Aejin sat on the ground with her legs crossed and her eyes watching over Daeho who was currently coloring his card for their parents. A small smile appeared on her face. One filled with bittersweet feelings that gave her heart a small tug, but she didn’t know why she always felt bitter on this day.

Maybe it was the fact that she’s only twenty three trying to raise a six year old who would never feel the love he would crave for from a mother and father. The closest thing to a mother and father Daeho has had in his life was and is Aejin and maybe Sehun. But that would never be what would fill the boy to the top. He would always be empty somewhere and somehow and that was something Aejin wasn’t ready to face yet. She knew sooner or later that there would be a parent day for the kids at school, but he had no one to bring except for Aejin and possibly Sehun.

“Aejin noona,” Daeho said, bringing Aejin back to the world.

“Yes?”

“Are you going to get a boyfriend?” He asked as he looked at his sister with his big, wide, innocent eyes that seemed to search his older sister's face.

Aejin’s eyes widened at the words her brother was saying to her. A boyfriend? She held in a laugh at the thought of getting a boyfriend. She wasn't interested in getting one, but that didn’t mean she had no interests in boys; in fact, she had thought that Sehun's best friends from college were rather attractive. Their entire group of friends always had girls after them, especially for them being young and ambitious in their majors. She did find one of them that stood out to her the most: Kim Jongin.

She remembered how his eyes were always soft but somehow intimidating, but he had a boyish charm to him, as did all of them in college. He was rather well known due to his outgoing personality, one that Aejin always admired. Sehun and him were stuck together like glue all the time whenever they weren’t in class. She would see him around campus in his various friend groups and see him winning scholarships. He left for the US after his undergrad to pursue his masters. Sehun and her haven’t seen him since he left a year after her parents’ death. She did hear Sehun mention that he was returning and he was excited to get his best friend back.

“Do you want noona to get a boyfriend?” She asked him. Daeho nodded his head as an answer. “Why?”

“Noona shouldn’t be lonely when Daeho is at school,” he explained to her.

Aejin looked at him with a small smile on her lips. “Does noona seem lonely without Daeho here with me?

“Yep,” he replied, “So Aejin noona should go out with Sehun  hyung this saturday while I spend time with Soo Yun and her umma and appa.”

Aejin let out a laugh. “I’ll ask Soo Yun’s umma and appa if you can stay with them. Or how about Jihoon? Don’t you like Jihoon since he’s a boy?”

Daeho nodded his head. “But Soo Yun is my girlfriend so I have to like her better than Jihoon!”

“Soo Yun is your girlfriend?!” Aejin’s mouth hung open as she looked at her six year old brother. “What am I going to do with you,” she sighed as she shook her head.

"Go out this weekend, Ae noona," Daeho pouted as he looked at his older sister.

Aejin weighed out the options of going out for one night or staying home again. Then she glanced at her brother who had a smile on his face, as if knowing her answer already. Aejin let out a small sigh and nodded her head. “Go get my phone and call Sehun,” she said as she motioned for him to go and tell his hyung of the news.

Aejin leaned back onto the small sofa of theirs, she closed her eyes and began to take out every reason and excuse to not go out with Sehun and his friends. It wasn’t that Aejin didn’t like his group of friends, it was more of the fact she was awkward with his friends. The same four guys from college who were loud and crazy-- especially when it came to partying. She stopped socializing when her parents passed away due to Daeho being so young and her having full custody of her brother.

“Aejin noona, hyung said he’ll come and get you at 5 tomorrow night,” Daeho said, returning with her phone in hand.

“Thanks, Dae,” she said with a smile. “Are you ready to blow out the candles?” Aejin stood up from the ground and lightly pushed the table away from her.

Daeho nodded his head and followed his older sister into the kitchen where she took the cake out and placed it on the island with Daeho sitting on a stool while watching her light the candles with excited eyes and a small smile on his face.

