness them having sex on her bed. Hanni wasn't sure she wanted to know more although she was also curious. But the old lady was too absorbed with her story. It'd be rude if Hanni cut her.
"I didn't like her. From the beginning, I never liked her. Minji seemed happy, though. Then again, love sometimes makes us blind, yes?" She chuckled lightly.
"Nevertheless, a mother's instinct can never go wrong, Honey. Minji got cheated on and as much I hated to see her hurt, a part of me couldn't help but be relieved. Too bad my relief didn't stay for long. She decided to join the army. It was like the earth fell on me." Her eyes glistened.
"I had been protecting her since she was just a tiny cell that grew inside me. I kept her safe from any harm, but she was just looking for..." She couldn't continue her sentences. Hanni attentively pulled her mother in law close and hugged her.
"I thought I lost her forever." She sniffed as she wiped the tears that flowed freely down on her cheek.
"Thankfully I didn't, and I wanted to thank you for that."
"Minji found herself, Mom. She did it herself." Hanni smiled softly.
"I'm not sure about that." She chuckled a little.
"I know my daughter well enough, Dear. You melt her somehow. I know how hard you deal with her, thank you for staying."
"Stop thanking me, Mom." Hanni held her tighter.
"I choose to stay because I see something in her and I've never been so right. You've raised a bright child. She has so much love in her tiny body." Hanni giggled.
They both had a good time. No one realized when Minji was home already.
"Aren't you guys supposed to arrange the house? Why are you chilling on the couch?"
"What a way to show your gratitude." Her mother folded her arms and gave her a fake disapproving look.
"You know I'm just joking." Minji grinned from ear to ear then kissed her mother's cheek.
"Welcome home." Hanni beamed sheepishly and kissed her wife lovingly.
"Tired?"
"A little, but a nice warm shower will do the magic and I'll be fresh again."
"Go on then. I'll have the famous Mom's apple pie ready when you're done."
Minji clapped cheerfully. "Grape juice would be awesome too!"
"We've run out of grapes. What about old strawberry banana smoothies?"
"Awesome! I'm going to shower!" Minji rushed to the bedroom to get her things done. Before she stepped into the shower, she walked out again to inform both ladies about her plan.
"I'm taking all of you to dinner tonight. I've reserved the place and Dad will join us there. Oh, I also had called Mommy and sadly she couldn't come this month. So it only leaves you two alone. I will call the mover again after the shower to get more help and you ladies don't have to move a thing. I'm going to shower for real now." Minji then disappeared inside the bathroom.
"That is the Minji I know." The older woman squeezed Hanni's arm with a meaningful look.
*****
"Woah, I'm so full!" Minji chucked her body on the mattress. She pulled the blanket to her waist, ready to sleep.
"Yeah, the food was really good. How did you discover that place anyway?"
"Shin Ryujin suggested it. She's been exploring every restaurant in this city. At least she has something to do in her free time."
"She hasn't moved on yet?" Hanni settled next to Minji as the latter instinctively wrapped her arm around Hanni.
"Your friend hurts her pretty bad." Minji replied shortly.
"Yeji still mentions her every now and then." Hanni said carefully.
"She misses Ryujin."
"Well then she shouldn't do that stupid thing she did. Cheating can not be forgiven."
"We all have our time with bad judgement." Hanni played with Minji's hair.
"She made a bad one."
"Will you forgive me if I cheat on you?" Minji asked the obvious question.
"Do you want to die young?" She glared at Minji scarily, making the Doctor shake with laughter.
"I'm just pointing that out for you. She's your best friend and you can defend her all you want but you know what she did is never going to be acceptable."
"I know." She answered lowly.
"So you think Ryujin will give her a second chance?"
"Most probably no. Wounds like this are never going to heal. She's going to doubt Yeji all the time if they ever get back together. Insecure relationships rarely work." Minji responded with her eyes closed.
"Let's sleep, big day tomorrow." Minjeong had notified her earlier today that their embryo was ready to be transferred and she needed Hanni to be fresh and well rested.
"Okay." Hanni closed her eyes.
"Love?"
"Hm?"
"Please don't ever cheat on me. No matter how unattractive I'll become."
"Oh Babe, I've lost a lot of good things in my life and losing you is not an option."
"Thank you."
"Thank you."