Days in Seogtan could change. One day, you'll wake up to people shouting at each other, sometimes people vandalizing other property, sometimes Western officials intruding houses and if you're lucky, a peaceful one.

I woke up to the last one. No war, no fights, no violence, just the roaring sound of the wind outside.

Minji was sitting on the foot of my bed. I sat down. 

"Oh, you're awake." She gathered her hair together and tied it.

Minji and I are not biological sisters. You could see it in our eyes (hers is an olive color, mine is dark brown). Not long ago, father told us that we weren't really sisters and that I was just found somewhere. Kris was his biological son and Minji was his biological daughter. Me and Theo were just taken in. Though we act like we are family.

"There's a letter for you outside." I stared at her as she was heading for the door. "It's an official letter. It has a seal from the Central." I sighed. I was at least expecting a letter from Sehun, who is now a guard.

I jumped off my bed and tied my hair. I went outside to check the letter. But as I got hold of the door, I let out a faint gasp. 

It feels like I'm holding ice rather than a doorknob. I assumed that the temperature last night dropped than the usual.

I opened the door and sighed. It was very rare to see a day as peaceful like this. I searched for the box and found it on my left, sitting on the cold road.

It had a hand-knitted scarf, two bottles of milk, some discarded candy wrappers and a letter sealed in an airtight plastic. I was about to reach for it when a shattering sound echoed through our alley. 

A woman carrying a poorly made basket walked by. 

"Excuse me for the sudden question, but what happened over there?"

"Oh, you mean the broken window? A Western official intruded a house and asked for the rent payment, but when the owner denied it and said it was not yet due until two months, the official threw something out of the window." She calmly said. I looked at her wrist, and it had a fading tattoo of a blue rose, and I guessed it was Mrs. Violet, who lived near the commotion. It was no big deal that she said it in a calm way. After all, we are used to it. 

"Oh, that's pretty unfortunate. Thank you for answering my question. Please be safe on your way outside." She bowed and I did the same. 

I guess this I didn't wake up to a peaceful day. 

I picked up the box and went inside. Minji was there, sitting on the table, eating the bread we had for dinner last night. 

I set the box down in our dusty rug. "What was that sound?" Minji asked as she flicked off crumbs of bread on her hands. 

"Intruders."

"Western?" I nodded. 

"The usual." She said as she stood up and went to our counter. "Junhee, I got this from the town hall. They were giving out these for free today." She held up a packet of instant coffee.

"You're not supposed to drink that. We got milk here, two bottles." I placed the bottles on the table. "Caffeine is not suitable." 

"Theo can drink that. Ten-year-olds need milk." 

I snatched the packet from her. "And so does fourteen-year-olds." She laughed and raised her arms in defeat.

"Okay, okay. But aren't you going to drink some?"

"Nope. You go." 

Minji opened the bottled and drank. She left the bottle half-full.

"When is father going to come back?" She asked. 

I shrugged. "I don't really know. He said he would go home earlier and that today is payday."

"Really?" 

"Yes, really."

 

 

Later that night, father came home one hour earlier. He bought us blueberries, strawberries, meat and of course, bread. 

"We're going to have a feast!" Father's voiced echoed through our walls. 

Theo and Minji immediately went to the table and muttered a prayer. They ate on what they could.

Father laughed. "Don't forget to save some for your sister." 

"Why don't you join us here?" Minji said as she pointed a greasy finger at me. I happily sat at the table and prayed. I muched on a few blueberries, strawberries and drank some raw juice my father squeezed for us. 

There was no happier night. If only mother was here to eat with us.

 

As the clock struck at nine, everybody was out asleep while I was awake, reading a book. A shadow came hovering above me, and when I turned, I saw father. 

I smiled. "Father!" He smiled back. I let out some space for him to sit. 

"It's a very beautiful night, don't you think?" He stared at the sky. You could see the creases that formed around his eyes. 

Father was a farmer. He wanted to be a teacher but due to financial shortage, he quit school and worked instead. When I was younger, Kris told me he was a very hardworking man. Father was handsome in his younger years (Kris claimed he got his looks from father) but got aged when the four of us came. When I arrived, Kris was only six. After two years, mother got pregnant with Minji and died upon labor. Theo was found on the streets while it was raining.

You could see Kris on our father if you looked closely. And I wouldn't deny that they are handsome men. Minji, on the other hand, did not look like them but got her looks from mother. The similarities they had is that they are all good-looking. Theo, on the other hand, could be easily identified as another child. American had a larger influence on his looks than Asian. 

"Have you read the letter?" Father asked out of the blue. 

"I haven't. And I have no intention to."

He laughed. "You should read it. Although you might be angry than the usual."

I stared at him. "What does it say anyway? Is it the sudden raise of the products sold on markets? Northern are not allowed to wear white?"

"Not even close." 

"Then what is it?"

He took a deep breath and sighed. 

 

 

"It's the enlistment."

When I heard it, blood rushed through my system. I couldn't sleep, and the next thing I knew, the sun was rising through our window.