Despite how happy Junseo is to see his beloved sister again after a long time, he still can see how awkward it is to wait and wonder what’s happening at the other side of the room. Junseo just sits there in silence, starring at his melted chocolate cake.

Dara’s been watching him but she also can’t help but keep wondering what’s happening at the other side of the room too.

She hears her mom apologizing to her new friends-Junseo’s friends’ parents-

As they started leaving, her mom turns her head at Dara and gives her this uneasy look. Everyone can imagine how awkward the whole situation is.

“Aren’t you eating your cake? It’s quite tasty if you ask me-“ Dara opens up conversation as she fakes a smile and takes a small bite of the cake on her plate.

“What do you think dad is talking to my sister about?”

“Junseo, please eat your cake. It’s every child’s dream that they get to eat their desserts beforehand. No?” Dara’s mom suddenly appears after sending her friends off.

“It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have asked Chaerin to come here. Dad’s mad at her, and she’s gonna run away again and it’s all my fault.” He says. Dara is a bit panicked when she realizes the boy is about to burst into tears any second.

Dara’s mom sits next to Junseo. “Don’t worry. I talked to your dad and made him promise he wouldn’t do anything to make your sister run away again.” she says, patting the boy’s head gently, which is a very rare scene for Dara.

Dara takes a deep breathe. She wishes she didn’t come here in the first place. She wishes she could just snap her finger and disappear and forget all of this ever happened to her perfectly good sunny day. But then she thinks about the ‘what ifs.’ What if she didn’t come, she wouldn’t find out the great coincidence that Chaerin is her stepsister. Out of all people in this world, it had to be Chaerin. Dara wants to scratch her own face right now and tell herself how stupid she is for deciding to date Chaerin without doing background checks first.

“Let’s start our lunch. Shall we?” Chaerin’s dad walks out of the family room and he sits down together with all of them. Chaerin follows him and quietly sits down across Dara. Their eyes meet for a couple of seconds. Dara bows down as she just noticed tears in Chaerin’s eyes. She just wants to get out of there and bring Chaerin with her and never go back to this house.

“The chicken is great.” Dara’s dad made a compliment to please his new wife. 

Dara feels sick. She just can’t stand it seeing her mom being with another guy, oh and it’s not just some guys, it’s Chaerin’s dad. She notices Chaerin’s not touching her food. She just stares at the chicken after she cut the fillet into small pieces.

“So you got a job, huh?” Dara’s dad suddenly opens up conversation, looking straight at his daughter. Chaerin lifts her head lightly, “Kinda.” She replies reluctantly.

“Where?”

Dara quickly looks at Chaerin, hoping that she’d be smart enough to make up lies. “At—“ she pauses when she stares into Dara’s nervous eyes. She gets the message. “You wouldn’t know the place. It’s a startup company.” She replies and then starts taking a bite of her chicken.

Dara let go of a relived sigh and the more she eats the more she feels sick. She really wants to get out of that place. Dating a troubled nineteen years old girl, who turns out to be the goddaughter of your boss’ was one irregular thing, but finding out that they’re actually stepsisters, is beyond anyone’s imagination. Dara can’t see anything that should happen after this. She doesn’t know how she gets here, to this moment. And she just wants to run far far away from this.

“So, when are you coming home?”

Chaerin smirks, “Home? Do I still have one?”

“Do not start-“

“Come on, dad. You’ve moved on. You married another woman. You decided what’s best for your life and I’ve also decided what’s best for my life. You got your new home, and it’s yours, but it’s not mine. No.”

“Chaerin! You need to start growing up. I don’t even know where you live! You are my daughter. You’re supposed to be my successor.”

“I don’t want to be your successor, dad. I told you what I wanted. I like art. I wanted to be an artist. You wouldn’t let me. You were always against my decision, and you’ll never change. Not a bit! You don’t know me and you will even hate me more if you know who I really am.” Chaerin steals a glance at Dara, who’s trying to look calm at all times, hiding her emotion, trying to look okay at all times, which is somehow her specialty especially when she’s trying to look fierce in front of her employees.

She couldn’t hold it. She feels sick. She just found out that her hateful father is now a husband of Dara’s mom. They’re stepsisters, which is crazy. Everything is even more complicated than it already is now.

Chaerin hugs Junseo for the last time before she left the house. “Will you visit me again sometime?” he asks with pleading eyes.

Chaerin smiles gently, “Of course I will. You still have the phone I give you, right? You have to hide it carefully-“ she whispers. Junseo smiles, “Don’t worry. It’s safe. They’d never find it.” He whispers back and then they hug again.

“Is it always this tense?” Dara asks her mom in lower voice. Her mom turns on the faucet and starts washing the dishes. She raises her eyebrow, “Well, I’ve only met his daughter once or twice. But I know he loves her very much. The thing is, that girl reminds him a lot of the mother. Same face line, same eyes, same hair. I heard she’s also very talented, like her mother. It’s sad sometimes, he keeps blaming himself for his late wife’s death.”

Dara smirks as she put down the glass wine. “And do you do the same? Keep blaming yourself for dad’s death?”

“Watch your mouth!” she murmurs firmly.

Dara just smirks and shakes her head, thinking how deceitful her mother is. “Anyway, I have to go. See you around then.” Dara turns away.

“When are you going to find a husband, stupid girl?” her mom asks in higher tone.

Dara rolls her eyes, “Goodbye, mom. Not today.” Then she leaves the kitchen.

Dara meets Chaerin outside the house. They look at each other awkwardly. “Not saying goodbye to your dad?” Dara asks as they start walking to the car.

Chaerin just turns away and started walking away. Dara frowns, “Aren’t you coming with me?”

Chaerin turns around, “Aren’t you afraid what they might think if they see us riding in the same car?” says Chaerin cynically.

Dara bit her bottom lip, “It’s not the office, Chaerin. You can come with me. They’d think I’m being a good sister for giving you a ride.”

Chaerin chuckles, “Sister, huh? So we’re sisters now? We were just co-workers and now we’re sisters? It’s such a progress, Ms. Park. I can finally be related to you, not as your girlfriend but as your sister.”

“L