The only memory Younghee had of Miyeon was vague - the feeling of being held when she was a baby. And yet, constant reminders and comments from other relatives as to how close they used to be somehow convinced her she still had an attachment to Miyeon.
I don't think I remember what she looks like
Younghee thought as she lied on her bed. The last time they had been face-to-face was when she was 3 years old so it was understandable. Still, she couldn't deny that she felt some excitement.
She sat up immediately as the doorbell rang and got up as she heard footsteps heading up the stairs. Younghee turned the handle to her bedroom door as two knocks sounded.
The girl stood on the other side of the door looked familiar despite Younghee not being able to recall what she used to look like. Her long brown hair framed her small face and her round eyes looked as if she'd never hurt a fly.
Miyeon smiled as she pulled Younghee into a hug, "how's my little sister been? You've grown so much."
Younghee shuffled in her grasps a little, trying to find a more comfortable position before giving a slight hug back. "I'm okay."
Little sister...
Her and Miyeon being more like sisters than cousins was also something she would hear and at first, Younghee thought it was some kind of joke, for that she could not remember the closeness of their relationship, but it seems like the other person was very much for the sibling bond.
"Let's go downstairs, your aunt's brought some food," Miyeon said, sensing Younghee's shyness. It wasn't like she hadn't expected it but Younghee's personality had changed from what she remembers. Well, I wasn't here to watch you grow up so what would I know.
That bittersweet feeling of being absent for the most of her childhood placed a weight on her that was only slightly lifted when she saw Younghee. Miyeon couldn't explain why she felt like she had an obligation to look after the little girl but perhaps it was because Younghee had been with them as a newborn, and as someone who had always wanted a sister, it felt like a wish came true when her uncle dropped Younghee off.
Younghee's aunt was in the kitchen heating up the soup she had made when they walked in. She immediately put down the pot lid and ran over to give Younghee a hug as she saw her, expressing how much she had missed her.
It was just from how similar they reacted to seeing her, that Younghee realised the mother and daughter were very much alike.
"Sit, sit, the soup's almost done."
Miyeon pulled out her phone as Younghee sat down, showing something to her mum as they whispered amongst themselves. Younghee could feel occasional glances back at her but didn't think much of it, staring out at the garden from the kitchen window.
Seeing the neighbour's house, she was reminded of the chocolate that was still on her desk.
...I should apologise if I see her again.
Feeling embarrassed of how she reacted to the kind gesture from her neighbour, Younghee didn't realise Miyeon had set the bowl of soup in front of her.
"Younghee."
"Yes?"
"What do you think?" Miyeon asked as she showed Younghee a picture of a puppy on her phone.
"It's cute."
Miyeon smiled as she turned back to her mum, "see? I told you she'd like it."
Her aunt gave a defeated sigh then grabbed an empty bowl.
Unaware of what they were talking about, Younghee simply thought it was their pet and shrugged it off as she grabbed a spoon.
"Are you sure you like it?" Her aunt asked as she put a bowl of rice down.
Younghee nodded.
"And you can take care of it yourself?"
Younghee looked up, "huh?"
She looked at Miyeon who was nodding her head aggressively behind her mum, finally piecing together that the puppy was for her.
"Uh..." She was about to say no until she saw her cousin's pleading face. "Yeah, I'll take care of it." Younghee said, feeling somewhat coerced into agreeing.
-
Two weeks later
After her cousin and Aunt's first visit, they had stopped by a lot more often than Younghee thought they would. It was to the point where the chef had to ask her Aunt to stop bringing food as the fridge was filling up too quickly.
"That just means she's not eating enough. Feed her more, she needs energy if she's going to start school next week," her Aunt said, completely ignoring the chef's obvious attempt at stopping her from leaving more food in the fridge.
Hearing that, Younghee realised it was almost March, in other words, it was almost the start of middle school.
"Don't forget to have the chicken broth once a day." Her Aunt said, giving her a kiss on the forehead before grabbing her bag. "Miyeon will go to the mall with you to pick up your uniform tomorrow, okay?"
Younghee nodded and thanked her as she left in a hurry. She got up from the kitchen island as she heard the doorbell ring a few minutes later, thinking her Aunt had left something behind.
"Did you leave something, ah, hello." She smiled shyly, realising it was Ari at the door.
"Hi, I was wondering if you're free tomorrow, would you want to go to the mall?"
"Oh, I can't."
Ari looked disappointed but nodded understandingly, turning to leave before Younghee stopped her.
"Wait." She came back a few minutes later with a gift bag and handed it to Ari, "My Aunt said you should have this."
Being taught to never accept gifts from people she hardly know and her Mum's instructions to get along with their neighbour, Ari didn't know whether or not she should take it.
"It's a thank you for the chocolate you gave me," Younghee said, seeing her hesitance.
"I thought you didn't like it."
"No, but you do. There's a box of mint chocolate in here."
Hearing that, Ari decided to take it - and decided if her Mum questioned her, she would say it's Younghee's invitation to be friends, because it is absolutely believable that Ari could be bought with chocolate.
The next morning, Younghee woke up bright and early after feeling some weight on the side of her bed, pressing onto her duvet. She gave the blanket a big tug before slowly opening her eyes.
"Oh, you're awake," Miyeon said, taking her earphones out. She placed a bag of clothes on the bed as she stood up, stretching a little. "We're going to the mall. Come down when you're ready."
Younghee nodded as Miyeon shut the door on her way out. She took the clothes out and realised it was a set they had seen a few days ago when shopping online. Younghee hadn't said anything about it but Miyeon had noticed she spent a long time looking at the picture before settling on just a few plain T-shirts.
She could feel her face turn red from embarrassment as she was so easy to read but Younghee also felt a warm feeling in her heart as she clutched the top tightly.
Younghee headed downstairs after getting ready, realising today was also one of the days where she could hear chatter in the kitchen - the kind of days where she didn't feel lonely because someone was there to accompany her.
They had a light breakfast before heading to the mall. On the way there, Miyeon seemed to be distracted as she asked Younghee about how she felt starting middle school whilst texting on her phone.
As the car came to a stop in the underground parking garage, Miyeon let out a small and relieved sigh.
"Sorry, I had to sort something out," she said as she placed her phone in her bag.
"It's okay, you're busy."
Miyeon blinked in surprise as to how quick and casual Younghee's response was, almost as if it was something she was used to. "No, not really. Besides, I'm here to spend time with you. Now come on, let's go shopping."