3 hours and 30 minutes in the train to Jeonju was tiring Hyesun. She had nothing else to do other than playing with her phone and listening to songs. She also walked back and forth from the deck she was in to the other decks. How she wished she had someone to at least talk to in such boring situation.

After arriving at Jeonju Station, she immediately walked by her feet to her parents’ house. She preferred to walk rather than taking a taxi because her house isn’t that far from the station and it only takes 15-20 minutes of walking.

As she kept walking, she finally arrived in front of the house that she really missed. It’s a two-storey building and her parents made the below one as a noodle restaurant while they live on the upper floor. She made her way inside and she was greeted by a voice that she missed so much.

“Welcome to— oh, Hyesun, my daughter!” Mrs. Jeon who was busy counting money at the moment immediately left the notes on the table and ran to her one and only daughter.

“Mum, I miss you loads!” Hyesun shouted as she hugged her mother tight.

“You have no idea how much I miss you more than you do, daughter,” Mrs. Jeon broke the hug and gave a warm smile to Hyesun.

“Where’s that rascal?” Hyesun asked her mother as her eyes went around the house to search for a face that she had missed very much.

Mrs. Jeon frowned, “Stop calling him with that name. He’s been acting like one ever since you started calling him with such names,” the woman in her mid 40’s sighed as she glared at Hyesun’s direction but it wasn’t directed to Hyesun.

“He does? Where’s him, let me teach him a lesson—ark!” Hyesun yelped in shock when someone tackled her into a hug from behind.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you’re going to be back?” said a voice that she had missed a lot in her ears.

Hyesun smiled to hear his voice as she spun around, “I miss you so much, brat! Don’t you want to say that you miss me too?” she teased and pinched her brother’s cheeks.

Jungkook lightly slapped away Hyesun’s hands, “I don’t intend to,” his ears were red in embarrassment. In his mind, he had regretted saying that he missed her on their last phone call.

“Come on, let me hear it,” the older of the two nudged the pit of his stomach with her elbow.

“In your dream!” Jungkook huffed as he ran to the upper floor.

“You brat! Grant my wish for once, won’t you? Brat!” Hyesun shrieked as she also stormed upstairs.

Mrs. Jeon closed her eyes and covered her ears at her daughter’s screech before sighing. What big sin have I committed to have such loud kids.

“I heard a loud scream from outside. Did anything happen?” Mr. Jeon, who just came back from delivering noodles to customers asked his wife.

“Your daughter is back,” she lazily replied.

Mr. Jeon’s face lit up like a Christmas tree, “Really? My pretty daughter is here?! My daughter, Hyesun!” he shouted as he made his way upstairs.

This left Mrs. Jeon sighing for the umpteenth times. Right, my biggest sin is I’ve married the wrong man.

∞

Jungkook is watching a singing show, K-pop Star 3 on the television when Hyesun sat down next to him on the floor. The sister looked at her brother before looking at the television and her eyes went back to Jungkook.

Jungkook noticed it but he pretended not to acknowledge it and simply ignored his sister. He knew she wants something from him or at least does something for her. His eyes stayed glued on the television where his favourite celebrity, Yoo Heeyeol is one of the judges of the show alongside Yang Hyunsuk and Park Jinyoung.

“Jungkook?” Hyesun uttered his name. She knew how Jungkook idolizes Yoo Heeyeol and he loves watching every show where Yoo Heeyeol is in it that was why she was being careful.

There she goes. Jungkook paid no attention to her and pretended to stay focused on watching the television when he was actually waiting for his sister’s next words.

“I feel like strolling around and also visiting grandpa and grandma, do you want to come with me?” Hyesun asked the younger.

Jungkook looked at his sister for a second, “No,” before turning his attention back to the television.

As I expected. I shouldn’t have asked him. “Are you sure? What if something happens to me?” she tried her luck.

“You’re big enough to take care of yourself and you know this neighbourhood well so I don’t think there’ll be a problem,” Jungkook answered, not looking at his sister but he knew she must be frowning at his answer.

Hyesun’s upper lip hitched upwards at his answer, “Fine. Who knows if I might encounter some strange erted guy like I once did, well you don’t care, do you?” she stood up and glared at Jungkook. It was true; back when she was in middle school, she was chased by a mental man for 5 kilometres. Luckily, the man had been sent to a mental hospital after the incident.

