Sera closed her eyes shut in pure exasperation. How could her luck be so bad?
"Maybe cause you got none"
Very funny…in unfunny land
"That's such a cliché thing to say," the Settings said almost mockingly as if her comment got under its skin.
When the silhouette got clear, her jaw dropped. The woman was simply gorgeous.
Time went still, people stood by utterly stunned. Everyone's eyes glued to her as if she were the protagonist of this world. If anything Sera even forgot to blink.
She isn't Diane, the actual protagonist. Just who was this woman?
At the moment this question was far behind Sera's mind. She clutched her chest in an attempt to gain back her stability.
"That's…Jia. Kia's older sister" the Settings added as if it wasn't also fazed by the utterly unexpected situation.
A dazzling smile framed her face as she waved at Sera. Sera pointed at herself almost in a daze. Her mind remained foggy and she couldn't think at all.
Jia stopped right in front of Sera, her smile never falling.
"Did you miss me this much lil sister?"
Her voice was smooth and airy making Sera finally register what was happening.
This k-drama lady is my sister!? No, I mean…Kia's. Is the setting's fucking with me!?
The reason was Kia and her supposed sister…looked very different. One a timeless beauty who walked straight out of the nineties magazine and the other who looked cute.
Jia lowered her head and let out a melodious chuckle. She found Sera's silent awe amusing. Before looking up– she continued, "Kia?"
Sera jolted out of the moment, her face grew warm while her fingers clutched her sleeve, "...Y-yeah"
Jia held her hand making Sera's eyes go wide, her mouth tightly shut as the woman in front of her looked almost upset, "It's been a while…hasn't it?"
Sera tilted her head, averting her gaze, "Yes…"
The familiar pang returned to her chest. She hated every time she pretended to be Kia. She didn't know how long she could keep up with this. While Sera remained quiet, Jia continued, "Honestly, I am sorry"
A flicker of uncertainty loomed over Jia's face. Before Sera even got time to understand what she meant by "sorry" she found herself pulled in for a hug. The hug was filled with longing.
Sera reluctantly hugged her back. Her eyes turned gloomy.
Was Kia's relationship with her sister also bad?
In the book, only one line was written about Kia's backstory. It was that she grew up lonely. She never really realised the extent of the backstory. The woman hugging her so dearly, the awkward father…just one line was enough to make so many people suffer.
Just because the writer wanted Kia to only think and feel for Devian. Kia remained alone as she quietly and slowly slipped into darkness. Sera's heart fell the more she thought about it.
Sera herself grew up abandoned. Not that she was bitter about it. She was never bitter about her situation…she never got the chance to be.
Tears trickled down her cheeks, as Jia felt her shoulder go wet, her dark blue eyes shot wide with confusion. Pulling out slightly, "Kia? Sis?"
The word 'sister" spoken with so much love and undeniable understanding made Sera feel even more exhausted. She was never a cry baby. Yet nowadays all she did was cry.
Jia let out a small awkward chuckle as she held Sera's face up, "Look at me. It's alright"
Sera knew herself; the lady in front of her didn't know how much these words made her feel a subtle sense of contentment. A hope that was unmistakably stupid
She formed a small smile. If anything, everything was nothing like alright. Jia unaware blinked and smiled sweetly, "Ugh seriously you missed me this much?! Come on!" Hiding her own teary eyes.
The hug was warm, nothing like what Sera anticipated.
The tender moment between them was broken without any sort of precedence.
"My husband cheated on me"
The moment those words left from Jia's mouth, Sera pulled out seemingly horrified. What was wrong with this world?! Why is she so calm about this?
Her eyes darted across the now busy road, "Are you okay?"
She didn't know what to say and asked what she felt was appropriate. As a painful smile laced Jia's lips. Before shaking her head, "No"
Instantly her face grew somber and tears trickled down like heavy rain.
°•~~🌹~~•°
It had been a while since Sera was sitting on the swing with Jia who was rambling and rambling incessantly. Her hands automatically moved to give Jia tissues in sync. Her eyes glued to the ground as she regretted her life decisions.
First lesson, never comfort a pretty woman.
While Sera was indulging in her own misery someone else was going through a contrasting weight of heart ache and heart burn, "How could he?"
Her voice low and somber, she barely made out the words through her sobbing as she lightly tapped the tissue on her eyes.
"...Like…how am I less? In any way?"
