Neighbor/Needle
Hey, do you want to be my friend?Sowon was hanging on her sister's backpack, whining as the older trudged forwards to the elevator of their apartment complex.
"I said, you'll see."
"See what? It's not like Yennie is living with me!"
Her sister just chuckled, only stopping when Sowon pulled harder on her backpack, causing her to choke a little on the pressure. Bouncing her backpack and Sowon up further to adjust the straps on her shoulders, Sohyun just smiled as the elevator arrived on their floor. Sowon let go just to run to her door, holding the door handle, she waited for her sister to come with the key. But her sister didn't stop at their door.
"Unnie? Have you gone mad? This is our home."
Sohyun just grinned and rapped her knuckles on their neighbor's door.
Seeing the door open, Sowon stared as Yerin's mother appeared.
"Hey! Welcome to these apartments! We've met before, but now we're neighbors!"
"Yes! Such a well mannered sister! Thank you for greeting us! Yerin ah, come say thank you."
"Coming!"
Sowon's jaw remained down as Yerin appeared, hugging Sohyun's leg and saying thanks. Not hearing Sowon's reaction, Sohyun looked over, laughing as Sowon was frozen with a finger pointed in Yerin's direction.
"Y-you...YOU'RE MY NEW NEIGHBOR?!"
Yerin giggled and went over, pushing Sowon's finger down and hugging her.
"Hey Sowon unnie."
Sowon hugged her back, snuggling her cheek to Yerin's immediately.
"You should have just told me when I saw you after school! I was worried all during daycare!"
"Sorry, I was in a bit of a hurry to help mom with the papers."
Sohyun cut them off, ushering them into their home.
"Unnie?"
"Yerin's mom needs to organize things, talk inside alright?"
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"So, your mom has a fear of men?"
"Yea. So, I had to go with her to get the keys, to move in."
They were sat on Sowon's bed, holding hands. Sowon's hands were rubbing circles on Yerin's, it was a soft and soothing atmosphere. Laying back on her bed, Sowon looked up at the ceiling, Yerin looking down at her from her side.
"Our world is messed up."
Yerin tilted her head curiously, what did Sowon mean?"
"How so? I don't think it's messed up if I have you."
Sowon smiled and hit Yerin's shoulder lightly.
"That's all that's not messed up with this world. I guess I should have put it differently."
"Unnie, you should become a phil...philoshic? Philoso...unnie do you get what I mean?"
Sowon laughed and pulled Yerin to lay down with her, her arm under Yerin's neck.
"Philosopher?"
"Yea! A philosho whatever! Cuz...oh wait...I don't remember what that means."
Sowon laughed harder, how did Yerin come up with a valid word but not remember how she got it?
"A philosopher is kind of thinker, does a lot of thinking and theorizing about the world."
Yerin just hummed, turning on her side to look up at Sowon.
"Unnie has been getting taller and taller."
"Now, how is that related?"
Yerin smiled, looking shyly to her hand that was intertwined with Sowon's still.
"Cuz, you seem to grow more and more mature."
"Why? Cuz our world and the world are two different subjects?"
"Mmhmm! Our world just got better, but the world has just kept spinning, right?"
Sowon agreed and kissed Yerin's forehead, it was going to be great being neighbors. They could go home together, talk a lot more, play together. Even if Yerin was going to complain how much she talked about the world being a bad place, she still was going to enjoy it.
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"Jung Eunbi."
Eunha grumbled as her mother pulled her along the white corridors, following the nurse that had called her name. Entering the doctor's office, Eunha instinctively covered the slight bump on her neck.
"Hello, Eunbi. I am the doctor in charge of your shots today."
Eunha bowed politely, even if she hated this place, these people, it did her nothing good to be rude. Taking a seat next to her mother, she tried to understand what the doctor was saying to her mother.
"The method of treatment you chose for you daughter was steroid therapy, correct?"
Eunha turned the words over and over in her head, trying to make sense of them. Wait, didn't he just say shots when she had just gotten in? Was she having more blood taken out today? She frowned at the thought, her eyes wandering to the crook of her elbow where her circle shaped pororo bandaid was still stuck neatly.
"Where....where will the site be?"
"At the area of incidence. Her neck."
"Isn't it dangerous? That close to the heart and brain."
"It isn't dangerous at all, in fact, it's not really her neck, but the muscle connecting her neck to her shoulder, above her collarbone."
Eunha shrunk in her seat, she didn't know what a 'site' was, but she knew where they were describing, she tugged her shirt collar higher, wincing when she brushed her neck too strongly, causing soreness.
"How many shots are there?"
"Three, all in the same area."
Eunha's eyes widened as her mother sighed and turned to her, ing the top three buttons of Eunha's shirt.
"O-Omma?"
"Shhh, honey, it'll be over before you know it."
Trembling slightly as her mother held her collar open and held Eunha's arms behind her with a strong hold, Eunha saw the three needles the doctor was preparing. Watching with unblinking eyes, Eunha stared as it came closer, only looking away to stare at the doctor who had moved closer with a kind smile.
"You'll just feel a pinch."
Eunha knew he was lying, even if the moment the needle went in was a pinch, her skin there was sensitive already. Feeling the first needle break her skin, Eunha bit her lip as tears instantly started to fall. As the doctor pushed the syringe, the pain increased. Giving up, Eunha screamed.
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I got distracted when I was trying to edit and ended up marathoning the whole story. Oh well, let's try editing again tomorrow. LOL
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