Yifan watched Jaein as she headed towards her room. They just got home from visiting the hospital, and when her friends mentioned about Hongguk resigning his job at the restaurant earlier, he noticed the girl being silent on the way home.

Jaein was about to open the door to her room when a firm hand held her wrist. She blinked and looked up. Yifan was staring at her.

“Mwoya?” she said weakly.

“Can we talk?” he favored. Jaein bit her lip and looked at him.

-

Jaein found herself sitting at the edge of their backyard veranda, her legs dangling freely from the wooden floor, her feet touching the sanded ground, smiling at the view of sunset reflecting on the waters of ocean.

Yifan sat down beside her and offered her a glass of pineapple juice. “Drink this.”

Jaein pursed her lips into a smile and took the juice from him. “Thanks.”

The boy nodded and followed her gaze, looking at the sunset. “The view from here is really beautiful,” he mentioned, inhaling the salty fresh air coming from the sea.

“Neh, I’ll never get tired of looking at the sunset. It reminds you that even the sun sets down to indicate it’s the end of the day; it’ll show up again and give you another day to live.”

A small smile flashed Yifan’s face. “It’s like giving you another chance to live again. A hope to pursue life, to face the challenges ahead you need to encounter.”

Jaein glanced at the boy, and took a moment to observe the beautiful contours of his face. Yifan resembled like a god lost in the planet earth. The way his eyes sparkle reflecting the sun above the ocean is charming. He was really handsome that Jaein even wanted to touch him to conclude whether such creature actually exists.

The boy must’ve noticed her staring at him, making Yifan to look at her too. They stared at each other’s eyes for a few moments, not until Jaein suddenly felt her heart beating irregularly when the boy smiled. She cleared and immediately snatched the pineapple juice, took a drink to wet that drying throat.

“So, erm… what do you want to talk about?” Jaein asked, alleviating the awkwardness.

“I want to know your thoughts about the man who almost harassed you. I suppose I should know something.”

Jaein sighed, her gaze landed down to her juice. “I feel guilty.”

The boy looked at her, “Guilty? Guilty that he left without saying sorry?” he mentioned, trying to read her thoughts.

“Anni, it’s not like that. I know Hongguk, and I would understand if he would say that he didn’t do it on purpose. But that’s not what I am thinking,” she bit her lip, trying to compose the right words to say.

“What actually is it?” Yifan leaned closer, observing her facial expression.

“I lied to everyone, Yifan. I lied to eomma, to my friends…”

“But you said you don’t want them to worry for you. Why are you saying this right now?” he asked calmly.

Jaein pondered for a moment, and said, “I just… I don’t know. Yes, I don’t want them to worry.”

Yifan nodded and leaned back, placing his hands behind to support his back, “I understand. It’s a white lie, Jaein. Don’t worry so much. I think the reason why Hongguk left is because he will humiliate himself if the news about the incident will spread out. People know him for being a good person, and hearing their compliments towards him, he surely gained their trust. He was afraid to break those trusts, and to hear him harassing a girl will make those people upset. So he opted to go away and maybe reconcile with his daughter.”

Jaein thought about his words, and he was right. The man was afraid to be humiliated so he decided to get away. “So, that’s the reason then. I guess I better close the issue so Hongguk won’t be humiliated. Everything’s okay now.”

Yifan shrugged, “If I were you, I would chose to keep it too. Seeing my family and friends in content, I would rather sacrifice my sentiments than to see them worry for me.”

Jaein smiled and nodded. It amazed her to hear Yifan complimenting her decisions. They were indeed in the same level of mind set.

So the case is officially close, Jaein thought. “How about you, Yifan? Have you lied once to your mother so that she won’t be worried?”

The boy tilted his head, recalling a certain episode. He chuckled, “Yes, just once.”

Jaein slightly jumped off and clasped her hands, “Really? Can you tell me?”

A smirk flashed his lips, took a breath and said, “When I was still in China, hmm… that was back in grade school. I was walking my way home when I accidentally found a handbag by the secluded pavement. I took the bag, and because I’m a curios person, I opened it and found it full of money inside.”

“And then?” she ushered, greedy to listen more.

“Of course who wouldn’t be shocked to see a lost bag with so much money inside? But instead of taking it home, I went to the police station and told them I found a lost bag. I really wanted to go home after that because my mother is waiting for me, but the policemen insisted to let me stay because they’ll be going to ask me questions. They called the owner because there’s an identification found inside the bag and when the owner showed up, he congratulated me and rewarded me money, an amount which is enough to pay our apartment rent for a year.”

“So you got the money?”

Yifan shrugged, “I have no choice.”

“What happened when your mother found it out?”

“She didn’t know,”

“Eh?” Jaein stared at him as if he was telling a lie.

Yifan made a small laugh and then continued, “When I got home, she got angry, saying things how she was so worried about me. She even planned on going to the police station so they could help her look for me. She was so angry that she started hitting me. So I cried, not having the chance to explain what really happened.”

“So you didn’t tell at all?” Jaein queried.

He shook his head, “I didn’t. The next morning, she just found the reward given to me at the doorstep. I placed it there before I went to sleep from the previous night. She was so happy that she urged me to go to the amusement park and even bought me new pair of shoes.”

Jaein laughed, “Aigoo, your story is really funny. But if you’re going to think about it, we both end up being injured, right?”

Her statement made the boy laugh again, “You know what they said, ‘No pain, no gain’”

Jaein cupped to release more of her happy hormones.

“Omo, what are you two doing here?” the sudden voice made the two look behind. Shinjae was leaning on the backdoor’s doorframe, crossing her arms on the chest, staring at them in smiles.

“Eomma!” Jaein called, waving her hand to come over.

“Good afternoon, auntie.” Yifan said, bowing at the elder.

“Aigoo,” Shinjae invaded a space between the two, “can you share me what are you talking?”

“We’re just sharing jokes, eomma. Right, Yifan?” The elder was now looking at the boy. Jaein stared at him, mouthing him to say something.

“Ah-neh, auntie. We’re sharing jokes,” he said, somewhat cynical.

“Omo, Yifan can tell jokes? Can you share me one?” the elder encouraged.

Yifan blinked, surprised at the elder’s sudden request. He was really not fond of telling jokes at all. But seeing the elder waiting for him to speak, he has no choice but to compose one. Jaein was now motioning him to speak.

He took breath, and the said, “Uhm, what do you call a hair that explodes?”

Jaein snorted, swallowing her laughter. Shinjae smiled and said, “Okay, what is it?”

“Bangs!” he exclaimed.

The two ladies were silent for a few moments, but when they finally got what he meant, they laughed. “HAHAHAAHAHA!”

Oh no, I’m getting weirder lately. Yifan thought, face palming himself.