After 2 years….

“This sports feature has already been done two months ago. This fashion tip is from last year. This Make Up Haul article doesn’t even make sense.” Dara dropped the stack of folders on the table as she looked around her staff while standing up. “What the hell is going on? Any other creative ideas that you can actually come up with other than recycling articles from previous entries?” None of her staff answered and she sat heavily on the chair. “We go in printing in two weeks time. If you can’t submit a decent article to put on, then I suggest you go and look for other jobs.” She gazed at them with her most piercing glare before dismissing the meeting. She leaned on her seat as she closed her eyes while massaging her head as she heard them talking in their hushed voices as they left.

“Why’re you so cranky?” A voice said.

She opened her eyes and saw Kwang Hee, the owner and president of Kmag, a small magazine company she is currenly working at as an assistant editor located in Baguio City, Philippines. It has been a magazine that was focused mainly on giving updates on what’s happening in Korea for all the Koreans residing in the Philippines and had later on ventured into a much more versatile magazine giving out news on sports, make up tips and cosmetics. It had been her idea to spread out the range of the magazine’s demographics. When she arrived there, she was only a filing clerk until she suggested putting on an article for cosmetics. She had been around Filipinos who seems ecstatic with Korean make up and what better way to spread it than printing about it. She was the one who wrote the first article and she got promoted after that. From cosmetics, which had knew nothing about at first, to being assigned a sports article when a korean player joined a basketball team, to a Feature Article writer. Until she became the assistant editor.

Dara stood up. “We are near deadline. You should be the one screaming at me about it.”

Kwang Hee leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Relax. I don’t want people thinking I have a really crabby girlfriend. Think of my reputation of being soft and mellow.”

Dara scowled at him. Yes, they have already been dating from the first year she started working at KMag. That’s also probably one of the reasons why she got promoted really fast. But hey, she was good at what she does too so she really deserve the promotion.

Kwang Hee put his hands on her hip and pulled her a little closer. Dara tried not to laugh at his sour expression.

“You have no idea how much this is making me so icky,” KwangHee whispered. “But my father has got spies in here somewhere.”

He was gay too. And he was doing it for show since the conference is encased in glass where the staff can look over.

Dara put her arms around KwangHee’s neck making KwangHee pop his eyes at her in warning. “Are you having dinner with Jo Kwon tonight?” Jo Kwon is already his boyfriend since she met him.

“Yeah,” KwangHee whispered. “Finally. It’s so hard when you think everyone is suspicious in reporting your uality to your dad hailed up in military.” He scoffed.

“Relax,” Dara said. “It’s gonna be okay.” Then grinning, she gave him a very quick peck. KwangHee immediately pushed her with a look of disgust on his face not caring if anyone would see. He put a hand on his lips while Dara laughed.

“Oh my god, I think I’m gonna puke!” KwangHee said acting like he would vomit. “How dare you corrupt my innocent lips!”

“Ya. My lips are more innocent than yours,” Dara said.

“Oh my god,” KwangHee said continuting to make vomiting face. “Ewww ewww ewww.”

Dara just laughed as she took her bag. “Alright, you have already hurt my ego. And I thought I was really good in kissing. Kiss Jo Kwon for me too.”

KwangHee’s grimace turned into a grin as he raised one of his eyebrows at Dara. “Oh, that I will do.”

Dara rolled her eyes at him as she shook her head. “You are so gay. And I can’t believe anyone can’t see that.”

“People see me as a hot male specimen.”

It was Dara’s turn to grimace. “Oh my god, I think I will puke.” Then she lifted her hand in wave. “See you tomorrow.”

She went to the elevator to the parking lot and then got to her car. She started the engine and drove off, a smile still on her lips as she remembered how things had changed for her for the last two years. And it’s all thanks to Hwang Kwang Hee. When she met him, she had been down in the dumps, riding from city to city, working from one temporary job to another to get some money to go to another place. She met him at a small island she had found herself in, not knowing the name of the place she had landed herself into after riding a boat. She had been exhausted, she had lost a lot of weight, dark circles on her eyes, and really hungry when she collapsed as she was serving a plate of burrito at his table. He was the one who brought her to the hospital.

And he was the one who had saved her.

