“Yeoulli, I’m home~” The tall, dark-haired guy, still wearing his school uniform stepped inside the moderate-sized house with plain white walls and some cracks on the ceiling here and there. He continued his steps until he reached the kitchen, where he knew the girl he had called for will be. And true to his prediction, the girl was opening the fridge door to take some ingredients before looking at him and flashed a sunny smile.

She then took out a small bag of chicken’s pieces from the fridge and looked at the guy who was already standing beside her, observing her cooking. “I only cooked fried chickens and some soup, is that okay?” She asked him in concern, worried that the guy will not like it. He only smiled and ruffled her hair lovingly before saying, “It’s okay, and I understand that you have a quiz tomorrow. So I’m gonna wash the dishes for today.” “Zitao-hyung! You’re home?” A boy’s voice joined with a tug on the end of his uniform coat made him looked down at the cute little boy in a loving smile. “Yes, and Gyeoul-noona is cooking fried chickens for today! Are you happy?” He questioned the little boy, making the boy squealed in delight after hearing the word ‘fried chicken’, his favorite word.

“Changmin-ah, take this plate and put it on the table. But don’t eat it yet!” Gyeoul instructed to the little boy while handing him the fried chickens’ plate. “Don’t worry, noona, I’m not a little boy anymore!” He replied back cutely while walking to the dinner table with the plate in his hand. She then took the soup bowl while stepping towards the dinner table. “Gyeoul-ah, I heard a rumor about you.” Zitao mumbled under his breath.

He actually wanted to inform her about the discussion he had heard on the cafeteria about her, but he didn’t know how to start. Gyeoul stopped her tracks and looked at him. “What are you saying, oppa? You should speak a little louder, aigoo.” Zitao scratched the back of his head before finally blurted out, “I heard that you’re Jonghyun’s next target. Be careful with him. I’ve saw many girls cried because of him.”

Gyeoul put the soup bowl on the table before looking back at Zitao with a confused expression. “Who? Oh, that Jonghyun.” She paused for a moment before continuing, “Don’t worry, oppa. I can take care of myself. Besides, I’m not like Hayoung-unnie.” “Yah, what do you mean by you’re not like Hayoung huh?” Zitao questioned curiously while sitting down at one of the chairs, getting all ready to eat.

Gyeoul only smiled and shook her head before replying with a slightly-hinted-something tone of “Nothing~”, to which Zitao only nodded as a reply, getting too hungry to even ask for anything more. With all her brothers and sisters already eating at the table, she finally felt relieved since she actually got them to eat in time, before a certain someone gets home.

Gyeoul was intently reading her notes on Economics, trying to memorize all the formulas for tomorrow’s quiz, when she heard the sound of shouting and broken glass. She only sighed before shutting her book and walked out from her room. As she stepped closer towards the living room, the murmur sounds became even clearer. "But appa--" she heard her younger sister said, followed by a slapping sound. "All of you are useless!" An angry shout was heard all over the living room, making Gyeoul quickened her steps.

She was already aware of what would come later.

As she thought, there was her father with her younger sister, Gaeul at the living room; with Gaeul kneeling in fear and a red cheek. "What do you want, little ?!" Her father greeted her darkly with a tone full of hatred. He must have been so drunk, she thought to herself while helping Gaeul to get up. "Your face looks just the same as the dead wench, no wonder you're such a ." The last sentence made her temper rise up inside of her, making her clenched her fist in pure anger.

As much as she wanted to just slap the middle-aged man in front of her for calling her late mother names, she couldn't. How could she slap someone who is practically their guardian now? Even though the man is not her biological father, he was the one who provide for them. If it wasn't for him, she and her younger siblings would have live at the streets.

Just then, the front door opened, revealing Zitao who just came home from his part time work, judging from his tired face. He looked at the scene at the living room and sighed before walking towards Gyeoul and Gaeul before saying, "Just go back to your room, I'll take care of dad." to which the two complied to.

