Euphoria

Family

CHAPTER 1

Today's my birthday and you'd expect me to be happy yet I have mixed feelings about it. "Happy Birthday-y t-to you-u..."

The echoes of my little sister's voice fills the empty house. The darkness of the mansion swallowing everything around Soojin and I, making only the candles from the cake light the room.

"Happy Birthday-y d-dear S-seungjin..." I smile as my sister sings to me, but there is always a glint of sadness in my eyes. "Happy Birthday t-to you-u.." Soojin smiles and claps as she finishes singing.

"O-Oppa make a wish" I look towards the cake and blow the candles out as she snaps a picture. "Yah!" I chuckle "Why do you need to take pictures of me every year? You see me every day!" I remove the candles not being able to help thinking that not even my father and his wife, my aunt, hadn't, well more like didn't want to join us....especially my father. Seeing how I had just stopped and was staring at the candles, Soojin grabs my arm. "W-why don't we c-cut the cake before I g-give you your present?"

All I do is nod my head not wanting her to hear the anger and sadness mixed into my voice. Turning on the lights she grabs the knife and cuts out two small pieces placing them onto separate plates. I take the plate and smile "Thank you Soojin," I take a bite. Noticing how I'm still out of it she grabs something from the table. "H-here Oppa" she says as she's standing there happily with an awaiting present ready to be opened. I finish chewing and gladly take the present from her. I slowly tear away the wrapping paper .... my mind goes blank as if the world stopped. I look at the gift which she has given me .... it's a portrait of my mother and I.

The sound of the pounding of my heartbeat was giving me a headache, but I ignored it. My breathing becomes shallow and tears start to fall. I sit there staring at the picture. Not being able to hold it back anymore I start bawling my eyes out. As I do I clutch the photo to my chest.

It has been years since I have seen my mother's smiling face. She left Korea to go visit the U.S, but never came back and I have always blamed myself for it. She left this exact day on my 8th birthday. The last present she gave me before she left was my sugar glider Jin-Jin. He has been with me ever since.

"I-I'm sorry Oppa, I d-didn't mean to make you c-cry" she says as she's about to cry. I chuckle while in tears while I pull her into a hug.

"It's okay" I say while she whimpers in my arms, "Oppa is just a cry baby, but may I ask how you got this Soojin-ah?"

She looks up at me with now happy eyes "Actually this p-present is from M-minhyuk Oppa, he g-got this to show that he's sorry t-that he couldn't make it to your b-birthday, but he told me to tell you that the p-present is from m-me"

"Is that so?" I say as I laugh to show her I'm no longer in tears. I don't want to stress her out.

Soojin is a small girl for the age of 10. She is daughter to my father and stepmother/aunt. She has very white light skin, I guess you can say she is the Korean version of Snow White except she isn't being hunted down by her evil step-mother and isn't living in the woods somewhere. As you can already tell, she has a major stuttering problem, but that doesn't stop her from being happy all the time. By her just being around she would always brighten the room with her smile. But since the day she was born, Soojin has always been sick and it seems she hasn't been getting any better. She has Leukemia. She needs a bone marrow transplant, but the doctors can't seem to find a match. Sometimes I wonder how she can always stay so happy in times like this. I also wonder if she's really doing this to be happy for me. Like she knows that she is somewhat of a light for me.

 "O-Oppa but I-I really d-did get something for you" she says with a smile. She pulls out a small box wrapped in green ribbons, which is her favorite color. I take the box and remove the lid. There sits a silver Rolex. I looked at her in shock, "Soojin, you didn't have to" I say as I take it out of its box and place it on my arm and admire it in the light. As I'm admiring the watch, she says