She stares on her reflection on the water that is filling in the sink. This is the fifth time. She does not think that she still has the strength to throw out one more time. She rubs her tummy in circular motion.
     “Are you okay?” a girl walks into the bathroom with a worried face. Her eyes could not bare seeing the person in front of her keeps puking since the morning. But, what she could do? She’s not a doctor. Plus, she does not think that they have enough money to go to a hospital or even a clinic.
     Her eyes then catch the lady’s movement. She walks to her and hold a grip onto her wrist.
     “What are you doing?” the lady’s eyes are filled with anger.
     “Stop taking those pills. They’re killing you,”
     “You know nothing. You’re still a kid. Don’t act like you already know the world,”
     “I know more than what you think,”
     Her words make Hyeji’s tongue numb. She pulls her hand back, obeying Minji’s order. She walks out of the bathroom then to the balcony. She lands her on the bench and places one of her arm on the armrest. Minji comes and takes a seat right beside her.
     She has grown up, a lot.
     Hyeji knows, even though she just 11, but her mind and her ways of thinking is as matured as a high school girl. Hyeji feels sorry for her as she could not enjoy her childhood like other ordinary child out there. She just 11, but she thinks about their financial problems, she holds herself from buying any hairbands or nail colours like other girls in her age did, she already thinks about jobs that she will take after she reaches her high school age and the most unpredictable thing is…
     ...she knows about the pills that Hyeji is taking.
    She likes to observe and hear. She is the type of person who is hard to hear her voice out. So, she transforms her words to actions. She barely speaks, even though to Hyeji. She’s not a person who could expresses her words well. But her actions are worth than anything else. Hyeji smiles at her when her small hand is on hers. Hyeji her short brunette hair and gives her a peck on her cheek.
     “Sorry for everything you have to go through. You know that you’re strong, right?”
     Minji nods.
     “When you grow older, don’t be like me, okay?”
     Minji turns her face at her. Her puffy eyes meet Hyeji’s.
     “Don’t take pills or drink if you are stressed out. Instead, find something more delicious than that,”
     “Candy?”
     “No! Candies are delicious but they are not healthy,”
     Minji grins. Out of sudden, a brainy idea appears in her mind.
     “How about milk?”
     Hyeji burst into chuckles.
     “Well, not bad, tho!”
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     Hoseok knocks on the door. He frowns when there’s no response received. He gives another couple of knocks with her name hollered.
     “Noona? Hyeji noona?”
     He startled when the door suddenly creaks.
     “Yes?” a little girl pops out her head from the gap between the door.
     “I… I wanted to see Hyeji noona,” he stutters.
     “And who are you?”
     Hoseok narrows his eyes, judging the kid hardly.
     JUST SHUT UP AND LET ME SEE HER, CAN’T YOU?
     “I’m one of her students,” he answers right away. He is getting impatient.
     The girl lifts one of her eyebrows up.
     “Oh, come on! Just let me go in!”
     She rolls her eyes and opens the door for him in reluctant. She crosses her arms and glares to him with dissatisfaction and annoy. Hoseok takes a step in. He gasps in shock, looking at how sadistic her house is, but he’s not going to say anything. He just keep stepping until he could see a figure of a woman lying on a matress on the floor. Half of her body is covered with a blanket. He only could see a side of her pale face.
     He lowered his eyes, feeling pity, sad and also pain. He sighs heavily and steps to the living room back. His eyes then shifted to the girl who is standing right in front of him, gazing in his eyes with sorrowful.
     “She’s been throwing out every morning since past few days. She keeps feeling dizzy. Whatever she eats, she’ll probably puke them back,” she murmurs.
     The slow, cold breeze blows softly, making some strands of her shoulder-length hair floating. They are having a little conversation at the balcony He feels pity for her. Seems like she has to do anything by herself. And she also have to take care of her big sister, even though she’s just 11. She breathes in deeply and turns to Hoseok.
     “Do you love her?”
     He chuckles lifelessly.
     “What do you mean?”
     She faces Hoseok. He could see that she’s trying to hold her tears back.
     “Please say you do,”
     She is making him more confused.
     She lowered her eyes, shifting her gaze to the floor.
     “You’re the only guy that I’ve ever seen to care for her, even though this is the first time I met you,” she murmurs again.
     Hoseok could do and say nothing so he just keeps his mouth shut.
     “I never see a guy come here to see her since he left us. But that was about 5 years ago, I guess. Ah! I don’t want to remember him!” she exclaims.
     “Who is ‘him’?”
     Her hands stop messing up her hair, her eyes are wide opened. She suddenly froze. Slowly, she places her hands back on her laps. She gulps in reluctant.
     “Err… Erm…” she looks hesitated.
     “Her boyfriend?”
     “EX-boyfriend,” she corrected him.
     Hoseok nods.
     “You could be better than her ex, right?”
     “Oh, come on! I’m 8 years younger than her!”
     “Those are just numbers! A big gap of age won’t kill you as long as it is called love,”
     Hoseok judges her, again.
     “Where did you learn all those words, huh? You’re 11, miss,” Hoseok looks down on her.
     “Eleven outside, fifteen inside,” she smiles creepily.
     Hoseok backs off in terror. She giggles cheekily.