“Where are you going, Ae Ri?”mother’s voice called me back as I was about to step outside our courtyard.

I turned to her. It hurt my heart to see her dressed so simple, with no hair pin in her hair. “Out. Where are you going, mother?”I questioned her as she approached me.

“To work. Where else?”

“Mother…”

“Look, Ae Ri,”she interrupted me. “You should stay home. Jun Hyung needs someone to talk to and be there for him, to help him turn around, to feed him. And your father…”

“I’m not going to let you work anymore, mother,”I tugged on her sleeve, drawing her attention.

“What are you saying there, Ae Ri? And who’s going to do the work if not me?”she looked at me with a smile playing on her lips.

“Me.”

“Ae Ri…”

“I know what you’re going to say, mother,”I turned my eyes towards the market place that was swarming with people. “I know I’m not good at anything. But I also know that it’s all my fault for us being in this situation. If only I hadn’t ran away at that time…father would still be ok and Jun Hyung….”

“And where are you going to work, Ae Ri?”

“I’m going to talk to the Head Master of the Academy. And who knows? Maybe I’ll get back my old job,”I shrugged because I didn’t put that much hope into it since that man was a declared hater of me and my family.

Mother sighed next to me. “I’m not going to say ‘Don’t go!”, Ae Ri. Because we’re in need of money. But I’m not going to stop working either. It’s not right for the parents to live on their children. And I’m not the person to just stay and wait for everything to be placed in the right place. Not anymore at least… So go. And if you succeed, then it’s ok. I won’t make a fuss over it if you don’t get it back either,”she smiled as she kissed my forehead. “This is where we’re going separate way,”she showed me the market place before leaving me behind.

I watched her rolling up her sleevs as people got off her way. She was still a lady, still a princess…

The road was empty and only the birds were singing in the sky. Why was everything so peaceful when my heart was full of a storm that was threatening to drown my heart and everything else? I myself, was feeling as if I was going under water from time to time… and yet, the nature was so peaceful and ignorant of my sufferings.

The gates were still there. The gates were still the same. I pushed them open and stepped inside the courtyard, not minding the faces that turned to me.

“TEACHER CHO RETURNED!”yelled someone and I found myself surrounded by a group of students that were talking at the same time, smiling and shaking my hands.

“Were were you, teacher?”

“I cried so many nights after you left the Academy.”

“The class is no longer the same as it used to be!”

“Are you back for good?”

“Are you here because of your brother?”

“What’s up with all this fuss?”a deep voice called, making everyone shut and turn around, making me face their backs.

“Nothing, teacher Kim,”one of them answered. “We were just having a conversation about today’s match. Will you come to see it?”

“No. But why are you hiding there?”he stepped closer to the group that was hiding me