*Krystal POV*

I had been busying myself with thinking that I didn't realize my sister had already finished her shower. I was going to try to sleep before she came out so I wouldn't have to answer any questions, but that wasn't going to be happening any time soon. I turned over on my stomach and hugged my sister's pillow tightly. I buried my face in the soft fluffy pillow. It smelled like the fruity shampoo my sister uses. I kind of liked it.

"It's none of your business, Jess," Tiffany's annoyed tone echoed in my mind. "I'm just talking to your sister."

"Well, I think it is if it involves my sister. But you also mentioned me earlier, and I want to know what it is that's supposed to be a secret between the two of you," Jessica's voice retorted.

I sighed heavily, and began kneading my sister's pillow in my hand. 

So she had heard a little bit, but only the part after Tiffany mentioned yesterday. That was good--kind of. Jessica still had no idea about the kiss, but the only problem was she was fully aware that something had happened. And it wasn't hard to tell that since I completely freaked out that day; AND she was begging me to tell her what was wrong.

I curled up in the bed wondering what to do once she came back. I didn't want to make her mad again. I didn't want to cause any trouble anywhere. But how could I get out of this mess? 

I closed my eyes remembering the first time I stepped foot in her apartment, that really awkward dinner that had obviously been planned by Tiffany-unnie, the night she came back home drunk and I changed her clothes, the times she came to spend with me in the hospital, when she slept in the bed with me, kissed me--and the day she found me on the floor in my old home. She had been searching for me when she didn't have to. That had to mean something...didn't it? She was worried wasn't she?

Plus she'd told me herself this morning! But if I knew my sister was worried, why couldn't I tell her the truth? I really wanted to tell her, but everytime I thought about doing that, all I could see was her cold furious expression and her back slowly disappearing as she left me standing alone. What if...what if once she finally found out, she wouldn't want me anymore?

There had to be a way to avoid it for a little while, or at least find out how she might feel about it without giving away the whole thing.

I heard the door open, and I heard the sound of her clothes being thrown into the laundry before she sat down beside me. I felt my pulse start to quicken when her hand touched my head. Then, she started kissing my cheek a lot. Honestly, I liked it, but it made me feel uncomfortable knowing that she was trying to comfort me while I was keeping a secret from her. I gently pushed my hand between her kisses and my cheek.

This was driving me nuts.

"Soojung," she started to say.

But I couldn't let her talk. I didn't want to have to deal with her begging anyore because I might just tell her. I didn't want to make anymore lies than I had already told her. And I needed to know how she might feel about it so I had to think of the closest possible scenario.

"Unnie, what would you do if you saw your girlfriend kissing your best friend?" I asked.

"Huh?!" Jessica cried in confusion. "Soojung, what are you talking about?"

I didn't know either.

"I don't have a girlfriend," Jessica said.

"Well, yeah, but...but if you did...then..." I began to stammer messily. "Th-then, wouldn't--wouldn't you get mad?" I finally finished. I could feel the adrenaline start to pour all down my veins, and it suddenly felt cold in here.

"Uh...I guess," she replied slowly. "why?"

I shrugged. "Nothing." I turned away so that my back was facing her.

But then, she pulled my shoulder so that I was lying on my back. "Does this have anything to do with yesterday?" she asked warily.

"No," I said. "I was just curious." Maybe that wasn't the best question to ask. It's too close to what happened.

If anything, that spurred her suspicion even more, and I was literally hanging on a line here.

"Hmmm." She didn't sound like she believed me. "You have a really strange mind, Soojung." She settled down beside me with one arm over my waist. 

Trapped! I thought. But if I tried to escape, then she would definitely question me. I tried to tough it out and calm down because my heart was already off to the races. 

"Soojung, why did you do that?" she asked me after a few silent moments.

"What?" I said. Uh oh...I could kind of tell where this was going.

"The hug...in the coffee shop. Right before Fany left."

I started to bawl inwardly. Dammit! I thought grumpily. I hoped she didn't pick up that I was trying to stall. I tried to think of a plausible answer to make her stop asking, and maybe distract her.

"What is it, Soojung?" she asked. "It was a cover up, wasn't it."

