"Sojung ah."

Sowon flipped the pages of her workbook, studying them religiously. Writing down her answers carefully, she checked them several times to get the right answer before checking with the answer sheets.

"Sojung!"

Startled, Sowon fell out of her chair and landed safely in her sister's arms.

"Yah, are you deaf? I've been calling you for the last ten minutes."

Sowon blinked before sighing. Getting up, she sat back in her chair.

"Unnie, what's up?"

Sohyun raised an eyebrow and took a seat on Sowon's bed. Sighing a little as she leaned back on her arms.

"When I said it was okay for you to dream to be a doctor, I didn't mean like this."

"What do you mean?"

Opening her arms for Sowon to climb into her lap, Sohyun wrapped her arms around Sowon warmly, tucking Sowon's head to her chest lightly.

"You're growing up too fast."

"I want to grow up faster."

"I don't want you to."

"Why?"

Sohyun laid down, pulling Sowon down with her, spooning her little sister, Sohyun noticed that Sowon had grown too tall for her pants, the ends were hanging well above her ankles. Running her hand through Sowon's hair soothingly, Sohyun hummed as she thought for a second, how was she going to word what she wanted to say, how she was going to get Sowon to understand her intentions.

"The world is cold and unforgiving."

"I know."

"But you're still only nine. You're barely starting puberty."

Sowon kept quiet.

"You should be taking it easy, for as long as you can until later. Basics are important, but advancing yourself above everyone else at this pace will leave you alone at the top. And I don't want you to be alone Sojung ah."

"I won't be alone, you'll be here for me."

Sohyun blinked back her tears silently, holding Sowon's head under her chin to hide her tears.

"What if I'm not going to be?"

Sowon looked up at Sohyun, only to have her sister push her back under her chin.

"What do you mean you're not going to be here?"

"You know I'm preparing for switching universities."

"Yea I do, but what does that have to do with anything?"

Sohyun finally let Sowon look.

"I'll have to go away. I have to live in the dorms Sojung ah."

"But you-"

"I'll support you, like I always have, but I can't be right here for you much longer."

Sowon pouted, her lip trembling slightly as she held back her tears. Her shoulders hunched over as she seemed to reject Sohyun's statement with her whole being.

"Sojung ah, I just want to make sure that you can stand on your own. But even though I'm here, I can't bring myself to leave you like this. You can't be lost in your studies like this, it's not healthy."

Sohyun Sowon's hair softly, trying to coax out the tears Sowon kept bottled inside.

"I know you're using it as an excuse to ignore your surroundings, but you need to let go when I can still help you. You don't want to explode outside right?"

Sowon's body shook as she held on her sister tightly, still fighting back tears.

"I love you Sojung ah, we all do."

Breaking into a broken cry, Sowon wailed as she clung on her sister, their mother came rushing in when she heard the first cry. Immediately kneeling beside the bed to comfort her daughters, she put in her two cents when Sowon stopped choking on her tears.

"Sojung ah, omma is sorry she hasn't done much for you, what with taking care of your father. Sohyun has been doing an excellent job taking care of you, and I'm sorry she had to do my job. But there is one thing I can confirm for you baby. You father is going to be just fine, so you should take your time to grow up okay darling?"

Sowon shook her head, still refusing.

"Sojung, please?"

"Why is the world like this ma? Why did Yerin's dad do that? Why did Eunha's parents leave her alone in the hospital? Why would anyone ask if someone could bleed?! How could anyone hurt a little girl who was so happily celebrating her first baby tooth coming out? How can the children be just as cruel as their parents at the age of five!"

All of Sowon's worries came pouring out as she cried harder again, her mother scooping her up to carry her around for a little as she was still able to.

"Sojung ah, omma won't be able to carry you like this for much longer."

"WHY?!"

"You're growing too big baby, too heavy for my old back."

She chuckled as Sowon whined at her for being so dramatic. Seated down on Sowon's bed, she reached over to fix Sohyun's bangs as well.

"I'm proud of both you girls, so so much. Sojung ah, people are people because they're unpredictable, some are insane, some are alright. It's unfortunate that we had to deal with this, but through hardships come good things right? Sohyun too, you're making big decisions now, changing for a better university is a major choice. But both of you are still my babies."

"Omma, I'm already twenty years old, I can't be a baby."

"Eyy no matter what, you're still my baby, my twenty year old siscon baby. You should let Sojung run free more often."

Sohyun spluttered at the accusation.

"Siscon?! I just care for her like any big sister would!"

"Right right, what ever you say honey, as long as you love her is enough for me."

They stopped bickering when they heard a little tinkle of laughter, Sowon blushed and covered her face in her mother's shirt.

"Stop looking at me."

"You're just the most adorable little-"

"Shush! No! I'm mature!"

"You're just nine!"

Their mother chuckled as she watched her daughters bicker, almost exactly as she was just with her older daughter.

"Well, I guess I can just play with you, since, you miss me so much unnie."

Sowon crossed her arms hilariously.

"Mwo? Me? Begging to play with you!?"

"Cha cha, let me go finish making dinner, play nice my babies."

Kissing each of their foreheads before leaving, their mother smiled warmly.

"Don't forget that the purpose of life is to find happiness."

The moment the door closed, Sowon tackled Sohyun into the blankets, playfully growling as her sister wrestled with her.

"Unnie, you promise to make lots of money by getting a good job at a good college right?"

"Of course you brat! Why else would I work so hard to get into a better university!"

"You better treat me to good food!"

"I always treat you to good food!"

Letting go of each other, Sowon panted lightly laying across her sister's stomach.

"The purpose of living is to find happiness."

"That's right you little brat, so stop thinking so hard and enjoy life okay?"

"I guess so. Hey, do you think mom will get angry if we go for a quick bike ride?"

"Oh she definitely will, she's finishing dinner remember?"

Sowon sat up quickly with a naughty grin.

"Wanna go?"

Sohyun sighed and brushed her messy hair back, grinning she got up from the bed.

"Of course."

================

uhhhhh let's seeeeee, Yuju's psychopath cousin is in jail? or did I say he was at a correctional facility? I don't remember, it's been a long journey and I can't wait to marathon it at the end, but the reason for him asking if they bleed was just to insinuate that he was sick in the head, and it was the creepiest thing I could think of? I will be doing a epilogue and a behind the scenes chapter after the end, so if there are more questions, just tell meeeeee or tell me if this lol hahahahah good night