When the three of them got home, Chanyeol and Suzy both went to their own rooms while Ji Eun went in the kitchen to talk to Soo Ri.

“Auntie?”

Soo Ri was stirring the batter when she saw Ji Eun leaning her back against the door.

“Mmm?”

Ji Eun sighed when she did circles using her feet. “I failed my mission today.”

Soo ri stopped her hand from stirring when she looked at Ji Eun with a blank face. “What happened?”

“I intentionally spilled my water on Chohee’s uniform. I lied.” She said.

She worriedly looked at Ji Eun.
Ji Eun blinked a few times to stop her tears from falling out and sighed heavily. “It’s just that…I can’t do it. It’s hard auntie. I want to go back please…”

Soo Ri heaved her shoulders and removed her apron, she beckoned Ji Eun to come with her in the garden. “What’re we doing here auntie?” Ji Eun asked with a furrowed brow.

“I want to show you something.” Soo Ri replied.

And there, Ji Eun saw an odd wilted flower planted on the soil. “A lonely flower?”

Soo Ri nodded and they propped their knees together and studied it. “It’s not just a flower Ji Eun.”

Ji Eun pursed her lips and looked at Soo Ri. “What is it then?”

“If this flower is wilted, it means that you’re still not changing but when the time comes for it to bloom, you can come back.”

She widened her eyes and disappointment flooded her when she looked at its brown petals.

“Will it take long for this to bloom?” She seriously asked.

Soo Ri heaved her shoulders and stood up. “It depends on you…”

Soo Ri gave her a pat on the shoulder and went back inside, leaving Ji Eun who’s just staring at the wilted flower. Ji Eun remembered the words of Juniel to her that she needs to make sure that she’ll come back. She misses her like how a mouse loves its cheese. All she wants to do right now is to escape this exotic and foreign world and be with her family but it’s beyond the impossible now with that attitude of hers. Tears fell from her eyes as she cursed herself for being a stubborn girl whose friends are catastrophe and disaster. Why can’t she just be a normal typical girl just like her sister? Why does she have to be the bad one that ruin the days of people? This is not the nature that she wanted. Well, she loved it when she was a kid but when time passed by, her eyes welcomed reality.

She buried her head on her arms and started to cry, knowing that her sister won’t be there to wipe her tears away.

Chanyeol just finished drinking a glass of water when Ji Eun came back. He saw her with puffy cheeks and red eyes, wiping her face using her hand.

She went towards the faucet and washed her face while Chanyeol studied her. “Hey, what’s with the sad face?”

Ji Eun sniffed but gave a reply to Chanyeol that’s not really an answer to his question. “Can you give me a glass of water?”

“Please…” She added, remembering her conversation with Chanyeol a few days ago when he answered her homework.

Without hesitation, Chanyeol reached for a glass and poured in some water before giving it to Ji Eun.

“Here,” He said.

Ji Eun turned around to get it and when she did that, Chanyeol had enough sense to realize that she actually cried judging by how red her eyes were and Ji Eun even washed her face, trying to hide how weak she is.

He cleared his throat. “Uhh…what happened between you and that freshman?”

Ji Eun glared at him as if bringing that topic will make her kill him. “Mind your own world…”

“What? I’m just asking.” He replied.

She sighed in disbelief and kept quiet, but Chanyeol went on.

“You know, I never thought you can be a weakling when it comes to those stuffs but Suzy and I saw right before our eyes that that girl just sla—“

Ji Eun banged her hand at the counter as hard as she could, giving Chanyeol this mini heart attack. “Rumplestiltskin's needles...Chanyeol, 

Just. Stop.”

She rolled her eyes and went upstairs, leaving Chanyeol with a furrowed face.

~:~

The sun was finally setting down and a purple veil had replaced the blue sky when Soo Ri and Chanyeol were watching a random show on the Television. Suzy emerged from upstairs with a worried expression.

“Mom, Ji Eun is crying.” She informed, making the two who were lazily sitting on the couch averted their gazes from the TV.

Soo Ri just sighed. “Let her be,”

“But mom…” Suzy said with a pout, completely worried about Ji eun.

