Chapter 122

The “we’ll stop” promise lasted exactly… thirty minutes.

That was how long Lisa and Jennie managed to behave before the temptation became too strong.

It started subtly.

Too subtly.

Lisa was in the kitchen again, pretending to prepare snacks while very obviously watching the living room through the reflection of a spoon. Jennie stood beside her, holding Ruby, who was happily chewing on her tiny teether and acting like the CEO of chaos.

“Okay,” Jennie whispered. “What’s the plan?”

Lisa smirked. “Simple. We separate them.”

Jennie blinked. “That’s your genius idea?”

“Trust me,” Lisa said. “If they like each other as much as we think… they won’t last five minutes apart.”

Jennie considered it… then grinned.

“Oh, I love this.”

—

“Chiquita!”

Lisa’s voice rang through the house.

“In here!” Chiquita called back.

“Can you help me carry something upstairs?”

Chiquita hesitated, glancing at Ahyeon.

“…Now?” she asked.

“Yeah, now,” Lisa replied, way too casually.

Ahyeon noticed the hesitation. “Just go,” she said quickly. “It’s fine.”

(It was not fine.)

Chiquita stood up slowly. “Okay… I’ll be quick.”

“Sure you will,” Jennie muttered under her breath.

The moment Chiquita disappeared upstairs with Lisa—

Jennie turned to Ahyeon.

“Hey,” she said, too innocently. “Can you help me with Ruby for a bit?”

Ahyeon looked confused. “You already have her.”

Jennie nodded. “Yeah, but I need to… grab something. Important.”

Ahyeon narrowed her eyes. “What?”

“…Mother stuff.”

“…That doesn’t explain anything.”

“Exactly,” Jennie said, handing Ruby over and walking away before Ahyeon could question further.

And just like that—

Separated.

—

Five minutes.

That’s all it took.

Ahyeon sat on the couch, bouncing Ruby gently, trying to focus on the baby.

“Hi, Ruby,” she said softly. “You’re so cute… yes you are…”

Ruby giggled.

Ahyeon smiled—but it didn’t last.

Her eyes kept drifting toward the stairs.

“…She’s taking too long,” she muttered.

Ruby babbled.

“I’m not worried,” Ahyeon added quickly. “I just—what if your mom is making her do something heavy?”

Ruby blinked.

“…Okay, maybe I am worried.”

—

Upstairs—

Chiquita was standing in Lisa’s room, holding… absolutely nothing.

“Unnie,” she said slowly. “What exactly am I helping you with?”

Lisa leaned against the wall, completely relaxed. “Nothing.”

“…What?”

“I just needed you up here.”

Chiquita squinted. “Why?”

Lisa’s smirk grew.

“To see how long it takes before you go back downstairs.”

Chiquita froze.

“…I wasn’t going to—”

A beat.

“…Okay, I was going to.”

Lisa laughed. “You didn’t even last ten minutes, did you?”

Chiquita groaned, covering her face. “Unnie, please—”

“Go,” Lisa said, waving her off. “Before you combust.”

Chiquita didn’t even argue.

She bolted.

—

Back downstairs—

Ahyeon was now standing.

Pacing.

With Ruby in her arms.

“…Okay, that’s it,” she muttered. “I’m checking.”

The moment she turned toward the stairs—

Chiquita came running down.

They stopped.

Right in front of each other.

Silence.

Ruby blinked between them like she was watching a tennis match.

“You came back,” Ahyeon said.

“You were gone too long,” Chiquita replied at the exact same time.

They both paused.

“…I wasn’t worried,” Ahyeon added quickly.

“Me neither,” Chiquita said, just as fast.

Another pause.

Ruby let out a small giggle.

And that broke them.

Both of them laughed awkwardly, the tension dissolving just a little.

“Here,” Ahyeon said, handing Ruby over. “She was looking for you.”

Chiquita took her gently. “She was?”

Ruby immediately grabbed Chiquita’s shirt and squealed.

Ahyeon smiled softly.

“…Okay, maybe she was.”

They stood there for a moment—closer again, like magnets that refused to stay apart.

—

From the hallway—

Lisa and Jennie peeked.

Jennie covered her mouth. “They didn’t even make it ten minutes.”

Lisa whispered, “Seven. I counted.”

Jennie shook her head, amused. “They’re hopeless.”

Lisa leaned against the wall, watching them with a softer expression now.

“…They remind me of us.”

Jennie glanced at her, smiling.

“Yeah,” she said quietly. “But somehow more obvious.”

Lisa chuckled. “Should we push them a little more?”

Jennie raised a brow. “You mean a lot more.”

Lisa grinned.

“Oh, absolutely.”

Jennie looked back at the two younger girls—now sitting together again, shoulders brushing as they cooed over Ruby like nothing happened.

She sighed, fond.

“…We’re definitely getting them together before the week ends.”

Lisa smirked.

“Challenge accepted.”