“Unnie!”  Eunbi calls out when she sees Yuna walking away from the bus stop.

Yuna stops in her tracks and turns around, recognising the call, “Eunbi?”

“Unnie!” Eunbi exclaims again as she runs towards Yuna. Catching her breath, she says, “I just got off the bus and saw you.” Eunbi does not hide the excitement in her eyes. Eunbi had always loved seeing Yuna although they live under the same roof but since the realisation of her feelings, Eunbi is overwhelmed each time with exhilaration never known before whenever meeting Yuna.

“What a coincidence,” Yuna laughs.

“Yeah,” Eunbi cheerily nods her head, “Wanna get dinner together?”

When their dinner is served, Yuna cannot help but notice Eunbi’s divided attention between the bowl of noodles before her and the television at the corner of the restaurant.

“Eat, Hwang Eunbi, or I’ll ask the ahjumma to switch the television off,” Yuna does not keep herself from nagging.

“Unnie! I dare you to,” Eunbi whines, though her concentration on the drama airing does not shift.

“Who says I don’t dare to?” Yuna raises her voice, engaging in amusement in her younger housemate’s antics, as usual.

“Wait! After this scene! I need to watch this actress because she’s pretty!” the whimsical exhibit causes Yuna to laugh, as it does every time, bringing a kind of warmth to Yuna’s heart that she has grown to enjoy after a few months of Eunbi’s daily presence.

“Prettier than me?” the joke rolls off Yuna’s lips casually and mindlessly.

On the receiving end, Eunbi isn’t much at ease as Yuna is for saying those words. She turns to Yuna, frozen, her fingers’ grips on the pair of metal chopsticks loosened.

She manages to snap herself out of her daze and turns her head back to the television. “The scene’s over, I’m eating.”

Yuna watches as Eunbi nonchalantly begins stuffing herself with noodles, baffled.

Eunbi sighs when a call from her mother comes in. As she turns the phone on speaker mode, she makes a silent wish that the topic would be an appropriate one for Yuna is the living room with her.

“Your oppa’s finally getting married,” her mother warmly says after they have exchanged simple greetings. “Jungwoo brought her home today for a proper greeting.”

“What do you mean finally, he’s just turning thirty,” Eunbi casually retorts her mother’s comment, “But that’s great news!”

“Jungwoo’s been seeing her for a long time! It’s about time I get a grandchild,” her mother’s voice returns to a nag.

“So, when will it be?” Eunbi nonchalantly asks.

“Most likely in the last week of March next year? We’re still looking at location listings-”

“NO NOT MARCH- WHY MARCH?”

Eunbi jumps up from her seat and with large strides heads right past Yuna and into her bedroom. Closing the door behind her, she plops herself down onto her bed and listens to what more her mother has to say.

After a little more nagging the phone is handed over to her brother.

“Wow, you're home today,” Eunbi's voice is dripping sarcasm.

“Yahh, I still live here,” her brother retorts.

“I know that but well, nice to hear,” Eunbi replies curtly, her lip curled up in disdain.

“So, what do you have in March?”

“Listen,” Eunbi speaks commandingly despite being the younger sibling, (as the both of them have always had a dynamic bond,) “it's going to change my life. If I get it,” Eunbi hisses, “I'll have the most important stage I've ever had this far in my life so you have to delay this.

“I'm sorry, I know this is a very hard favour, but please,” Eunbi's tone drops to a plead, “an ensemble is performing Clarinet Concerto in the first week of April.”

Eunbi first hears emptiness before a sigh from Jungwoo.

“I'll speak to her,” he replies, resigned.

Eunbi gasps. “Really?”

“It should be okay because nothing's confirmed,” he says again. “But I know this chance is something you've been dreaming of since you were a kid.”

A lump grows in Eunbi’s throat, “You know that?”

“Of course, you're my sister and you're important to me too,” Jungwoo’s reply makes Eunbi's heart swell.

“I… I don't know what to say,” Eunbi brings a hand to her forehead and her knees closer to her body. “Thank you so much, oppa. I hope unnie will be fine with it.”

“You know how she is,” Eunbi senses a smile on the other side of the line and wants to hit her brother for the cheesiness.

“I know, unnie jjang! Tell her that I love her,” Eunbi falls back on her bed as she giggles.

“Yahh! Unnie jjang? What about me?” Eunbi chuckles harder upon this response.

“Ah, but you’re finally getting married,” Eunbi’s tone reverts to a heartfelt one, “Congratulations!”

