I am startled awake by a body jumping on mine.
The second the smell of warm vanilla fills my nose; I ease up and let the person hug me. It is my baby sister, Yunah. "Hey" I whisper to her and immediately her hug tightens, she is crying.
"Yuyu? What is wrong?" I ask her softly, stroking her long silky hair.
"I was scared; you were gone…I thought..." she says, I feel the tremors of her body as she sobs, her voice muffled from where she has her face pressed into my neck- inhaling my scent as if to remind herself that I am there and that I am real.
"Yunah-yah, I would never leave, I promised you that I'll be with you, didn't I?" I say to her, and she burst into tears, "Oppa" she cried.
"It's okay, we're okay" I say softly, letting her rest her entire weight on me- genuinely happy that in this dysfunctional family and in this glamourous prison, someone loved me honestly.
Gently I rub her back and hum quietly, the same way I have always done from the second she became old enough to witness the pains of being born into this family.
After a while, Yunah quiets down, and only the sharp intake of breath she is taking to stabilize herself can be heard. "Oppa…where were you?" she asks quietly.
I look away as a flash of my 'captivity' comes to mind. At my silence, Yunah sits up to study my face, her big eyes roam my face.
"Your heat...." she whispers, knowing that the walls have ears in this cursed home. "Did they hurt you?" she asks, her eyes filling again with tears.
Yunah, though five years younger has always been with me every step of the way since I presented an omega male and she has always kept track of my heat cycle, something even I can't do properly.
"Oppa, did they hurt you?" she asks again, "Yunah-yah, I'm okay…I promise no one hurt me…" I say to her, and my cheeks redden. "I…I…" I stutter and Yunah's eyes widens with realization, "Oppa…" she calls softly.
I instantly look away, "it's not what you think". "Oppa, you deserve happiness too" Yunah says to me firmly, sniffling as she says so.
"Do I really?" I ask her and she pouts up at me, "what are you talking about? We promised we won't let father's toxin get to us…right?" Yunah asks me and I smile at her, I have so much to say to her, but I don't want to ruin her child-like hope and faith.
The same hope I built for her myself, making myself the shield that took every blow that our world brings. Yunah is born a bright and sweet child, I would sooner die than watch her light dim.
"Yeah" I say, lying through my teeth to kill her worry, "will you tell me about it?" she asked, pressing her nose into my chest to wipe her snot off, "Yah Choi Yunah!" I exclaimed with playful disgust, pushing her away from me
"That's for disappearing and having a lover without telling me" she stuck her tongue at me, smiling at me like I hung the moon and stars.
"Yah don't use that word" I glare at her, "Oppa I'm 21!" she glares back at me, we both have a three second stare off before tumbling unto the bed laughing. I am glad I can laugh like this even in my dark life.
"Oppa, stay safe, okay? Don't let anyone hurt you" Yunah says, turning her face to look at me, I smile to reassure her. "If I ever fall in love, you will be the first to know Yuyu" I say and she sighs dramatically, "'when' you fall in love, don't say if" she says as if my choice of word personally offends her.
'You know the suffocating weight on me that directs my entire life, don't you?' I want to say.
'You know no one can know that I am an omega…how can I fall in love and hide this part of me?' I want to ask.
'You know since I presented my heart has always been forcefully sated by an alpha father handpicks' I want to speak…but I know I would break her precious heart, so instead I nod.
"Yes, yes…when I fall in love Yunah, you will be the first to know" I say with a chuckle and she lets out a squeal.
A knock on my door interrupts our moment, "yes?" I ask and the house maid opens the door and steps in. "Young master, young lady" she says bowing deeply.
"Good morning" Yunah greets her cheerfully, releasing her pheromones to dominate the room and cover mine- she know I have to hide even in the confines of my room.
"The master Choi asks for both of you in his study right now" she says and both Yunah and I turn our heads to look at each other.
"We will be there, you can leave" I say, and the woman bows before leaving. "Why is father suddenly asking for us?" Yunah asks with a frown.
"You're not in trouble, are you?" I ask my sister, and she shook her head, "Oppa…you're not in trouble, are you?" she asks me, her smile dropping and the sparks in her eyes fizzling away.
"Lets just go and see, I'm sure everything is fine" I say to her before going to pick up a scent patch, father hates my scent. "I'm scared" Yunah says, "don't be come on" I say as I hold her hand and we both go to our father's study.
"Finally, Yunah my dearest" Father says gruffly and Yunah immediately bows, "Yujun" he says to me, "Father" I bow in greeting.
"Both of you prepare, your sister is coming as well…", "Yubin unnie?" Yunah interrupts my father, "Im sorry" she apologize quickly bashfully bowing her head.
"Tonight we visit the Hwang territory" Father says gruffly.