A/N: Hi everyone, thank you for checking out again, but we're almost there in terms of finishing the 2nd arc. This is gonna be a hard chapter to swallow. Despite all your excited comments about Irene-ssi, this is probably the darkest part of this story, sorry to disappoint! There is going to be a third and final act and that will be it for this story.

Eunbi has known for quite some time now. She knows that the person Sakura loves is not Hyewon or anybody else, but her. The moment this realization sunk in, she felt her heart leapt to cloud nine with indescribable joy. 

They love each other.

But what can she do about it? Reality came crushing her back onto Earth, suffocating her till she admits defeat. She’s her sister. No matter how she sees it, this is scandalous and wrong.

Kwon Eunbi, you have been given a chance to redeem yourself-- you have been given this treasure of a family by Eomma, despite being undeserving of it. It’s not even a year since Okaasan is gone, and you already want to break this all apart? 

She would also have to think about Sakura, and what she’s subjecting her to if society finds out. The memories of those whispers and name calling came crawling back into her mind. She can’t let herself and Sakura live through that again. The most horrible fact of all this is-- they are right.

Bastard...Unspeakable embarrassment to the family… Scandal…

Eunbi tried to cover her ears but these voices in her head got louder and louder. This won’t do, she shook her head and held her wrist, which was trembling in fright. She’s just redeemed her existence as Sakura’s and Nako’s sister. She needs to stay the person that they can rely on, or she’ll fall back into the abyss as a worthless, unwanted consequence of her mother’s predicament.

That’s why she decided she would never confess.

She prayed that things would stay the same way, that she could get the best of both worlds by accepting all of Sakura’s affection without acknowledging their relationship. She could indulge in this feeling by returning her love, as long as none of them say it out loud. She could fool the world and fool herself, even as she allowed herself to fall deeper and deeper.

Then, she got what she deserved.

Sakura confessed and Eunbi broke her heart. She couldn’t even face her when she lied to her face, telling her that she doesn’t love her back. She wanted to wipe the tears off her face and tell her that she is sorry, but she stayed silent, because the fear of what would come ahead petrified her.

She must only be Sakura’s unnie. There can be no other way.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just as she thought that she could live through this heartbreak and hold her ground against the unrelenting Kkura, another disaster erupted. Irene Bae. She never thought that she would lay eyes on her in real life ever, since they live in separate worlds and she was sure that her father’s family is dead set on burying this secret with his passing a few years ago.

When she saw that Irene didn’t react upon seeing her, she knew that she still didn't know, and that’s great. She wanted nothing to do with anyone from the Bae family. She hates every single one of them who brought upon so much pain to her Eomma. Kwon Kaeun didn’t have to quit her job as a news anchor. She didn’t have to take on a job that takes her away from home most of the time, just to be out of sight of one of the most powerful families in Korea. She didn’t need to have a baby out of wedlock with someone she barely knew, and she didn’t have to endure the cold stare and jeers from her own family. She didn’t have to struggle raising Eunbi, this mistake of an existence, all alone. And yet, that’s exactly what had happened, all because of Bae Hyunsoo.

Flashback to fifteen years old Eunbi

“Eomma, please don’t cry.” Eunbi tried to dab the tears off her mother’s cheeks with a piece of tissue paper after their relatives had left the house.

“Eunbi-ya, I’m so sorry you had to hear this.” Her mother just sobbed and shook her head.

“It’s okay. They-- have a point. I should dress more modestly.” Eunbi looked down at her dress, which was simply a form fitting one-piece. No one would’ve batted an eyelid about it, but because she’s Eunbi, that would look wrong in people’s eyes.

“No, you shouldn’t need to be scolded about dressing like other girls do.” Their cousins were just dressed in similar styles, but her aunt took a jab at her, and none of them could retort.

...

‘Wow~Eunbi has grown to be pretty well-endowed. Kaeun-ya, you’ve got to watch out and not let her dress like a , or she might get pregnant before she goes to university--- that’s if she does. You don’t want her to turn out to be just like you, right?’

