Extinguished.

            “Are you sending me away, dad?”

Junghwa mumbled, twiddling her fingers nervously. Her father looked at her, sighing exasperatedly.

“I’m not doing this because I want to, Junghwa.” He sat down next to her. “But look at you. You look tired. Lifeless. It’s like you’re a completely different person after your mother di-"

Junghwa coughed. Her father fell silent.

“After she left.” He rectified. Junghwa looked at her dad and sighed.

“Why can’t I just stay here?”
“Junghwa, I want you to start over. Life is fickle, and we all have to understand that someday. I understand that your mother’s death was hard on you –” He sighed again as she flinched. “But Junghwa… everyone dies someday, and we must accept that and move on.”

Junghwa didn’t speak as she mused upon her father’s words.

“Do it for me.” He cleared his throat. “It’s just one year. You might be surprised, at how you might change. Now go to sleep, dear, we have to help your brother with some stuff tomorrow.”

Kissing his daughter on her forehead lightly, Junghwa’s father made his way up the stairs of their house.

Junghwa focused on the grooves in the wood, trying not to cry. Wiping her eyes fiercely, she stood up. The chair groaned against the floor as it was moved back. She hopped up the stairs, her feet making gentle noises as she walked, so as not to wake up her younger sisters.

Glancing down the hallways at her elder brother’s closed door, she sighed and walked into her room. The walls were covered with Polaroid photographs of her friends, her siblings, her and her mother–

Junghwa sighed, probably for the hundredth time that day. She glanced at the clock. 11:45 PM. Time to freshen up for bed. Grabbing her facial creams, she walked into the bathroom.

As she was about to wash her face with water, her pale face in the mirror caught her attention.

She looked at herself carefully. Dark circles under her eyes. Chapped lips. Her t-shirt seemed baggier than normal. She had lost a lot of weight. She hadn’t been eating well, hadn’t been sleeping well. She looked… tired. Fed up. She hated herself for bringing herself to this state. But she couldn’t think straight, not after her mother passed away. She didn’t want to think straight.

Sighing again, she quickly washed her face and got out of the bathroom. Her lips curled into a thin smile as she saw her twin, Jungkook, flopped on the bed, scanning through one of her TopGear magazines.

“They’ve got some cool stuff here.” He murmured. She sat down on the bed next to him, nodding slowly.

“Yeah, why do you think I subscribed?” She rolled her eyes.

“You know, I haven’t seen you smile in a long time?” He said quietly, sitting up to face her. Junghwa looked down at her fingernails, the nail polish her mother had applied now chipping away.
“I know.” She murmured.
“Hwa.” He said, his voice inflicting pain and hurt. “You have to get over mum someday.”
“I know.” She said monotonously. He rubbed his temples with his fingers, trying not to show his exasperation. He took a deep breath, before speaking again.

“I’m worried about you. We all are, Hwa. Hyung’s always in my room till past one, talking about you. Sometimes, even I don’t get sleep because I’m so worried about you... and all this.” Jungkook looked at her wistfully, and it was then that Junghwa noticed that he had dark circles around his eyes as well.

“Sorry, Kookie, I just-“ Her voice trailed off. “I don’t know.”
“Well… can I try and cheer you up just this once?” He asked hopefully. Not wanting to hurt his feelings, she nodded.
“Close your eyes.” He said quietly. She nodded, allowing her eyes to close. She felt the weight on her bed lessen. She heard the footsteps move towards her dresser, followed by a click, almost like a lighter, and was tempted to open her eyes, but decided against letting her curiosity get the better of her. She felt the weight of his body on the bed again.

“Okay. Open ‘em.”

Junghwa slowly opened her eyes, and gasped. In front of her, on a bright, yellow, plastic plate was an enormous muffin, with bright blue icing and two candles stuck on top. He smiled at her sheepishly.

“I made it when you went out to the mall today.” He chuckled. “Mom’s special cupcakes, remember?”
“But, how do you know the recipe?” She gasped, looking at it as if it were the most beautiful thing in the whole world. “There’s a secret ingredient in there!”
“She told me.” Jungkook smiled. “She told me, ‘Jungkook-ah, if Junghwa’s ever sad, and I’m not around, make her these cupcakes’. And I did.”

Junghwa wiped her eyes again, laughing.
“They must’ve taken you forever. Thank you, Kookie.” She smiled tearfully.
“Happy eighteenth, sis.” He grinned. She patted his head and smiled.
“Happy eighteenth, Jungkook.” She clapped her hands. “On three, we’ll blow out the candles. One, two… three!”

Jungkook and Junghwa gasped out air, blowing out the candles. Junghwa immediately pounced on the muffin.

“Hey, share!” He pouted. She shook her head adamantly, biting into the cupcake. Her eyes widened in delight.

“It’s just how mom makes it.” She smiled sadly. “Here, try some.”
“Already did.” He chortled. “You can have all of that.”

