Genre: Angst, Psychological

Summary: The bond was too deep, the relationship was too ill fated, the memories mixed up the darkness and the lights, all in one snowy night. Some s would never leave, and it would never, be anyone's fault and it's okay, it's fine.

Word Count: 12050

Hashtag: #SSBB_BloodStainedTheSnow

Blood stained the snow

:::::::: Done For Me – Punch 

Once upon time, there was girl, named Chaewon, Kim Chaewon. A monster they say, a little monster. Not really in a faraway kingdom, because I don’t know how to write a fairy tale. I’m sorry,

But however, yeah, inspired by Done For Me – Punch.

:::::::: Pepero Jelly 

So where do we start? 

Such a turn off having the writer communicating with you, isn’t it? Get used to it.

Hitomi was first discovered when she was 15 years old. Discovered by Chaewon’s mom, a convenience store owner. I don’t know what you are expecting right now to be honest about this scene. 

A soft Honda Hitomi who came by, casually buying a cup of ramen?

A clueless Honda Hitomi who came by, asking for directions because she lose her mom in the middle of crowded city of Seoul?

Maybe one of that? 

Nah.

A rebel 14 years old Honda Hitomi stealing from convenience store actually. 

What? It doesn’t fit her soft character? 

Well maybe if you look at Honda Hitomi beyond her “soft like a peach” agenda, then maybe you would agree that Hitomi fit this rebel and savage agenda too.

“why did you steal things from my store?”

Mrs. Kim asked Hitomi, softly, of course she’d fall for the “soft like a peach” agenda of Hitomi like Wiz*ones too. 

Hitomi wore a black denim jacket, long brunette hair tied high ponytail, denim shorts. Sounds too dreamy isn’t it? 

Mrs. Kim asked for the second time, but of course, you could guess, Hitomi didn’t answer her. Asking a thief why they steal? 

Mrs. Kim asked for the third time, and her hand landed on Hitomi’s left shoulder, not a harsh one, more like a genuine and “concern of someone” kind of touch but the young Hitomi quickly brushed it off. If we are about to ask Mrs. Kim.. the answer is no. No, she didn’t expect that.

“I don’t know what’s ing wrong with you..”

“but no, I don’t need reasons to steal stuffs by the way”

Mrs. Kim thought it was love at first sight. Weird? Yeah, weird. Hitomi’s eyes were sharp, cold and somehow defined ocean. It looks to0 deep and too dangerous but also… empty- oh no, 

Dead.

“so, are you going to bring me to police station.. or not?”

“because if you’re not going to, I really gotta go”

“I don’t have time, I have other stores to rob by the way”

Did Mrs. Kim let her go? Yeah, she did. So what Hitomi tried to steal actually ? 

ramen cup? 

Onigiri? 

Money? 

Nothing, just a pack of Pepero Jelly.

:::::::: Orange Caramel

So how Ssambang started actually? The story started, when Mrs. Kim went to the orphanage house, to adopt the savage Honda Hitomi. She brought the cctv record from her store to the orphanage house, shown the principal the record herself, so she wouldn’t adopt the wrong girl.

“I don’t know what’s ing wrong with your head..”

“I stole something from your store last week in case you forgot”

Mrs. Kim smiled, soft. 

“I know”

“you’re the right person for her”

So Mrs. Kim brought her back. Hitomi at first didn’t like the idea of being adopted by the owner of the convenience store she tried to rob. Hitomi imagined herself being abuse by the woman, being force to work part time at the store, or worst, full time. 

But no, that wasn’t the thing Mrs. Kim prepared for her. “Worst” Hitomi thought when she was standing in front of the door of her new bedroom. 

Hitomi froze, had both her first tight before loosen it to touch her own hair more than twice. Uncomfortable, nervous, awkward, that’s what she felt, 

When she saw a girl with short orange caramel hair, sitting on the bed, looking at her.

“hey”

“I’m Chaewon”

The new person of Hitomi’s life smiled to her and Hitomi knew right away. 

