"Sora! Sora Sora Sora!"

       Recognizing that one boisterous voice chiming anywhere and about everywhere, i flip over to the side and press the pillow hard over my ear. It must be my brother, creating a din in the early morning of my peaceful Saturday.

       "Sora! If you don't open the door I'll invite myself in!" He threatens but I'm immune to it, honestly.

       The poundings on my bedroom door fade to silence and I smirk against my pillow triumphantly. I must have been stupid to believe that he gave up so easily because the next thing I know, my quilt is ripped off from my body and the curtains are fling wide open, letting the glaring sunlight rejoice over my misery.

       "Chanyeol! That's foul play!" I groan with eyes still shut but my brows are creased with annoyance.

       Meet my brother, Park Chanyeol. 23 years old, tall and handsome, lacking of nothing but manners and idiotic as hell.

       "You're gonna be late for your pilates class!" He announces in a really loud voice, so loud that I can't even ignore past it. So I eventually give up, kick my bolster away and sit up. Chanyeol looks down at me in sheer amusement.

       "I get it, I'm awake. Sheesh, you're so noisy." 

       Chanyeol ruffles my bed hair. I hate it when he does that; we're only a year apart but he treats me like a needy kid. "Next time, at least hide the keys so I won't be able to break in." He throws me the ring of keys and opens my cupboard. "Go get washed."

       My eyes widen and I leap out of the mattress. "I'll take my own clothes! Get out!" I shout at him, panicking that he will see my pink lacey undergarments that I lazily chucked above the pile of clothes last night. With all my might, I push Chanyeol out of the area and believe me, he is one really one stubborn lad.

       It is 1PM and here I am in a class of 20 other female students, performing one of the signature pilates stunts called the Bicycle. It's a rather complicated move for beginners but since I'm flexible and taking into account I've beeing doing this for a year plus, it's quite a breeze.

       My hips are rolled off the mat as I lie on my back. I'm supposed to support my torso with my hands as my legs hang in the air, so that it forms a long straight line across my shoulder. The only reason why this is considered an advanced move is because it requires the neutral spine and hip extension to pull off. My legs are scissored wide open and I bicycle them gently. This has to be repeated for a total of 6 times.

       I sigh. Honestly, I don't even know why I'm in this class. Sure, it's sports but not so much energy-boosting and very slow-paced, for someone who seeks an adrenaline rush like me. I think I'm only taking this because I want to keep fit and constantly clear my mind. Most importantly, only females are allowed to take this class.

       After the 6th move, I finally let loose and shift my legs back on the floor. Sweat trickles down my blue tank tap and i flatten the rolls that had shrivelled above my belly button.

       Mrs. Kee, our Pilates teacher who has alluring grey hair, soon dismisses the class. We exchange our greetings and clean up the room. I hover the mat roll over my shoulder and am the last to leave the class. To my surprise, Chanyeol is there, leaning by the wall next to our door.

       "Done?" He says while walking next to me. I give him a quizzical look, "I didn't expect you to fetch me."

       Chanyeol slings an arm around my neck and engulfs me into his warmth, "You must feel blessed, with a brother like me, not only handsome, popular, but charmingly sweet as well."

       "Gross." I shove him aside and he laughs.

       We make our way to our favourite ice-cream cafe downtown, where there lies the little polaroid that me and Chanyeol had pinned during our high school days. While his usual flavour is matcha green tea, as always, I decided for a cookies and cream because I need a little sweetening after that workout.

       "Mom's out of Korea again."

       I drop my spoon, "Again?! Without telling us?" I groan in an unapproving voice. It seems like our Mom has forgotten she left behind two of her children here.

       "She told me." Chanyeol chortles gleefully.

       I narrow my eyes at the tall giant. That is our Mom for you, always eloping for work without even informing the family. Informing me, at least. I remember last time when she left for Japan for 2 whole weeks with just a little post-stick on the fridge, 'I'll be back home soon darlings!'. Me and Chanyeol were left speechless. Our Dad is no longer around, which might explain why Mom is such a free-spirit.

       "So she left you in my care." Chanyeol grins and I don't like the sound of it, not one bit.

       "I think I'm better at taking care of myself than you will ever stop getting into trouble for at least 5 minutes." I shoot back as a matter of fact.

       "Hey!" Chanyeol whines. He takes a spoonful of the green dessert into his mouth and looks at me hesitantly, "Umm.. I managed to glance at the last 10 minutes of your class just now."

       I eye him incredulously, "I knew it was too good to be true for you to suddenly pick me up. You were there to look at all the other girls right? ert."

       Chanyeol sounds rather bashful and hold up his hands in defence, "No! Of course not! It's just.. well, erm.. I saw you doing those moves and, you.. didn't seem to enjoy it."

       I pause, the spoon just inches away from my lips, before sticking it deep into the gooey liquid. "You must be imagining things." I say a little quieter and Chanyeol catches onto my dubious answer.

       "I've known you since forever, Sora. You didn't look too happy doing pilates. Not as much.." He stops for a while, "..not as much as when you were doing Aikido."

       "We agreed not to talk about it anymore." I find myself getting worked up despite the calmness in my voice.

       Chanyeol obviously notices this with his quick wits and he props his arms on the table. He does that always when we are about to engage in a really serious talk. Like he's seen through me. "Look, Sora. There's no point in pushing yourself to do something you don't like. Your heart is obviously still with Aikido."

       "Chanyeol. I've quit, okay? Stop harping on it." I swirl my ice-cream a tad faster that it's now turned into melted liquid.

       "For 2 years, Sora. 2 whole years. How long have you been tormenting yourself? Cooping up in your room, going to work at the bookstore from 10AM to 6PM, then going for pilates every Saturday. It has become such a mundane routine for you that you no longer go out to enjoy."

       "It's my life, okay? I believe I'm not doing anything illegal."

       Chanyeol is clearly unhappy with my despondent answer and I don't blame him. "What happened back then was an accident! Baekhyun doesn't even hold it against you!"

       When Chanyeol slips off that name so casually, I get heated up. "If I hadn't injured him back then, he could've qualify for that sparring competition at the quarter finals. We both knew how much that competition means to him!" I feel tears b my orbs but with the huge ego in me, I quickly blink them dry.

       "Sora.." Chanyeol's face is filled with worry, from its usual cheeriness and he cups my hands, "Believe me, it's not your fault. No one wanted it to happen. Baekhyun is worried as well when he sees you've.. changed. He doesn't come to our house anymore because he's afraid you might be uncomfortable with his presence."

       I look up to him, it's my first time hearing all this. All this while, I thought Baekhyun has been avoiding me. Back then, he had been practicing 8 months long for the annual quarter finals sparring match held in Okinawa but because of his arm cast, he was forced to drop out out. I felt like to have caused him to lose a chance he worked really hard for. Because it was unfair for me to enjoy Aikido after hurting him, I foolishly quit the club as well. You might call it redemption, but there's still the guilt lingering in me after all these years.

       My hands wriggle away from Chanyeol's grasp and he stares at it vacantly. "It's better like this, I guess. I don't want to remind him of that painful past." I whisper inaudbily and crack a weary smile, "Let's just go home. I'm tired."

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