'To be brave is to love unconditionally.'

Chaeyoon could feel her world was spinning once she opened her eyes. Slowly she tried to regain her consciousness as she got up from the bed. She massaged her temples using her fingertips. I seemed to sleep too much.

"Omo, Chaeyoon ah, you are awake?" A familiar female voice could be heard as she looked towards the door. It was opened, revealing a middle-aged woman who was holding a bowl of cut fruits. "Let me take you some water." Before Chaeyoon could reply, she already disappeared from her sight.

The door was opened again, and the lady came back with a glass of water. "Here, drink it before eating the fruits." Chaeyoon took the glass and answered with a smile. "Thanks, mom." Her mother sat down on her bed beside her, as she was drinking. "Are you feeling well? Does there any discomfort?"

"I'm alright. Mom, why are you treating me like I'm just met an accident?" Chaeyoon let out a laugh while the lady replied. "Yah, don't say nonsense. It's because you seemed not to be in a good condition. I just prepared your breakfast. Come down and have it after finish bathing." She then walked towards the door. "I will be waiting for you to have it together."

Chaeyoon nodded and proceeded to the bathroom. She stood in front of the mirror and looked at her own reflection. "Oh my, I really did sleep for too long! Look at my face, it gets so round all of sudden!" She pressed her cheeks with her palms. She then turned a little to check her sideview. "And I just realised that my hair has grew longer." Without any further delay, she washed herself and headed down to have her breakfast.

Lee Chaeyoon, living with just her mother since she was at a young age. Her parents had came to a divorce ever since a woman came across their relationship. Chaeyoon's mother was being forced to sign the paper but in the end she did it without a second thought. When the man offered her cars and houses, she rejected them all. She had told the lawyer very clearly that she wanted nothing from the divorce, except for Lee Chaeyoon. But Chaeyoon felt lucky to have been taken by her mother, or else she would have to face the evil queen every day. Independent yet reliable, this was what Chaeyoon always think about her mom.

Lee Chan, Chaeyoon's half biological brother. You could still tell that they were siblings because both of them had a slight similarity with their looks, thanks to the father's inheritence. And yet, both of them had the same bright personality. Despite having that kind of woman as a mother, Chan's attitude was beyond nice. Whenever someone asked him about his siblings, he would proudly say that he had a caring sister, who always take good care of him although they barely met. Chaeyoon on the other hand loved her brother so much despite what had his mother done towards her family. She would constantly send a greeting message to him, asking him how was school, and even asking him whether he got a girlfriend.

"Chan-ah, what are you doing?" A lady's voice interrupted the boy's thought. He raised his head to look at his mother and continued with his thing. "I... I am writing a card to Chaeyoon noona. Her birthday is coming."

"How many times do I need to tell you, don't get along with that girl? She is not that nice as you think!"

"But mom..."

"Enough, Chan. Stop writing this before I throw it away. Better get your assignments done before school tomorrow." The boy pouted and kept the card, which he planned to go on with it later. I am going to send this to Chaeyoon noona, no matter what.

• • •

Chaeyoon was putting a few bottles of prickles into the cart, before taking out her shopping list and dropped ticks beside the items she had