The following day, Yoona was determined to wake up early and she did. She didn’t want to get accustomed to oversleeping and most importantly, she didn’t want to run into Changmin in the store again.

On her way to the grocery store, she saw a little girl in a dark blue uniform walking to school with her mother. The girl didn’t look like Eunji at all but she still reminded Yoona about the little story-telling girl she met two days ago. 

Passing the little girl, ran a boy in a high school uniform with a brown female purse in his hands. Yoona slowed down immediately when she spotted a woman who appeared to be about her age chasing after the boy. You didn’t have to be genius to guess that the purse the boy held belonged to that woman. The woman was shouting something at the boy but Yoona didn’t hear it because the radio was playing and her windows were closed.

Being the Im Yoona is, she decided to help the woman retrieve her purse. She sped past the woman and the two cars in front of her with her eyes looking at her side, checking for the boy once in a while. Surely, she spotted him only a few meters away from her. She made sure the sidewalk was empty as she sped even more and barely passed the boy when she swerved and parked her car right in front of him in the side walk, causing the boy to almost pump into her car. She quickly jumped out of the car and dashed to the boy who fell on the floor while trying not to knock into Yoona’s car.

“Taemin-ah! Taemin-ah!” the owner of the purse shouted, running to them. Yoona realized something was wrong because the woman didn’t look happy at all, she was fuming.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” she shouted at Yoona, glaring at her with her brown eyes, “You almost killed him!”

“I was trying to help you get your handbag back,” Yoona explained.

“Return my handbag? What? Are you calling my brother a thief?” the girl shouted, already by Taemin’s side.

“He’s your brother?” Yoona asked, suddenly taken back. She expected the woman to be hugging her and telling her that she owe her big time but here she was getting yelled at for almost killing the person who “stole” her purse.

“Yes he is!” the woman said, annoyed.

“I thought he was a thief or something, I’m sorry, I was just trying to help,” Yoona apologized, “But if he was your brother? Why were you chasing him like that?”

Yoona didn’t her question answered so she was about to repeat it when she went speechless, What the boy, Taemin did next was unimaginable. It reminded her of the action scenes that she always saw on movies, but only it was real. One minute, the boy was next to the woman and the next; he was up on the olive tree near them.

“Get your down here, Taemin!” the woman yelled. Yoona was still gawking at what Taemin had done but his sister apparently, wasn’t amused.

“No, I told you I’m not moving schools,” Taemin said bashfully.

“But we can’t afford your old school anymore!” the older girl desperately shouted. Yoona studied the woman who she assumed was her age, She noticed for the first time that while her hair was beautiful and straight, it wasn’t combed. She also noticed the dark circles under her eyes and her untied sneakers. Even though she tried to appear strong and fierce, Yoona could tell that she might faint at any moment now.

“I don’t want to attend my old one either, I want to work and support you and Krystal!” Taemin shouted back.

“You know that will upset Dad and Mom, though!” the young lady argued.

“Come on, Noona. Don’t act as if you care about Mom and Dad now,” Taemin spat, frustrated, “we all know you hate them. Besides, Dad would want me to support you two since now I’m the man of the family.”

The older woman lowered her head in defeat.

“Don’t do this to me, Taemin-ah,” the woman begged, sounding vulnerable for the first time.

“I’m not coming down until you promise to not make me transfer schools,” Taemin insisted.

“I can’t let you quit school!” the girl barked as tears flowed down her cheeks.

“You two are so embarrassing,” a teenage girl sighed and stood next to Yoona with two suitcases on each side.

“Krystal, you’re here, Good,” the older woman looked back and smiled helplessly at her younger and more mature sister, “Please tell your brother to come down and stop being immature.”

“Jessica, you need to stop acting immature too,” Krystal said. Krystal was the youngest of the Jungs but she was also the most respected one among the three, Krystal wasn’t childish and she wasn’t easily angered like her two older sibling. Jessica, the oldest, was strong and demanding, after their parents died a few months ago, Jessica tried to take full responsibility of her siblings. She wanted them to live as if their parents were still alive but the truth is, their parents weren’t alive.  The thing with Jessica is, she treated the other two like babies. She didn’t listen to them; she just tried to make them do things that she believed would benefit them.

“For the nth time, Jung Soojoung, don’t talk to me informally!” Jessica shouted.

“Guys…you do realize there’s a crowd watching you, don’t you?” Yoona interfered. All three Jungs didn’t pay attention to whatever the bow-legged girl was saying and continued their argument.

