Six

Present day

The next day, I wake up alone in my bed. There’s no sign, no evidence whatsoever that Yunho has spent the night here. If I didn’t know better, I might have thought that I was dreaming. However, when I go downstairs in search of coffee, both Mom and Ara have bloodshot eyes that I can’t help but wincing when I look at them.

Ara, my perfect sister, doesn’t bother to change from her last night clothes in her current misery. Her dark grey silk blouse is beyond repair. Her usually straight hair is sticking in any direction. I bet she hasn’t washed her face yet either. So far, Dad is nowhere in sight.

“Good morning.” I breeze my way to the kitchen, ignoring the way the two of them looking at me. “Who wants coffee?”

“Just cream and no sugar.” My sister says gruffly, her voice is slightly hoarse which I bet is the result of endless crying.

Silently I make her coffee and fix her toasts and egg even when I know she’s in strict diet. Maybe today is an exception. As for the next fourteen days. “Here you go.”

“Thanks Yuri.” Without further words, she digs in to her food.

Mom and I can only watch, me with satisfaction that my sister is finally eating real food, Mom with amazement that my sister eating that much without thinking twice. I sip my coffee as I casually lean on the kitchen counter. “Mom?”

“No, but thank you Yuri. Mrs. Kim will fix oatmeals for me later.”

I shrug before fixing my second cup of coffee for this morning. I have a feeling I might need the extra caffeine energy for later. Mom scowls, disapprove as she watches me pour generous amount of cream and milk in my cup. I ignore her since I’m feeling just fine in my own skin. I’m not fat and not that skinny, just average size. Besides, I work for hours to burn the excess calories in my body so, yup I’m good.

“Yunho broke off the engagement.” Ara says as she chews, voice flat and expression calm. “He left this morning without even saying where he was going.”

My heart pounds wildly in my chest. . If Ara saw Yunho left this morning, she must have known where he was sleeping last night. I wait for her to start shouting at me. My eyes nervously glance back and forth between Mom and Ara. Were they waiting for me earlier for this? To drop the bomb?

“I don’t know what I did wrong.” My sister continues while Mom’s eyes turn glassy. “But he said that he was making a mistake.”

I put the cup on the counter behind me because my hands start shaking. “Do you want me to talk to him?”

My heart breaks for my sister when she looks up. Her eyes, they are dull with sorrow and pain, but her face is hopeful. “Will you do that for me?”

She looks so miserable that I nod quickly. Regardless of what happened tonight in my bed between Yunho and I, I’d do anything for my sister as long as she’s happy. And her happiness is to be with Yunho. My used to be best friend, my first love and the only love I will always keep in my heart. It’s alright. I’m alright. My sister is the top priority here.

I give them my back as I pretend to drink my coffee. My eyes feel burning with unshed tears. “Of course I’ll do anything for you.” I try to even my breath before look at her over my shoulder. “You are my sister. If you’re happy, then so I am.”

She breaks down with fork still in mid air. I watch, astonished,as droplets of fat tears roll down her smooth cheeks. Mom throws an arm around my sister shoulder and brings her head to rest on her shoulder. Ara won’t stop crying even after ten minutes I’m staring at her in confusion. Mom patiently her daughter’s hair.

I take step forward carefully before sitting down in the chair across from them. “Ara, I’m sure Yunho will come back to you. Maybe he’s only stressed with works and need a time.”

Ara straightens. She doesn’t bother to wipe her face. “You’re an idiot.”

Okay, now I’m offended. What did I do wrong? “Pardon?”

“He’s in love with you. He always has been.”Her face crumbles in pain. “I was the wrong sister”

Maintaining poker face after she drops the bomb in my face is not easy, but somehow I can. “What are you talking about?” I ask calmly.

Her tears cannot be contained anymore. They fall freely down her face like waterfall and I let her, waiting patiently while hurting for her, for Yunho, and for myself. What a cruel joke fate gives us right now. 

“I knew that he loves you. And I always knew that I stood in your way, his way, both of you. But I still took him away from you because I was jealous. I wanted him. I was greedy for his love and for a long time I assured myself that it was okay if I hurt you.”

“Ara stop –”

She clenches her fists on the table. “I even hated you every time he came to you when we were fighting. What kind of sister am I?” Her bitter laugh sh