“Ji Yeon, Young Jin, wake up,” their mother says in a loud voice. “We’re here.”

 

The two siblings open their eyes groggily to see that they’ve finally arrived in Seoul after traveling for 3 hours from Gwangju. They stopped by at the storage unit to drop off several of their heavy belongings, then made their way towards their close relative’s house. It is a two-story model home in which the family will be temporarily staying for the next couple of months while waiting for their new house to be finished.

 

Ji Yeon rings the doorbell and the door flies open to see her aunt Za Ri screeching in excitement. When she spots her parents unloading the trunk, she and the two siblings help carry the bins inside the house. As soon as her uncle Baek Ah appears, his wife asks him to call his sons.

 

Baek Ah walks over to the staircase and yells, “Yoongi! Taehyung! Come down here and help bring the bins up to the guest room!” Ji Yeon watches her two cousins coming down the stairs as they exchanged simple greetings before finishing their tasks.

 

In less than 15 minutes, the two families finally finished and began preparing for dinner.

 

“Since it’s your first official day moving here, I made you guys your favorite Japanese dish,” her aunt Za Ri announced. “Tonkotsu ramen!”

 

Ji Yeon thanked her warmly as they all gather around the dinner table and the four adults shared a delightful conversation about their new house.

 

And that was when Baek Ah happily greeted to Ji Yeon, “Congratulations on graduating in high school.”

 

“Thank you,” she smiles.

 

“When did you graduate?”

 

“Last week, May 28.”

 

“How lovely. Are you excited to live here?”

 

“I guess,” she shrugs. She didn’t want to think too much nor does she want to be questioned about it, considering all of the sudden changes happening in her life.

 

“What do you mean ‘I guess’?” Her uncle chuckles. “You’re about to have a big house soon.”

 

“Not just big, but also a beautiful one!” Her aunt added exaggeratedly. “You’re finally getting your own rooms! Now you can have the privacy you’ve always wanted compared to that one bedroom apartment.”

 

“Yeah, that’s true,” was all she could say in hopes it will end their conversation.

 

Sadly, her aunt continues to ramble on and Ji Yeon could no longer stand listening. She should be excited, but the thought of abruptly leaving her hometown and friends has left her conflicted. She knew why she had to; the rent was getting too expensive and her family could no longer afford it. The house they purchased holds a fair price and her father Ji Hun knew that this was their only chance.

 

However, there was another reason why they moved, and this is what concerns her more.

 

“When is her leg surgery going to be?” Baek Ah asks.

 

“In less than two weeks,” her mother Yu Na responds. “Of all days they had to schedule it, it had to be the one before her 18th birthday.”

 

Yoongi and Taehyung casts their eyes on Ji Yeon who is eating in silence.

 

“Her first orthopedic surgeon back in Gwangju told us that he knows one who is best and highly experienced operating patients like her,” Yu Na continued. “But that surgeon lives here in Seoul.”

 

“I see, so it wasn’t just the house you were after,” Za Ri says slowly, then peeks at Ji Yeon from the corner of her eyes in sympathy. “You did it for her. Now that you mention it, it’s a win-win solution, don’t you think? You no longer have to struggle paying worthless bills over a cramped space you don’t own, and simultaneously be able to fix your daughter’s disability without worrying about the long travel.”

 

“Moving to Seoul is what's best for all of us,” Ji Hun sighs.

 

“Are you ready for it?” Baek Ah asks Ji Yeon.

 

She exhibits a faint smile. “Kind of but I’m a little bit nervous. I’m just worried about the snap, that’s all.”

 

Yoongi and Taehyung arches a brow in wonder. ‘The snap?’

 

“Ah, that’s right...” Yu Na’s expression immediately fell. She knew exactly what she’s talking about.

 

“I think I’ll be able to get through it again,” Ji Yeon continued. “Even though it's been almost eight years since the first one, I’m already used to the pain.” Truth be told, she isn't. She would sometimes have dreams of those traumatic days and even though it's not real, she would never get used to it.

 

“I hope it won't be as painful as last time,” Ji Hun says with a hint of sadness. “You really are a tough cookie.”