"Dahyun groaned when she felt someone on top of her, her face and wagging its tail. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw Ahri, who continued to shower her with affection.

 

"Ahri, yah!" Dahyun whined, trying to shield her face, but the persistent dog barked and jumped on her tummy.

 

"Okay, fine, I'll wake up!" Dahyun relented, gently moving Ahri off her stomach.

 

After attending to Ahri's needs, Dahyun sighed at her empty cabinet. "As long as Ahri is full, I'm good," she muttered, sipping water to stave off her hunger. She the speaker Tzuyu had gifted her and connected it to her phone, singing along to the music while going about her morning routine.

 

As she brushed her teeth, she noticed Ahri barking at the door. "Maybe my neighbor will scold me again for having loud music," she thought, before answering the knock.

 

"Wait up!" Dahyun called out, wiping before opening the door, only to freeze at the sight of two familiar faces she secretly missed.

 

"Hyun!" Jisoo exclaimed, embracing her tightly. "I miss you so much," she continued, but Dahyun didn't return the hug, letting her pride take precedence. Jisoo slowly pulled away, hurt evident in her eyes.

 

"Hyun," her brother's voice softened her resolve as he hugged her.

 

"How did you find me?" Dahyun asked, to which Xiumin explained they had followed her after spotting her on the road. When Ahri barked, they noticed her change of heart about dogs.

 

"I thought you had a phobia of dogs?" Jisoo inquired, surprised by Dahyun's nonchalant response.

 

"That was before. Now, I don't," Dahyun coldly replied.

 

"Dahyun, you've become so thin. What happened? Are you okay here?" Jisoo's concern was evident, but Dahyun didn’t budge.

 

"So, what do you want?" Dahyun asked
 

"We miss you, Dahyun. Please, let's talk," Xiumin pleaded, and Dahyun hesitate to let them in.

 

As the two entered the apartment, they glanced around. It was small but cozy, just enough for two people, and impeccably neat.

 

Taking a seat on the sofa, they observed the sparse furnishings—a coffee table, a small refrigerator, and other essentials. Dahyun spoke up, apologizing for not having any food to offer, while she petted Ahri, who was nestled beside her.

 

"We're fine, Hyun, don't worry," Xiumin reassured her. Silence fell again, and Dahyun couldn't bear it any longer. She was starving.

 

"What do you want?" she asked, patting Ahri's head.

 

"You don't want to come back home anymore?" Jisoo questioned, causing Dahyun to stop petting Ahri and meet their gaze.

 

"That's not going to happen, Chu. I've chosen this life," Dahyun asserted, setting Ahri down.

 

"Are you still blaming yourself for what happened to Y—" Xiumin began, but Dahyun cut him off sharply.

 

"D-Don't e-ever m-mention h-her!" The sudden outburst startled them, and they could see the pain in Dahyun's eyes. They just wanted their old sibling back, so they tried to mend their family.

 

"Dahyun, you need to stop this. Come back to us," Jisoo implored, rising from her seat to approach Dahyun.

 

"Stop blaming yourself for what happened before. It wasn't your fault at all. It was an accident," Jisoo continued, gently caressing Dahyun's cheek. Dahyun covered her ears, unable to bear it.

 

"Please! Stop acting as if you care about me because, in the first place, you didn't care for me," Dahyun pleaded, tears welling in her eyes as she bore the weight of her pain. Xiumin knelt beside them, offering his chest as a comforting embrace.

 

"What do you want from me? I'm not bothering you anymore. Why would you bother me?" Dahyun mumbled into Xiumin's chest, while Jisoo held her hand tightly.

 

"Dahyun, let's rebuild our family. Come back to us. If begging you is the only solution, we'll do it," Jisoo urged, looking into Dahyun's eyes. But Dahyun shook her head.

 

"After what I did, I don't think I have the right to face our family, especially Mom and Dad," Dahyun said sorrowfully, withdrawing into herself.

"It's Mother's wish to see you. You forgot what day it is today. It's her birthday tonight," Jisoo said softly.

 

"So, you're here, and you want me to come to that birthday, right?" Dahyun asked, wiping her tears away.

 

"My answer is no, Jisoo," Dahyun finished. She was starving, and her siblings' presence only made her hunger worse. She wanted to ask for some money, but she didn't want to sacrifice her pride. She wanted to kick her siblings out of her apartment so she could find some extra work.