“Look at you trying to change the topic. You don’t want to stay here for the rest of the day, do you now, Unnie?” Krystal asked, emphasizing the last word so that her older sister would understand Krystal was willing to be polite as long as this argument ends.

“No,” Jessica admitted.

“Do you, Taemin?” Krystal turned to her older brother.

“Yah! It’s Taemin Oppa!” Taemin ordered.

Krystal rolled her eyes.

“Nope,” Taemin replied.

“Okay then, Jessica, promise that you will control yourself and not force Taemin to attend school unless he wants to,” Krystal said.

“No, he needs to get a good education,” Jessica replied, coming to the conclusion that Krystal’s not really on her side.

“Uhmm…” Yoona interrupted them again and they all glared at her, “I have an idea.”

“What the hell is wrong with you skinny girl. Don’t you have better things to—“

“Go on, Miss,” Krystal said, loud and clear, successfully shutting up her unnie’s mouth.

“My grandmother and I own a bakery. We only really sell bread but we had this plan that we’d try to sell more than just bread, You know, so business could get better. But the thing is, we don’t have enough workers and…I’m looking for a job so I can’t take care of things with her—“

“Can you just get to the point, please?” Jessica said irritably.

“Well…I was thinking that maybe you’d like to be hired?” Yoona asked. In all honesty, Yoona and her grandmother did make this plan but they were not going to hire three kids. They were going to hire only one person but something about this family caught Yoona’s attention. Maybe she felt obliged to help them as she’s the female ancestor of the woman who promised the priestess to help those in need. She didn’t know.

“Do you pity us, Miss?” the youngest one said coldly.

“She is looking down on us, isn’t she?” Taemin stated as he jumped down the tree and took reckless steps towards Yoona, “Who do you think you are to be looking down on the Jungs?”

“I’m not looking down on you,” Yoona lied, trying to compose a cold expression too, “I just needed workers and I thought you guys would do. But if you don’t want to, it’s fine, I’ll try to find others who might be interested.”

“We’ll take it,” Jessica said, much to Yoona’s surprise.

“Thank you,” Yoona said and Jessica averted her eyes from Yoona coldly and eyed her brother.

“You can continue studying in your old school, Taemin. Both you and Soojoung,” Jessica declared.

Taemin grinned sheepishly and hugged his older sister to his chest since she was much shorter than he was.

“You can put these in the trunk,” Yoona told Krystal who was gazing at her older siblings being childish with both suitcases in her hands.

“Thank you, Boss,” Krystal flashed Yoona a grateful smile and made her way to the car.  Yoona opened the trunk for Krystal and helped her put the suitcases in. When they were finished, they turned around and found Jessica and Taemin were arguing again.

“I told you, I don’t like that ugly looking giant Sulli!” Taemin was yelling, frustrated.

“Sulli is my bestfriend and Taemin’s so-called enemy,” Krystal told Yoona, grinning, “but we all know he’s actually very fond of her.”

“Okay guys, time to work. Everyone please get into the car, I’ll show you how to shop today then Jessica-ssi will be in charge of the shopping part from tomorrow on,” Yoona informed them as she took her spot in the driver’s seat.

Krystal took the seat next to her while Jessica and Taemin sat in the back together. Which wasn’t a wise decision because for the next three minutes, Taemin and Jessica continued their pickering on who’s the better driver of the two.

***********

After one (horrible) hour of shopping with the ever so picky, so critical, Jungs, Yoona arrived home.

“Grandma?” she called as she ushered the Jungs in.

“You’re late,” Yoona’s grandmother replied as she walked out of the kitchen.

At the sights of the three now-shy Jungs, she flashed a welcoming smile, “I see you’ve brought friends over.”

“These are Jung Krystal, Jung Taemin and…” she pretended not to remember the oldest one’s name as Jessica rolled her eyes, “Oh, that’s the Ice Princess, Jessica.”

“Welcome, welcome,” the grandmother said pleasantly.

Yoona grinned then remembered she had not told her Grandmother that these people are staying with them yeg, but she assumed that her grandmother wouldn’t mind.

“Grandma, can I talk to you privately in the kitchen, please?” Yoona asked. She noticed the Jungs eyeing each other nervously and she flashed them a comforting smile.

After Yoona and her grandmother disappeared in the kitchen, Taemin asked what they all were thinking. “Do you think her grandmother would let us stay?”

Krystal didn’t answer and Jessica shrugged her shoulders.

Moments after, Yoona and her grandmother reappeared, both smiling.

“Welcome to the family,” was all the grandmother said and the three jungs sighed.

