IThe Jung’s family are on cloud nine when they heard the cry of their newly born, cute addition to the family. 

”Jung Yerin. Hi baby Yerin, I’m your oppa,” the boy said happily, skipping towards the bed where his mother is lying with his baby sister.

The boy howls excitedly when he finally sees his sister, named Yerin. He climbs the chair beside the bed to see the baby closer and unexpectedly he trips. As a normal person’s reflex when falling, he presses his hands against the bed. Fortunately, the action manages to stop him from falling. Sadly, his right hand landed on his baby sister’s face. The baby was too shocked that she only began crying a few seconds after that.

”Omo omo omo, I’m sorry, baby Yerin. Oppa is sorry, don’t cry,” the boy tried to console the baby who was just born not thirty minutes ago and yet to understand the boy’s words.

Since the day Yerin was welcomed to the world, Yerin’s brother has been really careful around her. He always sticks to Yerin’s side and didn’t take his eyes off Yerin. Yerin was being protected by her brother so she wouldn’t be harmed in any way. Oh, so he tried. But sometimes, the misfortune has its own way to get to Yerin. He was playing with a paper plane and he tossed it. The plane fluttered around the room before landing in Yerin’s mouth that is coincidentally wide open. The boy and the baby gasped in shock before the boy races to his baby sister to take out the paper plane as discreetly as he could to avoid getting scold by his mother. This would be his second time inflicting harm to his baby sister, although it was not serious but it could be. He immediately caresses baby Yerin tenderly so she wouldn’t cry and alerted their mother who is busy packing their stuffs to go back home.

Mrs. Jung’s gynaecologist and the paediatrician discharged her and Yerin after two days in the hospital. Everyone is excited that baby Yerin is coming home. Both the kids’ grandparents are already waiting at home, eager to meet the new addition to their family. Mrs. Jung rocked baby Yerin to sleep and left her in the crib, sound asleep while she packed up their things, getting ready to leave as soon as her husband arrived. Her son is playing quietly by the crib while checking on his sister once in a while.

”You can put Yerin on me after I sit down,” said Mrs. Jung to her husband.

”She is not with me. I thought you have her,” said Mr. Jung to his wife.

The Jung’s couple looks at each other. Then they look at their son, who looks back at them with eyes wide open, shrugging his shoulder.

”Oh my! Where’s our daughter. I thought she is with you!” said the Jung’s couple at the same time before frantically leaving the car park, dragging their son with them, half-running to the hospital’s building.

The three walk as fast as they can to the maternity ward that they just left not more than ten minutes ago. They pray hard that baby Yerin is still in her cot, sleeping. As soon as they reach the main entrance of the ward, they see a group of nurses gathered around the nurse station cooing cutely.Mrs Jung approaches them with the intention of asking one of the nurses about her baby. She lets out a long sigh, a relieved one when she sees the baby in one of the nurses’ arms. It’s Yerin. Her baby that she thought was with her husband. Yerin just stays in the nurse’s arms quietly, staring at a bunch of nurses cooing cutely at her.

”Ahhh Mrs. Jung, I think you left something precious in your room,” said the nurse holding Yerin in her arms when she sees the flustered, panting Mrs. Jung.

”I’m sorry, I thought Yerin was with her appa. And her appa thought she was with me,” Mrs. Jung bows a few times, apologising to the nurse who just smiles at her back. The nurses take turns giving baby Yerin one final kiss, one final pinch on her cute, chubby cheeks before finally handing the baby to Mrs. Jung.

”Don’t leave her just anywhere, Yerin omma,” reminds the nurse’s sarcastically. Mrs. Jung nods her head repeatedly, apologising as she takes Yerin and holds her close.

**

”Oppa, bring me with you. I want to play with you,” said Yerin as she already dressed in the most pretty clothes she has, waiting for her older brother at the door.

”Cannot Yerin-ah, I’m going to school. I cannot play with you there,” said the teenager who is already in his high school uniform, holding his bag in one hand, while caressing his younger sister’s head with another.

”Wae? I put on pretty clothes. I can go to school with you. I’m bored at home, no one plays with me,” Yerin pouts, hugging her body, not moving an inch from the door, still blocking her brother’s way out of their house.

”Yerin-ah, let your brother through. He needs to go to school. We’ll go and play with Soo-young later,” said Mrs. Jung, coming from the kitchen.