I wanted to cry with frustration. She didn't fall for my stupid story!! "No, it was the truth," I lied affirmatively. "We were roughhousing."

"Roughhousing?" she echoed doubtfully.

"Playfighting," I clarified.

She sighed. "Soojung, no one's going to get mad. I won't get mad. Fany won't get mad. Just tell me the truth."

"Who said it wasn't?" I flashed back.

"So is it?" she demanded.

"No." I immediately stopped. Wait...I confused myself!! I just said I wasn't telling the truth! "W-wait! I meant that it wasn't a lie!" I spluttered after realizing my mistake.

Jessica completely ignored me though. "Playfighting can't have made you act that way," she said sternly. "Come on, Soojung," she pleaded. "You've got to tell me what happened so I can help you!"

Help me? I almost wanted to scoff. Since when did she ever want to help me? Now she does, a voice rang in my mind. You want her to love you too. Why can't you just accept it?

Why couldn't I? Because it's not that easy. How do I know she won't suddenly decide it was better to just drop me too? She may as well just leave me at the school for the blind place forever--which reminded me that we never got around to talking about it either. 

I also just really didn't want to remember anything.

"I told you already," I protested. "It was nothing!"

Then, I suddenly felt a tickly feeling on my belly when she lightly ran her fingers over it. I squeaked and immediately curled up to block her invading magic tickle fingers. Did she really think tickling was going to get me to talk? I wasn't sure, but I didn't want to bet on it. 

"So," she said loftily in a playful manner. "Thought I forgot about it did you? Looks like I found it."

"Fat chance," I grumbled, but squeaked again when she tickled me once more. 

She kept teasing me with her stupid magic touch. It was really hard to not lose myself because I was really ticklish. "No more!" I protested and curled away from her. 

But then she wrapped her arms around me pulling me back against her. "I wish you would tell me, Soojung," she murmured. "You scared me."

I wish I could too, I thought weakly. "S-sorry," I mumbled. I tentatively let my fingers graze gently over her arm. "D-does it hurt?"

She held my hand in hers and squeezed it tightly. "No. I was too worried about you."

That made me blush a little bit. She had said it so many times, yet I refused to believe it. "Well, you don't have to," I muttered.

"But I am," she persisted. "Soojung, I'm--I know this is hard to believe, but I do think about you a lot."

Really? You weren't so keen on that before. I wanted to say, but I held my tongue on that one. 

"I really do care about you," Jessica said. "Please don't try to keep things to yourself. I don't want you to get hurt." She kissed my temple gently.

I felt all my insides jump with nervous excitement as soon as she said that. I tried to calm down and tell myself that it was nothing. Of course she would think about me since I ended up at her place. But she keeps kissing me! I thought to myself. And she's worried about me! 

I turned around and she loosened her hold on me so that it was easier. She brushed away the locks of hair that got in my face. "Did you see the school?" I changed the subject.

"Oh...yeah," she said a little surprised.

"Did you meet Amber's friend?"

"yeah, she's nice," Jessica replied. 

She sounded defeated. Did the "secret" stress her out? I didn't want to make more trouble for her than she needed. "Unn---Jess--"

"Just call me unnie, Soojung," she said. 

"I think I like you more than Tiffany-unnie." I don't know what I was thinking, but I suddenly felt the need to tell her that I did appreciate her. And it was mostly true. I did like her more than Tiffany--although I don't think it showed too much considering what's been going on.

She didn't say anything, and I began to wonder if what I said was offensive or stupid. I tentatively and clumsily reached up from her neck to her cheek with one hand, and I shifted up to kiss her chin. When I pulled away, I was about to take my hand away from her cheek, but she held it there with her hand.

"Do you want to go to that school?" she asked.

I paused. I'm going to be so lonely. Although I wasn't so expressive, and I was still kind of uneasy around her, I actually did like being with her. I'd gotten used to her a little bit more than before. Somehow, her presence was comforting, and her kisses were like...like hugging a puppy. I wouldn't be having any of that for TWO WEEKS! 

I nodded.

"I can put you in there," she said. "They already seem excited to meet you."

