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Upon setting breakfast up on the table, along with a small sticky note prodding Iseul and Hyun Woo to eat everything she prepared for them, Ha Yun snuck out of the house, careful to keep the noise at a minimum. It was six in the morning, which meant she was running on approximately four hours of sleep. Believe it or not, it was more than what she would usually get on the weekends. As she was shutting the gate, she flicked her wrist out to check how much spare time she had. She had to go around the neighborhood and gather the cardboard boxes for the old mechanic in exchange for some cash. If she didn’t get the job done within twenty minutes, she would miss the bus and end up being late! This was how her Saturdays typically started.

Although she didn’t earn much by doing this, Ha Yun liked to think of it as killing two birds with one stone. She was helping an elder in the community out while also making a few extra bucks on the side for herself. It was basically a win-win situation for everyone. Panting and slightly out of breath, Ha Yun dragged the cart piled with cardboard boxes people were throwing away up the rocky driveway. Why was she getting winded so easily? Last week she had no issues. Mr Han was already waiting for her outside and she greeted him with a broad grin. “Good morning, grandfather.”

Mr Han cleared his throat and held out a white envelope. “Here’s the money I owe you. Last week’s pay is also included. Don’t go telling the rice cake grandma I don’t pay you. She’ll think I’m a cheapskate and serve me cold food.”

Ha Yun bowed before accepting it, trying her best to stifle her laughter. “Thank you very much,” she sang. “And don’t worry, grandfather, I’ll make sure to put in a good word for you. I can’t have you stay a widower for the rest of your life.”

“I should just hit you.” The elder couldn’t help but smile as he shook his head and raised a fist, pretending like he was going to knock some sense into her. “Don’t you know how old I am? I don’t need you to play matchmaker for me. If anything, it should be the other way around. You should be worrying about finding a good man with a career for yourself. If you do, you won’t have to go around doing stuff like this. Don’t you get tired?”

Ha Yun’s smile faltered for a second before her watch beeped, startling her. Shoot! She had less than five minutes to get to the bus stop! Where did the time go? Brushing off Mr Han’s words, the woman bade him a haste farewell and scurried down the road. She had to go to the private academy located three blocks away from the hospital to clean the windows. Her old classmate was a teacher there and had been nice enough to get her the job. Again, the pay wasn’t a lot but every cent counted. If she was tardy on her second day, it wouldn’t look good for her or her classmate.  

She was scheduled to start cleaning at seven and the ride alone was about half an hour. The next bus wasn’t scheduled to arrive until a quarter to seven, which meant she couldn’t afford to miss the one coming right now. Sprinting as fast as she could, Ha Yun saw the bus off in the distance. The blinker was on and just as the vehicle peeled away from the curb, Ha Yun reached the front doors, banging on it to make her presence known. The driver stepped on the brakes and opened the door for her. He didn’t look happy but she flashed him a sheepish smile anyway. That was a close one.

Since she had thirty minutes to spare, Ha Yun decided to use the time to skim through her browser for potential job offers. She found a couple that offered decent wages, but they weren’t accommodating to her schedule. Before she realized it, her stop arrived and she nearly missed it. As she hopped out the backdoor, Ha Yun strolled toward the academy, her attention still on the various employment advertisements. When she reached her destination, however, she received an email from the school. Apparently the academy was closed for the day since the walls were being repainted. Ha Yun had to read the message again to make sure the lack of sleep wasn’t messing with her mind and once she confirmed she had traveled here for nothing, she couldn’t help but scoff. They couldn’t have sent the notice out yesterday? What was she supposed to do now? Her next part-time gig didn’t start until one!

Suddenly, her stomach gurgled atrociously and Ha Yun grumbled under her breath. She didn’t get the chance to have breakfast since she was too busy cooking it. Maybe she could get something to eat and figure out what she was going to do. There was a restaurant a mile away that served delicious food for cheap prices and Ha Yun chose to go there. The walk was nice and relaxing since she was in no hurry and, for once, she was able to enjoy the view. Her phone rang and she answered as soon as she saw it was Hyun Woo calling her. “Noona, did you get to have breakfast before you left for work?”

A brief pause followed before Ha Yun laughed. “Of course I did,” she lied. “Do you think I left without eating?”

Her brother didn’t even skip a beat and bluntly said, “Yeah. There are no dirty dishes or utensils in the sink.” The smile instantly disappeared from her face as she pulled the phone away from her ear and scowled. Hyun Woo was definitely a smart kid, which was why his decision to not attend college bothered Ha Yun. He had so much potential but he wasn’t doing anything with it. It’s been two years since he graduated from high school and all she’s seen him do is stay out late doing god knows what with his friends or visiting the local precinct. She loved Hyun Woo dearly, but she wanted him to lead a better life.  

“I cleaned it all before I left,” she quipped as she attempted to alter the topic. “What time did you get home last night?”

“Just make sure you eat something,” Hyun Woo ordered, ignoring her inquiry. “I’m hanging up now.”