“Chaewon is my name” 

Just a smile. One damn smile. Not even the bruises on the older’s arms made her feel things but the smile did. 

There was only one nature stuff that Hitomi didn’t like and Chaewon went to that category right away with one damn smile.

:::::::: Fancy Comb 

“I’m not going to school”

“stop convincing me”

Hitomi stared at Mrs. Kim who was busy preparing the school bag and a lunch box for her. The older didn’t bother to answer her at all and Hitomi didn’t like it. 

So she snapped.

“Ya, wicked witch”

“I told you I’m not going to school!!” 

Hitomi raised her voice obviously, but Mrs. Kim didn’t flinch, not even a bit. Maybe you’re wondering why, maybe Chaewon was lot worse than Hitomi? 

Who knows.

Mrs. Kim went closer to Hitomi, she wanted to comb the girl’s hair and again Hitomi had enough. Hitomi brushed the older’s hand away. The not-so-fancy comb dropped onto the floor.

“Ya! I TOLD YOU I’M NOT GOING TO SCHOOL”

“THERE’S NO USE FOR YOU TO SEND ME THERE”

“I WOULD JUST SKIP SCHOOL-”

“I WOULD JUST BEAT SOMEBODY IN CLAS-”

The Honda Hitomi stopped, for a while. Her eyes wondered to her own feet. Not really looking at her feet. She was looking at the basement room under her feet. She had her fists, tight. After a long time of feeling nothing, she finally, felt angry. 

She was mad and also, upset and she hated herself at that moment to be honest. She hated herself for feeling, something.

“No”

“Why me”

“WHY SEND ME TO SCHOOL AND-”

“and keep her, in this, in, dungeon”

“IN THAT ROOM, WHY WOULDN’T YOU SEND HER TO SCHOOL?!”

“ANSWER ME DUMB !!!”

Mrs. Kim stared at the comb on the floor. She sighed and Hitomi, screamed. It was not that Chaewon was worse. Chaewon was never a monster, or maybe she will be one as the story goes on but at that moment, it was not Chaewon.

“LET HER GO!”

“YOU USELESS BRAT LER HER GO”

“LET ME BEAT HER ONCE”

“UNGRATEFUL ”

“I ADOPTED YOU BE THANKFUL AT LEAST”

“I DIDN’T ASK YOU TO KISS MY FEET”

“YA KIM CHAEWON LET HER GO BEFORE I BEAT YOU!!!!”

Hitomi screamed, she cried, she yelled more than she ever did before. But not because she was scared, but because she was mad. She was so mad. She was so mad that Mrs. Kim didn’t stop beating the hell out of Chaewon who ran out from her dungeon to protect Hitomi.

Hitomi tried to push Chaewon away but the older didn’t even loosen her arms from wrapping Hitomi’s small figure, she accepted all the beat on her back.

Hitomi obviously had gone through a dark phase before, but she never thought she would have to face the darker one. 

:::::::: Hell is hot 

Life was simple for Hitomi if you minus the existence of Mrs. Kim and Kim Chaewon. She went to school like other kids. She ate with her classmates during lunch hour. She had books for learning. She had beautiful brunette hair that she always let loose, cascading her shoulder. But not like other kids, she was special.

She ate with her classmates during lunch hour but she was sitting on the floor under the lunch table. She had books for learning but it was full of ketchup and mustard. She never tied her hair because it would be too easy for the others to pull her hair if she had ponytail.

Honda Hitomi. 

A pushover? 

An easy target? 

Annoying? 

No, it was not her fault, she didn’t want to socialize, she didn’t want to build relationships. Some people just don’t see a “no, I’m sorry” or a simple rejection as one of human rights. They said it’s her fault but we all know it was not. 

Or do you think, it’s her fault too? 

Hitomi just didn’t want to have more problems to think about every day. Relationships, bonding, making memories, are nature stuffs that she hated.

A surprise for the readers, Kim Minjoo was one of the students who bullied Hitomi at school and was also her desk mate.

