“M-My brother is here…” Yumi announced softly, the heat radiating from her cheeks had yet to be subdued. Mr. Byun’s words took her by surprise, to say the least. His tone was way too gentle for her usual expectation. 

“Sorry for intruding. I’ll see you in class, Mr Byun.”

With her eyes glued to the floor while dodging his gaze, Yumi darted out of the apartment before her teacher could catch on. She spotted Kyungsoo out front, making his way in to the complex. A sheer of panic shot right through her as Yumi ran up to him.

“Hi, ignore my text. I got in, I just didn’t know how to work the lock earlier!” she laughed nervously, pulling Kyungsoo back to his car. 

The older sibling halted his steps. “How?” he blocked Yumi with an arm extended out. 

“I barely picked up the new pair of keys today. How were you able to get in?” The older  brother eyed her suspiciously before she spat out a quick excuse. 

“Dang. You caught me. It was a joke. I was just touring the area, but I’m tired now so let’s go home first.” 

After dragging Kyungsoo back to the car successfully, she managed to escape his wrath by a landslide. If it weren’t for the work call that intercepted their conversation, it would have dragged on. Arriving back to his place, Yumi automatically made her way to the guest room, where she began to pack for tomorrow’s move in day. 

Greeting her by the door with a light knock, Kyungsoo stood arms crossed as he observed the mess she made in his spare room. “Just pack your essentials. I already ordered everything you need to be delivered tomorrow. Of course..included in your debt,” he playfully smirked.

Rolling her eyes, Yumi looked up at him in dismay, “This is extortion.”

“ The right term is ‘thank you’. And you’re welcome, sweet sister.”

“We’re heading out at 9AM tomorrow. Don’t be late,” he added.

To think that his sister would be up on time was absolutely ridiculous. Kyungsoo slowly enjoyed his morning coffee, freshly brewed to his liking with a dash of cream. And for his choice of entertainment— watching his sister scramble around to pick up her things was exactly what he needed. A whole hour had gone by since their initial plan, yet his little sister barely managed to head out in a pair of old sweats and a hoodie that she wore to sleep the previous night. 

Shaking his head in defeat, the older one helped load her belongings into his car. Luckily, all she brought with her were clothes and some basic necessities. For Yumi, this was not her permanent living situation, but rather a safe space for now. By the time they have arrived in front of the apartment complex, the two were welcomed by two large loading trucks. Yumi gawked at her sibling, awaiting for his explanation. A simple shrug was his reply as he allowed himself out. In the next few hours, he would single-handedly lead the whole operation. It felt like she was watching his workaholic devil take over. As useless as it may sound, this put Yumi in the middle of her empty living room, with utterly no clue of what she should be doing. 

“Darn you, Doh Kyungsoo…” she cursed silently, the creases around her eyes crinkled upon spotting her brother carry in two more cardboard boxes of possibly, overprice and useless house decorations. Midway in, he halted his steps to where Yumi was.

“Hey, since you’re practically useless,” Kyungsoo teased, a smug smile hanging on his face, “Go buy us lunch.”

If it weren’t for how accurate his statement was, Yumi would not have gone down without a fight. She sent him a hasty glare while reaching for her bag. If lunch could buy her some sort of role in this operation then so it be. Anything to get rid of her brother’s snarky remarks.

Since the apartment was rather close to her school, Yumi’s confidence soared. Everything seemed relatively familiar in her eyes, but the girl failed to realize that the buildings would still look identical even if she went to a neighboring town. Navigating her way into the town’s main square where different restaurants, entertainment, and shopping spots gathered, was far more of an accomplishment already. Yumi rummaged through her bag for a phone to search up these names, since it was difficult to decide what she wanted. 

“No way…did I not bring it with me this morning…” 

Panic began to show when the device was no where to be found in her bag. What a bother, she thought to herself as a low groan escaped her lips. Yumi ended up picking a random Noodle House and hoped for the best. After ordering a few recommended menu items, she walked out with two full bags in both of her hands. Luckily the apartment was nearby to go on foot, that is if these heavy bags would cooperate. 

The perk of being familiar with the area came crashing down when everything started to look completely identical. This was her first time at the town square; although she remembered following a few road signs on her way here. Nonetheless, she continued based on memory. At first it s