"May you live as long as you wish and love as long as you live" ㅡ Robert A. Heinlein

The sizzling sound and nice smell of meat got into Sinb's dream as she woke up finding herself in a restaurant. She was resting her face on the table. For a moment she thought she's in heaven becaus the first thing that she saw right after she woke up was many types of food on the table. Then she saw a stranger holding a tongs grilling some meat.

Why am I in a restaurant?? Who is she? 

She felt her head a bit heavy but she insisted to rest especially when she with a girl that she didn't even know.

"Curavi áuxili," the girl spoke under her breathe when she noticed Sinb already woke up with a frown on her face because she felt dizzy.

"Sorry, what?" Sinb asked. She's quite sure she heard the girl mumbling something but she couldn't hear it clearly.

Sinb tried to recall her memory when she was at the factory. She got beaten. The man that she met earlier filled her mind as he hit her back of her head using a metal pipe. Sinb cursed and quickly touched her back of her head, it's not hurt anymore.

"Why am I here?" Sinb asked the girl coldly. She's scanning the girl, her face looked mature. 
She's probably older than me, Sinb thought.

The girl gave a tiny smile, "I'm Sowon," she said.
"You fainted so I bring you here because I don't know where do you live."

Strangely, strangely she brought me here to rest rather than a hospital.

"But why here when you can just call the ambulance to take me to the hospital?" Sinb asked, "I mean why bother to take me with you when you can just let them take care of me."

"I don't call them since you look fine." 

"What?"

"What?" Sowon giving a short stare at her before continue grilling the meats. 

But she's right. I don't feel any pain. My head is fine.

"But why did you bring me here? Say, do you actually have any bad intention towards me?" Did she perhaps trying to scam me or kidnap me?

"Hey," Sowon fixed her posture, she straightened her back and leaned forward to make her face a little closer to Sinb's. Her eyes fixed at Sinb's eyes, "If I am a bad person, I will just leave you alone dying there in the middle of nowhere and I will never bring you with me, to have a dinner here, not to mention this expensive dines."

Sinb startled. She quickly backed away, moving her face further, "I don't ask you to help me!" she raised her voice at the older girl and it made her mad. Sowon glared at her, "Can you talk nicely?" she asked. 

But she's Sinb, a girl who has go through many hard times alone. "Who are you to order me around like that?" she asked. She was not afraid of her at all, Sowon's glare was nothing to her.

"Don't you know how to be grateful? I save you."

"Look, you keep bragging about it. I don't really need your help in fact I don't mind dying there."

Sowon frowned, she was clearly displeased with Sinb. "You're so rude," she said. "I have my reason to save you, listenㅡ"

"I don't want to hear it. It's none of my bussiness. I'm want to leave." she cut her off and stood to leave but Sowon was very quick to grab her firmly by the wrist. Sinb shrieked, "It's hurt!"
She furrowed her eyebrows, "What do you think you are doingㅡ" she couldn't finish her sentences when she looked down and saw Sowon staring at her furiously, and it was different from her previous stare. This time her stare was so cold that it sent chills down to Sinb's spine.

"We're not done talking yet." Sowon spoke softly but in a monotone voice. Sinb gulped, "..let go," 

"No. You'll run."

"I'm..not going to run."

Sowon hardened her grip and it made Sinb shrieked even more. Her eyes got teary. 

"Really?" Sowon asked, still in her low voice. She knew she shouldn't believe in Sinb. She was aware of Sinb wanting to run so she had to stop her from doing so.

"..won't do it," 

Instead of let go, she twisted Sinb's hand till she sat down again across her. She cried, "It's hurt!" She snatched her hand away and kept shaking it in pain.

"Sorry," Sowon said simply, still wearing her cold face. Sowon felt like she needs to do something as a lesson for Sinb who kept being rude to her, and she did it. After she let go of Sinb's wrist, Sinb didn't talk back to her at all and kept shut. 