Yerin vehemently shakes her head at her mother’s suggestion. One, because she wants to tag along with her oppa. Two, she doesn't want to play with Soo-young. The girl lives a few floors below their unit, and their mothers are close. Their mothers often bring them to one another’s home for a playdate. She doesn’t hate the girl or anything, but she just doesn’t enjoy playing with her every so often. It’s because she likes to play make-believe cooking and child-rearing.

And she is not too fond of that, pretending to cook. Soo-young or as her mother called her Joy, perhaps because she always smiling, bringing joy to people. But that’s not the case with Yerin especially when Joy suggested them to play cooking, pretending to be a mother. She never fond of that but Joy also likes to pretend play where they marry each other. This, she likes. Yerin always have to play the groom, so she doesn’t have to put on makeup and just stand there, holding hands with her, that’s an easy thing to do which Yerin likes. Plus, being the husband, she gets to just sit and play, then eat. Eating is something she enjoys to do. Sometimes, her pretend wife serves her cookies and once in a while some rice that Joy get from her mother for their pretend wedding ceremony. But, almost every time, she will be served cold water. And she enjoys that too. And those are the only two reasons why she put up with playing with Joy - she gets to be the groom who does nothing but smile and eat.

She wants to play doctors or play with action figurines but Joy didn’t want to. And more than often, she has to follow what Joy wants because apparently it is more girl-like types of play. She plays with the doll, but she always pretend the doll is sick and she will treat them. Of course, Yerin’s pretense would involved a fighting scene where the doll was put to fight in the first place, hence, the need to be treated. And only her brother play along with her. Joy would always wanted to play with the doll, acting like it was their baby.

”Omma, I don’t want to play house with Soo-young. I want to play with oppa, and I promise I will play quietly and don’t disturb the other oppas,” said Yerin, who is now clinging onto her brother’s leg.

The little girl continues as she proudly pinch out a part of her t-shirt, ”I even put on my best and newest t-shirt!”

”That’s your t-shirt from last year. It’s worn out already. I bought you lots of new ones, wear them! Stop saying it’s your best and newest t-shirt, Yerin-ah...” Mrs. Jung sighs at her stubborn four-years-old daughter, yet already frugal.

Yerin’s big brother chuckles upon hearing the two female in his life that he loves the most bantering. Yerin sometimes can be quite stubborn and frugal that drives their mother to the wall. He glances at the wall clock and if he is still at home, he might have to run to school if he doesn’t want to be late. 

”Yerin-ah, can you help me with something? Please? You have to do this, okay?” the fifteen-years-old teenager asks his younger sister.

”Okay. I will. What do you want me to do?” Yerin asks, looking attentively at her brother, waiting for his instruction.

”Stay home with omma and watch over her, okay? You have to be a good girl and not trouble omma. If you do that, I will bring you to play with the claw machine this evening. Deal?” the teenager asks as he holds out his hand for a handshake.

Yerin thinks about her brother’s deal for a bit. ”Do I have to go to play with Joy, I mean Soo-young as well?” Yerin asks to confirm the condition of the deal before accepting it. She now likes to play with the claw machine. She used to just tag along and watched her brother play the claw machine to get her jibang and other toys, then one day she was given the chance to play on her own and she fell in love with it ever since.

”Yes,” Mrs. Jung answers instead. Yerin’s brother nods in agreement. 

Yerin frowns and put on her thinking expression again before finally agrees.

”Okay,” said Yerin as she shakes her brother’s already outstretched hand.

Yerin’s brother smiles and ruffles her bangs. He softly pushes Yerin aside to make room for him to walk out of the apartment to go to school. He puts on his shoes and was surprised when Yerin also sits next to him, putting on her slippers.

”Jung. Yerin! Where do you think you are going? You are not going with your oppa!”Mrs. Jung asks, staring down on her second child.

”I’m not going to school with oppa. I’m just walking oppa to school?” answered Yerin.

”He is big enough. You don’t need to walk him to school, you little girl. Get inside this instance,” ordered Mrs. Jung.

”I know. I won’t walk him that far. Just until the main gate. I think I’m old enough to go down up until there...” reasoned Yerin.

”No. The last time you went out alone, and you just went to your friend’s house at the end of this floor. And yet, you manage to come back with a scrape on your forehead and bloody knees. So, no. You are not going anywhere alone, young lady,” Mrs. Jung holds onto Yerin’s arm.

”Okay. Let’s go, omma. I can go with you, can I?” said Yerin, grinning at her mother. Mrs. Jung lets out a sigh, she nods her head and puts on her slippers. She knew that Yerin wouldn’t budge and if she still insists, her son might be running late to school. Yerin smiles as she strides happily next to his brother, walking towards the lift.