Her voice grew louder as a hint of anguish laid underneath the gloomy words. "Kia, the woman…he cheated on me with…is old man Jerry's wife. Yes! 67 YEARS old"
At this point Sera had heard this exact words she doesn't even know how many times, nodding along she let out a monotonous,
"Oh…no. What..a…bummer"
Jia's grip on the tissue tightened, anger burning in her blue eyes like flames, "That bastard!"
Serai sighed, this was like a constant loop. One moment she was a heartbroken woman who was drowning in self doubt, and the next she was a vengeful wife seeking to prevail.
Sera turned to her, deciding to bitch her husband with her, "He needs to leave. Like seriously he got zero taste in woman."
As soon as Sera said that, in a flash, like a light switch was flipped, Jia snapped, "What do you even know about my man!"
Sera looked away nodding,
Second lesson, never talk shit about someone's husband.
Seriously, why do women get so defensive about their husbands when others say something about their husband while they themselves trashtalk them like crazy?
Now Jia was crying, "I should have listened to father! I shouldn't have married him…and…left home."
Crying was an understatement. She was wailing like a cow whose milk got stolen.
"Was that supposed to mean something? Seriously? The actual one is, wailing like a cow who lost its calf" Interjected the Settings
oh wait, what was I gonna say to that? Right. I don't care.
"You are so mean"
Improvise it, it should be. Couldn't you be meaner?
"Are we having sarcasm 101 class right now? But with someone who has zero sense of humour"
Before Sera could continue her battle of sarcasm with settings. Jia was now done. As she took a deep breath. The fiery glint returned in her glossy eyes.
Sera suddenly felt an undeniable empowerment energy. As she asked, "Sis…you"
Jia looked at her as she said almost as if she had already prevailed, a hint of determination. Her decision was made. Sera gulped expectantly.
"That's right. I will beg father to let me stay at home"
Sera blinked. What did she expect? This utterly dramatic lady wouldn't ever think of kidnapping her husband's mistress's husband and ganging up against them. As she said, "I am sure he would be thrilled to have you back"
There was a sense of sadness in her tone. She didn't know why she was upset over Kia's and her father's strained relationship.
It was foolish. As if noticing, Jia raised her arm up in the air. Her long and slender fingers curled up into a fist, "Come on sis. This battle will not disappoint you! I will take revenge on my husband"
As if knowing this is exactly what Sera was hoping for. Her dramaticness was less annoying at the moment as Sera joined her antics, "Sure, I shall support from the shadows"
As they both started to do an evil laugh.
"Are we now going full crazy?" The settings asked intrigued before joining them
(Pov of a random kid)
Hi! I am a random kid with a bicycle. It's…red. Hehehe. Anyways I was holding my bicycle as I walked with it around the block.
Yes, I walked with it…I didn't cycle it…I don't know how to cycle without falling on my bum. That's besides the point!
As I was humming and talking to Silvia. My bicycle's name is…Silvia. Not because I don't have any friends but because I chose this route. Get it? No. Ok.
Anyways, just when I heard. One very melodic laughter which instantly caught my attention and a contrastingly weird pig laugh. Looking at the sound I spotted two women sitting on the swing and laughing at the air.
I felt a shiver down my spine as I said to Silvia, "I think she is the woman mom warned us about"
My eyes shot out wide when the…definitely suspicious woman looked at me for a brief second.
I mumbled, "Hell nah" as I instinctively probably due to the fear that she would come running at me for no reason. I got on Silvia and started to cycle.
"WOAH I FELL ON MY FACE THIS TIME!"
and my life changed.
(End of the random kid's pov)
°•~~🌹~~•°
As Sera and Jia were back home. The house was empty. Their father was a veterinarian and usually came back at night after long shifts.
Jia spoke with slight familiarity, "It's the same as I remember"
Sera plopped herself on the sofa beside Jia. The atmosphere around them grew comfortable. Sera didn't actually want to think of the imposter syndrome. Even if she found peace in Jia's theatrical antics.
"Do you think father will forgive me?"
Sera not having much context, "Hmm…if you beg him I think so"
Seeing how tender the man was towards her the other day, she believed he would. Looking at the clock she finally remembered.
She failed her mission. She couldn't do LV farming. Sera felt her energy drain and she sank into the plush couch.
