"What is time?" Honey unconsciously answered Yua while moving to another page in the book she was reading quietly.
"I meant, time for what?" she closed the book as she asked another question, changing her position from her crossed legs to putting both her feet on the ground.
"I'm expecting someone." Yua answered. "Who?"
Yua didn't bother replying though, she walked out of the room with her phone still in hand, talking to whoever was on the other end of the line. "I wonder who it is."
Honey's thoughts became distracted for a while but eventually, it went back to its place, aroused in reading to escape her reality. "YUA!!" a female's voice reached her bedroom.
Suddenly, Honey came to realize a specific detail that she attained from visiting people's houses. "The identical photographs and accessories that surely no one else can possibly have." she spoke, analyzing the memory.
'It can't be, can it?' the thought of her mother faking her death was a huge shock of discovery to Honey when she decided to confront Jihyun on the day of her party, which she failed to achieve, that is.
"If she is alive, that means she has already moved on from ever having us in her life." and that is why she chose to accept her decision.
"She did disappear in order to keep us from danger." she summarized the entire feeling of being lied to by understanding that there are reasons behind every action that a person can do.
"But I don't think I can face her that easily."
"Sora, did you bring the snacks?" the curly-haired friend of theirs arrived with two eco bags filled with groceries that she bought with Moon Hyunjoo who drove her to the house.
"Aren't you getting inside?" the red-haired male friend of theirs shouted as he wanted to check if the owner had any idea about their presence being there.
"She won't mind it, she's reading upstairs in her room, and as long as we're quiet here. She won't mind it." as soon as Yua finished saying this, the owner of the house arrived just in time to argue with what was spoken about her. "But I do mind." the other two laughed at Yua's reaction and headed inside after Honey Lou invited them wholeheartedly.
"This place is spacious and neat, how did you come to buy it?" it was Hyunjoo's first time entering Honey Lou's house, he took off his helmet and left it on one of the shelves near the door, feeling happy as he was welcomed by their friend.
"My parents bought it for me, I think?" was Honey Lou's answer, unsure whether her parents did buy it for her or not. 'Uh-huh, I'm bewildered by that.'
Hyunjoo thought as he followed Honey to the kitchen after being offered something to drink or eat while staying there as a visitor.
"What options are there?" he asked, glancing at Sora and Yua who stayed in the living room and played that same game they had been playing for a while.
'The One-Life Game again.'
Honey checked to see what she could offer Hyunjoo, opening the door of the refrigerator and seeing it very well stocked with a variety of sweets such as gummies, chocolate, lollipop, cake, and so forth. All kinds of milk were in there too.
"We've got black tea, green tea, chamomile tea, jasmine tea, etc., and coffee, fruit juice... Alcohol?" the owner informed.
"I would usually go with alcohol but..." he took out his keys to his motorbike, remembering the fact that he and Sora would likely run into an accident if ever he consumed anything with alcohol. "Right, should I brew you some coffee?" the red-headed male nodded, giving his thanks to her before assisting her in making something to eat.
Hyunjoo opened the door of the refrigerator once more and checked if Honey had everything they needed to cook a meal for the four of them before munching on the snacks that evening.
"Can I borrow your kitchen?" Hyunjoo came up with a great idea as he saw that Honey had everything in stock. "Sure, I'll even lend you a hand or two if you want."
The both of them clicked when they realized that they had something in common of an interest such as cooking.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ms. Haejin was knocking at the door of Honey Lou when suddenly, a girl greeted her from behind. She was curly-haired like those of Moroccan curly hair, it was long and brunette in color that made it look like she didn't have a round face.
"Can I help you?" Sora's eyes caught the woman off guard as she was lost in the girl's black pupils with those long lashes. "Sora?" the woman uttered, surprised to see the familiar face of a child she once embraced as her own yet grown up.
"Sorry?" Sora checked her phone as it vibrated, indicating that a notification had come up. She hurried inside of her friend's house with the keys in her hand, unlocking the door.
'She must not recognize me then.' the woman's lips formed thinner than it already was.
"Is Honey not at home?" she asked.
