The Art of Getting By
CHAPTER ONE
❛ A Tale to Tell. ❜

3:08 AM
September 2021
THE MOON'S HOUSEHOLD

___________________

THERE WAS A point where no stars resided in space.

Just a void of nothing.

It was quiet.

It was an endless vacuum awaiting for a companion. To find the reason for its existence. It didn't last for eternity, though. Soon thereafter, a collection of beauteous planets and our solar system were born, they float gorgeously around the once empty void.

Shimmering through some empty gaps of space, are stars.

Stars aren't flawless spheres. There's jagged corners to every side of them, even on their perfect side, there's always a defect. Behind each 'perfectly' seeming star, there is an enigma to them. Some even beg to have their story to be told, or some prefer to let their existence dissipate behind the darkness of space.

If there was a definition for the type of star Moon Eun-Byeol was: it would be unknown.

Who was she?

Who was Moon Eun-Byeol?

For as long as as her heart pulsated, Eun-Byeol found herself chasing after any light she could find, her soul desperate to free itself from the dark cage it was trapped in. Soon enough, hoped to find the key to both her answers, and even, the cage that she was contained in. But as time held a stronger hold on Moon Eun-Byeol's life, she found that she had been chasing after shadows for a while, instead of the light she was trying to find her whole life.

Moon Eun-Byeol was awaiting for that day, the day where she'd find every answer to the circling questions in her mind.

It would be a tale to tell.

Dropping her hands towards her lap, her fingers fiddled with the strings of her guitar once more.

Moon Eun-Byeol remembered rifling through her mother's drawers, the night the doctors pronounced Jeong Areum's passing. The two syllables forever imprinted itself within her memory. Her mind was almost made of tissue paper. The cruelty of her memories tore and scratched at it, and was easily torn at. But in contrast to that, her skin was thicker than the layers of the Earth- which made Moon Eun-Byeol appear fierce on the outside, but she hated to admit what was going on in the inside.

Amongst the stacks of paper with unfinished lyrics, was a note:

'Be brave, even if the tides grow, be brave even if the storm consumes you . . . for Moon Eun-Byeol.'

Tap. Tap. Tap-

Eun-Byeol narrowed her almond coloured eyes at the noise. Lifting her chin up, puzzled, she clasped her fingers around the window handle and dragged it open. Ever so delicately, a tranquil flurry of a breeze filed into Eun-Byeol's small room. The tiny, rough sketches that were put up on her walls, fluttered gently along with the quiet winds. A faded scent of baked goods also welcomed itself in. It belonged to a bakery that was settled just down the twisty lane from Eun-Byeol's shabby but warm abode.

If you followed the stone path, quietly, from the wooden door of the Moon's household, one that had white paint peeling away on the surface of it, you'd find yourself surrounded by healthy, luscious green trees on either side of you. Greeted by such lovely greenery, you could even find some stray kittens that'd often cosy up to your ankles, thinking you had some food to spare.

There'd be some lonely houses, owned by serene elderly couples. It you are greeted by them, they may offer you some extra fresh fruits that grew in the trees and bushes of their front garden. But if you crossed the bridge that arched over the still, halcyon lake, you'd find a friendly bakery.

Hyosan Strawberry Bakery.

The spotless sky painted such beauteous colours that quiet night. A palette of lazy blues melted into soft hues of pink. A lone airplane would soar across it every so often, creating puffs of warm, pastel coloured clouds along the way. If Moon Eun-Byeol wasn't so immersed in the sunset she would've noticed her five foot nine classmate right below her.

The Moon girl was so used to looking up, everything seemed much simpler, looking around at the overcrowded streets reminded her of her disorganised thoughts that trapped themselves within her mind.

Thud. A tiny pebble was thrown against her forehead.

She froze, her shoulders tensed, all the while she flared her nostrils with downturned lips, "what the hell- Jang Wu-Jin- do you want to die?"

Wrinkling his nose from the slightly chilly breeze, a slither of a grin etched itself across the boy's warm face. The yellow streaks from the remainder of the evening sun, made his expression appear half-ghostly. But all the while, fairly cheery. Moon Eun-Byeol's classmate sprung up and down, tinily on the tip of his toes. He spread his arms out above him and waved, as if he were a human traffic light telling the cars to stop.

Jang Wu-Jin acted as though he never heard the raven haired girl. Instead, he let his pink lips, that were paled from the cold, stretch into a broader and energetic smile. Moon Eun-Byeol tilted her head back and let out a large exhale at this, her eyes still shut tightly from the impact of the pebble.

