“FROM ONE TO TEN, WE WERE IN IT TOGETHER, ALWAYS TOGETHER”

***

You like it?

We complement each other and everyone have their own weak sides too.

I love your voice, it’s so soothing.

Those bubbly voice kept echoing in Yuri head. She jolted awake from her dream and shocked her friends. Her pupils are dilating as she scanned her surrounding, trying to find a familiar figure that she wish to see the most at the moment. Hoping that everything is just a mere fleeting dream.

“Yuri… Yena is not here.”

Hitomi squeezed the girl hand as tears are b in  Yuri eyes. Reality hit on her as she remember what is going on before she passing out. The moment when Yena going away from her and a voice urging her to bring back Yena but it seems she is too late.

She is always so slow until it made her lost yet another important person in her life. Yuri bit her lips, trying to fight her tears but failed. Her body are shaking as stream of tears are running on her face.

“It’s… All my fault… I am too slow…”

She said in between sniffles as Hitomi and Nako tried to calm her down. The atmosphere are feeling grave as they still didn’t know where in the world Yena went to as she left her party.

You stupid duck. How come you left us easily?

Sakura cursed as she sighed.

***

“I can’t believe I meet all of you here! How can you ended up in here?”

Yena excitedly walked with her family. They just keep smiling at her while taking Yena towards their home. Sungmin ruffled Yena head as he lead Yena into the kitchen to have a snack over their talk. It’s been a while since their family is complete again and Yena are over the moon to be able to meet her beloved family again.

Her mother served them a grand lunch and even though Yena just ate, she heartily grabbed a bowl of rice and spoon some condiments before finishing her bowl in a snap.

“No need to be hasty, silly. There’s a lot more here.”

Her brother chuckled as he handed over more chicken to Yena. The girl just smiled as she thanked her brother. She herself didn't know reasons why she need to be hasty and take food as fast as she can. As much as she remember, she never had those habit before. Yena frowns making her mother worried.

“Is it not delicious?”

She asked, her voice are concerned about Yena preferences. The girl quickly shaking her head, denying her mother worries.

“No way! This is the most scrumptious meal I ever had!”

Yena switched to her happy virus mode again and asking for a second serving. Her father look at her lovingly as they exchanges stories with Yena, compensating every second they missed with their beloved daughter.

“We are really sorry for leaving you behind, Yena. We just going back to get some clothes for you after your surgery but suddenly, something happened and as soon as we open our eyes, we are transported here.”

Her father started their story. Yena mother is serving them some tea and snack as they started their conversation. Yena spotted some teardrops dripping onto the table when her mother passed her a cup of tea. She looked at her mother who are weeping at the moment. Her father are quick to pat the older woman back, comforting her for being able to meet their daughter after all these years.

“Yena dear, we really tried our best to find a way and going back to you. We tried every possible ways but our attempts are futile. There’s  no other way for us to go back to you again. I am sorry for not being able be there with you while you are growing up.”

Her mother said while sobbing which made Yena felt overwhelmed. She used to blame her parents for suddenly leaving her and Sungmin behind and even pestering her brother about their parents whereabout when he tried his best to feed them both at such young age.

“Yeah, I am sorry too for leaving you. I just went to the market to buy some ingredients and cook your favorite food to celebrate you successfully entering high school. On my way back, a sudden flash of light blinding me and as soon as I opened my eyes, I am here on this amusing land.”

Her brother clenched his fist until it turned pale as he told Yena his story. Yena can sense her brother feeling guilty for leaving young Yena out of sudden. Even though she used to despise them for leaving her all alone, struggling just to survive everyday, Yena cannot bring her heart to hate them. Not when she realized her family also went through their own difficulties.

“Life is hard at first in here. We barely know the language and struggling to find a job and securing money. With our old age, barely anyone want to hire us and we resorted to sell some homemade food which fortunately people are welcoming your mother cook. We sell this town speciality dish, skewer and a few more dishes and manage to save up and buy this lovely house.”

Yena father told her his story as he sipping his Camomile tea.

“We are really sorry for not being there to support you like other parents would. You didn't have the chance to be spoiled by us and I will understand if you come to hate us for our shortcomings.”

Her mother softly talked as she pour another cup of tea for Yena. The girl stunted as she heard her parents concern. She did blame them in the past, yes, but how in the world can she hate them when they clearly tried their best to keep her alive when even the doctor is giving up on her?

Yena creep closer towards her mom and dad, pulling them into a hug while muttering,

“How can I hate you if you are the one that bring me to the world? Life is hard but I manage to survive. Just like you never give up to let me alive as a happy girl like right now. Without you, maybe I never exist in this world.”

Her parents are sobbing hard as they are touched by Yena words. Her brother then break those moment as he said,

“If anyone were to blame, it is me. I hardly spend anytime with Yena while working around the clock. She is a good girl, really. To be able juggle all work by herself and even manage to be a good student. I am a failure as a brother.”

