Chapter 123

Lisa should’ve known something was up the moment she walked into the living room and found zero tension.

Not awkward silence.

Not flustered glances.

Not even the usual “you sit there, I sit here but somehow we’re still close” energy.

Nope.

Chiquita and Ahyeon were… comfortable.

Too comfortable.

Lisa paused mid-step, eyes narrowing slightly as she watched them. Chiquita was casually feeding Ruby while Ahyeon leaned against her shoulder—fully leaning, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Jennie walked in right behind Lisa… and froze too.

“…Okay,” Jennie whispered. “Did we miss a chapter?”

Lisa crossed her arms. “We missed a whole book.”

Because not only were they close—

Ahyeon absentmindedly reached up and fixed Chiquita’s hair.

And Chiquita didn’t even flinch.

Ruby, sitting happily between them, squealed and clapped her tiny hands—clearly enjoying whatever secret was unfolding.

Lisa and Jennie slowly turned to each other.

“Oh, they’re dead,” Lisa muttered.

“Absolutely,” Jennie agreed.

—

“Alright,” Lisa said loudly, walking into the room with purpose. “What’s going on here?”

Chiquita blinked. “What do you mean?”

Jennie pointed dramatically. “That.”

Ahyeon raised a brow. “This?”

“Yes, that,” Lisa said. “Since when do you two act like you’ve been married for five years?”

Chiquita nearly choked. “W-what?!”

Ahyeon coughed. “We don’t—”

“You do,” Jennie cut in, sitting across from them. “You’re not even trying to hide it anymore.”

Ruby suddenly stuck her tiny tongue out.

Right at them.

Lisa gasped. “Even Ruby is calling you out!”

Jennie burst out laughing. “Oh my God, baby—”

Ruby did it again, giggling afterward like she knew exactly what she was doing.

Ahyeon covered her face. “Why is even the baby against us?!”

“Because,” Lisa said, leaning forward with a smirk, “you’re both suspiciously comfortable today.”

Chiquita shifted. “We’re just… not awkward anymore.”

Jennie narrowed her eyes. “People don’t go from ‘can’t sit without blushing’ to ‘human pillow’ overnight.”

Lisa snapped her fingers. “Exactly. There’s a timeline we don’t know about.”

Silence.

Ahyeon and Chiquita exchanged a glance.

A long one.

Lisa pointed immediately. “That look. That was a look.”

Jennie leaned forward. “Okay. Spill.”

“…There’s nothing to spill,” Ahyeon said, but her voice lacked conviction.

Ruby leaned forward in Chiquita’s arms and stuck her tongue out again—

This time longer.

Like she was mocking them.

Lisa clutched her chest. “Oh my God, she’s taunting you now.”

Jennie wiped tears from laughing. “I can’t—Ruby, baby, you’re so messy—”

Chiquita groaned. “Unnie, please stop—”

“Not until you tell us the truth,” Lisa said, suddenly serious—but still playful. “Because something’s different.”

Another pause.

Then—

Ahyeon sighed.

“…We knew you’d find out.”

Lisa and Jennie froze.

“Wait,” Jennie said slowly. “Find out what?”

Chiquita looked at Ahyeon.

Ahyeon looked at Chiquita.

Ruby leaned back against Chiquita’s chest, staring up at them like she was front row to the drama.

“…We’re already together,” Chiquita mumbled.

Silence.

Lisa blinked.

Jennie blinked.

“…I’m sorry,” Lisa said. “You’re what?”

Ahyeon sighed again, this time more resigned. “…We’ve been dating.”

Jennie leaned forward. “Since when?”

Chiquita hesitated.

“…Eight months.”

Silence.

Complete.

Utter.

Silence.

Ruby blinked.

Then—

She squealed loudly and stuck her tongue out again like she just dropped the biggest mic of the century.

Lisa’s jaw dropped.

Jennie’s mouth fell open.

“EIGHT MONTHS?!” they both shouted at the same time.

“You were teasing us?!” Ahyeon shot back. “We’ve been suffering for months!”

“Suffering?!” Lisa exclaimed. “We were helping you!”

“You were making it worse!” Chiquita whined.

Jennie stood up, pacing. “Eight months… eight whole months… and you let us do all that matchmaking—”

“We thought it was funny at first!” Ahyeon admitted.

“And then it got out of hand!” Chiquita added.

Lisa stared at them, hands on her head. “You mean to tell me… all those blushes…”

“Real.”

“All those ‘accidental’ touches—”

“Also real.”

“All the staring—”

“Very real.”

Jennie collapsed back onto the couch. “Oh my God… we’ve been played.”

Ruby crawled toward her mom and smacked her tiny hand on Jennie’s arm—then stuck her tongue out again.

Jennie pointed at her. “You knew too, didn’t you?”

Ruby giggled.

Lisa started laughing.

Then Jennie joined.

And soon the entire room was filled with laughter—loud, uncontrollable, affectionate.

Lisa wiped her eyes. “I can’t believe this. Eight months.”

Jennie shook her head, smiling fondly. “And here we were, acting like detectives.”

Ahyeon crossed her arms. “You were detectives. Bad ones.”

“Hey!” Lisa protested.

Chiquita smiled shyly. “…At least you care.”

That softened everything.

Jennie stood up and walked over, gently patting both their heads.

“Of course we care,” she said. “You’re our sisters.”

Lisa joined her, wrapping an arm around Jennie’s waist. “And honestly?”

She grinned.

“We approve.”

Chiquita and Ahyeon both froze.

“…Really?” they asked at the same time.

Lisa shrugged. “You’ve basically proven you can survive our teasing. That’s the real test.”

Jennie nodded. “And Ruby clearly likes you both.”

As if on cue—

Ruby reached out for both of them, babbling happily.

When they leaned in—

She stuck her tongue out again.

Everyone burst into laughter.

Lisa shook her head. “Yeah, she definitely approves.”

Jennie smiled, watching all of them together.

“…This house just got even more chaotic.”

Lisa kissed her temple. “And more fun.”

Across the room, Chiquita and Ahyeon sat closer than ever—no more hiding, no more awkwardness.

Just soft smiles, intertwined fingers—

And a baby between them, giggling like she had been waiting for this reveal all along.