I wake up lazily as I hear the alarm rings. I turn it off and open my eyes. The white ceiling greets me. I groan and try to drift my eyes to the window. The calm atmosphere in the outside was inversely with my heart’s. I sigh and take the blanket off of my body and sit up at the edge of my bed. Suddenly, there’s a knock on my bedroom.

“Youngjae, wake up. Come on, get your lazy off of your bed!”

I grumble and quickly answer my uncle. “Yes, samchon”

“That’s my boy” he says and I hear his footstep away. I stand up and stretch my body. Today is just another day to survive.

I just finished taking a bath when my uncle comes out from his room and fixes his tie. “Youngjae, how about your practice? Good?”

I nod. “It’s okay”

He nods too then comes to me and hold my arms. I’m surprised at his act. “That’s my boy. Be a good student and make your uncle proud okay”

I nod and he smiles then takes his bag and says goodbye as he goes to work first. I just stare at the front door then come in to my room. I close it and throw the towel to my bed. I look at all the trophies of running that I’ve got since junior high school till now. They remind me of the happiest moment in my life but now they’re just remain as a memory.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I arrive at my work earlier and start to prepare the store. I know, I should have attended the school but here I am, working in one of a supermarket.

“Youngjae, you come earlier as always.” Mr. Jang, my manager greets me. I smile and bow at him then go to the locker to change my clothes. As I go out, I see Mr. Jang is checking some products on the display. I approach him. “Mr. Jang, tomorrow I can’t work at morning. I have a practice and extra class to attend at school”

He pats my shoulder and smiles, “It’s okay Youngjae. I ask you to come here after you study but you insist to come in the morning instead. Study is number one for a student”

I bow and thank him then go to my spot to clean the store first. My decision to get a work, nobody knows it, including my uncle. I have to do it just for two or three months, to help my uncle pay the costs of my treatment in the hospital. Because of the accident, I have to take it for three months, twice per month, to see the continuity progress after the operation and it’s not cheap at all. It’s hard to pay for daily necessities then adds my treatment. After I discharge from the hospital, my uncle always ended up goes home late even falls asleep in the park. I know, it’s not the first time, but he often does it and gets me worry of his health. I have asked him to not do this often, he just shrugged it as if it’s nothing. He’s a hard worker, never once did he complain about it to me but I know it must be really difficult to him. He’s the only family I have now since my parents died in an accident.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I go home, it’s already late, I jog as I worry my uncle already arrived at home. What he would think if he sees me without wearing my school’s uniform? Luckily, when I arrive, the house is empty. I sigh in relief and quickly come in to my room and prepare to take a bath. My uncle goes home when I cook some food.

“Hmmm smells delicious”

I chuckle and ask him to take a bath first.

“I met your friend earlier” he says while taking the rice to his plate.

I frown, “Who?”

“The good girl who helped me a few days ago when I was drunk, remember?”

“Ah…” I remember it. Boram and Inyoung did. “They’re my hoobae”

My uncle nods. “She’s a kind girl”

I suddenly get worry as my uncle says it. Could it be one of them tell him about my absence at school? “Do they say anything to you?”

“Huh? Telling me what?” my uncle asks while chewing the food. I see his confused face and I realize they don’t tell anything to him. I shake my hand, “Nothing”

I can sense my uncle’s staring at me but I pretend that there’s nothing going on. After having dinner, my uncle quickly turns on the TV meanwhile I clean the dishes. There’s a knock on the front door. My uncle gets up, “I’m coming”

I just continue doing it in thought maybe it’s one of our neighbor or my uncle’s friend. After a few minutes, my uncle approaches me and says, “Hey, she’s here. Do this fast okay?”

‘She?’ Who is he referring to?