After a sumptuous dinner, Dongwoon stood at the balcony, staring into the night view.

 “You love stars, don’t you?” I joined him at the balcony.

“Do I have the duty to answer you?” His cold attitude was back again.

“That’s simple manners.” I shot him a look.

“I do,” Dongwoon replied, still staring at the sky. “They are the only memory I have with my mother.”

“Can you tell me about your mother?” I questioned him carefully. I wonder did those memories hurt.

“What are you going to do are you know?” He turned to me with his cold eyes.

“I want to know more about you,” I said simply, staring straight into his eyes. It was the most honest answer I could think of.

The more I gaze into his eyes, the more I could feel the grief in him. He broke off the eye contact.

“That day, we were passing by dark alley, where two mafia gangs were fighting. My mother was dragged in for no reason. I was 5, and couldn’t defend her. After she was sent to the hospital, the doctors couldn’t save her and she died few days later. My father didn’t even bother to come and see her.”

Dongwoon clenched his fist, as he recalled back. His pain was something that only he could understand.

“Dongwoon ah,” I tiptoed and his soft straight hair. His eyes widened. “gomawo, thank you for telling me the story.”

He stayed silent, not knowing how to react to my gentleness. I let go of my hand as he released his clenched fist.

“Why are you so persistent with your book?” He asked, trying to change the subject, looking away.

“Which book?” I frowned, my brain suddenly unable to register.

“Your book of debt,”

“Ah, well… because I want to know how my mother lived her life. The book of debt recorded how she met everyone, and how kind they were to here. Being a single parent, she must live a hard life. If not for those small kindness people given, my mother’s life would be even harder.”

I chuckled to myself, thinking back about the jobs I had to take on because of the book of debt. It’s only half of it. I still have a long way to go. Suddenly, I thought an idea.

“Yah, Son Dong Woon,”

“Wae?”

“Go work with me,” I gave him a wide smile.

“Bwoh?!” Dongwoon turned at me, shocked.