Nana woke up to the smell of kimchi soup. Mir would always make some for her whenever she was sick – just like her sister used to. Her eyes were sore from all the crying she just did and it was almost painful to open them. She peeled the duvet off of her and slowly rose from the bed she shared with Mir. After putting on the fuzzy pink slippers he bought for her when they moved in together, Nana quietly made her way to the living room.

Careful not to disturb Mir, Nana soundlessly sat herself on one of the two chairs in their dining area. Watching him work in the kitchen through half-opened lids, Nana couldn’t help but smile. Mir was the clumsiest person she knew, and to watch him cook was both entertaining and worrisome. As soon as the gravity of their situation reached home though, her heart sank, completely wiping the smile off her face. She decided to hear her boyfriend’s story out before she planned her next move.

Mir flicked the stove switch off and, after giving the soup a final taste, he poured the contents of the pot into a big bowl. As Mir turned to place it on the table, he was surprised to find Nana already waiting there, hands propped beneath her chin. He never heard the door to their room open nor did he hear her pull a chair - his girl’s stealth was definitely no joke.

“Did I wake you?” he said, as he pulled out a chair for himself.

Nana snapped out of her trance and lifted her gaze to meet his. Genuine concern was etched on his face. She shook her head to reassure him. Closing her eyes, she brought her face closer to the bowl and relished its scent. “It smells delightful, Cheolyong.” She then reached for the spoon and took a big hearty sip. “Hm. It tastes even better!”

Kimchi soup was probably the only thing he knew how to make, and years of making it for his girlfriend refined his skills. He was happy to watch her enjoy his dish. They both sat in silence as Nana continued to eat.

Halfway through her meal, Nana stopped eating and started swirling her spoon around in her bowl. “I’m sorry for running out on you.”

“I understand. It must have been a shock to you.”

You can’t even imagine, she said in her head. “Yeah, you could say that.”

Mir slowly leaned forward, crossing his arms over the table. “There are some things you need to know about your sister.” He lowered his voice as if he was afraid someone would overhear them.

Nana straightened in her seat. The seriousness in his voice confirmed her earlier suspicions.

“Nana-yah, your sister, I think I found her. I think I found Juyeon-ssi, but…” Mir could barely bring himself to continue his statement. He just knew Nana’s heart would break; she loved her sister so much.

Mir was practically bouncing down the street with a bright glow around him – he had a date with his girlfriend today. They had been going out for quite some time now, but every moment he spent with her made him extremely happy, even after they moved in together. He got a promotion the day before but she didn’t know about it yet, he was going to tell her on their date.

He finally found the little jewelry store he was looking for: Madame Claude’s. He had to travel all the way to the outskirts of town but it was worth it.

“Ahjumma! I’m back!” he said, as he entered the shop.

The old lady behind the counter immediately turned to him, greeting him with a warm smile. “Mireu-ah! Are you here to pick up the bracelet?”

“Yes, is it ready?”

“Oh yes it is.” The shop owner bent and dug through one of the boxes on the floor, finally producing a black box. Giving it a good wipe with her sleeve, she placed it on top of the glass counter for Mir to see.

Mir reached for the box, and slowly opened the lid, revealing a golden charm bracelet. He ran his fingers over the individual charms: a microphone, a lemon wedge, a little forest fox, a star and the initials J and C.

Nana had showed him a small bracelet she used to wear all the time when she was little - a gift from her grandmother. She clearly adored it, but she had outgrown it. Mir didn’t miss the words ‘Madame Claude’s’ engraved on the inside of the lid, and he immediately decided he would buy a similar piece for her. He had been searching for this store ever since and was pleased with himself when he found it. He snuck the bracelet out one day and ordered a bigger version of it, only this time, he added their initials to it - J and C, Jinah and Cheolyong.

Contented, he closed the box and flashed the owner his trademark gummy smile.

“Thanks a lot Ahjumma!” Thank God he had such wide pant pockets, he mused as he slipped the box into his right pocket. 

“No problem, come back soon okay?”

Now, he just had to figure out when to give it to her.

He exited the shop with a renewed bounce in his step and fished out his phone to call for a cab. As his call was being connected, a certain figure across the street caught his attention - a very familiar woman. She just got out of a little rundown costume shop and seemed to be in a hurry. As soon as her face registered in his hand, his hand went limp and dropped to his side almost causing his phone to crash in the process.

She was a good few feet away, covered in a big brown coat, but those jet black locks, wide set eyes, and thin lips were unmistakable. He had seen that face countless times before. Nana still had a picture of her on their bedside drawer; it was her long lost sister - Juyeon.

A thousand emotions shot through him as he slowly regained his senses.

