EP. 2 [YERIN]

There is beauty in everything, even in the most abhorrent things. Yerin can find it just about anywhere. Maybe it's because she has trouble with confrontation and likes to admire things from afar, but working at an antique shop only further proves how out of touch she is with the real world.

Her entire shift is spent appreciating each and every collectible her eyes land on, but today, her mind keeps drifting, thinking back on the previous night.

Confusion traces her otherwise soft features as she tries to predict what Baekhyun will be explaining to her later today. No matter how much she leads her thoughts in one direction, she comes right back to the beginning, not knowing what her brother's innovative gaming concept.

It's tickling her brain. Her curiosity is buzzing.

The only conclusion she's positive about is how fun Baekhyun's game is going to be. She obviously can't wait to play it, even if she knows she'll suck at it.

Yerin rests her chin in her hand, eyes unmoving from the copper, leather bound book encased by a glass structure held together by dark, wooden planks.

She has no idea what's within it's pages, similar to how she feels towards her brother's latest project.

The love Baekhyun has for programming is as prevalent as Yerin's love for the antiques surrounding her, yet different all the same.

They each have their own niche, one which is much more forthbringing, but to Yerin happiness is what truly matters. Her parents disagree. She's always at odds with them and their opinions, but she has Baekhyun looking out for her.

He makes everything a whole lot more bearable.

She hasn't seen much of him recently since he began marketing his game, and she misses him, which is why she's looking forward to lunch. Yerin will finally be hanging out with brother.

Two more hours, and then she can clock out. It feels like forever when hardly any customers come in and she's stuck behind the counter with nothing to do, but if there is one thing Yerin prides herself at being good at, it's patience.

Two hours eventually become one. One hour truns into thirty minutes, then fifiteen. When it's five to twelve, Yerin has stopped leaning on the counter. Her hand is becoming a permanent placement for her phone, which she's powered on only a couple times.

The second she sees the clock on her screen change into noon, she swings up the portion of the counter that doubles as a makeshift door and walks out from behind it. She heads to the back, beginning to untie her black vest with Gold's Antiques embroidered on one side.

"Yerin," her boss calls out from his office. The door is slightly ajar, just enough to see an employee pass by into the workroom. "Can you come here for a moment?"

Yerin sighs softly before entering Seokjin's office with a forced grin. "Yes, sir?"

"I meant to discuss this with you earlier but I got sidetracked by our donations." Seokjin gestures to the opened cardboard boxes in front of his desk, which he is currently siting behind. "We received a lot more this month than usual, so it took some time for me to catalog them. Is your shift over?"

Yerin answers with a nod of her head.

"Okay, then I'll make this brief." He lurches forward to grab a sticky note taped to his compter screen. "I received a call from an unknown number claiming they knew you, but they wouldn't give me a name or number, just this message."

Pushing the note in her direction, Yerin takes a hold of the pink square. "Oh, um, thank you."

She glances down at it, seeing Seokjin's chicken scrawl, which is almost illegible.

It's a good thing he's handsome.

Yerin squints her eyes at the words.

Yerin's brother won't be able to make it to lunch. There's been some technical difficulties at the office.

The note is short and a bit vague. Whoever left the message must have been in a rush, especially if they didn't tell her boss who they were. Still, it's strange. Baekhyun's secretary, no matter the emergency, would've given a more detailed excuse. This isn't the first time there's been a glitch in the system, which is what Yerin assumes is the issue.

Probabaly another hacker. It seems like he's been getting more security attacks. With the celebration from last night and the annoucnement of a new game, Yerin can't say she's all that suprised, but she understands.

He needs to be at NyctoCosmos right now. But it doesn't stop the dissappointment of yet another postponed hangout. Yerin's starting to think her brother is never going to have the time for her.

"Yerin," Seokjin grabs her attentions once more. "You're Kim Baekhyun's sister, right?"

Another nod of her head.

Her boss' eyes lighten up. "I've read several articles this morning abour your brother's new game. Sounds like it's going to be very successful even though all he's released is a teaser. The graphics are some of the best I've ever seen. I'm rambling, but my husband won't shut up about it. He's excited for it to be released. As am I. Anyway, I'm sorry you won't get to have lunch with him, but I'll see you first thing tomorrow morning."

Seokjin gives her a warm, genuine smile, but Yerin knows it's not really for her. Baekhyun isn't here, and yet, he's still getting more attention than her.

The life of being a celebrity has it's effects on her too.

Yerin bows her head before she turns to leave.

She knows her boss isn't trying to annoy her, but he could've at least commended her for a job well done. She can't even get that.

In the workroom she removes her vest and hangs it on it's designated hook, sliding her purse over one shoulder to walk back out.

Guess she's going home to her parents and eating lunch with them. What another disappointment.

•••

"You should really follow your brother's example."

There it is. Like clockwork. Yerin's mother believes what she's saying is a good form of encouragement, but it actually belittles what's left of her daughter's individuality.

Because she's not Baekhyun. Nor is she going to be like him. They're completely two different people, and Yerin doesn't understand why her mother won't grasp that.

But she keeps quiet and just gets mentally hit with every word.

"He started his company from his bedroom, and now, he's a multimillionaire," her mother continues. "You're not stupid, Yerin. You could do it too."

"I love my job, mom." Yerin speaks calmly, almost in a monotone. She's tired of having the same conversation over and over again. It leads nowhere.

"I know you're only working there because of your anxiety. You need to get over it."

Yerin blinks at her mother. She loves the woman that is Kim Sunhee, but she lacks empathy. Her mother would not make it as a therapist.

"You can't live like this forever. Your father and I are going to retire at some point, and we won't be able to support you anymore."

The more she speaks, the more disheartening Yerin becomes.

This is exactly why she hates having lunch with her mother. They can never talk about her interests or come to an understanding about how limiting Yerin's mental health is.

Overcoming it feels even further out of reach every time it's just Yerin and Sunhee alone. Her father is at work, like her brother, and she's stuck here in the kitchen with her mother as she eats some ramyeon.

"And you need to stop eating that junk. It's not good for you."

As her mother swivels, facing the sink to begin washing the dishes, Yerin rolls her eyes.

Her mother, Sunhee, stands at five feet, which is why she is very loud and strong willed. Whether it's because she feels it'll makeup for what she lacks in height, Yerin can't say for sure, but despite how short her mother is, she has a lot of bite.

Unfortunately, Yerin has inherited that gene and is only slightly taller than her mother by two inches. She is also a bit curvier than her too, but that is where their differences end in appearance.

They both have the same hair, mid-length and wavy. Same eyes, hooded and beady. Same dainty nose and full lips. Yerin is the spitting image of a younger version of her mother. At times, it feels like the universe is mocking her, because though they look like twins, they couldn't more different.

Her mom is hot-headead and stubborn, while Yerin is more soft-hearted and shy. Which is also why they never see eye-to-eye.

Yerin eats the last spoonful of soup, but instead of putting it in the sink so her mother can wash it, she takes it with her to room, where she'll wash it later once her mother vacates the kitchen.

She's not going to help prove her mother's point, so in the only way she knows how to show defiance, she ignores her mother entirely.

After placing the bowl on her desk, she practically throws herself on her bed and sighs.

I wish you were here, Baekhyun.