In Ha followed Jae Hee to the second floor movie room.

In Ha’s head was filled with excitement about the weakness of the movie that Jae Hee would find.

Weakness, the reason why the movie had been obediently listening to them all this time was Sang Hwa.

Sang Hwa, who had jumped from the Korea University building that day, did not die, but became a vegetative state showing no consciousness. At that time, Young Hwa, who was a student, could not afford Sang Hwa’s hospital bills, and In Ha’s family was paying the huge hospital bills incurred for Sang Hwa.

At that time, Kang Seok’s recognition at Korea University was at its peak. The media announcing fashion trends every year competed to cast Kang Seok, and even popular stars lined up wanting to receive sponsorship for Kang Seok’s designs.

There was even an anecdote of an unknown actor at the time participating in Kang Seok’s fashion show, wearing clothes received as a gift, being exposed to the media, and rapidly gaining recognition.

People even said, in vulgar terms, that clothes received “Kang Seok’s blessing”.

He said she was a student Kang Seok cherished. Kang Seok moved Sang Hwa to the hospital, and since Kang Seok was in the spotlight, there was even a storm of coverage.

It was also Kang Seok who ended that situation.

‘I don’t want an ordinary student to become a topic of media gossip over this incident.’ At Kang Seok’s cold words, the media refrained from exposure despite it being a juicy story.

It was obvious that if there was discord with Kang Seok over an unsavory incident, they would suffer a blow, so they must have felt there was no need to be a moth flying into the fire for a moment’s sweetness.

Young Hwa, who spent every day at the hospital, was thus led by Kang Seok’s hand to In Ha’s house.

Young Hwa knew her position too well. Though called an adopted daughter, Young Hwa was not that young, and she read the room and crawled obediently.

“Elder sister, is it okay if I enter the arts high school instead of you?”

At that time, In Ha asked with a split grin.

The decision had already been made, but she still asked. Letting Young Hwa know the difference in their status gave In Ha a strange pleasure.

It made her realize how stimulating it is to reign over someone.

“Of course. It’s fine. Elder sister can go next time.”

Words different from the look in her eyes.

The cowardice of conveying meanings different from her true feelings while reading the room and gauging the other’s mood.

“Really, isn’t elder sister Young Hwa too kind?”

“No. In Ha is my younger sister. Of course, if elder sister can do it, I should.”

Younger sister?

Younger sister, she says.

“Thank you, elder sister.”

Young Hwa was stroking the smooth surface of the arts high school uniform that had arrived the day before on her bedroom bed.

“Well, then you won’t need that uniform anymore, right?”

In Ha snatched the uniform from Young Hwa’s hands.

“Huh?”

The eyes that had tried so hard to endure until giving up school were now wavering.

Just because of a uniform.

“Elder sister doesn’t need this uniform anymore, right? I’ll try it on.”

Of course, In Ha could buy and wear a new uniform anytime.

But she wanted to wear that uniform Young Hwa had.

It was the moment she learned the pleasure of taking.

The thrill of destroying something held with desperate longing. The pleasure, the exhilarating sensation of excitement rose from her toes and made her whole body shiver.

‘You will never wear this uniform in your life.’

She wanted to say that.

“Ah, no. Next year…”

“Come on. You should buy a new one to wear then.”

In Ha took Young Hwa’s uniform and quickly went to her own room to change.

Unlike Young Hwa’s, In Ha’s room was full of shiny things.

In a room with one wall made into a mirror, In Ha smiled wearing the slightly oversized uniform.

The smell of oil coming from the new uniform.

Her neat bob hair swayed, and she rolled up the waistband of the loose skirt once to raise it above her knees.

White socks stood out below her smooth calves.

And Young Hwa, who was full of longing outside the door, smiled at that pretty sight.

“Elder sister, how do I look?”

“…Pretty.”

“I should show mom and dad too.”

In Ha did not know why her steps were particularly light that day, why the air felt so refreshing, why the memory of that day, which must have been devastating for someone, felt like a fond memory.

Only, it was certain that for In Ha, it was the day she learned that there are invisible hierarchies between people too.

Jae Hee entered Young Hwa’s room and began rummaging through the drawers.

It had not even been a month since she came to Young Hwa’s room saying she would look for a drawing book.

“Mom, what are you looking for?”

“Stop pestering me like this.”

It didn’t matter what it was. For In Ha, anything that could pin Young Hwa down was enough.

And preferably something that would last longer than Sang Hwa. Better yet, something that could be held and shaken for a lifetime.

“Found it!”

“What? What is it, mom!”

In Jae Hee’s hand was a small photo like a Polaroid.

“This.”

“…What is this?”

