but she survived | sae-byeok x ji-yeong

both a reunion and a first time meeting

Ji-yeong could feel the taller girl's grip on her hand tighten, the closer they got to the orphanage. They were walking on an empty road, only a couple of minutes from their destination. She looked over at her face, only to be met with the most excited-looking Sae-byeok she had ever seen. But it suddenly all washed away as her sight dropped to the ground, her voice low when she asked, "Do you think he'll be mad? About that, I didn't visit him for so long." 

"Maybe, but when he hears you got the money and he'll soon be able to leave that place, I don't think anger will be a problem," Ji-yeong answered with a light smile on her face. 

The shorter girl's words seemed to reassure Sae-byeok. She lifted their conjoined hands, giving the back of Ji-yeong's hand a quick peck. "You're probably right. We just gotta find a house first."

"We?" Ji-yeong asked, a sprout of hope starting to grow in her chest. 

"Yes, you and me?" Sae-byeok chuckled, rather confused. 

"You wanna live with me?" Ji-yeong asked, a toothy smile on her face. 

Sae-byeok let go of her hand, looping an arm around the girl's shoulder to pull her into a sideways hug. All while they were still walking. "Of course I do. Why? You think it's too early or something? We don't need to, we do have enough money for us to get a house each-" 

Ji-yeong had been biting her lower lip to suppress a giant smile. "I would love to live with you. I just wasn't sure you wanted me to live with you."  

"Well, I do. So that is what it is, we're gonna get a house together. A nice one." Sae-byeok kissed the crown of her head, before continuing. "And I can buy one for my mother and my brother, too. Maybe we can find a house, where their house is just up the road or something."

"Mhm, that would be great! Then you can see them as much as you wanna," Ji-yeong said, making the taller girl's face beam with pure happiness just by the thought of it. 

"It sounds perfect." Sae-byeok sighed with contentment, resting the side of her head against Ji-yeong's. She had to bend her back a little, though, due to their significant height differences. 

The talk about houses continued, both of them sharing their ideal dream house and what it came with. They talked about how their life would be. When they were settled and could finally relax in what they could then call a home. Ji-yeong also talked about a pet. It had, for some reason, always been her dream to own a British shorthair. When Sae-byeok, with a small smile, asked her, why exactly it had to be that breed, she couldn't answer. She just knew she had wanted one ever since she was little. 

Sae-byeok stopped in front of a gate, taking a deep breath. She felt so unbelievably exhausted, even though she had gotten an alright amount of sleep. Ji-yeong's eyes shifted from the girl to what was on the other side of the metal gate. Children. A lot of them. Doing all sorts of activities. Some played soccer, the girls were sitting in a corner, shielded from the merciless sun while playing with dolls, and others were just simply being there. "I suppose it's here?" Ji-yeong said, trying to break the silence in some way or another. 

Sae-byeok had already spotted her brother, sitting in the exact place they usually did when they met. He would always sit prepared, waiting for her. And yet again, that day, he was sitting there, eyes on the ground, completely alone. "You are such a riddle solver, did you know that?" Sae-byeok answered her, voice drained from any emotions, while she opened the gate, gesturing for Ji-yeong to go first. 

Sae-byeok barely got to close the gate and turn around, before a pair of short arms grasped around her waist, squeezing her as tight as they possibly could. Already knowing how her little brother's embrace felt, she lifted him into her arms, making his feet dangle above the ground. "You're here! I thought you had forgotten about me," she heard his little voice whisper.