“ya, give me your book”

Hitomi didn’t obey, she was rebel although she was weak at the same time, it was her personality complex. Minjoo snatched away her book of course, why would she bother asking nicely and Hitomi actually didn’t even give a to take it back.

“Miss Honda, where is your book?”

Hitomi didn’t answer. She sat still, silence treatment, unbothered face, eyes were looking at the window beside her, she didn’t have the heart to yell, at least she didn’t have it before her teacher annoyed her to death.

“Miss Honda! I’m asking, where is, your book?”

Hitomi sighed, but not a bit, she was provoking of course, that was her damn hobby.

“Aishh, motherer, I don’t know okay, I don’t”

“just straight to the point and beat me”

“that’s what you always do anyway”

“don’t act nice”

“it disgust me”

The whole attention went to Hitomi. Her classmates were staring at her. Hitomi stood up from her seat and she yelled, because she suddenly felt the need to go back home early than she should.

“what ?”

“WHAT ??!!”

“all of you are just bunch of motherers anyways!!!!!!!!”

A book flew to her forehead, I don’t think Hitomi would tell us this but I would, yes, her forehead bled.

“HONDA HITOMI” 

“don’t be rude, watch your words”

“I’ll let you go this time, but next time-”

Hitomi, laughed, small. Her plan didn’t work, so she turned to face Kim Minjoo.

“ya..”

“Kim Minjoo.”

Minjoo lifted her visual face, facing Hitomi, eyes with no expectations.

“the hell is hot”

Minjoo’s eye widen. It was Hitomi’s deep voice and Minjoo lose her immediately but it was not obvious, Minjoo had it on control and Minjoo parted her lips carefully.

“w-what?”

Hitomi smiled, soft, almost seems like the “soft like a peach” kind of Hitomi but it wasn’t.

“hello hell mate”

Not even in one second, Hitomi pulled Minjoo’s hair, dragging the Minjoo from her seat and throw her onto the floor.

“ARGHHHHH !!! LET ME GO”

Minjoo screamed, yelled, kicking the small figure on top of her body, that was pulling her hair, ing her school uniform, a damn small, figure of Honda Hitomi, that was choking her.

The teacher screamed, the so lovely classmates were recording stuffs and cheering like a damn wrestling tournament.

:::::::: A faster way to you 

The so lovely teacher kicked both of them from the class and they went to the detention room together and also, they escaped, they jumped from the window of the detention room, they were holding each other’s hands, helping each other to escape from the room,

Together, yes together.

Minjoo ran after Hitomi. Hitomi didn’t turn back even once, she didn’t plan to invest more time on Kim Minjoo, she got Kim Chaewon waiting for her at home and that was all that matters.

“ya, my dad gonna kill me because of this’

“you would be dead too”

“I would tell them to bully you harder, tomorrow,”

“day after tomorrow, next week, next month, next year”

“forever if I can, ya witch”

Hitomi felt low, but not about herself. She felt low about Minjoo, she thought Minjoo invested too much emotion, too much time, too much effort on hating her.

It disgust Hitomi. Hitomi hated bonding even if it was a negative one.

Hitomi stopped her way back home and she turned around, facing Minjoo.

“ya, Kim Minjoo”

“you’re upset isn’t it?”

Minju stopped taking more steps closer, she freaked out, she was scared, but not because of the Honda. She freaked out of the question “you’re upset isn’t it?”.

Because she never heard that before.

“see..”

“you’re so in upset”

“I don’t know how you deal with life at home”

“but I’m so sure that I don’t want to be a part of it”

“so let me go”

“let the idea of having me as entertainment go”

“because I’m not that weak”

“I just don’t feel like investing my time on you”

Minjoo tighten her fists. There were sounds of piano in her head. She hates piano. Piano make her feels upset, piano make her feels lonely but what Hitomi said hurts her more than those piano classes she being forced to take. 

But at least for her, Hitomi’s words, were more alive in her head, than those piano notes.

“you’re not that worthy”

That was the last phrase escaped from Hitomi’s lips before leaving dumbfounded Kim Minjoo. Minjoo went, unalive, gripping her bag tighter, making up plans in her head on how to make her mom scold her for playing the piano wrongly, or more that she ever did, she needed it.

