Tiffany POV

The very same nightmare had me woke up. I was panting hard and was trying to catch up my breath. I am currently in the backseat of my car as Sehun, my half-brother, volunteered to drive me home. My head's a little bit dizzy due to the liquor I drank earlier.

"Noona. Are you okay?" he asked.

"Y-yes."

"Same dream again…?"

I gazed through the windshield on my right. "Yes…"

"So uhhmmm… anyway, noona… about us… I know even if we have already talked and such last Halloween, I just want to uhhmm… clear things up…?"

"I'm sorry for the last time, Sehun. I was just really, really disturbed back then."

"I understand. So, uhhmmm… we're okay, right?"

"Yes, of course. Actually, that was on your call, you know. I'm the one who was at fault."

"Well, you had a point, anyway. I mean… Yeah, I've been relying on our dad so much. I felt like a useless log there. It was really a time for me to live on my own."

"So, you already found a place?"

"Yeah. Dad's still the one paying for my rent but, I'm supporting myself now."

I smiled at him, "That's good to hear. You're still open to working for HGC, right?"

"Really? You're still gonna give me a chance?"

"Yes. I promise I won't ever kick you out again."

He chuckled, "Thanks."

I looked away and stared at the window again.

"So, uhmmm… Noona… about earlier… was he really alive…?"

"Yes..."

"Where did you see him?"

"He proposed a joint venture agreement between HGC and his company. I actually found out about him being alive exactly when he showed up for his presentation earlier."

"Whoa. And without even a heads up like, 'Hey, it's me, I'm alive' something?"

"Yeah. None at all. It was just like a normal business meeting for him…"

He sighed, "Now, that sure is a cold-hearted comeback, eh…"

"…"

"…"

"Sehun…"

"Yeah?"

"Please do not tell my son about this news yet. I want to tell him myself. I'll be testing the waters first."

"Okay…"

"..."

"..."

The traffic light turned red. Then, he stared at me through the rearview mirror in a serious manner, "Noona. "

"Yes...?"

He then chanted, "You will be happy again... you will become happy again... you will be happy..."

I chuckled, “What are you doing? Are you hypnotizing me or something?"

He ignored me and continued to glare at me weirdly as he chanted again, "You will obey me... You will become happy again... You will..." Then, he finally shrugged it off and groaned, "Aissshh—I am so good in this... Why it's not working anymore...?"

I smiled, "Thank you, Sehun. I'll try."

He looked away guiltily and just focused back on the road, "I... I'm sorry for everything, noona."

"Huh?"

"I am just sorry. I really am. Just... don't ask why..."

"Oh... okay..."

---

We arrived at home. I went inside ahead. Sehun still has to park the car. As I got inside the living room, I found Sunkyu and Dad having another match of chess. I tried my hardest to act normal. I went near them as I smiled and asked my son, "Have you won yet, sweetie?"

"I'm about to win now, umma." He then stood up and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Welcome home."

"Hi, dad." I greeted, still smiling.

"Hello...?" Dad looked at me in confusion.

Then, Sunkyu noticed my clothes. "Now, why you looked so damp, umma?"

"The rain was so heavy earlier, I didn't get to bring my umbrella."

Dad snapped in, "You better wash yourself up and change clothes. You might get sick."

I giggled, "Gee. Dad. You know, until now, I'm still not used to the sweet you." I pinched his cheeks, "You are really sooooooo thoughtful and loving and sweeeeeet~"

"Yah!" He swatted my hands away. "Stop it, okay. Just go take a bath, quick. You stink." He focused back to the chess board.

Sunkyu chuckled as he returned to his seat. "Halapoji, you look like a red tomato with your blush."

"Shut up and just play."

And with that, he even more. He imitated me and pinched my father's cheeks too, "You are very, very cute~"

"Yah!" He swatted his hands too. "Just freaking focus on the game, will ya? It's your turn now."

"Now, what do we have here?" Sehun snapped as he went near us.

"Whoa! Sehun-hyung!" Sunkyu shouted excitedly and had a fist bump with him.

He looked at dad. "Hi, dad."

