Sin woke up to soft beams of sunlight sneaking through her bedroom window. It was still early—she had beaten the alarm. Oddly enough, she felt unusually refreshed.
She got out of bed, fixed her blanket, and opened her door without glancing at her sister, who was sprawled messily across the other bed.
Without hesitation, she made her way to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth, ignoring her two younger brothers who passed by the hallway in a drowsy daze.
The moment she splashed water on her face, she noticed how unusually radiant it looked. She smiled at her reflection—there wasn't a single negative thought clouding her mind. Strangely peaceful.
After brushing her teeth, she was just about to step out when her older brother entered from the side.
He had long black hair, sharp features, and a strong build. Wearing gray pajamas, he stepped into the bathroom quietly.
Sin didn't say a word to him. She simply turned and headed downstairs.
There, she found her older sister and younger sister both in the kitchen, each preparing something. Sin didn't say anything and walked straight to the fridge, pulling out a cold glass bottle of water and taking a sip—one of her signature morning habits.
She walked back to her room to change. Like the rest of her siblings, she wore the same style of pajamas, just in different colors—probably their dad's doing.
Hers was a soft yellow, contrasting against her black hair and eyes, but still... somehow cute.
She took it off and slipped into her favorite outfit: loose white pants and an oversized black t-shirt. Sin had always felt most comfortable in baggy clothes, even if she rarely wore them at university—she had a certain image to keep up there.
She turned to her younger sister and smacked her lightly on the face to wake her up. It didn't work, so she yanked off the blanket.
Her sister sat up sluggishly, revealing her short, shiny blonde hair—completely different from the rest of the siblings. She opened her eyes, scowled at Sin, and with a tone that sounded more like an annoyed cat than a girl, she snapped:
"Not all of us had a magical evening like you did last night. So how about letting us sleep, please?"
Sin's ears turned red, but she kept her calm and replied softly:
"It's your day off. That means you're helping Mom at the shop."
Her sister's eyes widened slightly, as if she'd just remembered something important. She got up, walked toward the door, then turned her head back and said with a smirk:
"Good luck!"
Then she shut the door behind her.
Sin stood frozen for a few seconds. Then, suddenly, she flopped face-first onto the bed, cheeks burning as a single thought echoed in her mind:
"What kind of nonsense was that brat talking about... A date? It wasn't a date… I mean, I guess… maybe it was... a date…"
The moment she whispered the word date, her heart swirled with emotions.
She was overwhelmed—embarrassed in the best way—and completely unlike her usual self.
Last night, after Noon asked her to take a walk with him, it did feel kind of like a date.
They left the neighborhood together, went into a restaurant—where the waiter mistook them for a couple. That was embarrassing. So much so that neither of them could eat a thing.
They talked a bit. Then he bought her some ice cream, and they ate it under the moonlight on a nearby bridge.
They talked about everything. Apologized. Got closer.
Noon was sweet to her. And she, in return, tried not to overdo her kindness.
And in the end... he actually took her home. Her real home. Not her friend's place like last time. They said goodbye with shy, happy smiles.
And at that exact moment—her little sister saw them.
But none of that mattered right now.
What mattered was today. She'd been looking forward to it so much. Their excitement from the night before had led them to plan another meet-up this morning—it was a holiday, after all. Just something simple to do together.
That's why she woke up so early. That's why she was full of energy.
They had completely forgotten that exams were around the corner.
Forgotten it was the end of the school year.
As all the memories from last night came rushing back, Sin felt even happier. More certain.
She did have feelings for Noon. She wasn't calling it love—not yet. But it was definitely something strong. Something sincere.
To her, love was... deeper. Bigger than this.
She stood up, grabbed her phone from the table, paused for a second, unlocked it, and opened the messaging app.
She typed:
"Good morning, Noon…"
There was nothing else to say.
This time, she wanted to be the one to send the first message—he was the one who reached out first last time, after all.
She smiled, locked her phone, slid it into her pocket, and went down the stairs to the living room.
The entire family was there, gathered in front of the TV, eating breakfast together.
She looked around for a spot and sat beside her older sister.
It was a big family gathering. And the conversations were... lively, to say the least.
Her mom sat on the right side, with her older brother next to her.
On the left side was her dad, sitting beside her blonde little sister.
They looked like two opposing teams: her dad and sister with their bright blond hair, her mom and brother with jet-black hair.
In the middle were Sin, her older sister, and their youngest sibling.
On the floor in front, the two youngest brothers sat cross-legged.
A big family, no doubt.
But somehow, they felt... happy.
Her dad was glued to the TV, holding a glass of orange juice. Her sister was sipping the same.
Meanwhile, her mom and older brother both drank black coffee. The little ones had milk.
Her older sister had lemon juice.
And Sin? She stuck with just water.
