[t w o]

♤Chapter 1♤

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♧Ji-Rae's P.O.V.

"Mom? Where are you and Dad going? " I heard big brother ask mom.

"I'll tell you later, Man Weol" Mom replied while she hurried to put her shoes on.

"Honey, are you sure about this?" I heard Dad whisper to mom.

What were they talking about? And why did big brother Joonsung look really sad?

I looked at my other four brothers in the room. They looked really confused, just like how I was.

Mom and dad went to the kitchen to talk, leaving the six of us to stay in the living room and think about what was happening.

My other four brothers turned to Joonsung. I stayed sitting in my place, still holding onto my toys.

"Joonsung, what's happening?" Seongjun asked first.

"Why are mom and dad upset?" Man Weol came next.

"You know, don't you?" Leesung asked, his tone having a bit of suspicion in it. I got a little shocked. Big brother Leesung would always talk in a monotone voice. He only changed the tone of his voice whenever he was really concerned or there was something wrong.

Joonsung didn't reply. He just sighed and looked away.

"Joonsung... tell us" Big brother Baekjun spoke up after being quiet since we woke up. He had a stoic expression, but his eyes held deep confusion and concern.

"I'm not supposed to tell you. At least not yet.. Mom said that she'll explain it to us" Joonsung furrowed his brows and averted his gaze as a sad frown made it's way to his lips.

Mom and dad came back in the living room and mom called my four brothers to come to the kitchen.

I looked to their direction and saw Baekjun, Man Weol, Leesung, and Seongjun followed mom and dad to the kitchen while me and Joonsung stayed in the living room.

'Is there something bad happening?' I thought and began to worry. I didn't notice that my eyes were beginning to get teary. I turned to big brother Joonsung to ask him what was happening and he saw me.

But before I got to ask he quickly rushed to my side and hugged me.

"What's wrong Ji-Rae? Why are you crying?"

"Mom.. and D-dad-"

"Shhh it's okay. Don't worry about that, räkas. Nothing bad is happening, okay?" He held my face and wiped away my tears. He smiled, "don't cry"

I sniffed and held back any emotion and thoughts that could make me cry before nodding. I did my best to smile back.

Not long after, we heard footsteps coming into the room from the kitchen. My four big brothers looked really upset, while Dad looked troubled.

'What did they talk about?'

"Ji-Rae, Joonsung, come here" Mom called us while they were all standing by the front door.

I stood up and big brother held my hand while we walked our way to the front door. I felt him squeeze my hand for a while. Why did he do that?

We got there and big brother let go of my hand so I could hug mom. She crouched down and hugged me back.

"Mom? Where are you and daddy going?" I asked.

"Me and daddy are going on a long trip for a bit. You'll stay here with your big brothers until your daddy comes back. Be a good girl okay?" She gave a small smile. But I could see an emotion in her eyes that I couldn't describe.

"But what about you? Aren't you coming home too?"

"Daddy is just going to take me there. He'll come back home when he drops me off there. I'll be home too when I'm done doing my responsibility there."

Something was wrong. I don't know how, but I felt like it was. Were they.. keeping something from me? I could understand that I'm different from my brothers, but shouldn't they treat me like family too?

No. No, don't think that. They're not keeping anything from you Ji-Rae. They love you, they wouldn't do that.

I couldn't accept the fact that mom was going somewhere far without us. Couldn't we come with her instead? Was she leaving us? I thought she loved us!

"No! Don't leave! If you do then we'll come with you instead!"

"Honey, you can't. I'm sorry"

"NO! YOU CAN'T LEAVE! PLEASE!" I yelled, tears dripping down my face.

I felt a pair of hands carry me and take me away from the others and to the couch.

"Daddy, let me go! I want to come with mommy! Stop! Please.."

While I tried to break free, I heard mommy speak to my big brothers in finnish. The language I didn't know how to speak in and couldn't understand. I started to cry. They were hiding something from me. Why are they doing this?

I could see big brother Seongjun look at me with furrowed eyebrows. He turned his head back to listen to what mom was saying.

After that, Dad finally put me down. I ran to Mom to catch up with her and hopefully go with her to wherever she was going, but before I could even get close to her Baekjun picked me up so I couldn't get to her.

"Brother put me down!" I yelled. I saw mom and dad out the door with mom's bags. I screamed, "DON'T GO!"

I could feel everything hurt when the door closed, and I heard the car engine start and the car driving away. I stared at the door in disbelief.

'Did Mom just leave us?'

Tears were coming out of my wide eyes. I felt so weak.

'Did I do something wrong? Did she not love us anymore? Why didn't dad and my brothers try to stop her?'

I felt my feet come contact with the cold floor. Big brother Baekjun finally let me down. I clenched my hands into fists.

'Why..'

I was feeling mixed emotions. Sad, angry, confused. I was sad because mom left us. I was angry because she left us without an explanation. Without letting me know why. Because they were keeping something from me. I was confused because I didn't know why she did that.

'WHY ARE THEY KEEPING THIS FROM ME?!'

All was silent until I heard big brother Joonsung say something, "Ji-Rae, are you oka-"

I left without letting him finish. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe them. I knew they were keeping something from me. I know I'm just a kid but I'm not as stupid as they think!

"Jiji! Where are you going?" I heard big brother Man Weol exclaim as I quickly went up the stairs.

"Leave me alone." I said before slamming my bedroom door.

I ran to my bed and cried. I hugged the music box mom gave me when I turned 4 a few weeks ago. The questions from earlier and new ones were in my head and didn't plan on going away. A few minutes passed until I eventually fell asleep, tired from crying.

♧Author's P.O.V.

"Ji... up" Ji-Rae heard a voice.

"Wake... rae"

"Ji-Rae~~ Wake up~" She finally heard a sweet and calming voice. The voice was non-other than her gentle and joyful brother, Joonsung.

The 6 year old opened her eyes to see the smiling face of the 8 year old in front of her.

"Huh.." she groaned in bed and sat up.

"Good morning rakas!~" Joonsung ruffled her hair.

Ji-Rae was rubbing the sleep away from her eyes when she was suddenly thrown up in the air and fell back into a pair of arms. Her eyes widened.

"Goooood Morning Ji-Rae!!" Her brother Man Weol exclaimed before putting Ji-Rae back down on her bed again.

"Good morning.." Ji-Rae replied lazily.

"Get ready and come downstairs, Ji-Rae. Breakfast is ready" Joonsung chirped.

"Yes, big brother.." Ji-Rae yawned.

She watched as her two brothers exited the room. She glanced down at her bed and saw that the music box she hugged to sleep wasn't there.

'The music box isn't there... So it was a dream..'

She looked at her window, pondering.

'Why did the dream have to be that?...'

She sighed and watched everything she could outside the window.

'Mom... when are you-'

"Ji-Raeee!" Her thoughts were cut off when she heard Seongjun exclaim from downstairs.

"Ah! C-coming brother!" She rushed out of her bedroom.