Morning had arrived. Chorong was preparing breakfast in the kitchen. Bomi was putting on her clothes, getting ready to leave for classes, while Eunji was still in the shower.

Naeun had already woken up but she still lay down beside Hayoung. Naeun stared at Hayoung’s sleeping face. Her maknae’s eyes could be seen swollen from last night’s crying. She felt guilty and was thinking about what to say to Hayoung when the girl woke up. She pushed Hayoung’s messy hair to the back of the ear.

Chorong came in and looked at Naeun’s action. She truly hoped that Naeun would never repeat her wrongdoings. She smiled before went closer to her sleeping dongsaengs. “Naeun-ah”

Naeun turned her head. “Yes?”

“Today is Hayoung’s last day of massage therapy at the rehab centre. Would you like to come with us? You still don’t have class today, do you?” Chorong sat down at the end of Naeun’s legs.

“Can I go with you? Won’t the therapists get mad?”

“Why would they get mad?” Chorong squeezed Naeun’s leg.

“Of course I’m coming!” Naeun squealed.

“Quiet! You’ll wake maknaes up. It’s still early.” Chorong shushed Naeun and pointed at peacefully-sleeping Namjoo and Hayoung.

Naeun giggled quietly as she watched Chorong stepped out of the room. Naeun wanted to be the first person Hayoung see when the latter open her eyes. However, Naeun fell asleep again while waiting for Hayoung to wake up.

“Unnie, aren’t you going to wake Namjoo up? She’ll be late for school.” Bomi said as she sat down to have her breakfast.

“You said she have a cold….” Chorong replied. “And her school uniform is still wet. Why didn’t you hang it up after finished washing it? Why did that girl even washed her uniform when she still has school today?”

Bomi ignored Chorong’s nagging. She regretted asking Chorong.

Eunji came out of the bathroom. “Namjoo~~! Your turn….” She shouted.

“She’s not going to school, Eunji.” Chorong said.

“Hmm? Why?” Eunji asked.

Bomi face-palmed herself and signalled Eunji to shut up. She thought that Chorong would nag again.

………………………………..

Hayoung shifted her sleeping pose to lie sideways on her left. She opened her eyes, looking at her front. Namjoo was sleeping on Chorong’s spot with her face kissing the mattress. Chorong was not there. Hayoung knew that the oldest girl had already woken up to prepare for the day. Hayoung found that her eyes were heavy and hard to open wide as normal so she closed them again. That was when the reality hit her. The scene of everything that happened yesterday until last night was suddenly played in her mind.

Hayoung almost cussed out loud to herself when she remembered every tiny details of the event. “Why in the world did you have to ask for Mom, last night? Hayoung, you’re so dumb!”  Hayoung thought as she knocked her head over and over again. “Chorong Unnie and others must be very upset with me for mentioning our parents! Dang it!!!”

Hayoung exhaled loudly and turned her body to her right. She froze. Naeun was sleeping right next to her. Their noses almost touch. Hayoung pulled back her head a few inches away and stared at Naeun with a frown. “What is Unnie doing here?” She asked herself.

“You’re awake…”

The voice startled the youngest. Hayoung raised her chin and saw Chorong came in.

Chorong walked to the corner of the room and picked up their dirty laundry basket. She was about to step out when Hayoung called her. Chorong stopped her footsteps and looked at Hayoung.

“Unnie. Help me, please. I want to get up…” Hayoung sat up and looked at Chorong while rubbing her eyes.

“It’s still early. Sleep some more. I’ll wake you up again later…” Chorong said. She noticed Hayoung’s eyes were puffy because the little girl cried too much last night.

“No. I want to get up now.” Hayoung insisted. She sounded firm.

Chorong knew that Hayoung wanted to get away from there because of Naeun’s presence. Chorong was afraid if Hayoung would not want to forgive Naeun although she knew Hayoung is not the type to sulk for a long time. But she also knew that what Naeun said to Hayoung was not something that can be easily forgotten. As an older sister, she just prayed that everything will go back to normal again. Chorong put down the laundry basket and helped Hayoung to sit on her wheelchair.

Naeun’s hand was searching for Hayoung in her sleep. She woke up when she felt no one beside her. “Hayoungie?” Naeun took off her blanket and walked out to find her maknae. “When did she wake up? Where is she?” Naeun went to the kitchen but Hayoung was not there.

After that, she went to the back door and saw Chorong was hanging up the laundry behind their house. “Unnie!” She called. “Where’s Hayoung?”

Chorong turned around and took the empty basket with her as she walked into the house. “Hayoungie? She’s in the porch, adoring stray cats across the road.”

“Cats?”

“Emm… That’s what she does every morning.” Chorong closed the door behind her. “She wanted to keep them, but of course I said no.”

“Ah…” Naeun reacted.

“Why you asked?”

“Thought I should talk to her… about yesterday…” Naeun replied. She tried to keep her eyes from making eye contact with her Unnie.

Chorong smiled. “Last night, someone promised me that she would help me to take care of our maknae.” She purposely uttered that to make Naeun relax a bit. “You said you were going to help me take care of her last night but you didn’t even budge when Hayoung was being cranky…” Chorong nagged.

Naeun giggled. “Sorry Unnie. I’m sorry. I wanted to, but it was raining last night. You know how cosy it is to sleep when it’s raining…”

Chorong slapped Naeun softly on the arm. “Go,” she said. “Hayoung is outside. Bring her in and help her to get ready for rehab.”

Hayoung was on her wheelchair, facing towards the road. Morning sunshine that shone on Hayoung’s face made her look black and white in Naeun’s eyes who was watching the girl quietly from behind. Chorong said that Hayoung’s adoring stray cats, but all Naeun saw was Hayoung’s side profile that looked doleful. Naeun contemplated to confront Hayoung for a while. Soon, the older girl mustered up her courage and stepped forwards.

Hayoung could see Naeun was walking towards her from her eye corner.

Naeun crouched down beside Hayoung and looked at her maknae from the side.

Hayoung was unfazed as she looked into a far distance. She felt the warmness of Naeun’s hand on hers.

“Hayoung-ah, I-”

Hayoung cut Naeun’s words. “Am I a burden? Should I just die that night?” The youngest girl spoke in a dreary-flat tone.

Naeun was annihilated by Hayoung’s questions. She was extremely guilty and sorry for making the girl felt that way. Naeun held Hayoung’s hand with both of her hands and brought it to her chest. Naeun was holding back her tears.

“Maybe if I died, Unnie(s) wouldn’t be burdened. If I died, your lives would be much better. I know I’m troubling you guys emotionally, physically, and even financially. I’m sorry that I didn’t die that night.” Hayoung continued to express her feeling in that tone.

Naeun could not bear it anymore. Her tears slid down on her cheeks, making her looking miserable. Naeun grasped Hayoung’s hand tighter with her head down. She was unable to say anything. “Hayoung-ah…” Her words stuck in .

“I’m hateful, am I?” Hayoung asked again. Her eyes started to get wet. “I’m already troubling you guys so much but my legs condition made it worst, right?” Hayoung sniggered in tears. “Your sister is a handicap. You must be very embarrassed… I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention to lose my walking ability…”

The eldest sister was watching from behind without their knowledge. She could hear every single word that came out through Hayoung’s mouth. Chorong covered and nose with her palms to keep her sobbing sound from being heard. Chorong cried hard, behind the wall.

“No!!!” Naeun screamed loudly. “No! No! Please Hayoungie. Please, stop it! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry...” Naeun cried louder. She knelt down on both knees and turned Hayoung’s wheelchair tow