*Edit* A note from seeingcolors:

Hello everyone! This is my first fanfic I'm posting. 

I've had this story sitting around for a while and decided that if I post it, I'll have motivation to finish it. 

Poster credit: Lazy Graphic Shop Thank you for the awesome poster! 

Please feel free to leave comments and feedback! 

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"Jaein-ah," a soft voice woke Jaein up.

It was her mother smiling down at her. It was still early in the morning and the sun hadn't come up.

"Happy birthday!" she said to Jaein leaning down to kiss her forehead.

Jaein rubbed her eyes and stretched out her arms to give her mom a hug.

"I can't believe you're already six years old," her mom said to her as she accepted her daughter's hug.

"I'm a big girl now," Jaein said to her mom with a smile.

"Well, big girl, I have to go out right now, but once I get back, we're going to celebrate. Okay?" Jaein's mom hugged her tight and planted another kiss on her forehead.

Jaein was giggling as her mom began tickling her. "Okay, mommy."

Her mom flashed another brilliant smile, "Go back to sleep, it's still early."

Jaein didn't need to be told twice, her eyes were already heavy. "Okay. I love you, mommy."

"I love you too, sweetheart."

...

Jaein woke up for the second time that day, but this time the sun was out.

She stretched out as she rose from her bed. The memories of her mom from earlier in the morning began filling her. She leapt out of her bed and ran out of her room excited remembering her birthday, but something was wrong.

The house was eerily quiet. She walked towards the kitchen and all the kitchen staff were sitting around the table.

Cook was the first to notice Jaein.

"Little Miss," Cook said to her. "What are you doing up so early?"

Jaein saw everyone's faces splotched red and noticed Cook holding back a sniffle.

"What's wrong?" Jaein asked as she looked around. "Where's mommy?"

Cook looked at the little girl not knowing how to answer her.

"Sweetheart," Cook said to Jaein as she raeched out to the girl. "Jaein-ah," Cook started again, but Cook didn't finish.

Jaein heard the front door open and ran over expecting her mother but was greeted by her father with her baby cousin Yugyeom in his arms.

"Daddy!" Jaein ran up to her dad and hugged his leg.

"Where's mommy?" she asked her dad this time.

Cook followed Jaein over to where her father stood and made eye contact with him. He handed over baby Yugyeom to Cook and crouched down to eye level with Jaein.

"Jaein-ah, mommy went far away," her dad started.

Jaein was paralyzed as panic flooded through her. Something was very wrong. 

"She's not coming back, sweetheart."Jaein was still as her dad hugged her close. "She's not ever coming back," he said his voice almost breaking.

"But your cousin Yugyeom is going to be staying with us, and so is …" her dad turned around and Jaein saw the boy standing behind her father for the first time. "Jaebum, come over here."

The small boy stepped into the house from behind her father. "Jaein, you know Jaebum."

Of course she recognized the boy. Her dad was best friends with his dad, and his family came over all the time.

"Jaein-ah, Jaebum's parents and Yugyeom's parents went far away like mommy did. So they're going to be staying with us. Okay?" her father said to her still at eye level with her.

Jaein was still from the lack of understanding, but nodded. "That's my good girl," her dad gave her a kiss on her temple.

Why wasn't her mom coming back? Why wasn't Yugyeom and Jaebum's parents coming back? Where did they all go?

Jaein didn't really understand what was going on, but she did know that her life was going to be very different now.

...

Jaein didn't live a life like most people in Korea. She lived in a large house with servants.

Her father built a conglomerate, and it was growing by the day. Money was no object.

But money couldn't bring back loved ones.

It was Jaein's sixth birthday when her life as she knew it disappeared before her eyes.

Her mother passed away.

Her aunt and uncle were also gone leaving behind two-year old baby Yugyeom.

Her dad's best friend and wife also left behind six-year old Jaebum.

The two children came to live with Jaein at her very large house.

At first, Jaein welcomed the idea of having other children in the house. She also forgave her father for paying more attention to Jaebum; he had lost both his parents after all, but it drove a wedge between her and Jaebum, and the wedge was driven deeper in middle school when she realized she would never leave Jaebum's shadow.

Her father only looked to Jaebum. He was the son he never had. Even Yugyeom got more love from her father than Jaein did.

Jaein was smart and athletic, and no matter what she tried, she couldn't get her father to look at her the way he did Jaebum. Jaein always placed first in school and even first in the nation once. She had medals and trophies littering her room, but Jaebum was still better.

Jaebum didn't do as well as her in school, but he always placed second right behind her. He had his own medals and trophies, but more than that Jaebum was charismatic. He had a way with words, and Jaein's father was very proud of him for it. It was a no-brainer that Jaebum was very popular and had tons of friends. Jaein had friends, but at a young age she realized they were only hanging out with her to get closer to Jaebum and gave up trying to find friends. She completely dissociated from Jaebum and her family. No one knew she was the daughter of the CEO of C&J Conglomerate by the time she was in middle school.

Every day she was reminded that she not only lost her mother, but also her father to the boy living down the hall from her. It was no one's fault except maybe her own bad luck. On top of everything, she couldn't ever celebrate her birthday again. Every year, everyone would grieve for the loss of their loved ones, and Jaein would silently become one year older.

Jaein made it her goal to get as far away from Jaebum and her father as possible. She was going to go to university abroad and be free from this hell.

Jaebum got into Korea's prestigious Seoul University, and Jaein's prayers were answered as she got into Columbia University.

When she told her father the news, maybe she saw a glint of pride that his daughter got into an Ivy league. Regardless he allowed her to leave, and she hasn't looked back since.