Jungwoo chuckles, “Thank you,” he earnestly replies. “Anyway, I hope you’re doing well alone. Sometimes I think of how my dongsaeng is successfully chasing her dreams despite being alone in a faraway place and I feel so proud.”

“Seoul is a faraway place? And am I supposed to be touched?” Eunbi’s facade remains.

“Don’t deny it, I know you are,” her brother sees through her. “Anyway, see you next week for Chuseok.”

“You’ll be there?” Eunbi’s question sounds like an interrogation.

“Of course!” Jungwoo responds in protest. “You?”

“Of course! What kind of daughter do you think I am?”

“Likewise,” Jungwoo scoffs after clicking his tongue.

When the call ends, Eunbi seats herself up and stares right into the mirror.

I'm going for that audition, Eunbi tells herself will a huff and a cross look in her eyes, I’ll get it and I'm getting that money and I'll get myself a new phone. A good one at that.

“So, I was playing at the amusement park again today, I heard a kid say that orchestral music just sounds like Disney or Christmas music- I was like kid, Disney music literally is orchestral music if they make use of an orchestra,” Eunbi animatedly rambles as Yuna watches, entertained.

Eunbi puts down the sweater she was trying to fold when her phone beeps.

[Eunbi ssi, would you like to meet again on Sunday?] Eunbi’s attention to her mobile phone interrupts the housemates’ casual heartfelt session of doing their laundry together by routine.

Eunbi’s fiddles with her fingers as her eyes are on the screen of her phone. She thinks fondly of the two times she has met Jeonghan; she knows sincerely that Jeonghan is a wonderful person even though it hasn’t been even a week that she has known him. However, she knows how things should be; releasing a sigh internally she brings her phone up and begins typing a reply.

Eunbi lightly tosses her phone down to the couch and watches it land, her mind revising the decision she has just made.

“What’s up?” Yuna asks, eyeing the way Eunbi dips her head and gives a small smile to herself.

“Eh? Nothing,” Eunbi shakes her head in denial.

Yuna watches as Eunbi’s attention reverts to her laundry, with her lips thinly pursed into what Yuna cannot perceive as a smile but knows not otherwise.

Is Eunbi really going to meet that man again? For the third time already? Are things really going well for them? Yuna is frustrated, but she doesn't know if she's frustrated at Eunbi for meeting that man or because of the myriad questions in her head now. Yuna doesn't even know why she should be frustrated at Eunbi or for having so much about it to ask in the first place.

Still, Yuna wants to know.

An expressionless, untelling question should do. Nothing more. Yuna takes a deep breath and nods.

Entering the living room again, she sees Eunbi emerging from the hallway donned in a pastel-coloured laced floral one-piece. Yuna almost loses all strength to speak up. Eunbi never wears dresses, not even in her performances or recitals (though Yuna only knows from videos Eunbi has allowed Yuna to see). And for the second time, pastel! Yuna internally screams. Whatever happened to Eunbi's closet that was the dictionary of dull colours and only dull colours with the exception of white!

“U-Unnie,” Eunbi stammers. She straightens her dress again, embarrassed. “I'll get going,” she says softly.

Yuna clears . “Are you meeting… that person?” she plainly asks (as she manages to).

“Yeah,” Eunbi wonders how to not let Yuna get the wrong idea. She wants to scream and tell Yuna her plans, but for once Eunbi wants to be patient.

“He must be a nice person,” Yuna tries hard to prevent her facial muscles from forming out a grimace. “Congratulations,” she finds herself saying things that she doesn’t mean, “things must be going well for you.”

Eunbi’s jaw drops. “No, unnie, it’s not that-” Eunbi waves her arms in denial. “It’s nothing like what you’re thinking,” she tries to explain, “this is the last time I’m going to be meeting him.”

Yuna furrows her brow, not understanding Eunbi’s words. She stands up from the dining table as she says, “Well, I’m not someone you have to report all these to,” before retreating to her bedroom without forgetting to shut the door behind her.

Eunbi jumps, startled.

“Is she angry?” Eunbi mutters under her breath, before finally leaving the house.

a/n: sorry for the wait, was suffering from a slight writer's block huhu but i managed to complete this chapter anyway. i hope it doesn't feel inconsistent, because i actually wrote a large portion of it months ago but only completed this yesterday ^^|| i haven't been reading either so it's not a surprise i can't produce anything of quality ahhh im sorry >< but i hope this update finds you well! i miss sinju so much ahhh