Jaera, with her doll in her hands, is playing in the garden alone. She’s combing her doll’s blonde hair while talking to it like it’s alive and listening.

Kim Jaekyung, Jaera’s foster mom, is in the living room waiting for her sister, Minhee. When the doorbell rang, she immediately headed to the door excited to see her sister who she haven’t seen for quite a long time already.

“Omo, Minhee eonni!” Ms. Kim beamed with contentment. “I missed you so much.”

After a minute of overwhelming how-are-you’s and I-miss-you’s, Jaekyung invited Minhee and the little boy she’s holding inside the house.

“Is he your son? How cute.” Jaekyung said smiling to the little boy with milky white skin before her.

“Sehun, your aunt thinks you’re cute. Say thanks.” Minhee urged her son.

“Thanks, auntie.” Sehun said, uninterested.

“Ahh by the way, I’ll just call my daughter in the garden. I would like you to meet her.” Jaekyung said.

“Daughter? Are you married?” Minhee asked, surprised from what she heard from her younger sister.

“She’s adopted.”

“Oh, I see.”

+++

“Rena-ah, how do you manage to be so pretty? Everyone will like you and no one will hate you because you’re pretty and you wear shiny clothes.” Jaera said talking to her doll and chuckled lightly.

But then she continued with a change of emotion. “Maybe if I’m as pretty as you, my real mom won’t dislike me and leave me.” Jaera sniffs as she wipes a tear with her small hands.

Jaekyung overheard what Jaera said. No doubt, she loves the child even if they’re not blood-related. She treated Jaera like her own daughter.

She walked towards where Jaera is and hugged her.

“Baby, it’s okay.” She hushed her daughter. “I’m here, your mom, and I think you’re prettiest.”

“R-really?” The little girl said in between her cries.

“Yes.” She smiled holding her precious daughter’s face, kissing her forehead. “I’m telling the truth. Come on, your Aunt Minhee is here. I bet she’d also think the same.”

+++

“You’re so pretty. What’s your name, dear?” Minhee said leveling her face to the little girl.

“My name is Jaera. Nice to meet you, Aunt Minhee.” She said shyly.

“And it’s also nice to meet you, Jaera.” She smiled a warm smile. “How old are you?”

“I’m seven.”

“Oh! You’re the same age with our Sehunnie. He’s also seven.” Minhee beamed.

Jaera looked at the little boy, who she presumes is Sehun, and caught his bored emotionless eyes looking at her. She thought that look is intimidating so she looked away.

“Food is ready.” Jaekyung, who just returned from the kitchen, sing-songed.

When they were eating, Jaera felt a pair of eyes looking at her direction. She wanted to confirm it and look at her cousin with the same age as her and she was right. Sehun is looking, more like glaring, at her.

The rest of the minutes in the dining room were awkward for Jaera.

It was 7 in the evening when Mrs. Oh and her son decided to go home.

Little Jaera sighed in relief when they left. It’s not that she dislikes Aunt Minhee but it’s just that she feels uncomfortable with Sehun and his eyes.

+++

Mrs. Oh and her son frequently pay a visit to Jaekyung’s house. At first, Sehun would just glare and won’t talk to Jaera.

“Hi Sehun. Do you want to play with me?” Jaera was the first to talk to him when their moms, saying they have an important appointment to attend, left them to a housekeeper.

But Sehun won’t answer. He just has this intimidating emotionless face not suited for a seven year old boy.

The same thing would happen, maybe twice a week. Jaekyung and Minhee leaving for some reasons the two kids don’t know and returning looking exhausted and then Jaera trying to talk to Sehun.

Sehun did it on purpose, not talking to her. He thought it was fun when she’s trying hard to talk to him. But Jaera got tired and stopped and he thinks it’s kind of boring.

+++

“My Rena is pretty!” Jaera yelled at Sehun.

Today is the twenty-fourth of October, the first time Sehun gave a word to Jaera. Unfortunately, those are words that the little girl isn’t pleased to hear.