 

Their silence was broken when Dahyun's stomach grumbled loudly, causing her to want to disappear in embarrassment.

 

"Come on, I'll cook for you," Jisoo offered, heading toward the kitchen. Dahyun immediately stood up and blocked her path.

 

"I-I d-don't h-have f-food h-here, s-so y-you b-better g-go, a-and I'll b-be f-fine," Dahyun stuttered, avoiding eye contact.

 

"What?!" Jisoo and Xiumin exclaimed in unison.

 

"How could you survive like this, Dahyun? Come back to our house. You've been suffering here since then. Hearing that you don't have food breaks my heart," Jisoo scolded, but Dahyun shook her head.

 

"I'm fine, Jisoo Unnie. I've lived here for many, many years, so I'll get food after you leave. Don't worry about me," Dahyun insisted.

 

 

 

 

 

Fast forward

 

Jisoo and Xiumin watched Dahyun as she devoured the food they had served her. After much begging, the pale girl had finally given in and agreed to come with them.

 

"Careful, no one else is going to eat that," Xiumin said, handing her a glass of water. Dahyun nodded, continuing to eat the food eagerly.

 

Dahyun savored each bite. She knew how much this food cost and thought about how many races or fights she'd have to endure to afford something like this on her own.

 

Jisoo and Xiumin couldn't help but feel sad for their younger sister. They wanted to help her, but they didn’t know where to start. They understood why Dahyun had ended up like this.

 

"So, how have you been managing on your own?" Jisoo asked, watching Dahyun stop munching and look up at them.

 

"I'm a working student. I take on whatever jobs are available, like being a waitress or a janitress," Dahyun lied, taking a sip of her Frappuccino.

 

"And how’s school going?" Xiumin continued.

 

"Good," Dahyun replied. "I'm still on the dean's list," she added, taking a big bite of her pizza.

 

"Really?!" The two exclaimed in excitement.

 

"You did well, Dahyunie!" Jisoo said, hugging her. She noticed bruises on Dahyun's arms and knuckles.

 

"What happened to these, Hyun?" Jisoo asked, gently caressing Dahyun's hand.

 

"Just a crash on a slippery road," Dahyun lied again.

 

"Are you still using the motorbike we gave you?" Xiumin asked. Dahyun nodded. The two watched her continue to eat, hoping the day would end well.

 

As Dahyun finished her food, she knew there would be a consequence.

 

"I shouldn’t have eaten that much," she thought.

 

"Uh, can I ask what the consequence for eating this is?" Dahyun asked. The two didn’t answer and pulled her up.

 

"We saw you were lacking some things in your apartment, so let's go grocery shopping," Jisoo said. Dahyun tried to protest.

 

"I can handle myself. You don’t need to do this," she insisted, but the two just tapped her back.

 

"We've been your brother and sister for many years, but we didn’t take care of you. So let us do this," Xiumin said.

 

Dahyun had no choice but to come with her siblings and buy supplies for her rented apartment.

 

"You need this, Hyun," Xiumin said, adding a box of Choco Pie to the cart. Dahyun's eyes shone. She hadn’t tasted Choco Pie in months. While the two were busy looking for other items, Dahyun picked up a black dog toy.

 

"C-can w-we b-buy t-this? Uh, i-if it’s o-okay I..." Before Dahyun could finish, Jisoo snatched the toy and added it to the cart. Dahyun smiled softly and thanked Jisoo.

 

"Here's your receipt, ma'am," the cashier said. Dahyun looked at the small screen to check the total, her eyes widening.

 

"8000," Dahyun mumbled as Jisoo handed over her card.

 

"Don't think about this, Hyun," Jisoo said, reassuring her.

As the three finished their grocery shopping, Jisoo and Xiumin helped Dahyun bring the bags to her apartment.

 

"Hyun," Jisoo said, and Dahyun sighed, knowing they would mention the consequence.

 

"Yes?" Dahyun replied, anticipating what was coming.

 

Xiumin sighed. "Mom wants to see you," he continued.

 

"She wants to see you on her birthday tonight," Jisoo finished, only to receive a sarcastic laugh from Dahyun.

 

"I knew there would be a catch," Dahyun said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

 

"You both know how mad she was at me, right?"

 

"Hyun," her siblings began, but Dahyun cut them off.

 

"For what? To get compared again? To be reminded how I'm the black sheep of the family?" Dahyun asked, closing her eyes before looking at