Jia was seethed with anger and various different emotions and she had an unique way of showing them. She said out loud to herself,
"Don't worry, all the prettiest women in history got cheated on. Like Jennifer Aniston, Beyoncè, Reece Witherspoon. I am also just paying for this beauty of mine"
Sera blinked then smiled, yeah just my thing. Although I might need some popcorn.
Jia continued as she leaned and looked at the TV, her reflection was the one she was talking to, "Why are you so pretty huh?"
Has Sera ever met someone so self obsessed? Maybe. But honestly at least Jia felt likable.
Jia continued this self talk of her own beauty amongst herself. Sera found herself in the comfort of silence. It felt weird to be called Kia and respond as Kia.
Sera herself didn't know if she was in fact Kia or Sera…
Both of them were pulled out of their daze when the door opened revealing their exhausted father. His eyes landed on Jia, as he paused by the doorway.
Jia tensed up, her shoulders grew rigid as she avoided his eyes, "Father…"
Her voice came out youthful, the way a little girl would call her father instead of a grown woman. He blinked away his tears. Meeting his eldest after two years of no connection was something he lost hope on.
He spoke, his voice calm even though it was filled with many other mixes of emotions, "I see. You are back"
A warm smile spread on Jia's face, realising her father forgave her. She ran and hugged him in tears, "I am sorry. I truly am. I shouldn't…no I should have talked to you"
Their father seemed more comfortable to Jia's affectionate crying as he patted her back and said, "I wasn't the best either. What matters is you are safe"
Sera watched from a distance. A picture perfect relationship. The father forgives and the daughter seeks his forgiveness. Her face quivered with a small smile.
She didn't want to think about her father.
How much she wished to be hugged like this, to be understood and forgiven. As Kia's father caught sight of his younger daughter.
His heart wavered for the second time. That expression…he had never seen before. The child never cried, never asked for anything. Her silence was oppressive.
Even the way she was watching with no envy but with genuine acceptance of the belief that he…would never look at her.
The realisation made his stomach churn in guilt. Sera didn't even notice his gaze, her mind extremely tired. Lowering her eye lashes she held back any sorrows from a past that didn't exist here.
He felt hesitant. But the look on her face made him feel as if she was fading away. The sudden urgency, and the ache in his heart made him walk towards her and pull her in a warm embrace.
His eyes were welling up. As the moments he missed flashed across his eyes. His hug took her by surprise. It didn't take her long to accept it.
Once this was all she ever wanted.
His voice cracked as he caressed her hair, "I…am sorry my child"
Jia watched the scene wiping her tears. After their mother's death Kia and their father grew to be strangers. Watching them embrace each other made her feel truly content.
"Don't be. I am not the one who you should apologise to"
Sera couldn't stop the words from coming out. But her deep melancholy was faded away when he replied to her words,
"I am sorry for never embracing you before."
He was always busy with his work. After his wife's death, his youngest daughter grew to distance herself from him. He didn't know why.
Maybe because he blamed him for her mother's death. That's what he believed, Kia didn't want him near her so she pushed him away. He didn't want to hurt her more so he distanced himself from her.
His assessment was wrong.
His child never distanced herself. They never had that closeness. It was after her mother's death there was no mediator between them so it became apparent.
What made her smile so somberly wasn't her disgust or contempt towards him but the neglected and missed moments.
He tightened his embrace holding his tears in his eyes, how could he be so blind? He caused hurt to both of his daughters.
Seeing him tear up made Sera tear up involuntarily. As Jia threw away her napkin and joined their hug in tears as well.
Sera couldn't help but say it in her head,
All I do is cry, now they are even crying!? Aahhhhhhh
°•~~🌹~~•°
After another tender moment the evening was awkward.
But she never felt so understood before. It hasn't even been three weeks since she had reincarnated yet she is already growing to care for them.
This is weird. His words even directed towards me…but it resonated with me so much that it felt like he was seeing me.
Suddenly, the sound of the calling bell rang in the silence. Jia and Sera looked at each other. Their dad was asleep in his room.
With a sigh she opened the door. She was surprised to see a tall man standing on the doorway wearing all black. He flashed me an impatient smile, "Hello Kia. I am Rupert, your brother-in-law. Now is your sister here?"
Can this day get any…worse?
By seeing the way the husband and wife had already started to glare daggers at each other. Sera knew what would happen next…and she wasn't prepared for it.
"OoOooo, drama…Kekekekee this is gonna be fun" Only the Settings were interested in whatever the shit would happen.