36 Too Early For School (1/2)

Yeo Ri woke up especially early. Since Gun offered to take her to her school, she didn't want him to be late to his.

When they left the house, the sun was still not up.

”Isn't it too early? Yeo Ri-ah, are you okay? Still sleepy?” Gun blew a breath into his hands. It was beginning to grow so cold that he could see his breath.

”Mm... I'm fine.” Yeo Ri nodded, rubbing her hands together. ”Let's hurry, or you'll miss the bus.”

”Mm.” Gun took his baby sister's hands after warming up, transferring heat to her cold hands. Together, they power-walked hand-in-hand.

”If you're scared, stay at the teacher's office, okay?” He reminded her. He pressed a banknote into her hand, ”buy something to eat. Something warm. Okay?”

Yeo Ri smiled, feeling touched. They didn't have much money to begin with, yet Gun readily gave her his money straight out of his pockets. Unlike her who received an allowance from time to time from their father, Gun had to completely rely on his scholarship money and award prizes.

”No, Oppa. Use the money yourself,” Yeo Ri returned the money, ”I... I received some allowance a while back.” Yeo Ri struggled to smile. The memory was not a fond one. It made her feel worse knowing that that man gave her money only because he slept with her.

It was dirty money and she had no intentions of using it, but they needed it to survive.

Yeo Ri took out the bills from her bag with trembling hands. She gave Gun the biggest bill. ”I received some extra. I guess he was in a good mood? Anyways, Oppa, you can have this.”

”Yeo Ri-ah...” Gun pushed it back to her, but after seeing her insistent gaze, he could only accept reluctantly.

After seeing Gun take the money, Yeo Ri pushed him away, ”Oppa, you should hurry. The bus will leave any minute now,” she smiled. Though, Yeo Ri was wearing a mask to hide her bruise, so he couldn't actually see her expression.

”Okay.” Gun patted her head one more time before leaving. He kept turning back every once in a while, motioning Yeo Ri to get into the school building. Yeo Ri stubbornly stood in front of the school gate, waving at Gun until he was out of sight. Then, when she could no longer see his shadow, she finally stepped into the school grounds and made a beeline towards her classroom.

The school was empty and quiet. It was so eerie that she could not help but feel goosebumps raising on her skin. Her mind flashed to all those times the girls in class gossiped about ghost stories.

”Ghosts don't exist, ghosts don't exist, ghosts don't exist...” she chanted loudly.