Her phone buzzed in her hand for the tenth time. Ringing again probably from Chan. Frustrated she turned it off and put it into her pocket. She didn't even know what to tell him. She decided she would deal with the world tomorrow as she walked up the steep road to her house unaware of the car following behind her. As her house came into view the girl was filled with sadness. The image of her grandmother standing outside waving to her played in front of her eyes. Halmeoni always had a smile and if she was still here Yeseul would have one too. Repressing the depressing thoughts of her grandma. She forced herself to go numb chastising herself for still thinking about the older lady, what Yeseul didn't know was that grief came in different ways. As she got closer to the house it dawned on her. She was again jobless— back to square one.
"Halmeoni, I need you." Entering her dark house she sighed. Not even bothering to open up the blinds as she sunk into the couch. Staring blankly at the wall she felt broken. Her eyes filled with tears that she angrily wiped away, but they seemed never ending.
"It's all his fault. That, that Na Jaemin! I hate you." She announced trying to put blame on her situation on someone, but deep down she knew it wasn't anyone's fault.
The grandfather clock in the corner that her grandmother always said that her husband carved himself chimed loudly as the clock struck 3. Yeseul wiped her tears and forced herself to stand up she needed to pretend everything was okay for her siblings. Practicing a smile she left the door again. Her eyes fell on an oddly placed car. The expensive vehicle looking out of place in the cramped street. Yeseul's eyes widened.
"What the heck?" She walked closer and spotted the boy from earlier inside. He was sitting in the car with his eyes closed. Yeseul decided to slip away unnoticed. Rushing down the street. As if she didn't have enough problems, now the boy was following her.
Putting on a happy face as she approached the preschool, she searched the young faces for her youngest sister. As always she was bombarded by the little girl's hug, bending down she scooped her up in her arms and held her tightly. Needing a warm embrace more than anything on a horrible day like this.
"Hi baby!" She feigned excitement. "How was school?" She asked like usual as the walked towards the teacher to get check out. Afterwards the two of them walked down together towards Joon's school.
"There is a new baby in the class unnie."
"Really? A baby?"
"Yes, his name is Sehun." Haneul's adorable baby voice made Yeseul feel better, hearing the younger girl tell her everything about her day. Most days Haneul repeated what she said already, but Yeseul always acted surprised. She wondered if that new habit had something to do with the death, but shook off the thought. She hoped what she was doing for her was enough to forget.
"Unnie balloon." Haneul pointed at a man across the street selling balloons. It was right across from Joon's school. Yeseul told her they could get it after they picked up Joon, so the two sisters went into the school.
"Joon- ah!" She spotted her brother crouching down on the sidewalk using a small twig to pick at the ground. Running up to her brother she spotted headphones on his ears.
"Huh? Joon?" she called.
"Hi Yeseul." Yeseul towards Joon's teacher with a smile. The older lady pulled Joon up and tapped his headphones.
"I found these in the back of my closet and thought Joon would benefit from them. You can use them when things get too loud or if he is acting up. Just play some soft music and he will be calm. They are noise cancelling too so he can wear them regularly. It will help him concentrate too." Yeseul nodded gratefully at the lady.
"Thank you so much!" They continued to talk about Joon's progress before they finally left. Yeseul held both their hands as they walked out.
"Balloon!" Haneul demanded as she jumped around pointing at the eye catching colors. Yeseul laughed at her sister's excitement.
"One second, let me just find a dollar." Opening up her wallet she got distracted digging through for a single dollar.
"Hurry!!" Haneul grabbed Yeseul's arm making her drop the wallet. The contents spilling out onto the floor. Yeseul bent quickly to pick everything up.
Finally after putting everything away and finding a dollar she turned to her siblings.
"Here." She looked around. "Where is Joon?!" Yeseul looked around and then saw the young boy getting ready to walk across the street. As he gasped as time slowed. Her head snapping between the fast paced cars coming straight at her little brother and her oblivious brother who was busy staring at the stripped crosswalk.
