The gentle sound of the waves makes Aki relaxed.

She battles the cold breeze by munching a hot sweet potato, while her brothers enjoy a roasted chicken that she got for a bargain at the market downtown. It was a bargain, indeed, seeing how small the chicken is, but she still decided to get it nonetheless. It wasn’t for her anyway, it was for her brothers.

“Aki, are you sure you don’t want to eat?” Her ten year-old brother, Yuki, frowns. He knows. His sister is avoiding to eat again because the food isn’t always enough for them.

“I am eating, Yuki. Look at this sweet potato,” Aki holds up the food in her hand, “it’s still smoking.”

“I know you are eating, but that isn’t enough for you.”

Aki waves him off and blows on her potato, “I’ve had two more of these awhile ago. Some good old man gave them to me for free.” She takes a big bite and chews on it noisily, an attempt to at least lessen the warmth of the food.

She knows, and she sees it on her peripheral view, that Yuki is still frowning at her. Deeply, if she must mention. The younger must have noticed that it’s her fourth day of eating just sweet potatoes. No, actually, he did notice. 

Aki decides to let the issue go, but it still isn’t over when a little roasted wing is shoved onto her face. She pulls her head back in shock.

“At least have this,” Yuki insists with a stern expression. The elder sees a flash of Yuki’s resemblance to their late mother. It makes her heart weak. “I won’t finish my share if you won’t accept this.”

Aki sighs and puts her sweet potato down. She glances at her other brother, eight year-old Jaemin who is chewing on his chicken while keeping a curious eye on them. Her eyes fly back to the one who is still holding the wing on front of her nose. He doesn’t look like he’s going to back down and listen to his elder sister, and that’s what Aki has been trying to deal with for the past few years. But then, she can’t help but to appreciate Yuki’s thoughtfulness. 

“You’re not really going to let my sweet potato diet go, huh?”

Yuki shakes his head and doesn’t say another word. Aki sighs again, and gets the wing before it drops down to the sand and become inedible. She starts eating the small piece of chicken, because she knew that Yuki wouldn’t start eating again unless she does the same. Aki exhales in relief when she sees him eating again.

They spend the night with a comforting silence. The two young boys bicker here and there, but nothing more than that. It’s just another night of chuckles and loving stares for Aki, as she always enjoyed watching her brothers eat and just tease each other when it always got too bored. 

“Jaemin, where is your water bottle? Do you still have something to drink?” 

Jaemin nods and holds up his water bottle. Aki notices that Jaemin’s hair is getting longer again, and it almost covers his eyes. 

“Do you want to get a haircut?” She asks. The younger touches his hair and is quiet for a moment, before he smiles and nods again. 

“Haircut is expensive. Just give me a comb and scissors and voila! He’s got a new haircut!” Yuki butts in with a laugh and ruffles Jaemin’s hair, annoying the latter.

“I’ll do something about the expenses. And giving you a scissor sounds like a bad idea. Look at your hair!”

His brown hair is neat and short, Aki commends him for that, but some parts are longer than the other, and he has a bald diagonal spot on the right side of his head, a clear failed attempt on following a trend. 

“I’m a beginner.” He deadpans.

“And I won’t let you practice on Jaemin’s head, dummy.”

Yuki is about to defend himself more, but is cut off by Jaemin’s extreme cough. Aki quickly rubs her hand to the boy’s back, trying to comfort him. She doesn’t feel a fever coming, but with Jaemin’s sickness, she shouldn’t let her guard down.

“Jaemin? Do you need water?” Aki gently asks. 

Yuki is fast to respond. He hands the younger boy’s bottle to him. Jaemin sips a little, then he smiles.

“I’m okay, Aki.” His voice is coarse, and Aki’s heart is breaking. She can clearly see how Jaemin is acting so strong in front of her. Wanting to humor him, she smiles at him instead and rubs his back even more.

“Let’s get inside, yeah?”

It’s not really what you call ‘inside’, but it is what is home for them. They walk to a rundown building and settle in their own space, since the three-story is also home for other less fortunate families like them. Lucky for them, they got the little room by the corner that still has intact four walls. Other rooms are exposed because of missing a wall. Their place is known to be the Ruins by the Bay. 

From what Aki can remember, her parents had told her that the building, as well as the others beside them, was one of the many prestigious hotels back then. The place was definitely built for a luxury getaway; buildings were lined up against the beach and most of them were high enough that it overlooked both sides, the sea and the city. Looking at it now, it has completely lost its paradisical look and had been replaced with a hollow one as a result of the war years ago. Businessmen and government officials didn’t bother to bring the place back because it was where they put the Bronze sector, the poorest of them all.

Aki closes the rusty windows while Yuki turns on the little lamp. Jaemin then proceeds to make their bed, but the eldest beats him to it.

“I’ll do it, Jae.”

She makes the bed as quickly as possible and once done, Jaemin lies down the thin foam. Aki tucks him to bed with two blankets, because it gets cold at midnight. Yuki does the same, but the stern look in his eyes is back again.

Alarmed by the return of Jaemin’s illness, Aki doesn’t say a word and turns to the bag on the corner. She pulls out another jacket, a face mask, and a cap. She isn’t oblivious to the eyes of her brother that is following her every move, but she puts on her jacket and cap anyway. The face mask goes into her pocket because it would be suspicious to wear them early. She checks her daggers holstered to her boots. It’s still two. 

“Why are you leaving again, Aki?” Yuki asks in a hushed voice, afraid that people might hear them, though everyone knows what Aki does for a living. It’s not a taboo thing, really, because she knows a handful of people who are also in line of that job, if you can call it a job. They have given her some tips, even, and she had helped some neighbors in need with what she’s doing. Aki doesn’t deny that she’s a criminal, but she thinks that for this rich country that is divided into three sectors, it’s not so bad to steal off rich people’s wealth. They have too much, getting a few amount won’t hurt them, would it? 

Aki throws him a look, but stays quiet. She checks if everything is in place, and if they have food early in the morning. Fortunately, there are still some high quality bread from yesterday that cost her a day’s worth and they still have plenty of water. 

She then approaches Jaemin and kisses him on his forehead. Still no signs of fever, she thinks. The younger opens his eyes and speaks.

“Aki, don’t leave...” 

How could she not leave? She can hear his damaged voice, because of his damaged throat caused by excessive coughing. Medicine is expensive, and her job is not exactly consistent for her to regularly buy him what he needs. She can’t just let him be like this. Yuki and Jaemin are all what she has. She can’t lose them. 

“I’m sorry Jae, but Aki has to. I will be back as soon as I can, okay?” She tries her best to smile. “If I’m lucky, I will be able to join you for breakfast! I might bring some fresh bread!”

“Aki, we don’t need fresh bread.” Yuki says, “We need you to just rest. Don’t go.”

“You know that I need to. Or else, we won’t h