Sora drew faces on the window as she waited for further instructions before they could alight the plane. Her fingers were itching to text Daehyun but she knew that even if she did so, he wouldn’t reply and that would only get him into trouble.

They finally got off the plane and got their passports checked. The students were bidding one another goodbye and since none of them had Sora attached to, she only bid farewell to Ms Lin. She went on her toes to search for the young director but he wasn’t in her sight.

“Mr V’s in the restroom. Anyone picking you up?” Ms Lin came by her side.

Sora shook her head hesitantly. It couldn’t be that her search for him was that obvious…

“Hitch a ride with us then, V’s offering me a ride home.”

Sora was uncertain. Ever since that day the both of them quarrelled, she hadn’t spoken another word with him. She didn’t want him to feel sorry or anything because she was at fault too for being self-centred when V was only trying to care. She felt terribly sorry for shutting people out of her life just because she only sees Daehyun in her eyes.

As Sora was about to push away the offer, V came up and she tensed at the sight of him. “Sohee, anyone picking you up?” He asked as he busied himself, carrying his bags in one hand.

Sora shyly shook her head as her eyes lowered to the ground. Taehyung beckoned them to follow him with the gesture of his slender finger as he walked ahead of them. Ms Lin happily pulled her carrier and Sora trudged behind them with no say.

-

“Thanks for the ride, V! See you two in school next week!” Ms Lin waved at them and Taehyung returned her a grateful smile. Sora smiled anxiously as Ms Lin dribbled off to her apartment. The both of them left… Sora only wished that she was at home that instant.

“So, where do you want to go?” Taehyung turned his head at her since Ms Lin already traced off.

“Home.” Sora replied in a rather cold tone.

“You want to grab something to eat? I noticed you didn’t eat well this morning-“

“V, i’d rather take a cab if you want to waste my time like this.”

Taehyung gulped and rested his hands on the steering wheel. He didn’t like how her attitude towards him was getting unreasonable. All he ever did was to care… did she not like it perhaps?

“What wrong did I commit to deserve this cold side of you?”

Sora flinched. She didn’t know exactly what wrong did he do. He didn’t deserve it, she was just pushing him away too hard. In need to settle her thoughts, she reached for the door handle and attempted to get out of the passenger seat. But Taehyung swiftly pushed the lock meant for all doors.

“Let me go.” She faced him and Taehyung leaned against the driver’s seat comfortably as he folded his arms.

“I just want a reason.” The both of them stayed connected through the intense glare. “Is it about that night at the café that made you like this? Did you hate the way I care for you?”

Sora pursed her lips as her the tip of her ears reddened. “Yes. Stop caring for me, I find it a great burden.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and Taehyung watched her movements. He was predicting that she would get off her seat and reach for the boot of the car to retrieve her bags.

“It’s normal to care for someone you like, am I not right?”

“V, stop it! Stop caring for me when i’m not going to return you the same treatment!”

Taehyung’s eyes travelled down to his lap and he was secretly urging her to not mention what he thought it’d be. “Maybe if you had come earlier, I would have had noticed you.” Sora uttered. Taehyung couldn’t deny that his heart shattered into fragments. The problem wasn’t about Sohee being attached to someone else but that he was now too late to make her notice his efforts.

Taehyung wouldn’t say that his world came crashing down as Sohee was just a crush after all. He wasn’t expecting much from it.

“So that’s why you find it a burden? Because you’re attached?” He sounded calm and it made Sora flustered as to what he was actually thinking. She certainly felt better now that he knew about her other love interest so that he shouldn’t care any longer and that way, she wouldn’t feel burdened no more.

“So that’s what it actually is… Thanks for letting me know sooner before I fall deeply for you, Sohee.” He smiled behind his mouth mask. “So you’re not mad for knowing it only now?” She contemplated before saying it as she noticed he wasn’t exactly making a fuss about it.

“Why should I? I came late, didn’t I?” Taehyung smirked.

