It was a cold and cloudy day and even though the Sun tried so many times to reveal itself, the clouds didn’t allow it. It looked like it was about to rain but the clouds were holding it back like a person was holding back tears. The clouds were sensing something was going happen to a certain someone and the clouds were trying their best not to ‘cry’ until the right moment came.

KyonDae woke up from her deep slumber when she felt her nose and cheeks were being pinched playfully by a pair of naughty hands. She tried to ignore it at first and continued her sleep. It was another day of the school breaks and her stepfamily wasn’t at home. Except for her father but there was no difference though, whether he was at home or not. He would leave the house at the wee hours in the morning and came back the next day.

KyonDae’s sleep was disturbed again when her cheeks and nose were pinched once more continuously and this time followed by a giggle. KyonDae knew perfectly well, who it was. She opened her eyes immediately and attacked her little sister with tickling her on the stomach.

SoRa was shocked when KyonDae suddenly woke up and she couldn’t stop laughing when KyonDae tickled her as she was very ticklish. She kept on laughing and KyonDae couldn’t help but to join her laughter as well. She loved to hear SoRa’s laughter. It sounded like melody to her ears as it was very rare to hear SoRa laugh, let alone smile.

“Why did you pinch my cheeks and nose, hmm? Were you that bored to disturb me in my sleep?” KyonDae asked as she stopped tickling SoRa. She was pretty beat up since she had spent the last few days of the holidays working at the restaurant longer than she used to.

She knew her body was feeling tired and exhausted but thinking again about the new life she was going to make with SoRa, she brushed all those thoughts aside. Screw tired, she thought to herself. It will all be worth it once we’re done here.

SoRa sat up and faced her sister. She looked into KyonDae’s eyes and smiled. KyonDae noticed that SoRa began to smile a lot nowadays and she knew why. Thanks to that particular person who helped SoRa make smiling as her hobby now.

All of a sudden, SoRa reached out to her sister and hugged her tight. KyonDae was a bit startled by her sudden action but hugged her sister anyway. Maybe it was SoRa’s way to say good morning.

After the both of them washed up and changed, KyonDae made breakfast for them and also their father who was sleeping on the couch, probably just got back from drinking again. SoRa was sitting on a stool watching her sister’s every movement and smiled all the time. It was a lie if KyonDae thought that her sister wasn’t being creepy. Okay, don’t get me wrong. Not creepy, creepy. It was just that her sister smiled surprisingly a lot that morning and L. Joe wasn’t even there. They didn’t meet him as well the day before. So why was SoRa smiling all the time?

KyonDae continued making breakfast though, which was just bread and butter and strawberry jam. She handed a few pieces to SoRa who grinned at her and said, “Unnie, saranghae.” KyonDae frowned upon her statement and bowed down to her sister’s eye level.

“I love you too, SoRa. But shouldn’t you be saying ‘thank you’ instead?” SoRa nodded with her eye smile and said ‘thank you’ to her. KyonDae was starting to freak out a bit now but she didn’t suspect anything. Maybe SoRa dreamed of seeing L. Joe last night.

“Oh, father. You’re awake.” KyonDae said when she saw her father’s figure slowly walked up to them. He was still feeling a bit dizzy but sobered enough. “Appa.” SoRa called DaeHo with a smile.

Both KyonDae and DaeHo were stunned and looked at each other before looking back at SoRa. This had never happened before. SoRa had never called DaeHo ‘appa’ ever since she was born. This was the first time. All this while, DaeHo never acknowledged SoRa’s presence. He always thought that SoRa didn’t exist. SoRa, in the meantime, was too afraid of everyone else in the house except for her sister that she never called any of them by their respective names.

KyonDae and DaeHo were more shocked than ever when SoRa suddenly walked to DaeHo and hugged his leg. DaeHo froze upon his daughter’s sudden contact and KyonDae was in panic mode. She quickly grabbed SoRa away from her father and made her sit in front of her instead.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like it if SoRa was trying to be close to her father, as DaeHo was her father after all but DaeHo just woke up from his sleep and was still a bit drunk. Who knows what he would do to SoRa, knowing his very bad temper. He would’ve kicked SoRa or slap her away and KyonDae didn’t want that.

“I’m sorry, appa. She doesn’t usually do that.” KyonDae apologized and place DaeHo’s breakfast on the table. DaeHo, who was still a bit shocked only nodded slowly and sat on the chair at the dining table. “It’s ... it’s okay.” He mumbled.

KyonDae sighed in relief as she saw that DaeHo wasn’t mad. Her father was an unpredictable man and it was scary. KyonDae sat herself beside SoRa and began eating her breakfast as well. Both of them were not used to eating a lot during breakfast and they always ate bread and jam instead.

