After her sister ended the call, Yerim wasn't really awake yet. She had to fight the sleepiness, using her will to lift her stiff body from the bed but still struggled to keep her eyes open. She knew she needed to bath to wash her grogginess away, so she dragged her body to the bathroom.

She let out of a sign of comfort when she entered the hot tub. Rubbing shampoo to her hair, she thought of her sister's tone, she knew her sister wouldn't let her slipped this time.

Seungwan unnie wanted to know the truth.

But, Yeri didn't quite know the truth.

Seungwan didn't really tell Yeri about it.

The last phonecall they had.

Seungwan unnie was one of the most accepting person Yeri ever knew, always all ears to everyone's problem, even mum would tell her the issues she faced in work. Yeri wondered how her sister did that, giving people her time, yet still managed to have her own life.

She admired her sister very much, though she made sure she wouldn't let her sister know, because Seungwan unnie's smug look was the least she wanted to see.

But, Wendy wasn't oblivious, she noticed whenever Yerim faced some sort of drama in school, she would rather talk to Wendy, instead of dad or mum.

'Dad and mum were busy anyway.' Yerim brushed it off.

Nevertheless, Wendy was delighted to have Yerim's trust, at least Yerim would look for guidance to solve her problem, instead of acting complusively.

Yeri still remembered the first time she met Seungwan unnie, unnie was 15 years old.

Despite the composure Wendy had now, Wendy's rebellion was a headache to her mum. She had a hard time navigating her parents' divorce and her mum's new boyfriend, didn't know how to co-op with all that. She blamed herself for the divorce, and blamed her mother for giving up on her marriage, leaving her biological father, destroying the family.

She was lost in the labyrinth of self-blame and self-pity, she didn't know the way out and wouldn't come out from it either. What worsen the case was her uality, she didn't accept herself back then, thinking herself was an outcast, different from the society.

She blamed it to the universe for making her life so miserable. She bottled up these anger and fury in herself, and loathed herself to be exposed to all these unjust hardships.

Yeri remembered Seungwan unnie, once, told her when she came out to her.

When Seungwan unnie came to accept her uality.

"Yeri, it's just easier to live like that. Blame everything to the society, pretending we have no power on changing the world. No matter how hard we try, we wouldn't change the world and our effort is worthless. But, we didn't know we don't have to change the world. We could just change our perspective toward the world."

Such wise words came from a 16 years old teenagers.

How could Yeri not admire her Seungwan unnie.

But, the funny thing was when Yeri met Seungwan unnie, she was still in the mode of self-pity, blaming the world for making her life miserable.

So, when her mum first introduced Mr Kim and Yerim to Seungwan, she didn't acknowledge Mr Kim as her mum's boyfriend. She even gave Yerim the cold shoulder, barely talked to her, as if Yerim didn't exist.

"Where are you going, unnie?" Yeri was a child back then, she couldn't quite catch up Seungwan's speed.

"Don't you dare follow me!" Seungwan rolled her eyes and grunted loudly, making sure only Yeri could hear it, didn't want to attract attention, meanwhile keeping her pace fast, not wanting Yeri to catch up.

"But dad called me to follow you." Yeri was an obedient kid back then. Despite Yeri's short height, she still managed to catch up.

"Why can't you all just leave me alone?" Seungwan stopped and shouted, the people around them was startled at the sudden outburst, but decided to mind their own business and walked away. She, then, squatted down to cry, finally acknowledging her long suppressed emotion and letting it all out. Luckily there weren't many people in the park.

Yeri didn't think much about the hidden meaning behind the outburst, she quickly came forward and held her 'sister', tearing up too.

"Dad said we are gonna be family, and family doesn't leave."

Seungwan couldn't believe a 9 years old girl just said that, lifting her head up, matching the little girl's eyes.

This little girl was also bawling her eyes out.

Yeri hated to see people around her to be heartbroken.

Since then, the bonding between them was strengthened. Even though their DNA was biologically incompatible, love made them a family. She was grateful to have a big sister in her childhood and Seungwan was grateful to have Yeri in her adolescent. They spent time together, belting out their favourite songs, introducing each other the new music they found.

They passed the tissue to each other as they were crying over some overrated soap drama, and then laughed at themselves for wasting thier precious time to be obsessed with such exaggerated plot. They went to those free concerts which Yeri's uncle got the tickets for them. They would go for window shopping together, buying absolutely nothing as they didn't have the money. 

Having a big sister was Yeri ever wanted.

Yeri was always searching some company in her life.

Someone who was willing to spend time with Yeri.

Someone who was willing to do stupid things with Yeri.

Seungwan unnie was the someone. 

Yerim was a V.I.P for Big Bang, knowing Mr. Kim wouldn't let her buy ticket without 'an adult's supervision'. That time, Wendy was already 16 years old, technically an young adult.

"Come on, unnie, just this time." Yerim literally just kneeled in front of Seungwan's bed, putting her palms together, like she was showing her respect to some god.