"IT'S ME, JANG WU-JIN!"

"Wh-"

"JANG WU-JIN-"

"Yes you moron I know it's you-" She gestured an arm to the side at the blatantly obvious statement. Using a hand to shield herself from the light zephyr, it was no use as some strands of her hair fell through the gaps of her fingers and onto her face. "I was going to-"

"HUH?" Jang Wu-Jin could definitely hear her. But he was pretending not to on purpose. He put on the humorous act, with a corner of his lips etching upwards into his cheek, eyes overfilling with mischief. "I GOT YOU SOME SUGARY BREAD AND," he rummaged through the takeaway bag once more to double check, "AND A STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE." The wind whistled a little harder, making his voice trail over quietly.

Not wanting to produce a racket any longer by shouting and adding to the noisy musical that Jang Wu-Jin was creating- Moon Eun-Byeol pulled a distressed face.

"I GOT YOU-"

At this rate the neighbours will come knocking. "YES I-" Catching her breath, Moon Eun-Byeol paused for a brief moment, it wasn't on her agenda to lose her voice at that moment, nor did she want a lecture from her father. Lifting up an index finger to gesture to him, "ONE MOMENT," she stepped away from the large window, and reached for the rope that lived under her bed.

From outside, "OKAY," jogging on the spot, "HURRY UP OR THE SUGARY BREAD WILL GO COLD," the strawberry smoothie swished around within its container and nearly fell from his fingertips as he sprinted non-hurriedly around in a small circle, "OH-"

"HEY," throwing the lengthy rope away from the ledge of the window, it trickled heftily from the top, like a waterfall, "CRAZY MAN."

A gentle scoff tumbled from Jang Wu-Jin's lips as he gripped his fingers tightly onto the rough rope, he shook his head tinily with the grin growing broader as he climbed, "THANK YOU."

"I didn't throw the rope for you. I threw it for the food," she whispered to herself.

As Eun Byeol peered downwards, making sure he didn't trip and fall flat on to the ground, she watched the bag that contained the goods, swing to and fro from his arm. She then re-directed her attention to the boy that was carrying the goods. Jang Wu-Jun was clad in a soft beige coloured hoodie with a coral white jacket and almost tattered brown sneakers, ones that had been through a lot. But, they had a strong enough grip. Ones that were enough to help him climb up the side of the Moon's household.

As the golden sun dipped behind a cluster of gorgeous clouds, a peaceful amount of dark blue seeped into the colours of the sunset.

Eun-Byeol propped her chin against the palm of her hand, and drummed her fingers along the side of her cheek. Before trailing her eyes over towards Wu-Jin, who decided to slip the handles of the bag between his lips. At that action, he looked as though he were an eager puppy, who had been running across the field, to collect the treat that his owner threw. Wu-Jin teetered a bit, as he tried balancing on the slightly sturdy rope.

"This rope is going to break from the many times you've done this." Tugging the side of her lips upwards, Eun-Byeol tutted quietly.

"Then . . ." Stopping short to think, he then tapped the rope with his forefinger, whilst keeping a chuckle to himself, "I'll buy a hundred more."

Eun-Byeol turned her face towards him sharply, whilst narrowing her eyes, "you should study that much instead-"

"Oh really now-" He turned his head to the side to let out the chuckle he'd been keeping in, and only laughed harder when he took in the expression on Eun-Byeol's face, "speak for yourself."

Closing her eyes briefly, before opening them again roughly, she got ready to clasp the window shut, before she felt a warm hand on her forearm.

"No," Jang Wu-Jin widened his eyes, knowing that if Eun-Byeol shut the window hard enough, it would slice through the rope and send him toppling back onto the untrimmed grass.

With a breath caught in her throat, Eun-Byeol parted her lips slightly, her almond coloured eyes took in Wu-Jin's alarmed ones, before bursting into ungraceful laughter, "you should have seen your-"

Bonk!-

"Seen what?"

The wild grin on Jang Wu-jin's face enlarged itself as he watched the bottle of strawberry milk roll across Eun-Byeol's wooden floors. Since he hit it lightly against the top of her head- and accidentally let it go.

"Hey Jang Wu-jin-"

"Shhh you'll wake up the whole neighbourhood."

With her jaw slacking, Eun-Byeol decided against speaking any further, and spun on her heel to roll the ladder back inside. She closed the window only sightly, it was relaxing having the mild night breeze flow into her room.