Yoona folded her arms in front of her chest and coughed, ready for business “Ahem, Taemin-ssi, you go put the suitcases upstairs in the room facing the bathroom. Jessica-ssi, you go place these bags in the kitchen and organize them. My grandmother will help. And lastly, Krystal-ssi, I want to talk to you.”

Jessica raised her eye brows at Yoona’s last statement and Taemin grunted, “Can’t I switch with Krystal?”

Yoona shook her head, “Nope.”

Taemin made a grumpy face and went for the suitcases as Jessica also started taking the bags to the kitchen with her grandmother.

“So, what do you want to talk about, Yoona?” Krystal asked, sitting on one of the customer’s tables. Yoona was going to scold her but then realized that they barely had customers and scolding Krysta would just waste their time.

“Your job,” Yoona said.

“Continue,” Krystal said, looking around the restaurant.

From her very first encounter with Krystal, Yoona knew that Krystal was a lot more responsible than kids her age and that she was the kind of person who knew what she wanted and how to get it. Since Yoona was going to look for a job using her degree and since their bakery needed improvements so it could sell (Because now they have to pay for three people), she decided that Krystal can help the bakery transform into a more popular place.

“I want you to be the manager of this bakery,” Yoona announced, silently praying that she was right about Krystal.

Krystal blinked and was honestly surprised, “Are you serious?”

“I am,” Yoona said confidently.

“Well…I don’t know. Shouldn’t Jessica take that job or your grandmother?”

“You’re more mature than your sister and I believe someone your age would be able to come up with fresh ideas that will help the bakery, “ Yoona reasoned.

“You’re right, this is an interesting job to do, so I’ll do it,” Krystal said, smiling, “I won’t let you down, Unnie. Thank you.”

Yoona smiled back and instructed Krystal to get a paper and a pen so she could start planning the changes she’s going to suggest in the bakery.

After watching Krystal writing, scratching, rewriting then throwing away the whole thing and starting over, Yoona decided to give Krystal some space and go see what the oldest of the Jungs was up to.

Before she even took a step into the kitchen, Jessica’s sweet voice echoed into the bakery. Jessica’s singing made Yoona stop in the door way so she don’t disturb the singing beauty who was washing the dishes. Yoona’s eyes locked with her grandmother’s who was also enjoying Jessica’s voice quietly. They exchanged a smile before they both went back to look at the singing woman.

Jessica’s voice was perfect. It was tender and gentle, so much unlike its owner. Yoona saw Jessica in a whole new light. She wasn’t that much of a cold person to her, because  her singing displayed sadness and loneliness even. It displayed weakness.

 It was beautiful, but it was also full of pain.

When Jessica’s lips sealed and her little song (unfortunately) ended, Yoona’s grandmother clapped.

Jessica looked back, cold as ever, confident as ever and bashful as ever but Yoona didn’t miss the slight blush on her cheeks.

“Your voice is beautiful, Jessica,” Yoona stated and her grandmother nodded in agreement.

Jessica pressed back a proud smile, “Go make yourselves useful somewhere else and stop disturbing me.”

Yoona rolled her eyes and her grandmother chuckled at Jessica’s childishness, “Can’t you be nice just for a second?”

Jessica didn’t pay attention to Yoona’s question and continued to wash the dishes.

Yoona and her grandmother exited the kitchen and found Taemin was looking at the bread displayed for the customers.

“Dinner is going to be in two hours,” Yoona’s grandmother said, getting Taemin’s attention, “But if any of you are hungry, feel free to eat any of our goods or you guys can go knock something up in the kitchen.”

Yoona and her grandmother pretended to not see Taemin smiling as he stormed towards the kitchen like a beast.

“So Krystal, any plans on making our bakery a hit?” Yoona asked, taking a seat next to Krystal as her grandmother followed Taemin back to the kitchen.

“You mean making your Café a hit?” Krystal looked up and flashed Yoona a smile.

“Yeah, our Café,” Yoona smiled back, already understanding Krystal.

“Basically, I listed down all the things we’ll need so Jessica unnie could get them tomorrow here,” She handed Yoona paper, “They’re a bit expensive but we’ll get all the money back in a month, trust me. For the rest of the week, we’ll lock the place. The opening will be Monday next week, we’ll give Taemin flyers  and advertisements to hand out both in our school and in the streets. And since Taemin is popular with the ladies, expect a lot of new customers.”

“Great,” Yoona chuckled.

“Instead of just serving coffee and bread and a few types of cakes, We’ll serve also two new types of cakes that I learned from a summer camp and I guarantee you that they’re great. Along with other kinds of coffee and all kinds of herbal tea, plus, breads and American style donouts that all my family members know how to make.” Krytal said, excited.

