The next day, he woke up to the noise his sister was making.

            “Hey,” Tiffany said when she noticed that her brother has woken up.

            “Hey,” Myungsoo responded in a groggy voice.

            “I brought you clothes and breakfast,” she gestured to the leather bag and take-outs sitting on the table. Tiffany crossed the room and leaned over the side of the bed. “Hey, Krystal,” she said, kissing her on the cheek. “You doing okay?”

            Myungsoo has always loved the way his sister treated Krystal. Except for Myungsoo, she was the only one who’d always seemed comfortable in Krystal’s presence.

            Tiffany pulled up another chair and slid it closer to Myungsoo. “And how are you doing, little brother?”

            “Okay,” he said.

            Tiffany gave him the once-over. “You look like hell.”

            “Thanks.”

            “You’re starving yourself.” She stood up and grabbed the deli take-out she brought along with her. “Eat these.”

            “I’m not hungry.”

            “What? Who doesn’t get hungry after waking up?” She scoffed and started unwrapping the deli. “Just eat these and I promise I’ll shut up and won’t bother you again.”

            “You say that every time.”

            “That’s because you keep looking like hell.” She tilted her head toward Krystal. “I’ll bet she’d say the same thing, too, if she sees you.”

            He didn’t say anything and grabbed the deli. He must have been really hungry because he finished two pieces in just two minutes and Tiffany was trying very hard to hold back her laughter.

            “How are things with you and Nichkhun hyung?” Myungsoo said, breaking the silence he created.

           Tiffany had been dating Nichkhun Horvejkul, for the past four years. One of the most successful businessman in the country, he was wildly wealthy, handsome, and considered by many to be the most eligible bachelor in Seoul.

            She heaved a theatrical sigh before answering, “He asked me to marry him again.”

            “And you said?”

            “The same thing I said before.”

            “How did he take it?”

            “Fine. Oh, he did his ‘I’m hurt and angry’ thing again, but he was back to normal in a couple of days. We spent last weekend in New York.”

            “Why don’t you just marry him?”

            “I probably will.” She shrugged. “So changing the subject, when are you going back to work?”

            “Soon,” he mumbled.

            She slumped comfortably on her chair and crossed her legs. “Myungsoo-yah, I know it’s hard not having Krystal around. But you need to get back on being normal and that means you have to go back to work. She hasn’t died yet. And I believe one of these days, she’ll wake up and whack your for being so stubborn and living your life pathetically for the past two years.”

            “Noona…”

            “I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but I am saying you don’t have a choice.”

            Myungsoo said nothing.

           “The company is facing some serious crisis right now and Dad has been having a hard time saving it from being acquired by bigger companies.” She reached out and held his hand. “I know I hate sounding like a stereotypical older sister but the company is our bread and butter. We lose it, we lose everything.”

            Myungsoo shook his head, feeling his anger rise. “You don’t understand.”

            “I understand completely.”

            He brought his fingers to the bridge of his nose and squeezed. “Krystal is…”

          When he didn’t continue, Tiffany put a hand on his shoulder. “Passionate? Intelligent? Kind? Moral? Funny? Forgiving? Patient? Everything you ever imagined in a wife? In other words, pretty much perfect?”

            He stared at her in surprise.

         “I know,” she said quietly. “I love her, too. I’ve always loved her. She’s not only been the sister I never had, but my best friend, too. And you’re right-she’s been wonderful for you. You couldn’t have done any better. Why do you think I stayed with you and kept visiting her? It’s not just for her, or for you. It’s for me. I miss her, too.”

            Unsure how to respond, he said nothing. In the silence, Tiffany sighed.

            “Have you decided what you’re going to do?”