doppelgänger

twenty-four💚

( present day )

Yuqi's shoulders untensed as she looked on at the scene in front of her. Soyeon excitedly signing up for a library card, Soojin cooking a so-far nice smelling dinner, and Shuhua sitting next to Yuqi at the dinner table telling everyone about how her sister's business is going. It was peaceful. It was like they were a family, a real family.

~

( 12 years ago )

"Honey, you have to choose one."

Ten-year-old Yuqi hugged her stuffed animal tighter to her chest, imitating the feeling of her brother hugging her. I wish I could live with him... She swallows, looking at her feet. "Why can't I have both?"

"Because, we don't love each other anym–"

"Because life's not fair," her mother interrupted, rolling her eyes, "now choose one of us before I shred that ugly thing."

Yuqi held the stuffed animal impossibly closer, tears wetting her face. "I- I want to live with both of you!"

Her father pat her softly on the head. "I'm sorry, baby.."

Yuqi moved away from him. "It's either both of you, or neither."

Her mother scoffed. "Fine then, brat. Just– here," She handed her a plastic card, "you can use this to buy stuff."

"Buy stuff?" Yuqi furrowed her brows, inspecting the plastic card. "So who am I going to–" but when she looked up, they were gone.

~

( present day )

"Yuqi, are you okay?" She blinked, greeted with Soyeon's worried face and Soojin and Shuhua hovering behind her. "Yuqi-yah, why are you crying?" Soyeon wiped her thumb across her cheek, gently taking away the tears. But they kept coming.

"I'm okay," Yuqi said, but she allowed herself to crumble in Soyeon's arms anyway. The comforting way she was squeezed, the soft kisses peppering her face, and Shuhua's hand sweetly rubbing her back helped Yuqi calm down. "I'm- I'm sorry, I.. I don't know why I..."

And instead of launching back into her story, Shuhua guided her head to lean on her shoulder. Instead of continuing to cook properly, Soojin turned the stove's fire down and moved slower around the kitchen, keeping an eye on Yuqi. Instead of moving on and going back to her library things, Soyeon held her hand. This can't be real, can it? Nobody's dying, nobody's leaving me...This.. This is a dream, isn't it?

Shuhua rubbed her shoulder. "It's not a dream, Yuqi," she whispered, as if reading her thoughts, "You've got three people right here with you who love you so much."

Yuqi cried into Shuhua's shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered. It was all she could say.

Soyeon bit the inside of her cheek, occasionally squeezing Yuqi's hand. Why is Yuqi so sad? I didn't do anything, did I? She.. looks happy, though? Soyeon shook her head, deciding to just comfort her and not understand. Darn, the one day I can't blame it on not taking my medicine.

~

( present day, earlier this morning )

Yuqi breathed in, waking to the smell of peanut butter. She sat up, confused. "Soyeon," Yuqi raised her brow in the bed, pulling the sheets off of herself, "what are you doing?"

"I'm taking all my medicine at once so you guys won't nag me about it," she mumbled, trying to fit all of the small pills onto one spoon, sticking them one by one into a huge glob of peanut butter.