“M-Mum.” Minjoo’s mother looked at her, surprised at her presence.

“Oh. Minjoo – it’s you. How was the flight?” Minjoo gave a weak smile and a nod to signal she was fine.

“A-And this is your stepsister, Jieun.” She patted the girl on the back, while she looked around, confused of what was happening.

“So the man that died – it’s stepfather?”

“Yes…shame really. You didn’t get to meet him.” Minjoo examined the look on her mother’s face. It said sadness but it somehow showed a smug and superior look. She didn’t bother to question it any further and again hugged Jieun who was still crying.

Jieun was quite confused of the recent discoveries, but she caught on eventually. It was so much to take – this unnie being her stepsister and her dad dying. She felt now that she had nobody – stepmother didn’t treat her like she was her favorite person. In fact, she acted quite bitter towards her when her father wasn’t there. So Minjoo felt like a nice change to her father’s love and her stepmother’s coldness. Jieun felt that Minjoo was the only person she had right now.

“I’m glad,” she choked. “That you’re my unnie.” It was Jieun’s turn to hug Minjoo and she gave her a comforting look supported with another pat on the head.

“I-I’m glad too.” Minjoo didn’t know what use it was to say it, or whether she was lying to her. She felt purely neutral to having a stepsister, if you forgot the fact that she had just witnessed her teacher and stepfather die unknowingly.

“It’s my fault…that dad died. I asked him to take me to school when he didn’t need to…”

But for some reason, Minjoo felt a reason to take care of Jieun. Jieun seemed so helpless – so weak and in need of help and comfort and she wanted to offer it to her. Maybe it was the instinct that she now had a little sister – it didn’t really matter at that moment.

They didn’t really need to confirm that they were dead – they had already heard it from the two talking doctors. But they did it anyway; they were hanging on to the slightest hope that was probably non-existent at this stage.

“I’m sorry. They’re dead.” Their faces darkened more than they already were, if it was possible. Jieun felt she couldn’t cry anymore – that she was already dry by now and she had no more tears. Minjoo left the hospital, her tears beginning. She felt she had to do one more thing for her teacher, so she headed to the Seoul Auditorium.

Minjoo pushed the doors, sighing in relief that there wasn’t a concert in place at that moment. She half ran down the aisles, reaching the stage. Her mini-heels made creaks on the wooden steps, but she ignored it and sat on the piano seat, placing her hands on the piano.

Minjoo played a funeral song on the piano in half time, her hands shaking as she hit the wrong notes. In frustration, she crossed her arms and banged them on the keys and buried her head in her hands, sobbing more uncontrollably then she ever did.

Minjoo could only react now – before it seemed so fake; like a dream. Now that reality had hit here through the doctor’s words to her face, she had to realize that everything was true. She felt regretful for not having memories with her stepfather anyway – she could imagine finally having a father that did care for her at all. It was proved through Jieun’s distress – if he was a bad father, she wouldn’t have cared nearly as much, would she?

So she was at the auditorium because it was where she had her first recital at the Annual School Music Festival; it was close to her high school. It was where she had the most memories of him – her first award, her first experience of crowds. Cheering for her.

Back then, Minjoo’s family had almost no money. And Mr. Lee was the only one that had offered any help and care. She wanted to learn from him now – and show it to her new stepsister. Maybe, if she tried, she could light up Jieun’s world like her teacher did for her.

Minjoo’s thoughts broke, hearing the backstage door for the auditorium stage creak slightly, meaning someone was coming in. She didn’t have the energy to hide like she always did, so she stayed put, hoping it would be someone harmless.

Kai opened the door slowly, not wanting to disturb whoever was on the other side.

“Sorrysorrysorry, I just left somethi – oh noona!”

“Kai-ah…” Minjoo looked at him with weak eyes, motioning him to sit next to her. He obeyed and she shuffled over, allowing him to sit on one side of the piano seat. Kai looked at her suspicious behavior, detecting that something was obviously wrong.

“Are you ok?” There was a slight pause, mostly for Minjoo to choose her words carefully.

“Teach is dead.” The silence that fell was even longer than the previous one, but she could feel a surprised and horrified aura coming from Kai. Coming back into his senses, he side hugged Minjoo, feeling that it wasn’t the right time to question how.

“How’s your stepfamily?” Kai asked weakly, trying to avoid his voice breaking.

“My stepfather died too.” Minjoo replied quickly. Kai could tell that she somehow seemed significantly more upset after his questioning. “Sad I didn’t get to know him,” she continued.

“I-I’m sorry.” Kai spoke awkwardly, not really knowing what the correct thing to say was at that moment. He was never he best at comforting and it was hard for him to show any feelings towards other people. Kai was more of a secretive person and no-one had a problem with that – in fact it had a positive effect on many people.

“Wait – aren’t you supposed to be at school?” Kai turned slightly white, knowing that he had been caught for wrongdoing.

“Noona, et it slide – just once, please?” He clasped his hands together, giving her a look that said he was sorry, but in a joking way. Minjoo let out a small smile, but it didn’t last too long.

“Just because you’re a kingka doesn’t mean you can skip school.” Minjoo slapped his shoulder and gave him a small glare.

“I’m on my last year! Just let me off.”

“Why am I friends with you? You’re such a kid.” Minjoo ruffled his hair, knowing that he hated it. Seeing the half-hearted look on her face, Kai couldn’t bear to slap her hand away and he watched her with sad eyes.

Kei always felt protective of his Minjoo noona; they were best friends. Now that Minjoo had graduated high school, he felt that he should spend as much time as possible with her – and he did.

“Noona, let’s get a coffee!”

“…We went yesterday, Kai.”

Both being students of Mr. Lee, they became close, although she was a year older than him. It was easy to see that Kai didn’t have nearly as much passion as Minjoo did, but nevertheless the two became close friends.