𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐈𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 || 𝗣.𝗦𝗛

[ 36 ]

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
- BACK HOME -
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Leaning her head back against the bench from the back of the empty bus, Yerin looked up at the dark sky filled with the moon and different sized stars trough the fogged-up window. She was shivering from the cold.

All she wore was a dress which left her shoulders exposed. She didn't even have shoes on to keep her feet warm.

Don't worry, Yerin. You're on your way home now and you're going to meet everybody again. You are going to live again a life that you used to live.

Yerin sighed deeply before closing her eyes.

Suddenly the bus stopped at the next bus stop the bus encountered. The bus hadn't stopped before because it was somewhere around midnight and everyone was already asleep. She heard footsteps enter the bus and get closer to her.

The person sat down in the seat next to Yerin on the bus and looked at her. Her body was shaking from the cold. The person took off his coat and laid it over Yerin like a blanket.

Yerin sleepily opened her eyes and looked at the person next to her. Her eyes widened when she saw that her brother was suddenly sitting next to her. "Jungwon?!"

"Who?" The person next to her asked. "My name is not Jungwon?"

Yerin shook her head back and forth and looked at the person again, seeing that there was a random stranger boy sitting next to her. He looked at her in surprise and confusion. Yerin bit her lower lip.

"Sorry," She said awkwardly as she rubbed her feet together restlessly.

The boy chuckled. "It's okay," He said. There was a brief silence between the two before the boy interrupted it again. "So... What's your name?"

Yerin swallowed and looked outward to avoid eye contact with the boy. She stared at the stars. "Yang Jiwoo," Yerin answered honestly.

She was finally away from that house she was trapped in, so could she finally use her own name again?

The boy next to her frowned. "But Yang Jiwoo is dead."

Yerin froze on her seat in the bus. Sluggishly, she turned her head back to the boy. "What do you mean? I'm not dead! I'm sitting here anyway!"

The person next to her shrugged and shifted a few seats to create a distance between them. He looked at Yerin suspiciously and then turned his head away from her.

"What's up with that guy?" Yerin whispered under her breath to herself. "I'm not even dead? Why is he saying I'm dead then?"

She grabbed the coat he had given her earlier from her and threw it at the boy. "Here! Take that back!" She yelled.

The boy looked up startled and quickly grabbed the coat. He quickly turned back to the other side.

"Next stop: Suwon."

We're almost there. After a long night...

-

Yerin disembarked from the bus with trembling legs as she looked up at the sky. She was finally there. After all these long years and a long journey behind her, she was finally home.

Her body trembled from the cold as she hugged herself with her arms and rubbed them, only to keep herself warm.

The bus behind her its engine sounded and drove on again to the next stop. Yerin watched the bus leave and then looked around her. The streets were completely empty, not a single person or vehicle could be seen, but luckily she was close to her home. A few minutes' walk.

After all, she couldn't sleep on the streets in this cold tonight. She would get sick and tomorrow she would not be able to meet everyone she has wanted to see for years.

But if she went home now, would her own brother recognize her at all?

Yerin had a new identity, a different haircut, a dress on that was completely covered in blood, and otherwise wasn't even wearing shoes or a coat.

She took a fistful of hair. "Jungwon would think I'm a murderer if I arrive home like this!"

She sighed and let her head fall down. She yawned before slowly crashing to the street and closing her eyes. "No..." She panted as she struggled to open her eyes again. "Don't go to sleep here! You look like a bum and those guys are surely after you to find and kill you!"

Slowly and with a lot of strength applied, Yerin managed to stand and make her way home.

-

Knock Knock...

Yerin quietly pulled her hand back from the door, hoping her brother would open. He would probably be on the couch watching a movie with a snack, as he always does in the evening and night.

He really is a night owl. He sleeps during the day and is awake at night.

No answer.

Again Yerin brought her hand to the door, but just as she was about to knock on the door, it was opened before she could complete her action.

It was Jungwon, of course, because who else? He rubbed his eyes tiredly and had bags under them, as if he hadn't slept in days.

In fact, he'd been working all day with Jake and Sunghoon to carry out that plan and then find out that Jiwoo wasn't really dead.

Yerin her mouth dropped open when she saw him. He had gotten so big. You could see in his face that he was maturing and his hair looked nice, soft.

She reached out to brush her fingers through his hair, but Jungwon angrily slapped her arm away. "Who do you think you are!" He yelled at the girl, annoyed.

Yerin quickly took a step back. "Jungwon..." She said softly.

Jungwon frowned his eyebrows. Her voice was familiar to him. "How do you know my name?" He asked as he raised his eyebrow.

"Because I'm your sister, Jungwon," Yerin said as her eyes began to fill with tears. "It's me, Jiwoo."

Jungwon swallowed and fell silent. He stared at the girl in front of her for a long time. "How can I be sure that you are really my sister?"

Yerin scoffed and let a tear roll down her cheek. "Why don't you believe me?" She sobbed. "I may have changed, but you are Yang Jungwon, my big brother. I always managed to annoy you at the silliest moments. You like watching movies in the evening and are jealous that I hang out with guys. You prefer wearing oversized clothes and you hate getting up early. You don't like it when mom and dad are away for work because you have to take care of me.

But lucky for you, I was gone for three years, so you didn't have to deal with-"

Suddenly Jungwon interrupted Yerin by giving her a hug. His arms around her gave her comfort. It felt like home.

Jungwon sobbed into her neck. "Sorry, Jiwoo."

Jiwoo... That name felt right. That name felt like normal. She missed being called that.

Yerin, also known as Jiwoo, wrapped her arms around her brother's body. "It's okay, Won."

"I'm sorry for treating you like this the whole time. Now that you were gone, I realized it's harder than I thought it was going to be. I sincerely missed you so much and I was so scared when I heard you were dead. Luckily, Jake, Sunghoon and I found out your body was fake and your dead was staged."

Jungwon interrupted the hug and grabbed his sister's hands. The skin contact let him feel her cold skin. "Come inside quickly," he said. "You're cold and look tired. Get your rest and let's talk more tomorrow."

Yerin nodded as she smiled and walked in with Jungwon.

He's such a good and caring brother. She couldn't wish for any other big brother than him. He is perfect.

From now on, I can finally forget that my name is Yerin. Let me continue as Jiwoo.