18 | Contest

***

"So how did your search go, Unnie?" Yeri started the conversation by asking her older sister. She missed the day with her since their Uncle asked to accompany him.

"We failed on our first hospital. But maybe on the second, we'll get information about her." Said Seohyun while munching on her meal.

"Chincha? Can I help then?" Yeri suggests.

"It would be a great idea, Yeri." Yoona got excited. "You know, the more the merrier and the more chance to get information about the person I was looking for."

"Didn't you mention 'Seo'? I think we will go on with that. I know a lot of Seo here." Seohyun speaks that got her sister's attention.

"Really? So that means, the person you are finding is just connected to us, Miss Im?"

"There's no certain for that." Ji-Hyun spoke. She had been listening to their conversation and decided to in after she heard it from Yeri, who seems to sound so interested and happy to learn it. "This town has a lot of Seo's indeed, but we only have few relatives. You know that." she reminded.

"Who knows the person she's talking about is our cousin?"

"I agree." Yoona supported the youngest Seo.

"But we can't be sure of that as well. Not everyone knows the kind of name she is talking about."

"Auntie is right. We don't even know her real name." Seohyun however is in her auntie's side.

"Right, my bad." Yoona awkwardly smile as she looked away from Ji-Hyun.

"But there's a possibility that someone knows the nickname. We just have to work hard in searching." Said Seohyun, determined to help.

"And I'm in for that, tomorrow." Yeri playfully raise her hand, earning amusement smiles from Yoona and Seohyun while Ji-Hyun frowns. She didn't bother and happily resumes her meal. While Yoona and Seohyun are both excited to see Yeri joining them the next day.

Suddenly, Seohyun's phone is ringing from the room in the middle of their dinner. Everyone raise their brows, as they looked at the room's door.

"Do you expect anyone to call you?" Yoona asks softly, having this guess in her mind.

"Nope. But I'll pick it up anyway." Seohyun left to excuse and answer the call.

"Aigoo, she should have wait that person. It's bad to leave meals." Ji-Hyun shakes her head in disappointment.

Yoona and Yeri both awkwardly smile to one another, upon hearing the latter's comment. Seohyun returned after a while and apologize for leaving in the middle of their dinner.

"Was that Changmin?" Both Yoona and Yeri asked together to Seohyun, who looked at them in amusement.

"Were you guys expecting him more than me?" Seohyun chuckled.

"Well, just guessing." Said Yoona.

"You know Changmin Oppa is unpredictable. He's maybe busy with his family business, but he always finds a way to call you." Yeri explained on the other hand.

"Whoa, he is a businessman?" Yoona somehow didn't expect it.

"Just a small farm of oranges." Seohyun informed. "He is the one handling it now, since his parents are both abroad and his grandparents are too old to take care of it. Um, speaking of him, he called because he wants to hang out tomorrow, but I declined."

"Why not?" Yeri exclaimed.

"Didn't we just talked about it earlier?" Seohyun reminded her sister as she glanced to Yoona, who shyly smiled at her.

"Yeah, my bad." Yeri had another reason to be awkward, flashing another smile to her employer.

"Why did you decline? You can't use all the day in searching for that person, Joohyun." Unfortunately, Ji-Hyun is against it. She startled everyone when she suddenly spoke in a hard voice. "Come on, it had been a while since you hang-out with Changmin. You should see him tomorrow after your search."

"Unnie, it's-"

"Maybe in the afternoon. I don't think that's hard to do." Ji-hyun added, not letting her niece reacts.

"Unnie-" Yeri tried to react also but got interrupted.

"You and Yeri, you guys come and see him. Don't make him feel like you never like to hang out with him anymore just because you guys have a guest here."

Yoona choke at her own food and immediately took the glass of water on the side and drinks slowly but surely. 'Why am I suddenly not welcomed?' She felt like the Seo's Auntie is against her stay in their house, that it's suddenly upsetting to her.

"It's not the only reason you guys went home, araso?" Ji-Hyun firmly stated. "So you guys come and see him, before he starts forgetting he has two good friends for a decade now."

Seohyun sighs and Yeri rolled her eyes.

'Well, that's savage.' Yoona sure Ji-Hyun is indicating she isn't the Seo siblings' friends yet.

-

It been almost midnight when Seohyun could no longer wait for tomorrow, and she grabs her phone, get up and calls her best friend. She had been thinking about her dress not only worried but also wants to know where did her best friend go and she borrowed her dress. Not to mention, her favourite dress that she really bought for herself as a gift for her hard work.

"What the." But much to her dismay, the blonde girl isn't answering. She pressed the call button again as she made her way to the living room, sitting at the couch casually. "!" When only to get the same result. But she had to blink and blink when she realized that there's another voice who made the same expression as her. She turned her head to the left, only to find Yoona, holding her phone next to her ear. "Omo, what are you doing there?" And that surprised her.

"I was trying to contact my cousin." Yoona informed, as she approached the younger one and takes her seat next to her eventually. "How about you? It's almost midnight, why are you still up?" She chuckled and glanced to the latter's room she shared with her sister. "Your sister must still be awake too?"

"Nope." Seohyun shakes her head a little. "She fell asleep so early. Why are you trying to contact your cousin too? It's too late to do it."

