“I’m afraid this will be the last time we see each other. Because I don’t want to disturb your happy time with your sister. Please appreciate her present while she’s still around. That way you don’t feel bad when she’s gone”

                Dawon bit her quivering lips, trying to hold back her tears but her tears betrayed her and slid down her cheeks at the thought of her sister who was about to leave her. Seungmi caressed her head with a warm smile.

“Thank you, eonni” “Nae. Thank you too, Dawon. I wish you good luck in future” she whispered back.

                Donghyun watched them with a small smile.  

*             *             *

                Dawon watched Dabin from outside of the school building. Dabin was busy chatting with her friends at the corridor since it was recess time. Dawon’s face fell towards the ground, tears stained her sneakers. Her heart shattered every time she saw her sister.

“Is that why all of you exist and I’m in this situation?” she asked. Dawon glanced at Taedong behind her. He couldn’t meet her eyes. “We don’t like to talk about it but you’re right” Moonbok answered. “You’re born again to help avoid your sister’s death”

“What truth more do you hide away from me? That I will not return as myself again. Am I dead?!”

                Moonbok and Taedong looked at each other. Donghyun came and joined them.

“No, Dawon. It’s not that we want to hide it from you” Donghyun explained. “Alright I know I’m just a little girl who shouldn’t know certain things you adults tried to hide! No” she looked at Donghyun then to Taedong and Moonbok. “It seems that you don’t understand human feeling at all because I’ve treat you as dolls for too long!”

“Lee Dawon!” Donghyun snarled in anger. The two exchanged intense stares before Dawon ran off away.

“Yah!” Donghyun caught to her and spun her around to face him. His hand gripped tightly onto her wrist. “Can you at least think before you talk?! You hurt the others too you know?!”

                Dawon yanked her arms back. She rolled her eyes in annoyance. “You never know how I feel! You’re just a stuffed toy, Donghyun!”

                His eyes wavered and he bit his lips. “Yes. You’re right, Dawon. I may not understand how you feel. I’m imperfect. Just like human. Doesn’t that make me a human too? Why can’t you treat us like any other human? Why can you know that we’ve been much worse than you? Taedong, Donghan, Moonbok. They all have been murdered by their own family members. Yehyeon, Hyunbin and Sunghyuk had to witness their family members, their loved ones killed cruelly with their own eyes. Do you think all of us okay with Dabin’s departure?! It’s like watching all of our dark memories replay before our eyes again! We know how hurt it feel, Dawon. So please don’t treat us any different than any other human being with feelings. We WERE human. Remember that”

                Dawon looked away and wiped the tears away. She swallowed pass the lump. “I must have been too stressed. Sorry for making you tell me all of this. But” she faced down as tears slid down her face. “Dabin eonni. I don’t want to lose her”

“That’s why you’re here, Dawon. To attempt to save her. To avoid the accident” “Do I have to lock her in the house all day to avoid her from going to the road? But that will only make her unhappy” she wiped her tears away. “I don’t know what to do, Donghyun”

                He stepped towards her and pulled her into embrace. She sobs harder on his shoulder. She could felt as if all her world shattered into pieces as she had to bid goodbye forever to her one and only elder sister. Donghyun caressed her head. “I wish I can help you, Dawon” he whispered. Tears slid down his cheeks too.

*             *             *

“Wendy eonni!” Dabin caught up to Dawon before she could leave the school gym area. The students were busy making preparing for the upcoming festival. “Hey” Dawon mustered a smile at her. *I can’t believe that she’s going*

“Will you make it to our festival?” “I’ll try to come. It’s next week, right?” “Yes. 5^th July”

-Flashback-

                Dawon looked at the calendar again. The date marked on it. 5^th of July.

-End of flashback-

                Donghyun appeared behind her. “I’m not sure if Wendy can make it. She has an important meeting on that day”

“Really?” Dabin pouted. “But I really want to see everyone at the festival”

“We’ll try to make our time to come here. Don’t worry” he smiled. “Yay! Thank you” she was jolly.

“Dabin-ah!” Jaehyun came running to them. He saw Dawon. “Hi, Wendy noona”

“What’s up!” Dawon raised her hand to him in acknowledgement.

“Oh I forgot you two are cousin” Dabin voiced. “You told her, Jaehyun?” “Nae” he nodded. “She needs to know everything about me since we’re seeing each other now” he gave her a smile. Dabin looked away in embarrasement, lips still smiling.

                Dawon tried to hold her laughter at these couple lovey-dovey interaction.

“Here” Jaehyun held out a sketch book to Dabin. “I found this dropped in the hallway. And it has your name on it so it must be yours”

                Dabin gasped and snatched it from him. “You look at the inside?”

“Yes” he nodded and bit his lips. “And we should talk about this again, Lee Dabin”

                Donghyun looked at Jaehyun and Dabin one after another. He held onto Dawon’s arm.

“We’ll take our leave then. See you at the festival”

“Nae” Dabin bowed and waved as Dawon and Donghyun entered their car. Dawon watched at Dabin and Jaehyun as they drove away. She turned to Donghyun.

“Yah, I’m not done talking to eonni”

“Dawon-ah, they need some time alone” he answered. She titled her head. “What do you mean?”   

*             *             *

“Yah, Jaehyun!” Dabin yanked her arm back as he dragged her to the empty hallway. Jaehyun turned to her with a frustrated sigh. “What’s wrong?” she noticed he was not happy as always. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Woobin” he spoke. “That’s you right?”

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A/N: A few more chapters to go~!!! Thank u for reading~!!!! <3