Yena is shocked to hear her brother confession. She tottering towards her now teary eyed brother while giving him a warm hug.

“Thank you for taking a good care of me. We are all trapped within unavoidable circumstances. It’s not like you all chose to leave me behind, right? We can compensate our lost time together here as we are reunited again.”

Her family surrounded her and patted Yena head, amazed by the girl mature thinking despite being young. Yena is being comfortable surrounded by people she loved and she are eager to share many things with her family.

“I have tons of story to tell you but-”

Yena rubbed her eyes as she felt sudden surge of drowsiness.

“Bring your sister to her room now. Let her have some good rest. She must be tired after going through a lot of thing.”

Yena mother asked her brother to show Yena her new room. She waddling behind her brother and arrived at a room painted with yellow and even had a cute duck sticker on the door. She smiled as she is touched by her parents effort to not forget her even they are separated before. Her brother bid her good night and Yena snooze on her fluffy bed after being tucked into a comfortable comforter by her brother.

I’m glad my family is alright. This is all I ever ask, being with my family and spending time with them like normal people. I will never be alone again but why is my heart is aching? It feels like I missed something but what is it?

As Yena tried her best to remember something important, her mind is getting cloudy and she just dismissed her thought and jumped into her dream.

***

“Yuri, calm down!”

Hitomi is desperate to make Yuri sane again as the girl is a crying mess. Her voice is cracked and her eyes are puffy but the girl is wailing even harder. She is being in that state for an hour since she woke up, blaming herself for disappearance of Yena.

“It’s my fault! If I am a bit faster, I can get a hold of Yena before that distortion happen! I am so useless! Incompetence! Unworthy!”

She grab her hair and pulled it in desperation, hoping that this physical pain will ease her sadness even for a bit.

“Yuri, Yuri! Look at me, look at me!”

Chaeyeon cannot stand to see Yuri hurting herself and she cupped the girl face while Wonyoung giving Yuri a backhug, stopping the girl from harming herself even more. Yuri body is shaking terribly as she is ashamed of herself.

“You are as precious as any one of us, okay? Stop hurting yourself as we are hurting to see you like this. Your pain is as good as ours, don’t blame yourself.”

Chaeyeon softly uttered those comforting words at Yuri, speaking slowly so that the girl had time to digest her words and realized that there are still people care about her.

“It is okay to be sad, we are human after all but please, you can rely on us a bit more. You can be selfish sometimes, it is not a bad thing.”

Wonyoung whispered those kind words into Yuri ears which made the girl choke with tears. She is too devastated over Yena missing and failed to see that she still had other 10 reliable sisters that are sharing her misery too.

Seeing that Yuri is calming down, Eunbi taking this chance to know more about what do they do before those distortion happen which made them lost Yena. Hitomi is taking the liberty to explain the whole incident again.

“Yena is acting weird when a young man called her name. She even dropped her food and run into that young man embrace and there’s even this older man and woman together with that young man. Yena seems happy to see them though, as if they are someone that are important to her.”

They look at each other, confused over Yena action. Nako snapped her fingers and exclaimed loudly as she manage to realize something. All of them shifted their attention towards the petite, intelligent girl.

“I think that young man is her brother? Do you girls remember about Yena story of being left alone back when we first meet in the White Realm? She also mentioned about her family while we are in Commencer.”

They are bewildered to hear Nako theory but as it is plausible for Yena to act strange, they decide to stick with those assumption for now.

“Isn’t it weird? How come her whole family is in here?”

Chaewon pointed out those peculiar fact and everyone just look at each other while shrugging.

“I don’t have a good feeling for this.”

Chaewon grunted but eventually shut as she is miserable to lost her friend out of sudden. She just cannot show her sadness in front of everyone and silently being jealous of Yuri as the girl are brave to show them her weak side. She sighed and just closed her eyes, trying to recollect her thought and be calm again.

Chaewon:

“What do we do now?”

Minjoo asking timidly as she look at their leaders line. Eunbi are gazing Yuri who seems lost in her own world while being embraced by Chaeyeon and Wonyoung. She looked at Sakura and Hyewon, trying to see their reaction and they both just smiling at her while nodding their head, trusting Eunbi to decide their next action.

“We will stay here. We come as 12 and will leave as 12. Chaeyeon, I will entrust you to prepare our camp, Minjoo and Sakura, you are in charge of cooking. Everyone, let’s prepare to help them. Yena will come back to us. Let’s believe in her.”

Eunbi clapped her hand twice to get the girls attention. They heed her instruction well and move into the safe area to start their preparation. However, Yujin realized that Nako is frowning and curiosity get better of her and decided striking a conversation with the girl.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

Her short words making Nako startled as she turned her head and see the worried Yujin standing a few steps away from her. She shake her head, telling Yujin that she is fine while pushing the taller girl to move into the safe area.

“Hey, hey. No need to push, I can walk just fine, geez.”

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