Snore… Snore…. Snore…

 

What’s this? Something wet and sticky? Oh, must be my saliva.

 

Snore… snore… snore…

 

This is a very comfortable pillow. Quite soft, quite hard. It’s like I’m hugging someone.

 

It’s like I’m hugging someone. It’s like I’m hugging someone. The thought lingered in her mind. Without a thought, her eyes flew open as if she was fully awake. She raised her head and she was faced by her opened window, showing the clear and blue morning sky.

 

That’s weird, she thought. I was sure that the window was on my side. Why am I face-to-face with it?

 

As she tried to shrug off the thought, she moved her head to the side but an unwelcome sight welcomed her. A hand! A freaking hand!

 

Her eyes widened again. What’s a freaking hand doing in front of her face? She leaned away and realized that she was lying on someone’s arm as there was a stain of sticky liquid on it. Her eyes lifted once again to see whose arm was it and upon her gaze falling on that sleeping face, her eyes widened more, if that was even possible.

 

She then realized that she was lying horizontally on top of him. Shaking in shock, she shouted.

 

“Ahhhhh!” she immediately got up and ran outside of her room and downstairs.

 

A guy in a hoodie and a floral pink apron came out of the kitchen with a pan on his hand and a smile on his face. “Good morning Dara!” he greeted as if she just didn’t shout and wasn’t still shouting up until now.

 

“Teddy oppa!” Dara cried.

 

The guy who had a remote on his hand and eyes focused on the television remained unmoved.  It was if there wasn’t any commotion early in the morning. He kept his eyes on the TV as he anticipated his favorite soccer team earning another goal. As the player ran and dribbled the ball towards the goal, his anticipation grew and as the player earned a point, he threw his fist on the air.

 

“YEEEAAAHHH!!! Another point!” he shouted, louder than Dara’s. He laughed louder this time. “See that?” he asked turning to Dara. “You saw that, right, Dara? YES! WOOHOO!” he cheered, earning an annoyed look from the newly-awaken Dara.

 

“Kush oppa!” Dara cried but the older guy didn’t hear as he was busy jumping on the couch and cheering.

 

Another soul was awoken with Kush’s noise. He had been on the other couch, sleeping like a baby but he assumed no one noticed him. But then again, no one really notices him except for Dara. With a sleepy groan, he picked up one of the pillow he was hugging and harshly threw it towards Kush.

 

“Shut up!” he shouted as he went back to sleep.

 

“Tsk,” Kush clicked his tongue as he caught the pillow. “Lazy bastard. You’re always sleeping, TOP!” he intentionally shouted on the latter’s ear, earning him another pillow. If he wasn’t able to dodge it, he would be smacked right on his face. “Whoa there!”

 

“Ahhhhh!” Dara shouted once again.

 

The pan that Teddy was holding fell, Kush fell on his , and TOP covered his ears with the pillow.

 

“Yah! Why are you shouting?!” Kush shouted at her.

 

“Jiyong is on my bed!” she wailed, tears falling on her cheeks.

 

Teddy and Kush laughed loudly at her silliness. It wasn’t like it was the first time. The funny thing was, even though it happens really often, this girl keeps on running while crying and would just complain about the same thing almost every morning. They were used to it though.

 

Jiyong appeared beside her, rubbing his eyes. “It’s not like it’s the first time,” he complained.

 

“Shut up!” Dara shouted at his face but he didn’t flinch and just continued rubbing his sleepy eyes.

 

TOP, on the other hand, was forced to sit up while hugging on his beloved pillow. But his eyes were still closed.

 

“Your voice is very annoying,” Jiyong said plainly and passed by her towards the kitchen.

 

“What did you say?!” Dara shouted following him towards the kitchen. “We’re not yet finished Kwon Jiyong! Why are you on my bed again?”

 

“Wow,” he said, staring at her, feigning amazement. “Look at you and your complaints. It wasn’t like I was the one who lied on top of you and nibbled on my arm.”

 

Dara reddened and stared behind her towards her oppas and then back at Jiyong.

 

“I didn’t!”

 

“Want proof?” he asked, showing his arm full of what looked like love bites.

 

“I… You… Ugh!” Dara groaned, giving up and sat on her chair. She couldn’t understand why almost every day, she would wake up with Jiyong beside her. She would ask but he never answered. Instead, he would give her a sarcastic remark and the bicker would begin.

 

TOP sat in front of her, his eyes still closed. Teddy went on preparing the table and Kush sat on the chair next to TOP. The next thing that happened was TOP’s head falling on his plate. The guy was tired from last night’s mission. But no one moved and helped him. They were used to it anyways.

 

Dara sat there and observed the people around her. She smiled as she felt lucky being in this family. She clearly remembered how she was adopted, how he was disgusted with Kush’s ugly face as the father and Teddy’s smudged face as the mother. She laughed inwardly remembering how ugly they looked that day. They were still eighteen but they did a great job hiding their identities. Dara later learned that they were not just ordinary human beings but con artists and assassins.