Chanyeol looked at Suzy. He’s not used to seeing Ji Eun as a weak girl and what happened today was somehow unbelievable. He knew that she’s a strong girl with an irritating attitude sometimes but now, he doubted if she’s a chicken hiding behind a façade.

His thoughts were suddenly disturbed when Suzy clasped her hands together, saying that she has an idea. She looked at her mom together with those crescent eyes of hers. “Mom, can we buy some ice creams?”

Soo Ri gave her daughter a questioning look. “Why?”

“I want to make her better.” Suzy answered.

Chanyeol wrinkled his nose. “You want to make her feel better by…buying some ice creams?  That seems childish.”

The girl glared at him before taking the money from Soo Ri.

But before Soo Ri can hand it to her daughter, she had something to say. “One condition, come with Chanyeol. It’s already six o’clock.”

Just by hearing his name, Chanyeol frustratingly covered his face with his hands. “Ugh I don’t want to…” He moaned.

Suzy gave him a pouted face. “Please…?”

“Go now Chanyeol.” Soo Ri said and Chanyeol knew he couldn’t protest anymore.
 

Ji Eun’s head was buried on the pillow when she felt a light tap on her shoulders. She looked who could it be and realized that it was Suzy. She then, gave her a questioning look.

“Wanna come with us?” Suzy asked.

Ji Eun rubbed her eyes. “Where?”

“Chanyeol and I will buy some ice creams.” Suzy responded with a cheery voice.

Much to her disappointment, Ji Eun clicked her tongue. “My frame of mind doesn't want to.”

“Please…” Suzy murmured, hoping she’ll convince her.

It took a long while to changed Ji Eun’s mind and when she finally succeeded, Suzy clasped her hands together and the both of them went downstairs.

Chanyeol was already at the front of the gate when the two girls went outside. The air was thick and cold so they have to wear their sweaters.

“You have the money?” Chanyeol asked Suzy, rubbing his nose.

Suzy nodded vehemently and the three of them started to walk.

Silence wrapped them as they walk and Ji Eun was just staring blankly at her black chucks as it hit the ground.

Clearing , Suzy broke the quietness. “So…are you feeling better?”

Chanyeol and Suzy looked at Ji Eun, waiting for her response.

“What do you think?” Ji Eun mumbled, barely registered to a whisper.

Hearing her reply, Suzy just shrugged and looked ahead.

They stayed like that until they reached a small convenient store.

~:~

Ji Eun looked around, observing the place. She puffed her cheeks and managed to stop herself from asking Suzy what place this is. Just by seeing the food and some stuffs inside, it reminded her of the school’s cafeteria. It was somehow like a market just like in Fantasia.

Chanyeol slid the glass and gestured the two girls to pick their desired ice cream flavors.

“I want a strawberry.” Suzy said, trying to find a strawberry flavored ice cream while Ji Eun, on the other hand, was just standing there with puffed cheeks as she looked at Suzy.

Chanyeol wrinkled his brow. “Hey go on, pick what you want.”

Ji Eun pretended as if she didn’t hear anything and continued to look at Suzy.

“There! I found one.” Suzy exclaimed as she tightly wrapped her hand around the frozen ice cream.

Since Ji Eun found the ice creams in this world were somehow odd, she just randomly pick something. It was a chocolate flavored ice cream and Chanyeol also picked the same.

The two girls stood beside the door as they waited for the oldest one to pay at the counter.

When they finally got out, Suzy fished out her ice cream from the plastic together with Ji Eun’s.

“Here,” She said as she handed it to Ji Eun.

Ji Eun took it without muttering a thank you but Suzy didn’t notice it and Ji Eun observed the girl beside her how she opened the ice cream.

Suzy took off the lid of the cup and started to savor it along with Chanyeol. Ji Eun just shrugged and did what she just saw and took her very first spoon of the chocolate flavored ice cream.

As soon as it entered , she felt like her mood was somehow enlightened and she let out a giggle, surprising the two.

“Ahh, now this ice cream made me better.” Ji Eun said.

“Told ya’” Suzy said with a wink.

Chanyeol scratched his head. “All these time, ice cream will be the solution.”