"But...but just for two weeks, right?" I had to make sure she wasn't just going to leave me there forever.

"Of course," she said with surprise in her tone. "Why? Did you think I was going to throw you out?"

"W-Well, you were about to do that..." I mumbled nervously.

She ruffled my hair so it was messy. "Aigoo, what are we going to do with you?" She pressed her lips against my forehead. "I told you already I wasn't going to leave you or abandon you. Two weeks. I promise."

I suddenly felt all fuzzy warm inside. I just wanted to be close to her and I nestled against her chest. She my cheek gently. "Get some sleep, Soojung. I think we've already had enough of today."

Yeah, I thought so too.

I want you, unnie. But I don't know why it's so hard for me to just forget about the Jessica I remember. I want the one right now to be the real you, but I'm afraid it'll all turn around and we'll be back at square one again. 

-----------------------------------

*Jessica POV*

When I was sure she was asleep, I gently disentangled myself from her. I had successfully somehow gotten her to admit that she had lied, but I still didn't know what happened. I watched her sleep, while my heart felt so heavy and sad. I still felt like we were so far away from each other. 

I almost believed her when she said nothing happened, but her actions weren't exactly tying into the story. Maybe she was good at faking that everything was ok, but I could see it in her eyes. If only I could get into her head and find out what had gone on. What's more, she had given Fany a chance to escape today too. I had told Fany that I wanted to talk with her, but Krystal had stopped me from doing that. Why?

They were hiding something from me, and it wasn't a good thing if it caused Krystal to act so unlike herself.

But we were all having secrets. Krystal and Tiffany had that fake story, I lied about the letter, and Amber wasn't telling me something about that school in Hongcheon.

I turned off the light and left the bedroom, closing the door softly so that I wouldn't disturb Krystal. I sighed heavily as I sat down on the sofa. Only a few weeks ago, Krystal had been lying here, still able to see; and now...she was with me, but without vision. Was there some sort of fate behind all this? 

I leaned back on the cushion of sofa and spotted the bags on the floor. One of them still contained the t-shirt which I'd forgotten to give to Krystal because of yesterday. My bag was still there too, and half of its contents had spilled out when I dropped them. I picked them up and started to put it back. But a small slip of paper floated out when I lifted my wallet.

I picked it up and opened it, immediately finding that it was the note she'd left me before leaving with Fany.

Sorry for bothering you. Thanks for letting me stay this week.
Don't stay out so late and don't drink so much all the time. It's not safe and it's not good for your health. I won't always be there to take care of you...

:)

Krystal

I smiled sadly before putting the note away. It had been nice of her to leave something like this behind. But what was even nicer was that she was concerned about me too.

As I put my bag back against the wall beside the sofa, I spotted Krystal's backpack. I suddenly felt curious about what kind of secrets might be hiding in there. I lifted it up and noticed that it was still alright despite the small damages it had taken from her travels at school. I tired reassuring myself that this wasn't invasion of privacy. This was my sister! I zipped it open and found her notebook, pencil bag, a book and some other papers in there. 

Tiffany looked through it, she thought. So I can too. Besides, there's nothing for her to hide from me.

I opened her notebook and found a lot of complex math and science equations. I raised my eyebrows as I flipped through the pages of notes and homework. I recognized a few things from calculus, but other than that I was lost. Soojung is really smart!  I thought. I flipped to the end and saw a silly drawing of an octopus alien monster which was named Luna. I suppose it must be one of her friends.

I put that away and ignored the book. I found the letter from Yuri and from father. I had thrown them into her backpack because I was stressing that week that Krystal was at the hospital. I didn't have time to be neat. I also found her painkillers. I hadn't had a chance to ask her about them yet, but I didn't think now was a good time.

I closed up her backpack and was about to put it away, when I noticed the small pocket was slightly open. I tried not to feel guilty for snooping, but there was so much about Krystal I didn't know. She was smart, she was in track, what else...?

I found her wallet and phone, and a few scraps of numbers and locations as well as receipt to a bakery. She had ordered a bread at 7:15 AM the week she had been staying with me. So she was leaving early to get food? She could have just asked me! But then I remembered that I hadn't exactly been so welcoming, and she was probably trying to stay away because she thought that was what I wanted.

