“Oh sorry, didn't notice you there.” The male student bowed to Kangmi walking away with his friends. He had dumped his things on the spare desk Kangmi was using earlier. Kangmi was stuck in the library the past few days, studying for the English test that was coming up next week.

“It's okay. I was just...” She turned around to see the boy gone, “...leaving”, an unhappy expression appeared on her face. She grabbed her belongings and moved to another area of the school's library, every step filled with anger.
 
“Is she new here?”
 
“Who was that? I've never recognized her before.”
 
“What was her name? Lee Jihyun?”
 
Kangmi sighed. “I must really be a nobody here.” Kangmi reached into her black blazer pocket and took out her phone. She had received daily messages from Sohyun. It was the same with Kanghyun. He left the house more frequently, due to the popularity of his restaurant. Even though he says he would only pick up his belongings, he would look at each room in the house making sure the house was clean. A habit that he developed during his cooking career. And here was Kangmi, studying for her life, so she can too, have a purpose in life.
 
“Thank goodness it's a Saturday tomorrow.” When it was the summertime, Kangmi worked seven days a week. But since school came into the picture hermanager shortened it four to five days a week. Kangmi was a hard worker, sometimes she even came in to work on days she was off. If Kangmi wanted a week off, her manager would grant it to her because that's how much great of a help Kangmi was. She spent her Saturdays doing homework, cleaning up the house, or catching up on some well-deserved sleep.
 
“You can stop if you want to.” Kangmi looked at the fox in her backpack. Her and the fox often talked a lot, losing the awkward atmosphere in the beginning. “I think I will.”
 
Kangmi walked her way home, not bothering to rush herself to catch the bus. “Hey”, she said catching the fox's attention, “Do you have a name?” She had been calling the animal as 'fox' or trying to directly talk to it, the past three days. “I don't have a name nor does Kyungsoo's fox.”
 
“Oh I see. Would you like one?” She crouched down to its level, ruffling its white coat.
 
“I've never bothered with it. Why ask that now. It's fine calling me 'fox'.”
 
“Just asking.” Kangmi cocked her head to the side. Her phone went off. She dug in her pockets and saw a text alert from an unknown number.
 
[Unknown] Hello Kangmi! This is Kyungsoo! I was wondering if you would like to hang out with us tomorrow.
 
“Please answer. Please answer.” Kyungsoo prayed.
 
She stared at the text. Her being invited to go hang out? It was an irregular thing in Kangmi's life. Unless they were family outings. Or ceremonies that she had to attend to. But those were not fun at all in her book.
 
A beep sounded from Kyungsoo's phone.
 
[Kangmi] Are you sure? Wouldn't I be intruding?
 
“Yes!” He rejoiced.
 
[Unknown] No! You wouldn't!
 
Another beep came from Kangmi's phone. She looked at the text and began typing.
 
[Kangmi] Alright. I have to ask my brother for permission. I don't want him to worry about me, especially if he's busy all the time.
 
[Unknown] That's fine. Just text me back. I'll tell you the details then.
 
“Glad that's over.” Kyungsoo wiped away his imaginary sweat. “I'll treat myself to some ramen.” He walked out of his room, proud of his achievement.
 
As soon as the conversation was done, the fox had received the message. “Meeting is on Saturday. Kyungsoo has arranged it.”
 
She closed her texts and proceeded to open her address book. She placed the iPhone next to her ear, letting it ring.
 
“Hello? Kangmi? What's up?”
 
“Hey big bro. I was wondering. May I go out on Saturday?”
 
“Sure with who?”
 
“Uhm.” She had to be delicate with her words. She recalled her brother's reaction last time she was seated around boys. She understood her brother. It was an older siblings job to take care of the younger. Well it felt more like a mother doting on her child.
 
“It's those guys you saw at the opening event last time.”
 
“What?! No. Absolutely no.”
 
“Why not? On Saturday she's —” Kangmi had to stop herself. “Dang it. I forgot about that.” Kangmi spoke in the phone.
 
“What?”
 
“Nothing. Nothing.”
 
“Well you can tell me at home. I just got here.” He hung up.
 