Taking in the scenery once again, she tried her hardest not to grab her polaroid camera and add to her collection of photos; Moon Eun-Byeol happened to own a collection of polaroids of the scenery outside of her window. She let her eyes wonder along the sky, then eventually down to her front garden-

"Is that . . ." Something else had caught her eye.

The dimmed lamps that settled on top of the Moon's lawn, shone brightly on to the shiny surface of Wu-Jin's bicycle. It glinted directly at them as though to say: and now I disappear . . . Its wheels were rusty and wrought from riding it for more than a decade. The old breaks were practically reddish-brown- it needed a mechanist's hand to save it.

Jang Wu-Jin's sister had begged him not to use it, at all, in fact, never again. Of course, he never listened.

"Hey, are you not hungry?" Wu-Jin had already made a start on stuffing his mouth with the first sugary bread he saw, the fluffy texture settled and almost melted on top of his tongue. With his legs crossed on top of a heap of blankets, he swayed tinily, as if he were dancing to the taste of his parent's finest bakes.

"Jang Wu-Jin. Care to explain this?" With her palm against the cold window, a chuckle dared to arise from her throat at the sight, with her other hand she carefully reached out for her camera.

She needed to tell Ha-ri this.

Tearing his eyes away from the bread, he almost choked on the piece he was eating. Beating his chest shortly, whilst having some tears glaze over his eyes briefly, he lowered his hands. "What do I do," Wu-Jin mentally scorned himself for being ever so stubborn, "aish-" Burying his head into his palms briefly, "I should've parked my bike somewhere else-" He ranted to nothing but thin air.

Whir! Ka-chick!-

"Now that's going to Hari-"

"NO- NO," his dark eyes almost bulged out from its sockets, extending his arm, not caring if the bread left tiny soft crumbs all over Eun-Byeol's mattress. He gripped onto the vintage polaroid camera that was settled between Eun-Byeol's fingers.

"Perfect proof, isn't it?"

"GIVE IT-"

Waving the fresh polaroid about, the Moon girl then scrunched up her rosy pink lips and kissed the photo as if it were a winning lottery ticket, "don't you love the sweet smell of revenge?"

"NO SUGARY BREAD FOR YOU-"

"You need to stop riding that shit, it's dangerous."

"AISH-"

Finally getting a hold of her wrist, his eyes landed on the actual photo of the bicycle. Much to his luck, it came out blurry and the dim street lamps did not do it much justice, a sly grin illustrated itself across the smug boy's lips.

Success, he thought.

Flopping back onto the headrest of the bed, he accidentally slammed the back of his head against it, tinily. "Moon Eun-Byeol," he bit down on the inside of his cheek at the minor pain, before cramming a load of bread into his mouth, making his next words almost inaudible.

"Yeah?" A pretty, small smile balanced itself onto Eun-Byeol's lips, almost making her resemble an illuminating comet, her eyes twinkled as she waved the polaroid in front of Wu-Jin's face.

"Moon Eun-Byeol."

". . . Yes?"

"Moon Eun-Byeol . . . you are one dumb person," patting her shoulder hastily, Wu-jin reached for the other piece of bread and shoved it into her mouth when it hung open.

"What do you mean?" Her words came out in a muffled mumble.

"Just shut up and have these," he pushed the carrier bag towards her knees, "you haven't had anything to eat today, have you?"

Moon Eun-Byeol stopped chewing, her eyebrows furrowed together. For the entirety of the arduous day, she'd been keeping her head arched over her guitar once again. It became a daily routine. It used to happen every weekend, but weekend turned into every weekend and Mondays, and soon, every day.

Exhaling gently, a soft smile appeared on Wu-Jin's lips, his eyes travelled onto the albums and vinyls scattered across Eun-Byeol's bed, and the scraps of paper on her bed, ones with a scrawly, familiar handwriting across it.

There was a trend amongst all of the album covers. It all had an elegant looking woman on them, someone that looked like a wiser version of Moon Eun-Byeol. There were finely painted blossom trees in the background of her- Jang Wu-jin remembered Eun-Byeol telling him that it was Jeong Areum's favourite flower.

Her mother's favourite.

Jeong Areum was a finely statured, firey tempered young woman. Also, a woman with several dozen unfinished songs within her notebook, the one that sat inside the left hidden corner of her vanity drawers. But of course, Moon Eun-Byeol had scavenged through her drawers and took them all into her own hands.

There was an aura about Jeong Areum- one that was warm.

So warm.

Not even a glimmer of sunlight could compare to her being. Each string connected to her heart could write a novel. Behind her sharp, dark eyes, there was nothing but a palette of electrifying colours. Colours that only Moon Ji-hun could see and he embraced them wholeheartedly.