“But that’s not going to stop me from caring for you. Yes, I’m fully aware that you’re someone else’s now. But hey, I’ve got nothing to lose even if I care so much for you. Don’t feel burdened Sohee, I’m doing this by my own free will. Even if there’s someone who makes it out hurt, it’d be me.” He chortled a soft laughter and Sora studied him bewilderedly. His optimistic mind got her relieved but was he being true to himself? Sora didn’t want him to hurt but it seemed that he’s still persistent to continue showing care for her. 

“So, now we’re good? Great. Let’s get your stomach filled first before I send you home.” He solidly suggested. Sora blinked rapidly to grasp his future intentions but whatever that just happened made her feel better now. It was to her relief that he should already know of the line that he shouldn’t cross.

The two arrived at the food court that Sora suggested. Even though she got chased out of the particular stall for so many times before, she honestly liked the foods that this woman had in store.

“Yah, are you here to pin up your flyers again?” The stern woman sounded. Sora denied and told her that they were there to eat instead. She was indeed the stall owner that Sora feared of last time. Now, even though she would raise her voice at Sora, the girl would respond to her casually as though that tone was normal for her ears. The lady had seen many faces with her before as she recalled the many people that accompanied her to pin up those flyers. But the woman reckoned Daehyun’s face well as he was the one who started to shake the fear out of Sora and was the first daring kid to paste those flyers on her stall even when she didn’t allow them to.

“Is your friend here going to sweep off my menu like that other friend of yours did?”

“No, madam. This friend doesn’t eat. I’m sure my friend will come by again some other time to sweep off your delicacies.” Sora praised shamelessly. The woman reddened at her words, not knowing what she did to receive well from her.

Sora took her bowl of noodles to a table and Taehyung followed suit.

“What flyer was she talking about?” Taehyung asked her out of curiosity after they settled down. Sohee gobbled up her food and blew the sizzling hot fishcakes.

“Ah that… I pin those flyers occasionally in every two weeks. I lost a brother not too long ago and I thought that by doing this, I might find him once again.” She told him as her eyes glistened. But Sora smiled throughout and continued slurping on her soup.

Brother… Taehyung wondered if it was a normal thing for everyone to be losing a family member because the fact that Sora lost a relative too was coincidental to him.

“Sorry about that... I didn’t know we’re both facing the same tragedy.”

“No way… You’re searching for a lost family member too?” Sora asked in interest. Taehyung nodded slightly but didn’t intend to probe further into this matter. It might be a sensitive topic to Sora and he wouldn’t want to see her getting teary-eyed after a meal.

“This world isn’t that big anyway, we’ll surely meet them again soon. By the way, I think I should clear off this stall’s menu like your friend did. They do smell good.” Taehyung joked. But he thought that he might have to do so since Ryu and his men probably hadn’t had a proper lunch yet.

“He’s not exactly a friend though. Hoseok-sshi is one of oppa’s friends. He took really good care of me while oppa’s away.” Sora told him for the sake of it as she missed her previous life so much. She missed everyone in her Sora days greatly.

“Hoseok? I thought that name was rather uncommon but I see your brother made friends with a Hoseok too?” Sora’s eyes widened in disbelief again. Taehyung wanted to know what else they had in common. He was greatly amused by these extreme similarities and eventually these coincidences had Sora questioning him.

Taehyung laughed before he could respond to her and then he felt vibrations in his pocket. He slid the phone out to see that it was an incoming call from Ryu. He excused himself and stood up from his seat to pick up the call somewhere else.

He removed his mask to make out a clear voice through the phone and eventually removed his shades too as he intended to wipe the beads of sweat trickling down his temples.

“Yes Ryu, I’ll be home soon. I’m having brunch with a friend. I’ll bring home lunch for all of you, don’t worry.” He chuckled as he hung up.

Meanwhile as he was browsing through some of his messages, the stern stall owner walked pass him seeing that he was really close to the gents. But her memory flashed back to remember something vividly.

That boy!

She remembered that his nose and lips were eye-catching and she was just trying to clear her doubts to see if he was the boy that Sora was looking for.

“Kim Taehyung?” She reckoned his name after getting used to seeing multiples of flyers at her stall.

