* park eunji - Nine Muses *

*

"Yah, am I seeing things or is it really you?"

She pretended to rub her already perfected eyes. Hyuna unnie is smarter than to ruin her makeups simply because of an uninvited morning visitor.

"Shin Hyeonrin, look at you, why are you all damp? Did you get rained on?"

I nodded and explained that it poured when I was walking towards the nearest bus stop in our  home town, which wasn't that near to our family's house. Though I left out the part that I cried the whole way across the meadow glowing in limerick even in dim rays of early morning moonlight against the still-dark blue sky. I didn't shed a single tear last night, but they all came out in the safe of being surrounded by the pouring water. Because the sky was crying, I wasn't afraid that I would be caught weak, I wasn't afraid of being alone, in that moment.

The truth is, I just couldn't hold it any longer. Last night I fell asleep while thinking hard of how to spend today. And the moment I sprang up, panting and perspiring hard, the only thing on my mind was the dream I had. A piece of memory, when Hyesung oppa tried to cook for the first time. It was after Omma died of sickness some eight years ago. I was in my early teen, and I heard whimper and cursing just outside the kitchen one morning when I ran down out of thirst. That day was the day after final day of Omma's funeral and everyone was exhausted of crying and handling the endless visitors. Omma was quite a popular woman, and beautiful. It turned out that Hyesung oppa had injured himself while trying to cut meat to be cooked. He made me promised I would not tell anyone, but then I ran up to Appa's room and asked for plaster without telling anything as I've promised, and eventually Appa caught on, and Oppa glared at me when Appa entered. But  it was a relief Appa didn't scold oppa and just watched as my tottering small hands tried to target the plaster at the right spot and Hyesung oppa waited impatiently but without complaining.

"Hyeonrin-ah, remember that you have to keep taking care of your clumsy big brother from now on, okay?"

"Yes, Appa." I promised him, bubbling with happiness to be given an important task, while Hyesung oppa kept grumbling to himself.

I want to keep that promise. I wouldn't let him lay a finger on Hyesung oppa.

I knew he probably heard it-what I was thinking, but I didn't care. The scent of the pouring sky water embracing every grass in the meadow was so comforting that it made me just want to go and lie there in the middle of the yellowish green bed, where I could hid from the world. Just me, the meadow, the rain, the smell, the happiness. But I knew there was something I wanted greater than that. And that was what took me out of my house in the first place early this morning when it was still dark, quietly leaving without telling anything to Seungah unnie, but just a note saying I'm going out and not to worry because I'll be back. I didn't mention when, because I wasn't sure myself. I didn't want to make her worry by saying things like I'd come back once I've saved Hyesung oppa. She would definitely freak out.

"Yah, pabo, you didn't ran away from home did you? Did you create trouble for Seungah? Or did that bastard bullied you? Tell me what happen."

After covering my rain-soaked clothed shoulders with a towel, Hyuna unnie was already seated opposite of myself, crossing her legs and her arms, looking ready to discipline me(and maybe the others too) in typical Hyuna unnie style. Her ways used to scare me back then, but no longer, as she gradually softened and I realized her tough scary act was just a pretense. That's what made me even sadder when she left the house and the town after just a fight with Kihyun oppa. We could've been happier if we're together, wouldn't they?

"Unnie, can I borrow money from you?"

"What?! What happen? Tell me first."

"I need to go to...Canada."

"For what?!" Her voice raised even higher, making me swallowed a gulp.

"Yah, Hyuna unnie, why are you shouting to the poor kid? Here, have some hot choco."

The unnie with short blond messy locks that almost covered her eyes and bound under a hairband took my hand in her warm hand and placed a mug in my grip. She was the one who opened the door when I rang the doorbell and greeted me with a smile that showing her dimples. This unnie was so pretty and cute, even in her exercise clothings, without any makeups and still sweating probably from her morning exercise. 

"Hi, my name is Eunji, Park Eunji. What's yours, cutie?" I only noticed I had been staring at her when I found I didn't have to look elsewhere to return her greeting and handshake. Being caught offguard made me blushed but she was so nice to not call me out for my lack of manners. I also noticed how tall she was when I saw how much she was crouching down to match my level.

"I'm...Shin... Hyeon Rin." She was smiling so much that I couldn't look her in the eyes.

"Hyeonrin-ah, you're so cute, how could you have an unnie like that tigress?"

"Yah! Park Eunji, get lost!"

"If she tries to e