"Hello...?" Dad looked at him in confusion too. He exchanged his glance between me and Sehun. "Now, why are you soaking wet too, Sehun?"

"Err-- uhmmm-- rain. I was with noona earlier. We sort of bump into each other at a park then, yeah. We didn't have umbrella."

He sighed loudly and focused back to his game. "Just go and take a bath, you two. Sehun, just go borrow some of my clothes."

We both headed upstairs. Yet, before we parted ways, I uttered, "Sehun?"

"Yes, noona?"

"After dinner, I need to discuss something with mom and dad. Can you take Sunkyu somewhere? Maybe, go to the arcade or cafe, or play game consoles in his room, as long he won't get to hear us."

"Okay, sure thing."

I smiled at him, "Thank you so much."

---

It was already dinner time. As usual, our family engaged with another casual and random conversations.

"I'm glad you finally paid a visit here, Sehun. The last time you visited was during our Halloween Party."

"Sorry about that, dad. I was just busy with my job as of the moment." Sehun answered.

"Uhuh. Did you even know your sister got hospitalized again Monday last week? We couldn't even contact you during that time."

"S-sorry again, dad. I was not allowed to bring a phone during work hours. I just dumped my phone in my locker room the whole day."

"Oh well, never mind that. Anyway, are you two now really err-- okay something?" he asked, pertaining to me and my brother.

I answered for him, "Yes, dad. In fact, we have already talked about him returning to HGC."

He smiled in relief, "That's great! So, where will you be assigning him then? Under your wing? Under Yoong's? Where?"

"We haven't talked about that part, yet, dad." Sehun answered.

I immediately snapped, "And I already made up my decision about that. I'll be making him handle a subsidiary on his own. Since I just fired Kyuhyun and Jungki, maybe HS Shopping Mall or Happy Land then." I looked at my brother. "It's your choice."

"B-but, noona. I'm just about to graduate from college. I don't think I'm already capable enough to head a subsidiary."

"Don't worry about that. I'll have Yoong concurrently head the subsidiary you'll choose for your first two or three years. He'll be training you."

"Oh... Okay, noona. I uhhmm...  I think I'll go for our shopping mall then."

I smiled at him, "Good choice." I focused back to my food. "Once you graduate, you may start immediately."

Sunkyu butted in, "I thought cosmetics was your industry preference, Sehun-hyung?"

Sehun glared at him, "Shut up, Kyu."

"What? Didn't you spearhead the male cosmetics line? I just based it on your pursued experience."

"Yah! There's nothing wrong with guys wearing make-ups!"

"Oh. yeah. There's none." Dad snapped sarcastically and we all shared chuckles except for mom.

The thing is... Mom has been exceptionally quiet during this dinner. Usually, she's the one opening up topics along with dad. But now, all she does is just gaze at me in a somewhat worried and disturbed manner. Hmmm. Probably, our caretaker at the graveyard might have already spilled her the news.

I shrugged the thought and started another topic, "Anyway, Dad, Tao's sentence will be completed second quarter next year."

Dad's expression turned glum. He focused on his food as he responded, "I see..."

"I'll be assigning him under Yoong while he pursues going back to college. Then, afterwards, I'll assign him to head one of our subsidiaries. You and mom are aware anyway that I'm still constantly communicating with him over the years, right? I have already spilled the news with him when I visited two weeks ago." I looked at mom. "It will be okay with you, right?"

She smiled faintly, "Yes, of course. We have already transferred to you everything so you have the final decision on what to do with the company."

"Thanks, mom."

Dad snapped in, "It seems you have already planned out the future of HGC, huh?"

I chuckled, "Yes, of course. Even up to the end of my term. By the time Sunkyu's already old enough to head HGC, I'll be having my sweet early retirement. I'm gonna retire from work before I reached Forty."

"And that's too much of an early age to retire."

"Yup. Envious, dad?"

"FYI, I retired when I was only 46! It's still in the forties."

"Yeah. Yeah. Whatever. Anyway... Kyu?"

"Yes, umma?" Kyu responded.

"Can I ask a favor f