Chapter Text
???'s POV:
"...!!!"
"...!!!!!!"
Yelling...
And screaming were the only sounds that filled up the dark space of what could be called a bedroom.
The small crack on the door would make you wonder whether the door is closed or still has a little gap to peek through.
Two pair of eyes seeming to belong to two small brown haired children.
"hik... Ali unnie.. Why are they fighting while throwing stuff?... This doesn't seem like their usual fights..." A small girl whispered to the older who was violently shaking beside her while also still sniffing and letting out a few slips of tears. She looked no less than an 11 year old kid.
The small child had brown hair - the hair reached up to her head and all the way down to her shoulders. She also has light brown eyes that seem to glow in every angle, as if somebody manually swapped the girl's eyes with gemstones.
"I-I don't know Ari... Eek!" The older answers the small girl's innocent question - she squeeled(quietly) as she felt a painful pang on her foot, it must have come from the glass bottle that the man threw on the floor.
The older's appearance to the younger's holds almost no difference except for her long dark brown hair that could be compared to the shining hair that (well cared for) horses have.
The older's eyes held nothing but fear and anxiousness as her pupils slowly shrinked until it was probably comparable to the size of a small coin.
"Ah! Unnie! Let's move back a little! If we get any closer-" The younger gasped as she saw a trickle of blood flowing in a straight line on the older's right foot.
But then the younger slipped.
"Ah!! Ari! Are you ok? Where did you slip on? Does it hurt?" The older's pupils dilated in surprise, completely forgetting the pain on her right foot as she rushed to the younger's side.
Ahh... Seemed like she just slipped on the carpet.
"I'm fine Unnie let's go to the bathroom first and open the cupboard! That's where they keep the medicine and bandages right..?" The younger said as she slightly held up a thumbs up to indicate that she is okay despite the action is one people use to relieve another, the older softened her eyes as she saw the slight trembling of the held up hand.
She wrapped both of her hands to the younger's trembling thumbs up. She held up a reassuring smile, but it was almost anything but assuring as there were cuts and purple bruises on the older's face.
"Mhm... Let's go, dongsaeng!"
Ahh.. Who am I kidding, I have to be strong for my dongsaeng. I will do anything for her.
ANYTHING.
The younger blinked and also put up a smile, but it wasn't a reassuring smile like the older did. nor was it a sad one. The smile held relief.
Relief of seeing the warm and touching action that no other older sisters could give thoughtlessly.
Relief of knowing that she was still the same old Unnie back in the orphanage.
Unnie... before the world may cease to exist, i wish there will come a time where i get the chance to protect you, and i promise that-
I will never ever waste it.
Despite the continuous yelling and the sound of glass breaking being a constant reminder of the situation the two siblings were in they could care less for their sibling is far more important than some immature adults playing tantrums.
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┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ :☁:
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Poke.
Poke poke.
What was that?
"Yah! Dongsaeng! Wake up now! Or else we are gonna miss the book's release!" The older or what we know as Ali said while still poking the now puffed up cheeks of the younger.
Fufufu, she's pouting now? Hah... This lazy dongsaeng of mine...
"Wah... Unnie... Has no one ever told you how pretty you look?" The younger - Ari - said, her eyes half-lidded while she exaggerated the tone of her voice clearly she is trying to shift the focus of the conversation.
"Ya know for an eleven year old? You're really fussy" Ali said completely ignoring what Ari said while she put on a teasing grin while still poking the puffed cheeks of Ari.
Ari seems annoyed but she din't stop her or slap her hand away so Ali will take that as a sign of defeat to the older's actions.
"What do you mean by "book release"? I don't think we have the time to attend a new book's release? And also mom is coming home quite early today since she isn't gonna go drinking with her friends today..."
Ari said confused of what the heck is Ali saying.
"Come onnnn you already forgot? Hah that poor memory of yours.... I guess this Unnie will remind you! Do you still remember that one novel we always read on dad's phone when he's usually gone doing drugs? And recently got a webtoon adaptation that we also read on dad's phone?" Ali said as she crossed her arms while slowly explaining for Ari.