”Bye bye oppa! Oppa!!! Come back after school and play with me! Don’t forget me, oppa!” shouted Yerin as her brother walk away, leaving the apartment building compound. 

”Stop being so dramatic Yerin-ah... You are embarrassing omma,” said Mrs. Jung while sending her son off with her eyes and smiles, unlike her daughter who acted as if the teenage boy is going out for war instead of school. Once her son is already out of sight, she begins to walk back to the apartment building, dragging Yerin with her. 

Yerin walks backwards with her front facing her mother and back facing the building. She stretches out her arms, eyes warily looking right and left, acting like a bodyguard. 

”What are you doing? Why are you walking backwards?” Mrs. Jung asks her daughter who is acting strangely.

”I’m watching over you, omma. I made a deal with oppa,” said Yerin confidently.

”Shouldn’t you be looking for anything dangerous around me, instead of looking at me?” 

”Aniya, oppa said to watch over omma. I am watching you,” explained Yerin confidently. 

”You should watch your-” 

”Aiyak!” 

”-back.” Mrs. Jung sighs, shaking her head disbelievingly at her daughter who is already on the floor after bumping into a pavement. Mrs. Jung helps Yerin up back on her feet. Yerin gives a grimace of pain as she lets her mother helped she gets up.

”You have to take care of yourself first before you could take care of me, Yerin-ah. Now, walk carefully,” said Mrs. Jung, holding her daughter’s hand, leading her towards the lift.

**

”Yah, Jung Yerin! Did you say you don’t like playing house with me?” Joy asked Yerin as soon as she gets to the living room where her friend and also neighbour already slouch on the sofa.

”Ne. Wae? Are you going to ask me to play house again?” asked Yerin nonchalantly.

”What if I do?” exclaimed Joy.

”We’ve been playing that for years now, Joy. Can we not? Can we just watch cartoons instead?” responded the six years old girl who starts laying on the couch she is currently sitting on.

”Get up you lazy bum!” Joy smacks Yerin’s leg, but it does no good in getting Yerin up. Yerin just scoots over a bit instead of getting up. 

”I’m too tired, let’s just watch TV. Our ommas just want to chat with each other, so let’s not do anything, lay down and watch the cartoon,” Yerin said once again, still laying on the couch while tapping the empty space in front of her.

”No, you lazy bum. I want to play. Let’s play something, you can choose.”

Since the girl insists that they play something and that she should choose the game to play, Yerin smiles happily. She taps the empty space in front of her once again and smiles at Joy. ”Okay, lets’s pretend we are on our honeymoon. We are in the hotel, relaxing, watching the TV while waiting for dinner.” 

Joy sighs, stomping her feet frustratedly. Nevertheless, she reluctantly sits on the couch before lying down in front of Yerin. Yerin smiles. Joy reaches for Yerin’s arm and snakes it over her body.

”This is our honeymoon, so don’t complaint,” said Joy before Yerin could protest, which she knew Yerin would do.

”But...”

”Or do you want me to lie down facing you or change the channel, jagi? I think I saw omma watch a drama on another channel,” threatened Joy who is already turn around facing Yerin, with the remote control in her hand, pointing at the TV.

”No! I’m good. You should turn around and watch the TV, you are going to miss the best part,” Yerin pushes Joy tenderly, showing her a toothy grin.

The two mothers just look at them from the kitchen. Mrs. Jung just shakes her head disbelievingly at her daughter’s antics. Her daughter’s laziness is growing even bigger. All she likes to do is laze around watching TV after school, her academic performance is excellent though, so she has no reason to stop her from watching cartoons. Plus, the teachers from kindergarten didn’t complaint or say anything about Yerin. 

”Yerin, are you going to be in the play?” asked Joy.

”What play? Don’t know. I don’t think so,” answered Yerin before continues laughing at the cartoon show.

”Hansel and Gretel,” said Joy.

”What is that?” asks Yerin nonchalantly while her eyes still glued to the TV.

”The story that we learned last week. The brother and sister in the wood. And the witch,” explains Joy who is now lying on her side, facing Yerin who scoots up a bit so her head wouldn’t block her view of the TV.

”What brother and sister? And witch? Don’t know. I guess I’m not part of it, then,” said Yerin simply, without a care in the world. 

”Everyone is a part of it, Yerin-ah. It’s our class performance for the school festival,” said Joy, shaking her head disbelievingly.

”I’ll be one of the trees then,” responded Yerin.

