Chapter 6

It was late into the night when Eun Young came home from her waitress job at the restaurant. She kicked off her shoes and made her rounds though the house turning of the lights in the living room and kitchen. She saw light flickering from a crack in the door to Taeyang's bedroom and quietly walked over, pushing it open a little.

Seunghyun and Jiyong were asleep on the floor, Seunghyun propped up against a wall and Jiyong slumped against the bed. Taeyang was sprawled out on the bed, snoring lightly. Jin Mi ha fallen asleep halfway along the wall and halfway on top of Taeyang. Eun Young started to close the door when her soon stirred lightly and slowly woke up.

"Umma?" He asked sleepily, yawning mid-sentence. He started to sit up but noticed the weight on his body and stilled.

"Go back to sleep," she called back to him quietly. He yawned again.

"Okay," he murmured, eyes starting to close but he quickly caught himself, "Wait, umma. What's going to happen to Jin Mi?"

"She's gonna go home tomorrow. Her appa will take her home in the morning. This will be a hard time for all of us. There is a lot of things that need to be done, that need to be dealt with. There's the funeral that needs to be planned, among other things," Eun Young sighed and leaned her shoulder against the door frame. There was going to be a lot of things that needed doing that her brother couldn't possibly do alone. That she didn't want him to have to do alone. Family was, after all, what they had left.

"Is she going to keep coming over here?" Taeyang asked softy. Eun Young thought for a moment before nodding once.

"Probably. Family takes care of family. I know it's already hard with just us but we're managing. Now hush and go to sleep. We can talk in the morning." Taeyang nodded a little and was already drifting back to sleep when she closed his bedroom door. She carried herself on tired bare feet to her own room and shut the door. She needed to talk to her brother but it was already late and she was too tired to deal with everything. Her head was pounding and all she really wanted was to crawl into bed. Forgoing changing out of her uniform, she laid down on the top of the covers, succumbing quickly to sleep.

---

The sound of the doorbell n the morning was what finally brought Eun Young to the surface of consciousness. She groggily moved to get out of bed, shuffling to the door. Pulling it open, she greeted her brother Jin Woo, who looked much older than his 39 years. His face was tired and new worry lines had fixed them about his eyes.

"I'm here to pick up Jin Mi," His voice was low and his words were barely spoken over a low whisper. Eun Young blinked slowly for a moment, trying to process what he was saying to her.

"Huh? Oh, Jin Mi. Sorry, sorry. She's still sleeping. Come in. I'll wake her up," She moved aside allowing him into the apartment before closing the door behind them. She padded over to Taeyang's bedroom, stretching her joints as she walked. She pushed open the door and unsurprisingly, Seunghyun and Jiyong were still asleep on the floor. It wasn't unusual for them to stay over several nights at a time, going home only to get changes of clothes and check in with their own families. She carefully slipped around the sleeping masses and shook Jin Mi gently who had rolled away from Taeyang and more along the edge of the bed against the wall. Jin Mi slowly woke up, eyes opening sleepily.

"Gomo?" She yawned, looking confused and rubbing her eye with the back of her hand.

"Your appa's here to take you home. Let's get up and get your stuff," Eun Young whispered. Jin Mi noded, yawning again as she moved clumsily off of the bed.

"Aieeee!" Jiyong screeched as Jin Mi dropped down on his hand.

"Oh. Sorry, Jiyong-ssi," Jin Mi mumbled as she moved around to get her overnight bag. She put the clothes back into the back and collected her backpack.

"Where are you going, anyway?" Jiyong grumbled.

"My appa's taking me home," Jin Mi answered. Eun Young went around to where she was standing and placed more clothes into her bag.

"Ah, really? C'mere." He motioned for her to come closer to which Jin Mi regarded suspiciously before moving.

"Closer," he gestured groggily with floppy hand movements. She leaned down until she was in arm's reach. Jiyong pulled back his middle finger and hit her swiftly between her eyes. Tears welled up in her eyes and pain throbbed in the spot on the forehead. His thumb ran soothingly over the burgeoning red mark and he sat up a little before pressing a small kiss to the spot and laying back down.

"Take care of yourself, maknae," he murmured before closing his eyes and going back to sleep. Jin Mi nodded, more so to herself than to the sleeping teen, and she stood back up.

"Come on, Jin Mi. Don't keep your appa waiting," Eun Young urged, picking up her backpack. Jin Mi nodded again and gripped the strap of her overnight bag.

"Can I say goodbye to Taeyang and Seunghyun?" She asked. Eun Young nodded, "Quickly."

Jin Mi set her bag down again and ran over to Seunghyun first. She threw her thin arms around his neck and shoulders causing him to wake up with a start.

"Mwuh? Jin Mi?" He regarded her with tired eyes.

"I'm going home now," she replied, giving him a small squeeze.

"Really now?" He aske and carefully detached himself from her, "Be good for your appa. And remember your umma is watching over both of you. Take care," Seunghyun leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. He saw the red mark under the bangs. Jin Mi noticed him staring.

"Jiyong," she said with a shrug.

"Jin Mi," Eun Young warned, voice raising in emphasis.

 "Right," Jin Mi replied quickly and hopped on the bed where Taeyang weas still sleeping. He awoke flailing, then regarded his cousin scrambling up his body.

"My appas here. So goodbye," she said and gave him a hug. Taeyang inadvertently kissed the corner of her eye when he tried to kiss her cheek. Her eye twitched a little and she laughed lightly.

"Love you," he said.

"Love you," she repeated and with that, she hopped off the bed and picked uper her bag again, running out of the room followed by Eun Young who hefted her bookback on her shoulder. Jin Woo's face immediately lit up when he saw his daughter.

"There's my little girl," He cooed, calming some of the worry that marred his features. She ran over to him after dropping her bag and he picked her up and held her against his hip. She was getting much too big to do that much longer. Her legs hung down low on his own and the tips of her toes brushed his kneecaps.

"Did you have fun with Gomo and Youngbae?" he asked and she nodded. He furrowed his brows as he saw the red mark on her forehead.

"What happened to your head?" He asked, concerned.

"Nothing," she said simply and he gave her a knowing look. He set her back down on the ground.

"Go kiss your Gomo and thank her for letting you stay," He told her, smacking her on the behind a few times to get her going. Eun Young slowly got down on a knee. Jin Mi moved shyly over to her aunt.

"Thank you Gomo Eun Young," she said quietly as she hugged her aunt.

"No problem, Jin Mi. You are welcome here any time," Eun Young replied, hugging her tightly. Jin Mi pressed her lips briefly against her aunt's pale cheek and took her backpack. She was still wearing her pajamas, she realized but she didn't really care. She was going home anyway, to sleep. Her appa picked up her other bag and grabbed her hand.

"Thanks again, Eun Young," Jin Woo said as his younger sister straightened. He pressed a kiss to her cheek as well and led his daughter out of the apartment, Eun Young watching them walk out from the door. There was a surreal layer of happiness that emanated from the duo but Eun Young could tell it was would be short lived. She prayed that Jin Mi and her brother could find this happiness and keep it in their hearts for the long journey ahead. She let out a sigh before she finally closed the apartment door, slinking back into her bedroom for more well-deserved sleep.

Jin Mi felt herself looking back at the apartment complex as she was led to the car and she watched it get farther and farther away as they headed back home. Home. Without her umma. It wouldn't be the same but she would try like Seunghyun told her to. And besides. She still had her appa and his love.