“Juyeon-ssi.” It was more of a whisper than anything. He wasn’t sure what to do; he didn’t want to frighten the woman, she didn’t know him after all, but he had to do something. She turned north and started to walk down the street.

“Juyeon-ssi!” he called after her again. This time, it was louder and he was almost sure she heard. Her back was turned to him but she stopped walking and he took that as his cue to join her. But as he was crossing the street, she suddenly continued to walk, her pace much faster this time. He saw her drop something into a waste bin, before she entered an alley. By the time Mir reached the same alley, she was gone. He tried to scour the surrounding areas but she was nowhere to be found.

He passed by the same bin and found a single pair of gloves in it. Was that what she dropped in it?

Mir decided to go into the store he saw her exit from. The owner might be able to tell him something.

The inside of the store was just as shabby as its exterior and the shop owner was nowhere in sight. He moved down the aisles hoping to find someone, anyone.

“Uh, I’m looking for the shop owner. Is anyone in? I just wanted to ask…”

The young man froze in his spot, his mouth agape. Shock and terror spread through Mir’s body. With a shaky hand he reached for his phone and dialed 911. Try as he might, he couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away from the sight.

Lying before him was man, bleeding from his chest. Mir didn’t quite know what to do. The man was still conscious, but his lids were getting heavy. His mind was going into panic mode. He knew close to nothing about first aid, but he did remember seeing this in the movies before. So with his free hand, he pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and tried to apply pressure on the man’s chest area, doubting whether he was doing the right thing or not.

“Mister, my name is Bang Cheolyong. I’m here to help you, so please, stay with me here.”

“911, what’s your emergency?”

“I’m at the corner of Williams and Shawberk. In a shop called…uhm… I think it’s called...uh...Stitches. I have a man bleeding from the...uh... chest area. He’s been stabbed. He’s barely conscious.”

“Okay, sir, I need you to focus. Help is on the way but I need you to do something for me.”

“O-okay.” Mir knew he was going to need both hands, so he placed the phone between his right ear and shoulder.

“Take off the man’s clothing and try to locate where the wound is.”

Mir did as he was told, careful not to inflict anymore harm on the man. The wound was in the center of the man’s chest.

“It’s in the middle of his chest.”

“Now, do you see a towel or a shirt nearby? I need you to use that to apply pressure on the wound.” Mir grabbed the first shirt he could spot and jammed it straight at the wound.

“You have to keep him warm, can you place a blanket over him?” Mir turned to look and found a big cape in one of the nearby racks. He ran for it and quickly draped it over the man, making sure to still apply pressure on the wound.

“Mister, p-please, just hold on. Help’s almost here. They’re almost here.”

“Just continue applying pressure on the wound. The paramedics are coming in a few minutes.”

Sure enough, Mir heard the whirring of an ambulance from a distance.

“I-I hear it. The ambulance is here.” At this point, Mir wasn’t sure if he was telling this to the operator, the fallen man, or himself.

Everything became a big blur to Mir after that. He knew the police were going to ask for his statement soon. It was a stabbing after all – frustrated murder – and he was the only one there. As everyone was busy moving about, Mir could only stare at bloody knife that lay just above the man’s head.

Juyeon… did she have anything to do with this?

And then he remembered the gloves he saw in the bin.

What exactly was going on?

Nana couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Her knuckles grew whiter by the second as she continued to clench her hands into fists.

“The paramedics told me it’s going to be tough but luckily no major arteries or organs were hit; the man might make it.”

Nana’s hands and feet grew cold.

Mir reached for his girlfriend’s hands, surprised at how cold they’ve become.

“I-I didn’t tell them anything.”

Little by little, Mir could feel her hands relax beneath his.

“I don’t know what Juyeon-ssi was doing there. I-I couldn’t say for sure. So I didn’t tell anyone what I saw.”

Tears started falling down her cheeks. She was so overwhelmed by emotions, she had no choice but to cry.  Nana only allowed herself to cry in front of Mir. She only let herself be weak around him. And as Mir stood by her side and wrapped her in another embrace, Nana could only welcome his warmth.

“Cheolyong-ah…” she managed to say between her sobs. “…thank you.”

Mir could only hug her tighter.

Soooo, I'm back after a looong while.  I'm sorry for the long wait. But here it is! Lol. It's starting to pick up steam. Woohoo. And I have no idea how a 911 call works, and how first aid for stab wounds is supposed to be, I just wikiHow-ed it. Lol. Sorry for being inaccurate. I hope you enjoy this one.  Isn't it weird how Nana was quick to accept that it really was her sister Mir saw that time? Hmmm.

AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL READING THESE, THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND TO THE NEW SUBSCRIBERS, I FREAKING LOVE YOU! XD