“Leave us alone,” she dragged her little sister along with her. This seemed like a long trek back to her workplace.

“No,” I grabbed her arm turning her around. She pulled my grip on her off.

“What do you want?” She asked.

“Just let me give you a ride to your workplace. I can drop you off,” I offered.

“Why do you want to help us? What’s in it for you?” She questioned. It sounds like it was hard for her to trust anybody. As if she’s been deceived her entire life.

“Nothing is in it for me. Can’t you believe that I want to help you? A ride back to your workplace wouldn’t hurt. Plus it would get you back to your job,” I persuaded.

“Let him do it Eun Sun. He was really nice to me,” Soo Rim tugged on her sister’s hand.

“Yeah listen to the kid,” I gestured to her. Eun Sun glared at me.

“Fine. But I still don’t trust you.” She accepted.

“Just wait here and I’ll bring the car over,” I told her.

“You don’t think I’ll just walk away from this spot?” She asked.

“No I trust you,” I hurried back to my ride. She looked confused when I told her that. As soon as I brought the car around I was glad to still see them there. Probably Soo Rim holding her down. “Hop in,” I stuck my head out the window. Eun Sun helped Soo Rim buckle in sitting in the backseat. Eun Sun buckled herself in, sitting in the backseat. “You can sit up front I don’t bite,” I said looking at her through the rear view mirror.

“Are you going to be staring at me through the mirror the entire time?” She asked.

“Well I do have to look at the back when I’m driving,” I answered. I’m such a smart . She groaned as she changed seats to the front. Once she sat up front I leaned over her to reach for her seat belt. She pushed me off in defense. “I’m just buckling you in,” I told her.

“I can do it myself you ert,” she clicked the belt in.

“Ever heard of courtesy?” I asked.

“I still don’t trust you. Besides I don’t even know your name,” she crossed her arms.

“I’m surprised you don’t.” I blurted out.

“Wae? Are you someone important?” She asked sarcastic.

“I would think so,” I admitted.

“Yea you would think so. I guess you already know my name because of my sister. Now tell me yours,” she demanded.

“Lee Jonghyun,” I answered. I kept my eyes on the road like a safe driver. But once in a while I would glance at Eun Sun. Her eyes stared out to the outside. Just looking at her eyes you could tell her mind was distant. Her thinking was somewhere else. I had to wake her up. “Yah Eun Sun. Give me directions,” I told her.

“Um it’s the nearest Ramen noodle shop,” she answered.

“Well you could have told me that before. We’re headed in a complete opposite direction,” I told her.

“Just drive,” she snapped at me. Soo Rim laughed in the back watching us. I guess I would be too in her position. We arrived at their destination. My stomach growled after skipping a meal helping Soo Rim. “Kamsaheyo now you can go,” Eun Sun saluted to me.

“I don’t have to leave just yet I’m hungry,” I followed in after the two into the shop. She groaned in annoyance of not being able to shake me off. “Hey I’m a customer you should be happy,” I grinned.

“Ecstatic,” she put a fake smile.

“Eun Sun your shift will end in an hour! You find your sister?” A voice called from the back.

“Yeah boss! She’s right here! Jesongheyo for the delay! I’ll stay later and close up shop today to make it up!” She offered.

“Araso! Work hard!” The voice replied.

“I will! Kamsahamnida!” She wore her uniform and an apron. She already looked exhausted! Did she really need to work even longer?

“Yah I want to order now,” I called on her.

“Yes sir what would you want?” She sighed holding out a pen and a notepad.

“What kind of an attitude is that?” I questioned.

“Look Jonghyun are you going to order or not?” She asked with that same fake smile from earlier. She spoke through her teeth.

“Number eight order,” I answered.

“Good,” she headed back to the kitchen. Soo Rim ran over to sit at my table.

“She wasn’t always like that,” she told me.

“No way! Jeongmal?” I asked jokingly.

“Yeah she used to always smile at everything! She didn’t have to work all the time and she did really good in school. Now she’s always tired and doesn’t spend time with me anymore,” Soo Rim played with the napkins.

“You get to see her every day,” I pointed out.

“Yeah but that’s not the same. She’s not the same,” she folded the napkin into a paper crane. The poor kid sounded really down. Their family sounded tragic. I took a glance over at Eun Sun. She was focused on giving a man his change at the register. There were those beautiful distant eyes though.

