The sound of birds chirping and the chilly breeze wafting through the window brought a wave of nostalgia to Sengchanh as she slept in her childhood home once again.
Every morning since she returned had been filled with comfort, especially with the aroma of her grandmother's cooking wafting through the air, lifting her spirits and brightening her day.
But those days had come to an end when her family received the heartbreaking news that her grandmother had passed away. Soon, they would be attending her funeral, saying goodbye to the person Sengchanh wished she could have kept by her side forever, knowing the pain of loss would be unbearable.
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"Wake up, Chanh. Today is our last day," Jaehyun said, trying to shake the girl awake.
"Leave me alone," she whined, wanting to savor her last moments in her childhood room.
"If you don't get up right now, I'm going to steal your Dean poster and rip it—" Jaehyun threatened, only to have a pillow hit him square in the face.
"Touch my Dean poster and you die."
"KIDS, HURRY UP AND COME EAT! WE NEED TO FINISH LOADING OUR STUFF!"
The two teenagers raced each other down the stairs.
"AUNTY, JAEHYUN TRIED TO RIP UP MY DEAN POSTER!" Sengchanh yelled.
"AUNTY, YOUR DAUGHTER SMACKED ME IN THE FACE WITH A PILLOW!" Jaehyun shot back, and they both spoke in unison.
Their mothers exchanged exasperated glances. "Hurry up and eat, you two," Sengchanh's mom, Kim, said, clearly tired of their antics, while Sekyoung chuckled at her sister's annoyance.
"So, are you excited to move to Seoul?" Jaehyun asked, picking at his food.
"Eh... it's fifty-fifty. I miss Sunwoo, but as for the others... I don't think they care much for me. I lost contact with Mark after Youngji moved."
"Yeah, I kind of fell off with everyone too, but I still talk to them occasionally. It's mostly work and school that distanced us. Mark seems happy with his new group of friends, though; he's gotten pretty popular."
"Jaehyun, do you think I'll like it there? You know... the college?" Sengchanh asked hesitantly.
"Well, considering you did online classes your whole freshman year, it'll definitely be a change of environment for you. But it's okay; you'll have Sunwoo and me," her cousin said with a smile.
"I'm going to help our parents pack up; we have a long day ahead of us," Jaehyun said, standing up and giving her a pat on the head.
Sengchanh stared off into space, reflecting on her last day in her childhood home. She was leaving everything and all her memories behind. On the bright side, she hoped to have a more active social life in Seoul, like she did before moving back to Busan. Doing college online had its drawbacks, but she had chosen that path to spend her last moments with her grandmother while she was sick.
