The Morgue, April 2015,

 

Kim Moonkyu:

 

That day, that beautiful spring day, Teresa and I went to the morgue after doing the crematorium procession for our parents. Now, there was only the two of us, my baby little sister, Teresa and me. Teresa was crying inside Hansol's embrace. Both of them were really close, she likes being around Hansol and I was so happy that she could mingle with my friends.

 

Most of the guys wouldn't even introduce their friends to their sister. But i wouldn't do that. I would rather introduce people close to me and whom i knew better than I know myself to my sister rather than let her meet a stranger even at the school. I felt saver to let her mingle with my friends rather than to know some strangers at her school or at the prep-school I pushed her to attend.

 

"I'm not continuing college," I said to myself. Apparently, someone heard it clear enough.

"Why wouldn't you?" Raehwan hyung asked with a puzzled look.

"I need to make a living, pay the house rent, pay the bills, pay her tuition, if I don't take the leave, she would be suffering, hyung," I explained.

"We'll share with you, Moonkyu ah. You need to continue college." Donghyun hyung, the eldest of our circle said as he patted my shoulder.

"But hyung, I don't want to burden you all," I looked at him. I knew this hyung pretty well, he's running the prep-school and he also needs to make a living. He's got a sister and a younger brother to take care as well.

"Teresa is our sister too, don't forget that," Hansol said as he hugged my sister protectively.

 

I never regret having friends like them. They are more than friends to me. Even to Teresa, these guys are like the nine different version of brother. I know Hansol liked her so much since we were little and i would give my full blessing for them when the time is here.

 

“Don’t Worry, Moonkyu ah. We’ll always be here for you and Moonhee,” This time Raehwan hyung said and patted my shoulder.

“I’ll take Teresa home first. She’s got fever I think this is so hard for her,” Hansol said as I nodded my head and let him go with my sister.

“Thank you so much, guys,” I said as I invited all of them to join me for a group hug after sending Moonhee and Hansol to the parking lot.

“You know you can always count on us, Moonkyu hyung,” Geonmin said earning nods of agreement from everyone.

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Ji Hansol:

 

After the funeral, I accompanied Teresa at home. She was so shook at her parents’ death and now her condition dropped. I wished i could do more than just hugging her like this. She used to be a bright and cheerful girl back then, before the doctor diagnosed his mother with terminal illness and his father’s plane got hijacked in the middle of his flight back to Korea.

 

She used to have a lot of friends. But now, she was someone who always walks out from the school with a heavy heart, and closes herself to people around her. She turned her back to people because she was afraid that she might lose another one just like she lost her mother and father.

 

“Moonhee ya,” I opened my mouth to break out the silence.

“Oppa,” she leaned her head on my shoulder while my hands were enveloping her body, trying to make her warm.

“Don’t be sad, I’m here,” I said, wiping her tears away with my thumb.

“Why is the universe so mean to me?” She asked.

“No, look at the silver lining, you even had the whole team looking out for you,” I said. 

 

To be really really honest, I have been crushing on her since the first day I decided to be friends with Moonkyu hyung. 13 years ago, when I was 11 years old, and she was 9, I first knew her. Moonhee was a cute and bubbly 3^rd grader. I was a 5^th grader back then, and I went to the same school as both Moonhee and Moonkyu hyung. We usually spend time together after school. She loved eating ice cream, strawberry flavored ones. Our parents were good friends and my parents once said that they would let me marry Moonhee once we grow up because I always told them how I liked her so much.

 

She slept in my embrace and snuggled on my shoulder. Her fever went down after drinking a cup of honey citron tea my mother stored for her. I just wished I could date her already. I knew it would be hard. But I wanted to take part in protecting her. She had been through a lot of hard times already. Nobody knew what she had been through but me. I saw how she suffered through all the bullying at her school because everyone wants to know about her brother’s inner circle. Moonhee had to go through this on her own and she only got me to cover for her.

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