“It’s been three years, Dae,” she said softly. “It’s umma and appa’s birthday so let’s sing!” Aejin exclaimed as she took out her phone to record Daeho singing and blowing out the candles. She counted down from three and the two began to sing to their parents. Daeho blew the candles out, wishing his parents a happy birthday. “Let’s eat the cake now, Dae!” She exclaimed, swallowing the lump in .

Aejin woke up to Daeho laughing in the living room. She looked at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was noon already and let out a groan. She heard Sehun’s deep laugh coming from the other room and knew he had come a few hours ago when Daeho just got up. Every Saturday he would come over at eight and play with Daeho until he had to leave at three to check on the cafe a few streets down.

Getting out of bed, she made her way to the bathroom to prepare for the day since she has to go shopping for later tonight. Just a simple dress she kept saying to herself as she tied her hair in a neat bun before wearing her cream, knitted sweater and a black leggings. She exited the bathroom and made her way to Sehun and Daeho who were sitting on the sofa watching a movie that was on the t.v.

“Are you guys hungry?” She asked, walking into the kitchen and taking out a bowl for cereal.

“No!” Daeho yelled from the living room, “Sehun hyung brought us donuts and muffins and a lot of bread from the bakery.” Aejin looked behind her and saw the island with two boxes from the cafe with the sweets inside.

“Did you guys eat three donuts each?” She asked as she peered into the box some more and some saw the box half full.

“Maybe,” Aejin turned and saw Sehun leaning against the fridge with a smile on his face. Aejin gave him a look that was a cross between skeptical and a little angry. “I’m just kidding,” he said, letting out a small laugh. “Daeho ate six and I ate five,” he rubbed the back of his neck and looked away from Aejin who he knew would be furious for letting Daeho eat six donuts.

“Oh Sehun,” she said quietly. “You let my brother eat six donuts by himself? What the hell is wrong with you?!” She asked as she punched his chest and slapped his arms out of anger and shock. “He’s a six year old who is on a sugar high, still what are you going to do when he crashes later?” She questioned him with her chest moving from her heavy breathing.

Sehun blocked his body from her with his head between his hands.  “He said his noona was okay with it!” He said, as if using a six year old’s words and reasoning was a good idea. He earned a glare from Aejin who began to eat a muffin before leaving the kitchen to go talk to her younger brother. Sehun followed after the girl and sat beside her on the sofa and listened to her talk to her younger brother about how he would be sleeping over with Jihoon and Soo Yun tonight while she goes out with Chanyeol and his group of friends.

“I’ll go shopping with you for tonight’s attire,” Sehun said with a smile.

Aejin looked at him for a minute before nodding her head. “Let’s go pack, Daeho,” she said, turning her attention back to her brother.

“Alright, noona!” He said, running to his room to get his clothes and toys prepared for tonight. Aejin let out a small laugh at his energy to leave for Soo Yuns, but didn’t blame him for doing so. He was going out tonight just like she was and to be completely honest, she was looking forward to meeting his friends in a different setting.

“Jongin came back a few days ago so tonight is a party for his return,” Sehun told her as he followed the two to Daeho’s room. “Do you remember him?” 

“I do,” Aejin said as she grabbed a backpack from Daeho’s closet. “He went to The States for school, right?” 

“Yeah,” Sehun said, laying on Daeho’s bed watching the two siblings pack for a sleepover. “Didn’t you think he was cute?” He probed. Aejin stopped packing and looked at Sehun with a pout on her face. “I knew it,” he said to her with a laugh. 

After dropping Daeho off at Soo Yun’s house where they saw Jihoon and his parents as well. It turned out that the three of them planned a sleepover after school with Soo Yun’s parents agreeing to watch them for the night. Aejin and Sehun went to the mall to buy their attire for the night. Aejin kept reminding Sehun she wanted something simple, but being Sehun, he shook his head and said she needed to be dropping jaws and letting loose and showing some skin after being locked down for almost three years for not going out to a club. In the end, Aejin lost the argument and decided to follow Sehun around while browsing for the both of them.