Joy just shakes her head disbelievingly yet again. She gets up from the couch and disappears behind one of the doors. Yerin just sends Joy on her way with the corner of her eyes. She is not interested in knowing where and what is Joy doing, she just continues watching the cartoon on TV, yawning widely. Her eyes are getting heavier but she is fighting her sleepiness so she could watch the cartoon.

Without the two knowing, Mrs. Jung overheard their conversation and does the same as Joy. But, unlike Joy, she is shaking her head in frustration instead. Her kid is so unlike her, very different from herself or her oldest child. The kid just doesn’t care about a thing, especially extracurricular activities at school. All she knows is she has to go to school to learn and play with some friends, eat lunch and take a long nap, then come back home to play some more, watch TV, eat dinner and sleep. Yerin is totally different than her friend, Joy who is actively involved in almost every activity at school, whom she relies on to help forces Yerin to join some of them. Even if Yerin did join, she would only do the bare minimum. For example, be one of the trees in a school play. Mrs. Jung tried using her son to influence Yerin, but the girl remains the same.

At this moment, Joy is showing Yerin the picture books of the famous German fairy tale, Hansen and Gretel. The story that will be performed by their class for the school festival. And yet, Yerin just looks at the book, feigning her interest in what Joy is saying. Mrs. Jung sighs for the nth time this evening watching her daughter’s behaviour. Oh, how she hopes her daughter would change.

**

”Omma, omma, omma! Help me! Help me! You have got to help me, omma,” exclaimed Yerin.

”What? What do you want me to help? Calm down, tell me what is it?” said Mrs. Jung as she caresses Yerin’s side, attempting to calm her daughter. She is worried because her daughter is frantically asking her for help for the first time.

”I need your help with the school play, omma. You need to pray that I get to be the lead actor, omma,” pleaded Yerin.

Mrs. Jung smiles proudly. Her prayers have been answered. Her daughter has changed. The girl has taken interest in school activities. She is rather extremely enthusiastic at it too. Mrs. Jung thought, perhaps being friends with Joy, her friend’s daughter who is active in school had rubbed off on Yerin. Probably what the girl talked to Yerin yesterday about the school play has an effect on Yerin that the girl came back from school asking frantically for her help.

”Okay, okay. I will. And I will talk to your teacher about it too, okay?” said Mrs. Jung reassuringly.

”You don’t have to talk to the teacher omma, I need your prayers only,” said Yerin, making Mrs. Jung baffled.

“Wae? I can talk to your teacher for you, I can ask her about it,” explained Mrs. Jung.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to, I already talked to her. You just need to pray hard for me,” said Yerin assuring her mother.

Mrs. Jung can sense that something is not right with her daughter’s plan. And she knows the girl too well that she will not get a single thing out of if she asked her. So, Mrs. Jung turns to her trusted source for updating Yerin’s condition at school, Joy. The girl is so bright that she picked up Mrs. Jung’s intention from her silence, soft stares.

”Yerin wants to play the lead role,” said Joy simply, trying not to meddle with the mother-daughter’s discussion.

”And you?” Mrs. Jung asks the girl.

”She already got her part. She is the witch,” said Yerin before Joy could mutter a word.

”Yah!” shouted Joy, slapping Yerin on the girl’s shoulder.

”Wae? It’s true. You fit the role perfectly,” reasoned Yerin and just Yerin is about to take off, avoiding Joy’s slapping, Mrs. Jung pulls the girl’s ears.

While Yerin groaning in pain, Joy smirks at her. Mrs. Jung shakes their head watching the two bantering silently. 

”So, why do you want to get the main role?” asks Mrs. Jung, as it is still a mystery to her.

Joy beats Yerin to it and tells Mrs. Jung the whole truth about why her friend wants to get the main role, the male’s role at it. Yerin wants to play Hansel in Hansel and Gretel's play. And why is it? Candies. She wanted to play the male role so she would be fed a whole lot of candies. That is it and nothing else. Mrs. Jung shakes her head in disbelief non-stop after hearing Joy’s explanation as her own daughter just sits on the couch without showing an ounce of guilt or even think it’s absurd.

“Yerin?” asks Mrs. Jung once again.

“What? Candies. The witch will feed me candies, all sorts of them. Who wouldn’t want that?” answered Yerin, showing a toothy grin.