Ji Eun mocked him and continued to eat her ice cream. Chanyeol just chuckled, finding it so childish.

They stood at the front of their gate as they wait for Soo Ri to open it.

Ji Eun crushed the cup using her bare hands and threw it in the garbage can near the gate when Soo Ri just came.

Suzy quickly went inside and Chanyeol waited for Ji Eun to come since he volunteered to be the one who’ll close the gate.

“Feeling better?” He asked Ji Eun when she took a step inside.

She pursed her lips and nodded and Chanyeol gave her a smile before closing the gate.

~:~

Ji Eun didn’t go to school the next day with fear that she might ruin someone’s day so she just stayed in her room and told Soo Ri that she don’t want to and fortunately, Soo Ri agreed.

Soo Ri had her day off so the two of them were left at the house while Chanyeol and Suzy were in their school. It was an afternoon when the sun gave this warm friendly heat and Ji Eun realized that Soo Ri was sleeping safe and sound in her bedroom so she went downstairs and figured out a way that will keep her from boredom. She looked around the house and observed how the things were properly put into place but however though, there was something that caught her eyes.

It was the dust on the windows.

Ji Eun clasped her hands together and went inside the bathroom to fetch a pail of water together with a damp cloth. As soon as she got back, she reached for the damp cloth and dipped it in the water before squirting it and then proceeded to wipe every window.

A smile formed on her lips, remembering her days in Fantasia whenever she decided to clean the house and sometimes, she would clean it together with Juniel and at the middle of their work, they would play with soap and formed some bubbles. But unfortunately, she was the only one who’s cleaning right now.

Her sister wasn’t there to help her and enjoy the cleaning and it somehow made Ji Eun sad.

Sighing, she just accepted the fact and wiped the window with all her might, trying to bury her pains with illusory happiness.

It took her an hour to finish her work and by the time Soo Ri made her way downstairs, Ji Eun drearily plopped herself on the couch. “Oh what happened to you?” Soo Ri asked, wiping her eyeglasses.

She puffed her cheeks before making a respond. “I wiped the windows…”

Hearing her words, Soo Ri looked at the garnished windows. A smile crept up on her face. “Thank you Ji Eun…”

After that, Soo Ri decided to make pancakes for the both of them and Ji Eun rested her elbows on the edge of the table as she looked at how Soo Ri made the pancake mix.

“Do you bake?” Soo Ri asked, trying to break the quiet atmosphere that wrapped them.

Ji Eun just shrugged. “Not actually…my sister always does the cooking. The only food that I cooked is Carrot Soup.”

Soo Ri pursed her lips and nodded. “Well you should take note the things that I’m doing right now…”

She gave Soo Ri a thumbs up and vehemently nodded.

~:~

The two of them were rested on the couch when Suzy just came back.

“Hello earthlings!” She greeted and planted a kiss on her mom’s cheeks.

Ji Eun waved at her. “Hi Suzy,”

Suzy gave her a smile as she removed her shoes and Ji Eun somehow sensed something wrong.

“Uhh…where’s Chanyeol?” She asked.

Suzy just shrugged and told her that he’s probably busy fixing some matters with his girlfriend.

Ji Eun just nodded and Suzy excused herself that she’ll change her clothes first before going upstairs.

A few minutes later, Soo Ri stood up from her seat, making Ji Eun scrunched her nose. “Where are you going auntie?”

“I’ll buy some groceries since our stock is running out.” She replied and grabbed the keys on the center table.

“Can I come?” Ji Eun questioned but to her disappointment, Soo Ri shook her head.

“Stay here with Suzy instead. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

Ji Eun just nodded and walked Soo Ri to the gate until she went inside the car.

When she got back inside, Ji Eun was about to plop herself on the couch when the doorbell rung.

“Glittering dusts…” She grunted as if the person who just rung the doorbell needs to experience the wrath of goblins for interrupting her.

She lazily dragged her feet outside and when she finally had the sense to realize who could it be, she widened her eyes and her heart made a twinge. It was Luhan.
And she erased what she thought earlier that the person who just rung the doorbell should experience a goblin's wrath and instead, this boy in front of her needs to be shot by Cupid's arrow.