Jungok suggests they wait for their youngest sibling before catching up. Readily, Haeok nods. “I can help, if you want,” Haeok offers from where he stands before the doorway. Awkwardly, he shifts his weight onto his other foot. “With the food, I mean.” He looks to the side. Jungok giggles from the kitchen. “Don’t worry, I’m almost done.” Her back is to Haeok, the outline of her figure unfamiliar to him. She looks back at him from over her shoulder, smirks slightly. “You can get me the bowls. Then go sit down, y’don’t have to stand there.” She moves, back facing Haeok again. He hears the sound of chopping. Haeok shakes his head slightly, before bending down to remove his shoes. Pulling off the dirty rubber, he sets them next to the twin pairs of jipsin sandals. He stands up, dusts his hands against the faded pants, acutely aware of the dust that clings to him like a second skin. Carefully, Haeok steps across the doorway, walking over the gudeul floor to the kitchen. It’s with some relief that he finds the bowls in the same shelf of his memory, and he sets them next to his sister. Jungok meets his eyes, smiles.“Thanks.” Looking down, Haeok nods slightly before passing her, walking to the other side of the room. Her brow furrows, and she watches him for a moment before turning back to the food. Haeok exhales as he sits, leaning against the wall with crossed legs. The comfort of the warm floor beneath him and the steady chopping from the kitchen is reassuring, and Haeok can feel himself slipping closer into the fuzziness of lethargy. Slowly, his eyes drop. ……… Haeok startles into awareness as the door is pushed open. His mouth opens slightly when he recognizes the girl who enters- Suok. Compared to Jungok, the difference between childhood and adolescence is even more striking. The Suok of his memory is gone, now half a foot taller from where she stands in her school uniform, hair now cut chin-length. The same delicate features, large cheeks, and round face they had both taken from their mother- Suok’s wide-set eyes, widening momentarily in shock and recognition, before breaking into a grin, bounding over to where her brother sits. “Suok! Your shoes!” Jungok admonishes as the youngest tracks dirt across the floor, but there’s no bite to her words. Clumsily, Suok sits herself down on her brother’s lap, her head against his chest, squeezing him tightly. Haeok tries not to wince as her knee drives into his thigh, and he returns the embrace. “Oppa, you’re back, you came back,” She murmurs into his chest. The curtain of her hair obscures her face from his view, but he hears a soft sniffle. Haeok rests his chin on the top of her head, rubs warm circles into her back. “I’m back, I’m here,” He whispers, assuring. “I’m staying with you,” a promise. In the kitchen, Jungok stands with her her arms held tightly against her chest. From over Suok’s head, he smiles at her. The quiet contentment of the room is comfortable, easing. Haeok inhales slowly, letting it pour into him- full, soothing. Eventually, the warm scent of beef and radish soup drifts over to where the two sit. Suok shifts slightly, still curled on his lap. “Hey,” Jungok whispers softly, padding over to her siblings. “Food’s ready.” Gently, Haeok nudges the youngest against his shoulder. Suok sighs, reluctantly, but slides off of his lap and moves to sit across from him. Jungok walks to the table with the remaining dishes, setting them on the table. Suok’s eyes widen at the array of food. “Soegogi-muguk?” She asks. “We have beef?” eyes wide with disbelief, she looks up to her sister. Jungok wiggles her eyebrows, and grins. “Special occasion,” she replies, taking her seat next to the youngest. Haeok picks up his bowl, and takes a sip of soup - after he’s begun, the other two follow suit. He hums in contentment at the flavor of the soup, the warmth of it filling his body with the comfort of home as he swallows. Meeting Jungok’s gaze from where she watches his reaction, he nods. “It’s very good,” Haeok praises. “Best I’ve eaten in years.” Jungok smiles bashfully, and looks to the side. Her cheeks puffed out with soup, Suok nods enthusiastically. “Very very good,” she mumbles reverently, before tucking in for another mouthful. Haeok laughs softly. Jungok shakes her head, though her expression is fond. “Slow down,” she reprimands, hitting her sister’s arm. It’s a few minutes before they speak again. The soup really was the best food he’d had in years, Haeok wasn’t exaggerating- and this was the first full meal that he’d had in the same amount of time. A full meal, with sides and everything. He feels himself relax as he eats, the warmth of the meal seeping into him, the heaviness of the day being pushed out. Sated, Haeok sighs. He places his chopsticks on the bowl before him, and shuffles in his seat slightly, straightening into a more alert posture. “So. How are you? How’s the farm been?” “We’ve been alright. Better now that you’re home.” Jungok smiles. “But, we’ve been thinking…” she trails off, glancing over to her sister. Suok’s quiet contentment prompts her to continue. “We we’ve been thinking, when you returned, it might be good to move. We could move to the city…” Jungok’s voice is soft, nervous. Suok is focused on her food. Something lays beneath the blanket of their conversation, Haeok knows. They all know. Still, Jungok continues, careful not to wrinkle the thin sheet. “We could move to the city,” Jungok resumes, cautious. “Maybe you could get a good job, and I could work in a factory for Japanese products. Suok could go to school in the city,” She suggests. Suok frowns slightly at the mention of school. “Why?” Haeok focuses on the older. “What’s wrong with staying here?” As soon as he’s returned, they want to leave? Suok looks up. “Oppa,” she starts, “The harvest was bad. It’s been bad for