“I know I've said this like a lot of times already, but good to have you back!” Namjoon hugged Taehyung tightly as they walked to class. “I absolutely couldn't get use to walking to school by myself. I felt like such a loner!” He laughed while Taehyung pushed him away, “You bastard.” He halted the boy and pointed at the boy's chest, “Don't you ever go missing like that again. Do you not realize how much I endured thanks to your crazy girlfriend, huh?” He playfully punched the boy in the stomach. “I've had more detention than before because of that crazy – “

“Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry.” Taehyung smiled and the two continued their way to class with Namjoon rambling away like usual. Since it's been so long, Taehyung really missed the random conversations he had with him. They passed by Yejin and Sanghee's homeroom and like always, Taehyung's the first to notice Yejin despite the small crowd around Sanghee. He stopped to look which made Namjoon pause.

“Ah, I wonder what's wrong with her.” Namjoon draped his arm around the boy's shoulder. “Another historic moment was made when she smiled when we played in the snow.” He shook his head, “It's like a withdraw. She's become even more distant than usual. More and more each day she's closing up.” He sighed at the sight of her staring out the frosted window.

“When I wasn't at school... Was she like this?” Taehyung asked.

“No, not really. I would try to talk to her... Sanghee would harr – bother her... with questions of you... She seemed fine to me. Nothing changed when you left. She wasn't acting any different, but NOW.” He gestured frantically to her. “All she does is stare out the window.”

“Wasn't she always staring out the window?” Taehyung laughed, but Namjoon shook his head dramatically.

“This time it's different. Now, the look in her eye. It gives you a completely different vibe. The other day I looked into her eyes as I was passing by her and it felt so... disturbing...” He shuddered. Taehyung raised his brows to the confusing description, but knowing Namjoon, what he's saying is definite. “Hopelessness, empty and dare I say it... Death.” He whispered the last word.

“Death?” Taehyung bit his lip. The bell rang, holding him back from talking to the girl. However, as Namjoon was pushing him along, he caught a glimpse of her leaving the class with her bag. “Yejin! Yejin!” He shouted, but she didn't look back and he wished she did for once.

          As if they switched roles, Yejin went missing for the next three days with Taehyung sick to his stomach. She didn't have a perfect attendance anyway, but remembering what Namjoon had told him, he wasn't sure if this time it's just her being indolent or something really happened.

-                       -

“Yooshin, can you wake up your sister?” A muffled voice comes from down the hallway. Yejin's eyes fluttered open slightly, but remained closed thanks to her fever. Soon, footsteps stomped towards her door.

“Hey! Wake up! Don't you have school?!” Yooshin pounded the door, making the walls shake and her head ache even more. “Are you there?! Hello!”

“Yooshin, don't shout so early in the morning.” Their mom nagged as she passed. Yejin's eyes snapped open to the sound of her moms voice, but it doesn't get her out of her futon. Instead, she stared at the ceiling, but her eyes shift to the folded calender by her head with today's date circled in red pen. She puts her hand on her warm forehead and debated on with either she get up for school or not.

“Dad told me to wake her up.” Yooshin replied and Yejin got up from the ground carefully. She pulled the door open to see Yooshin with her back facing her. With the roll of her eyes, Yejin turned to grab her school uniform.

“When did you become so caring?” She shoved passed Yooshin who scoffed.

“I was being nice today, but seems like someone is in a bad mood.” Yooshin tossed her hair over her shoulder. Yejin completely ignored her and went to brush her teeth. By the time she came out, she found Yooshin in her room.

“Get out.” Yejin yanked the girl's arm.

“Ew.” She smirked and kicked the blankets on the ground. “Learn how to clean your room. Have you not done that before?

“GET OUT.” Yejin forcefully pulled her out and Yooshin becomes off balanced. She fell backwards with a light thud.

“WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!” She screamed from the ground to which Yejin responded with a sigh. She was about to shut the door, but Yooshin kicked it open. “Are you on your period or something?!” Yooshin stood and got close to Yejin's personal space. “You're so annoying. Seeing you at home is an eyesore.” She jabbed her finger at her arm.

“I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now. Get out of my face.” Yejin slapped her hand away.

“Ha, so talkative today.” Yooshin crossed her arms over her chest and she forcefully made her way through and into Yejin's room.

“Get out.” Yejin commanded in a scary yet calm manner. Her step sister merely looked at her before kicking over the calendar.

“What's so special about today?” She taunted. She pulled the calender closer to her with her leg before flattening it wit her foot. She added a loud stomp just to irritate Yejin. Though, before Yejin gets blinded with rage, she grabbed her backpack and headed towards the stairs. “I'm sick of your attitude!” Her step sister called out behind her. “ Always ignoring me and acting as if the world revolves around you!” Yooshin grabbed her by the wrist to stop her from going down the stairs and with that little action, Yejin nearly exploded. Yejin flicked her wrist, knowing the lack of strength Yooshin had. She grabbed Yooshin's upper arm and semi pushed her down the stairs. The girl lets out a ear piercing shriek and that made Yejin stop herself from letting go. Their parents come running towards the stairs to see Yooshin dangling from the top of the stairs. Yejin caught the frantic looks on her parents faces and realized what she had done. She pulled Yooshin back to safety and the girl dropped to the ground, crying hysterically. Yejin slipped her arm through one of the straps of her bag and went down the stairs.

