Yunjae spotted an ice cream vendor across the street.

“Ice cream! Oppa, can we get some?” she said like an excited child.

Hyukjae chuckled. “Sure, but you stay here, ok? It’s a busy street,” he said before crossing the street.

“Oppa!”

Hyukjae stopped and turned toward Yunjae. “What is it?”

“I’ll have strawberry, ok?”

“OK!”

Before Hyuk could even turn, he was knocked off his feet by a strong force that only a car could have. Good thing the driver was able to slow enough, or else worse would have happened to Hyuk.

“Oppa!”

Yunjae rushed to her brother’s aid. He was lying on the hard cement and his body was in a weird position: all his limbs were bent.

“Oppa, oppa, wake up!” She didn’t dare touch his arms or his legs, but she lightly moved his head.

But Hyuk won’t stir.

“Oh please don’t be dead!”

“Excuse me, miss?”

Yunjae turned and saw an old friend of their parents: Sergeant Choi.

“Choi ahjusshi,” sniffed Yunjae. Only then did she know she was crying.

“What happened, Yunjae-yah?” asked the police kindly.

“He just…went across the street…then the car bumped him…then he fell like that…” Yunjae was stunned and crying at the same time.

Sergeant Choi rubbed a comforting hand on Yunjae’s shoulder as he stirred her away from the scene. It was only after they were a few paces away did Yunjae remember who was lying down helplessly back there.

“That’s Hyukjae oppa!”

“Yes, Yunjae-yah, it is, but please—“

“I have to help him!” Yunjae made an attempt to get back to Hyukjae’s side, but the older man stopped her.

“Yunjae-yah, please, it would help him if we stayed away,” he said firmly.

“No…No…Oppa…”

She struggled under the grip of the older guy, but she can’t break free. Yunjae looked back at Hyukjae’s disgruntled form one last time before letting the old man take her home. For some strange reason, she was crying over her brother in fear that she might lose him.

Why, Yunjae-yah? You’ve always wanted this to happen, haven’t you? With a of luck he could be gone forever.

Then another voice rebutted the first. I was never serious about that. Hyuk oppa was like umma and appa combined. I know he loves me. And…And I love him too.

When they got to the Lee residence, Choi ahjusshi told Yunjae to just sleep it off for a while. Later, when things are better, they will go visit her brother.

“You think anything bad happened to him, ahjusshi?” asked Yunjae before climbing the stairs to the bedrooms.

“Let’s hope not, Yunjae-yah,” smiled the man reassuringly.

As Yunjae approached the door to her room, she stopped at the door before it. She looked at the sign taped on it.

Silver’s Room. Keep out unless allowed.

Yunjae stared at it for a while before entering. I’m sure oppa won’t mind. I won’t touch anything, anyway.

Inside, it was freakishly clean and tidy. There were books of different topics and sizes lined up on the wooden bookshelf. His bed was thoroughly made and none of his clothes littered the floor. On the desk was his Apple Macbook and it looked like he was studying. Beside his bed, on the bedside table, were his iPod and a pair of speakers and Beats headphones. The window curtains were open and sunlight was streaming in the room.

Yunjae imagined her brother there, moving about and doing his sort of things, like reading up on random topics or listening to some music. When she realized that he wasn’t there and his life was unsure at the moment, suddenly the room, along with the rest of the house, felt like it was holding its breath. It felt terrible.