Dawon looked up to Dabin then to their entwined hands. There was always a smile on Dabin’s lips. They arrived in front of Dawon’s school. Dawon saw some kids had their parents sent them to school with expensive cars.

“There” Dabin knelt before her and fixed the bow on her hair. “Have a nice day. Study hard, okay?”

“Nae, eonni” Dawon nodded with a bright smile. Dabin looked down to her bag. “Yah, Lee Dawon” she spun her around and grabbed the dolls hung on her bag. “Do you have to bring your toys to school?”

“This is not toys” Dawon pouted and fixed the dolls hung on her bag. “They’re my guardian”

“Then what about me?” Dabin smirked. “I knew you’d forget about me”

“No, eonni” Dawon embraced her sister. Dabin chuckled. “I’ll never forget you, eonni” Dawon replied.

“Nae nae” Dabin broke the hug. “Now go in. I’ll see you later at home”

“Nae. Bye, eonni” Dawon waved at her before ran into the school compound.

Dabin looked at her with a smile.

* * *

Dawon was in her class and it was recess. Her other girl friends were playing with their dolls among themselves. Dawon sighed and looked down to her dolls. All of her dolls were male, not like her friends’. Her girl classmates glanced at her and laughed among themselves. Dawon clenched her fist in anger and shot up. She knew they were bad mouthing about her. “Yah! I know you’re talking about me!”

“Omo!” one of them stood and approached her. “So you know?” she pushed Dawon’s shoulder but Dawon was stronger that she didn’t budge a bit. Some of her other friends stood too and circled her. “What are you going to do about it?! Cry?! Call your mom?!”

“Shut it!” Dawon pulled the girl’s hair and they broke into fight. The other classmates stared at them in fear, not wanting to involve themselves.

"I'm so sorry, ma’am" Dabin bowed for the tenth times to the teacher in front of her. The female teacher sighed and looked away. Dabin glanced at Dawon beside her and nudged her, asking her to bow too. Dawon sighed and rolled her eyes. She gave her teacher a quick half-hearted bow. "Yah" Dabin hissed and met eyes with the teacher. The teacher mustered a smile. "I understand your situation" she began. "Dawon is a bright student. And I don’t blame her for her aggressive behaviour. But I suggest you to" she cleared and leaned in to Dabin, not wanting to let Dawon hear. "Consider taking her to counsellor. Her temper might affect her brain"

"Teacher" Dawon expressed her disagreement. "They pick on me first or I wouldn’t thrash them!"
 

"Yah, stay quiet" Dabin warned her again. Dabin turned to the teacher and smiled. "I don't think that necessary, ma’am. My sister is totally sane though she doesn’t look like one to you. Well, if you excuse me" Dabin bowed and dragged Dawon with her, leaving the teacher speechless.
 

Dawon sent Dabin to the school gate.
 

"Eonni" Dawon called but Dabin didnt reply. "I'm sorry for making you come here again"
 

Dabin stopped and turned to face her. "Let's get out of here"

"What?" "Both of us are going to transfer school just like you suggest. I mean, how can a teacher even say her student like that?" Dabin rolled her eyes. "She doesn’t even know you like I do! And she just simply said you can go crazy just because of your temper! What absurd!"

Dawon chuckled at her reaction. "But I do need to work on my temper"

"Why are into the fight again? Tell me everything again. I have a hard time believing in your teacher" "Well the girls keep on making things up about me. And I just can't stand them" Dabin sighed with a smirk. "We just can't satisfy everyone around us, do we?"
"I guess so" "You know what? Just ignore them. I know you can"

They stopped at the gate.

"Go home safely later" Dabin told. "Nae you too" "Nae" Dabin waved and was about to go.
"Eonni" Dawon called. Dabin turned to her.

"About transferring school. Are you serious about it?" "Sure. I already look into the school you suggested" "Oh I see" "Why? You don’t want to leave?" "I do hate some people in the school but-" "You still love some of them and you'll miss the memories here?" "Uhuh"
"Yah, no worry. It's not that we're transferring tomorrow. I give you a month to reminisce all your memory here. Okay with that?"

Dawon's lips stretched into a broad smile. "More than enough. Thank you, eonni"

"You're welcome" Dabin smirked and waved her hand. "Now go in"

"Nae. Bye" Dawon waved and ran into the school again.

* * *

Dawon shifted her views out to the pond in her house. The table before her was full of books. It was her homework. A bouquet of plucked flower from the school compound was on edge of the table. She recalled her one and only close friend gave her the flower just now at school since it was her last day at the school. Dawon sighed. “Now I’m out from that so-called prestigious private school”

“Bu what if the school I will be transferred to is worse than that school?” She looked down to her soft dolls beside her. There were 6 of them. And they were already stained from her playing with them all the time. Most of them had messy stiches on them due to tore. Dawon brushed her finger on one of the dolls with bright coloured hair as the black dye washed out from the sunlight.

