(Two Years Later)

(Soojin's POV)

"You missed a spot," I heard a familiar voice chuckle. 

"I'm not surprised. Your room is filthy," I retorted, giving him a small grin.

Yifan laughed, sitting on his newly made bed(made by none other than I) cross-legged, like a child. He hadn't changed a bit over these years, apart from becoming much taller and loosing some baby fat. Now his high cheekbones and sharp jaw line were that much more apparent. 

Still, he was that same dorky kid I'd come to love. He's a bit of an odd ball, and sometimes I don't understand his humor, but he has become like my brother, so regardless of everything, he had become quite precious to me.

"She's not wrong you know. This place is a mess," Minseok agreed from the other side of the room, dusting some shelves off. He sneezed when some flew up his nose, proceeding to look at Yifan as if he'd proven his point.

"Do you guys want to take a break from my catastrophe then?" Yifan sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Yes!" Jessica exclaimed from a pile of clothes she had been folding(more accurately, napping on) immediately, raising her hand high.

"You've barely done anything!" Minseok laughed, shaking his head in disaproval.

This is how it was, most days. The four of us, "coincidentally" doing our jobs in the same place. Yifan had school during the week, but when he'd come home, we would all be reunited again. 

Minseok, I discovered, was actually older than Yifan by one year, despite his round baby face that still hadn't left him over the years. He was kind and caring, and surprisingly talkative when you got to know him. Though, unless he was excited, he was usually more of the observing type, watching over the rest of us rowdy kids and calming us down if need be.

Jessica wasn't the cold girl I had anticipated. She was shy, but sharing a room with her let me see her true colors. The true Jessica was silly, a bit lazy, but warm hearted. She took care of me like her own little sister. She said she had one a long time ago, before she was brought here. I guess that's why she has a soft spot for me. 

Being surrounded by these dorks let me forget everything for a while. I thought of my father less, the nightmares faded away, and... I became happy, I suppose. 

"Do you think we could try yard work then?" I suggested, giving everyone a knowing look.

"And by yard work, you mean we should climb up the tree, sit there, and do nothing, don't you?" Yifan said with his eyebrow raised.

"Exactly, yard work."

(Narrator's POV)

"Whoa," Yifan breathed, sitting comfortably on his branch. "I could stay up here forever."

"I think you'd get pretty cold," Jessica shrugged, scrunching her nose. She snuggled farther into her scarf. She didn't like the outdoors that much, but it was much better than cleaning.

Soojin gazed up at them, taking a big breath of the crisp, autumn air. The leaves were already starting to change color. She noticed some fall to the ground, due to the light breeze. It was starting to get chilly.

"Yah! You going to stay down there forever Soojin-ah?" Yifan yelled from up high in the tree.

"Of course not, just you wait!" She called back, already lifting herself  to the nearest branch.

"Be careful!" Minseok called, a worried look in his eyes.

"I know, I know," Soojin muttered, mostly to herself in a quiet voice.

It was actually quite the struggle to climb such a tall tree. Soojin wasn't very tall, and was never very strong either. The branches were often out of reach. Still, she'd find a way to manage. She always did. 

Breathing heavily and felling the sweat forming on her hairline, she was just a few branches away from the group before she saw the wretched creature. It flew right up to her face, buzzing loudly, without a care in the world.

Soojin yelped, and she felt her shoe loose grip on the tree's bark. She was falling, and only out of instinct did she manage to catch herself onto a lower branch. She felt her hands burn as they gripped for dear life onto that branch. She didn't dare look down.

"Soojin!" She heard Minseok and Jessica's worried voices. She couldn't look at them though, she was breathing too quickly and all she could think of was the pain in her arms.

"Here," a voice said, low and calm.

She looked up, hesitant to open her eyes. Yifan was staring down at her, holding out his hand, waiting.

"There was a bug," she muttered quietly, not meeting his gaze, and feeling hot in her face, despite the chilly weather.

He smiled, letting out a small chuckle. "Of course, you let a bug scare you. You can be so clumsy you know? I'm not even surprised Soo."

She glared at him, mumbling some sort of curses under her breath.

"It's not ladylike to curse, Soo," he said, trying to not laugh.

"Does it look like I care?" She huffed, trying to blow the hair from her face but failing miserably without the help of her hands.

He reached down and moved the strands that were bothering her, causing her to flinch back. 

"Yah! Don't touch me!" She hissed, and she knew her cheeks were burning.

"Fine, I'll just let you hang in there, then," he shrugged, an impish glint in his eyes.

"W-Wait!" Soojin called back, and he turned around.

"Yes?" He said expectantly.

"Can you help me?" She said quietly.

"What?" He said, cupping his ear with his hand. "I'm sorry, could you speak up?"

"Would you just help me so I don't fall to my death?!" She yelled, growing impatient with the growing burn in her arms.

He laughed and reached down to grab her hand. Hoisting her up, she let out a sigh of relief as she was sat down on a sturdy branch.

"Oh my god!" Jessica exclaimed, reaching the lower branches were Soojin and Yifan sat. "Are you alright?" 

Minseok arrived too, and wordlessly started  checking to see if she had any scratches.

"Guys, I'm fine, really-" Soojin tried to reassure them, but stopped, seeing a short and stout man approach the tree and he did not look happy.

"YAH! What are you doing up there?!"

"Uh-oh."

"For the last time, sir, it was my fault. I asked them to come with me. I'm bored in this house," Kris explained to the man in front of him.

"Yah, kid, you think just because your the young master you can do whatever you want? You can't just take my workers! They have jobs to do!" He scolded, shaking his head in disaproval.

"Aish, I'm going to have to talk to your father about this," he muttered.

"No!" Yifan rushed to say, taking a step forward. The man paused, looking at him impatiently.

"There's no need," Yifan went on. "I understand. I'm sorry, and it won't happen again," he said, bowing and trying his best to look apologetic.

"Aigoo, kids these days..." the man mumbled. "Fine, I'll let it slide. Now get out of here. You're not supposed to be in the lower levels anyway."

Yifan nodded, then walked out of the small, dingy office. Jessica, Xiumin, and Soojin rushed over as soon as he was out of the door.

"What did the director say?" Xiumin asked, looking concerned.

"Nothing, don't worry about it guys. We just have to be more careful," Yifan responded.

"Did we get you in trouble?" Soojin asked, fiddling with her hair nervously. It had grown over the past two years, now just a little over her shoulders.

"No, just go do your work. It's fine," he assured her, giving her a reassuring look. He placed his hand on her head and ruffled her hair softly.

"Young master," a maid called from down the hall.

"Young master, your father is looking for you," she said, waiting for him to follow suit.

Yifan was stunned. Could he have found out somehow? The old man had stopped trying to win him over since...well, since Soojin. What could he possibly want now?

*Notes*
Hai guys:3

Okay sorry if this chapter kinda it's sorta a transition one that leads to a more dramatic situation and largely a filler chapter... And I'm terrible at writing filler chapters...

I don't want to hit every detail of their childhood, just enough. You guys will learn more about the characters and see more of them and others in the present (AKA when they're adults) so sorry if it seems like I'm skipping too much or being to vague.

Anyway, hope I can update soon! I have like 15 practices left until I start to perform this play I'm in(IT'S A REALLY COOL AND ORIGINAL PLAY WE ARE THE FIRST CAST OMG) soooo I've been super stressed and busy cuz it's crunch time! Yo, is anyone familiar with Irish rebellions? That's what it's about haha it's actually really interesting~

Anyway, love you guys<3

See you next update;)