And Hitomi, went home, running, to see Kim Chaewon. She wasn’t smiling from the start of her day, but she smiled when she opened the door to Kim Chaewon.

Chaewon was sitting on her bed, like always. The caramel short hair was knitting scarf under the dim yellow light, yeah that was normal because their bedroom was a basement room.

Chaewon smiled at Hitomi. Hitomi smiled to her too.

“hey, I’m back..”

“did she beat you today?”

“let me treat your wounds”

Chaewon laughed, small. She stared at Hitomi, long, before she nodded her head. Hitomi laughed too, but not too long before tears fell on her peachy cheeks. 

“I’m sorry…”

“I’m so sorry.. I’m late again”

“I would find a way to you faster tomorrow”

“I promise, I’m so sorry..”

Hitomi broke down, hugging her knees on the cold as concrete floor of their room. Chaewon left her bed, she hugged the crying Hitomi.

She didn’t say a word. She couldn’t say anything, it was too cold in the basement. She kissed the wound on Hitomi’s forehead.

:::::::: Tar Concrete and Flames 

On the other days, it were still the same. Hitomi choked Minjoo in the class almost every day so she could be chase out from the class earlier. The school called Mrs. Kim more than thousand times to consult about Hitomi’s behaviour but the woman never came anyway.

And Hitomi, lose herself, day by day. She lived her life, for Kim Chaewon, she forgot who she was, she rarely say her own name. 

Minjoo was enjoying the business trade, she got her mom screaming and yelling at her in the school office at least once a month. She slowly, forgot about how empty her mom stares was before. 

Hitomi didn’t care about Minjoo, not at all. She didn’t feel the need too, she got Kim Chaewon to prioritise. 

But Minjoo, was obsess. She was obsess, with the idea of discovering Honda Hitomi. So on one fine day after being chased out from the class for the nth time, Minjoo decided to follow Hitomi like always. 

They climbed the school fence together, Hitomi even offered her hand to Minjoo, Hitomi didn’t really think she shouldn’t. 

But they never walked side by side, Hitomi have never let Minjoo to do so. So it has always been a Minjoo walking with Hitomi’s shadow.

Minjoo once again, felt, unalive. Suddenly, she hates Hitomi more than the piano notes. Suddenly, she wanted to scream so bad, she wanted to yell.

“YA HONDA HIT-”

But Minjoo didn’t finish her mean sentence because she saw her. She saw the orange caramel short hair girl. She saw the girl running to Hitomi and she saw how Hitomi dropped her school bag and ran to the girl too. 

She saw the warmth that she wanted so bad. She didn’t want Hitomi, not even the orange caramel, it was the warmth that both souls shared together. 

But Minjoo was also, confused. The orange caramel was laughing so bright while hugging Hitomi but Hitomi, was crying, she seems worried, she looks miserable. 

Minjoo took a few steps closer to them, slowly and she, heard it.

“I came to you this time so no..”

“you’re not late…”

“she didn’t beat me today”

“well at least she would beat both of us together today..”

“not just me.. so you don’t need to cry again today”

Minjoo, was a nice girl, for real. Admit it readers, you know she’s nice, she’s just lonely in this storyline. She wanted to feel alive, admit that you know it.

“oh.. so that’s why you’re so quiet at school..”

“because this beast.. is your friend.. oh woaw..”

“that’s why you’re so unpredictable”

“Belle in Beauty and the Beast has always been stupid anyway”

Hitomi pushed Chaewon away from her. Chaewon was disappointed, Chaewon held the girl’s hand.

“Hiichan… are you.. ok-”

But Hitomi brushed Chaewon’s hand off, quite harsh.

“what?”

Hitomi turned back, facing Minjoo.

“hey Minjoo.”

“what do you mean?”

Minjoo saw the flames, and she smiled, in victory. She ing won on that day. Hitomi went closer to Minjoo, slowly.

And when Hitomi was finally, standing in front of her, she smiled again.