Sinb stared at Sowon with mixed feelings. Her eyes were so teary. She felt angry and upset. She never thought the girl in front of her could do that ㅡ hurting her to make her behave well ㅡ especially when they have never met before. 

Sowon cleared . She took a crumpled coat on the chair beside her and showed it to Sinb. It's a trench coat with some dirt on it. Sinb was so confused. She wanted to ask about it but her voice won't come out because she's scared.

"This is mine. I wear it this morning." Sowon said, "It's dirty, right?" she asked.

Sinb nodded slowly.

"You made it dirty."

Sinb frowned, she looked at Sowon in confusion, "When did I do it?" she couldn't help but to raise her voice.

"At the market earlier when you were running after stealing someone's wallet."

Sinb widened her eyes, "You saw it?" She's half shouting.

"Everyone can clearly see it. Most important is you bumped into me until I fell down and ruined my coat."

"It's not me! You might had mistaken me. I don't bump into someone at all." She lied. She hope Sowon will buy her lie but she didn't believe to her at all. Instead she got another furious glare from Sowon.

"What are you talking about? I can clearly see your face. It's your fault." Sowon said.

The glare made her felt uncomfortable and scared but she still exclaimed, "I'm sure I'm not the one who to be put in blame. I just bumped into you accidentantly! If you are strong you won't fall off the ground."

"You're so ridiculous." Sowon laughed wryly, "Then if you don't bump into me I won't fall down, right?" Her words got Sinb.

"Blaming me for falling and not being strong? Stop being like this." she added.

Sinb bit her lips, "Fine, I admit it." she said.
"So you saved me just to bring this up?"

"Of course. I won't let you go that easy."
Sowon showed her hand to Sinb. Sinb lifted her eyebrow. She raised and parted her index and middle finger, gesturing number two with her hand. She looked into Sinb's eyes, "Either you pay me or work for me. Pick one." she stated.

Sinb frowned, "Why do I need to work for you?" She don't think working for Sowon is acceptable plus it is just a coat. She's crazy! 

"Then I'm asking for refund."

"How much?"

"Hunder dollar, it's half of the price by the way."

Sinb complained, "It's too much!" She already cursed Sowon so much in her head because she thinks Sowon exaggerated the price.

"It's a famous brand. But I can lower it if you want."

But even if Sowon ask for less than the given price, Sinb knew she won't be able to refund it because she don't have any money at all. It's obvious because she need to steal from someone this morning just to get some money.

"Or you'll need to work for me," Sowon said. Her words made Sinb widened her eyes even more. Sowon smirked, she was so sure Sinb will work for her and that's what she wanted at the very first place. She needed someone to do her job because she couldn't do it anymore, not until this winter.

"How about I wash your coat?" Sinb finally spoke.

Sowon gave a 'you-are-still-losing-anyways-what's-the-point-of-trying-?' face at Sinb. She lifted the coat showing the brownish muddy stain to Sinb. "This dirt is permanent," she demanded. Sowon could tell Sinb didn't seem to believe her because Sinb's face was too obvious. 

"I tried washing it with some water but it didn't come out ㅡ well maybe it will if you really brush it but you will ruin my coat even more." she added. "Means full price refund, can you pay me two hundred dollars?" Sowon asked mockingly as she raised her eyebrow at Sinb. Sinb clenched her teeth in frustration.

They exchanged looks. Both of them remained silent; Sinb was so frustrated and Sowon was waiting for Sinb's decision. 

Accepting the job might be a bad thing for me but who knows, besides I don't really belong to this world and I have nothing to lose. 

Sinb sighed. "Fine, I'll work for you." she said finally. "But tell me first what is my job, how would I know if I could do it or no."

"You'll get to know it later. It's a simple job, even a kid can do it." 

"Then why can't you do it?" Sinb mocked Sowon.

Sowon rolled her eyes and ignored her. "You can eat," she said to Sinb before she continue to eat her food. 

"No thanks." Sinb refused. She's starving but she wanted to protest. 