"I'm afraid so. But if you need anything, maybe I can help you with that." Sora stopped for a moment, trying to discern where her friend, Hyunjoo, left his helmet.
"That won't be necessary, dear." Ms. Haejin slowly went outside.
She was about to leave and meet with Honey Lou some other time but was unexpectedly blocked by a young lady with thick black hair past shoulder length and possesses a brown color when hit by the sun. Only that there wasn't any sun.
Plus, her blue sparkling eyes resembled the woman's deeply dazzling blue eyes.
"Haesu." her eyebrows went up from the shock with her widened eyes.
"Who are you? Hold up!" Haesu tried to process it.
"Wow." Yeonju and their other friends were behind them. "Listen, don't make a scene here." Miss Eun arrived at that same moment when the others caught the mother of the two named sisters, Honey Lou and Lee Haesu.
The other woman was also caught off guard upon seeing her sister alive and well.
"This is a surprise." Jihyun commented as she entered the scene, dismissing the reactions as she approached her mother with her hands crossed, acting arrogantly as if they were not on good terms. "Mom." she started, scoffing at the thought of it.
"Don't tell me... Haesu and Honey are my half-sisters, is that it??" she questioned her mother, walking around the two.
"That is the last thing I would want to know after finding out that Riyanna and Sungyeon-Oppa are Yeonju's half-siblings..." Haesu rebuked Jihyun, pushing her away from the woman in question, and thinking that she was only acting up.
"Oh, don't misunderstand the situation. You see..."
Jihyun went closer to Ms. Haejin, standing beside her to give the others a clearer view in comparing the two of them with her standard midnight black hair that is just straight.
Heart-shaped face, hooded black eyes, and downward-turned bloody red lips.
"Although, it might be a bit different." she added.
Everyone compared the similarities between Ms. Haejin and Cho Jihyun.
The undeniable common black hair though with greyish exterior strands from old age, and her plump and pale thin upper lips. "Is that true, Haejin?" Miss Eun had her arms held up in the air as she took large steps to face the other woman. 'Too soon.'
Honey Lou considered it as unfortunate as she stood behind the rest of them, her denim blue-colored almond eyes almost dead as a literal dead person would possess.
"Why don't we... Talk about this inside. Shall we?" her lips couldn't smile so brightly but she still tried to smile and think of it as a consequence of what she did.
"She is right, those of you who want to know more, head inside with us. But if you wish to leave then sure, or whatever." Honey extended the sleeves of her white cardigan, hiding her hands from being exposed to the cold or getting any infection from the breezy atmosphere present.
Her voice almost sounded as small and blunt as ever.
Yeonju, Haesu, and Jihyun led the group of friends into the house with Sora Young waiting at the door as she had only seen the events going on outside.
Sungyeon, Riyanna, Ji Eun, Sihyeon, Miles, and Min Oh followed the rest of them.
The only ones that stayed in the living room were Lee Sungyeon, Riyanna Lee, Yeonju Lee, Lee Haesu, and Honey Lou with the two grown-ups. "Are you not going to join them?"
Kim Sihyeon leaned on the wall right outside the living room, checking up on Jihyun as she noticed the girl's absence from the supposed family mentioned.
"I don't belong with them and I do not have anything to do with their business."
Jihyun had her head hung low, her body felt heavy and hard to drag around, and what more if she was to face the people she hated the most?
"Jihyun." Miss Eun believed it would be best to have the girl join in their conversation, knowing that she was somewhat related to the matter without any discrimination of her being part of a second family. "Do enter." the School Director from their school commanded her, disregarding the dismayed mood of the younger one.
"Do as she says."
Sihyeon chose to leave them then and there. Walking inside the kitchen which is only two rooms in the inner part of Honey Lou's house. 'The only missing people now are my uncle and aunt.' Yeonju rolled his eyes for getting dragged into it.
Sungyeon, however, disciplined him for not caring about the well-being of his relatives.
"Now. Tell us, why in the world are you still alive?" it was obvious that Haesu was angered by the news, and seeing Honey petrified with the scenario made it even worse.
'She knew already.' she concluded in her mind.