chapter twenty five: angel

"if we could just walk together like this, wherever we go, it will be heaven."   

Hyerin was always known for her fearsome aura eversince she got into the orphanage.

At the early age of five, she already radiated dominance compared to the other kids in the orphanage. All the other kids feared her, for a girl she was. There was even one time that she wanted to go on the swings. Everyone darted away from the playground itself when Hyerin arrived. The other kids—older or younger, or even the same age— instantly dispersed and left the place, leaving the little Hyerin all alone in the playground. At least she got her swing all for herself.

But secretly, Hyerin just wanted to be like the rest. Unfortunately, with her strong-will, strong stance, sharp-like knives, and sharp tongue that lets out witty comebacks, everybody feared her more. Who wouldn't be afraid of a kid that speaks sharper than any intelligent elder? For her age, she sure could scare the male bullies and kick the older guys' backs with ease. All she wanted, secretly, was to be befriended. She's lost so much already, and she's already aware of that. She wanted friends, but her "friends" left her due to fear. They feared and hated her persona. It couldn't be blamed, that's just how she is.

Around the age of seven, Hyerin wished for nothing but friends. A small family since the orphanage she's in doesn't exactly radiate a family vibe. She knows the other kids by name, but not personally. Siblings, as far as she's read in books, should be able to read each other openly and with ease. She could barely read another kid in the orphanage well! The orphanage runner— mostly known by the name "auntie"— barely socialaizes with her. Well, she takes care of numerous other kids in the same orphanage so one couldn't be selfish with "auntie". She didn't care. She never really like "auntie" (always feeding her brocolli and veggies. Yuck!) Her "siblings", a.k.a the other kids in the orphanage, aren't even willing to share a table with her during lunch! Basically, little Hyerin has always been alone—

Until her that fair day during spring.

Hyerin loved hanging under the tree growing tall in the back of the orphanage building. Its shade is perfect and the birds perched there chirpped ever so sweetly. Around the tree are colorful flowers, which are blooming vividly since it is spring. The grass is greener than before. Birds were chirpping and flying here and there. Butterflies were flapping around, landing on flowers here and there. 

A few meters away from her were the same bullies that often run away once she's spotted. For some reason, they were crowding over something or someone. The tallest among them, a boy named Sangwoon, was leading the group. He is the bulkiest among them. As far as Hyerin knows, Sangwoon's around three years older than him. 

In the middle was a boy crouching, hands over his head as tears drenched his face. Hyerin didn't really know this guy was. She sees him, yes, but barely. Often times, she just sees this guy during lunch and bed-time. What was his name again? Jo.... Joseph? Jonthen? What was it? His name wasn't Korean. 

Hyerin snapped back to reality when she sees Sangwoon's group kicking this boy, who was wailing and crying. The other kids witnessing this scene were merely laughing, pointing and mocking this bullied boy. Of course, being the heroine-like character, Hyerin runs up, pushes Sangwoon and kicks him. There were gasps and shouts before the other kids ran off upon meeting Hyerin's fiery glare. It only took her one long glare before Sangwoon and his group dashed away, leaving Hyerin and the bruised boy. 

Hyerin simply looked at the sobbing boy. Grabbing a stick, she gently pokes his shoulder and scowls. "Hey," she tries to call out. "Are you okay? Sangwoon got you bad. You're all jacked up."

The boy simply looked up and gasped before he tries scooting away from Hyerin, fear evident in his eyes. Hyerin simply sighed. He's simply one of them. "Geez, at least a thank you would do." Hyerin frowns. "Didn't auntie teach you manners? Or maybe, your parents?"

Silence then sobbing.

"Quit crying, you look ugly." she sighs before she crouches beside him, grabbing her handkerchief before offering it to him. "Wipe those tears, will you? You look like a raisin when you cry. ... Really, just get it. I won't eat you. I don't eat kids."

The boy simply sniffles before he tries to grab the handkerchief, only to loose grip since he was trembling from fear. Hyerin sighs in annoyance before she scoots closer to him, grabbing him by his shoulder and wiping his tears gently before placing the handkerchief over his nose, asking him to "blow" his nose, which he obeys. "You really look bad. Let's treat your wounds." she says as she stands up, eyeing down on the boy. "You've pro'ly heard 'bout me, right? I'm Kim Hyerin."

Silence.

"... You're pro'ly more familiar with my nicknames. 'Monster', 'Hye-nster.', "Kirin', what else...—"

Silence.

"Well?" Hyerin frowns as she raises a brow. "Aren't you at least gonna introduce yourself? I told you my name, best tell your name to be fair!"

Hyerin easily saw the hesitation flashing out of this particular boy. Nearly giving up, she sighed and stretched her hand out to help the boy stand up. Once he was standing up and Hyerin began walking back to the orphanage building to get to her room, she felt a light tugging behind her, only to see the boy gripping on her shirt, trembling. There were tears still on his lids. With a soft and nearly inaudible voice, the boy then spoke, "J-Jonathan Arsulo Lee." 