"Dad, let's go to bed, okay? You need rest." Zitao spoke in Chinese to his father who was already leaning on the couch, probably too drunk to even get up. "Ah, my son Zitao! You finally come home!" The man slurred while Zitao brought him to his own room. He must have drink more than usual tonight, he even slapped Gaeul, he thought for a while. After he put his father to bed and closed the bedroom door, he walked to his stepsisters' room before knocking on the door.

Gyeoul opened the door, revealing her darkened expression. Zitao had realized her expression when he came home earlier and expected that maybe his father had said something hurtful to her. "Yeoulli-ah, did he said or did something bad to you?" The older boy asked in concern, staring at the younger girl's face intently. Gyeoul only sighed before she began to speak. "He-he called mom a 'dead wench'."

As she spoke, she felt her anger rising up inside of her as she let out each word. "You know what, I felt like I wanted to punch the out of him!" Zitao only listened to her outburst, while her grip on the doorknob tightened. He understood what she felt since he had also thought Gyeoul's late mother as his own mother, the late middle age woman was a sweet and motherly woman in his memories.

"But..... I can't. I kept reminded of umma's words before; that we shouldn't forget the kindness others' had given to us." She end her sentences lingering between the two of them before she looked up at Zitao with her eyes glistening with tears. The older boy's usually stone-cold expression softened before he reached out his arms and enveloped Gyeoul into a warm brotherly hug. The younger girl broke into tears the moment she felt the warmness of the hug. "I miss my umma...." "Me too, Yeoulli, me too." That night was filled with tears and memories as they reminisce the moments they had with their late mother.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

   That morning was one hectic morning for a certain Choi Jonghyun as he woke up late that day with no evidence of his noona to be seen anywhere around the house. For the first time in his life, he began to appreciate his noona’s existence for once; as he walked out from his house without even eating breakfast. His noona told him that she would be away for three days for an outdoor task, but he never thought that she would left early in the morning without even waking him up.

Jonghyun rubbed his growling stomach while pouting, he had never felt this hungry all his life. “I guess I’ll just ask Chanhee for some of his food later.” He told himself as he walked on the same path as he did during every other day to school, unaware of a girl approaching from his left.

Gyeoul walked to school even later than usual since she woke up late that day (blame Zitao for suddenly told some stories about her late mother that she slept in late yesterday), with a piece of bread in while she held another piece. As she chewed the bread, she managed to look at her watch to make sure that she wouldn’t be late. She fastened her pace when she realized that she only got few minutes left, that is, when a guy suddenly greeted her from behind.

“Gyeoul-sshi, good morning!” She whipped her head behind her as soon as she heard that familiar voice from yesterday. Is it just me or he's like everywhere? I kept seeing him since two days ago when I never even seen him in school before. She thought as she took a glance at him while chewing the bread, before looking at her front.

Jonghyun smiled unknowingly as he watched every movement the girl in front of him made. Never in his whole life had he thought that a girl chewing her food would be so amusing yet cute to watch. All of a sudden, his stomach growled ever so loudly, making the girl in front of him stopped her tracks and looked at him. I am so embarrased as fck right now, I feel like running away to the South Pole. He thought, while his face remained stoic.

Gyeoul looked at the piece of bread she held in her right hand, then back at Jonghyun before she sighed. She then stretched out her right hand ever so slowly to the boy in front of her, handing the bread to him before saying, "Here." Jonghyun stared at the bread silently, still surprised at the gesture the girl did to him.

"I'm gonna be late to school, dammit! Just take this damn bread, oh my god!" Gyeoul bursted out her annoyance towards the boy before putting the bread to his right hand and turned around. Without any warning, she just left him behind, speeding forward with an desperate look on her face; leaving him speechless. "Woah. Did she just snapped at me?" Jonghyun said to no one in particular before shoving the piece of bread into his mouth in absolute hunger. She's just like my noona... man, I should change my plan.