[CONTENTID1]- MIO -[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]They used to live in a world where there was only the two of them. [/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]2005

"Unnie," Mio absently started to chew her thumbnail when her sister, Hana, pulled out a packet of marshmallows from the kitchen's drawer. Hana stooped her head to get a good view of Mio, who leaned against the kitchen's door.

"If you eat too much marshmallows, diabetes germ would get inside of you." said Mio toward her sister.

"Sa-Said w-who?" Hana asked, furrowing her brows. Her face turned ashen the moment Mio mentioned the word "germ". Then, she absentmindedly put back the marshmallow's packet over the table.

An impish grin went past Mio's oval face as she ran toward her sister. "Marshmallows...told me in my dream last night!" With that being said, she clutched the marshmallows's packet, idly opened it, then she took out a piece from it before putting inside .

2007

It certainly would make a difference if her sister, Hana, was like every other healthy kids. So perhaps, it would also make a difference of how Mio perceived her sister's illness - Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (DM). When Mio was a little kid, her brain registered that DM was a terrifying germ that would kill a person if they ate too much marshmallows (sugar).

Hana had Type 1 DM since small. In paediatric, they had interchangeably termed it as Juvenile DM. Hana was required to receive insulin replacement, which usually in the form of injections. By all means, she had to get at least three to four times of injections per day, for every day. Poked by needle was undeniably a bad experience for everyone; it was horrifyingly painful for every children, including Hana. But ever since that day, Mio never saw her sister cried nor complained whenever she received the injections, in lieu Hana would always, always flashed a smile on her face. Every time Mio saw her smile during the injections, she would have to force out a smile too, and that smile always ended up being plastic-like, and bitterly. To smile for someone who smiled because of her, and especially when that someone was her sister – was a painful thing to do for Mio.

It all started when one day, Hana was hospitalized due to incompliant with the injections. She cried every time they poked her; she violently throw a tantrum, created an uproar, and even to the point of disturbing kids from other beds. Every single thing that her sister did, Mio would follow mindlessly. Hence in the end, both of them were punished as they turned the peaceful ward upside down.

“Hana-ssi, look what have you done.” The paediatrician placed both hands on her hips, then she pointed a finger at Mio, who blubbered beside Hana’s bed. “Why can’t you set a good example for Mio?” Doctor Kim raised one brow and settled beside Mio, all the while her gaze never left Hana. “If you stop crying…Mio would follow too,” She plaited at Mio’s head, and another hand patted at the small of Mio’s back.

When thirteen year old Hana stopped crying, Mio inherently stopped. The older smiled and her younger sister emitted a smile too. Hana felt a warmth spreading in her chest, as if she had accomplished something brilliant. And so, ever since then, Hana never cried, because of Mio.

"Mio..." Hana called upon her younger sister. "What was that you were holding at?" She raised a query at the younger. Mio gave her a small smile as she turned to look at her. A jar of marshmallow in her embrace. "Mom said, if you're having bad sugar attack...I have to feed this to you so you won't die..." Mio scrunched at her watered nose and nodded suggestively.

Hypoglycemic attack (bad sugar attack) was a term for abnormally low blood sugar in blood. It commonly occurred in patient with diabetes. The symptoms varied with its severity. Generally, the person would become dizzy, headaches, weak and feeling shaky as in starvation. The best method to produce an instant relief was by providing any forms of carbohydrates, for example, glucose water, sweets, and so on.

"Wh-What?" Hana eyed on the younger disbelievingly. "What was that supposed to mean?" She waved at her to come closer so she could look at the jar closely.

"Mom said, marshmallows will prevent you from dying..." Mio inched toward her sister while holding the jar tightly. She recalled her mother's words couples of minutes ago when she handed the jar to her: "Your sister can only eat this when she has bad sugar attack, arasso?" Madam Eun pinched the younger's nose as she smiled heartily at her.

"I rather die than having them pokes at my belly every day," She pulled a face when Mio won't let her touch the jar.

Mio’s shoulders fell. Her expression turned sullen on the next seconds. "Do-Don't die..." curved downwardly. "I don't want you to die!" The minacious look on Hana's face had vanished instantly as she saw a tear rushed down Mio's rosy cheek.

Little Mio hopped toward her as she hastily opened the jar's lid, then she stretched out her arms to Hana. "I-I wi-will gi-give yo-you a lo-lot of marsh-marsma-marshmallows so...do-don't die!" Her hands trembled the moment she presented the jar to her.

"Stupid..." Hana said faintly. Her sight shifted at the opened jar. "Don't cry..." She covered Mio's hands with hers as they stared into each other's eyes. "Don't cry, I won't die because you're giving me lots of marshmallow..." Her smile broadened as she spread an armful to illustrate the “lots” marshmallows.

Mio sniffled on her sleeves after putdown the jar within the space between them. "You-You pro-promised?" She snapped back at her. The luminous eyes of hers wandered upon Hana, looking for any clue of "yes" on her face.

"Open your mouth," Instead of only giving her the answer she wanted to hear, Hana figured out it would be better to act it out. Mio looked up to her warily but she did what her sister asked her to. Hana picked a piece of marshmallow and heaved a deep sigh. "Eat this," A dimple flashed on her cheek as she inserted that piece of marshmallow inside Mio's tiny mouth.

For the twelve year old Mio, her sister’s wellness was all that mattered to her. Others might call it undying affections, siblings’ bond, pure love, overprotection, obligation...but Mio, it was everything mentioned, plus, her life. To make it happen – to make her sister happy – she would even put her life on the line.

But – people change, don’t they? 

If only time had stopped, then perhaps everything could stay as prettily as in the picture.

2012

Human was helpless in the face of fate, and thus, whenever someone was in a state of helplessness, their last resort was praying, and to have faith. The siblings, Hana and Mio, they had faith that everlastingly, they would never ever be apart from one another. But little did they know that hopes reflected the amount of hurt one was ought to receive.