Just Enough For Her Little Dream: Book Two

In Joo

"Hey. You know what I just realized?"

"Mm?"

I sit in front of In-kyung who was daydreaming again. She's been so...blank lately. But I get it. We are so used to being worried all the time that we can't seem to adapt to this easy life now. This is why my mind has been turning more than usual. I've taken over In-kyung's personality while she floats in space every so often.

"How will we work if we can't even speak the language here?!"

She furrows her brows at me. "Unnie. There are plenty of people that don't know any of the languages either and they still seem to cope. For example, people that speak Spanish work just fine here."

"What about a steady job? How will we be able to go back to our jobs if we need to at least understand English?!"

"Unnie. Stop panicking. You're making me nervous." She looks back at her book and continues to read.

I scoff at this new person with my sister's face. "Look who's talking," I mumble.

"I understand the language well. Why don't you just get classes?"

"With what money?"

"Unnie." In-kyung looks up from her book and genuinely gives me an annoyed look. "Relax, will you? We've been given an opportunity to start new and you just want to go back to the same thing."

Her firmness for some reason offends me. I give her a firm look, too, and say, "Hey. Just because you and Jongho are close, it doesn't mean we have to let our guard down."

In-kyung looks back at me with an offended look now. "Are you saying that I'm planning to live off of Jongho? Who do you think I am, In-joo? Of course, I'll look for a job! Do you think I'll just sit here all day? I just want one week, unnie. One week of rest. One week where I don't have to worry about anything at all. Can't you just do that? Even In-hye is doing that. Why do you always have to--"

She doesn't finish her sentence. She knows that anger is getting the best of her and she prefers to stay silent before she says anything she will regret. I let out a sigh and realize that her words are true. She was the one with the most stress these past few months. If it weren't for her, we wouldn't have this new opportunity, too.

I give her hand a soft squeeze and she looks back at me with tears hanging from her eyes. "I'm sorry," I gently say. "You're right. I'm just so used to...worrying about us."

"I know," she says with a sniffle. "Trust me. I'm also worried. This place is so foreign and new. I'm still trying to figure it out. But I want to do it slowly this time. I don't have a need to run or anxiously look for answers anymore. I'll miss my old job, but at least I can do something helpful for Jongho."

"Yeah. He's been so kind to us. We have to pay him back."

"We will," she says with a more relaxed smile now. "I promise."

To lighten up the atmosphere, I do a small smirk and say, "All you have to do is kiss him and he'll be happy with that."

"Hey!"

"What?" I say with wide eyes. "Tell me it's not true."

"It's not true."

I laugh at her bluntness. When she's extra direct, she's hiding something from me. "I'm assuming that you haven't been worried just because of work?"

"Stop," she says without looking up from her book.

"Nope," I say as I turn to my side to face her. "Tell me, my In-kyung. Have you talked to him?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because he's busy with his new fancy job. I don't want to bother him."

"How are you such a bad liar if you were a reporter?"

She scoffs at my joke. "That's why I got fired."

"C'mon," I playfully said. I look around to make sure no one is listening and lean forward to whisper, "Tell me this at least. Do you still like him?"

She pretends to continue reading, but I can tell her mind is turning. She slowly closes her book and turns to me now. She lets out a sigh and says, "I don't know, unnie. Back home, I...I missed him so much. Now that we're together...I don't know how to feel. He hasn't said anything but then there are those moments when...I don't know how to explain it, unnie."

"It's as if the world stops."

"Yes! Is that love? I mean...never mind."

I chuckle at her shy question. "I think it is. You should talk to him though. I feel like it will make sense if you two clear things up. Either you start dating already or make it clear that you want to keep it as friends."

"Yes. That's what I want to do. But I want to wait for him to...ask me to talk, you know? I don't want to seem like I came just because of him."

"I'm sure he knows that. Jongho is a good man. I approve."

She scoffs as she sits forward again. "I don't need your approval."

"What?!"

"I can deal with my own feelings," she teasingly says.

I pretend to hit her and let out a laugh. Instead of pulling her hair, I let my hand warmly run down her hair and give her a sweet blink. She returns my smile and we both look forward again at the backyard. Jongho sure is a man of many talents. He keeps this garden so beautiful and clean. I really do hope that he treats my sister well if they decide to be together.

"Where's In-hye?"

"I saw her go for a walk with Grandfather," I say. "She's always in her own little world, isn't she?"

"Yeah. Even here, she has her own stuff going on. But at least she smiles more, doesn't she?"

I nod at the memory of her sweet smile today in the morning when she was telling me of the letter she received from Hyorim. "I can't wait to see how she grows here. She's already doing so well. Imagine when she starts school."

In-kyung nods at my words and stays quiet for a moment. She then realizes something that makes that furrowed expression come back for the first time in weeks. "Unnie?"

"Mm?"

"Did you...did you tell our parents that we're here?"

Oh...I didn't think she would ask me that question. Her of all people especially. She never wants to know anything about our parents. But she's the one with a worried look now as I shake my head.

"Wow, unnie. You really are so reckless."

"What do you mean?" I say. "It's not like they'll come here."

"Still. Mom is going to flip when she finds out."

"She won't know," I mumble.

In-kyung raises her brows with surprise now. "Are you just not going to tell her?"

I shrug. "Why would I tell her? She didn't give us a heads-up when she decided to leave. Why should I?" In-kyung is silent when she realizes the truth of my angry words. I cross my arms on my chest and firmly say, "I won't tell her. Will you?" In-kyung shakes her head. "Good. I know In-hye won't tell them. She never talks to Mom in the group chat."

In-kyung is surprised at my plan, but she still nods. "They won't ever know."

"No. They don't deserve to be a part of our plans. They decided to leave us. So they have no reason to be a part of our new life now."