Mrs. Jung rubs her temples. She instantly feels dizzy. Her daughter that she thought has changed is still the same old Yerin who likes to eat and laze around. The little girl wanted to play the main role so she could eat all the candies. At least, the girl is considerate enough to ask her to pray for her instead of asking her to meet her teacher to let her get the role. It leaves her in dilemma, nevertheless. She wants her daughter to be more involved at school, but she also disapproves the girl’s intention. As Mrs. Jung ponders on her thought, suddenly Yerin falls off the chair she is sitting on without a cause leaving everyone dumbfounded except for Yerin. She sighs and starts praying in her heart.

Oh how hard it is to be a mother to this strange kid. I happily accepts her wholeheartedly even her unluckiness, just make her a good, successful person. And...oh my, I can’t believe I’m saying this...perhaps, you can grant her wish to get the main role?

**

”Omma! I got the part! I’m eaaatingg candies... I’m eaaatingg candies... Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah!!! Thank you omma, you are the best! And God, thank you too,” exclaimed Yerin happily, dancing in front of the school’s gate when Mrs. Jung picks her up after school. 

Mrs. Jung smiles at her daughter and Joy who smiles at her, shrugging her shoulder watching Yerin’s antics. Mrs. Jung stares at the vast sky, with a wavering smile, whispering to the passing wind, ”thank you?”.

**

Yerin lies against the big old tree in the school playground and was about to close her eyes for a bit before recess ends when a girl’s voice screaming on top of her lung disrupted her intention. She opens her eyes a bit, just enouh for her to see what is happening without even moving an inch from where she is. She can see a girl who is probably in the same grade as her but in a different class circled by three boys looking mischievous. By the look of it, it seems like the boys are harassing the girl and the girl is telling them to stop, which was taken lightly by the boys. The three boys move forward towards the girl, causing the girl to flail her hands in the air while screaming at them. The boys just laugh at her. Yerin keeps watching the  exhange and secretly hopes those boys will stop harassing the girl so she could go back to sleep. To no avail, the boys keep doing what they are doing despite the girl’s screaming.

”Stop harassing her, can’t you see someone is trying to get some sleep before recess ends. She doesn’t want to give you a kiss, you don’t have to ask her repeatedly. Be a smart boy and walk away,” Yerin finally said after seeing the boys wouldn’t stop harassing the girl, but still still with her eyes half-closed.

Unexpectedly, the boys stop harassing the gilr. But now, marching towards Yerin with angered-filled eyes. The presumes leader of the group lifts his legs high and swings to the front with so much force, attempting to kick Yerin who is on the ground, laying against the tree. Yerin quickly rolls over, avoiding the kick, leaving the boy wavering and almost fall backwards but thankfully was saved by his friends. One of the boys then lifts his leg to step on Yerin, but once against missed. Yerin rolls over on the ground. But boys being boys, they don’t want to accept defeats easily, they surrounded Yerin who is still on the ground, now completely laying flat on the grass.

“Can you let me sleep and go play somewhere else?” complains Yerin. 

But the boys wouldn’t budge. Grinning devilishly at Yerin, the boys approach Yerin. Yerin lets out a long sigh, warning the boys for the second time to just go away. As expected, the boys take Yerin’s warning lightly. And they will remember and regret their action for the rest of their life as males. Who wouldn’t be? Any male would certainly remember when they got kick in the nut. 

”I warned you, didn’t I?” said Yerin, rolling on the ground, finding a place comfortable enough for her to get her daily nap, that has forcibly shortened. 

”Thank you...” muttered the unfortunate girl as Yerin closes her eyes, trying to catch at least five minutes of sleep. 

Yerin’s attempts to sleep fails for the nth time as the unfortunate girl is standing by Yerin’s side, staring at her. Even if Yerin has her eyes shut, she can still feel the girl’s presence and eyes on her. 

”Yerin. And it’s okay. They won’t bother you anymore,” said Yerin still keeping her eyes shut, changing her position into lying on her left side, hinting the girl that she needs her nap.

”Thank you Yerin-ssi. I’ll buy you some snacks tomorrow,” said the girl before leaving Yerin to herself, finally taking the hint.

”Emm.” 

***

”Boy, are you okay?” Eunha asks the boy who is picking the food off the ground. 

Eunha is quite new to this school. She and her family just moved here a month ago. She already familiarised herself with the environment but she couldn’t remember ever seeing that boy around school. Probably because he is younger and had different recess time than her. But, it is unlikely. Because everyone has the same recess time in this school except for the seniors. So, Eunha thought the boy is a new student and seeing his circumstances right now, he might been bullied by other students. Eunha waits for the boy to respond to her, at least waving his hand or shaking his head or even mutters an okay. But, the boy didn’t do anything except picking up the food off the ground, salvaging what is left, that is clean enough to eat. She said ’clean enough’ because she sees the boy blowing off a bit of dust from the mantao before gulping the fluffy steam bun in one go. 

