Introductory

A loud crash rang through the halls, instantly awaking Jinki. With one swift movement, he was up, eyes barely open, his bare feet greeting the freezing surface beneath them.

A small, but sharp cry was heard, following the crash. Jinki's feet hurriedly dragged him to the source, his eyes in the midst of fluttering open.

Turning a corner, passing the bathroom, he had run through this layout so many times in drowsy states. It was no longer a challenge. However this time, when he landed at his destination of the small room down the hall, it was empty.

Now fully awake, Jinki rushed himself down the steps where, he finally realized, the crying was coming from. He skipped the last two steps in desperation, tripping in the process. From the clear view of the open kitchen, Jinki could see what caused all the commotion.

He quickly reached downward and lifted the crying child out of the field of sharp debris. Her crying only worsened as she wrapped her small arms around his neck, holding on tightly.

Jinki hushed her routinely, caressing her dark brown hair until the crying stopped.

    "It's alright Jinhee." He cooed.

"Calm down, breathe."

His voice soft yet insisting.

Jinki continued to hold her, no intention of letting go until her breathing was steady.

She can’t handle another attack right after last night's.

His hands drew small circles on her back, trying to sooth, but to no avail. Unfortunately, Jinhee's breathing picked up again as she gasped repeatedly.

Jinki immediately rushed to the kitchen cabinets, keeping Jinhee in a safe hold. He rummaged through supplies and bottles until the familiar L shaped device was in sight. Shaking it in one hand, gently sitting Jinhee on the counter with the other.

His face began to grimace at her struggle to compose.

Every wheeze shot pains through Jinki's heart.

It’s terrible having to see her go through this.

    "Here, take a deep breath"
        Placing the inhaler at her lips.

Jinhee obediently inhaled the medicine like she had done many times before.

Jinki cupped her cheek with his free hand,

"It's okay. You're okay.." He breathed.

Jinhee took a few more breaths before nodding. The air was suddenly thick in the room. A slight tint of panic still wafting over the atmosphere. Jinki sighed and supported himself on the marble surface as he glanced over to the digital clock located on the microwave.

"6:12" He said to himself quietly.

Jinhee stared at Jinki's profile as he stared in the other direction. They stayed this way, silent for a bit.

          "What were you doing Jinhee-ah? What were you doing in here by yourself?"

He spoke in an almost sympathetic tone, his breath taking over most of the words he spoke. Jinhee only looked down in guilt. Her brother however seemed to be caught in his own thoughts again.

It's only been one night. This isn't good for her..

A yawn from Jinhee caught Jinki's attention, pulling him out of his mind.

He hadn't noticed the cut on the girl's lower jaw until now.

Jinki flinched and dropped his gaze at the sight of the blood. The bleeding was much more than he would have expected from the inch of dissected skin.

Jinhee noticed her brother's discomfort. Knowing how it affected him, she began wiping away the crimson with her hands, hoping to lessen the other's anxiety. The cut, however, bled profusely. Her petite palms, being too small to take on the war, were soon colored in rose. The wiping only spreading the horror in dark streaks across her porcelain faire skin.

Jinki gently grabbed her wrists with his fingers, almost cautiously, not wanting to make contact with the gore.

"No, don't wipe it.."

He barely covered the shaking in his voice.

"You'll make a mess."

Jinki swallowed before looking up at Jinhee, avoiding direct eye contact with the unwelcomed fluid. But as always, the plasma’s loud appearance never seemed to leave his peripheral.

Attempting to ignore the red, he reached up and snatched a towel that was hung on a hook above the stove. He held his breath as he rid her hands of the vital fluid. Once he had cleared most of it up, he spoke, finally being able to look at Jinhee directly.

    “Does it still hurt? How much?”

Jinhee only shook her head,

    “It doesn’t hurt.”

        Lying to her brother.

Jinki raised his expression, questioning her response. He knew it must have been painful. She rarely spoke the truth of her own discomfort toward her brother, in fear that the latter would worry too often. For a small kid, at only the age of seven, she was very observant, and more than aware of the older's general state.

Yes, Jinki was a very nice person, more caring than most people. But the responsibility of now having to basically raise his younger sister was still daunting, even after two years of their circumstance. And this affected everything Jinki did; especially how he handled any situation, major or miniscule.

Jinhee didn't like it when Jinki was worried; it made him act strange, and he was less fun. He always became serious, or never really knew how to speak correctly. He would mix things up sometimes, and he would get confused with himself.

He would always try to fix everything, and that was good, but he didn't always look happy.

So Jinhee’s way of dealing with it was throwing around a fib here and there to keep Jinki from that sort of behavior.

But Jinki wasn’t oblivious to the younger’s ways.

    “Are you sure?” He pressed.

    “Yes. I’m sure..” She repeated, nodding a few times.

Jinki sighed as he blinked repeatedly. “Come here.” He said, placing the stained towel on the cut and lifting her onto his hip with his opposite arm. Jinhee placed her little hand on top of her brothers, a small gesture to try and be of some sort of help.

They made their way up the 13 steps to the top floor. Jinhee squirmed in his hold, signaling her wanting to be placed on her own two feet, but the oldest declined her request.

She wasn't ready to be set down on her own like this, he knew he had to hold her.

She wasn't ready to be on her own..

We weren't ready to be on our own.

....