Irene's POV

I called a taxi and we safely got back to the house.

The house that I will most probably leave because I don't think my salary alone will be able to pay the rent for this house. I need to plan for Yeri's preschool, any medical emergency for her, my school fees, food, utility bills, rent, parents' debts, need to save for Yeri's future as well and etc...

The salary that I am getting now from the cafe will never be enough to cover all of these.

I felt my head getting heavy from thinking about all of these.

I tucked Yeri in her bed and she immediately started to sleep soundly. She must have been very tired. I quietly went to the living room to think about how I should tell Yeri about her parents.

What do I do without my brother?

I covered my face with my hands and sobbed into my hands. I tried to be as quiet as possible as not to wake up Yeri.

I will never be able to see my brother again.

The thought hit me like a brick of stones and I dropped to the ground and covered my face with a couch pillow to muffle my sounds.

All the memories of him and Krystal flashed in my brain like a slideshow and I couldn't stop myself from sobbing.

I felt my chest hurting physically because of how hard I am crying but I just can't stop.

And the final words he said to me before leaving keep on replaying in my brain.

'Take care of Yerim for me. I love you'

Just a couple of hours ago, he was alive.

He was in front of me physically.

He was talking with me.

He was smiling at me.

And all of a sudden he's not there anymore.

I hugged my knees and cried until I couldn't anymore and I fell asleep on the cold hard ground.

The next morning I woke up in the same position and I groaned slightly while sitting up. My whole body was hurting and my eyes were stinging. I was groggy for a moment before last night's events flow back into my mind and tears started to fall again.

In the brightness of the sunlight now, I can see how lonely I am with no one around.

Just little Yeri who is my responsible now.

Tears kept flowing but I was not sobbing anymore.

Maybe I am too tired to sob now.

I got up after a while to check on Yeri and saw her still sleeping while cuddling with her teddy bear.

I still need to tell her about her parents. I am not sure how she's going to react and I am not sure how I am going to console her. I never really dealt with her tears. She rarely cried and when she does brother and Krystal always know what to say and do to console her.

I'm not sure how to console her.

I'm not sure how to help her not miss her parents so much.

I'm not sure how to help her while feeling as depressed as I feel right now.

I'm not sure how to raise her well.

Why did they need to leave us alone?

Why God is being so unfair?

I got near her and woke her up from her sleep. "Yeri-ah, wake up. We need to go to hospital again." I told her softly while caressing her head and she opened her eyes slowly.

"Come on, we need to get ready and leave to the hospital." She finally sat up on the bed and looked at me while rubbing her eyes.

"Good morning, Yerim-ah" I said softly and she smiled sleepily at me. "Good morning auntie." She replied and leaned onto my body slightly before holding me tightly. 

Giving me a hug.

She always does that to her mother.

"Come we need to get ready. And...I have something to tell you." She nodded her head and I leaned in to give her a kiss on top of her head and slowly went into my own room to get ready while she showers and brushes her teeth.

In a while, I was ready for the day and I quickly cooked some French toast before peeking into Yeri's room. She was trying to tie her long hair.

I quickly went into her room and I braid her hair for herself.

Usually, her mother will comb her hair.

I sighed deeply before guiding Yeri to the living room where I served her breakfast first before breaking the news to her. I don't want her to not have the appetite to eat after knowing what happened to her parents.

I, myself, was not feeling hungry but I forced myself to eat one French toast cause I don't want to faint or have gastric pain while managing the papers at the hospital and funeral house. I have a lot of things to do in a coming couple of days and I can't leave Yeri alone during this time as well.

We ate in silence while watching Yeri's favourite cartoon and soon we were done with our breakfast. I washed the plates and turned off the TV so that I will have her full focus on me and what I am going to say. I kneeled in front of where she was sitting on the couch so that we can talk face-to-face and I held onto her small hands.

"Yerim-ah... I have something to tell you...It might be shocking...But I want you to try to understand what I will say. Can you promise me that?" I asked her while holding out my pinky finger and she hooked hers with mine.

"I already knew what auntie will say. Papa and mama told me already."

She said while holding my hands tightly and I was quite shocked when she said that.

What does she mean?

"Told you what? When?" I asked her carefully and she smiled brightly. "I saw them while sleeping last night. They said that they are with God now and can't come back home."

Her words gave me a shock and I looked at her to see if she is telling the truth.

But it's not something a little girl can say.

"They also said you should not cry too much. Were you crying, auntie?" She asked me innocently while cupping my cheeks and her words made me teared up. My tears started to flow slowly and Yeri panicked slightly while wiping my tears with her tiny hands.

"Oh, why are you crying, auntie? Don't cry please." Her words made me cry harder and I hide my face in my hands to prevent her from seeing me cry. "Auntie, don't worry, papa and mama said they are safe with God."

I tried to wipe my tears and hold Yeri's hands tightly.

"Are you not sad that papa and mama are with God now? They will never come back." I told her softly and Yeri teared up slightly.

"Never come back?" She repeated my words and I nodded my head slowly.

"They never told me that. I want mama and papa to come back." She started to cry and I hold her tightly in my arms. I am not sure what to tell the young girl who just lost her parents so I just hugged her.

"It's alright Yerim-ah, I am with you. You are not alone."

"You are with me?" She asked me while sniffing and I nodded my head with a slight smile. "You won't leave me like them?" Her question broke my heart but I am very determined of taking care of her like she is like my own. I would never leave her.

"I won't. I promise." I told her and kissed her forehead softly. She raised her pinky finger and I hooked mine with hers and leave a soft kiss on our hands.

The process went by super fast.

The funeral, moving to a new home, getting a new job and registering Yerim to a school.

Seulgi and Joy helped me a lot in the process. 

I moved into the apartment building they were in because they said it is a little spacious for two-person, has good security and is affordable for me. I managed to find a job at a convenience store and it was a little miracle to be honest, how fast I got it. It's night shift work, starting from 9 pm and the manager promised me that not many customers will come at night but I will need to restock some things, clean up the store and gotta wait until the next shift begins at 5 am.

I was okay with it. And I thought it was