"Jonathan?" she blinks. "That's your name? Are you Korean?"

A shake of the head. "Korean... and Canadian. Auntie said I'm Korean and Canadian."

"Really?" Hyerin nods, a spark of interest flashing in her black orbs. "That's new." she nods as she holds Jonathan's hands, dragging him to her room, off to treat his wounds and bruises. 

Unknown to her, that normal day in spring was the gateway for her and Jonathan to share a sibling-like bond. Her first "real sibling".

Years flew.

When Jonathan was around seven and Hyerin was ten , "auntie" asked Hyerin to take care of a two-year old girl named Chang Huiying. She was sick with high fever that refused to lower down since she was always crying and feeling down. Seeing that she managed to get close to the introvert-like Jonathan easily, "auntie" figured that maybe, behind Hyerin's fearsome aura, she actually wielded a sister-like persona deep within. Jonathan himself had addressed Hyerin as his noona already, so maybe, it'll work. 

"I still don't get it why auntie assigned me into this." Hyerin breathed out as she tied her hair in a ponytail-style. "Geez, I could be reading my books instead."

"Give it a try, noona." Jonathan smiles as he eyes Hyerin. "Maybe you can make a miracle of some sort."

"Psh, like I can. Just because I 'charmed' you doesn't mean I can charm a toddler." 

"Give it a try. Besides, I've seen this Huiying girl. She really looks bad."

Hyerin sighs. Aside from Jonathan, nobody really knows her secret affectionate side towards others. Hearing that someone's sick, bruised, wounded or depressed would literally stab her mentally. She'd be worried sick and would actually be driven insane just to take care and help those suffering. Unfortunately, the often-seen "strong" Hyerin isn't expected to act like that. If she tries to help, people get terrified and run away before she could even help. 

Arriving at this Huiying's room, Hyerina dn Jonathan sees a thin, pale-looking toddler, breathing heavily as she was wrapped in thick blankets. Jonathan followed Hyerin closely as he carried a basin filled with water. Hyerin sat beside the bed, carefully peeled the blanket off of Huiying and grabbed the towel soaked in the water. After wringing it a few times, she then places it on her forehead, checking her temperature along the way. Huiying slowly peeled her eyes open, eyeing the two foreign faces beside her. Seeing that she was shocked, Hyerin pulls herself away for a while before she flashes the most gentle smile she could do. "Hey," she greets as she waves. "You're pre' sick. Worrying auntie like that..."

"You're Huiying, right?" Hyerin asks as she eyes her gently, fixing her bangs as she places the damp white towel over her forehead. "Auntie said you're Korean-Chinese? That's cool. I'm Kim Hyerin, Hyerin for short. This guy here's Jonathan Lee."

Silence.

"Can you talk?" Hyerin blinked.

"She's two years old." Jonathan reminds. "Auntie also said that she couldn't talk yet."

"Really?" she blinks. "Well, at least we have to be familiar with her, huh? ... No, Huiying— you stay on the bed. It's okay, we'll be taking care of you from now on."

"Eonni!" 

Hyerin blinks and hurriedly digs her hand under the pillow as she eyes the door that was slowly creaking open. Five-years old Huiying clad in an adorable blue summer dress then makes her way inside her room, a wide smile on her face as she skips towards her, jumping on Hyerin's bed as she hugs her. "Hi!" she giggles as she throws herself into Hyerin's arms. "What're you up to, eonni?"

"You missed the morning snacks today." Jonathan, currently ten that time, pouted as he follows Huiying. "Are you okay?"

"'Course I am." the twelve-years old Hyerin smiles assuringly as she ruffles Huiying's soft hair. "Did you eat snacks?"

"Mhm." Jonathan nods as he sits on the side of Hyerin's bed. "We got worried when Huiying and I didn't see you there. We thought you disappeared or something."

"Like I could." she laughs as she reaches out to ruffle Jonathan's soft, black hair. "Quit worrying 'bout me too much, will you? I'm fine. Nothing to worry 'bout me." she grins. 

Years had passed and it rather surprised the young Hyerin that two fellow-orphans became her family. The half Korean kids that received nothing but bullying and teasing and all other ugly things from the other orphans in the orphanage. Compared to her, her two younger "siblings— that's what she calls them and sees them now after befriending and being extremely close to them— were much more fragile that her. Jonathan, as she's learned and discovered, is known to be a "pacifist" and prefers solving things using his brain instead of words and actions. Aside from being super shy and rather looking more mature than his young age of ten, Jonathan's kind of an introvert and would cry at the slightest and lightest of reason. Huiying, on the other side, was bullied and teased because she talks and thinks funny. Little did they know that this "weird" kid is actually a prodigy. A young, little genius that has photographic memory. So far, Huiying's studying Chinese with the reason of "auntie" saying that she's Korean-Chinese. She's even learning English with Jonathan.  