“I said you..”

“the Belle”

“for that Beast”

“the monster, hidden by her mom”

“one with half of her face, burn- no”

“it’s not a burnt scar isn’t it?”

“she was just born ugly”

A punch went to her left cheek, Minjoo expected that, she manifested that actually. She laughed. 

“wow, so it’s true”

“lmao, dumb freak-”

The second punch kissed her right cheek after Hitomi topped her on the tar concrete. And Hitomi didn’t stop before the third, the forth, the fifth, the sixth. Minjoo was still smiling at her ninth. 

Chaewon was trying her best to pull Hitomi from Minjoo. “crazy” that was the word lingering in Chae’s mind for both of them. 

Minjoo was the happiest, Hitomi’s eyes were alive, the flames in the girl’s eyes were real. The darkness, the coldness in Hitomi’s eyes when the girl choked her before weren’t there anymore. Hitomi’s feelings for Minjoo for real and Minjoo felt alive.

“HITOMI STOP IT PLEASE”

“PLEASE, PLEASE STOP IT”

“PLEASE..”

Hitomi stopped, her right fingers were still gripping on Minjoo’s collar tight. Hitomi back to staring Minjoo deeply but her flames weren’t there anymore. The tar concrete were hot as , Minjoo felt it on her back but still, she couldn’t feel the warmth. 

Because, Hitomi’s eyes went back to zero degree celcius and Minjoo realised.

“that beast..”

“is your, switch”

“isn’t it?”

There were blood around her lips but Minjoo managed to put up a smile.

“you don’t have life Honda Hitomi”

“my life might be a sad lonely story”

“but at least, I have life”

“while you, live for that beast”

Hitomi stood up and she left the Minjoo lying on the tar concrete, all by herself. Minjoo laughed. Minjoo laughed, and laughed.

Hitomi went to her orange caramel dessert. She hugged her. They both went back home..together, they pushed the door of the convenience store…together, Mrs. Kim scolded both of them..together, they received uncountable hits on their back…together.

It was not the best day for both Ssambang and Minjoo, but at least Minjoo received the invitation into Hitomi’s life and at least Hitomi wasn’t late on that day.

:::::::: Snowy day at the bakery 

At least a year passed until it was January again. It was snowing and Hitomi wasn’t at school. Hitomi didn’t attend school for the whole week. Minjoo sat alone by herself, no one choked her for the whole week. 

Minjoo couldn’t focus at all. Her fingers were playing her mechanical pencil, her eyes were fixed on the erasers that she cut into pieces, her mind were full of piano notes that she hates. 

She couldn’t take it, so she ran away. She stood up from her seats and she jumped from the window with her backpack. The teacher was screaming for her, but she didn’t turn back, not even once. 

Minjoo ran and breathe. She was a minor escaping school all by herself without the help of Honda Hitomi but she behaved like a drunk adult in the crowd, hitting anyone in the crowd by her shoulders. Her eyes were half alive. All she could think about was the Ssambang.

She wanted to see them again. From the first day Hitomi went absent from school she knew, she knew that she wouldn’t see them again. She wanted the warmth of Ssambang for her spring, for her fall, for her winter, even for her summer.

Did she found the Ssambang? 

Of course she did.

She found the Ssambang in a famous bakery in the city of Seoul when it was snowing and it was… tragic. 

“NO, NO, NO!!!!”

“TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME NO”

“NO”

“NO”

“PLEASE HELP ME”

“HELP ME!!!”

“I’m begging, please…”

Hitomi was hugging her knees on the cold floor, both hands covering her eyes, screaming, yelling, begging someone to take all those red bean buns away from her. 

Chaewon was panic, hands on her short hair, cursing a few words, before destroying every red bean buns she sees. She stepped..on..every…red bean buns. 

The staffs were trying to stop Chaewon but no one paid attention to Hitomi. 

Minjoo dropped her backpack, she ran to Hitomi, she hugged Hitomi on the floor, tight. The Hitomi was catching her breathe so bad as if she’s going to die but still, in that condition, the Hitomi, held Minjoo’s hand, soft.

