“You scared me..” A faint whisper along with the sound of the machine echoed throughout the dull room. 

The white walls were adorned by papers scribbled with familiar names, different flowers in odd shapes and sizes, and messages in messed up spellings. Upon the cabinet near the couch were chocolates and roses, and written notes from the faculty and nurses embellished the wooden board.

Three months undeniably passed since the room was occupied, but the sullen mood still hasn’t been changed though it already is as colorful as the children’s drawings. The same atmosphere hasn’t lightened even a bit even if the room was being visited by familiar faces often, mostly from the child’s kindergarten.

“Don’t do that again, please.” Yuna reached out for the small hand. No one knows how much she misses the way those little fingers would wrap around hers and the way a smile would crept into the child’s lips as her eyes would look up at her lovingly, or the times when she would silently go to her office at home and leaves encouraging words written in colorful markers which Yuna scolds her for as she sees it as a waste of sticky notes.

She knows she should’ve cherished those days and even consider being a mother to her even once. She knows she could’ve been at least kind amidst the fact that she neglected everything and left her on her younger sister’s care.

Why did she even turn her anger towards the innocent child? Just like what SinB once stated, let’s say the child was the reason her life was ruined, but is it necessary to ruin the kid’s life as well?

People say, regret always comes last, but she never thought it could be this devastating. She spent the first month shutting herself away from everyone including SinB, and spent the second doing nothing but the work she has to deal with. She had to be slapped by the truth to get herself together on the third month to which the younger had succeeded. 

She looked pathetic: almost like the definition of a walking ‘depression’ from being an epitome of the word ‘stress’. In fact, she doesn’t even look like ‘Yuna’ anymore: the bags under her eyes turned into carriers, her arms and legs were stick-thin as if she never had a proper meal after the accident. 

Multiple unstable conditions has happened throughout these past few weeks, and Yuna swore she wouldn’t have survived if it wasn’t for the people around her giving her assurance that one day, everything will fall back to its place. 

“She just needed a pound of faith”—That’s at least what her cousin, Sojung, had left her as a reminder.

“Promise me you won’t do it again and wake up soon, baby. Will you?” Yuna linked their pinkies, but as usual, she never received even a flinch as a response. The doctor had stated it is best if she would always communicate with her as the patient is aware of that action though responses are absent, and it is surely a big help. “If you promise me, I’ll book a flight to Disneyland like what you’ve had requested for your birthday.”

If the kid was just awake, a cheeky smile is already painted upon her face as she yells ‘promise’. 

“People say silence means yes.” Yuna sniffed as she caressed those little fingers. “I’ll take it as a yes, then.”

A smile soon made its way to her own as the thought of the child smiling crossed her mind. Yuri doesn’t look like her that much overall, but she surely got her round innocent eyes. She also got the way she speaks, and even got her passion for art and music. 

The child was a prodigy, just like how her mother was recognized for her multiple talents years back. She speaks with a mind of a poet; a keen observer who has logical things to suggest than what an adult could do. She even has more to say about the company than SinB, and all of them are aware it is not usual for a four year-old. 

Let’s say she got her father’s features, but her character was the exact copy of her mom.

The silence was interrupted when the door suddenly opened, revealing SinB with a cheeky smile to which Yuna replied with rolling her eyes.

“What’s the matter now?” The older wiped her eyes and cheeks with the back of her hand as she let go of the child. She’s close to thinking that SinB’s reason for existence is to ruin her drama and reminiscent with the multiple coincidences.

“I haven’t had my dinner yet, Yuna—I mean, unnie.” The pout on SinB’s face would have been annoying to her if they were not on their current situation and if they were still the same old kids fighting because of them being half-sisters. But, they’re all grownups. A lot of things already changed as time passed by.

“You only call me unnie out of adrenaline or when you really just need something. Tsk!” Yuna rummaged through her bag for her stewed-cherry wallet, and carefully took out her card before giving it to the younger.

“You still haven’t eaten dinner too.” With the obvious remark, Yuna raised an eyebrow.

“So?”

Yes, a lot of things have changed, but Yuna’s infamous ‘So?’ remained an exception.

‘Just like the old times..’ SinB thought.

“So.. stand up and eat with me.” The younger finally made her way towards Yuna as she took the card from the latter’s hand, then proceeded on pulling her out of her seat. “I don’t take no for an answer.”

“I’m not hungry, Hwang.” Yuna didn’t even budge as her shoulders sank down into an attempt on lying about being full when the truth is, she has no appetite for anything as of the moment: the same feeling she always had since the day of the accident, and the reason for her drastic weight loss.

“Lie to anyone but not to me. And besides, it has been weeks since I last talked to you properly. You love your work more than me now, huh?” SinB is never the type of person who gives up easily. She had survived the civil war between her and Yuna for countless years and she never even thought of giving up even once. This is just a simple argument on taking her out for dinner.

“When did I even love you more than my work?” With the question, SinB held a tighter grip on Yuna’s arm, making her wince at the sudden force. 

“I’m just joking.” The younger finally loosened her grip with a pout. “I’m not in the mood to play with you or to hear your nagging, Hwang Eunbi. And besides,” Yuna mimicked the ‘as-a-matter-of-fact’ tone that SinB had used. “we already talked at the café, right?”

“Talked about the man you ed, yeah. But the casual talks without drama or asking favors, hell no.” The death glares the younger just received didn’t even scare her like how they usually do. She’s determined to take her out for tonight as she knows how stressed out she must be with all the current happenings. She’s fully aware the older needs a break. “I waited for you for hours just to eat dinner with you and now you’re gonna throw my effort away? You’re heartless.”

“Who told you to wait for me though? And I know I’m heartless.” The bitter chuckle that came out of Yuna’s lips went unnoticed. “Spend all the money you want. I’m not going.” 

“I don’t want money. I wanna eat with you.” This time, SinB stopped. Yuna was about to sigh in relief when SinB suddenly turned to the child in a deep sleep.

“Yuri-ah, look at Mommy. She doesn’t want to eat. You don’t like it when she skip meals, right?” The younger once again turned to her older sister with a playful expression etched upon her flawless face. The last sentence she just stated was nothing but a mere fact. Yuri would always ask her if she could use her phone to call Yuna or at least message her to know if she had eaten already, but that little fact was unknown to Yuna herself. 

“And I already called Nurse Han to look after Yuri, Yuna—I mean, unnie.”

“Fine. But never call me by my name from now on. ‘Tis the nth warning, you prick.” The older stood up and fixed herself, slightly turning to the sleeping child before planting a soft, gentle kiss upon the latter’s forehead. The kid had a silky hair which color is that of a dark chocolate that falls nicely upon her back, and a fringe the same as Yuna’s. But, those glorious strands are now nowhere to be seen as they were replaced with a white dressing to cover the surgery gashes.

“Where’s Sojung-unnie, by the way?” Yuna grabbed her bag as she asked the question. She knew she had to at least apologize for ignoring the woman a while ago because of the growing emotions. It was indeed embarrassing to do: asking her to keep an eye on Yuri for three whole days then ignoring her with the height of the situation. The oldest among them had children to tend to also at their home yet she willingly agreed with the favor Yuna asked, but there she was, failing to express even a hint of gratitude.

“She already left, unnie. Jin-oppa called a while ago, unnie, ‘cause Sojin got some problems at school, unnie.” SinB’s shoulders sank down with the haunting memory of the seven year-old kid. She slightly leaned towards Yuna as they made their way out of the hospital room. “You know, unnie, sorry to Sojung-unnie and Jin-oppa, but that kid is a pain in the , unnie.”

“No need to tell me, Eunbi-ah. I knew that from the start. And