HOMETOWN  Seoul, South Korea FAMILY  

Kang Jaewon (Father)

Seung Sunyoung (Mother, deceased)

Kang Juwon (Older brother)

Kang Siwon (Older brother)

Kang Suwon (Older brother)

MARITAL STATUS  Single

BEST SUBJECT(S)  Biology, English, Mathematics WORST SUBJECT(S)  Art, Home Economics SPORTS  Swimming, Taekwondo CLUBS  Student Council

“Hey, little sister,” Juwon’s voice finally rings through the discord, something about Siwon being too dumb to know how the difference between the audio and video icons and who came out of the birth canal first.

“You guys are way too lively for somebody who just woke up.”

Suwon quickly swipes the phone from Siwon, immediately prompting a squawking litany on the importance of abiding by seniority customs. Juwon can be seen massaging his temples in the background. “You sound just like an old man — just like these ugly geezers!”

Another squawk, probably from Siwon. Sowon shakes her head. “You better be glad I’m not there, then. Otherwise you’d be stuck with three geezers.”

There’s a beat of silence before he speaks again. “Maybe, but I’d rather have you here than not at all.”

She stifles the sudden urge to sob. “Yeah?”

In the dark of her room, through the glint of the screen, she sees three pairs of hopeful eyes. “Mm-hmm.”

—

LOG #207

10-12-24 / 11:48 KST

Father has yet to greet me for the holidays. It seems he’s still deeply disappointed by the “average” marks I had received in my Home Economics class. At this rate, I highly doubt he will book me a flight to New York for January 1st.

Signing off,

강소원

CONSCRIPTION  N/A EDUCATION

Yonsei University College of Medicine, MD Emergency Medicine (Ongoing)

Yonsei University College of Medicine, BS Pre-medicine, BS Emergency Medicine

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Self-employed (Seoul), Tutor, 2013–

Yonsei University Starbucks (Seoul), Barista, 2012–2013

“Leaving so soon?”

She starts, almost tripping over her own bra, but she manages. In every sense of the word. She doesn’t turn back.

“Yeah, I — I got a lot of work. To do. Need to study,” her words come out too fast for her liking. Too jumbled. It shouldn’t be — she shouldn’t be.

The mattress creaks as he rises from the nest of soiled sheets, eyes boring holes in the dip of her back. Her skin crawls. “Need any help with that…?”

(She might but she didn’t want him any closer.)

Sowon shakes her head — quickly, like she was expecting him to ask.

“I think y—”

“No!” She jumps. Finally faces him, this time. He’s still on the bed and he’s still smirking. As always. Somehow, she meets his gaze. “No, I — it’s fine. I’m fine. You can just,” she motions to the bed, arms outstretched, the rest of her dress pooling around her waist.

His eyes are searching hers, too hopeful to be nothing, but at least he stops moving.

“Noona, you should—”

“Should really get going,” she cuts him off, regaining some semblance of composure. Still good. “I should really get going.”

“You know you could just stay here.”

Sowon frowns. She somehow regrets giving him that.

His lips part again, but this time she’s fumbling with the doorknob, purse in hand and hair unruly but his presence is starting to make her feel sick and she reallyreallyneedstogetoutnow—