years now.” “There are three of us now.” Haeok argues. Under the table, his nails dig into the skin of his palm. “Dad's brother's already sold the land,” Suok reveals. "Uncle what?" Haeok exclaims. "Did he force you? I'll speak to him-" "No!” Jungok interjects, “We weren't making enough, we still aren't- the tax is too much, the harvest is too little, we can't even eat our own rice- we had to, or go into debt." The tightness in her voice betrays the stress of the situation. Idly, Suok stirs her millet. Haeok’s jaw clenches. For all the time that he wasn’t here with them- it’s too late, now, to fix the situation. Jungok must read the tension in his features, because her expression softens. “It’s alright, Oppa. Everything turned out okay. We’re happy to have you back.” Her lips turn upward slightly, comforting. Haeok looks away. He’s meant to be the one reassuring her, not the other way around- for how long has she been this mature? He bites his lips. “I’m sorry for not returning sooner.” The admission is shameful. Jungok looks at him in surprise. “You’re forgiven, don’t worry.” For a moment the table is quiet, the three of them eating. “What was it?” Suok mumbles, cheeks full of millet. “What happened in Japan?” The unspoken, simmering thing. “Suok!” The elder sister hisses, giving her a side glare. “Don’t be so forward!” Still, Jungok makes no effort to change the subject. Haeok sighs. He meets the youngest’s gaze, her wide-set eyes clear, but expectant. “It’s alright to ask. I got work like they said, but there wasn’t any school,” He admissions. “We had already assumed that things hadn’t gone well when we stopped hearing from you…” Jungok trails off, glancing to her sister. “Yeah. Eventually they stopped allowing us to send word.” “They discharged you, then?” Suok tilts her head. “That’s how you’re back?” “No. I was transferred to Busan after three years.” Haeok pauses. “I decided that because they didn’t honor their promises, I had no obligation to mine. So I came back.” Jungok nods slowly. Haeok can tell that there is more she would like to ask- but she remains silent. Suok’s long stare is piercing. “Well,” Jungok starts. “We can’t stay here.” Absently, Haeok stirs his soup. It’s gone cold. “This is the situation of the whole of Korea, though.” Suok’s head is tilted as she speaks, voice steady. “We could send a letter to Nagasaki for Auntie? I think she would take us.” Haeok’s frown deepens. “We’re not going to Japan.” “Oppa,” Jungok protests, “Where else can we go? Auntie would have us, I’m sure-” “Japan would only have Japanese.” Haeok’s interjection is certain. “Her Giyon relatives would be welcome. We're the Gyeong family.” Jungok rests her cheek on her fist. Frowns, slightly. Slowly, Suok nods. “But- we’re already the Giyon family. We’re only Gyeong at home,” The youngest responds. “At school, I’m Giyon Sui. To my friends, too,” she adds. Suok’s large brown eyes meet her brother’s. I don’t think we have a choice, who we are, they tell him, wide, honest. We need to survive, not to choose. Haeok looks to both of them. His sharp eyes are narrowed, hardened- I know what it is, to live in the house of the Empire. It is not survival. “We can go North, to Manjuguk,” Haeok states. Suok looks ahead thoughtfully. Jungok’s hand moves to rest her chin on its palm, her expression clearing as she looks up to her brother. “We can,” Jungok says, voices her assent. “At the market, I’ve heard there’re plenty in Manjuguk who do well at farming, and there’s lots of open land- not everywhere is like what happened at Wanpaoshan.” Slowly, Suok nods in agreement. Haeok exhales his relief. “Trains can take us to Sinkyo, or Jilin.” He bites his lower lip. Jungok shrugs slightly. “We can decide that when we get to Daegu station.” She stands up, beings to collect the empty bowls. “The changsi market is tomorrow, we can go and sell some things, to buy the tickets.” Haeok nods. “Well, it’d be best to go to bed now. We need to be at the market early.” Jungok reminds. Huh. It’s getting dark out- Haeok hadn’t noticed. Now that he has, of course, it’s impossible to forget. “Come on, Oppa, you were falling asleep easily just an hour ago.” Jungok teases. “Bathe first though, I left you water and clothes by the door.” “Yeah, sure,” He responds, standing with an exaggerated grown. Suok yawns, still seated. “See?” Jungok grins. “Our kkoma is already tired. Time for bed.” Suok scowls. “I’m not a kid,” she complains, but follows Jungok to their room. Haeok bathes quickly, darkness already chilling the air. Goosebumps prick his skin as he pulls on the cotton sleep clothes Jungok left him. Unsure of what to do with the clothes he came in, as dirty as they are, he folds them next to the wash bin. As quietly as he can, Haeok slides open the door to his sibling’s bedroom, needing to cross theirs to enter his own. He smirks slightly as he tip-toes past Jungok, curled on her side- for all her talk of the rest of them needing to rest, her heavy breathing shows her already deep asleep Stepping around Suok’s blankets, he slides the door to his room open. The room looks smaller than he had remembered- the wooden frame and thin walls had seemed so much bigger in his childhood, sturdier. Now, Haeok knew that anything could fall through easily, crushing them- Stop. Not now, it’s not going to happen. Carefully, he pads into the room. Turning to slide the door closed, Suok meets his eyes from where she lays next to her sister, tucked beneath her sheet, long hair spread messily around her. “’Night, Oppa,” She smiles. Haeok smiles in return, willing his grimace to relax. “’Night,” He responds, and slides the screen door closed. Slowly, he bends down to sit on the sleep mat, lays his head on the buckwheat pillow. It’s to the familiarity of Jungok’s snores that he eventually succumbs to exhaustion.