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GAEUL opened the door to their flat, surprised to see (not only) Nara's parents but her grandmother as well. „Who is it?" Nara asked from the living room, but Gaeul was too speechless to answer. „If it's Mira, shut the door Gaeul! You're too soft for her." Nara yelled—still annoyed at her little sister. Gaeul still didn't answer and stepped aside letting the Noh's enter.
„Gaeul, who is it?!" Nara yelled even louder and decided to stand up and walk out of the living room. As soon as the brunette stepped inside the hallway, she shut her mouth. Opposite of her was her grandmother. Grandma Miran was the inspiration behind Mira's name and the mother of Nara's father.
And Nara knew that Grandma Miran was a strict woman who only visited when something was bound to happen. Nara gulped and bowed politely. „Grandma Miran, what a surprise!" Nara smiled and heard her grandmother scoff. „Where's the living room?", she asked and followed Gaeul into the living room. „Nara", her mother leaned into her. „Prepare tea. We have bad news", Mrs Noh followed her mother-in-law into the living room and Nara looked at her dad, that quietly passed her.
„Dad? What happened?" Nara asked, confusion written all over her face. „Nara, I'll stay in my room for a while, okay?" Gaeul whispered and Nara nodded, still confused. Nara quickly brewed up a tea and brought everyone a cup of tea.
Her grandmother was sitting on the couch—her legs crossed. She turned the TV off. „Grandma!" Nara exclaimed. „I was watching a runway show!" Grandma Miran glared at her grandchild and Nara looked down.
„I hope your parents already told you—" - „Mother, we haven't told her yet. She was busy with university." Mr Noh said and his mother glared at him. „Busy? With university? Apparently, she's sitting on this couch all day and watching stupid runway shows, while Mira..." Grandma Miran closed her lips and looked at her son and her daughter-in-law. „Tell her." Grandma Miran said and looked at Nara's parents. Nara lifted her eyebrow—still confused, if not even more confused than before.
„Nara-yah, darling", Mrs Noh started and took a deep breath. Nara looked at her mother and realized how pale she was. Mrs Noh looked like she hadn't slept for days. And her father looked the same. „Darling", Mrs Noh tried again, but the words couldn't leave her lips. „Nara", Mr Noh spoke, „Mira is in the hospital."
Grandma Miran, Mr and Mrs Noh all looked at the oldest Noh daughter. Nara only shook her shoulders. „And? Did she cut herself while preparing flowers? Or what? Why are y'all so serious?"
As soon as the words left Nara's mouth, she felt a hand on her cheek. A stinging pain came a second afterwards and Nara looked up to see her grandmother standing in front of her. „How dare you speak about your little sister like this?" Grandma Miran looked furious and turned to Nara's parents.
„Why are you allowing Nara to speak about Mira like that?", she asked and the couple looked at the floor. Grandma Miran went and sat down on her seat again. Mr Noh looked at his mother. „Mother, you have to understand, Mira was really mean to Nara when they were little." Grandma Miran looked at her son.
„You're still defending Nara, while Mira is at the hospital." Grandma Miran shook her head and looked at Nara. „Nara, darling", Grandma Miran mocked Mrs Noh, who looked at the floor embarrassed. „Your little sister attempted suicide. She's at the hospital because her attempt of hanging herself failed and she fell down the first floor with the bedsheets around her neck."
The living room turned silent. Mr and Mrs Noh looked at the floor. The memories of finding Mira on the floor, after coming back from Nara's presentation still burned in their mind.
Her unconscious body, her almost blue-looking face and her right arm, that was in the most disturbing position. Mr Noh had thought Mira was faking it, to scare them. But after Mrs Noh tried to shake her daughter awake and scold her for that disgusting prank, they realized it wasn't fake.
Mira had tried taking her life, but the bedsheet had separated from the railing of the stairs when she jumped. It had pulled on her neck for a while before she fell down and landed with a loud thud on the floor.
Nara looked at her parents and her grandmother. „Lol", she chuckled, „Mira's even too dumb to commit suicide." Nara looked at her fingernails. „Doesn't surprise me." Her parents looked up and Mr Noh widened his eyes.
Before he could say something, Mrs Noh was already in front of Nara and gave her another slap on the cheek. „What is wrong with you?", she asked her daughter and Nara looked at her mother. „What the fuck, Mum? Why would you hit me?"
„Why are you speaking about your sister like that?" - „Because she's a fucking brat. She's annoying and stupid and ugly and dumb. I never wanted a sister in the first place and Mira is just so fucking dumb. And you and dad always believed me, when I told you that Mira was mean to me!" Nara yelled. „You didn't like her either, mum!" Nara said and stood up. She stared her mother straight in the eye.
„I heard you and dad talk about Mira's future and how stupid she is for choosing a job instead of studying at university. You, Mum, you said you were embarrassed for having her as your daughter!"
Grandma Miran was looking at her grandchild and her daughter-in-law. She clicked her tongue. „I'm only here to confirm, that I'm going to take care of Mira from now on. I should've inserted myself in the picture way earlier. When Mira started showing signs of depression. She cried herself to sleep whenever she visited me." Grandma Miran stood up. „Nara, get dressed. We're visiting your sister. I want you to apologize." Grandma Miran walked out of the living room and past Gaeul, that was standing in the door.
„Excuse me?" Gaeul asked and bowed to Mrs Noh senior. „Is it true? Did Mira really commit suicide?" Grandma Miran looked at Gaeul. Worry was written all over Gaeul's face. „I'm sorry I eavesdropped but is it true?", the strawberry-blonde repeated.
„Her suicide attempt failed—thankfully. But yes, she tried taking her own life last Monday." Grandma Miran said and Gaeul bit her lips. „Just a day after their fight..." - „Pardon me?" - „Last Sunday, Mira and Nara had a fight and ... Nara threw a bowl after Mira. After that Nara kicked Mira out. This was last Sunday." Gaeul's bottom lip shivered. „This is her hospital and room number, in case you want to visit her." Grandma Miran handed Gaeul a piece of paper and the young adult nodded. „Thank you."
Grandma Miran looked in the hallway. „Five more minutes, Nara!" She called and heard an annoyed yell from Nara's room. Mr and Mrs Noh were still sitting in the living too. Still speechless. „We messed up big time... right?" Mr Noh asked and Mrs Noh held back her tears.
„No, we fucked this up. We ruined our youngest daughters life. Just because she wasn't the child we imagined she be." Mrs Noh started crying. „It's our fault. We favoured Nara over her. We always put Nara over her." Mr Noh sighed. „She probably hates us, right?" - „I wouldn't be surprised if she did." Mrs Noh answered and looked at the living room.
Nothing in this flat showed that Noh Mira had ever lived here. Nothing showed that Noh Mira even existed. Not a single photo of her was in here. Mrs Noh found pictures of Gaeul and her younger siblings, of Nara and Gaeul and of Nara and her parents. It seemed that Noh Mira never existed for Nara. And Mrs Noh knew, it was their fault as the parents. They hadn't shown Nara how to love Mira.
And they haven't shown Mira that she was loved. Never.