“I’m impressed,” Yoona smiled but Krystal had more to say.

“Since we’re expecting more customers, I decided that we should fill in all that space with four more tables,” Krystal pointed towards the little floor near the stairs.

“Four tables won’t fit there, though,” Yoona argued, it was really just a small rectangular floor.

“They will. They’ll be four small tables for couples and we’ll give couples a post-its so they can post their cheeziness and stick them to that ugly tree you put there,” Krystal clarified confidently.

Yoona studied Krystal’s plan for a few minutes, trying to spot any flaws so they can eliminate them but gave up when it was clear that Krystal had everything calculated.

“So, what do you think?” Krystal questioned, her eyes glowing in anticipation.

“Did you really come up with all of this in less than half an hour?” Yoona asked, amazed by Krystal. The moment Yoona laid her eyes on Krystal, she saw a mature, smart girl but this, this was a lot more than she had expected. She was surprised, shocked, astonished, blown away.

“Yes,” Krystal answered proudly.

Yoona broke into a wide grin, “Jung Krystal, Your parents must be very proud of you. You are a genius.”

“You think so?” Krystal asked earnestly.

“Positive,” Yoona vowed. Something in Yoona’s head told her to not get too curious about the Jungs parents because it would upset them but at that moment, Yoona couldn’t stop herself from asking, “What exactly happened to your parents?”

Krystal stayed quite for a second and a dark shadow appeared behind her. Yoona felt guilty and was about to apologize for her behavior.

“Our parents passed away six months ago,” Krystal informed, eyes on the papers in front of her, “My Dad was so kind despite him being the heir to the Jung clothing company and factories. He was both the chairman and CEO of the company. He was so gentle and caring. My Mom was also really kind but in her own kind of way, you know, like Jessica. She was strong but righteous. Anyways, one day, they were coming home like usual from a work dinner when they got into a car accident. My Dad passed away first, then my mom followed him the next morning. And just like that, we were left alone.”

“How come you guys…aren’t…are without home and money?” Yoona asked, crossing her fingers that Krystal didn’t find her too nosey.

“When my Dad died, he didn’t write a will. So the next heir of the company, my uncle, took over and even our house was taken away from us. He just won the suitcase two weeks ago that’s why we were only kicked out yesterday…” Krystal said, then looked up to Yoona and smiled, “then you saved us.”

Yoona felt herself blush. “I-I just-needed workers,” Yoona said loudly.

“You can fool my older siblings but you can’t fool me. I know the reason you helped us is because you’re kind, like my Dad. Come to think of it, your eyes look a lot like his,” Krystal grinned, “They say I inherited his eyes too.”

“Are you saying we have the same eyes? Me and you?” Yoona asked.

“Do you mind?” Krystal asked. And Yoona shook her head. Krystal’s eyes were deep and dark but they were also innocent.

“Not at all,” Yoona replied.

Yoona left so Krystal can peacefully finish calculating the cost and the list of things she needed Jessica to bring.

She decided it’s time to annoy the only male of the Jungs. So she called Taemin.

“Listen, Kid, you’re going to take out the trash and mop the whole floor, now,” Yoona ordered Taemin who looked so angry but couldn’t say anything to his boss, “I’ll tell Krystal to sweep it tonight before we head to sleep so tomorrow you two can leave to your school.”

“Yes, Sir,” Taemin growled as he headed back towards the kitchen to get the utensils he needed.

Yoona then turned her attention back to Krystal who was busy scribbling down things again.

“Yoona-ah, Come help us prepare dinner,” her grandmother called and she listened.

Two hours later, the bakery was locked and the Jungs sat with Yoona and her grandmother with one of the tables full of food. Some Yoona knew because her grandmother made and some were made by Jessica and Krystal, which looked really fancy.

“You guys can eat,” Yoona’s grandmother said to the hesitant Jungs and they were all more than happy to obey the grandmother.

Just when Yoona mentally wondered how she hadn’t met the one she’s tied to today, someone knocked on their door.

Yoona nervously stood up and headed to the door, she peeked from the small hole. And sure enough, he stood there. Only he wasn’t alone. Yoona could barely see the face of her little friend. But she saw it, alright.

Eunji stood by Changmin’s side.

A/N You guys just met the Jungs. How did you like them? And who's your favorite so far in the story? Mine is Krystal hehe her character is adorable here. And I really admire Jessica's determination and hardwork as well.

Special thanks to chesya-deer, love-yoongie, yumikk623 and yoonda for commenting on the past chapter. ^^