"Why am I accompanying you to buy tickets to a group in which I had, literal, no interest?" Seungwan turned her head away to focus her study.

"Because they might never organise a concert again, with half of the members are gonna go the army next year!" Yeri exclaimed.

"That's your business. Not mine." Seungwan still wouldn't turn around to look at the puppy eyes of her sister, knowing she would eventually give in if she looked at the devil's eyes.

"You know dad wouldn't let me to buy it on my own."

"You know what time we need to get up, just to wait in a long queue, and this doesn't guarantee you can secure it for sure." Seungwan had to reread the sentence again and again, with the devil beside her, she couldn't focus at all.

"If I get to see them in person, I could die in peace, without regrets."

"Now, that's exaggerating." Seungwan rolled her eyes, still not moving an inch from the table.

Still reading the same sentence since 15 minutes ago.

"Unnie, I would buy you one Girls Generation's album if you accompany me to ticket selling." Though Yeri was mourning for her money, she could feel the nausea surging from her stomach.

As she had to eat bread for the rest of the month, after spending money on concert ticket and one album.

Ugh, Yeri wanted to vomit, for just thinking of it now.

The tasteless and soggy texture in for a month.

Seungwan put her notebook down immediately, turned around to face Yeri, "Deal."

Yeri knew Seungwan unnie would do anything for her regardless of her requests. She enjoyed someone taking care of her, and she wouldn't want it any other way.

Yeri knew Seungwan would stand up for her.

Seungwan unnie would be there for Yeri when she needed someone.

Someone who was trustworthy and reliable.

Seungwan was her hero.

"U-unnie?"

Seungwan brought the phone, immediately noticing the quiver in Yeri's voice and sniffle from Yeri. She stood up abruptly, totally anxious about her little sister's sobbing. "What happened, Yerim?"

"A-are you free to talk?"

"Yes, I am. Are you alone now?" Seungwan gestured to her phone, mouthing 'It's Yeri.' to Joohyun, Joohyun figured it must be something important, seeing the worried expression on Seungwan's face and nodded.

Seungwan left their table and left the cafeteria. She walked to a bus stop nearby as it was less crowded, so she could hear her sister more clearly. Her sister's voice was muffled by the noise surrounding her.

"I'm alone."

"Ok, tell me what happened."

Yeri went on and told Seungwan unnie that she had a fight with her biological mum, her mum commented something terrible to her, saying she wouldn't never succeed with such poor grading in study. The worst thing was Yeri was convinced that her mother might be right about her future, too stupid to pursue college, too naive to think pursuing art would give her a sustainable job.

Yeri's self-esteem was shattered and it broke Seungwan's heart, her biological father said the same thing to her before too.

Seungwan wouldn't want Yeri to dwell into the cycle like she did.

Because, she used a long time snapping out from it.

Literally few years.

"Yeri, listen to me. You are way more capable to achieve whatever you want to do. This is your life to live, your choice to make, your dream to achieve. No one gets to tell you what to do with your life. Not even your biological mother."

Seungwan, then, quickly applied for sick leave, left school to get Yeri as Yeri texted Seungwan her mother's working place.

"Hi, auntie. I'm Wendy, Yeri's close friend."  She walked toward the table where Yeri was sitting and she smiled politely to a well-dressed OL who sat beside Yeri. Seungwan figured the lady must be Yeri's biological mum.

"She never mentioned you before." Yeri's mother glared at the adolescent who was apparently quite grown up to be close friend with her daughter. 

"Oh, auntie. Maybe you are too busy to meet all your daughter's friends. Now, would you excuse us, we have plans later."  The smile on Seungwan's face was politely taunting, yet keeping her manners in check, pulling Yeri up from the table, ushering Yeri to stand behind her and used her body to shield the younger.

"Is this the way you talk to elder like that?" Yeri's mother stood up and grunted, though keeping her temper in check, as they were, in fact, in her working place.

She instantly disliked Seungwan's attitude.

A brat who was too self-righteous.

A brat who had no manners toward elderly.

"Maybe if you behave like one, you would earn my respect. Now, would you excuse us? Thank you for keeping our Yeri safe." Seungwan made sure she had the polite smile on her face, giving a formal bow to Yeri's mother, charging toward the exit, leaving the speechless woman standing there.

As they left the building, Seungwan then flashed a toothy grin, suggested, wanting to cheer the younger up. "Wanna go sing karaoke? I'll pay."

Yeri saw the change in Seungwan unnie.

From mockingly cold attitude toward her mother.

To this understanding and welcoming big sister.

A stranger with no blood relation who chose to love her.

When her mother who gave birth to her didn't care about her.

Or won't love her.

Of course, later on, Yeri's mother went and complain to her ex-husband but fortunately Yeri's dad knew how toxic his ex-wife could be. He just fudged over the complain and thanked Seungwan for standing up for her daughter to his ex-wife.

Wendy's mom was kept from all these drama, as Mr Kim knew her girlfriend might think it was inappropriate for Wendy to mingle with Yeri's relationship with her mother. Mr Kim thought it was for the best to hide it