DaeHo was still staring at his breakfast and didn’t utter a word. Once in a while, he would steal glances at SoRa and smiled. He had to admit, when SoRa hugged his leg just now, he fought the urge to hug his daughter back.

He was touched but he didn’t know how to show her that he loved her too. He regretted all these years where he ignored SoRa and didn’t care about her wellbeing. He didn’t even care whether SoRa was growing properly or not.

Then his gaze moved on to his older daughter, whom he didn’t expect to love until she was born, the one that reminded him so much of his first love. The one that he kept secrets from. The one that went through so much at a young age all because of him.

DaeHo sighed silently. If there was anyone that he felt guilty towards the most, it would be KyonDae. It was his fault in the very beginning that KyonDae had to put up with the life she was in now. He wanted to say he was sorry, but he didn’t know. So he reached out a piece of card in his pockets and slide it towards KyonDae.

KyonDae looked up from her breakfast and noticed the card given by DaeHo. KyonDae frowned and carefully asked her father, “Why … are you giving me this again?” Since that day, KyonDae never really talked to her father and tried her best to ignore him as much as she can. The truth hurt so much but KyonDae thanked her father in her heart anyway for telling her. If not, she would be living in a lie forever.

“I’ve done so many horrible things to you. I’m the one at fault. You’ve gone through so much. I know this issue hurts you to the core, but I know that deep down in your heart, you still want to meet her.” DaeHo explained. “I suggest you go and see her. Even if you don’t want to accept her now, at least you know how she looks like.”

KyonDae scoffed a little and said, “I don’t want to. What if she doesn’t want to see me? I will look like a pathetic person and making a fool out of myself there. It’s been years, as you said. She will most probably already have a new family and me coming so suddenly at her door step, telling her that I am hers is like opening Pandora’s Box. She would’ve already forgotten about me. What if she hates the sight of me? You do remember that I am unexpected to exist right?”

DaeHo sighed again and nodded his head understandingly. He knew what she felt. After all these while, he finally began to comprehend. DaeHo couldn’t deny the possibilities of what KyonDae said but they didn’t know about EunJung’s point of view yet. Maybe it will turn the other way around. Maybe EunJung was happy to see her. Who knows she might be waiting for KyonDae all these while?

“I know you’re afraid that she might reject you but I don’t think she will. EunJung loves you, KyonDae. If she never loved you, she would’ve done the abortion in the first place and never be afraid of her parents. But she didn’t. She risked herself by making the decision to have you. I know it has been many years and she might already have a family too, but I’m sure not even a second pass by that you never crossed her mind.” DaeHo said encouragingly. “She might be suffering as much as you do. Or even more. You were taken away from her when you were still small and spending her life for 16 years without you must be killing her as well.”

KyonDae kept quiet and digested all of DaeHo’s words. SoRa, in the meantime, noticed the tensed atmosphere hence she kept quiet all the time. Like she usually did. She knew her sister and father were talking about something serious even though she couldn’t understand it. Just by looking at their faces, she could tell.

KyonDae picked up the card that DaeHo gave and stared at it, as if hoping for some answers to pop up on the paper. She was torn, to be honest. She wanted to meet her mother so badly when she found out that she still had a mother but at the same time, she didn’t want to face the rejection by her own mother if she didn’t want KyonDae. Nothing hurts more than having your own mother not wanting you and shut you out from her world just like closing the door, not allowing you to enter.

However, as worried as she could be, KyonDae decided to give it a shot. She would not get her hopes high first, that she knew. She will just confront her mother and see how things went. If her mother didn’t want her, so be it.

But it wasn’t just her that KyonDae was thinking about. It was about SoRa as well. If her mother was willing to have KyonDae in her life again but not SoRa, then KyonDae would have to say goodbye. She would not leave her sister behind even if she was reuniting with her real mother and maybe will have a better life.

“Fine. I’ll go. Let’s get you changed SoRa.” KyonDae said while reaching her hand out to SoRa. Surprisingly, SoRa shook her head and refused, really what KyonDae wasn’t expecting. “I want to play with appa.” SoRa said and the other two were shocked again. SoRa wanted to play with her father? Really?!

KyonDae was trying to think of a few ways to make SoRa change her mind when DaeHo suddenly spoke. “It’s alright, KyonDae. I’ll take care of SoRa today.” KyonDae immediately looked at her father in disbelief. “You ... you want to look after her today? Are you serious?” KyonDae asked, not believing what her father said.

DaeHo nodded encouragingly and said, “I’m serious. You go on ahead to meet EunJung. SoRa will be under my care. Besides, I think I want to spend some time with her as well, knowing how I neg