“I’m home!” Dabin could be heard as the door was opened. “Dawon-ah!” another female voice could be heard. Dawon gasped with a broad smile and lifted her head. She rushed to the door.

“Boram eonni!”

“Hi!” Boram made her way into the house after Dabin. “How are you?” Boram knelt before Dawon and caressed her head. “I’m fine, eonni” Dawon nodded. She took her hand. “Come in”

Dabin entered the living room and saw the mess Dawon had created. “Yah, clean this place up”

“Nae nae. Sorry” Dawon rushed to pick up her books and dolls then put them aside. “Here” Boram placed a cake box on the table while Dabin went to the kitchen to grab the plates and make some refreshment.

“What’s that for?” Dawon had her eyes glued to the yummy looking cake Boram took out from the box. “Eonni, aren’t you supposed to be at work now?” Dawon lifted her head to Dabin as she joined them with empty plates.

“I kidnapped her from work” Boram explained, eyes trailed to Dabin. “It’s her last day at school before leaving me alone. So I thought of celebrating the day together”

“You know her, right?” Dabin smirked to Dawon. Dawon chuckled. “That’s so nice of you Boram eonni. Thank you for caring so much for my sister”

“Don’t mention it” Boram smiled to Dawon. Dabin went to the kitchen again. “I’ll miss her so much after this”

Dawon saw the melancholy in Boram’s eyes.

“Eonni” Dawon called. “You know you can always visit us like you always did”

“Yes I know” Boram swallowed pass the lump. “But she’ll not be by my side at school. I’ll feel lonely without her nagging at me everyday”

Dawon hugged her. Boram caressed her head and mustered a smile. “I wish both of you luck for your new school”

* * *

The three were at the table, enjoying the cake.

“Oh, I almost forgot” Boram bent down to her school bag. She took out a metal bracelet with a few small flowers as its decoration. “For you” she held it out to Dawon.

“Woah!” Dawon took and wore it. Her eyes glued to the bracelet that was a bit bigger than her wrist. “It looks beautiful! Thank you, Boram eonni”

“You’re welcome. But it’s a bit big for you” “Nah it’s okay. I still love it”

“Lucky you have your own bracelet now” Dabin said. “Don’t wear mine after this”

“Nae nae” Dawon didn’t even lifted her head to her, ignoring her. Boram smirked at their interaction.

* * *

Dawon was in the kitchen, doing dishes. The sound of the main door made her lifted her head up.

“You home?” Dawon glanced back at Dabin who leaned against the doorframe. A faint smile appeared on her lips. “Want to eat?” “Nah. It’s okay” Dabin grabbed two slices of bread. “I’ll just eat this. I’m not that hungry myself. Plus, I have piles of homework to do”

“Eonni” “Yes?” “Don’t you want to stop working? You seem tired” “No I’m just fine. I need to head to my room now. Don’t forget to lock the doors” she ruffled her head before leaving Dawon alone. Dawon eyes went down to the dinner she had left for her sister then to her dolls on the table too. “I wish I can help Dabin eonni. I want to grow up and help her. Being a small kid like me can’t help much”

Dawon was watching the TV alone. Her eyes went to the clock and it was already her bedtime. She took all her dolls in one hand and turned off the electricity in the living room and kitchen. She locked the doors and walked into the hallway to her room that was opposite Dabin’s room. The door was left ajar and Dawon peeked on her sister. Dabin was glued to her chair and immersed in her homework. Dawon walked into her room and closed the door. “Poor eonni” tears slid down her face. “She must be exhausted. And all I can do is watch her suffering alone”

* * *

It was 4 in the morning. Dawon got out from the toilet. *I wonder if eonni is asleep* She tip toed out of her room and peeked on Dabin. Dabin was still wide awake. Her hands pinched on her dizzy head.

“Eonni” Dawon called and entered the room. Dabin turned to her. “Dawon-ah, aren’t you asleep yet?”

“I went to the toilet just now. You’re still up?” “Yes” Dabin chuckled. “But just a bit more and I complete my homework”

Dawon saw the books scattered on the desk. Dabin had been doing the task double.

“Come” Dabin stood and took her hand. “Let me send you to bed”

Dawon laid in her bed and Dabin pulled the cover over her little sister. “Good night. Sweet dream”

“You should sleep too, eonni” “Nae. Just a bit more and I’ll go to sleep” Dabin caressed her head. She smiled at her before left the room.

Dawon turned to her side to meet the dolls. She pulled them into her embrace and drifted into a deep slumber.