”Ne.”

The boy gives a short response before lying against the big old tree, chewing the steam bun while closing his eyes to sleep. Eunha stares in awe at the boy’s antics. She wanted to talk to the boy but decides not to because it seems that the boy badly needed his sleep. But she vows to herself that she is going to talk to him tomorrow. She feels sorry for the boy and wanted to help him. It looks like it could do some good for him if she helps him. His t-shirt is worn-out and he picks food off the ground. Her family is not well-off but they are doing okay and her mother wouldn’t mind if she asks for extra food to share with him. 

Eunha dashes out of the classroom as soon as the teacher dismisses the class. She brings with her a big lunch box. Eunha wanted to get to the school’s backyard as quick as she can because she doesn’t to missed the boy she saw yesterday. When she arrives, the boy is already there and just like before, he is leaning against the tree. As she walks towards the tree, two girls walk up to the boy and give him a rice ball and a slice of sandwich which the boy gladly accepts. She waits to see if the girls will stay or leave and she is glad to see that the girls leave. Eunha fastens her steps, worry if the boy is going to sleep straight after finishing what the girls gave her. 

”Hi,” greets Eunha as soon as she arrives at the tree.

”Hi,” the boy greets her back with a warm smile.

”My momma packed me a big lunch today, want to eat with me?” asks Eunha, still standing in front of the boy, doesn’t dare to sit in case the boy says no.

”Okay,” said the boy as he stretches out his hand to Eunha.

Eunha gives the boy the lunch box, to which the boy takes it with a perplexed expression written all over his face. The boy puts down the box and holds out his hand to her yet again. Only this time, the boy offers to help her sits on the ground and Eunha who is embarrassed just takes his hand, slowly lowering herself to the ground. They eat in silence. Eunha’s lips curves into a contented little smiles when she glances over and sees the boy eats her mother’s cooking happily. She is satisfied seeing him eating like that. 

”Wait for me at the gate tomorrow morning, okay?” asks Eunha after they finish eating.

”Okay,” said the boy, not asking for the reason Eunha is asking him to do that.

Eunha sits next to the boy while he is making himself comfortable, getting ready to sleep. The boy looks at her and smile. He pats the space next to him, inviting Eunha to lie down with him who is ready to sleep for ten minutes before the recess bell rings. Eunha just shakes her head, politely declining the offer and just sits by the boy’s head, leaning against the tree, accompanying him sleeping.

Eunha tries to arrive as early as possible so she would be the one waiting for the boy she had lunch with yesterday. She doesn’t know his name because she forgot to ask him and when they finished eating, the boy went straight to sleep. When she arrives, the boy is already sitting on the road, lying against the front gate, waiting for her. The boy is wearing a worn out school’s t-shirt just like yesterday and Eunha glad he is. She brings with her a pair of t-shirt that is allowed by the school and she was going to give it to him seeing that he wears a worn-out t-shirt. 

Eunha shoots a warm smile at him. He smiles back at her, more of grinning at her. Eunha loves seeing this boy who she still doesn't know his name all smiley and happy. She takes the boy’s hand and leads him to the school’s building. She leads him to the back of the building where the toilets are located and hand him the t-shirt she brought for him. The boy just stares at her blankly, hesitatingly taking the t-shirt.

”It will look great on you. And I promise it is comfy to wear,” said Eunha, assuring the boy to take the piece of clothing and get changed.

The boy still with his confused expression stares at the t-shirt before nodding and disappears behind the building into one of the toilets. Eunha waits for him to finish changing into the t-shirt she brought from home. It was one of her older brother’s t-shirt. And as she expected, it does look good on him.

For a month, Eunha is doing the same thing. Sometimes, she brought two t-shirts and asked him to bring them home and wears it the next day. And for four weeks, the boy didn’t say no and just do what she asked him to. It is weird that she never had the chance to ask him about himself, not even his name. She was just too caught up with taking care of the poor boy. And she likes taking care of people, especially the needy. 

”My mother has something to do and my sister is coming home late today, can I stay with you after school?” asked Eunha. She doesn't know why did she even ask that to the boy whom she still has no idea what his name is, let alone if he has a home to go back to.

”Okay, I’ll wait at the front gate.”