"Yeah? Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint? What chapter did we finish again?" The eleven year old girl said while slowly raising her eyebrow.
(A/N: don't ask why an eleven year old and a thirteen year old is reading orv...)
"Right! And we finished the novel, mind you... Well... It's moree like I was the only one who finished it since you got... Punishment again from Dad.. You only made it to..." Ali contemplated for a moment then as if a lightbulb lit up in her head - she excitedly replied.
"It was chapter 449!"
"Mhm ok... Then what's the relation of the novel to a new-" Ari said as she deadpanned at her sister's actions and word - she suddenly stopped when she finally seemed to get what her Unnie was explaining.
A gasp escaped from the younger's mouth as she covered her mouth - followed by her pupils shrinking from surprise of course.
"THE WEB NOVEL RELEASED A PRINTED BOOK VERSION OF THE WHOLE NOVEL!?" Ari yelled as loud as she could but not that loud to make some of their neighbors to file complaints.
Hah... Good thing mom and dad are at work... They would kill us both- no more like dad will skin us first then remove both of our organs then #### ####### ## ######## ##### ### ### ####### ########## ######## #### #### #### #######.
For the time being I, as your dear author nim will censor the disturbing things that Ali is currently thinking about.
"What are we waiting for Unnie!? We need to go and get the book right away before it gets sold out!-" Ari's words died down after a split second of Ali's words went in her ear.
"Where will we get the money?" Ali said as she lightly scratched her cheek.
"What?? So why were you rushing me in the first place! I thought you solved the money problem..." Ari said as she slumped down on the floor - clearly upset of the situation.
"i don't know either why I was rushing you... It's just that it never crossed my mind..." Ali said while spewing out "i'm sorry" so many times Ari thinks that she will have a headache.
".........."
A wave of silence quickly washed up the words the two were gonna say but quickly the silence was cleared with Ari's voice - her tone sharp enough to cut through the sea of silence.
"Why don't we steal from mom?"
"What." Which was then followed by Ali's voice - her tone clearly coated in the emotions of bewilderedness and angriness.
"She has a safe filled with an amount of cash that dad would go lick a rich person's shoes just to get that horrendous amount of money and plus she was gonna go use it for her cigarettes and wine again so why not use it for this?" Ari said as her eyes grew cold and calculative that the emotions that were creeping up on Ali when she heard what Ari said left - it hasn't fully left though but what was left behind was the feeling of confusion after a question suddenly popped up in Ali's mind.
"If the safe was so well hidden, then how do you know about it?" Ali asked as she couldn't quite put her finger around it as Ari always sticks with her whenever she gets the chance.
"You must be confused, k i'll explain it! So do you remember the time when you complained the whole day because i was in the bathroom for 30 minutes?"
Ali hummed in agreement as if stating that what she said was right before opening her mouth to reply verbally. "Yeah?"
"Eh I was already finished, it only took a minute but then i passed through mother's room but i saw her doing something so i peeked through the small gap and saw her putting in the code of the safe."
"Did you see what the code was?" Ali questioned, not sure whether Ari had good eyesight.
"Look, I may not have the best memory ever compared to others, but I do have good eyesight." Ari declared while smirking, while Ali questioned why she looked so smug aboth that fact.
"Lead the way then."
"With pleasure!"
_____________
"Hmm... so this is it?" Ali said as both of them stood before a small gray safe.
"Yep"
"It seems pretty small to hold an amazing amount of money..." Ali was not exaggerating on the safe's size... It was at least as big as her face! ( she has a pretty small face due to malnourishment but still has that childish features, and baby fat )
"Trust me on this, will you??" Ari said as she huffed in discontent.
She slowly bent down, then twisted the wheel to the numbers...
4.....
1....
9....
5.....
Clink!
The safe made an opening sound and Ari twisted the handle to reveal the money.
There were carefully 10 stacks of 50, 000 Won - each of the bills were shining so brightly that it could blind Ari and Ali's young eyes.
"Urk.... Wah... Dad would've killed mom if he found out...." Ali said as she got used to the shining aura the 50,000 won bills made to which Ari nodded to.