“Hey! I’m not done talk—” The only thing she heard was the dull tone ringing in her ear and Ha Yun bit down on her bottom lip. Sometimes, she wondered if she was really his older sister. Tucking the device away, she exhaled and moved along. Ha Yun walked past a convenience store and backtracked once she caught sight of a help wanted sign. Since she was already here, there was no harm in stopping by. At the register, she asked to speak to the manager about the sign posted on the window, but to her dismay the position had already been filled. If that was the case, they should have taken the sign down instead of inconveniencing people like this.

With her head hung low, Ha Yun finally reached the restaurant. She counted the money Mr Han had given her and realized she’d have to use all of it for food. She was reluctant but thought about her brother’s words. If he discovered she hadn’t eaten even when he told her to, he definitely won’t leave her alone. After she placed her order, Ha Yun stretched an arm out forward, laying it on the table, before she rested her head on it. The place only had a few customers inside but it was still early in the morning which was understandable. Ha Yun studied the other patrons and found two women sitting to her left. It looked like they were mother and daughter and a stifling feeling swelled inside of Ha Yun’s chest.

“Seo Woo, when did you like eating at places like these?” the older woman interrogated, a deep frown swinging on her lips. It was obvious she didn’t approve of the venue and from the brand-name clothes wrapped around her body and the luxury bag occupying the chair next to her, Ha Yun was able to figure out why she was reacting in such a manner. “Couldn’t you have taken your mother to a fancier place? It’s not like you can’t afford it.”

“Mom, are you not going to eat your share?” Seo Woo questioned, unfazed by the woman’s glare. “If not, I’m going to pack it up and take it with me. Just because this restaurant isn’t elegant, doesn’t mean anything. The price you pay for the food is fair. Besides, I don’t have time to wait around. I have to get back to work.”

Before Ha Yun could hear what the woman’s response was, her food arrived. She immediately sat up and thanked her server. While she was eating and minding her own business, she thought about what she could do to pass the time. Perhaps she could visit her father. She didn’t get to see him yesterday, so today would be the perfect opportunity. Then she recalled last night’s incident with Iseul and her appetite vanished, her grip around the spoon tightening. That’s right. How could she let that escape her mind?

* * *

With long and fast strides, Ha Yun marched toward Guk Il Hospital. She was not going to sit idly while her sister was being torn apart at the seams. She was going to make sure Dr Jung steered clear from Iseul at all costs. It was the least he could do for putting her through all of this pain. Ha Yun wasn’t positive about what she was going to say to him, but it would eventually come to her when she saw him. She was never someone who did well with planning ahead of time, especially with the things she was going to say. It felt too rehearsed in her opinion. But it was going to be hell for him. That much she knew.  

There were many departments in the hospital and Ha Yun wasn’t sure where to begin. After reevaluating the idea, she came to terms with the fact that this was not going to be as simple as she thought. The only real information she had concerning Iseul’s ex-boyfriend was that his surname was Jung and he was a surgeon. He was probably around the same age as her since Iseul was never attracted to older or younger men, give or take a few years, which led Ha Yun to conclude that he had to be in his early to mid-thirties. She could work with what she had. She always did.

Instead of wasting her time and visiting every single department in search of him, Ha Yun asked the head nurse at the front desk for a Dr Jung who also happened to be a surgeon. She was then directed to the neurosurgery department where she stumbled upon a young doctor with ashy, silver hair looking over his notes. She spotted his identification card and discovered his name was Choi Kang Soo. He would surely know where she could find this Dr Jung. “Excuse me,” Ha Yun said, making sure her tone was polite. She wasn’t going to lash out on an innocent bystander. Her fight was not with him.

“Yes,” Kang Soo replied, not bothering to spare her a glance. He was too swamped with things he had to do. He didn’t want to get scolded again. What if his senior caught him? He’d never hear the end of it. “How can I help you?”

Ha Yun raised an eyebrow and decided to wait for him to look at her. He didn’t and she became annoyed by his actions. Her temper was usually tamed. She wasn’t the type of woman who got mad easily, but today was really not the day for her patience to be tested. Were his notes that important? Or was she not important enough? “Don’t you know it’s rude not to look at somebody when you’re speaking to them, especially if you’re a doctor?”

Her sharp tone and biting words made Kang Soo freeze and he swallowed upon registering his mistake. “I’m sorry,” he answered sincerely before he met gazes with Ha Yun. Although she was wearing a sour expression, lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed, Kang Soo still found her undeniably attractive. Now he felt even worse than he did when she had reprimanded him! She must think of him as a horrible, impolite prick! “Is there something I can help you with?”

“There is,” Ha Yun announced. “I’m looking for Dr Jung. Do you know where he is?”

“Dr Jung?” Kang Soo repeated. “Ah, yes. He’s in the middle of a surgery right now. He should be done soon. Is it an emergency? If you have any questions, you can always ask me. I might be able to assist you,” he offered.

“I don’t think you’ll be able to help me,” she pointed out. “It’s a problem only he can solve. Is there somewhere I can wait for him?” Kang Soo