Chapter 9

“Hi Steph! Wouldn’t you give your brother a hug?”

Tiffany remained rooted on her place not believing that her brother was in front of her right now with arms open wide and eyes disappearing smiling from ear to ear.

“Hey aren’t you happy to see me?” Leo asked his sister who was just staring at him.

A few seconds have passed and Tiffany still remained unmoving. Sooyoung seeing the smile from Leo slowly fading, nudge her motionless friend which cause the brunette to finally come to her senses and realized that her brother was really there looking at her with a big smile. Noticing that her brother looked worried and disappointed she quickly approached him and gave him a hug.

“Oppa!” Tiffany tightly hug her brother. Feeling overwhelmed of his presence and warm embraced, she soon sobbed on his arms. All the longing she had been feeling all these years have finally poured out. Seeing her brother made her realized how much she missed being around her family and how long they haven’t seen each other. 

After a few minutes, Tiffany finished crying and had already calmed down when she remembered Sooyoung. She looked backed only to find her friend missing.

“Your friend already went inside your apartment.” Leo said while chuckling at her confused sister.

“Oh. Let’s also go in Oppa. We have a lot of catching up to do.” Tiffany said as she dragged her brother inside her apartment.

“Oppa make yourself at home. Have you had dinner yet?” She asked as the two of them settled on the couch of her living room where her friend was still nowhere to be found. She must be in the kitchen. Hahaha, typical Sooyoung who you will always find wherever the food is.

“Yes. I had an early dinner meeting before I came here.” Leo answered while he was looking around her sister’s apartment. 

Walls were painted in mostly white with a touch of pink. There were different magazines on the table that ranges from fashion to health topics. He saw photos of their family on the cabinet along with a few books and DVD's that he was sure was mostly Romcom in genre, knowing her sister's love for romance and happy endings. A picture of Tiffany’s graduation hanging on the wall caught Leo’s attention.

Sadness enveloped him while looking at the picture. It reminded Leo of those times he missed the milestones and achievements her sister experienced. He feel disappointed not witnessing how Tiffany overcome many obstacles in order to succeed and become what she is today. He was also feeling somewhat guilty that he was not there with her when she was struggling and was faced life with difficulties.

Worried seeing the solemn face of her brother, Tiffany called him to get his attention.

“Oppa!”

A yell interrupted his thoughts. "Yah! Your still the same. Loud as ever.” Leo said chuckling at her pouting sister.

“But—“

“No buts. Anyways, no need to shout I’m just right here in front of you. Have pity on my ears.” Leo said while laughing, happy to sister once again.

Tiffany sighed, “Oppa your mean. I just wanted to ask you if your okay. You looked sad earlier.”

“What!? Of course not. I’m really happy to see you. See this smile.” Leo said smiling from ear to ear.

“You sure?”Tiffany asked still skeptical.

Smiles disappearing Leo breathe loudly before answering her, “It’s nothing, really. It’s just that when I saw your graduation picture it reminded me of how much you have grown without us by your side. It's been what? Seven years since we last saw each other in person although we have constant communication it's diffirent seeing you face to face right now." He sighed, "Steph I'm proud of what you have achieved for past years."

Tiffany smiled at her brother, happy of what he said. "Oppa don't be too dramatic. It doesn't suit you." She joked wanting to lighten up the atmosphere.

"Hahaha, but seriously I am really proud of you. I know Mom and Dad and Michelle feels the same way. Speaking of Dad, have you talked to him?"

"Nope, the last time I talked to him was a few months ago. He was still angry at me for going here and not accepting anything from him since I left," Tiffany sighed. He misses her father but he won't still talked to her properly. The longest conversation they had was probably her first month in Korea where he insisted that she should go back to the US.

"He's not angry at you. You are his youngest how could he stay mad at you? You know he was just worried about you being all alone here. He actually misses you."

"Oppa, you're kidding right?"

Leo shook his head. "Of course not. Why would I be lying?"

"Then why doesn't he talked to me properly. I could only speak with him if I would call him first and mind you Oppa he never initiated contact during the past years. I would always be the one calling him." Tiffany sighed finally airing her frustration over her father.

"You know how stubborn Dad is, he just wanted you to comeback home. And Steph may I remind you that you haven't visited us for the past seven years. You didn't even attended Dad's 60th birthday. Dad waited for you to show up you know. He was very sad when you didn't came."

Seeing the guilty look her sister was wearing, Leo appoached Tiffany and embraced her. He patted her back to comfort her. "All I'm saying is that Dad was not mad at you. Stop looking so down. Although he doesn't talk that much when you were calling him, he always answer all your calls even if he was busy or even if he was in the middle of a meeting and I know that he never hanged the phone if you were the one calling him."

Tiffany felt guiltier upon hearing what her brother said. He was right, everytime he called her Dad he always answer the phone and just let her talked about her day. And now she realized how she had taken her Dad for granted, she should really apologize to her father as soon as possible.

"You were right. Sighed. I should apologize to him."

"Yeah, you should."

A distant sound of a spoon that dropped broke the hug the siblings were in. "I did not come here to make you cry." Leo smiled at Tiffany before going back to his seat.

Tiffany returned his smile. "I'm not so sure about that Oppa. You already made me cry twice and it's not even an hour since you arrived." Leo just laughed at her.

She suddenly remembered Sooyoung was still at her apartment. I should probably go check on her.

"Oppa I'll just go get something to drink and I also would check on my friend so make yourself at home. I'll be quick."

"It's okay. Take your time."

Tiffany went to the kitchen, there she saw Sooyoung sitting in a kitchen stool engrossed in eating. One of the three boxes of chicken was empty. Sooyoung was on her second box already.

"Hey Soo! Leave some for me. I haven't had dinner yet." She opened the refrigerator and got three cans of coke. She placed one in front of Sooyoung then sat on the stool beside her.

"Hey slowdown eating no one's going to steal your food." Tiffany laughed at her friend. "Anyway what are you doing here? How come you came with my brother? Do you know each other?

Sooyoung take a sip of her coke before answering Tiffany. "I don't know your brother, just saw him downstairs asking the receptionist about your unit number. You kind of look like him so I figured your related and since I'm also going here I approached him and introduced myself."

"Hmm...okay thanks by the way for accompanying him and anyway what brings you here?"

"Since I'm in the area, I decided to visit you. I'm such a good friend. I even called you earlier to inform you but hanged up on me. Hmmp."

"Sorry I was busy." Tiffany apologize as she remembered that Sooyoung did called her earlier.

"With what? With your boss? It's already past office hours when I called you Fany. Wait a minute, what actually happened there? When you answered my call you were whispering." Sooyoung looked at her with a scrutinizing gaze.

A tint of her favorite color adorned Tiffany's cheeks. She was again reminded of what transpired earlier between her and Taeyeon. " Sooyoung-ah what are you saying? Nothing happened. I was just waking my boss because she fell asleep in her office."

"Really? Then why are blushing right now?" Sooyoung smirked at her friend who was avoiding her eyes.

"Of course not! Your imagining things. Let's go. I'll introduced you to my brother." Tiffany said walking out of the kitchen away from the laughing Sooyoung.