As Eunha is walking as fast as she could towards the gate, she sees a teacher is talking to the boy. She fastens her pace as she doesn’t want the boy to get into trouble because he was waiting for her who is running late. It seems like the teacher is waiting for her as well, making Eunha slows down her pace.

”Eunha-ssi, can I ask you something?” asked the teacher. Eunha nods her head.

”Do you think you can help me with Yerin? Can you talk some senses in her that she should stop wearing her older brother’s uniform?” said the teacher, leaving Eunha speechless.

”Why? I thought all the teachers agree that it doesn’t matter what I wear to school? It doesn’t affect my learning process,” reasoned Yerin.

Eunha who is still dumbfounded by the fact that the boy she has been hanging out with for over a month is actually a girl. And now, she is being held responsible to talk some senses in her to stop wearing boy’s clothes, that some of them are actually supplied by her. And this person named Yerin just talked back to the teacher, adding to her speechlessness. She could only nod her head without a word. Eunha trails behind Yerin, following her back home.

”Omma, I’m home. I brought my wife back with me,” Yerin howls as soon as she and Eunha enter the apartment.

”Oh, okay. Wait, what? Stop playing around Yerin-ah,” Yerin’s mother responded to her from the kitchen.

”I’m not, omma,” said Yerin as she slouches on the couch.

Mrs. Jung comes out of the kitchen with a plate of fruits in her hand.

”Oh my! You startled me!” screamed Mrs Jung when she sees Yerin sitting on the couch with a girl she has never met before.

The nice, polite-looking girl is smiling kindly at her, standing up to greet her. Mrs. Jung thought her daughter was joking about it because she sometimes does that when she keeps pestering her about who is going to take care of her seeing how she doesn’t care much about literally everything.

”I’m sorry I come over without telling you first. I’m Jung Eunha, I go to school with Yerin. My mother and unnie are going to be home late today, so I asked Yerin if I can wait for them here, I ’m sorry to interrupt you,” apologised Eunha, smiling nervously.

”No, no, no. I’m sorry. It’s okay. I’m sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. You are welcome here, Eunha-ssi, anytime,” said Mrs. Jung.

”Omma, why are you calling her Eunha-ssi? She is your daughter in law, probably we should drop the -ssi?” asks Yerin, taking with her a hand full of cut apples, handing a few slices to Eunha.

”You. Why are you calling her your wife? You can’t simply call a girl your wife, Yerin,” said Mrs. Jung, shooting an apologetic smile at Eunha.

”She takes care of me like you take care of appa, isn’t she my wife? Didn’t you always pester me about who’s going to take care of me?” said Yerin, lowering herself on the couch, preparing to lie down.

”I’m sorry Eunha-ssi, Yerin always say weird things. Please don’t take it seriously what she said,” Mrs. Jung said apologetically at Eunha.

”It’s okay, auntie-“ 

“omma, you can call me omma,” Mrs, Jung cuts Eunha mid-sentence.

“It’s okay, omma. I will take care of Yerin, always,” said Eunha, smiling warmly at Yerin.

*

“Eunha, are you okay?” asked Sowon to the sad looking Eunha whose sitting on the bench, staring into space in the middle of the emergency room’s chaos.

”I told her I will always take care of her, Sowon, and I failed at that...” said Eunha, staring blankly at Sowon.

“It’s not your fault, Eunha. Don’t blame yourself,” Sowon pulls Eunha closer and hugs her tightly.

***

”Why is your sister so unlucky? Let’s go, I don’t feel at ease,” said Mrs. Jung as she rustles out of her son’s room towards the door.

”Omma, let’s wait for appa first. We’ll go together,” said the Jung family’s firstborn.

”Where is your appa then? Did you call and tell him already?” asked Mrs Jung as she walks back and forth in the living room.

”He’s driving back already, I didn’t tell him. We’ll let him know when he arrives. I don’t want him to rush back, it’s dangerous if appa drives in a rush,” reasoned Yerin’s brother who is feigning his calmness so his mother would not agitate even more.

”I’m calling Eunha’s omma and see if they are driving to Seoul tonight, I’ll go with her. And why are you so calm? Are you not worried? Don’t you care about your sister?” said Mrs Jung with a mix of anger and sad all at once.

Yerin’s brother said nothing back to not making things worst as he understands how worried his mother is right now. Who wouldn’t be? He is nervous as well. A lot of things are playing in his mind, and all of them are negative things. His younger sister had been in this situation more than once and he understands how worrisome anyone would be. But there’s nothing he could do to change the outcome. It’s already happened. He looks at his mother concernedly, patiently waits for her to finish talking on the phone with Eunha’s mother. 