"JOON!" She screamed as she pushed Haneul behind her and took off in a run. Running onto the street she managed to grab her little brother but the blaring horn from the right side revealed the presence of a fast truck coming straight at them. Panicking Yeseul through her arms around Joon as she crouched down with him. Accounting seconds before impact would hit. Her heart racing. The sound got louder and then—
She felt a harsh pull from behind making her stand up and then she felt her body fly across with Joon in her arms. She fell onto something hard, but she wasn't filled with pain. Cracking open her eyes she looked around seeing that she was on the other side of the street. Glancing underneath her she saw a boy. Not just anybody but The boy.
"Are you fucking crazy?" Jaemin yelled at Joon who was distracted by the dirt on the floor. He looked down at his bleeding elbow and the disheveled girl on top of him as the rage built up. The boy looked old enough to know better than to cross a busy street.
Yeseul pusher herself off and wrapped her arms around Joon.
"Joon-ah. I'm sorry. Noona is sorry. Are you okay?" Joon's happy eyes met Yeseul making her feel relieved as she hugged him tighter. Smiling that he wasn't hurt or scared.
"Aren't you going to yell at him?!" Jaemin asked in disbelief as he stood up dusting himself off. If he was even a second too late they would be dead. If he didn't see her walking away, she would be dead.
"Thank you got saving us, but you need to leave." Yeseul whipped at the boy. She didn't want Haneul to see him and question it in front of Jae. She also didn't like that he was yelling at Joon.
Yeseul looked across the street only to see Haneul in a stranger's arm. Again panic filled her as she locked eyes with man.
Jaemin noticed her worry and reached for her arm.
"Don't worry that's my friend Jeno." Jaemin asked Jeno to come follow him before.
Yeseul sighed in relief. Jeno walked across the street when it was safe to cross and walked up to them.
"Unnie!" Haneul reached for Yeseul immediately. Yeseul was happy to take her back into her arms.
"Can we please talk?" Jaemin asked.
Yeseul shook her head," Unnie who is that?" Jaemin turned his attention to the younger girl.
"Hello, I'm Jaemin oppa. Do you want oppa to buy you ice cream?" He tried his best to come off as nice to the little girl who fell in love with the idea of ice cream. Leaning over she kept into his arms even though she had never seen him before.
"Ice cream!"
"Haneul no!" Yeseul reprimanded as she reached for her younger sister already holding Joon's hand ready to leave.
"Please." The girl's please could melt anyone's hearts, topping with her doe eyes.
Jeno preoccupied the two kids in the corner of the ice cream store while Jaemin and Yeseul sat outside.
"Please all you have to do is pretend. It will only be for a while." He had been going on and on trying to convince her.
Yeseul sighed finally deciding she needed to tell him.
"I want to help you, I do. But I can't." Yeseul explained her situation. How she needs to take care of her siblings.
"That's not a big deal. I will pay you." Yeseul shook her head seeing that he had missed the point. Jaemin sighed getting more desperate. If his father didn't see her face it would be fine, if he didn't know her name it would be fine. But he saw her. Jaemin has no other choice.
"Listen I will pay for your siblings' school and whatever else the need, I'll start a college trust for them. I'll pay for your college. Even after it all ends. That amount of money is nothing for me. I really need your help though." Jaemin had never begged anyone before. "Please or else my life will be ruined. Think of it as a job." Yeseul glanced through the glass at her laughing younger sister and her brother busy eating ice cream. She couldn't promise them futures without a proper job. It seemed like even Yeseul didn't have a choice but to say yes.
"But what about after they find out."
"I'll get you a job at the company. We can work out the logistics and everything later. We'll sign contracts." Yeseul nodded and then a thought struck her.
"Oh. I think you should know that I'm eighteen." Jaemin's eyes widened.
"You're a high schooler?"
"Dropout." She mumbled. Jaemin sighed.
"Alright it is fine. Just give me your contact information and we can set a date to make our contracts."
He stood up feeling like he just dug a deeper whole; he should have found another way out of the wedding, but he just had to roll with it. If this meant getting his parents off his back indefinitely then it would be worth it. Right?