(하나) One

"You aren't paying attention"

"What?"

"Choi Ara, you were not paying attention. I told you four times already to help your sister bring your things upstairs!"

"Yeah, yeah"

"Don't talk back to me!"

   Ara didn't dare speak more as she shuffled along with two suitcases in her hands away from her shorter mother. Mrs. Choi was a shorter, round woman. She had coal black hair that was as straight as a stick, a stern glare, and the height of 5'2. Accompanied behind Ara was a young girl, aged 10, with wavy blackish brown hair down to her mid back. This was Ara's younger sister Choi Eunji, a mess of a child, with a sweet talking ability to envy skilled businessmen. And Eunji was a confident businesswoman, trading seriously on the playground, and on the streets. Her favorite victum being stupid highschool students who think they can take advantage of a small child, all of which end up with a bad deal and only realize it too late, if they even notice at all.

   Mrs. Choi followed behind the two girls, rushing them up the stairs and into their room. It took the two girls a collective two hours to finally unload everything and set it up in their shared room. Of course they were used to the shared room, being from a not so well off family for as long as they knew. Their mother ran a small restaurant and their father was always away as a traveling salesman, usually going overseas to sell in Japan, China, and areas of Europe. Even with their father traveling overseas, they could never seem to make much money. Most of the income came in from the restaurant that Mrs. Choi ran.

     A loud crash sounded through the girl's room. Ara looked over to see a terrified Eunji standing over her table, scattered things across the floor. Ara could only sound out a silent and meek "Jiji" before a hurried Mrs. Choi ran in and looked around the room. "Choi Eunji what was that noise?" then Mrs. Chois dark eyes met the scattered things and the young girl. Mrs. Choi's eyes must have widened 10 times at that moment as a yelling rage burst of words was thrown about at both of the girls. Of course, Ara and Eunji kept silent as to not make it worse and rushed to clean it up as soon as their mother took a breath to stop yelling. Mrs. Choi slightly huffed and headed back downstairs to continue her preparations.

  Since they had arrived later in the day on a Saturday, they didn't have much time in the town before it was time to eat dinner. After their mother had finished with the dinner, all three of them gathered around a small table and ate. A small conversation, of only mere small talk commenced at dinner.

"Ara, are you ready to start your third year of highschool on Monday?"

"I guess"

"Just 'I guess'?"

"Yeah"

A sigh came from Mrs. Choi as she looked to her youngest starting to ask her the same questions,

"Are you ready to start on Monday Eunji?"

"Mhm"

"Proper language"

"Yes mom"

  Mrs. Choi smiled and continued to eat dinner, small talk surrounding the entire dinner. Then dishes, washing up, and bed.

     Early the next morning Mrs. Choi surprised the girls with new backpacks and supplies for school. Ara smiled and thanked her mom first before setting her bag on her bed. She then put her shoes on exiting and waving goodbye to her mom. She walked to a store around the corner where she entered and looked through the shelves for a cheap sketchbook. She finally settled on a small, cheap one for ₩2,000 (1.70 USD) and handed the younger guy at the counter her pocket change. She took her small change back and then left the store holding her sketchbook. As she left she felt a small, wet pellet hit her nose. Tucking the journal under her coat she looked up as some droplets hit her hair. She smiled ever so slightly, memories accompanied with rainfall. She rushed home in the rain, unknowingly passing by someone who would play a large part of her life on the street.