One Spring Morning

There I was at the kitchen preparing breakfast, any minute now I would see that pink fluff of hair coming down the last two steps of our wooden staircase, there was a ceiling window at the landing of the stairs, the sun shone wonderfully, gleaming, casting a glow on the pink haired figure whenever he dashed down towards the landing, all to familiar to me, the image flashed in my head, backpack swinging and pressing against his back, a cheeky smile on his face. I've loved that cheeky smile and that sweet boy since I could talk, my brother who was always there for me when our parents were busy. When our parents weren't there.

"Balleli! What's this you doing?"

"Yeonjun, I'm making you breakfast after you worked on that paper for Mrs Kim for me last night."

I turn around with an apron over my school uniform and pull it off swiftly. I take the plate from the kitchen counter over to my older brother, Yeonjun. He lifts his head giving me a warm smile, I ruffle his cotton candy hair and smack his nose like to sneaky younger sister I am.

"You go get your schoolbooks before I finish this meal and I'll pick you up from the bus station so we can head home together? Deal?" Yeonjun says, turning his head slightly in a way that makes it hard for me to not say deal.

"Fine, deal."

I rush upstairs quickly dashing across the many rooms of the narrow hallway, the wooden floorboards creak in agony screaming for help but I ignore their protests. I was fast like Yeonjun but clumsy like Yeonjun's friend Huening Kai. I grabbed my textbook that was lying on the hard white plastic study table, my note book on the floor and my pencil-case tucked underneath the bed. Half scrunching everything up and ruining all my pristine books I shove the stuff into my cute Gudetama backpack.

I rush towards the stairs, thinking to myself that Yeonjun must have gulped down the egg that was delicately placed on the rice, just for me to not catch the bus with him after school. Suddenly my thoughts are disrupted,as my foot slips on a wooden floorboard. I grab for the railing on the stairs, panting hard, staring at the stairs I am about to bolt down, the sun shines from behind me, beating on my back and illuminating the stairs with a golden halo.

I trudge down the stairs. Afraid that if I go any faster I might fall face first on the floor. When I reach the landing I watch Yeonjun turn around in shock, his eyes wide and his hand holding the egg I cooked with our mother's chopsticks.

He swallows the egg. "You made it before I finished my breakfast." He looks at me in shock, pure shock. His mouth closed and his eyes wide. I walk over and give him a sisterly hug,

"Come on, don't just sit there, we're going to be late for the bus." I head towards the door, grab the keys hanging to my left, open the door and keep it unlocked for my brother to leave. Usually in the choi family, it was the eldest sibling who was responsible with the maintenance of the house, it didn't mean that I didn't have my responsibilities which were with the washing and cooking, cooking was a bit difficult for someone like me who was scared of fire but I wasn't scared of knives, strange.

***

We're running, the beautiful South Korean wind blows through both of each other's hair, the sun shines over us like a guardian, the grass sways to the rhythm of a feet pounding against o the pavement.It's greener than the last spring, just more motivation for me to do well in my studies. I'm thinking of becoming a doctor, after I graduate but Yeonjun has always been interested in being a fashion designer. I've always loved the fresh spring in South Korea. There's a growing sense of hope blooming within my stomach. There's a bright smile on my lips as I head to the bus station quicker than Yeonjun. He doesn't seem to be fighting to be quicker than I am but he's running at a steady pace. I can hear the steady beat of his backpack hitting his back, his breaths faster and faster, he's laughing as he chases me, his little sister. I don't know why, I've always loved my brother and who he was as a person. He was blood.