It’s been two days since Chaeri arrived and it’s nearly midnight when she carefully knocks on Harin’s bedroom door. She doesn’t know if the lady is asleep or not. She really hopes that her problems of sleeping at night won’t interrupt the latter’s sleep.

However, not long after the few and soft knocks, Chaeri faintly hears her invitation to come in. She gingerly opens the door and pops her head in. Harin is wearing her satin nighties, her hair tied up in a bun. Her face is free of makeup and moisturised. She is standing by her bed, in front of the bedside table. The sight makes the younger lass breathe in relief.

“Hey,” The older lady smiles.

“Were you going to sleep?” She asks.

“About to.” Harin answers and then she tilts her head when she returns a slightly different question, “Can’t sleep?”

Chaeri nods. “But if you’re tired, it’s okay.”

“No, it’s good.” She flicks the light of her lamp open before making her way out of the room. “Do you drink wine?” The younger lady beams upon hearing the drink, making the other chuckle. It is more than an answer. “Okay, so red or white wine?”

“Red.”

“To the kitchen.” Harin points as she shuts the door after turning the light of her bedroom off, leaving the four walls lit with a lamp.

They are at the kitchen when Chaeri asks where the glass wines are. Appreciative, the owner of the flat points towards the upper cupboard as she makes her way to the wine rack where her bottle of wines are beautifully and exquisitely stored and stacked.

They sit at the high bar stools, sitting side to side, before the kitchen counter top. Harin opens the wine bottle and pours the younger lady some in her glass. Chaeri politely does the same.

“Harin…” She calls so softly. “Thank you for taking me in.”

“How long are you and your brother going to thank me?” She muses with a smile.

Chaeri pouts. “This is just my third night and I haven’t thanked you properly.” She says in her defence. “I’m just really thankful. I don’t really want to live with Yeonsu. And with father, I know it’s just going to be the same trouble.”

“Your brother doesn’t want you to live on your own too.” She informs the young lady. “It may not be as obvious, but they really care for you.”

“I know.” She acknowledges that. “But I’m just scared.”

“Scared of what?”

“It’s just that, ever since Mum died, I feel so less understood. I feel like no one is by my side anymore.” She reveals. “Dad married another woman, Yeonsu went to live on his own. And me, I don’t know where I should be anymore. Home doesn’t feel quite home so when I went to seek that on other people, both of them disapproved.” Then, she breathes out, “What more about me that they would’ve never expected.”

“One step at a time, Chae.” She reminds gently. “Focus on one thing now, and worry about others when it’s time.” So, she asks, “Is University really the place you want to go to?”

“When I first took the entrance exam for it, it wasn’t. I did my best but it wasn’t enough, simply because I didn’t want it. That’s why I want to try again. Because now, I know. I want to give it a shot.”

“Then you’ll do fine.” The older lady assures. “Use the time you’re staying here, you taking and passing that exam, as a stepping stone. Not now maybe, but soon, your brother and Uncle will understand.”

“I hope so.” She dearly hopes. And with her mind whirling around the main thing she’s going to focus on, her mind is reminded of her new tutor that she is going to meet the morning after. “Do you know Oh Sehun?” She wonders. “Is he nice?”

Though her inside freeze at the mention of his name, Harin remains to appear unbothered and sips her wine. “I wouldn’t know.” She smiles. And though she feels sorry for the lies the came and will come out of , she doesn’t hesitate to say, “I’ve only met him once.”

“Oh…” She smiles, showing a little bit of uneasiness. “I’m so nervous.”

“Don’t be.” Harin tells her. “Just relax. He seems to be okay.” At this point, she knows better to speak less words about it, more precisely, about him. Pivoting, she tells her, “Besides, I can help you too.”

“Yeah, but you’ll be busy too. It’s your final semester.” She adds, “Yeonsu made it very clear not to bother you so much.”

“Well,” She smirks, “I suggest you tell your brother that the lady he’s telling you not to bother is telling you that she wants to be bothered by you.” Harin retorts. “And I’d be really upset if he insists on resisting you.”

Chaeri pouts her lips towards one side. “Yeonsu won’t believe if I say it.” She mutters, “It’s so unfair.” With Harin sympathising, a second of silence takes over them. Something that the young lady herself dislikes, so she laughs it off, saying, “It'd be really good if Yeonsu would marry a girl like you.”

Harin tilts her head. “Why is that?”

“So then, I would have an older sister like you.” comes Chaeri's easy answer.

“I can still continue to be your older sister even if that won’t be the case.” The older lady assures, reaching her hand out to place on top of the other's hand. She holds it tightly. “You will be my younger sister.”

“That's it.” She says. “I’m keeping your word. Don't take it back.”

“Trust me, I won't.” Harin promises. Glancing over to the entertainment area, she looks at her. “Want to see a movie?”

“Yes, please.” She answers politely.

At that, she stands up and bobs her head towards the area, grabbing her glass of wine. “Alright, come on.”

Chaeri squeals and stands up. She doesn't forget to take her own glass of wine too. She settles on the couch comfortably while Harin goes and gets the remote. The latter takes a seat on the other end of the three-seater sofa as she initiates the discussion for which movie to watch. After about less than five minutes, they settle on a romantic-action movie.

Towards the last ten minutes of the movie, Harin notices that Chaeri has already dozed off. Deciding to not end the movie, she quietly stands up and turns the TV off before walking off to get a spare blanket for the young girl. It isn’t long when she gets back with a soft blanket that will keep her warm and comfortable over the night, or at least until she wakes up. Then, she takes the glasses of wine they used to wash and dry before putting them back to the cup boards. She puts the wine back to its rack and leaves to her bedroom with dim lights lighting the entertainment area.

At half past nine in the morning, Sehun gets up and starts to prepare himself for a job outside his main. Truth to be told, with the income he's getting from his career, working as a practitioner but mostly a researcher, he has more than enough that taking this job is really not needed.

However, with the favour of his most respected senior, to be a tutor for his friend's daughter, he found himself in a difficult position to say No. During his entire journey, this senior he respects the most has given him nothing but full support. Sehun doesn't remember him asking for any favour with the entire time they’ve known each other. So seeing how diligently and seriously his senior was asking for this favour, he could sense how important the favour is. So after the initial rejection of the offer from the daughter’s father himself, Sehun made a phone call and agreed to take the job. He thought of it as a good opportunity to do something different than his usual routine of being just at home and his main workplace, the research centre.

However, the universe had something different before him, he realises, the moment he sees Woo Harin opening the door of the address he got.

Sehun finds himself freezing at the unexpected sight of her. He finds himself exactly in the condition like the first when he saw her get off the car, confirming to himself that the carrier of the name on the screen he saw was the same person that has got him trapped.

“Woo Harin…?” He must be dreaming. That is all he can think of. This must be a dream.

But it isn't.

“Come in.” Harin smiles, opening the door wider to welcome the male in.

Tentatively, Sehun takes a step inside the flat. And once he is, the lady shuts the door and welcomes him inside with minimum words. He hasn't said a word. Though he understands that his student is her man’s younger sister (having seen her details before she came) and, seeing how they must be living together, he can tell how their relationship is deeper than he thought of. He should've thought that such possibility like this is possible. How can he be so oblivious?

“Chaeri is just inside her room. She'll be out in a second.” She informs the male, adamant to act like they hadn't known each other before.

Meeting him, now that they are standing in front of each other, Harin still can't a grasp of his intentions in taking this job. In all honesty, he is overqualified. They both know that. And anyone who knows his career, knows that.

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter