"Onii-chan" A hushed whisper was heard in the darkness of the room, a small face lit by a small light centered the room and the small figure crawled its way to the sides where a bed was located. When no answer was given--"OooooniiIIiiiIi-Chan!" The small voice whispered more loudly now and a incoherant mumble left the sleeping boy at the disturbance. The tiny girl crawled into the bed and bunched herself up under the covers, curling up next to the elder who scooted over to give the small girl some room before falling back into his slumber that lasted only a few hours before the small apartment was up and bustling with the zips of suitcases and the ruffling of papers.  A muffled but crisp honk from the impatient taxi as they gathered their belongings and bid farwell to their home.
 

It had been three years since the absense of their parents; The blazing infurno that robbed them of their comfort.
Sungjong was only sixteen went his parents died. Only sixteen when he was seperated from his family. Only sixteen when he was transferred to a foster home.
The first two unfortunate events were a struggle, but upon moving into the foster home; he was glad for the second;
Loud voices, abrupt sounds--Locked doors to keep Sungjong in and his drunken 'father' out.

Sungjong wondered many times how people such as these were allowed to adopt children,
At least I have a roof over my head: Words he would constantly remind himself when things looked bleak.

Sungjong was second oldest, the only boy of his family of girls.
As a child he was talkative and bubbly, but now in his late teens he was quiet and cautious; The events of life had pounded and molded him into the protective shell that he surrounded himself with. He cherished his family above most and all of them has a special place locked away inside the shell.

Chiyo was the youngest. Bright as the sun on a clear, cloudless day.
Sungjong believed many times that if Chiyo wasn't by his side when things went somber, he wasn't sure if he would have made it this far. Her optimisim and sunny personality were like a breath of fresh air while the world they currently resided in was foggy and gray with ash and debris, crumbling around them.

In her innocence, she didn't understand 'Why' on many occasions.

When their parents stopped coming home, she constantly would question, "why?"
"Where is mommy and daddy?" and "When are they coming home?", Sayuri then would tell her that Mommy and Daddy were angels now.
When she was told to pick her favorite things to keep, that they'd sell the rest--"Why?"
When they left their home and relocated to a Orphanage, "Why?"
When their family cracked, split throught the middle,  "Why?" She wailed, cried and cried.
Her big brother had to leave just as their parents had left as well. "Why?"

Sungjong stayed strong for the youngest,
"We'll meet again." He reassured,
"I'll see you next time." He said.

Sayuri, the second youngest, was quiet and kindhearted.
Her voice soft and just as lovely as her gentle and beautiful features.
She was kind and patient, graceful in her movements as any ballet student would be.
Sayuri seemed to cry at the drop of a hat but despite her tedency to be a cry-baby, she was strong.
Strong willed with and had an extremely acute sensitivity in her solitude; She observed and listened, understanding you with little to no explanations.
When you wanted a honest opinion that stayed neutral, it was always Sayuri you sought.
Her straightforward replies--but soft, kindhearted wording made things easy to understand.
Always she was warm, always she looked to help.

Minyoung, the eldest, was head strong-; A Go-getter type of gal.
When news hit that their parents were gone--Minyoung was only a year older than Sungjong at seventeen, but she quickly realized it was her that had to lead them as eldest. Cutting her long hair, distancing herself from her friends, Working a job with hard hours while juggling school--She tried to support her three younger siblings the best that she could. It was only a matter of time before the student body realized the absense of their parents, social services stepped to their sides.

"Stay in contact, tell me what happens frequently when you can." She ordered Sungjong as they parted, a worried expression plagued her features.

On Minyoung's twentieth birthday, she rented an apartment; one bathroom, one bedroom. It was run down and dirty, cheap and rickety--but that was enough to get them by as she gathered her younger siblings together and they cleaned it up the best that they could, moving in. The family that adopted Sungjong tried to fight for him even though they were less than suitable. Torwards the end, they lost--People learning of (some) the abuse he'd been through and he was able to leave back to his real family. They struggled to get by but they were together, and that was all that mattered to the small family of four. It got harder once Sungjong moved in, but he knew of suffering and never complained--even if that meant skipping a meal or missing out on something, but this time of trouble was short lived when a week after he moved in--A friend (And former language student) of Minyoung's who had moved to korea and stayed in contact with her through letters. A letter came that spoke of a job opening, The family could live free of charge as they worked in the home--her friend had put in good word and reccomended her. It was a great oppurtunity for the struggling family, one that seemed to be once a lifetime.

Minyoung accepted.
She accepted, and on the family went--Traveling to the country next over.