"You're right," she let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding, Eun-Byeol rocked herself slightly, before fiddling with the thick strings of her guitar. She played a faint, familiar melody, though, it was moderately out of key.

Inclining his head slowly at this, the Jang boy rubbed his palms along the sides of his coat, before clasping his fingers around the strawberry milk and piercing the tin foil lid with the paper straw. "Here," he offered it to the hard-working girl with a peaceful smile upon his lips.

"Thank you," trapping the straw between her teeth, she let the sugary drink fill her mouth. Both the bread and the strawberry milk was much needed, despite not being able to fully admit it, she truly appreciated the Jang family.

"You enjoy the food okay," Wu-jin started, "and the strawberry milk, my parents worked hard on those," he had brought over four pieces of sugary bread. Despite only having a quarter of his share, he decided to leave them all for Moon Eun-Byeol.

"Alright," having little by little, not wanting to waste every moment, she savoured every bite, her chest feeling cozy from the kindness of Wu-Jin's parents. Wanting to reroute the conversation from before, "just because you're here with a strawberry smoothie and sugary bread, it doesn't change my mind about showing your sister this," Eun-Byeol let out a few chuckles, still not over her small 'victory.'

"Brag about it all you want Moon Eun-Byeol," he lifted his chin up higher with a knowing sparkle within his eyes, it took all his might to not let an amused snort to tumble from his lips, "I don't care at all, not even one bit."

"You're in big trouble my guy, your sister owns a bow and arrow."

"Yeah? And I have absolutely null weariness on that."

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The two companions immediately faced each other.

With the hand that did not have the chilled strawberry milk in it, Eun-Byeol clamped it over Wu-Jin's mouth. He could only settle his back into the mountain of Line Friends plushies behind him, his pupils glittered at the entertaining situation.

The hinges of Eun-Byeol's bedroom door squeaked open, a sign that it needed some oil.

Phew-

A pair of guiltless eyes met with both Wu-Jin and Eun-Byeol's alarmed ones. The two troublemakers released all tension from their shoulders, Wu-Jin even let out a joyed chuckle as he clapped his palms together, relieved that it wasn't Moon Ji-hun.

Moon Eun-Byeol's sister, may be younger, but her intellectual status was sky high. The tiny, pastel blue bunny slippers that were on Moon Hae-Bom's feet, created some faint tapping noises as she walked deeper into her older sister's room. The fringe that framed her small face, made her appear even more innocent than she already was, even though it was cut a little unevenly, thanks to Eun-Byeol's haircutting skills.

"I saw daddy drive his car into the driveway."

Even though her father was still fumbling around within his brief case to retrieve his keys, outside, in the car, Moon Hae-Bom kept her voice on a quiet level, as if he could hear from a mile away.

"Hey Hae-Bom!" Wu-Jin waved his hand at her, as a soft, fond grin spread across his face. The older boy had seen Moon Hae-Boom ever since she was an infant, when the youngest Moon sibling was swaddled within a Hello Kitty blanket. "Thank you dear soldier for saving our lives again!"

Hae-Bom waved as the cheery laugh that left her smiley lips tinted her cheeks a light shade of rosy pink, "you're welcome."

This practically happened practically every evening.

Jang Wu-Jin was more than thankful that his family was close with the Moon family. There were times where Wu-Jin needed to be in a different place. During his shifts at the bakery, his parents would talk highly about Jang Ha-ri, he'd join in too, for he was proud of his sister's achievements, if not, prouder than his parents themselves.

It was all his parents talked about. Ha-ri. Ha-ri. Ha-ri.

With his sister out at practise all the time, it almost felt . . . lonely? He had Dae-su, of course, the two were inseparable. But he was always busy sleeping instead of studying, or doing anything else in general. So that left Jang Wu-Jin with: Moon Eun-Byeol.

Once the streets of Hyosan quietened down, that was when Wu-Jin would arrive at the Moon's Household. Now, Moon Ji-hun, Eun-Byeol's father, had nothing against the five foot nine, walking ray of sunshine. But Moon Eun-Byeol did not want to know what would happen, if he found out that Wu-Jin had been staying over during the nights . . . For almost the past year and a half.

They'd been caught only once or twice- or maybe five times. But those were when Hae-Bom wanted to go on a playdate with her friends. So the troublemakers had no one to inform them about the arrival of Moon Ji-hun.

