Familiarity

Her eyes opened in the morning by the time the Sun almost rises. Vision is a little blurry still but she clearly knows who slept beside her all night. Lips spread into a smile upon landing her gaze on the sleeping figure covered under the warm blanket and face was as innocent as a baby.

Mijoo brushes her sister's hair before carrassing the latter's cheek gently. Deciding to not wake her up, she rises on her feet first and walks into the bathroom to wash her face and brush teeth. Instead of helping her friends preparing breakfast, she goes back to lie down by Soojung's side.

Soojung must have the most peaceful sleep last night by how she didn't shift her sleeping position and face kept calm all night. Mijoo loves this side of Soojung, like their old days where Soojung was just a normal human being and not some patient with mental illness.

It is a lie to say everytime Mijoo slept innocently (of course) with Soojung, she doesn't feel anything. The lust and desire are still there within her, especially since Soojung is the first and the only girl she has constantly loved from the beginning. But her conscience takes the better of her. She has shame and pride. She hasn't had the guts to harm her pitiful sister who's in her worst and Mijoo just won't take that for her own benefit.

Eventually Soojung later stirs in her sleep and slowly awakes, after having such a long sleep all night. It's fascinating how fast she adjusted herself in the new environment despite not totally having Mijoo with her.

"Good morning unnie," Mijoo greets her sister, hoarse voice and gentle smile assaulted Soojung's sight in the daylight. Soojung beams, dimples poked out and closes her eyes briefly as if she's the most innocent little girl. Mijoo scoots closer and places a kiss on her forehead. Soojung reciprocates the gesture by pressing her lips against Mijoo's cheek.

Mijoo giggles, and so does Soojung. If they were not sisters but some lovesick couple, it must have been the most wonderul feeling. However reality  and there's a pain tugs in both hearts.

And they are too powerless to change that.

***

After spending quality time with Soojung, Jisoo and Jiae has been so long, Mijoo suddenly feels like not going to begin the day with work. Lethargy takes over once she steps in the office. Empty and silence welcome her firstly, signaling she's the first employee to arrive that morning.

Despite the negativity thoughts clouded her mind, Mijoo still drags her feet to her desk and goodness, she has much things to keep updated with. Taking the heap of files on her desk into her hand, she inspects the details and takes note of important schedules of her dearest department's director.

Slowly the empty office is now filling with more of her colleagues showing up. "Good morning Mijoo, you're early," Jiyeon brightly addresses Mijoo and gives a warm brief hug. This is one of the many reasons why she has more affections for Jiyeon more than the others.

Nayeon pokes her head from the desk and shows her smile to Mijoo. "Hi Mijoo!"

The latter shakes hand with Nayeon. "Did you have well rest last night? You guys surely are extra wild yesterday."

The other sheepishly scratches her head. "I got home safe last night fortunately. But I admit I was too wild," the pair laughs and Mijoo pats Nayeon's shoulder softly. She then back to her desk and unlocks the door of Son Naeun's office, writing meetings schedules on the whiteboard patched on the wall before the director arrives.

"Mijoo," a slow voice calls her name, enthusiastic it sounds and catches her attention. Mijoo beams as Mina and her gummy smile fills her vision. "Morning Mina!"

"Good morning to you too. I want to ask if you'd like to have lunch with me together," the younger proposes as Mijoo has no intension to reject the offer too.

"Sure. We can have lunch together everyday and I don't mind!"

Her words only make Mina smiles wider and shy. "That's great! I'll be at the counter today so if anything, come there to look for me!"

They part as Mina walks away. Mijoo is wondering why neither the director nor team leader have showed up yet. Are they calling in sick or have overslept?

Only half an hour passes the sign-in time, Jihyo eventually appears. But her hair is a mess and even her shirts are so unlike her usual coordinated appearance. Nayeon giggles when she sees her best friend. Mijoo eyes them attentively.

"Goodness Jihyo, from your look I know what's going on with you and Yoongi oppa."