 

Scary and dangerous… being in this family was no joke. She couldn’t really understand why she accepted the offer of being adopted in the first place. Physically, no one would really want them as their parents. Dara clearly remembered how her friends back in the orphanage stared at the new family when she left the orphanage with them. The look on the kids’ faces was really memorable. She remembered one kid who was eating ice cream but she lost hold of it at the sight of Dara’s parents. She remembered stifling her laughter that day.

 

But she never regretted being in this family although they were a group of assassins. They weren’t even a family way before she got adopted. They were four different persons having four different families of their own. But they left them all, except in TOP’s case, the family left him all alone.

 

Being in this family was really challenging though. Having four oppas who were assassins, Dara would always be at home, making sure no one would come without them at home, cleaning it, and her most important role, be always there in case one of them would come home wounded and almost out-of-life. In fact, Teddy told her the real reason why she got adopted – to do the abovementioned things.

 

Teddy, Kush, TOP, and Jiyong – four different assassins who once in a while become busy. This home would be left without someone to take care of it, sometimes, for a week or two because they had to travel and do the missions. She did not regret having that role though. She loved it, having to take care of this bunch of fools. That was also the reason why they looked for the oldest among the orphans in the orphanage and that was Dara.

 

Teddy. The first one Dara got to be closed with. This oppa was very caring. In fact, if she wasn’t there, he would be the one to take the role of Dara. He was the eldest one that was why he took the role of the mother of the family.

 

Kush. The most annoying oppa of Dara among them. Like a normal brother to a sister, he would piss Dara off, calling her names until they fight and just eventually satisfy the older guy. But he was really protective of Dara too.

 

TOP. The most silent in this family. Dara first met him after a week of her being adopted. She wondered where he went. She thought he went into a mission but he was young back then. Dara later learned that he went in search of his family. TOP was the most mysterious oppa in the house. He never talks except for a word or two. She wanted to get close to him but she never got the chance. Maybe, someday…

 

Jiyong….

 

Ugh… her head hurts just by thinking of his name. He was the most annoying human on earth. He always bickers with her, not like Kush’s ways because Kush would bicker to have fun. Jiyong on the other hand, that’s just another story. He bickers with her to annoy her until she runs away to Teddy and cry for help. However, if Teddy wasn’t there, the bicker would be endless.

 

Another thing she hated about him was how Jiyong was really unreadable. He would be silent one second and then very noisy the next second. Like the first day she met him, his eyes never give off any emotions. They’re blank and dead. He was really mysterious. Because of that, she would find herself staring at him for too long, trying to read him, trying to know more of him, like the first thought she had when she first laid eyes on him.

 

But above all, he was just a very annoying brother. However, he wasn’t her oppa. Jiyong was a year younger than her. But he treats Dara as his younger sister. That was another thing she couldn’t understand with him. He would be very annoying but at times, he would treat her good. Although she was a year younger, she would feel like she was the youngest among them all.

 

Dara’s trail of thoughts was cut off when Jiyong stuffed bacon on . She glared at him. “Whashyor plablem?” Dara asked with still full with bacon.

 

“Your stare makes me cringe. Eat up. We’re going to be late,” he said, eyes on his plate. As soon as he finished, he stood up and left.

 

Dara immediately chewed on the bacon. She was about to stand up when she realized that Kush and Teddy were nowhere to be found. How long did she space out again?

 

She was about to stand up when she caught sight of TOP, who was still sleeping. She stared at the retreating back of the annoying Jiyong and glared. “How could he just leave his brother here?” she mumbled and went towards TOP.

 

“Oppa, oppa,” she called, slowly shaking him. “Oppa, wake up.”

 

TOP stirred but didn’t wake up. She was about to wake him up again when…

 

“YA!” Jiyong shouted from outside making Dara jump on her spot. “Leave him alone. He can sleep there.”

 

Dara straightened up and shot Jiyong another glare. “Why would you leave him here?!” she shouted back. “Why are you like that to your own brother?”

 

Jiyong scratched his nape and cursed under his breath. “We’re going to be late! Don’t waste your time waking him up!”

 

“Why wo—!“

 

“YA!” TOP cut them off, straightening up. Dara and Jiyong stared at him in shock. “Go to school! Leave me alone here!”

 

Dara just stared at him as he went back to sleep. She pouted; somehow hurt at TOP’s words, how he ignored the care she wanted to show him. Still pouting, she walked away, leaving him alone as he said. She walked towards Jiyong and then looked up at him.

 

“I told you to leave him alone,” Jiyong said. His voice was soft unlike a while ago.

 

Dara blinked and felt tears threatening to fall. She rubbed her eyes to stop them but there were tears that managed to escape.

 

Jiyong sighed. “You’re such a crybaby,” he said, patting Dara’s head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A/N:

thank you akosierika for this poster ^^