"I got worried for my huggie. I wanted to know if she's doing alright." Yoona said and smiled. "How about you?"

"Oh, I can't go to bed early too because my best friend borrowed my dress. I am also worried something will happened to it. I mean, I know her well, she can be clumsy like me." Seohyun giggles. "and of course, I'm curious what will she use for it. It's just too sudden."

"Guess, your best friend also can't be contacted?" Yoona can tell it in advance, with what she also heard from Seohyun earlier.

Seohyun sighed and nodded. "Unfortunately. I guess I just have to wait until tomorrow. She better tell me a good news, otherwise, I'm ripping her apart."

"Me too. My huggie is too precious that she shouldn't forget about her." Yoona did the same pout. But when they realized it, they both giggle. "So what are we going to do now?"

"Going back to bed?" Seohyun replied in an instant.

"I don't think I can... Yet." Yoona however doesn't agree.

"Why not?" Seohyun got curious.

"I mean, I'm not sleepy yet. How about you?"

"I'm... I don't know. Maybe if I lie down and don't think too much anymore I'll get to sleep." Seohyun said not sure about it.

"Oh, then good night." Yoona stood up from the couch. She doesn't know why but she's a little upset to know. "I think I'll just do the same." She smiled reassuringly.

Seohyun also stood on her feet. "Okay, good night as well, Yoona." And she returned the smile before she went to her room and so as Yoona.

However, as soon as the next door was closed, the deer exited her bedroom and check if the other girl really has gone to bed. She decided to return to the couch and opens her phone again to try to contact her cousin but for the nth time, she fails to contact her. "What is this nigga doing? I don't think she sleeps early now." She felt a bit strange, knowing that cousin of hers well. "Aish, I can't sleep." So instead of trying to contact her again, she decided to kill herself in playing a game. In just a minute, she got engrossed to it.

Moments later, she didn't notice Seohyun is walking out her bedroom as well. And the girl is surprised to see the doe-eyed is awake still. 'I thought she doing the same thing?' She thought, slowly tiptoeing until she reached the couch.

"Oh, Geez." Yoona literally jumps from her seat when she saw Seohyun already standing by the end of the couch with a flashlight under her face. "Why didn't you call me? You freaking scared me!!" She exclaimed, as she tries to calm her heart down.

Seohyun blinks... blinks and blinks. "Should I call you first? You seem to be so into your phone. I don't want to disturb you." and explains just vaguely.

Yoona sighs. "Aigoo, fine. But why are you holding that flashlight? The lights can be turn on, you know." taking her seat back to the couch.

"I don't want to waste energy. Why are you still here, though? I thought you have already gone to bed?" Seohyun followed the doe-eyed girl to the couch, and she attempts to see the latter's phone but Yoona avoided and put her phone down.

"You. I should ask the same. Why are you still here? You shouldn't be staying up late, Seo Joohyun."

Seohyun scoffs. "This is my home, so I have the right to do so. And besides, I still can't sleep as well."

"Oh, really?" Yoona chuckled lightly.

"I'm still thinking of my dress." Seohyun confessed with a sigh, crossing her arms as she leans to the couch. "And my best friend, who is apparently alone in our house."

"You guys live together?"

Seohyun nodded. "Yup. Together without sisters. Wait, her sister is probably there too, so she won't be alone, though."

"That's sound so cool. It must be so fun too, living with them?"

"Absolutely. There are no dull moments." A small smile formed in Seohyun's lips, as she glances to the deer.

"I'm a little jealous. I mean, I only live alone. And my cousin only visits me if she wants to."

"Well, that's not a bad thing."

"How can you say so?"

"Independent. You are being independent, and that's something I'd like to do too. Fortunately, I have a sister that's still studying. I have to support her first. Otherwise, I am already living alone."

"Living alone is hard too."

"I think you are not?"

"It's hard because I don't have someone that can help me in chores. I have to always be the one doing it. As well as doing all my meals. Well, no choice?"

"Ha! That's the good thing about it. You can learn to do it in your own. You know, you don't have to depend on somebody. It's impressive you know. I'm a chef after all."

"But it's lonely... at least sometimes. I have huggie with me, on the first place. She's the one making me like I am not living alone." Yoona smiled, proudly.

"No wonder you got a puppy." Seohyun giggles. "She's adorable; she would never fail to make your day."

"Exactly." Yoona stands up and walked to the TV. She took the remote and opens it.

"What are you doing?"

"Since we both know we can't sleep. Let's just watch some late dramas."

"Have you watched dramas lately?" Seohyun doubts.

As Yoona took her seat back, she shakes her head. "This is the first time since I came home." and sheepishly smile.

"How can you relate to the drama?" Seohyun frowned.

"Have you watched one as well?"

She shakes her head however.

"Then we are both not going to understand the drama. But to company us, and who knows will help us gets sleepy? Let's watch this." Yoona said and changed the channel to a famous channel. Just like the two of them have expected, a drama is apparently on air.

"We're really going to enjoy this." Said Seohyun, sarcastically, earning laughter from the doe-eyed girl.

One hour since they started watching a random drama...

"Why did we even watch this?"

"I don't neither know." Both girls are ugly crying because the ending is so sad and that, they wished they never choose to watch a drama.

"How are we going to sleep tonight?"