“Her noodles are really good. You’re going to like it,” Soo Rim still smiled bright. Even after her parent’s passing it seems like she is doing okay. Eun Sun served my meal with a straight face.

“Did you cook this?” I asked.

“Yes sir. Wae? Is there a problem?” She asked with a great worker status.

“Just making sure I knew who to blame,” I replied hoping for a laugh. She stomped away irritated. At least Soo Rim laughed. “She needs to loosen up more,” I said. I finished my meal satisfied. I haven’t had a well cooked meal in a long time.

“Did you like it? Did you like it? Did you like it?” Soo Rim asked me repeatedly.

“No not at all,” I answered copying Eun Sun’s expression. “I loved it!” I confessed hearing Soo Rim cheer. I glanced over at Eun Sun who rolled her eyes after sharing eye contact with me.

Even though I finished my meal and paid I stayed. I didn’t have any chores at home anyway and no one would miss me there. I’m tired of hearing those noises in the other rooms.

“Why are you still here? It’s been an hour since you’ve finished eating,” Eun Sun questioned me. There were no customers only me. And her boss went home a while ago. “Are you still a customer or not?” She asked.

“No I’m not,” I answered.

“Then leave. I have to clean and lock up.” She demanded.

“No! I’m bored and I want to play with Jonghyun!” Soo Rim vouched for me.

“Yeah you don’t want the girl to be bored do you?” I asked.

“Just stay out of my way,” she muttered. I had a fun time with Soo Rim. We folded all the napkins into cranes racing each other to get most of them. Then Eun Sun was infuriated that we did that to every napkin. But I persuaded her that it would impress the customers. Soo Rim and I then made silly faces at the window to people passing by. We played lots of childish games I haven’t played since forever. I’m pretty sure Eun Sun looked jealous at all the fun we were having. The last chore she had was mopping the floor. Soo Rim fell asleep on two chairs that were side by side. I smiled at her sleeping so soundly. I her hair for a couple minutes.

“You need help?” I asked Eun Sun.

“No this is my job alone,” she replied. I shook my head at her response. I found the other mop in the back and decided to help her. “Yah I told you no,” she gawked at me. I ignored her and continued to mop. She sighed and allowed me to so. After a while we finally finished. “Why are you doing this?” She asked taking my mop.

“Why, I can’t be doing this? I just want to help,” I answered.

“I don’t need help. I can take care of myself. I can take care of my family myself.” She drained out the two mops then stored them away. Eun Sun put on her coat after noticing the rain outside. “Just my luck,” she groaned.

“I’ll drop you guys off home,” I offered.

“No I have an umbrella,” she refused.

“Its night now and you want to risk going out in the rain with that little umbrella with your sister? Plus you’re exhausted from working all night. I’m driving you home,” I didn’t listen to any of her objections. I carried Soo Rim with one arm as my other hand snatched the umbrella from Eun Sun. She looked even more confused than earlier. “Get under the umbrella,” I told her.

Back in my car again. Awkward silence except for the rain pattering on my car. “Directions,” I put it out there.

“Turn on your next right, at the stop sign take a left and then pull over at the first building.” She answered in monotone.

“Araso,” I told her. The air felt cold enough without the AC on. I listened to her directions and pulled over. I left the car to open the car door for her.

“I can do it-“

“You can do it yourself I know. But I told you already. I want to,” I unbuckled her sister as well. “What floor?” I asked carrying her sleeping sister and holding her umbrella. She carried her own purse of course. I could tell she wanted to carry her sibling but she was exhausted. In fact I think she wanted to collapse.

“Third floor,” she held on to the car.

“Give me the keys I’ll drop your sister off,” I told her.

“Are you crazy? I don’t even know you that well and you want me to-“

“You’re tired so you should just wait here until I come back to help you up the stairs,” I forced the keys from her. Entering her home I wasn’t surprised at how small it was. I laid Soo Rim on her bed without tucking her in for now. I hurried back out to help Eun Sun upstairs. I found her collapsed at the bottom of the stairs. “Yah Eun Sun!” I rushed to her aid.

“Leave me alone. I can get up,” her weak arm barely pushed me away. I shook my head at her logic. I forced her on my back but she wouldn’t hold on to me. So I carried her bridal style since was going to be this way. She gave up kicking like a five year old. There was barely energy for her to object. But she kept her glaring.

