Pick Me Ups and Left Behinds

    Kai gingerly stepped off the bus with a bright smile lighting up his face. This was his favorite part of the day—getting away from the crowds, the unknown, and the anxiety that goes with them.

    He danced his way up the street and then the staircase, excited to get home to Minah and their happy little world. Even when she annoyed him, like that morning when she did that stupid bird flop thingy to get him awake, he still loved being with her. She was more than a sister to him. She had been the one to take care of him, since... well, since forever. Their parents had been there until a few years ago, but they never paid much attention to either of their kids then either, too busy with long hours at work and then spending their free time with each other or their friends. Then one day, out of the blue, they had announced they had been given the opportunity to buy a business in America and were taking it. One thing they weren't going to take though, was their kids.

    "It would be hard enough for you to move to a new school in the middle of the year,” their mother had reasoned. “Moving to a whole new county would just be too much. And it is Minah's senior year... And you two are always better on your own anyways..." She hadn't been able to look either of them in the eye as she spoke and kept shifting about as if she couldn't wait to get away from there. It seemed that for the first time ever, she was feeling guilty for choosing her own happiness over her children's.

    Minah had stayed quiet, knowing that they were unwanted, had always been so, and that's why they were being left behind. Not because of the excuses their mother had just rattled off. She also knew they would not be joining their parents at the end of the school year as promised.

    Kai, on the other hand, had hysterically begged to not be left behind. "Please, I don't care about school! I will even repeat a year if I need to. I will spend all my free time learning English and helping with the business! W-whatever you want, I will do it! Please, just don't leave us behind!"

    Minah's heart had shattered at her brother's desperate pleas. Ignoring her own feelings about the situation, she poured her whole self into comforting the broken boy. Their parents, however, did not seem affected. They hardened their hearts to his pleas and in a few days time they had sold their house and most of their belongings, rented a rooftop house for the kids, and disappeared on a plane. And as Minah had guessed, the only communication they had with their parents after that had been the check they received monthly to cover their expense.

    Still happy from his sister's reassurance that morning at the bus stop that she wouldn't leave him, and now having reached the top of the stairs, Kai did a series of pirouettes across the rooftop, each one bringing him closer to the door. He chuckled at himself and opened the door. "Noon-naaa I'm h–" The sound in his throat died when he saw his sister crumpled in a heap on the floor, sobbing her heart out.

    Minah didn't cry, ever. She never even showed if she was hurting or worried about something. So the sight of her like that sent Kai's heart plummeting to his feet and caused the blood rushing through his veins to turn to ice. He could feel every heartbeat—it was pounding so hard he thought it would beat right out of his chest. It was actually so strong that he could even feel it beating in his ears, making the sound of his sister sobbing seem further away and almost unreal. Clenching and unclenching his fists to try to ward off the overwhelming panic he was feeling, Kai dropped to his sister's side.

    "Noona, what's wrong?" he asked, then waited for an answer, but she didn't respond. "Minah.... are you hurt?" he tried again, speaking gently and slowly to try to hide his panic from the still sobbing girl. When he still didn't get a response, he started roaming his eyes over her, looking for some kind of injury because this was so unlike her. And that's how he finally noticed the half-crumpled letter in her hand. Reaching out, Kai pried it from her fist with trembling fingers, then smoothed it out enough to read.

    The business isn't doing well, it started. There isn't enough to send a check. Kai's breath caught on his throat. Their parents were cutting them off? His eyes quickly scanned the last line. You are both old enough that it's time you start taking care of yourselves anyways.

    Kai tried to swallow the lump in his throat as he dropped the letter to the floor. His heart was somehow pounding even louder than before. She hadn't even bothered to sign it. He knew she had written it, he recognized his mother's handwriting, but she hadn't even given them the courtesy of signing it.

    Now knowing why his sister was sobbing hysterically, and with the realization that they were completely on their own, totally abandoned by the people who were supposed to love them the most in this world, Kai wrapped his arms around his sister and let his sobs join hers, creating the saddest song in the world.

    Kai shook his head as if his mind was an etch-o-sketch and shaking it could somehow erase the memory of that day. He sighed heavily and turned back to the table where his homework was crying out for his attention. Instead of giving it what it wanted though, his eyes fell to the hoodie that was hanging on the back of the chair next to him.

    "Now that's a memory I don't want to erase," Kai chuckled to himself... or maybe to his homework? It's hard to tell since he's adopted the habit of talking to the things around him in an attempt to ward off the loneliness and quiet that's settled over the once noisy house.

    He caresses the soft material inside the hood and gladly lets the memory of his time with Chen, just a few hours ago at the coffee shop, fill his mind.

    Kai had happily let Chen practically drag him the short distance to the shop. When they arrived, a bell above the door greeted them, along with the strong smell of coffee. The scent wasn't bad, but it was strong and took over Kai's senses, making his nose tingle slightly.

    "Chen!" two voices shouted at the same time, almost blending together in perfect harmony.

    "Hyungs!" Chen chorused back immediately, then waved at two males sitting at a large table in the back corner.

    Never having released Kai's arm, Chen dragged the younger behind him as he took off in that direction.

    Hyungs? Kai m