“save her, for me.”

“please”

Minjoo turned to the switched on beast of Chaewon and she ran to Chaewon. She hugged the Chaewon, tight.

“LET ME GO!”

“LET ME GO, LET ME DESTROY EVERYTHING”

“EVERYTHING”

“Everything for her”

Chaewon cried her heart out, and no one in the bakery understood why. Minjoo felt the reality of Chaewon the beast, in her arms. Minjoo felt the desperation, Minjoo felt the phobia of losing warmth. 

Minjoo cried. 

Chaewon cried.

Hitomi cried.

But Minjoo had it on control, Minjoo wasn’t stupid. She brought her lips close to Chae’s left ear,

And she kissed the small ear, soft, long, gentle.

“stop it..”

“please..”

“destroying all these wouldn’t take away her scars”

“you cannot save everything or everyone..”

“and that’s fine…”

“that’s life..”

Chaewon kneeled down, still crying. 

Hitomi’s heart shattered into pieces because Chaewon have never scream, let alone cry, even when her mom beat her, when her mom cut her hair one centimetre every night, when her mom spit at her face.

Not even when her mom hug her after abusing her when reality finally hits her that her daughter didn’t ask to be born ugly, didn’t even ask to be born.

Chaewon was just, empty. 

She smiled, but only for Hitomi and and Hitomi have always thought those were genuine. Not until that on that day. She saw flames in Chaewon’s eyes for the first time and for a second, she realised, those Chaewon’s smiles, weren’t really genuine.

Those smiles were just, “don’t leave me” “I think I smiled enough” “she would stay if I behave, right?” “she wouldn’t leave if I protect her, right?”

Hitomi went unalive at that moment, it hits her, that none of those smiles, brought “I smile because I want to” as a meaning.

The reason why she hated bonding so much.

And also, Hitomi realised, Minjoo is not unworthy like what she said to the girl. Hitomi have always thought that she can handle Chaewon easily but when she lose control because of her reality and her past, it was Minjoo who save Chaewon.

It was Minjoo and somehow, Hitomi felt like she lose her purpose in life. She lived her life for Chaewon and somehow, Hitomi didn’t think, herself was the right person, for Chaewon.

Hitomi scolded herself and she wished the tragedy of being left by her mom in the street with a packet of red bean bun when she was seven wasn’t real.

:::::::: Blood stained the snow

The Kim Minjoo paid for all the damages these two sisters have done at the bakery. The Kim Minjoo embraced the darkness and the light the two sisters offered her. The Kim Minjoo decided her life purpose on that day.

The Kim Minjoo, accepted the invitation, to the new life purpose. If Honda Hitomi lived for Kim Chaewon, she would live for Honda Hitomi.

Minjoo was the one carrying Hitomi back home. The Kim Minjoo was the one who piggy back Honda Hitomi back home, walking side by side with the Kim Chaewon.

Snow, yeah snow. It was snowing on their way back home and Chaewon had her fingers, gripping Hitomi’s jeans and slowly, they walked together. 

Chaewon’s mind was still miserable, she couldn’t really let go the visions of screaming and begging Honda Hitomi in the bakery. 

Chaewon thought, she never really knew Hitomi, no, more like, she knew nothing at all. She looked at eyes closed Hitomi on Minjoo’s back a few times. 

“is she sleeping?” Chaewon thought to herself and she wasn’t really glad. The fact, that Hitomi could rest without worries like a baby on Minjoo’s back, she didn’t feel good about it.  She knew, that kind of feelings are evil and dark, but she couldn’t really, get rid of it.

Chaewon closed her eyes for a second, imagining the warmth that Hitomi gave her, imagining the warmth that Minjoo could offer to Hitomi and Chaewon almost lose her mind, but she expected Hitomi’s voice to save her.

“Ya…”

The babiest voice of Honda Hitomi she ever heard, however the kind of voice she never heard before when it was the only the two of them.

