“Why must you go unnie?” I would ask my unnie that question every night she wears that beautiful red silk dress. My unnie would look deep into my eyes and deep within hers, I can see sadness, emptiness and loneliness. She held me by my shoulders and forces a smile upon her face, “Lock the doors after I leave Krystal,” she would start off first, “don’t open the door for anyone.”

I would tilt my head slightly to the side confused but still gave her a nod, “Okay,” I answered. My unnie would pull me in for a tight hug and once I collide with her warm embrace, I can smell the strong perfume that she had sprayed on just a few seconds ago. Her arms tightening around my small body as I feel her snuggle her nose into the crook of my neck, “Unnie?” he call for her one more time. I can clearly hear my unnie sniffle as she pats my head, “Everything will be fine,” she tells me, “everything will be fine.”

I shut my eyes, gave her a nod, and hug her back, “I know,” I would answer her every time. My unnie pulls away from me and caresses my face as she stares deep into my young soul, “Remember, don’t open the door for anyone,” she repeated herself again. I gave her another nod before she stood up. I would follow my unnie down our short dimmed down lighted hall towards the entrance of our one bedroom apartment. She slips on her heels, turns around to face me one more time and taps me on the nose, “Be a good girl and when unnie comes back home, unnie will have a bag of treat waiting for you,” she told me with a smile.

Giving her the hugest smile ever, I jump upwards and hug her tightly around the neck with my small short arms. She hugs me tightly back for a few seconds before pulling apart from me. She pats and ruffles my hair before leaving the house like every night she would. I lock the door and heads over to the sofa. I take the usual seat in the dimly lighted room and waits for my unnie to come back home.

Nothing different from every night I tell myself…

But then that night…my unnie Jung Sooyeon never returned….

My name is Jung Soojung and it's been years since my only sister, the only person I had in my life went missing. Been years since Sooyeon stepped out of our one bedroom apartment and never return. Now that I am at the age where I can support myself, I make it a mission to find the traces of my unnie...

Jung Sooyeon....