Junhyung’s POV

I sighed as I remembered Jiyeon was at Jiyoung’s house for the night. She wasn’t going to be coming home until tomorrow morning when I go and pick her up. Looking into the fridge, I grabbed the ice water and poured some into a glass cup. Taking a large gulp, I walked back to my room with a comic book in the other hand. It was pretty silent today with only my parents and I home. Walking by my parents’ room, I stopped in my tracks when I heard Jiyeon’s name mentioned in their conversation. Curious, I stood behind the almost closed door of the room. I giggled to myself thinking that Jiyeon might have gotten into some trouble recently.  

“Mi-Yung… she passed away yesterday morning” said Mother with a trembling voice.

“Mi- Yung… she… she died?” asked Father with the same trembling voice as Mother.

“Cancer. She had cancer” cried Mother.

“Cancer? She had cancer?”

I watched as Father’s eyes widen in shock. I had no idea who Mi- Yung was. Was she someone important?

“All these years. You’ve kept her. You kept her away from Mi- Yung, her birth mother. Now look! Look what you’ve done!” shouted Father as he threw all the envelopes on the table at Mother in fury.

“I… I… didn’t expect it to be like this. Jiyeon… Mi-Yung… I’m so sorry” sobbed Mother.

“You wondered why Mi-Yung suddenly wanted to meet Jiyeon after so many years and you feared she’d take away Jiyeon from you so you harshly rejected her the chance to see her daughter this last time! How can you be so cold- hearted?!?”

“Lord, is this my punishment? Is this the burden I have to carry for the rest of my life?” cried Mother loudly.

“How will you look into Jiyeon’s eyes from now on knowing you are the cause of why she didn’t get to meet her birth mother!”

Mother continued to sob endlessly as she held tightly her hurting chest. My eyes widen in shock. I stood motionless with almost no energy to support my own weight. How can this be? How can… how can… Jiyeon not be my sister? As if my hands failed on me, I dropped the cup suddenly. The glass cup shattered onto the grounds in a million pieces.

I looked into my parents’ room and they glanced at me. Mother looked in further pain as she realized what I have heard. Father stumbled back slightly, catching himself with the arm of the chair. The only people I saw right now were all liars. They are all liars!

Without thinking, I ran. I ran as quickly as I could out of the house. I didn’t want to stay a second in there anymore. As I approached my car, I heard faint voices of my Mother calling after me. Slamming the car door behind me, I drove out of the garage and onto the streets of Seoul. Stepping on the pedal on full force, I drove and drove until I arrived in front of a bar.

I drowned myself in endless shots. How could this be? How could this world… be so cruel to me? I’ve… I’ve.. been living a lie my whole life without even knowing? Where is the fairness in that! Where! Can someone tell me why the one person I share everything with, the one person I care about the most, the one person who understands me is not who I thought she was? Can… ca… can someone tell me?!?

“Didn’t I tell you to not let her sleep in your room anymore? Are you not listening to me now?”

“No Mother. I just don’t understand why it’s a big deal. We used to sleep together when we were kids. I mean I can’t just say ‘no’ to Jiyeon”

“You two are adults now. It is inappropriate to have you guys sleep on the same bed. She’s your sister”

“I know she’s my sister which is precisely why I can’t say ‘no’ to her”

“Junhyung! I don’t want to see this happen again. Do you hear me?”

“Mom!”

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