She could remember how he had looked so concerned at her almost non existent fat in her body and had taken care of all the hospital bills. He was a good man. And she owed him.

She parked her car at the small house she had managed to rent out for a year now and stepped out, excitement filling her as she opened the gate. Then a small boy with a bobbing hair ran to her as he bounced towards her.

“Mama!”

Dara got on her knees and caught him before he stumbled. She lifted him up as she kissed him on his chubby cheeks. “How’s my little Haru?”

Her son began speaking in his own language that only he could understand and Dara nodded her head in understanding as she carried him inside the house. The nanny was wating by the door and holding his toys looking so haggard and tired from running around trying to catch an energetic two-year-old from falling in his face all day.

“Have you eaten?” She asked Becky, the 13 year old girl who applied for the job a year ago.

“Yes, Ms. Dara,” Becky said. She is a filipino who is the only one supporting her family and Dara immediately hired her when she found out.

“Did Haru ate his porridge?”

“Yes, but he wants the kimchi first when he saw it.”

Dara shook her head. “Don’t let him eat it. It’s too spicy for him at his age.” She let Haru down and Haru immediately scrambled to get back into running while Becky followed him. She watched as Haru’s little hands tried to grasp a big box of junk before Becky stopped him. Dara took off her shoes and put on her slippers as she went inside her room to change her clothes.

Yes, she can see how her life had changed drastically in two years. And it all started when she found out she was pregnant. Her mind went back to the time when she hadn’t known anything is different aside from the loneliness she is feeling. She thought her throwing up is a sign of acid reflux or something and she stopped taking coffee. She gets headache in the morning then felt fine a minute after. When KwangHee had brought her to the hospital after fainting at the small restaurant she had applied for a temporary job on, the doctor said she is 7 weeks pregnant, she felt like it was another blow for her to fight on.

How can she be pregnant? God wouldn’t be so cruel to her as to give her responsibility when she can’t even take responsibility for herself!  Why couldn’t he give it when she’s already over whatever abyss she is in and she’s strong enough to take on that challenge?

The doctor added that she’s dehydrated and the lack of nutrition will be dangerous to the baby if she kept up with the pace of her lifestyle. KwangHee must’ve seen the fear in her face that he stayed with her in that hospital that day. Then he came back the next morning to check on her. For as long as she had been in the hospital, KwangHee stayed. She didn’t ask and he didn’t say why. She was drowning in fear and uncertainty as she ran over the information that she is pregnant. She is having a baby. Donghae’s baby. A baby she didn’t plan on nor she will ever. A baby. She ended up crying noisily at the thought of how life is treating her now. It has been slapping her really hard, pounding on her, beating her until she was left bloody, bruised, and powerless. Now she can really say she was weak. Frail. Pathetic.

She seems catatonic as she stayed in the hospital for almost two weeks trying to rack her brain on how she will fare. Where will she go now? Can she go back to Busan? Can she even do it? Her hand went to her still-flat stomach and knowing there is another life she will be responsible for and she was left confused and scared.

Then KwangHee offered her a job when he dropped by again at the day she was being discharged. He said it’s in the Philippines. A small editorial magazine. Grasping for any sort of life she could cling to to bring her up from the chasm she is under, she clutched onto Kwanghee’s arms and thanked him profusely.

He brought her in the Philippines after  5 months  and set her up in a small Room-For-Rent. Kwang Hee was the one who took care of all the documents and papers for her to work in the Philippines. From what Dara could tell, he must’ve so many connections that he did it so fast. She didn’t start right away at KMag as KwangHee told her to be strong first before she can start.

She still felt the pain in her chest everytime she woke up, still can feel the hurt spreading through and she wondered how long she can withstand and stay. It was one day after she took a shower that she really looked at herself in the mirror and found a gaunt looking Dara with her stomach already bulging inspite of her skinny arms. She could practically see the bones in her chest protruding that she realized it’s time for her to snap back to reality and move on. It wasn’t just her now. Her hands caressed her stomach and her eyes teared up when she felt a tiny nudge. It was like her baby is also telling her his agreement.

She started to get back up. Eating vegetables, drinking milk. Doing what little exercise she could do. KwangHee always brought her something everytime he visits. When she asked her why he’s doing this, he only ans