SANDARA'S P.O.V

 

 

 

Today is another typical day. I helped my mom in the market, I still need to go home and cook for lunch my brother is waiting for me. I am Sandara, people call me Dara at times. I live in a small place, I am a working student. It's summer and in 2 months I'm going for college. But I don't think I'll be, you know we still have big problems financially. I have a brother to support, parents to help for living. Today I work in the market and help my mom to sell dried fishes and some fresh vegetables from our garden. This is my life, it's my every routine to wake up early in the morning, go to the wet market help my mom, go home at lunch to cook and watch for my brother, then at 6pm I will go to the city to work as a waitress in a cafe. People call me unfortunate, but that's it... some of them envy me despite of my social status it's because I am good school. Yes, that's all I can give to my parents, good grades and honors. They're very supportive to me, we help each other to live. They knew I was in pain and that I am tired of this kind of life, but I don't them to see that. I always try to smile at them and tell them everything will be fine.

 

 

I'm getting nearer in our house when I see Sanghyun outside of the house. 

 

 

"Sanghyun-ah!" he looked so sad, his hands wrapped around his knees, his chin touching them. He looked at me and looked so happy when he saw me.

 

 

 

"Noona!! Noona!!" he run towards me, he hugged me after that. 

 

 

 

"What are you doing outside the house? Huh?" I asked him and he just held his stomach and from that I knew he was hungry. I apologized to him and explained that I waited for mom because she has to meet someone. I cooked for my brother Sanghyun, he's very young and I'd like to take care of him until I ages. He's fragile like me, he doesn't know how to fight, rather than calling him a coward I'd rather say that he's just weak. Sanghyun grew up weak because of our social status, that's why his classmates call him chicken and then he would just cry and go home and then cry again to me. His physical appearance is like mine, we're both thin. 

 

 

 

"Is it done?" he went beside me and watches me as I cook his favorite dish. 

 

 

 

"Aniyo. Stay still Sanghyun, sit there."

 

 

 

"What are you cooking??" he tried to tiptoe to see what I'm cooking, he's not small actually he's tall for his age. It's just the smoke that comes out from the dish I'm cooking. 

 

 

 

"Yah. I told you to sit down." he obeyed me and waited for 10 more minutes. "Here it is!" His eyes grew wider as I present him his favorite dish. He looks so happy and it's enough for me to see that. "Yah eat. Go eat it heartily okay? I cooked that." he just nodded and dive the food as soon as he reached his chopsticks.

 

 

 

I'm looking him now, look at him he's an angel. It's just a food but he looks like he won in a lottery. I remember 2 weeks ago, I went inside our room and saw this little notebook under his pillow. "Lyrics" I opened it and as to my surprise, it's full of song lyrics written by him. "Why is he hiding stuff like this to me?" I'd like to confront him about what I found out and realised that he might get embarrassed. Sanghyun is a very silent kid, he's secretive so I chose not to talk about it and wait for him to tell me himself. Like me Sanghyun is a dreamer, I knew he wanted to become an artist. We used to have television in our house, and he always turn the channel into a music channel whenever no ones around. 

 

 

 

Is it pretty much melodramatic? Well, it's my story anyways. I looked for my notebook, and saw how many stories and poems I have written. I like writing, it's my passion. In every story I make, I always see to it that I've experienced it. Majority of my stories are sad and tragedy, it's becuase I pretty don't much believe in happy endings. It's not that I hate love, but I'm just scared. Anyways, I have this dream that after college I will be a famous writer or author. I save money for my dream, I'd like to publish and share all the stories I wrote because each one of it is special and has deep meaning. "Noona, I'm done." Sanghyun helped me to come back to my senses, I washed his plate and other utensils. "Aren't you going to eat noona?" he asked me, I almost forgot that I was hungry. I ate some left over from the dish, and then I told Sanghyun to continue to wash everything. 

 

 

3 hours after, we're both in our living room, writing. I think he knew that I already know about his secret.

 

 

"Dara noona." I turned my gaze into him and gave him a 'what' look.

 

 

"You knew it right?"

 

 

"What?" I tried to pretend that I didn't know anything because I want to hear it from him. I am laughing inside me because he looks so tense. 

 

 

 

"I-i, you know, I l-like music."

 

 

 

"I know."

 

 

 

"Then why did you have to do that?"

 

 

"Do what?"

 

 

 

"Lie to me"

 

 

 

"It's because you're a liar too. Everytime I ask you about that notebook you'll just say it's a homework."

 

 

 

"Ehh. Mianhe."