"Thank you Hae Hae," the older sister dropped her pencil and it rolled by her foot that was hanging off her bed, "shouldn't you be asleep? It's very late-" Eun-Byeol watched as her sister hid behind the door, her giggles echoed around the thin walls of the bedroom. "I mean it! Or else I won't drop you off at your first day of practise tomorrow-"

"But-" Hae-Bom widened her eyes whilst sticking her bottom lip out.

"No-"

"But I'm watching Kim Soo Nyung's archery competition-"

Eun-byeol knew how passionate her younger sister was about archery, and she could see her pupils twinkle like the rings around Saturn as she talked about it, especially Kim Soo Nyung, "the competition she had in 1988? You've watched that this afternoon already."

And the day before, the week before, the month before-

Putting the carrier bag into his pocket to re-use, Wu-jin tugged a side of his lips upwards, "I say, just stay up dear soldier, that's your reward for telling us about your dad getting back from work."

"What a great influence you are," Eun-Byeol answered, her lips drawn into a deep frown, she then faced her younger sister, who was still by the door, "don't listen to a loser like him, winners don't stay up all night watching Kim Soo Nyung, okay?"

"I'm not a loser- Hae-Bom, you don't think I'm a loser do you?" He continued to mock being offended, and over exaggerated his frown as he saw Hae-Bom hesitate.

"Only sometimes, whenever you lose a Mario Kart game against my sister-"

"HA," Eun-Byeol cut in, rather childishly, as she shoved Wu-jin's shoulder.

"You have hurt me dear soldier," trying to act wounded, Wu-jin placed a palm over his heart as if it was aching from Hae-Bom's words.

"I'm sorry," from across the room, Moon Hae-Bom stretched her hands out and offered him a random Line plushie from Eun-Byeol's collection, something that Wu-Jin always did to her, whenever she had a tantrum over a pointless sibling argument that happened between with her and Eun-Byeol.

"Thank you, I feel all better now," wrapping his arms around the Sally duck plushie, and burying his face into it, Wu-Jin could hear Hae-Bom clap her hands in relief from beside him, creating a soft smile to paint itself across his face.

"Even though I am very right."

"Sometimes in situations like these, it's okay to lie dear soldier."

"But my sister told me to never lie or a rotten tomato will grow in my stomach."

Wu-jin snorted, "I know you are creative Eun-Byeol, but I didn't know you were that creative."

As the two interacted, Moon Eun-Byeol found the opportunity to continue her private musical business. Every so often her serious frown would break into a delicate smile at the sudden bursts of laughter that filled every corner of her room.

Still sipping at the freshly made strawberry smoothie, one that was mixed with the Jang's finest of strawberries, that were newly grown in their garden, she used her left hand that held her pencil and tapped it repeatedly on her chin.

Think. Think. Think.

She needed to think of another lyric that went after: Could be from life or love or "I don't know why."

It was one of those times, where, Moon Eun-Byeol craved her mother's warm presence, where, she did not care about the burning questions within her mind. But, all she did want, was some kind of warmth- so she could get some ideas and finish the song that her mother never got to finish.

Another booming chuckle entered the room.

Moon Eun-Byeol grinned brightly.

Perhaps she wasn't far from finishing the song that her mother had started, but never finished. A song Jeong Areum was to finish writing for her eldest daughter.

What the Moon sisters would never know, is that Jeong Areum was to write one for Moon Hae-Bom and the entire family too. To Jeong Areum, family and her closest friends meant the absolute universe to her.

That's one thing both Moon Eun-Byeol and Jeong Areum had in common.

Perhaps, Moon Eun-Byeol was gaining the answers to the questions she had generated long ago. As the Earth continues to spin on its axis, she felt as though she were finding the light she'd been trying to find her whole life . . .

Perhaps.

DEAR ALL,

HOW DO WE FEEL ABOUT THIS :D

Also do we like the chaotic friendship or
whatever between Moon Eun-Byeol and
Jang Wu-Jin.

Also look at <Moon Hae-Bom3 owning our
hearts already!

See ya guys in the next one ><

WITH LOVE FROM, SYLVIA

P.S HEYYYYYYY so this fic is baaaaccck!!! I missed my girls Eun-Byeol and Hae-Bom and my guys Ji-Hun and Han-Eul-

I edited this chapter a lil and I will continue to do so in my other chapters, I've developed a more concise writing style over the past, but nothing has changed too much!!

I hope you guys still love this fic and continue to be as excited as I am for the continuation of Eun-Byeol & Cos stories :)

See you soon!!<3

Love love love