✓Pivot || MCND Bic

CHAPTER 9 - 📚

Hyebin's POV

My siblings were crouched on the living room sofa when I reached home. They were watching a movie but one of the boys was already sleeping. My older sister looked up from the TV when she heard me walked closer.

"Hey." She said as she raised the familiar cookie bag Seungmin gave me earlier. I left it on the dining table. There's only one piece of cookie left and I only had one before we left for the basketball court. "Where'd you get these? They're delicious."

I grabbed the bag from her without saying anything. I'm afraid I will still sound funny from crying and I can still feel a lump on my throat.

"Did you buy those?" She asked but I noticed her studying me. I surely look like a mess and my sister's worried eyes almost teared me up again.

"They're.." I started, clearing my throat. "They're from next door."

"Seungmin gave it to you?" Her expression lighted up but a drop of tear fell down my eyes at the mention of Seungmin's name.

"Yeah." I mustered to say.

"What's wrong?" She finally asked as she stood up to give me a hug. "If it's Haneul again, I swear I'll break his legs."

I shook my head against her shoulder and I started to silently cry. My ten year old brother, the one who isn't sleeping, paused the movie to join in the embrace.

"Please don't cry again." He said and I tightened my arms around him. But when he added, "You sound like a whale.", I quickly put him at arms length and snarled. He laughed and my sister did, too.

I gave him a smile. "Okay, I won't." I promised and then I teasingly shoved the cookie bag in his face. "But who said you can eat my cookies?"

"They're delicious. Bring home some more next time." He grinned and I remembered Seungmin saying he'd give me more. I guess that isn't happening anymore.

"I'll try." I told him and he hurriedly went back to sit and continue with the movie.

My sister stared at me. "It's Seungmin this time, isn't it?" she said. I love that I don't have to struggle to open up my problems to her. She just knows and she'll immediately ask.

I nodded. "I messed up."

She probably sensed it was a more serious matter than my usual problems which I also cry about, considering the big crybaby that I am, she pulled me away from the living room into the dining area where we usually have girl talks and we sat side by side on the kitchen table.

"Like...you said something wrong to him messed up or the regular messed up that's been going on for like five years now?" She asked.

"What?"

"Do you think I didn't notice?" She said. "You two were inseparable and then one moment, you just walk around pretending not to know each other. Like I said, it's messed up."

I didn't know she pays attention to that too. "It's both, then." I sighed "A lot of things happened and there was this old lady..." I told her what the lady talked about and how Seungmin reacted when he found out I forgot about a lot of things.

"How did you even forget about the wedding?" She exclaimed after I'm done talking. "That was like a kids' party. All of your friends were there, even their parents. I was there, too."

I shook my head. "I don't know. I still vaguely remember anything about that and I don't think I can face him until I do...or at all." I look at my sister and I know she's trying to choose her words to sound both comforting and counseling, to make me feel better. Because no matter how we turn the situation around, I'm the one at fault here. "I don't even remember how we were aside for being best friends."

She looked at me, wide-eyed. "What did you just say? No, you were more than that. You're like childhood sweethearts. It was never just best friends."

When she saw the look on my face, a mixture of confusion and contrite, she sighed.

"Wait here." She said and she stood up and left me in the room.

Childhood sweethearts. I felt a tingling sensation in my heart at the words. I've been feeling something like this the whole night and I thought it was weird. Now I know that it was my heart reacting to Seungmin even though my brain remains indifferent.

My sister returned with a stack of photo albums and she placed them on the table in front of me. "Look through these and let's see if you still think you're just friends."

I flipped open the one on top and they were all my baby pictures. After a few pages of my family holding me as an infant, there are suddenly two babies.

"That's Seungmin." My sister pointed out.

I flipped through pages of us sleeping in the same crib, our moms and dads holding us, and my sister poking our cheeks. The album ended with this cute picture where I was trying to bite Seungmin's ear.

"That's cute." My sister said and she nodded towards the next album.

I just stared at it, not really prepared for what it contains. All of these albums in front of me surely have pictures of me and Seungmin growing up together and I'm losing the whole point of looking through all of them.

"Why are we even doing this?" I asked. "I bet he doesn't want anything to do with me anymore."

"I doubt that." She answered. "You said you don't really remember a lot of things, especially the more important ones. Through these pictures, you'll see where he's coming from; see his perspective. It will tell you what was so important to him that you completely shove away, making him hurt and angry."

"You know I didn't mean to forget."

"But that's not the point, is it?" She said. "You have your own reasons. You were probably too busy with school and friends and this other guy that came along and it distracted you or whatever. But it doesn't change the fact that you hurt him."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" I asked.

"You guys decided to stop hanging out for a reason and without any argument." She said. "Of course he'll be upset and maybe you just have to say you're sorry. You wouldn't think it'll be enough but you always have to start with that."

I nodded and hugged my sister. "Thank you." I said and I gestured at the photo albums. "I think I'll just take these to my room."

She gave me a smile. "Make sure you'll make up with him, okay? I kinda miss that kid." When I stood up with the stack on my arms, my sister winks at me. "Make the cookies as motivation. I know you love those."

I smiled back at her and I went up the stairs to the comfort of my room.