"Then.." Sowon held out her hand to Sinb, "Pay me for your potion." she said. 

"What do you mean?"

"Either you finish the foods or pay me. I won't waste my money buying these foods for you if I know you don't want to eat it."

"I'll eat it," Sinb said picking up her chopsticks. 

"Okay,"

After they eat, they went to the parking lot in front of the restaurant. Sowon took out her car key from the bag and unlocked her red car. 
Sinb felt strange after looking at Sowon's fancy car. Sinb just stood there watching the older girl gets into her car. She's curious about what did Sowon do in her life. Various job appeared in her mind. Is she perhaps doing an illegal job like selling drugs, scamming or killing ㅡ

"Get in," Sowon interrupted Sinb. "Why? You want to run?"

"I won't," she quickly got into the car. 

Sinb looked at Sowon's face, I don't think she do those things. It's just her face doesn't show it.
They kept quite. Sowon didn't really bother to talk with Sinb since she's busy driving her car. Sinb looked out the window keeping her tight face because she was not satisfied with Sowon at all. She can't stop worrying about her job and wanted to know her job badly. But she knew there's no point asking because Sowon will either ignore her or tell her to shut up.

"Can't you at least let me know my job because I don't want to waste my life doing bad and illegal things."

"Says the one who steals from someone."

"Shut up," Sinb scoffed. "Where are we going?" she asked, trying to switch the subject. 

"Your workplace."

"Already? This late?"

Sowon ignored her. Sinb wondered about many things in her mind regarding her job and Sowon. Sinb turned her head to Sowon.

"If you are going to ask about your job again I won't answer to your question anymore."

"You won't send me to a brothel or pub right?" Sinb asked worriedly.

Sowon lifted her eyebrow, she glanced at Sinb once before fixed her eyes on the road. Is she serious? She seems serious. "I don't know." she replied to her.

"Heyㅡ"

"Gosh. Just call my name or unnie rather than 'heying' me." 

"But I forgot your name!" Sinb tried to remember Sowon's name but she can't remember. "Your name is weird,"

Sowon glanced at Sinb, Seriously we just met not even a day and she forgot my name? 
"Are you dumb?"

"It's not like you know my name too," 

"Ah you're so annoying!"

"You are so irritating. Can't you tell me about the job already? It is not that hard to speak one or two words that only have a few letters in it."

Sowon shrugged her shoulder, "You won't believe me even if I tell you, that's why I'd rather make you see by yourself than wasting my time explaining it."  
"I told you not be be worry. It won't ruin your life," she added.

"My life already ruined thoㅡ" Sinb's word cut out by a short honk from behind. She turned her head, Sowon was driving calmly ignoring the sound.

"You just ran a red light."

"You can tell already."

"That's terrible. If I ride with you again I'm sure you might be one of the reasons why I die,"

Sowon groaned, "Why are you so talkative even after you got beaten? I thought you need some rest."

"Because I don't feel pain,"

"Then just rest quitely,"

Sinb crossed her arms, "I won't sleep, I don't trust you. I might wake up in the middle of nowhere," 

"Suit yourself."

Sinb suprisingly slept through the ride although she worried at first. Sowon smiled, finally she could feel at ease. 

"See, you are ten times better if you stay quite." 

"Why there are so many cars tonight? This is why I hate to go out." Sowon said while tapping her finger on the steering repeatedly. The traffic was packed with many cars. Sowon couldn't move her car. She barely go to the city but she had to go there since yesterday night to find Sinb. She was glad she finally found her.

She could move her car after waiting for twenty minutes. She got off the busy road and took a turn to a narrow path that led them into the woods. The road was pitch black, only the bright high beam from Sowon's car shine the road.

Sowon glanced at her side. Although the car kept shaking because of the uneven road, Sinb didn't even wake up. 

"Bet it's easy for people to kidnap her when she's sleeping. How can she sleep soundly like that in this shaking car?"