08: MY OTHER HALF

"There will never be a time that I will be against you. For sickness and health, for richer or poorer, we're sisters, and I will stand by your side and always cheer you up. My sister, my twin, and my other half."

 - Ha Eun-bi pov

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

08: MY OTHER HALF

Eun-bi pov:

'998 sheep, 999 sheep, 1000 sheep, 1001 sheep. . .'

"Aiisshh!!"

I sat up and touched my lips again.

"That brat!!"

"It's my first kiss too!"

"I should have punched him than tend to him!!!"

"That ungrateful brat!"

I slumped back to the bed and when I closed my eyes, the time when he leaned in for a kiss popped up from my mind again.

"Aisshh!!"

I rolled around and shouted on my pillow.

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

"I HATE YOU JOO SEOK-HOON!!!!!!!"

"YOU CRAZY BASTARD!!!!!"

I sat up straight and went to the kitchen and opened the fridge, and took all the baking ingredients out.

"Get it out of your system, Ha eun-bi."

"You're crazy if you think you can even think about him!"

"Your sister likes him, you know!!"

"And he's not even your type."

"You like mature men who are gentlemen and don't steal your first kiss like it's an everyday thing."

"He's definitely a playboy."

"He definitely had a lot of experience!"

"Who knows how many women he brought to bed already!"

"You can't be a part of those women he conquered!"

"NEVER!!"

"Crazy bastard!"

"Asshole"

"Thief!!"

. . . . .

Seok-kyung pov:

He's been running for hours already.

He went straight to our personal gym the moment he arrived and turned on the running machine.

Since then, I've been watching him run like crazy.

'Did my brother finally go crazy?'

He's been running at 14 speed for over hours already.

He's been sweating like crazy and heaving crazy too, but he's not stopping.

Precisely what happened while I was away shopping?

"He's still running?"

I looked at our stepmother badly, then ignored her and left the door to the kitchen. I took a glass of water to the gym room and unplugged the machine again.

"Stop already! You're gonna die at this rate!"

His running slowed until he slumped on the machine, heaving intensely.

'That's your fault, you crazy bastard!'

He stayed still for a while before taking the water from me.

"I'm not playing with Rona anymore."

"WHAT?"

I looked him straight in the eyes as he looked back.

'He's serious!'

"I said I'm not doing it anymore."

"Oppa!" My gaze turned into a glare as he looked at me calmly.

"Seok-kyung-ah. I have someone I like now."

"What? Who?"

"Just. . . someone."

"I don't want her to misunderstand anything, so I won't play this game anymore."

"But Oppa!"

"I'll help you win the trophy. I'll ensure your grades are at the top and help hire better singing tutors. We'll get the best ones."

"I'll help you take that trophy, but I won't play with Rona anymore."

He left the gym after saying that, leaving me shocked at his confession.

"He likes someone?"

"Who???"

. . . . .

Eun-bi pov:

I've probably baked and cooked a ton of food already, but I still feel like doing more. It's already 4 am in the morning, and I've been cooking and baking for hours.

"What the hell do I do with all these?"

"Stupid!"

"Crazy!"

"Bitch!!"

I sighed deeply.

I left the kitchen and went to the living room, resting on the couch with my eyes closed.

I can feel my hand trembling from working too much.

"Let's skip class again."

I was about to clean the kitchen counter again when my doorbell rang.

I peeked on the machine and saw someone with a hood and a cap. His face is masked and is not shown on the camera.

I grabbed an umbrella from the stand nearby. I got ready to call someone for an emergency when suddenly the masked guy unmasked himself in front of the camera.

The umbrella and phone slipped from my fingers, falling to the floor as I ran to the door and opened it.

I sighed and smiled at the same time before hugging her.

"Eun-byeol-ah!"

The two of us hugged each other before going inside in a hurry.

"When did you arrive?"

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"You should've called me?"

"I did."

"What?"

"You didn't answer my call, so I assumed you were busy!"

"You should've called again! I would have fetched you!"

"It's okay, unnie."

I hugged her again when we reached the couch, tightly this time.

"Are you feeling better?"

She nodded her head.

I can see her clearly now.

The Eun-byeol that I know.

My twin sister.

"Bi-ah."

"I did a lot of bad things."

I smiled at her and patted her head.

"We can correct that, one step at a time."

"Yuhon-ah, Na-eun-ah and Min seol-ah."

