“Good morning”, Minsoo greeted the two elder women who are now eating their breakfast at the dining table.

“Did you stay last night to clean up? I woke up early to clean up but was surprised to see that everything’s been taken care of”, Haruhi asked in a soft tone.

“Yeah, I stayed and helped Noona do the cleaning”, he said before munching on his breakfast.

“Such a good kid you are, thank you for your help”, Haruhi said smiling. “Speaking of Hyun Hae-chan, do you think she’s awake yet?”

“Uhm, I saw the door of her room is open, so I thought she’s already here”, he said.

“Oh, so her door is open? Then she’s been awake.”

Minsoo looked at Haruhi for an explanation.

She then caught his questioning gaze and went on, “Well, you see, if her bedroom door is open in the morning but she’s not out here, that means she didn’t sleep last night and that she’s reading a book that entire time, aish, that kid, been a long time since she last did that, must be a really interesting book to pick it over sleep”, she explains shaking her head as she finished.

She didn’t sleep? By the look of her last night, she obviously looked someone who’s in great need of sleep. He couldn’t believe that someone could be that addicted to reading. Sure he as well stays late at night even up to the earliest hours of the next day but to actually read the full night away and shun sleep? Nah, that’s extreme!

His thoughts were cut off by Haruhi’s sudden request. “Can you get her to eat, Minsoo-kun?”

He looked at her and nodded afterwards. When he was about to get up, she speaks again. “When she said that she’ll follow down, don’t believe her and insist on getting here with you, she’s a little stubborn at times, you know”, she said smiling.

He smiled and nodded back.

He climbed the short stairs to the bedrooms of the house. His is on the other side of Hyun Hae’s while the bedroom that the two older women are across from it. When he stepped inside her room, the sunlight is beaming from the open window. He saw her on her bed, lying across it with both feet leaning up to the window, her back flat on her bed, her hair flows down the side of it. Her right hand rests on her tummy while the other is holding open a book with her head tilted to the side of it. Obachan is apparently right, you are up all night reading a book, he thought as he looks at her still figure, noting the book is almost done.

Staring at her in that position, images from his dream emerges to the surface of his consciousness. And it didn’t went any better when Hyun Hae suddenly turned her gaze at him upside down. Her eyes are rolled back, boring onto him, but this time, with a smile.

Caught unprepared, he stuttered; “Obachan sent me to tell you to eat.”

She broke the gaze and faced the book on her hand again, “Tell her, I’ll be down in a bit, I’m only a few pages away.”

He smiled a small smile. “And she instructed me not to believe you when you say that, and that I should insist on taking you down with me.”

“Right, mom really did sent you”, she said giving up. She smiled up at him before finally getting up, and as she does, the wave of her hair recede to her back. She didn’t have to use any bookmarks or even take a mental note of the page where she left off—she always remembers the part where she stopped.

Now on her feet, she tidied her clothes before smiling up at him. “I forgot to greet, Good morning!” she said brightly.

He lightly chuckled. “Good morning!”

Then they headed to the dining area with Minsoo walking behind. She doesn’t look sleep-deprived at all.

Reaching the dining table, Takada is gone. Hyun Hae very much anticipated that. Her grandmother is a morning person, she does all her things in the morning, and sitting in the dining table to wait for her granddaughter is not one of them. Haruhi greeted her with a preaching tone. “What book is it this time, huh?”

Hyun Hae grins then kissed her mom. “Good morning, Ma! You look extra beautiful today, what’s up?”

“Trying to buy me off with compliments, eh?” she’s smiling now. “Eat now and tell me about that book.”

Minsoo again started eating. Hyun Hae sat across him beside her mother. “Pass the rice, please”, she asked of him. He obliged before facing his food again, making himself look busy but is in fact all ears on their conversation. “Thanks”, she said before answering her mom.

“Okay, it’s about a Moslem princess, it’s an autobiography—hers and other girls’ experiences in a country and society where females don’t have rights equal to men are listed elaborately. They are treated less. It’s really sad when they can’t decide for themselves, speak their thoughts out, and stand for their belief”, she said then continue eating.

The two are silent, waiting for her to go on.

“And do you know that they practice circumcision in women there?” her eyes are wide as she ask her mom this.

“Really? How are they performing it?” imagining the way it is done with men, Haruhi couldn’t think of an equivalent process with women.

Look of disgust is in Hyun Hae’s face as she geared up to answer her mother’s question. Minsoo is done eating and is just watching Hyun Hae tell her story.

“You wouldn’t believe it, they are cutting off the s!” she exclaimed, cringing, she hugs her abdomen tightly, her face showcased disgust and being in pain at the same time.

Minsoo still stares at her, almost feeling the pain he can see register on her face.

“Okay, I think that’s a little off to talk about in the dining table”, Haruhi said.

Hyun Hae looked puzzled. “Huh? Since when did we get sensitive on anything?”

“Well, that might be the case for us, but you see, Minsoo-kun might not be comfortable with that”, she explains, almost apologetic when she gestured on Minsoo’s direction.

Hyun Hae gasped. “Oh, mianheyo”, she apologizes.

“I’m fine, plus I’ve finished eating so, there’s nothing to worry about. And… that must really hurt, why would they do that?” he said referring to the story.

“I didn’t quite get why either but the good thing is, they have stopped doing that now, modern day doctors have prohibited them from practicing women circumcision any longer.”

“Uhm, Obachan, why is your other daughter not here with Hyun Hae noona?”, he asked suddenly, full of curiosity.

“Other daughter?”, Haruhi is a bit puzzled. “I only have one daughter, dear”, she kindly answered.

Minsoo’s brows furrowed. Hyun Hae butts in.

“Are you by any chance talking about Hara eonnie?”, she glanced up at Minsoo.

“Is that her name? The one you called eonnie on that day with the milk tea?”

Before answering, she remembered the incident with milk tea and the cat, she has to suppress her little smile at the thought of him securing that the cat wouldn’t hurt her because he’ll make sure it won’t.

“Yep.”

“So? Care to explain the situation now?”, he’s still puzzled and is seeking to clear the web of questions in his mind.

“Well, you see, I am my mom’s only daughter. Hara eonnie is not related to me by blood, she’s my friend and classmate back in college. Her family adopted me to their home when they knew of my situation; you know, not having a house to live in while in Seoul”, she explains.

Minsoo’s lips circled to an O of understanding. Things are clearer now.

Haruhi just smiles.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

the books i've been mentioning in the story are all real, and i have them all! :)