"Are we gonna run away with this money?" Ali said - more like she whispered it to her as if she was afraid someone would hear her.
"Well, duh? That's why I proposed the idea and hinted on the safe having a lot of money??" The eleven year old deadpanned at the thirteen year old's question - as her stare was boring holes to Ali's head.
"Well, wait! Let me get a plastic bag or any bag to put in the money..." Ali said.
"No need got one already." To which Ari replied to already taking the stacks carefully in a white fancy bag.
That must be mom's old purse.
"Hmm ok" Ali sighed as she also went ahead to bent down and started taking stacks after stacks to put in the white bag.
"Welp, that's all of it!" Ari and Ali both exclaimed as they turned to each other.
"Where are we next headed to boss?" Ari said as she smirked.
"To the local library."
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
It din't take that long for the two to arrive at the library as it was just right next to the apartment.
So time and distance din't pose as a problem for the two, but the only problem was if there WERE any stocks left...
The two stood in front of the door - their heart slightly beating faster than normal...
This was their first time out (well, more like the first time out to really buy something - not just windowshopping)
They finally headed in.
And as soon as they step foot, almost half of the people in the vicinity turned their heads to them, Ali felt a bead of sweat slide down her face as she was quite uncomfortable with the stares the strangers were giving them.
Mind you, these two do not have the same black hair colour as some koreans. Heck they aren't even Koreans in the first place! So to see two pair of children with brown colored was quite out of the ordinary.
"Aww, hello cuties! What would you like to buy?" The cashier said, greeting the two children with a smile, but it din't reach up to her eyes.
The two children wouldn't normally see it if they din't pay attention, but a look of disgust was evident on the young lady's eyes, but it soon turned to neutral.
Ho? This lady seems good at covering up emotions? Ari smirked as her interest in the lady spiked when she noticed the lady's talent in covering up emotions.
The look of disgust that the young lady gave out a second ago din't bother the two children.
It's obvious why she looked at them like that.
The two slowly look down at their clothes.
Their clothes technically look like rags... despite showering every day... they don't have that many clothes to change into, so they had to reuse shirts and shorts they either worn yesterday or the day before yesterday.
"I'm sorry if we had soiled your vision with our lowly figure but really if you are so kind as to fulfill our request by leading us to the section of where you guys settled the book "Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint" in?" Ari said as she changed the atmosphere and mood by one sentence.
There she goes again.... Ali could never speak like the way Ari did since she can barely care about what words she uses as it doesn't matter for her - grammer and choice of words are correct? Then, there is no need to replace the words with its fancy version!
The cashier was quite surprised but soon she gave out her "customer approved" smile.
What an interesting and... not that aesthetically pleasing to look customers I have today!
"My my! Well.. follow me, young ones!" The cashier soon got out of her post then ushered the two to follow her.
They passed through numerous sections of genre - action, romance, angst, bl and gl, and then... Fiction.
(A/N: ORV is fiction, right....?)
"Wow! You two are quite lucky! There was only one book left in stock!" The cashier said as she faked a shocked expression, even topping it off with a hand on her mouth.
"Hmm~~ then we will be taking this, please!" Ari said as she grabbed the book and then dashed through the counter.
"Fufufu, your younger sister is quite the energetic one, is she?" The cashier said as the both of them started walking to the counter.
"Yes, she is hahhaa...." Ali said awkwardly as she added a bit of speed to her walking.
Ting!
"Well, young chicks... seems like this book is quite expensive!"
This book doesn't deserve to go to filthy hands like yours
"Oh! Please don't worry for us lady cashier!"
We don't care just give us the book.
The lady cashier was having so much fun conversing with these two little chicks.
Ari glared at her while still keeping a smile.
Ali is growing tired of this exchange of words.
"Hah! Just take the money la-!" Ali said as she slammed down on the counter 5 stacks of the 50,000 won bills but she got cut off when suddenly a crack was heard.
Crack!
Out of nowhere a golden crack was made in the air(?) when suddenly something emerged out of it.
"The heck?"