"I did a lot of bad things! How can they ever forgive for it?"

"We'll take one step at a time."

"We'll ask forgiveness, even if it takes a lifetime."

"I'll do it with you, so don't be scared."

I hugged her tighter as the two of us stayed in a hug while we comforted each other.

"Shh! It's okay. Everything is gonna be okay."

. . . .

Eun-byeol pov:

I woke up in my sister's room.

I must have fallen asleep while we were hugging.

My sister is also beside me, sleeping peacefully.

'She looks so tired.'

'Handling them must have been so tiresome.'

'Knowing Seok-Kyung, my sister must have been so patient in making sure she doesn't slap her for her attitude.'

I quietly left the bed and went to the kitchen, noticing the pile of food scattered around the table.

'French pastries, cakes, bibimbap, bulgogi, kimbap, there are even Taiwanese and Filipino dishes.'

"How much did she cook?"

"Is pretending to be me that stressful?"

"Mianhe, Unnie. . ." (Mianhe - sorry)

I whispered as I started cleaning the kitchen.

I put the food in different stores, and when it ran out, I covered it with something.

My sister caught me cleaning the kitchen.

"Good morning, unnie. . ."

"It's not because I was stressed."

She looked at me as I cleaned everything she made.

"Don't worry, I'm sure dealing with mom and the kids was stressful for you."

"It's really not because of them."

I only smiled at her and held her.

"I don't mind it. So what are we gonna do with all these?"

"Do you want to take them to school tomorrow?"

I smiled.

It feels weird to suddenly go to school tomorrow.

"Are you not still going to school?"

"I should. I should at least attend one before I really quit school."

"Are you sure?"

She looks at me worriedly.

My sister is probably the only one that will ever look at me like that.

I pulled her to the sofa again and smiled at her.

"I think the real reason I start remembering all these memories again is that God is helping me to be happy."

"He helped me remember the thing that truly makes me happy."

"Even though I'm sinful, he still helped me remember the good in me."

"Ha Eun-byeol. . .

You are not bad. You were lost and confused. They used your weakness and pain to accomplish a greed of theirs. It's not your fault."

"I promise you  Eun-byeol, I will always stand by you and protect you. In sickness and health, for richer or poorer, we're sisters, and I will stand by your side and always cheer you up, so you're forever happy."

"My sister, my twin, and my other half."

Tears started running from my eyes as my sister gave a confession usually given by lovers.

'Who needs a lover when you have a sister like her.'

. . . . .

The two of us stayed on her pad all day, watching television and her performances.

She also showed me the library she installed inside.

I marveled at the beauty of the library.

All the books I want are here.

"I'll have it brought to states once our place there is settled."

"You will live with me?"

"You don't want to?"

I shook my head and smiled.

"There is nothing more I want than living with you."

She smiled back.

"You better not change your mind, Ha Eun-byeol!"

I put some of the food on the lunch boxes while my sister told me she'll bring the others to an orphanage she knows, so today is really my day 1 in Cheong-ah high and probably my last too.

"I summarized all the events in the tab, so read it on your way."

I did an okay sign and winked at her.

"John, make sure to keep my sister safe."

My sister reminded John, one of her trusted bodyguards, before I left.

John, I heard she saved her during her trip to Iran. He was going to die for murdering many Muslims there when she saved him and promised them that she would never let him kill anyone ever again.

A promise where she even put her own life on the line.

"Thank you for everything, John. Take care of me, okay?"

He only nodded with a smile in response.

"You really don't talk much, do you?"

He only smiled as he opened the elevator for me, just in time to be in the same elevator as the twins.

"Good morning Eun-byeol."

I was greeted by Seok-kyung's smile and an avoiding gaze by Seok-hoon.

"Good morning."

I smiled at both of them while waiting inside.

"You've changed your style again."

I held strands of my hair and smiled, remembering how different my sister and I were from each other despite looking exactly alike.

"Uhh. Just for a while, I kind of missed my old look."

I reasoned out as I looked at myself in the reflection of the elevator walls.

Even though we look exactly alike, our talents and skills are very distinct from each other.

Her talent lies in music and arts, while I've always excelled more in science.

I got compared to her a lot for lacking so much that I even felt jealous of her. While I feel jealous of her, my sister directed her radiating anger for those who tried to hurt me with their snide comments instead.

