At home Dara’s parents seemed to be very happy and excited while they are having their dinner. Dara just looked at them happily chatting. For her, this is what a happy family is supposed to be. Happily chatting at the dining table. Giggling. The daughter telling how her school went. The parents hearing their daughter out, even her whining then support her all the way. And a lot more stuffs.  Yet she is not part of the picture. She is the onlooker. Always.

She always wanted to be part of this family. But before she can even enter the picture, her older sister Bom Park would throw her out unintentionally. Thus, she is on her toes trying her very best to at least top the class every year to be noticed. Or join every quiz bee, spelling bee or any academic competition and won first place for their parents’ attention. However, it is always Bom’s shinning bright light that make her tiny glow unnoticed.   

And when she thought that as soon as Bom went to college and rent an apartment to live there, she will be somehow noticed. But she is wrong. Because it makes her mother and father talk about Bom all the time saying how much they miss her. And that Bom still visits them or rather fetched by his Papa home.

“Dara, you are not eating.” It was Bom noticing her not eating dinner.

Dara smiled hesitantly. She wanted to exit already. But she can’t. She knew that her mother won’t like it if anyone leaves the table when the other are not finished yet. Her mother always wanted them to eat and leave the table altogether.

“I may have eaten a lot during lunch.” she lied.   

Her parents did not force her to eat anymore. Nor did Bom. Inside she wanted them to tell her to eat and so she will eat more happily. Instead, they seemed not to bother. And continued chatting about Bom’s great performance, the professor saying that her voice is one of the best they ever heard and so on. About Bom.

When they finished eating, she went straight her room. Buried herself studying when there’s not much to study. And when there is nothing left to do, she sneaked out and headed to Ah In’s house.

Dara throw a small stone on Ah In’s window and he eventually showed up with a big smirk. He tosses her a ladder which Dara climbed.

Ah In gave Dara a heart-shape folded paper before frowning. “You said you’ll wait.”

“Yeah I did. Then I escorted So Eun home when her driver did not arrive. I planned to go back but Papa fetched me.” Dara said as she climbed herself on the bed.

Ah In joined her. “What’s wrong?”

Dara kept her silence. That was enough to make Ah In even worried. So the guy poked her on the face. “Hey. What’s bothering you?”

 “So Eun.”

“You are better than her.”

“Liar.” Dara turned opposite Ah In.

 “Yeah she’s pretty smart. But you eat books more than anyone does.”

With that they both chuckled. “I guess so.”

Dara stood up and rummaged through Ah In’s things. Then spotted that he has not written anything. Yet again.

“Not taking down notes.” Dara pouted.

“You’re just a knock away.” Ah In smiled.

“Yah! So that guy is better off than you. At least he knows how to borrow notebook.”

Ah In’s face beamed at the word guy and got curious. He then started teasing. “GUY? Better than me?”

Dara know what’s going on inside Ah In’s mind, before Ah In knows it is already raining with his notebook courtesy of Dara. “Yah!”

“Stop it.” Ah In shielded himself with a pillow.

Then Dara busied herself taking down notes for Ah In without any need for a peek at her own notes as she has already memorized everything that was written there. Ah In just sat beside her the whole time humming. At home Dara’s parents seemed to be very happy and excited while they are having their dinner. Dara just looked at them happily chatting. For her, this is what a happy family is supposed to be. Happily chatting at the dining table. Giggling. The daughter telling how her school went. The parents hearing their daughter out, even her whining then support her all the way. And a lot more stuffs.  Yet she is not part of the picture. She is the onlooker. Always.

She always wanted to be part of this family. But before she can even enter the picture, her older sister Bom Park would throw her out unintentionally. Thus, she is on her toes trying her very best to at least top the class every year to be noticed. Or join every quiz bee, spelling bee or any academic competition and won first place for their parents’ attention. However, it is always Bom’s shinning bright light that make her tiny glow unnoticed.   

And when she thought that as soon as Bom went to college and rent an apartment to live there, she will be somehow noticed. But she is wrong. Because it makes her mother and father talk about Bom all the time saying how much they miss her. And that Bom still visits them or rather fetched by his Papa home.

“Dara, you are not eating.” It was Bom noticing her not eating dinner.

Dara smiled hesitantly. She wanted to exit already. But she can’t. She knew that her mother won’t like it if anyone leaves the table when the other are not finished yet. Her mother always wanted them to eat and leave the table altogether.

“I may have eaten a lot during lunch.” she lied.   

Her parents did not force her to eat anymore. Nor did Bom. Inside she wanted them to tell her to eat and so she will eat more happily. Instead, they seemed not to bother. And continued chatting about Bom’s great performance, the professor saying that her voice is one of the best they ever heard and so on. About Bom.

When they finished eating, she went straight her room. Buried herself studying when there’s not much to study. And when there is nothing left to do, she sneaked out and headed to Ah In’s house.

Dara throw a small stone on Ah In’s window and he eventually showed up with a big smirk. He tosses her a ladder which Dara climbed.

Ah In gave Dara a heart-shape folded paper before frowning. “You said you’ll wait.”

“Yeah I did. Then I escorted So Eun home when her driver did not arrive. I planned to go back but Papa fetched me.” Dara said as she climbed herself on the bed.

Ah In joined her. “What’s wrong?”

Dara kept her silence. That was enough to make Ah In even worried. So the guy poked her on the face. “Hey. What’s bothering you?”

 “So Eun.”

“You are better than her.”

“Liar.” Dara turned opposite Ah In.

 “Yeah she’s pretty smart. But you eat books more than anyone does.”

With that they both chuckled. “I guess so.”

Dara stood up and rummaged through Ah In’s things. Then spotted that he has not written anything. Yet again.

“Not taking down notes.” Dara pouted.

“You’re just a knock away.” Ah In smiled.

“Yah! So that guy is better off than you. At least he knows how to borrow notebook.”

Ah In’s face beamed at the word guy and got curious. He then started teasing. “GUY? Better than me?”

Dara know what’s going on inside Ah In’s mind, before Ah In knows it is already raining with his notebook courtesy of Dara. “Yah!”

“Stop it.” Ah In shielded himself with a pillow.

Then Dara busied herself taking down notes for Ah In without any need for a peek at her own notes as she has already memorized everything that was written there. Ah In just sat beside her the whole time humming.