I opened her wallet and noticed how light it was. All it had was a few won, her ID card, library card, and paper with contacts scribbled on it. My number was there too. Smart girl.

Next was her phone. There was no battery. I couldn't believe myself. I was snooping in her business, but this was kind of important. If she wasn't going to talk to me then I was going to have to find the information myself. I found her charger in there--this girl had everything!--and I plugged into the outlet in the wall. I waited a few minutes before turning on her phone. Luckily, it was on silent so it didn't make any noise.

Fortunately, Krystal hadn't set up a passcode so I was able to get in easily. There were a lot of missed messages and calls. The messages were from Luna, who obviously had no idea what had happened to her; and the calls were from me and Fany when we were searching for her.

I was really on a roll now. I was like Sherlock--not really. My conscience was telling me to stop and that whatever I was doing might make Krystal a little upset. 

She went and stole the letter from Yuri, so this isn't any worse, I argued with myself.

I entered her message app, and I found her conversation with me. 

You better be home. Dad wanted me to come to your apartment.

That was my message to her. And then the only other one was the blank one I'd sent by accident...All that felt so long ago.

I felt my heart grow heavy. Krystal must have already been sick then. How could no one tell? How had Krystal been able to hide it? I went back to the list of conversations and picked out Tiffany's. Those were more cheery than mine. I felt pangs of jealousy when I saw that Krystal's replies were a little less guarded. Fany had asked her to go eat with her. I had no idea they had even done that, but I also remembered it was the same night that I came back home drunk. I saw the message asking Krystal if she had spoken to me about living with Tiffany for a week. 

I found the conversation with dad. Most of them were that he would be back late and she should not wait up for him; she should go eat something, and thanks for cleaning up the mess he made the other night. But then there was one that caught my attention.

Dad: Sorry about this morning.

Krystal: It's ok

Dad: I'll try not to come back home with hangovers. You're too young.

Krystal: yeah

Dad: Happy Birthday, I'm sorry I can't even get you something good.

Krystal: Thanks, and don't worry about getting me anything. It's nice enough you sent a message anyway. See you later.

Dad: I won't be home until late. Don't wait up for me.

Krystal: I know

"Soojung..." I whispered to myself. "You selfless dummy..."

I kept reading other messages before that one.

Krystal: The landlady keeps asking me for the check.

Dad: Tell her I'll get to her as soon as I get home.

Krystal: When?

Dad: I'll be back in an hour or so

Krystal: Ok.

45 minutes later...

Krystal: Dad, where are you?

Krystal: are you even coming home tonight?

1 hour later...

Krystal: I'm gonna tell her you're not available.

1 hour later....

Krystal: Dad? Where are you?

The earlier messages seemed like Krystal hadn't picked up his habits yet. I felt so sad reading them. She had been waiting for him.

I scrolled back down to messages a little before the birthday conversation.

Krystal: Dad, I don't think I can go with you to see Jessica. I have track practice.

Dad: Well see if you can get off early.

Krystal: I don't think she really wants to see me. She got mad last time.

Dad: She was just going through a stage.

Krystal: I hope so

Dad: I won't be back until later, So don't wait up. 

Krystal: You told me that everyday for the last weeks.

Dad: I've got work.

I felt even worse. She had been trying to make an excuse to not see me. But I think at the time, I didn't even care...except now, all I wanted was to get my sister back. I wanted her to need me.

The more recent messages were just dad telling Krystal he wouldn't be back, and those were left unreplied. It was as if she was already expecting it, and she was kind of fed up with it. The last message Krystal wrote was: Dad come back quickly.

He wasn't going to be back.

I went to her notepad app and saw a lot of notes about homework, locations, plans, and schedules. But there was also something that was titled "Wish List". I opened that and found that there was only a few things on it.

1. Not have headaches anymore

2. Help dad get over alchohol

3. I wish the stupid lady would stop off dad's money.

4. I don't want my sister to hate me. I just want her to come home and love me too.

5. I wish I could turn back time.

This was from a year ago. I felt my heart flip and I started going back in time remembering everything I'd done to her. Krystal just wanted a regular life. She wanted a real family. She just wanted Father to come home and be a dad instead of drinking and taking out girls. She really wanted me. And I had already planted into her mind that I didn't want her.

