Chapitre Trois

>And know that when I'm gone, you'll be here in me<

MyungSoo

MyungSoo was getting ready for work one morning, and just as he’d finished buttoning his shirt, he heard a knock on the door. It was opened slightly and MyungHee’s face peered inside, grinning at him. Her long hair was down and she was in her working attire.

“Oppa, I need help.” She said, still with a beam. MyungSoo cocked an eyebrow and grabbed a comb on his table. “Okay, come on in.” He said, already knew what she wanted. It was already a routine lately, he noticed. Around this time of the morning, MyungHee would knock on the door, her face plastered a grin, and her request was always the same thing.

MyungHee skipped inside his room and stood in front of him with her back to her brother. “That’s why I love you, oppa.” MyungSoo laughed and began combing her hair. “You love me just when I braid your hair every morning, do you? Other than that, you don’t love your brother.”

He began braiding her hair into a Dutch braid chignon, one of MyungHee’s favorite styles. He noticed that she was wearing her favorite outfit that morning, so why not he braided her hair with how she liked too.

“I only trust you to braid my hair, oppa.” MyungHee said, and MyungSoo simply smiled behind her, his hands working on her hair easily. “I know that I could’ve gone to omma, but I think I trust you more in this. You seem to have experience braiding people’s hair.”

“I used to braid SoRa’s hair, remember?” He asked, and even though MyungHee didn’t say anything back, he knew she was smiling. “SoRa had long hair, and I always thought she’d look cute if she had her hair in a braid. The first time I did it, she kind of liked it. You do know how she didn’t express what she felt. Then I started looking up for more braiding styles on the internet, so I guess I’d been practicing with her.”

He pinned her hair then, and his work was done. MyungHee looked in the mirror, and a satisfied smile was on her face. “It’s beautiful, oppa. Thank you.” She gave him a quick hug before running out the door, probably back to her room.

MyungSoo just shook his head and grabbed his bag, at the same time as his eyes landed on SoRa’s picture. He smiled and patted the photo, wondering whether SoRa would still let him braid her hair, if she were still alive. He knew she would be a beautiful little girl by now, living happily with her sister.

“Good morning, SoRa.” He greeted before moving towards the door. Years may have passed, but time would never stifle his affection for her, or anyone for that matter. Everyone still loved her, and she was just as present in their hearts as in their minds.

He walked downstairs towards the dining table, where all of his family members were gathered, getting ready for breakfast. He slumped down next to MyungHee and they all began eating, engaging in small topics as they ate.

They jumped from MyungHee’s work to MyungSoo’s and then their father’s, until in the end they touched about KyonDae’s upcoming wedding. “Oh, have you looked for a suit yet, MyungSoo?” HyunJoo, his mother, asked. “I don’t think your old suit can fit you anymore. When was the last time you wore it, even? I think you should get a new one.”

MyungSoo simply nodded and drank his coffee. “Okay, omma. One of these days, I’ll go and find one. I don’t think it would hurt just to buy a new one, right. I could wear it when MyungHee’s getting married later.” He said, wiggling his eyebrows at his sister who was trying her best to ignore him.

Their dad laughed at the two of them and asked, “Which reminds me, MyungHee, when on earth ChangJo would ask for your hand in marriage? You’ve been together for quite some time, we think.”

MyungHee suddenly froze as the attention was now on her, and within a heartbeat, she quickly pushed MyungSoo into the spotlight. “Wait, why are we talking about me all of a sudden? We still have oppa. He’s the one who needs to get married first.”

HyunJoo looked at her son then, and with a nod, she asked him, “She’s right, MyungSoo. Do you have any plans to get married yet? You’re not getting any younger, nor your dad and I.”

MyungSoo, who was about to shove a spoon of cereals in his mouth, halted in his seat as his hand stopped midair. His family’s eyes were now all on him, making him uncomfortable. He dropped his spoon inside the bowl and sighed. “Why is this about me now? I don’t have any plans on getting married yet, people. I’m sorry but it might be a while before you could see it happen.”

Dad sighed dramatically while mom leaned closer. “Do you want me to look for a girl for you?” She asked, and MyungSoo’s eyes widened as he looked from his sister to his mom then to his dad. “No, omma! I don’t want you to look for anyone for me!” He cried out, looking extremely horrified at the idea.

MyungHee placed her chin on her hand, with the elbows on the table as she nodded eagerly at their mother. “He’s right, omma. He definitely doesn’t need you to look for a girl for him.” She flashed her brother a grin before saying, “He already has a girl, doesn’t he? That is why he doesn’t need you to look for another.”

MyungSoo turned his head towards his sister in an incredible speed, shocked. “Yah, Kim MyungHee.” He said with a glare, not that it affected the girl by any means. “Seriously, omma. He already has one.” Not missing a glance at her brother’s flustered expression; she reached for something inside her bag and quickly gave it to their mother before MyungSoo had the chance to do anything.

“Oh my, so this is the girl!” HyunJoo said, admiring the photo in her hand, one that MyungHee successfully stole from MyungSoo’s room. “Look how adorable is she! So this is the famous chef MyungHee has been telling!”

MyungSoo face palmed himself, a loud groan escaped from his mouth. “You guys!” He turned to MyungHee, and his sister could see it on his face just how much her brother wanted to strangle her at the moment. And so, she just threw him a guiltless smile, and MyungSoo grumbled again.

“Dear, look at her! I don’t mind if this really is my daughter in law!” HyunJoo fussed, passing the photo to her husband who was extremely eager to have a look. WooJin took the photo from his wife and looked at it, saying something about his daughter in law to be too.

And as his eyes landed on MinNeul’s face, he went mute, and his eyes didn’t blink. His face blanched too. WooJin went completely still as his other family members kept on teasing MyungSoo about MinNeul, and as they looked back at WooJin, HyunJoo laughed. “My goodness, look at your dad. MyungSoo’s friend is too pretty that he goes wordless.”

MyungHee chuckled along and said, “Appa, she’s pretty, isn’t she? Is that why you’re not reacting at all? Oppa did well, didn’t he?” MyungSoo rolled his eyes at that but couldn’t help but to smile. His father’s reaction was always dramatic; he would pass as an actor.

Noticing that the attention was on him now, WooJin laughed nervously before handing the photo back to MyungSoo. The boy noticed a sudden change of look on his father’s face, and wondered whether there was something on his mind. Something told him that his father’s reaction wasn’t one he feigned.

“Oh, look at the time. I must keep going.” WooJin said while looking at his watch, suddenly standing up. The others immediately stood up too, and MyungHee rushed over to give her father a hug. “I’ll see all of you during dinner.” And with that, he walked away from the dining table and out the front door.

MyungHee skipped her way back upstairs, leaving only her brother and mother at the dining table. MyungSoo and HyunJoo exchanged glances, realizing that his mother noticed dad’s weird reaction too. However, none said a word, and simply took it as dad’s melodramatic response.

HyunJoo smiled at MyungSoo and asked, “Do you want me to pack something for you for lunch?” MyungSoo nodded gratefully at that. “Thanks, mom. I’ll help you clear the table after I reprimand MyungHee about touching my things.”

He said, and quickly got up the stairs to give his sister a good telling-off. He won’t shout at her, no. MyungSoo doesn’t lik