It was a photo that did not suit Young Hwa at all.

Why would this be in Young Hwa’s drawer?

In Ha received the photo from Jae Hee’s hand.

It was an ultrasound photo of a baby.

And it looked quite old, as if from long ago.

“Why is something like this here?”

“How would I know? But in mom’s opinion…”

“…Sang Hwa.”

In Ha uttered Sang Hwa’s name, which she had been reluctant to say as it felt like a symbol of misfortune.

“Right?”

“This seems like an even better item than we thought.”

She felt like the discomfort in her stomach that had felt choked up was washed away at once.

Young Hwa would do anything for Sang Hwa after all.

Yes, with this.

It might be nothing to make Young Hwa move. That’s what she thought.

***

Young Hwa, who had met with Sun Woo, came home after all the lights in the house were turned off.

Knowing there was no one waiting for her, it was rather better for Young Hwa not to face them.

With each step she took, soft lights turned on.

The house was decorated lavishly to Jae Hee’s taste.

From chandeliers that were difficult to clean to expensive carpets.

It was like the vanity of a housewife who had never cleaned herself.

Young Hwa imagined how she would decorate if she ever lived in a place like this, though she knew she never would even if she died and came back to life.

She wanted to decorate in white and gray tones to make the spacious area look even larger, with bright lighting, but with large windows to let in natural light.

She thought it would be nice if the morning sun came in between the curtains, the hot midday light made the garden trees and flowers bloom, and the sunset light shattered and headed towards the terrace.

She wanted to decorate it as a house that was neat and cozy in itself, without ornaments or pretense.

But knowing it was a vain imagination, she shook her head as if to say ‘stop this useless thing’.

“Young Hwa.”

She faced the person she least wanted to meet.

It was Kang Seok, who seemed to be coming out after finishing work in the study, calling Young Hwa.

“…”

Young Hwa turned her head and stepped onto the stairs.

“Young Hwa, let’s talk.”

“What do you have to say to me? I have nothing to say.”

“What on earth are you doing?”

What am I doing?

You shouldn’t use that expression.

“Why? Are you scared?”

“What do you want? I’ll do whatever you want, so stop here.”

Young Hwa laughed as if dumbfounded and came down from the stairs she had climbed.

“Will you really do everything? Do you even have that ability?”

“How much do you need? If it’s compensation…”

“10 years. Take me back 10 years to that day.”

“…!”

“You can’t do it, can you? Then how can you say you’ll do everything?”

“It couldn’t be helped back then. You know that too! I didn’t want it to turn out that way either. It was an accident!”

Her eyes grew hot.

An accident? An accident?

“What if it was your daughter?”

“What?”

“If your daughter died like that. Would you still forgive the killer, calling it an accident?”

Kang Seok’s eyes were wavering too.

She wanted to see those eyes trembling with fear more, but the sensor lights seemed to have timed out and darkness fell.

“How can you say that now.”

“So you just keep quiet. Just stay in your pitiful position and tremble in fear. If you step out of there even a little, I’ll make your position, authority, and honor fall into the abyss in an instant.”

“Young Hwa. I’m begging you like this. Let’s stop.”

“…You’re wrong.”

Young Hwa climbed the stairs again.

The trembling air lit up the lights again.

“The one you should beg is not me, but elder sister Sang Hwa. You’re so stupid that you can’t be forgiven.”

The world is not all unfair.

How could you have known? That you would end up begging me for forgiveness.

Young Hwa felt a vibration in her pocket.

It must be Sun Woo.

Quite a diligent person.

***

Only after entering her room did she quietly answer the phone.

-Why did you answer so late?

He pressed as if scolding.

“I just got in. I didn’t know the phone was ringing. I need to change clothes and wash up, I’ll call you back.”

He made the call even though he didn’t have anything particular to say.

Although it was an incomprehensible action, it wasn’t unpleasant, so Young Hwa didn’t stop him.

-Let’s video call.

“What?”

-You said you’re going to wash up. So we should video call.

Of course, excluding this part.

“I’ll wash up after ending the call.”

-That’s disappointing. What will you do?

Ah?

The habit of always neatly organizing things was perfect like obsessive-compulsive disorder.

It was disturbed.

Very slightly, little by little.

Even the household staff don’t clean her room.

Young Hwa picked up the camera she had hidden behind the bookshelf. It was something she had installed after seeing the two people looking for the drawing book that day, worried that the same problem might occur again.

The home camera had such a pretty design that at a glance it looked no different from a doll.

“I’m trying to catch some mice.”

-Mice? There are even mice in your room? It’s the worst in many ways.

It is the worst. Indeed.

She chuckled.