And headaches? I didn't even know she had them. Maybe that's why she had painkillers.

Suddenly a message popped up. It was from a couple weeks ago from an unknown number.

xxx-xxx-xxxx

Soojung, It's dad. I had to get a new phone because the old one broke. I hope you got the letter and I sincerely apologize. I just can't let you stay with me any longer. It's too dangerous, and I don't want you to have to deal with all this anymore. Please understadn. . One day, we may meet again in better circumstances. Maybe then we can talk about everything, but until then, good luck. Love, Dad.

Just as I finished reading, an icon popped up. This phone is not supported by service.

I turned off the phone, unplugged it and put it away. There were so many thoughts running through my mind. 

I was wrong for sure now. I was wrong all along. For 16 long years since mom left, I'd been so wrong about everything.

Even I was luckier than Krystal. Maybe I didn't get to be with my biological family, but at least my uncle provided for my education and gave me a better life. Everything I'd had Krystal couldn't. While I had adequate resources, Krystal was struggling with a drunk father, trying to get through school, and trying to survive on her own at a young age.

Was it fate that brought her here when she lost her vision? What could father have done if this had happened while she was still living there?

Krystal...Soojung...

No wonder she didn't seem like other people in high school. She had seen too much, heard too much, known too much, gone through so many things she shouldn't have to go through. And I didn't do anything to help her. I just kept pushing her farther and farther away from me.

And that's why she wasn't letting me break through to her so easily now. It wasn't because she was afraid to get hurt like I was, but she simply trusted nobody. I recalled her crying that now she couldn't do anything because she couldn't see. I could do anything! she had wailed.

She was used to not needing people. She was alright on her own.

My heart suddenly felt like it had broken in two. I hadn't felt like this before, except when mother left for good. But this was worse. I felt like the whole world was weighing down on my shoulders, and I just wanted to tell Soojung everything would be alright.

Krystal was lost. When she needed someone she didn't have anybody. Now when she did have someone who was trying, she didn't even want to acknowledge it. Well, sometimes I felt like we were alright, but as soon as I thought so, she would put up the stone wall between us. She was doing what I did to her, but for a different reason. In the past, she had been ready to open up to me,  but now it was over. I was going to have to find a way to prove to her that I cared about her for real now.

I went back into the room and the light. I put a book over the top of the lamp to dim the light so it wouldn't disturb Krystal.

I already knew what I was doing wrong. How could I fix this?

I watched her from the threshold as tears started to drip down my cheeks. "Oh, Soojung," I said softly. "How can you forgive me after everything that's happened?"

My body shook as I tried to hold in my sobs. I closed the bedroom door and leaned against the wall in the hallway. I slid down weakly and cried silently. "Stupid, stupid," I muttered to myself. I felt so mad at myself. I spent too much time feeling sorry for myself that I never wondered what Krystal might be going through. 

I don't want my sister to hate me. I just want her to come back home and love me too...

I hated her for 16 years--or I thought I did. I hated the Krystal I had created for myself. I never saw the real her until now, and it's almost too late. The only family she ever had had treated her so badly. 

And father lied to her too.

I felt a rush of anger at him. I got up and quickly took his letter out from the backpack. I opened it, reading its contents once more. Anger built up with every word that I scanned over.

"You don't deserve to explain yourself to her, father," I snarled angrily. 

I was mad. I wanted to destroy that letter. I wanted to tear down father. He had already betrayed me twice, and now he had up and left Krystal.

I wanted any sign of father out of this place...starting with that letter.

------------------------------

double update!!! So actually, there may be a triple, because~ I'm separating what's going to happen in different chapters. So I hope this chapter was ok. Please leave comments!! ALways appreciate them  :D

You can expect the next one in couple days, or maybe even tomorrow if I have the speedy typing power.  :)

Thanks for staying with me on this and reading my stories!

Take care everyone! Love you all!  <3

(might have to go back and fix things tomorrow! oops...lol)