Soon Hee’s POV:

 

Here I was on the balcony in the middle of the night with Kai. It was silent so I started to speak.

 

“Kai-sshi, what did you dream about?”

 

“Call me Jongin Oppa. Kai-sshi sounds so formal plus Kai is a name that I don’t what attached to me for now.”

 

“Why’s that?”

 

“A part of me wishes to go back to being a normal kid. I don’t even remember the last time I was able to go out to a street cart vendor and get food. I loved street cart food. Or go into a mall or spend time with my family more than once every few weeks. I miss being able to feel happiness and love. All I feel is stress and anxiety, Frustration and weak. I don’t wanna have to always smile for a camera. I want to smile because I’m happy. Not because I’m told to pretend to be happy.” He confessed.

 

“The real world isn’t much different. Granted we can go out and get food without being mobbed but we need to keep up appearances also. We can’t show any sign of weakness or we will be picked on by people with more weaknesses. They’ll hunt you down and trample on you until they feel better about themselves.”

 

I don’t know what inclined me to share a really deep secret of mine next, but he made me feel comfortable. He made me feel like he wouldn’t pick on my weaknesses and destroy me.

“I was once called a because I didn’t ‘have parents to teach me anything’. My clothes were ripped from my body to prove a point I’m still not sure about. This action, however, gave these people satisfaction. Jae Ha found me twenty minutes later but it felt like hours. He put his sweater on me and  bought me a cheap pair of pants, and took me to his home where his mom let me cry in her arms. People, regardless of where you go, are cruel.”

 

Kai looked at me. He stayed silent as he placed his hand over mine that was clutching the ledge of the balcony. It wasn’t out of sympathy, that much I could tell. He gave me a little squeeze and let my hand go.

 

“You’re right. The world just .” He finally said.

 

“You know, Jae Ha used to talk about you all the time? He never told me who you were but as his cousin, he would describe you. In Jae Ha’s mind, you’re this amazingly strong person who can achieve anything he wanted to. And I know what you’re thinking. ‘I’m not strong’ but you are. You can admit your weaknesses. Only the strongest people can do that. Also you shared your feelings with me. That in itself is strength most people don’t have. I don’t have it for sure.”

 

“I now see why you get along with Jae Ha so well. You’re the opposite of him and that’s what makes you complete each other. He is so impulsive and childish but you think things through and are realistic. Usually those two don’t go together but it works here.”

 

“Hey come on. I’m not that grown up.” I protested.

 

“Oh right. You lost that pillow war”

 

“I would have won if Ohmonni didn’t stop us.”

 

“Dream on Soon Hee. You would have not.”

 

“Ye have little faith.” I retorted.

 

At this point, Jongin Oppa bursted out laughing.

 

“Shut up! You’re going to wake everyone up.” I whisper putting my finger over my lip.

 

“Not this family. They sleep like the dead.” He replied.

 

“True.”

 

We both started to laugh.

 

“You know what I love most about this place?” Jongin asked.

 

“Hmmm. What’s that?” I asked in reply.

 

“The stars. You can’t see any stars in Seoul. I used to love stars growing up. They were another world that I so desperately wanted to reach. For my birthday when I was younger, my parents bought me a telescope. I never stopped looking out through it. It brought me closer to my dreams. And I have no idea why I just told you all this. You probably think I’m weird.” He laugh nervously as he confessed this to me.

 

I just gave him a reassuring smile and shook me head.

 

“No Oppa. I think you’re human. Not some robot who has a programmed strict he always sticks to because he knows nothing else. You are human. You have feelings. You have dreams. You have this.” I said this as I placed my hand over his heart.

 

I looked up to meet his gaze that was searching me for clarity. I didn’t know what I was expecting when his eyes searched mine. I just smiled and put my hands back on the balcony ledge.

 

Kai’s POV:

 

I stood there in shock. I don’t know why I looked so intently in her eyes, but she made me feel as if all my worries washed away. She made me feel as though everything that happened in Seoul a couple days ago, was far away in a past unknown to me. She made the world clear. She made the world easy. I went back and stood beside her on the balcony.

 

“How’s your cold feeling?” I asked.

 

She looked at me confused almost as if she has forgotten entirely that she fainted less than twenty four hours ago.

 

“Oh yeah that. It’s okay. My throat still hurts a bit and my headache hasn’t went away, but I feel better. The porridge you guys made worked wonders.” She replied as she fidgeted with her fingernails.

 

I faced her and instinctively placed the back of my hand over her forehead. She was still burning hot. I didn’t want to say anything. I just smiled.

 

“You should get going to bed little lady. You need your rest. Remember no school or work tomorrow. My aunt will make sure of it after the worried Jae Ha will. He will tie you to his bed if he could. Wait that sounded weird.”

 

She started to laugh hysterically. I joined in with her. She had a very contagious laugh.

 

“Makes sense because I’m the only girl in his life.” She joked back.

 

“Oh my stop. You know what I meant.” I retorted.

 

“Oh. Don’t worry I do.” She said in between laughs.

 

“Just go to bed Soon Hee.”

 

“Okay I will but you need to as well Oppa.” she said as she headed back inside facing me with a smile on her face.

 

I just smiled back as I followed her back inside and we said goodnight.

 

Soon Hee’s POV:

 

I woke up the next morning early, as I always do when I stay over, and prepare breakfast. It’s sort of my way to pay them back for everything they do for me. I prepared my traditional korean breakfast.

 

Jae Ha was the first one to wake up. He instantly came over and took a bite out of what I was making. His face lit up and he hugged me from behind.

 

“Soon Hee you’re the best!”

 

Jongin Oppa followed right after him.

 

“Good morning Oppa. Breakfast is almost ready. Go wash up.” I said.

 

Jae Ha looks in between the two of us with a confused face.

 

“Oppa? What happened between you two?” Jae Ha asked.

 

“Nothing.” Jongin Oppa said as he headed into the washroom.

 

“Hyung! Soon Hee!”

 

“What Jae Ha?” His mom asked.

 

We turned to see her come out of her room.

 

“Morning Ohmonni. Breakfast is almost ready.” I said.

 

Jae Ha’s father comes running out of his room looking concerned.

 

“What honey?” Ohmonni asked as she went over to her husband.

 

“We need to go to Seoul.” He replied.