...

“She’s an elder, so Eunbi, you’ll just have to be a bigger person and forget about it. I’m sorry, you wouldn’t have to endure all these if I didn’t….make that mistake years ago.”

“Eomma,” Eunbi bites her lips bitterly to stop any tears from falling. “You know how you told me about father three years ago? Was it...was it really a mistake? Do you even know Bae Hyunsoo?”

“Why...what are you talking about?” Her mum looks at her in horror.

“I found this yesterday.” She walked towards the kitchen cabinet and pulled a tin box out. “These checks were never cashed. And each one of them says it’s compensation for non-disclosure...what are you trying to hide for the Bae family? Is it just purely our existence? Or is there something I should know?”

“Eunbi-ya, don’t read too much into this. He just doesn’t want trouble with his current wife and daughter.”

“I learned from Aunt Lizzy that you guys weren’t seeing each other at all. No one knew you’re going out with him. Our… our relatives don’t even know who my father is!”

Eomma looked visibily shaken as she rubbed her arms and slumped onto the sofa.

“The relationship was just--- it’s been kept well under wraps.”

Eunbi didn’t want to push her anymore, seeing how traumatised she still was. She also learnt that her mother called her friend Aunt Lizzy one morning, crying and crying uncontrollably without saying anything. That was a few months before she quit her job and revealed her pregnancy. 

“I see...sorry, I was just feeling jittery after finding this out. I,” Eunbi sat down beside her mother and put the tin box aside, as she took her hand in between her palms, spreading a smile when the woman looked up. “I am so proud that you refused to take even 1 cent of his money. I never feel ashamed that you are my mother.”

I just feel ashamed to be your daughter. I must be reminding you of the pain he caused you everyday.

“I promise I will persevere and do all the right things, so they don’t have an excuse to shame us anymore. Eomma, can you please smile again?”

End of Flashback

Soon, she found out that there is a darkness that no amount of perseverance can make it go away. She’s been trying to live as best of a daughter she could be, putting her family and her mother’s wishes ahead of herself, giving up dreams she had worked hard on for years for her sisters. But the darkness has always been here. It was just well hidden, until Sakura happened.

And now, Irene Bae, the legitimate daughter of Bae Hyunsoo, comes waddling into Eunbi and Sakura’s already muddled waters. Judging by the way she scolded her the first time they met, she knew about their situation and she cared for Sakura enough to protect her and bring her back home in one piece. That makes it hard to refuse her advances towards Sakura. She’s showering her with the gifts and affection she deserves for being such a daring, quirky and beautiful gem.

From Irene’s point of view, she did nothing wrong. Sakura got rejected, so she doesn’t belong to Eunbi anymore. She just didn’t expect her to be so aggressive about it. She could barely reconcile the fact that her half-sister is falling for the same girl, before they got into a fight that morning simply because she wanted Sakura all to herself and turn Irene away.

But Sakura is her younger sister. All she has left to do now, is to make sure Irene is not like her father and break Sakura’s heart. However, she has no right to stop them, not when she has been the jerk herself.

She sighs as she twists and turns again in her bed, unable to fall asleep. It’s already two in the morning, and if she doesn’t fall asleep that will make it four days in a row already. Four whole nights of Sakura spending the night on the floor of the game room, all alone. Four whole nights of Eunbi being afraid to confront her and beg her to come back.

She couldn’t resist the urge anymore, and finally decided to tip toe into the game room while she was staring at the shut door, drinking a glass of cool water in the living room to calm herself. Slowly pushing the handle down to make as little voice as possible, Eunbi prays that Sakura is not still up playing games. 

Indeed, the lights were off, except for a screen of her laptop monitor in screensaver mode, luminating the room with a cold blue temperature. She leaves the door with a small gap and inches towards Sakura, who is sleeping sideways on top of a futon, with the phone facing herself while it’s