“Ya.. Kim Minjoo”

Minjoo stopped from taking more steps but not because Hitomi. She stopped, because she saw dark and red, liquid, no, it was blood? Blood stained the snow next to her shoes. 

Hitomi’s nose bled.

Minjoo’s legs were shaking, afraid? Scared? No. She was worried to death. Chaewon gasped before covering with both her hands.

“Ya Kim.. Minjoo”

“if we go home…”

“with this condition of mine..”

“Chaewon would have to accept the beat.. all by herself”

“eomma… wouldn’t beat me if I’m sick..”

“because.. she’s still… a mom..”

Hitomi laughed, small, with her eyes closed and Minjoo was about to cry, but she held it, she held it for so long.

“Ya.. why are you laughing ?”

“this is not funny-”

Chaewon cried, in silence, she realised, she has no use in this sisterly relationship, she was just, simply a burden. Minjoo couldn’t really speak, she lose her ability to talk in second, she was blabbering s that none of them understood and Hitomi laughed.

“Kim Minjoo”

“you’re smart”

“you’re a worthy, person”

“you would know, what to do”

“I would go to sleep now.. on your back”

“I trusted Chaewon, in your hands”

“and she, she is so warm”

And Hitomi smiled, before continuing her sleep on Minjoo’s back. Minjoo didn’t really know what to do at first, she did think about bringing the two sister home with her but the fact Hitomi said “she, is so warm” Minjoo knew the meaning behind of it.

“She is so warm” was not Hitomi herself, was not Chaewon, and was not Minjoo too. It was Chaewon’s mom. Hitomi admitted Chaewon’s mom, as a warm person and Hitomi still want to go back to her.

Minjoo got herself confused, how the hell abusive defined warmth but still, she sent both sisters home. 

“Hitomi..”

“I think Hitomi caught a fever on our way back home”

“I’m sorry, I should have send them back home faster”

Minjoo bowed down to Mrs. Kim and the older didn’t even look at her. While still having sleeping Hitomi on her back, Minjoo had her hand locked with Chaewon’s, worried that she couldn’t keep her promise to Hitomi, to protect Chaewon.

“can I .. send her .. to her room?”

And without looking at Minjoo’s face even for a second,

“Chaewon, show her the way” 

Slowly, Chaewon took Minjoo downstairs, to their basement room and Minjoo cried harder after each step down the stairs, couldn’t believe how dark and cold the life for the two sisters. 

Minjoo put the soft Honda Hitomi on the bed, and the Chaewon tucked Hitomi to sleep. Chaewon kissed the younger’s forehead, soft before patting her shoulder.

Minjoo sat on cold concrete floor of the room, her back leaned against the wall. “Beauty and the Beast” was that one fairy tale that Minjoo hated the most. Minjoo didn’t really think the beast was a kind creature that has been cursed, she also didn’t think the Beauty was just a kind hearted beauty. Minjoo thought, the beauty, was just, a loner and the beast was just, a creature who used victim card 24/7.

But Minjoo also thought, the beast, wasn’t really a beast, but the surrounding, the environment was.

So Minjoo stood up right away, she wanted to know, how the hell, Hitomi defined abusive as warmth.

Minjoo went to meet Mrs. Kim herself and still, Mrs. Kim wouldn’t even look at her face.

“why are you not looking at my face?”

“If you don’t mind, please answer me”

Silence filled the atmosphere but Minjoo was still, standing in front of the counter of the convenience store, eyes locked on Chaewon’s mom. 

No response and Minjoo took out a comb from her pocket, without hesitation, handed the comb to the Chae’s mom.

“comb my hair, my mom didn’t do it for me today”

“do it for her, and tell me..”

“tell me, if I’m pretty”

Did Mrs. Kim take the comb?

She did.

And she brushed the Kim Minjoo’s hair, soft. 

Did one of them cry? 

Both of them cried.

“Am I.. pretty?”

Minjoo’s voice cracked, but she still, stood strong on her two feet.

“yes”

“pretty”

“you’re so… pretty” 

Tears fell from her eyes and Minjoo saw the