She punished them so much for it.

She asked grandpa to destroy their businesses, making their children an outcast in school, and even destroying their social standing.

I smile as I remember the days when my sister protected my heart from the painful stabs people gave me for not being as great as her.

When my gift blossomed, it was already too late. My sister had already finished avenging me from those people.

As the elevator opened, Seok-kyung went out first while Seok-hoon was somehow lingering.

I looked at him and noticed something off.

He held my hand and left a box on it before running away toward his sister.

I stared at the box, then opened it and saw chocolate balls in it. I looked up at John, and he only stared at me back.

'Eun-bi didn't mention anything special about Seok-hoon.'

'Did he start liking me without knowing it's actually my sister?'

I playfully smiled at the thought of him liking my sister without even knowing it.

"John, did my sister seduce someone again without meaning to?"

John simply smiled.

He smiled proudly for my sister.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!"

I laughed as well, looking at the chocolate in my hand.

"Poor guy! He doesn't even know what he's gotten into!"

. . . . .

I checked the tab for any critical events.

Min-hyuk caught on the moment Eun-bi arrived.

Another talented soprano arrived at school but was getting bullied because she was not rich enough to afford her position in the school.

She has a brave attitude, 'Like Min Seol-ah.'

But of course, that won't work in Cheong-ah high.

Seok-kyung and Seok-hoon are not bullying her and even befriending her.

'That's a shock.'

'Is seok-kyung planning on something?'

'Seok-Kyung would usually be the first to bully a poor, unfortunate soul.'

My sister also sang for the opening and received a standing ovation.

'She's Ha Eun-bi.'

I smiled proudly as I read all the events.

The picture of Bae Rona is also up, and the others I already know from middle school.

Min-hyuk is still pretending to be an idiot, I'm guessing.

'If he really doesn't want to be a lawyer that much, he should just say so.'

"John, what do you think of the students of Cheong-ah?"

I asked John beside me.

". . . ."

He didn't reply but gave a funny smile.

"Yeah! To think I was one of them months ago still creeps me out."

He gave me a light pat on the back as we arrived at school.

"Let's go, Mr. John."

. . . .

I arrived at the classroom with the new girl being bullied.

I sighed deeply as I watched how she got bullied.

"You need Seok-kyung's permission to date Seok-hoon, don't you know that?"

I only smirk in annoyance before heading to my table, not minding what is happening.

I saw how he put his arm on Rona and how annoyed she looked. She pushed him away, but he only laughed.

"You should learn your place early, beggar."

A girl started jabbing Rona's shoulders with her fingers.

I want to remain quiet, but I can't. If I stay quiet again and let someone get bullied again, then I haven't learned anything at all.

I closed my eyes before coming close to her and pushing the girl away.

"Let's stop this. It's too early in the morning to get pissed off by your ugly pitches."

I glared at them fiercely as they laughed in annoyance.

One guy scoffed at me, "What do you think you're doing, Ha eun-byeol?"

The guy stood before me as Rona tried to intervene, but I held her hand.

"Why? Is there something wrong with how I'm acting?"

"Don't be so hypocritical, Ha eun-byeol!"

"This is your place. . ."

She pointed to a space near her.

"Not there. . ."

"Maybe she wants to play the hero."

The other girl laughs.

"Are you scared of her? Because she might be a better singer than you!"

"You're right! That space used to belong to me. . . But I have healthy feet that can walk and stand in a different place!!"

"And you're right again! She could be a better singer than I am, but so what! Does that make me any less of a singer just by having someone better than me?"

"Stop bothering Rona already and get yourself your own lives!"

"What will you be planning on doing after high school? Are you planning on becoming delinquents?"

"What did you say!!"

"YAH HA EUN BYEOL!"

I was suddenly pushed down the floor by this guy as I winced in my shoulders.

"STOP ACTING ALREADY!! WE KNOW HOW MUCH YOU WANT HER GONE!!"

"YAH!!"

Rona shouted at them and glared.

I was shocked at Rona's response to the big guy.

'Is she close with my sister or something?'

The guy towered Rona, intimidating her, so I pulled myself up despite being in pain, but before I could even pull Rona back, we all heard a loud thud from behind.

THUD.

The table flew at the side, and Seok-hoon glared menacingly at them.

"What do you think you're doing?" 

. . . . . . . . . . . . 

To be continued.