Now, in the topic of them three seeing each other as "siblings" reaches out to those previous years they met each other. Hyerin discovered that the two of them were kind of the only ones who didn't fear Hyerin. They saw her as a role-model, as someone they can cry and babble nonsense all day long to. Hyerin's the perfect "older sister" image in their perspectives.

As for Hyerin, she saw the two as someone to protect. Jonathan, as she's learned, was orphaned as a small toddler. Huiying, on the other side, was orphaned and sent to where she is now when she was a baby around her early months. As for Hyerin, she's told the two that she's been abandoned around her eighth month of living. 

"What's that under your bed, noona?" Jonathan blinks in curiosity as he points at Hyerin's hand, which was under the white pillow. Hyerin simply blinks back before smiling and pulling out her hand, revealing the angel figurine she is gripping on. "Ah, that again?"

"It really looks pretty." Huiying smiles as she eyes the angel figurine. "Can I handle it?"

"Sure." Hyerin nodded, despite hesitating on handing her precious angel figurine to her youngest sibling. "Just... be careful of it, okay, Huiying?"

"Eonni, I won't be called a 'genius' if I don't know how to handle breakables well." Huiying laughed as she carefully handled Hyerin's angel figurine. "This is really old-looking. How'd you get it again, eonni?"

"I have no idea. Auntie said I had it since I came here." Hyerin softly replied as she rubbed her nape. "Maybe my parents left it there on my basket."

"Like a remembrance maybe?"

"Eh, who knows."

"But don't you hate your parents?" Jonathan tilted his head. "... If you're keeping it and, let's just say, it came from your parents, why are you treasuring it? Shouldn't you be throwing it away and ridding it out of sight?"

"I sure would do, but that is if my parents really meant to throw me away, Jo." Hyerin smiled as she reached for her figurine, which Huiying gladly returned with care. With careful eyes, she eyes the small details carved on her angel figurine as she runs her fingers through it, feeling the texture better and all the dips and rises. "Besides, I wouldn't want to break this beauty. It really looks unique and antique. I'd rather keep it even if it has bad memory."

"You're weird sometimes." Jonathan laughed as he eyes his older sister. 

"I know I am." Hyerin laughed as she keeps her angel figurine tucked underneath her pillow. "Now, let's go and play outside, shall we?"

"Eonni." Huiying calls out.

"Hm?"

"... I don't wanna play outside today." Huiying frowned as she eyed Hyerin with sad eyes. "I've been... bothered with that dream of mine for days now."

"The nightmare again?" Hyerin pouted as she returned beside the youngest, hugging her as she ruffled her hair. "What about it? Was it that scary? You know that I and Jo here'll beat the monsters if ever they turn out real, right?"

"Hey, why bring me along?" Jonathan whined. "Those monsters might gobble me up and I'm too young!"

"That's not real, you ding-dong." Hyerin huffs before she averts her attention to Huiying. "What's bothering you, sport?"

"I was brought here as a baby." Huiying frowned as she eyed her siblings. "Sometimes... I just wonder what might've happened if they didn't dump me here in this... this prison. I sometimes wonder who my mom and dad are. On what kind of family I have. Don't you too?"

"Same." Jonathan nodded. "I really recall nothing about my family. I don't even know why they dumped me here. Auntie said she just found me in front of the orphanage one night and just brought me in." he sighs before falls back on Hyerin's bed. "I mean, no letters, no signs. Just left alone there out of the blue."

"Don't you wonder too of the same thing, eonni?" Huiying frowned. "Don't you wonder who and what your family is like?"

"Sometimes." Hyerin smiles as she eyes the pillow covering her precious figurine. "But sometimes, I also try to convince myself that this happened for a reason. That we all got abandoned for a reason. Just think 'bout it! If we didn't get here to the orphanage, we would've never met! You wouldn't have this awesome older sister!"

"Okay, quit bluffing now, we get it." Jonathan laughed as he eyed his sisters, who were giggling beside him. "We're happy to be here, to meet you and all."

"Here's one thing though." Hyerin proposed as she stood up, smiling widely. "When we all grow up, we get our own job and life outta here, let's promise each other that no one's leaving anyone. We'll search for our families together, how's that sound?"

"Are you serious?" Jonathan lighted up.

"'Course! I always hold onto my promises, Jo!"

"That's great then! Let's do it!" Huiying nodded.

There were only sobs filling the white room as Huiying slumped over the bed's side, tears staining her face. Jonathan sat beside her, holding the unconscious Hyerin's hand. Tears welled up on his eyes but seeing the youngest already sobbing her heart out, he had to hold onto his tears and stay the strong figure.

