For most people in Suwon, a usual warm Spring day was progressing. Birds were chirping and children were giggling. It was the school holidays, time that should be spent relaxing with friends, but Bomi was lying on her bed, curtains drawn and door closed, surrounded by complete darkness. If she closed her eyes tightly enough, she could imagine her parents' small chatter as they walked around the house. Her mum would be nagging her dad, and even if he was annoyed by it, he would listen to her every whim with love in his eyes.

But that was her imagination. Reality was, her parents had been dead for a week now and Bomi was meant to be packing her bags to go to Busan and look for her guardian, or her brother, which was his proper title. She had known about his existence, but knew nothing about him other than whenever she brought him up at the dinner table, her parents would choke up and hastily change the topic. How was she meant to find a brother she knew nothing about?

A light breeze entered the room through one of the open windows, ruffling the curtains ever so slightly. It was just enough to create a small crack in the middle, allowing a stream of light to enter. 

Bomi sighed shakily. She couldn't bring herself to get up and fix the curtains. Instead, she slowly lifted her left hand, bringing it to the light. She had certainly slimmed down over the past week, her usually large appetite nearly disappearing altogether. The first two days after her parents' death were the worst. Bomi didn't want to eat anything, didn't want to drink anything and basically didn't even want to do anything. All she had the energy for was sleeping and crying. It was her best friend and neighbour, Ilhoon, who finally managed to get stuff into her system and made her see that this was not the daughter her parents would want her to be. 

The light danced on her fingertaps, entrancing her and making her sleepier.

Five minuted passed, or perhaps it was even an hour. Bomi had no way of telling. A sudden ringing of the doorbell drew her out of her reverie and groaning, she d around for a pillow to squeeze. Many people had rang the doorbell recently, and after a few minutes when they didn't manage to get Bomi to open the door, they'd leave.  

Bomi listened carefully now for the familiar sound of the person who rang the bell closing their car door and driving away. Moments passed and she still didn't hear what she had come accustomed to expected. Trembling, she let out the breath that she didn't even realise she had been holding.

The doorbell rang again and again and again. 

Groggily, she rolled off the bed. Her legs were shaking as they functioned in moving Bomi towards the front door. She hadn't used them very much. The bell rang once more just as she opened the door. The light from the outside world blinded her temporarily. As her eyes adjusted, she noted that there was a couple standing before her.

"Yoon Bomi?" The woman questioned tentatively. Her voice was warm and lovely, coming out in a sing-song manner. 

"Yes?" Bomi replied, trying to sound as lighthearted as she could. She never liked to impose her actual feelings on others for worry of annoying them. Unfortunately, her voice was as croaky as her legs were wobbly. The woman turned towards the man beside her momentarily before her worried eyes was placed back on Bomi. 

"I'm Lee Siyoung, and this is my husband Kim Songjae," the woman gestured to herself and then her husband. "We're your parents best friends... Or at least, were."

Both adults looked towards Bomi hopefully, as if their names might ring a bell. Nope. The only friends Bomi knew her parents had were related to their work. They certainly had never dressed as prim and proper as the couple standing in front of her now.

"I'm sorry... I don't think my parents ever mentioned you..."

Disappointment flittered onto Siyoung's face, but just as quickly, it disappeared. "Oh, that's quite alright."

Silence filled the atmosphere.

After what seemed like an eternity, Songjae cleared his throat. "Why don't we just cut to the chase?" 

Siyoung nodded in response. "Bomi, we were close enough to Raejong and Mihyun to know that your older brother isn't fit enough to be your guardian. We have an offer for you. We would have come sooner, but news of your parents'..." she trailed off uncertainly, grief flooding her beautiful eyes, but with a gentle nudge from her husband, she continued. "...death, only recently reached us."

Bomi was nervously wondering what would come out of Siyoung's mouth next, but though the unwavering determination in her eyes comforted her minutely, the slight worry that was also there made her feel extremely unsure. Did she want to hear what the woman had to say? Would it be something that is reasonable and help her out? 

She didn't have time to make up her mind. Siyoung's words came quickly and it took some time for them to fully sink in. "We'd like you to marry our son."

Bomi froze. That was not what she was expecting, at all. "Sorry, what did you say?"

Songjae's own steely gaze met Bomi. "You're both 17, so don't worry about him being much older than you. The only way to keep your older brother from being your guardian is to get married. When you're both 19, and no longer minors, you can divorce, but until then, since you are a minor and of marriageable age, all that is needed is your consent so that you don't need to be under the care of your estranged brother."

Seeing the baffled look on Bomi's face, he quickly added. "You'll be in great care with us. I mean, you don't even know where to find your brother, do you?"

"We'll look after you. We owe it that much to your parents," Siyoung reaffirmed. "So, what do you say?"

Shakily, Bomi opened , and then closed it again. She probably looked like a goddamn goldfish, but Songjae and Siyoung were being extremely nice and not laughing at the foolish girl before them. 

She didn't want to jump into this offer. I mean, they were strangers, for goodness sake! But then again... Essentially, her brother was also a stranger. Could she even trust them? Closing her eyes, she forced herself to calm down and make a decision. It was then that something clicked. Siyoung and Songjae's faces had seemed slightly familiar but she couldn't place her finger on what it was until now.

A time years ago flashed through her mind, when she opened an old photo album to see her parents grinning largely with the couple beside them. As Bomi opened her eyes and saw the two adults standing before her, the resemblance between them and the couple in the picture grew larger and larger. The couple in the photo certainly looked younger, but there was no mistaking it. These were people that her parents knew and loved.

"Yes, I'll marry your son."