”She said let’s go together tomorrow morning,” said Mrs Jung sadly trudging limply before throwing herself on the couch.

”Yerin-ah...” Mrs. Jung lets out a wail.

***

”Cha! I won again, omma!” exclaimed SinB excitedly, grinning, showing a handful of candies she won at the festival.

Mrs. Hwang just smiles at the girl, shaking her head in disbelief. She realised that her youngest child is really lucky. It seems like she has a golden hand. The girl always won something when she plays games. From the smallest prize to the biggest prize, she will surely win at least a prize. Sometimes, when they went to a charity event that the hospital where she and her husband work, she had to ask SinB not to enter the competition because she pities the other kids who needs the prize more than her daughter needs them. Luckily SinB understands why and she didn’t say no when she suggested that to her. 

”Woah! Lucky you!” exclaimed SinB’s brother, grabbing a few candies, earning him a glare from SinB. SinB snatches back a few of the candies from her brother who is a few years older than her.

”SinB...shares with your oppa. You are going to get cavities if you eat all that,” said Mrs. Hwang in her rare cajoling voice, shocking both SinB and her brother.

”Okay. But only two,” SinB slides two candies on the floor towards her brother before continue eating the candies happily.

**

SinB convinced herself that she has been lucky her whole life and she will be too this time. There is no way her luck runs out when she just figures out her feelings for Yerin. When she just had the courage to defy her mother’s wish and be with the one she wants to, the one she loves. Of course there is always the possibilities that her luck ran out, and she knows it and honestly, she had thought about it ever since she could understand how lucky she is. Right now, she detests her gut feeling that is toying with her, telling her that tonight might be the moment she is left without single luck on her side.

SinB shakes off the negative thoughts from her mind, and instead of holding onto luck, she prays hard in her heart, and picks up her pace, jogging towards the park. To be precise, towards the bench - their bench, hers and Yerin’s. Towards the figure that is continue moving its hand as if they are eating. 

Is she eating the lunch I made? Is the food still okay? It's not spoiled? Haih. Why is she eating the food from earlier? She could get a stomach ache then. Is that even her?

SinB wipes off the tears threatening to escape her eyes but it failed to stop the tears that run down on her cheeks as fast as her feet are moving. 

”Yerin! Yerin!” SinB’s heart is screaming the woman she expected to be the figure in the dark sitting on the bench. Only her heart could scream, her voice stucks in . SinB keeps running towards the bench, relentlessly praying in her heart that Yerin, her Yerin is the one she is running to. 

***

”Omma, let’s go to bed. You heard Eunha’s omma, we will go tomorrow morning. We’ll wait for appa to come home,” said Yerin’s brother.

”No, I can’t! I just can’t,” replied Yerin’s mother, continues walking back and forth the living room. 

”It happened already, omma...” Yerin’s brother could only sigh, watching his mother worrying over something that has already happened.

The morning comes slower when they are expecting it. At the crack of dawn, the three of them jump into the car, starts driving towards Seoul, meeting Eunha’s parents at the rest stop. Then, the two cars convoy to Seoul. 

”Yerin-ah...” Yerin’s mother tries to stop her wailing, covering as she looks at the limp body of her only daughter in the dark. 

Eunha’s mother peeks behind Yerin’s mother. She too, covers to stop any sounds coming out of . She hugs the woman in front of her and slowly leads her into the kitchen. The two early fifties women solemnly stand in front of the stove, fixing some food for everyone. Soon after, Eunha arrives with Sowon. Following them, Irene arrives with her mother. Everyone finds themselves something to do other than dwelling in sadness. But that only lasts for a while. 

Eunha sobs quietly in Sowon’s embrace, Yerin’s mother rests her head on her husband’s shoulder with a wary looking on her face. Eunha’s mother stands shoulder to shoulder, beside her husband, staring into space. Only Irene and her mother busy themselves setting up the table for the breakfast they all dreaded.

***

Miss...” Yerin’s mother looks up at a young woman who just walk into the living room.

”SinB,” said Eunha softly.

”SinB?!” exclaimed Irene’s mother in surprised.

”Auntie?!” just like Irene’s mother, SinB is also surprised by the sight of the only older woman she is familiar with among all the individuals in the living room.

Yerin’s mother just look at the exchange between Irene’s mother and SinB with unwavering emotion. On the other hand, Eunha and Sowon look at the two with uttermost interest of what is happening while Irene just stands there like a statue, not knowing how to react.