“There’s no such case in our neighbourhood anymore so I don’t have to worry about you. Besides, you’re just average-looking and your body is just meh so I doubt any ert wants to disturb you,” Jungkook said; which sounded like an insult to Hyesun.

Did my brother just say I’m average looking?! And he even insults my body?! Wow, just wow. What a happy sister I am right now. “Fine, brat! Just stop caring about me,” she scowled as she stomped off her feet while walking downstairs.

“Where are you going?” Mrs. Jeon asked when she saw her daughter heading out with a sullen expression clearly written on her face.

“Anywhere where I can find some strange ert!” Hyesun answered without looking at her mother before slamming the door shut.

Mrs. Jeon’s shoulders bounced upwards in shock at the loud slamming sound and the answer given by her daughter. “W-W-What?”

∞

After spending an hour at her grandparents’ house, she took some time to make a visit to Kyungri’s parents. She didn’t need to walk far because her uncle’s house is only three houses apart from her grandparents’.

“How’s Kyungri doing? Does she finally get herself a Seoul boyfriend?” Mrs. Park asked the girl as she poured down the tea into a cup before giving it to Hyesun and the latter accepted it with a thank.

Mr. Park who heard his wife’s question to Hyesun could only shook his head in disbelief, “This is why our Kyungri doesn’t come home often and even avoid our calls. You should really stop pestering her with the boyfriend question! And now you even want to get my niece involved?”

Mrs. Park made a face, “How long do you want to see your daughter to stay single? I want her to get married right after she finishes her study! So that she can have kids at early age like me,” she let out her points to her husband.

“Are you serious? For me it’s better for her to land herself a fixed job before she starts thinking about marrying. Let me remind you; we’re living in the 21^st century, things have changed a lot and nowadays kids’ have different ways of thinking than us back then,” it was Mr. Park’s turn to state his points.

Before the couples could argue more, Hyesun immediately took the role to stop them, “Uncle, auntie, just stop!” she had to raise her voice but she controlled her voice so it wouldn’t come out as yelling. Fortunately it was working for her because the bickering husband and wife immediately went silent and turned to look at her.

“You two are done, right? Or at least you can continue once I go home,” Hyesun cleared and she felt like she was a judge in the court which made her nearly laugh but she held it in, “As far as I’m concerned, Kyungri doesn’t have a steady boyfriend yet. But I believe she’ll bring your future son-in-law home before this year ends. About marriage, I’m not really sure but I think getting married after finishing study is a no for her. I know she already has a plan about her life in mind so the both of you don’t need to worry much,” she smiled as she ended her sentence.

After that, they had more chats about stuffs. Realising it was almost an hour at Kyungri’s parents’ house, Hyesun excused herself. After bidding goodbye to the elders, she quickly made way to her favourite place; a place that might be boring for the others but she always loves it there.

∞

Hyesun smiled in delight once she had arrived at her favourite place in Jeonju. It’s Deokjin Park; which is considered as a representative city park of Jeonju. The large park is centred around a natural pond; with huge lotus flowers blooming in the park’s pond. That’s the reason why Hyesun loves coming there; to see the lotus lilies. She had been watching the same lotus since she was a kid but she never got tired of it yet it gave her energy. She still remembered well when she was in elementary school, she went to the park every week or even two to three times a week which later got scolded by her parents because instead of studying, she went there just to watch the blooming lotus.

She chuckled at the sudden recall. She was really a bad child during elementary school. She always picked fights with other kids; not to mention she fought boys. The teachers always scolded her and even her parents allowed the teachers to punish her. She always got hit on the palm with a bamboo stick but she couldn’t care less. Her academic was also as awful as her behaviour. Whenever there were tests, she would be searching for her name from the bottom in the school’s ranking since she always ranked in the bottom 10. She also once placed last in exam.

“Funny old days,” she smiled at the memory.

“I wonder what’s so funny.”

Her head snapped to her right, at where the voice came from. Her eyes rounded in both shock and recognition at the new presence. She couldn’t help but to ask, “W-what are you doing here?”

The man smirked, “Don’t you miss me, girlfriend?” 

W-W-W-W-Who's that? ouo Someone from her past?