Taehyung her in surprise as nobody could’ve had known his identity. He wasn’t trying to look obvious but he was afraid if that was someone who knew him before these many unfortunate series of events happened.

Seeing that he responded sharply to her call, she broke into a mere smile that nobody had seen before. Taehyung was full of questions as he didn’t remember who this woman was. As far as he could remember, it was their first time meeting today. How could she have had known his real name…?

“So she found you…” The woman smiled as she patted his back. She then left for the restroom but the rigid guy was still in his spot, not able to register everything that was happening. Another call caught him in surprise. He then picked up a Sohee’s call.

“What’s taking you so long?”

“I… I’m coming.” He stuttered as he kept his phone back in his front pocket.

Taehyung wore his cover-ups once again and walked to their table. Sora wiped the corner of her lips with her tissue, almost ready to leave. Just then, the stall owner came back and tend to her noodles as she eyed the two of them.

Sora walked towards the stall to buy herself another bowl to save for dinner. As Taehyung walked up behind her, the woman released a pleasing smile at them.

“So you’re not coming by to paste anymore flyers now, I see?” The woman spoke up.

“Ayy… You know I still will. Are you letting me paste them at your stall now?” Sora was ecstatic now as that could mean no more battling with the older woman in every two weeks.

“You’ve already found your brother, what more missing stuff are you going to advertise huh?”

Sora turned baffled over her words. “Ahjumma, what are you saying? We still haven’t found him yet…” Her smiley face from before drooped. “You mean this isn’t him? Kim Taehyung?” She pointed at Taehyung who was then standing next to Sora.

“His eyes, nose and lips look the same I thought that child was him.” She was referring to the features of the boy that was printed on the flyer. Sora agonizingly faced him and stared for long, tears threatening to fall.

“You said you have a friend named Hoseok…”

Taehyung nodded.

“And you said that you lost a relative too…”

He nodded again.

The atmosphere was awfully silent afterwards as Sora was at lost for words. She didn’t want to believe this. In fact, it wasn’t realistic at all. How could V be… him?

The woman exchanged glances with Taehyung as they were flustered over whatever that was happening.

“Remove those things.” Her fervent eyes demanded him to execute her command immediately. “Sohee-ah…” He pleaded.

“Remove them now!” Sora pierced a scream in front of him and everyone at the food court.

Taehyung gently slid the bands off the back of his ears and slowly removed the shades that hid his cat-like eyes. Sora bravely tilted her face to have a look at him for the first time.

Her heart palpitated aggressively and she couldn’t get a grasp of her own breath. fixed open but she couldn’t utter a single word. Her hands weakly reached for his face as her tears streamed down endlessly.

Taehyung watched her fell onto the floor and reached for his legs as she mourned. Her lament grew so loud that it caught nearly everyone’s attention.

“T...Taehyung-” She bawled in agony. Her arms wrapped around his legs strongly that he almost lost his balance. Sora's volume was growing louder as seconds passed by and she wasn’t going to release her hands off him. Taehyung tried carrying her but she pressed herself onto the floor, not bothered by the onlookers. He needed an explanation immediately but he knew that he couldn’t achieve that too soon with her, throwing a fit on the floor.

“Kid, bring her to the hospital now.” The stall owner walked out of her stall to calm Sora down after realising that she was gasping for air desperately. She held her hand and helped Taehyung to bring her onto her feet. But it wasn’t too long when she realised that Sora lost conciousness as her hands fell down to her sides willingly.

“You need to hurry!” Some of the onlookers were pressurizing him as he was struggling to carry Sohee in his arms. He was rushing his steps when an ambulance came upon one of the onlooker's call and exposed the stretcher for her. The experienced paramedics rushed her into the vehicle and prompted Taehyung to state his relation with her.

“I... uh-”

The stall owner came and patted Taehyung’s back again as she informed the attendants, “Take him in, he’s her brother.” They then opened the doors that they were about to close and carefully address him, “Sir, please step into the vehicle.” 

(a/n): The moment everyone has been waiting for.......... ;o; i couldn't write this well because exams are filling up my mind. I'll be back with a better update, please wait for me~ >< 

Finally... Sora's brother has returned everybody :o