“We are truly sorry. We couldn’t save your parents and sister. We have done our best. Once again, we are sorry,” said one of the doctors. The group then bowed to the Park sisters over and over again.

Chorong could no longer hold her tears back. Her knees fell to the ground. Bomi gasped, her vision went blur as liquids were trying to slide down from her eye sockets. Eunji fell back against the front desk, hiding her head in her palms. Naeun and Namjoo could be seen shivering in each other’s embraces, crying out loud. The female doctors, nurses, as well as female police officers tried to calm them down by patting them silently. It was a very heartbroken sight to see. Other patients and visitors in the ER knew what was going on as they were there when the ambulances brought their parents and sisters in. They heard the talk between the medical staffs and the policemen. Some of them also cried seeing the sisters. Indeed, one does not have to experience something in common to understand and relate. After all, they are humans and they knew how hard loosing someone precious in one’s life could be.

When the sisters had calmed down a little bit, one of the doctors step forwards, “Your other sister is now in the intensive care unit. You guys can visit her after eight hours.”

Chorong raised her head, trying to say something but her voice did not come out. Eunji patted Chorong’s back and asked the doctor, “Are you saying that one of our sisters is saved?”

“Yes. Although we do not know which one is which one, because both of your sisters did not have their identification cards or whatsoever on them.”

The five girls had mixed feelings. They were glad that one of their sisters survived the crash, but the fact that the other one and their parents had leave them forever made them unable to think of anything at that time.

………………………

Earlier, Chorong spent about half an hour alone in the toilet stall to gather her strength and get her mind back to the right track. She had vowed to take care of her dongsaengs no matter what it takes. She thought to herself, “If this is the fate, then I shall accept it”. She tried to be the strong for her sisters. As the eldest daughter, she tried her best to play her part.

That night, the unnie-line was busy calling their relatives to inform them the news. Naeun and Namjoo sat on the couch at the hallway silently. Chorong, Bomi, and Eunji had already finished making the calls. The three sat down on the floor together without saying anything. They felt awkward to have a talk since they did not know how to react to the situation without hurting anyone and making it worse.

Shortly after, three doctors came out of the operation room after carrying out autopsies on their parents and sister. They had a short conversation and the girls were allowed to see the bodies. Upon entering the room, the girls once again shed tears of sorrow. Looking at the third body, it was clear to them that their maknae, Hayoung is the one who survived the crash, while Yookyung is now leaving with their parents to join their grandparents and ancestors.

……………………………………

The five siblings decided to sleep in their car for the rest of the night. They refused to go back home, in case if something bad happened to Hayoung in the Intensive Care Unit. The Grand Carnival car is now the only vehicle they possessed after the incident that took their family members’ lives. Chorong and Bomi slept at the front row while Eunji and Namjoo cuddled in the middle row. Naeun in the last row could not sleep although her eyes were so heavy at that time. She kept thinking about the future without their parents and her twin sister, Yookyung.

Suddenly, Naeun heard a knock. She squint her eyes to see who it was. The knocking continued. She could not move as she was scared. Chorong woke up as she finally heard the knocking sound from her window side. “Auntie!” she opened the window when she recognized the lady. “You are here. Sorry I didn’t hear you.”

“I came as fast as I could. The others are in the hospital lobby,” said her aunt.

Chorong stepped out of the car to talk to her aunt. “Thank you for coming, auntie.”

Naeun could not get out as Eunji and Namjoo were fast asleep in the middle row. She did not want to disturb them.

“Don’t thank me. You mother is my sister. How can I not come?” the latter said in an apologetic way. “Are you guys okay?”

Chorong's tears fell again hearing her aunt’s question. How can she and her sisters be okay when they just lost the important figures in their lives? Chorong thought that the question was absurd but she knew that her aunt was just trying to have a conversation with her.

The lady pulled Chorong into her arms. Just like Chorong, she lost someone too that night; her sister. Maybe her sorrow was not as bad as the girls who lost three persons simultaneously, but sadness are not something that can be compared.

Naeun saw the liquids sliding down on her unnie’s cheek. She closed her eyes to hold back her tears and turned her view to the darkness of the dawn.

Bomi was moving around in her seat to change to a better and comfortable posture when she felt a cold night breeze hitting her face. She opened her eyes and realized that Chorong was not in the driver’s seat and the window was left opened. “Unnie? Unnie?” Bomi called for Chorong.

Naeun who was trying to sleep her sorrow away, opened her eyes again when she heard Bomi’s voice. “Bomi unnie, Chorong unnie is out there talking to our aunt.”

“Is that so? Where are they?”

“Over there.” Naeun pointed towards a bench under a lamppost.

Namjoo and Eunji woke up to the voice of the girls.

“What is it, guys?” Eunji asked. Normally, Eunji would have just ignored them and sleep again, but at time like that she became alert to every single thing. So she immediately wide awoke. She Namjoo to make the girl sleep again.

“Aunt is here. She’s over there talking to Chorong unnie. I think our other relatives are here too.” Naeun told them again.

“Naeun-ah, you stay with Namjoo in the car. I’m going there.” Eunji commanded.

Bomi followed Eunji to meet with their aunt.

Namjoo watched as her sisters left them. She sat up and looked at Naeun. “Unnie, don’t you want to go out too?”

Naeun nodded. She made her way out of the car along with Namjoo