 

 

 

I giggled because my brother is so cute. I went beside hime and told him it's okay. I asked him to sing, and to share some of his experiences during writing the lyrics. Of course, since poetry is somewhat like writing lyrics, I told him what is important in writing. I read all of his lyrics, and it's pretty good. "Do you want me to correct some of it?" he nodded and that's pretty much it. We bonded like that and we both had fun. We didn't notice that it's getting late, I looked at the clock and it's 7:02.

 

 

"Sanghyun, we need to stop this now. Let's continue tomorrow okay?" mom will be here in any minute now. But then I asked my brother why is he hiding it.

 

 

"Appa will get mad."

 

 

 

"Of course not. The day I confessed I like to be an author he encouraged me more to reach my dreams."

 

 

 

"You wouldn't understand noona."

 

 

 

"What? Do you have something to tell me Sanghyun??" the moment he's going to spill it out mom already entered the door. We both stood up from the floor and greeted our mom... "We have a visitor." Sanghyun and I looked at each other, we saw an old lady behind mother. I can't fully see her face since she's wearing a scarf around her face. 

 

 

 

"Wahh. It's cold outside today." it was Auntie Ji Eung, mother's older sister. "Ah. Annyeonghaseyo auntie." we bowed 90 degrees to give some respect. The last time I saw Aunt Ji Eung was when I'm in 3rd grade and Sanghyun is not yet born.  She sheepishly smiled at us and hugged me tight. 

 

 

 

"Dara cook this." mom handed me out a pork from the market. We always eat pork whenever there's a visitor coming, but we never eat pork during dinner. After so, father came home and during dinner they talked about our other relatives. Some of them went to America, some of them in Singapore, etc. I am uncomfortable hearing this because it's like my aunt is making us look like a fool. We know we're poor and she doesn't have to rub it in my face. Aunt Ji Eung's son is working now, and her daughter who recently graduated went to Thailand because she found a work there as a manager of a grocery. She's very happy boasting it to my mother. "Really. How can my mom tolerate this kind of person?" I stopped eating since this scenario is mking me crazy. 

 

 

 

 

"Sandara." mom called my attention, I did not notice Auntie Ji Eung is talking to me. Well that's embarrassing, she would think I'm not respecting her. "Neh?"

 

 

 

 

"Your aunt Ji Eung wants to tell you something." I didn't say any word at all, I am really not in the mood to talk about how successful they are and all.

 

 

 

 

"You recently graduated from high school right?" 

 

 

 

"Yes auntie."

 

 

 

"So what's your plan now?" she's making me crazy really! why does she have to smile every now and then?? it's really annoying you know.

 

 

 

"Uh. I do not know yet. If omma and appa will allow me to enter SungJuk University then I will be happy. But I still have to help them to save more money because it's impossible for me to enter college because Sanghyun is still studying." okay let me say this to you, college is very important for me because it's the only way i can fulfill my dreams. I need this for our future, most especially for Sanghyun's future. 

 

 

 

"SungJuk University? Here in Busan? Why?"

 

 

 

Are you kidding me? Aigoo! "It's the only university we can afford."

 

 

 

"But SungJuk's one of the worst universities here, it's known for bad quality of teaching. You like to enter that kind of university? You're just going to waste your intelligence and ability Sandara." is she encouraging me or not? I did not say any words since I don't want to argue with her. Okay fine SungJuk is not the best, but at least I can still go to college. It's not about the university, what matters most is that I'm studying hard for my family.

 

 

 

 

"Well, just go with me."

 

 

 

"What do you mean?'

 

 

 

 

"Let's go to Seoul, I will pay for your college but work for me. I will help you." I was in awe, my jaw literally dropped and I felt my eyes are moisting. This is a very big opportunity for me, I never though aunt Ji Eung will do this for me. I thought she's an arrogant witch that visits us but no. I smiled big time and hugges Sanghyun, my parents stood up and hugged me too. 

 

 

 

"Are you sure about this auntie?" I asked her and she nodded, she's happy for me too! Wahhh this is such a big blessing for me. So I said yes of course, and we talked about when are we going to leave Busan, and aunt told me I will work for her after my class and so. I didn't know she has a big debt of gratitude to my mother, since my mother helped her to save my cousin's life which I'm not going to tell you the whole story. So she promised mom that she will help her whenever she needs her help and so my mom asked here to help me to go to college in Seoul. I am crying now because of happiness, I cannot believe my mom is doing it for me. She trusts me so much and I will not break that. I will strive harder for them.

 

 

 

 

"So I'll see you in 3 days okay? I'll be back here and everything should be settled."

 

 

 

"Thank you auntie."

 

 

 

"You deserve it Sandara."

 

 

 

 

*a/n: chapter 2! more stories about our two main characters keke! pls bear with us more! <3