Gobbling down the muffin, Junghwa sighed, rubbing her belly happily.
“That was so delicious.” She grinned. “Thanks Kookie.”
“It was nothing.” He fell against her pillow. “Ah, your bed is so nice~”
“Oh, alright, you can sleep here tonight.” She chuckled, pulling the covers over her body. He grinned, slipping beneath the covers next to her.

“I always did this, remember?” He grinned. “When I was eight?”
“And Jungho oppa would always sneak in later.” She rolled her eyes. Just then, the door opened.

“Damn straight.” Jungho, in his loose sweatshirt and military shorts, made his appearance. Before the twins could protest, he rushed into their bed, lying down next to Junghwa.

“Ah, Jungho oppa~” She whined, looking at him, and Jungkook, and back at him again. Grumbling in defeat, she laid down in between her brothers.

“Ugh, you’re just a bunch of kids after all…” She chuckled to herself, before sighing again.
“Nasty habit of yours, this.” Jungho muttered, referring to her constant sighs. She snuggled under the covers, looking at the ceiling. An unknown tension hung in the air, almost suffocating them.

“I miss Mom.” She choked on her tears. Jungkook and Jungho both put their arms around their sister, holding her close.
“We do too.” Jungho said quietly, allowing Junghwa’s tears to stain his sleeve.

“UNNIE!”
“Ah, look at them, didn’t they always do this?”

Jungah rolled her eyes at the three siblings, who were fast asleep next to each other. Jumping on to the bed, she smiled at Jungho’s innocent face, Junghwa’s gentle snoring, and had to stifle her laughter as Jungkook unglamorously slept with his mouth wide open, snoring loudly.

“YAH! WAKE UP NOW!”

The three sleeping siblings were rudely startled awake. Jungkook let out a yell as he fell off of the bed. Junghee guffawed, kneeling down beside him. He looked at her sourly.

“Mian, oppa. I just wanted to wish you…” She spoke in a cute voice that screamed a Busan accent. Jungkook bit his lip, trying to hide his smile. He looked at her with disappointment.

“Yah, you shouldn’t disturb your oppa like that-" He grumbled.
“Happy birthday, oppa.” She cooed, wrapping her arms around his neck. Jungkook grinned, ruffling her hair.

“Thank you, Junghee-yah.” He grinned, kissing her forehead. “Go wish unnie too.”
“UNNIE, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” Jungah and Junghee both screamed, jumping on top of their sister. Junghwa yelped in annoyance.
“Shoo! Gerroff me- YAH!” She thundered, making her sisters laugh. She sat up, looking at them with a mocking disgust.

“Oh, shut up, you know you love us.” Jungah grinned. Junghwa smiled, and slowly nodded.
“Yes I do, very much.”

“Unnie, don’t go…” Junghee mumbled, holding Junghwa’s hand tightly.
“I don’t really want to, Junghee…“ Junghwa hugged her tightly.
“It’s for unnie’s betterment, Junghee.” Jungah smiled sadly. The words hung in the air like sulphur. Betterment?

“But she’s the best! There’s nothing about her to improve!”

Junghwa smiled gratefully and knelt down in front of Junghee, pinching her cheek lightly.

“Junghee…” She fumbled a bit as she figured out what to say. “Junghee, unnie needs a break. Plus I really want to go back to South Korea for a bit, you know, get back to my roots for a while. You’ll understand when you’re my age. Come here.”

Junghwa held her arms out, and Junghee rushed into them. Jungah knelt down beside them, sobbing hard as she pulled her sisters into a tight hug.

“Come on, let’s go.” Jungkook tapped her shoulder. Junghwa nodded, wiping her tears away, and stood up.

“Bye.” Jungho hugged her emotionlessly. “Have fun, call once in a while, you know-“
“Wish Dad was here too.” Jungkook stated. “He was held back by work, how unfair-“
“Anyway, let’s get going. I’ll skype you every day!” Junghwa forced a grin as she looked at her sisters and elder brother. “Bye, folks!”

As Junghwa walked into the airport, she looked back at her siblings. She wouldn’t see them for a long time now. She wouldn’t see NYC for a while now. She sighed again, and immediately shook her head. She really needed to stop doing that.

Junghwa looked at her sister, who looked at her with teary eyes, her hold on her teddy bear slackening. She smiled wryly at her sisters and waved at her brother slowly.

Junghwa looked back again as she walked through the sliding doors.

As the doors closed, they disappeared from her line of sight.

The Jeon siblings

Jeon Jungho | Jeon Jungkook | Jeon Junghee | Jeon Jungah | Jeon Junghwa

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY XD
Teehee :3 Here's the first chapter! Yes I know, that Jungho's picture show's Seo Kangjoon<3 But Kangjoon<3 is just perfection and I wanted to give Jungho the image of an attractive elder brother ;) So let's just imagine as Kangjoon<3 as Jungho for this fic.
Oh, when Jungho goes to Kookie's and Hwa's school, imagine all the girls swooning over him<3

Anyway, if you folks are confused or something... don't worry, it'll make sense in the end. But basically, Junghwa's not taking her mother's death as well as the others are:( P.S Italics are for English!

Suga makes his appearance in the next chapter, so stay tuned! :D