“You overwork yourself too hard,” I told her.

“I have to. I have no choice,” she kept her eyes on me.

“I know you have to work hard but you also need to take care of your health.” I sound like Jung Shin. I must have matured in the last couple of hours. “In order to take care of your sister you need to take care of yourself first.” She didn’t argue knowing I was right. Once we got to her home I let her stand on her own two feet. “You should go to bed right now. I’ll tuck in your sister for you.” She stopped her glaring for once. And simply listened.

“Good night Soo Rim,” I crouched next to her bedside. Pillows fluffed and blanket tucked in. She woke up in a flash just as I was about to leave.

“Jonghyun tell me a story,” she demanded.

“You were just asleep right now,” I told her.

“I can’t sleep well without a bed time story,” she argued.

“I’m not good with stories kid,” I told her.

“Just make it up,” she sat up after I tucked in her blanket.

“Fine but I warn you it’s not going to be the best story in the world.” I grabbed a stool and sat next to her. “Once upon a time there was this um… oh you know what? I’ll tell you one of those princess stories! Okay so once upon a time there was this girl named Cinderella. She wasn’t a princess at first but she deserved to be one. You see Cinderella used to have the life. With smiling parents, a much bigger home than this, and a little sister who was very loving.” I started the story.

“Cinderella didn’t have a sister. I didn’t hear that before,” Soo Rim said.

“Oh this is the other version. It’s much better than the other version that everybody knows. For the little sister will become a princess too. Sadly their parents died due to an accident. Cinderella had to take care of her sister on her own. While attending school as well. There were hard times for this family. Anyone could tell. But due to the cruel world no one offered to help. But now.”

“Is it the prince?” Soo Rim asked excited.

“Well not exactly. You see Aladdin was prince in disguise He was very famous and in fact in a band. But Cinderella and her sister didn’t know this. He was going through some minor problems back at his home. He was on his way to a place where he could drink his troubles away.”

“Drink what?” Soo Rim asked.

“Uh drink milk! Because milk makes you happy and healthy!” I covered that up pretty well. “So with what Aladdin had at the time which was his flying carpet. He gave Cinderella and her sister a ride to her workplace. He helped her and she got paid and they uh-“I just realized every fairytale ends with a couple. I based this story off of what happened today.

“They fell in love and now Cinderella and her sister are princesses! They’re happy again!” Thankfully Soo Rim ended it for me.

“Yes that’s what happened,” I pat the top of Soo Rim’s head. I tucked her in again and kissed her forehead. “Good night Soo Rim,” I smiled. She kissed my cheek then gave me a quick hug.

“Kamsahamnida Jonghyun for being a good friend today,” she yawned finally drifting off to dreamland. I closed her bedroom door slowly and careful not to disturb her. I wanted to check up on Eun Sun but I didn’t have to.

“I heard everything,” Eun Sun scared me.

I turned around surprised to see her standing sturdier on her own. “Shouldn’t you be asleep now? Are you feeling alright?” I asked.

“You confuse me. A lot.” She crossed her arms.

“I’m not a confusing guy,” I told her.

“You know what I mean. You just show up out of nowhere taking care of my sister-“

“And you,” I added.

“Returning her safely and then offered us a ride to my workplace. Without anything in return. Then you help me finish up my job and then give us a ride home. Then you helped me earlier. And now you do this,” she gestured to her sister’s room. “She hasn’t smiled like that in a while.”

“You haven’t smiled in a while either,” I told her getting closer.

“Well how would you know? You don’t know me personally. You don’t know the I’ve been through. What I’m going through now,” she started to break down.

“Losing someone you love is really hard. And how hard you work? It is so obvious you work much harder than I do. Seeing someone, no. Seeing a family like this go through tough times like this. Can’t you believe why I would want to help you? Without anything in return.” I explained to her.

“I.. It’s just been so hard,” her voice broke. I never wanted to protect someone before. I never wanted to put someone back on their feet. Or the stop the tears like this before. I felt like I wanted to make this girl smile again. No I needed to make her smile again.

“Don’t hit me or fight me. You look like you really need a hug,” I blurted out. Carefully I walked toward her watching her actions. If she would reject me or not. Her hands stayed at her face covering her nose and . To muffle her whimpers from her tears. I wrapped my arms her fragile body. She definitely went through way more than Shinhye. 

Oh my goodess that was really long... not done updating :D