If Nayeon were some other employee and not her best friend, Jihyo has already slapped her mouth for being loud. "Oh no can't you be louder? Do you really want to tell the whole office what Yoongi oppa and I did?"

Nayeon only laughs harder. "Oh come on, they already know you did it just by looking at how messy you are today. We're not stupid or kids anymore!"

Mijoo can't focus anymore even when Jihyo is jokingly choking her friend's neck. The wrinkles on her shirt and her bed hair only reminds Mijoo of a scene she wants to delete permanently in her life. Mijoo feels her chest is suffocated with the lack of air and tries to close her eyes to remain calm.

  just gets real.

Flashback

Opening the front door of the house, the long awaited arrival of her sister home from school finally came, but Soojung looked like a mess.

Mijoo laughed though for what reason. "Soojung unnie, did you get chased by a dog or something?" Her loud laughter caught the attention of her parents that they came to their side.

Mother Lee gasped with covered. "Soojung sweetie, why do you look so...dirty?"

Her school uniform's blazer was unbottion, tie was loose, skirt got dirt but there was no downpour or likewise outside. Even her hair was as messy as bed hair. Soojung was never this uncoordinated, far different from how she went to school that morning.

To the family's surprise, Soojung's eyes were wet with dripping tears and hitched sob soon filled their hearing. Her father's faced laced with concern. "Honey, what's wrong?"

Even Mijoo was scared to see Soojung got overly emotional after getting teased by her, but that wasn't her intention. Soojung was never being this open on showing tears.

Their concerns were unanswered when Soojung fled to the upper floor, leaving them dumbfounded and more worried. Mijoo chased her sister. "Unnie, open this door and talk to me! Who makes you cry like this?"

It was impossible if what Mijoo had jokingly said were the one who made her sister upset. To the fair point, surely it had something to do with the reason Soojung came home late. Was she under a lot of stress?

"Soojung unnie open this door!" Mijoo's voice got louder as she slammed the door to Soojung's room harder. "UNNIE!" The slam sounded so hard at her final hit, and Mijoo's hand turned so red.

Their parents came over to watch the commotion. And soon after they heard Soojung, for the first time in their life, screaming out of limit. "DON'T DO THIS TO ME, PLEASE! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

It scared her a lot. Mijoo began to cry as well. "Appa, please do something! Unnie needs help!"

For their great worry over the eldest daughter, the father collected his strength and managed to break the door opened, after looking for spare key but couldn't find anything.

Soojung sat on the floor beside her bed, hugging her knees, drenched cheeks, reddened eyes and body trembling so hard. At the pitiful sight got Mijoo's vision blurry as well. Soojung looked up at her and their parents, wailing even harder.

The youngest approached her sister close. "What happened to you? Who did this to you?" Mijoo sounded so angry with how she gritted her teeth while speaking. Soojung didn't answer but only leaped to hug Mijoo out of her life.

"I'm scared! I'm sooo scared! Please don't leave me alone! He will only do me worse if you leave me!"

Their parents broke down just as much as Mijoo did. From then on they learned something; Soojung was molested in her school. And it was definitely not up to her own liking. They only made her wanted to kill herself.

***

Considering how social and carefree Mijoo is to her surrounding, she becomes close to her colleagues quickly even after just a few days working.

From her lunch with Mina and Jiyeon her phone number is finally added in Kakao Group Chat with few other acquaintances. Nayeon's ecstatic nature is surely excited having Mijoo to join them. She's throwing a party on Friday night, and Mijoo's invited despite the short-term of knowing one another.

She comes in after tucking Soojung to sleep over at Yujeong's house. The latter has the night off and volunteers to be her friend's company, much to Mijoo's please. She knows Yujeong will surely be a great company after being a great friend for her sister.

She enters the rather cozy house belongs to Nayeon and her significant partner. Mijoo spots a few familiar faces of her colleagues, shakes hands with them but isn't too engaging with their co