“Man! Stupid brother!” How was she supposed to get herself out of this situation. “Kangmi?” The fox called. And another problem popped up. Kanghyun never actually stayed at home since he left for work. She had let the fox roam freely around the house since only her and her brother had the keys to the house.
 
“Do you think you can hide from my brother?” She asked. “He tends to go into my room unannounced. I don't want him to discover you.”
 
“I'll hide in your closet then.”
 
“And if worse comes to worse, I'll just say I adopted you because I was lonely.” Even though the first part a lie, the second half of it was not.
 
“Alright.”
 
“Cool. Onward home!” She happily exclaimed walking home.
 

“I’m home big bro.” She called, closing the door.

“I’m making food right now. I’ll call you when I’m done.” Kanghyun was chopping vegetables and placing them in the hot fry pan. He lifted up the pan, moving it in a circular motion. Kanghyun never got tired of cooking. It was his passion. Their parents were not against the idea either, because it was different. Kangmi often had to try dish after dish, tasting his food and telling him her reaction to it. At first she loved it, but it became too much at one point that she begged for her parents to hire a food tester.

Kangmi walked up the stairs to her room. She opened the backpack and slowly placed it on the bed. The fox walked out and sat, facing Kangmi. “So, what are you going to do on Saturday?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, according to the message I got, we need to meet on Saturday.”

“But Sohyun is coming too!” Kangmi held her head together, a migrane was about to come.

“When did you arrange the time with Sohyun?”

“Ah! That’s right you came after that. Well…” Kangmi spent the time explaining the plan to the fox.

“So that means that you are done around late at night?”

“Towards the late afternoon but yes.”

The fox closed its eyes. “Most likely Saturday at night.”

“Kangmi! Food’s ready!” He bursted into her room.

“Kanghyun! Can’t you have the decency to knock at least?!” She screamed.

“Why?”

“’Cause I’m human too you know! I need my privacy!”

“You’re not human, you’re a brat. Anyway, who were you talking to?”

She froze. “No one.”

He shrugged it off. “Come down for dinner then.”

She relaxed and stopped what she was doing, following her brother down the stairs saying goodbye to the fox.

Dining Room

“Ask me that question again.”

“What question?”

The two siblings were eating together, enjoying the wonderfully made food.

“You called me earlier.”

“Oh…that.” She remembered.

“Well,” Kangmi had to somehow get her brother to hang out with her for tomorrow and let her stay out at night. “Can we go somewhere tomorrow? I feel like we haven’t any sibling bonding time in a while.”

“Tomorrow?” Kanghyun looked up to the ceiling, thinking about his schedule. “Yeah. I’m free. Where do you want to go?”

“I’m still in the process of thinking. Aaaannnddd, may I go out with my friends at night?” She pleaded, clasping her hands together.

Kanghyun stared at his little sister deciding whether to give her that freedom or not. “Fine. I have to see you off then.”

“Really?! Thank you big bro!” She jumped from her seat and gave him a big hug.

“You really must want to hang out with these boys? Why? Are they new friends?”

“Yeah. You can say that.”

After dinner they washed the dishes together, then off to do their own thing. Kangmi did her homework and made English flashcards for the test next week.

“Fox?” She called out, she had completely forgotten about it. “Here.” It voiced out, squirming its way around Kangmi’s clothes.

“Thank goodness. You’re really good at hiding. Now that I think about it, how am I going to tell Kyungsoo that I can only come at night?”

“I already told Kyungsoo’s fox, so he must already know. He also said to text him back when you are finished.”

“Cool.”

Her phone rang. “Sohyun?”

“Hey kiddo. Sorry I could only send you texts for the past few days.”

“It’s okay. I’m so glad you’re here already!”

“Me too. Okay, so I need you to take your brother to that restaurant next to that ice cream shop.”

“Oh there? Oh okay. Done deal.”

“Thanks kiddo. Get some sleep. Night.”

“Night.” Kangmi put her phone face down and rubbed her temple.

“Tomorrow is going to be a long day.” She slouched in her chair.

“You just need to sleep, that’s all.”

She turned to the fox, “You know, I never let anyone in here. It’s my sanctuary. I hope you feel special.” She smiled and continued her homework, while a certain shadow faded away into the night.