“SHE'S CRAZY! SHE WANTS TO KILL ME!” Yooshin screams.

“We heard you fighting, but you didn't have to go that far.” Their mom said with hatred in her eyes, causing Yejin to stop midway down the stairs. The girl swallowed down the lump building in and avoided the look in her mom's eyes. “You take everything so seriously.” Yejin's eyes soon glassed with tears, but she refrained herself from blinking her eyes. Luckily, her eyes weren't filled with tears to the point they'll be running down her cheeks.

“Yes, we're all family. We shouldn't be fighting.” Her step father smiled to try and defuse the tension. He took three steps up the stairs and looked around Yejin to Yooshin. “You shouldn't of bothered your sister in the first place. Why didn't you leave her room when she asked you to?” He said calmly. He was about to go up to help Yooshin stands, but he didn't move when he heard a scoff coming from Yejin. He looked at the girl to see a smirk on her face, though she only put up the fake smirk to hide her breaking self. She took the four remaining steps to stand in front of him and bent over to his ear.

“I wonder … when have I considered you two as family.” She mocked him. She coldly brushed passed him and down to the end of the stairs. He watched her with the look of hurt on his face, but he held his emotions back, hoping she doesn't really mean it. What he didn't know was that she said it on purpose to hurt him. After all this time, she still doesn't believe his kindness to be genuine. She turned to him and gave him a sloppy bow. All of a sudden, her bag gets snatched by her mom who silently walked up the stairs and simultaneously leaving everyone in confusion. They all slowly followed her to see her walk into Yejin's room.

“Honey, what are you doing?” Her step father asked and the woman pulled out Yejin's drawers. The woman s the bag and dumped all the contents inside. Then, she started to fill the bag randomly with the clothes in front of her. “What are you doing?” He stopped her from continuing further.

“Yooshin, open the door.” Her mom said and the girl obliged because she hasn't seen this side of her step mom just yet. She ran down the stairs passed Yejin and yanked the door open. Their mom comes down soon afterwards with money in hand. Without a word, the woman tossed Yejin's bag out the door along with the money.

“What is this suppose to mean?” Yejin asked with trembling hands.

“Yooshin is right. Seeing you at home is an eye sore.” Her mom agreed in a monotone. “Leave.” She said and Yejin's trembling became more severe.

“Mom...” She said the taboo word in a shaky voice, “What.. does this mean?”

“She's telling you to leave.” Yooshin hooked her arm around her step mom's. “Finally, everything is going to be better being the only child. You're old enough to take care of yourself.” She stuck her tongue out.

“Please don't do this, honey.” Their dad came down the stairs. “It's just like aquarrel between siblings. They'll get through this.” He urged the woman to rethink her decision, but the decision was firm. Yejin blinked back the tears stinging her eyes and went to her bag. She rigidly picked her bag up from the ground and stared at the money at her feet. She looked up at the sky, asking why her life has become like this and like always, the sky never had answers for her. She continued to blink away the forming tears as she picked up the money as well. She gripped the money in hand and slammed open the gate. “Yejin! Don't leave!” He pulled the girl back, but she coldly shook him off. “Your mom has done this out of anger. She doesn't mean it. Please come back inside and we'll sort things out.” He tried once more and she does the same thing to get away. “H-How about until your mother calms down, would you like to stay at a friends house?” He stopped her from moving, but that lead to her running away from him. “Yejin!”

“Honey, would you like some breakfast before you go to work?” Her mom asked from the door. He looked at her with frustration and went inside. He ignored what she had asked him and went straight to Yejin's room to find out what has caused the girl to fight with his daughter. He knew if he ask Yooshin, the girl would blame everything on Yejin. He looked through the contents from her bag that got dumped to find nothing, but school subject notes. He neatly placed them into stacks and as he finished, he saw the destroyed calendar. He held it out and unfolded the month page. He sees the red encirclement and gasped with his stomach sinking. He took the calendar with him and went to find his wife.

“Today...” He handed her the calendar, “the death anniversary.” He clenched his teeth. His wife looked at the calendar in horror to realize what she had done at this time of year. She placed her hand to her lips and held the calendar with a shaky hand. Despite feeling guilty for what she had done to her only daughter, she doesn’t give her husband consent to bring the girl back. For some reason, she didn't want to swallow her pride. He waited for her to say something, but seeing that she wouldn't budge, he grabbed his jacket, keys and headed to his car. Even though he could hear his family calling after him, he got into his compact car and went after Yejin. He circled the entire neighborhood first, but she was no where to be found. He checked the busier streets and near schools, but once again, she wasn't there. Little did he know, she saw him pass by with his car so she hid from him.