She was never really into sweet or sour drinks anyway.
They were chatting about everything and nothing, laughter echoing through the room as her father kept bursting into fits of joy and her mother never missed a chance to mock him.
In the middle of the lively family banter, her mother suddenly said,
"Oh, Yaseen, why don't you try drinking something other than water for once?"
Her father turned to her with bright eyes and a cheerful tone.
"She's right! Water brings bad luck anyway. You should drink sweet things to become even more beautiful, my dear daughter!"
Her mother instantly shot back, unimpressed.
"Sugar just makes you ugly—just like your father. Come have coffee with me and your brother instead."
Her father gasped, feigning offense.
"Ugly?! Me?! Didn't you say you married me just for my face? Changing your mind now, are you?"
Her mother turned slightly red.
"Why are you bringing up the past? And besides, Yaseen isn't like you. She's got my genes too, you know."
Her father grinned.
"That's no excuse! She has to drink sweet stuff so she can become pretty and marry a handsome guy."
Yaseen's face flushed, but she didn't say a word. This wasn't the first time something like this happened. Her family had always been this way—warm, teasing, playful. Her siblings also chose silence, content to watch the comedy unfold.
And somehow… it was nice. It was comforting to see their parents still this lively and full of spirit, even at their age.
Her mother sighed.
"Marriage, huh? Yaseen only cares about her studies right now. Not everyone's obsessed with romance like you, old man."
Her father faked a wounded look.
"First I was ugly, now I'm an old man? Your words are sharp today, darling. But even so… studying doesn't mean she can't fall in love."
Her mother replied softly, almost bashfully,
"Well… you're not that ugly, old man… Anyway, Yaseen, just do what makes you happy. Just promise me you won't turn out like your father."
Her father chuckled, but before he could reply, Reem—the sister sitting next to him—spoke up with a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
The moment Yaseen saw that grin, she choked on her water, her eyes flying open in shock.
Their father looked at Reem, confused.
"What's up, Reem?"
Reem responded in a loud, sly tone.
"I just overheard you two talking about how important it is for my sister to find love. So, I thought I should tell you… she already has."
The entire room fell silent. Reem burst out laughing.
Seconds passed in stunned silence before a spark lit in their father's eyes. His expression turned deadly serious with excitement.
Yaseen's face went completely red, her eyes filling with panic. There was no turning back now.
I'm going to kill you, Reem, she screamed internally.
Her father nearly leapt off the couch.
"Tell me! Who's the guy who dared steal my sweet daughter's heart?!"
Her mother gasped, equally stunned.
"Yaseen! You kept something like this from me?! Your own mother?! I'm officially upset!"
Her older brother chimed in teasingly.
"Wow… I never saw that coming. Yaseen and a guy?! I guess people can change."
The younger siblings exploded into giggles, while her oldest sister—the one sitting beside her—casually leaned in, her long black hair cascading over one shoulder. With her piercing eyes and slender figure, she looked like a character from a drama.
She wrapped an arm around Yaseen and smiled sweetly.
"It's Noon, isn't it?"
Yaseen lowered her head. She was a terrible liar—and she hated lying anyway. Now that she'd come to terms with her feelings for Noon, she had planned to tell the family… eventually. She just hadn't decided when. She'd been scared of exactly this kind of scene.
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Y-yeah… it's him. But… it's not like we've confessed or anything."
And then—chaos.
"Noon? Who's that?"
"I've heard that name before. Isn't he from that family?"
"Noon! Isn't he your friend's brother?"
"Who is this Noon guy and how dare he steal my precious daughter?!"
"Yaseen, tell us everything! Who. Is. Noon?!"
Yaseen realized there was no escape. Her family wouldn't stop until they knew the full story. So she gave in, confessed everything—but only the bare essentials, trying to keep the details to a minimum.
By the end of her story, she lifted her head and looked around.
Her father was wiping tears from his eyes, clearly swept away by some emotional fantasy beyond what she'd even said. Her mother sat dazed, mentally reviewing every fact she knew about Noon's family. Her older sister was giggling, already texting someone—no prizes for guessing who. Her brother just stared at her, stunned.
And Reem? Reem was still laughing. Apparently, she found her big sister way too easy to fall in love.
Her younger siblings didn't catch everything, but judging from their wide-eyed expressions, they were already cooking up wild stories of their own.
Finally, her father looked at her and asked seriously:
"So… when are we meeting this Noon? Where is he?"
Before Yaseen could answer, her sister beside her spoke up:
"He's already on his way. Saya told him to come over. They'll be here in a few minutes."
At that moment, Yaseen's heart skipped a beat. It was pounding wildly now.
She was excited.
She wanted to see him.
And yet… she didn't.
A thousand thoughts, feelings, and fears rushed through her all at once…