"Your mom left you enough to support you for the next good while," Lawyer Choi explained her mother's will kindly. "Enough for your remaining high school and university tuition, enough to maintain your house, enough to live comfortably until you get hired. She even left you a separate account for your future wedding funds."

The middle aged man who sat before her now had been close friends with Ji Min's mother. They were university friends, they told her. He cared for her mom a lot, and in turn, he cared for Ji Min just as much.

"Your mom was certainly a business person, to have earned so much," he joked with a little chuckle. "I mean, I suppose most of this money was from selling the business but still..."

Lawyer Choi trailed off as he noticed the awkwardness in the room at the mention of her mother. "Anyways! Back to the point. The money's entirely your possession when you become an adult. Until then, I'll be sending you a monthly allowance, an amount your mother decided on before she passed. I'll also be dealing with the taxes and such that comes with property. I'll send you an receipt of how I spent the money monthly as well."

Ji Min gave him a stiff nod.

"Then... The final item on the checklist... Guardianship."

A heavy silence followed as she waited for Lawyer Choi to continue. He let out a small sigh.

"Since you don't have any relatives... Your mother previously asked a friend of hers to take you in after she passed. And her friend consented. But..."

Lawyer Choi hesitated.

"Her friend has moved to America in the past year."

A rock dropped in Ji Min's stomach with a thud. She stared at the lawyer wide eyed as she gripped onto the armrest of her chair. Her nails dug into the leather. She gritted her teeth.

"No. I can't. You know that. My mom is buried here. My home is here. I have to stay here," Ji Min shot back, the blood draining from her face as the seconds ticked.

Lawyer Choi looked at her understandingly before letting out another sigh.

"I do know that. That's why I looked a little more into it. As it turns out, your mother's friend has a son. A son that's legal age. He could technically be your guardian if he consents and you could stay in Korea..."

Ji Min waited anxiously for the bite that was bound to come.

"So I went to talk to him," he continued calmly, looking more grim than before. Ji Min didn't need to hear the rest.

"But he said no," she finished for him, directly pointing out the problem.

Lawyer Choi nodded.

"I don't know if I would even trust him with you. He's a bit of a character," he ran his fingers through his hair, furrowing his brows a bit. "You know what he told me after I explained the whole situation? His exact words were: let the spoiled brat come here and ask me herself. Can you believe that?"

Ji Min bit down on her lower lip as Lawyer Choi looked at her nervously.

"Ji Min-ah, it would make me feel a lot better for you to stay in Seoul. And I know you need to stay by your mother... It's asking a lot of you. Heck, it's asking more than a lot. But... But it might be best for you to go to him and... and ask... We don't really have another option otherwise..."

She felt tears well up in her eyes at the lawyer's request.

Was it not bad enough that her mother was gone? Was it not bad enough that she was utterly alone? Now she had to beg some stranger to take her in?  She felt a moment of weakness, questioning if she could really go through with all of this.

"I... I..." she stuttered out, not knowing what to say.

She thought about what would happen if she didn't put aside her pride. If she didn't ask for his consent, she would be a plane flight more than twelve hours away from her mother. She wouldn't be able to visit her mother whenever she wanted. Ji Min would end up in a strange new country, with new people and a new language to perfect.

Ji Min was suddenly reminded of the night she spent at the boy's place. The sounds of the game and two male voices filled the house; the drumming of the rain against the window only complimented it. She had sat on the couch, watching them, completely relaxed and at ease. She was so comfortable in the moment, she forgot about the horrid situation she was in and even fell asleep. How she wanted a repeat of that night...

If she refused to ask, she would also be a plane flight away from the boy. From Dae Hyun. Ji Min took a dry swallow.

"I'll do it," she told Lawyer Choi with a determined voice, looking at him straight on.

He seemed relieved at her answer, relaxing his body a little.

"Perfect. We can go talk to him now, I know where he is. I mean, if that's alright with you..."

Ji Min nodded as she stood up from the leather chair.

She walked patiently behind Lawyer Choi in the strange neighborhood. She didn't feel particularly safe. The surrounding area was sketchier than Ji Min expected. Lawyer Choi led them down alley way after alley way until they reached a small flight of stairs leading them to the basement. A single door was at the bottom of the stairs.

Was this where the mystery son lived?

The two of them were stepping down silently when Lawyer Choi spoke up.

"I know what you're thinking. I've check his records and he's clean so don't worry. This isn't his home, just where he... uhm... hangs out. But I don't recommend you live with him at his house. You can live in your home and just have him sign some legal papers when you need it. Those are the preferable circumstances, right?

They reached the door. The lawyer turned to face Ji Min and let out a little exhale.

"I said this before but he's quite... He's a bit of a character. Don't be intimidated, Ji Min-ssi. I'll try to handle most of the talking, all you need to do is..."

"I know."

Ji Min forced herself to give Lawyer Choi a reassuring smile, but she didn't believed it helped the middle aged man feel any better than before. She stepped forward and took a deep breath, trying to figure out how she needed to word her question. What would he be like anyway?

She brought up a finger and pressed the doorbell.

There was no answer.

Ji Min pressed it again, waiting patiently for a moment.

No answer again.

Ji Min knocked a few times, replied with only silence.

"He should be here," Lawyer Choi muttered.

Starting to feel a little frustrated and upset, she banged on the door as hard as she could.

Abruptly, the door opened.

"Aishi!! Lawyer ahjussi, I already told you on the phone! I won't do it! So would you please stop coming around here?" a voice boomed as a tall figure stepped out from the door.

The smell of cigarette smoke filled Ji Min's nose as she stared at the man that had appeared from the door.

"...Ji Min-ah???"

It was Him Chan that stood before her.