The days went by just like the usual. Mommy is out of the country again for her job. She’s a lawyer. I don’t know what she’s actually doing, but Mama said she catches the bad guys and throws them in jail. It sounds like what police officers do, right? Wrong, it’s different. Mommy doesn’t wear uniform nor badge. She doesn’t have a gun either. So yeah, you’re right. I’m still confused.

“Squirt, are you there?” That’s Desire – one of my twin cousins. He contacts me through a walkie-talkie since none of us have phone yet. Gramps set that up for us. He used his military device so it has a long range, reaching from my house to the twins’ house.

“I’m here.” I answer him.

“Good. Are you alone?”

“Yeah. I’m in my room and Yerim is in hers.”

“Awesome!” Desire exclaims. “Let’s go to the lake.”

“What? My mothers aren’t home.”

“That’s exactly why we should go to the lake when they’re not home. My mothers are gone too.”

“Wait, really? What about Destiny? Will she come with us?”

“She’ll be fine at home.”

“You will leave her home alone?”

“Fine, I’ll ask if she wants to come with us. But if she says no, we leave her.”

“She’ll snitch us, Sai.” I call him Sai. I don’t know why, but I guess it started from when I barely can talk or when I still had a lisp. The name stuck forever. I call Destiny ‘Ney’.

“She won’t, Squirt. I know my sister, alright?”

“Alright, then,”

“Tell your sister you’re coming to my home. Don’t tell her we’re going to the lake.” He says. “Let’s meet at the fork.”

“Copy that, and out,” Our communication ends. I go out from my bedroom and head to Yerim’s, knocking at her door. “Yerim-ah…”

“What?” She replies from inside.

“I’m going to the twin’s house.” I hear the commotion from her room and in a couple of seconds the door is wide open with my sister stands in front of me.

“Why?” She asks.

“What do you mean why?”

“Why do you want to go to the twin’s house?”

“Uh, to study?”

Yerim stares at me intensely and I gulp nervously. Okay, here’s the deal… I may have piercing eyes like Mommy but Yerim has laser eyes like Mama. I feel like they can see right through me. They can detect a lie like a shark smells blood in the ocean.

“You can study with me.” She says.

“Yes, but later when you decide to go to med school, I can’t anymore. So I need to prepare myself, right?” I lie through my teeth.

Her gaze softens and she sighs, “Alright. Go get your books, I’ll get you some puddings.”

Right… of course I have to bring my backpack since I told her I will go study with the twins. But since I have to bring my bag that also means I can bring toys. Hmm… what can we play on the lake? Small water gun? Goggles? Wait, why should I bring goggles with me? It’s not like we’re going to swim. Aren’t we?

Everything is done and I’m ready to go outside. “Be home before five,” Yerim says.

“Yes, Mother,” I roll my eyes at her.

“Don’t give me the attitude, Squirt.”

“I’m not.” I grin. “I’m going now, bye!”

“Be careful!” She says as I hop on my bike. When I arrive at the fork, Desire is already there waiting for me with sour expression on his face. “Sorry I’m late. I have to lie to my sister!”

“Okay. Why do you bring your backpack?” Desire asks as he sees my bag.

“I told Yerim I’ll go study with you.”

He laughs and pats my head, “Come on then.”

We ride our bike to the lake. Desire discovered it on our way back home from school one day. He noticed there’s something behind those trees and realized it’s a lake. None of us has been there, we only know there’s a path to get there.

“Do you think we’re trespassing?” I ask him when we arrive at some point but it has small fence around.

Desire shr