“Ugly. Your doll is ugly.” He managed to say with a grin on his face. It is an amusing scene, a little boy teasing like a grown up.

The same thing would happen whenever Sehun is left in Jaekyung’s house.

And Jaera, being the soft-spoken one, just let a tear fall from her eyes and ignore the boy.

Sehun was a bully. *This is fun. It’s okay to do this, right? It won’t hurt her.* he thought like bullying is legal and a moral act.

He doesn’t know that the doll was the only connection Jaera has with her real mother. She was left with it. Despite the bad feelings she feels for her real mom, she treasures the doll.

One afternoon, when the little girl is taking a nap, Sehun sneakily got her doll and threw it in the garbage can chuckling to himself.

+++

“GIVE ME BACK MY DOLL! MY DOLL! WHERE DID YOU HIDE IT?” Jaera cried breaking down on the floor. Jaekyung, who arrived with Minhee a little while ago, is trying to calm her daughter.

Minhee, on the other side, eyed Sehun and asked him where her doll is. The boy just stared at the crying girl in surprise at how loud she is and how her aunt can’t stop her from crying.

“Oh Sehun! Where did you put it?” his mom asked him with a warning.

“I-I…” he can’t find the words to say. “I’m… sorry.”

“GIVE IT BACK TO MEEE!” Jaera continued to cry as she clutched her chest. She is in pain. First, because the only memory of her real mom may already be gone. Second, her heart is literally aching.

This is the second time she cried so hard that her heart can’t take it. She felt like her chest will burst with too much pain. She felt the tears blurring her vision. And everything went black…

+++

Jaera woke up panting. It was just a dream, the same nightmare she’s having occasionally. She felt a tear roll down her cheeks.

“It’s okay, Jaera. A dream is a dream. You won’t feel that pain again.” She said to herself.

She stood up to get water. Her face and palms are still in sweat from the nightmare.

As she was heading down the kitchen, she was wondering how she got on her room. *Did Sehun carry me again? Babo.*

+++

Sehun woke up from the sunlight beaming straight to him through the glass window.

“Aish, my body’s aching…” he hissed.

It was a Sunday.

When he went out of his room, he found his mom and Jaera in the living room watching a movie. Sehun’s mom is sitting on the couch while Jaera has her head on her aunt’s lap.

“What are you watching?” Sehun asked.

“Sshhh.” Both of them shushed.

Sehun just rolled his eyes and headed to the kitchen to find something to eat since he’s already starving.

He went back in the living room pouting like a three-year old kid who didn’t get his mom to buy him a toy.

“Mom, there’s no food.”

“Aish, be quiet! Just eat in a fastfood.” Jaera said shooting a glare at Sehun.

“It’s already 11 o’clock! I’m sure fastfoods are crowded.”

“Omo! It’s 11 already? Aw, I still have to go somewhere. You two go out and eat. Sehun, don’t leave her alone, arasseo?” Minhee said to the teens in a hurry. She went to her room to change clothes and prepare herself wherever she’s going.

“When did I ever leave her?” Sehun whispered.

“Hey, I heard that!” Jaera said.

“So? When did I ever leave you? You’re always the one leaving me! Why do you always hangout with Jongin? Or why don’t you ask me to hangout with you. Why am I always the first one to ask you to go out?” Sehun said without a break.

“Haha! So you’re jealous with Jongin.” Jaera said sticking her tongue.

“Of course! I’m your bestfriend, not him.”

“He’s my boyfriend though.” She teased.

“Whatever. You don’t suit each other.” Sehun said emphasizing each word. “Come on, now.”

“Where?”

“Fastfood chain, ugly!” He rolled his eyes.

“Ugly, your face! I thought you don’t like because it’s crowded?”

“Not when I’m with you.” He laughed exaggeratedly. “Go go go!”

*Oh Sehun, you always tell me I’m childish. Who’s childish now? Babo…* 

Lame, I know. Sorry. -___-"