Aejin looked through a rack and saw a black, strapless bralet and thought it would be cute to have. She knew spending a lot of money for tonight would be bad, but it was okay to spoil herself every now and then, but to always remember about Daeho too.

Sehun walked over towards her and saw the item in her hand. “Kwon Aejin is going to be showing skin tonight,” he teased, while smiling like a giant idiot. He took the clothing from her and headed to the cashier with his black blazer in hand.

“Sehun,” Aejin called after him, “I’ll pay for-”

“Too late,” he said, swiping his card. “I already paid for it,” he stuck his tongue out at her playfully before signing his name and collecting the two bags.

“Your outfit is on me today since I asked you out,” Sehun told her before leaving her stunned outside of the store while he walked to a different store.

“Oh Sehun,” she growled, catching up to him, “You freaking .”

The two entered the store and Aejin began browsing for her bottoms. She’s been away from the club scene for almost three years and forgot what the proper attire was. So she opted for something to go with her black bralette. She saw a rack with high waisted shorts on sale and began browsing.

Sehun appeared beside her with a pair of high waisted, gold sequined shorts that she thought were adorable.

“Like what you see?” He asked with a big grin on his face. He handed her the shorts and waited for her approval.

Aejin nodded her head and looked at him with smiling eyes. “These are the best,” she said softly, still admiring the piece of clothing. Sehun beamed at her words and took her to the register where he paid for her outfit.

After they were done at the store, Sehun had told Aejin he had an outfit already. Aejin gave him a scowl as she realized he only said he needed to go shopping for her. Aejin had decided that it would be best for her to go and head home to get ready for tonight. Sehun agreed with her and dropped her off at her apartment, telling her that he would get her at eight thirty which gave her a little more than three hours to get ready.

Aejin opened her apartment and went to her room where she got ready for a quick shower. She tied her hair into a high, messy bun so she wouldn’t have to wash it during her shower. After spending fifteen minutes in the shower she came out and dried herself before trying on her clothes that

Sehun had bought for her. She was excited to wear the new clothes that she quickly put on her undergarments and put the bralette and shorts on. She looked at herself in her mirror and smiled at her reflection. She thought she looked pretty hot in her outfit.

Letting her dark hair down. she decided to curl it for tonight’s occasion. She her burling wand and began to do her makeup, opting for a little more color than she usually did on a daily basis. She touched up her eyebrows and began to apply her eyeshadows then her eyeliner and false lashes. Approving her look, she then began to do her hair for the night. It felt good doing this to herself. Going to a club and hanging out with Sehun with people their age and not in their late twenties or early thirties. Tonight was about having fun and neglecting everything for a few hours. Plus, Soo Yun’s mom said she would be taking them out tomorrow for the afternoon which meant Daeho wouldn’t be home until three or four.

Aejin loved Daeho a lot, sure, but sometimes a 23 year old just wants to have fun before she can’t anymore. There’s nothing wrong with having Daeho out with his friends, but not all of the time that she knew.

Aejin took a look at her limited amount of jewelry that she wore on a special occasion and found a small, gold, statement necklace and took it out. She moved towards her shoe hanger and chose to wear colored pumps that she would wear for work sometimes. Taking one last look in the mirror, she twirled around in her outfit and grinned from ear to ear on her success with her outfit for the night and grabbed her black clutch making sure she had her money and I.D and phone with her in case Daeho needed her for anything. She took a light pink lipstick and applied it to her lips before heading out of her room with her jacket in hand. She saw that Sehun had texted her that he had arrived and she almost shocked herself with the amount of time she took to get ready.

Making sure their windows were locked and their lights off, Aejin left her apartment and made her way down to the front where Sehun was waiting for her.

Tonight was going to be her night.