"And all those times, I thought we'd be together... forever." Huiying sniffled as she raised herself, eyes still puffy from all the crying. 

"Don't talk like that," Jonathan scolded as he eyed his younger sister. "We're going to be together forever. Hyerin-noona, as we can remember, doesn't let go of her promises."

"But she's—"

"She'll be fine." Jonathan smiles and assures as he pats Huiying's hair. The sound of the hospital room door opening grabbed the two's attention, only to reveal Suho and Kris entering the room with plastic bags on their arms. There is worry engraved on their face as they neared towards them, grabbing seats as they sat beside the youngsters.

"How's Hyerin?" Suho worriedly asks.

"The doctors said she needs to rest. She'll wake up soon." Jonathan reported as he eyes his unconscious sister. "Though they did say that if we want her to live longer, an operation is needed."

"Then, let's arrange her operation then." Kris says before the door creaks open again, revealing the other ten members who carefully and silently entered the room. Like the two members who came earlier, worry is patched on their face. Kai and Xiumin were both pale upon seeing Hyrerin on bed, unconscious and all. "Is she going to be okay?" Xiumin worriedly asks as he eyes the two other siblings.

"She will be." Jonathan smiled assuringly as he eyed Xiumin.

"I do hope she wakes up soon." Baekhyun pouted as he ran his fingers through Hyerin's hair. "She's getting paler by every second passing. What did the doctor say?"

"Her... condition's worsening." Huiying breathed out shakily as she eyed the twelve. "She needs an operation as soon as possible. She must stay in the hospital as far as possible too, just so experts can watch her out better."

"Geez, this worrying thing's killing me." Chanyeol frowned as he eyes the pale, unconscious female on bed. "Hyerin's in one serious situation right now."

There was silence for some time before Kai finally stood up. "How about her foster parents?" he asks as he eyes the two.

"That's a big no." Huiying shakes her head. "If they learn about eonni's situation, they'll take her away! And she still hasn't fulfilled her wish yet for us."

"What wish?" Kai blinked.

"Finding our families." Jonathan explained. "Back then when we were younger and were still in the orphanage, she told us that when we grew up, we'd find our families."

"Really?" Chen blinked. "That's awesome. Are you gonna push through that?"

"Of course."

"Then we can help."  D.O smiled as he swings an arm around Jonathan. "Let's do it! We'll find your families before she... well, 'goes'."

"Mhm." Lay nods. "Anything you recall about your families though?"

"Not us, exactly." Huiying frowns before she eyes Hyerin. "But about her, we know a few things."

"Really?" Luhan gasps.

"She's the only one with something with her when she got dropped by the orphanage." Huiying explains. "Remember that angel figurine thing back then? Auntie used to say that it was with her since she came in the orpahange. That's the only thing she has when her 'family' dumped her over there."

"There are chances that she received that from her family is high." Jonathan breathed out. 

"Expect us to help you." Sehun smiled. 

"Agree. We'll find hr family first then, right?" Tao nodded.  

"Come to think of it," Huiying blinked as she eyed Xiumin. "Didn't you tell me you have a lost sister too, appa?"

"Really?" Chanyeol blinked.

"Never knew that!" D.O gasps. 

"He has?" Jonathan blinked in surprise before he eyes and points at Kai. "What of the odds! Kai-appa has a lost sister too!"

"Really?" Kris grinned. "Well then, we're looking for lots then. You three's family, Xiumin's sister and Kai's sister. This should be... hard."

"We can do this." Suho cheered. 

"Let's go buy dinner first, yeah? We only bought snacks and most of 'em are unhealthy." Luhan frowned. "We'll get back here afterwards. A few of you guys stay here while the rest buy dinner, okay? And fruits too, for Hyerin."

"Alright." everyone nods. More went off to buy dinner, including Jonathan and Huiying who were dragged out, just so they can loosen up a bit. Kai, Kris, D.O and Lay managed to stay back, guarding on Hyerin. For some reason though, there was a hint of realization radiating from Kai and D.O didn't fail to notice this.

"Something wrong, Jongin?" D.O questioned, tapping on Kai's back.

"There's just something... bothering me." Kai softly replied.

"It's shocking, sin't it?" Lay breathed out. "You and Xiumin-hyung coincidentally having lost sisters."

"No, no, that's not it." Kai shakes his head.

"Then what?" Kris blinked.

Kai swallowed a heavy lump on his throat before he eyes everyone, pupils shaking. "Hyerin's family," he began as he averts his attention to Hyerin. "Has a thing for angel figurines, based on how one was left with her when she was brought to the orphanage."

"True." Kris nodded. "What's the problem with that?"

"My mom..." Kai stuttered as he clasped his hands together. "My mom's a collector of angel figurines."