“You’ve grown up so fast…”

“Mom?”

“Don’t ever forget I love you…”

“Mom, wait!”

“Adieu...”

“Mom, wait...” – Chaerin woke up with the sound of her own voice.

One of those dreams again…

The cat alarm on the desk next to her bed reminded her of her living nightmare: Park Sanghyun.
It should have been Park Sandara!

She got up lazily.
“Damn it…” – she cursed when her bare feet touched the cold floor.

When she opened the room’s door Chaerin noticed a picture on a frame. It showed Dara, Thunder’s older sister, Thunder himself, and their mother.
Why didn’t Dara go to the police station? Why wasn’t she home?

“I need to change.” – Thunder’s voice awakened Chaerin from her deep thoughts.

She gave room for him to enter.

“Where’s Dara?” – she asked, watching matter of factly, while Thunder took a shirt from his wardrobe.

“She’s spending some time in the Philippines…” – he answered matter of factly, while taking a pair of socks in a drawer.

Chaerin frowned.
Dara had not said anything. Just the other day they talked on the phone and she didn’t say anything about the Philippines.

“She didn’t tell me about that.” – Chaerin said, sitting on the bed.

“It was kinda urgent. They needed a photographer and she needed a job” – he said, picking a pair of jeans.

Thunder’s sister had always been a hard working woman. She had had many occupations, and because she had quit college, she would never stay longer than a year or so.
The company that had offered her a job in the Philippines was a sun block company, so that meant Sandara would be in the Philippines, enjoying the weather and taking pictures of handsome models in bathing shorts.
Of course she accepted.

“How long is she staying there?” – Chaerin asked.

“I don't know...a couple months…I need to change.” – Thunder spoke. Were his cheeks red? It is possible.

“Go on, I don’t mind.” – Chaerin teased, smiling.

Thunder looked at her for less than an entire second. He took his clothes and left the room, leaving an amused Chaerin behind.
She laught, while lying again. It was really fun to mock on Dara’s brother. 

xxx

“Hey, sleeping beauty?” – Chaerin heard.

She had fallen asleep again.

“What do you want?” – She answered, still sleepy.

“I’m going to work.” – Thunder said from the room’s door – “Would you…” – he continued, but Chaerin threw a pillow at his face.

“Not my business.” – She said, rudely, covering her head with a blanket.

Thunder frowned. Who wouldn’t?!
Chaerin had been living on his apartment for almost two weeks and all she did was eat his food, sleep all day, stay out all night, and mess everything. Plus, she had that aura… something that made him shiver just by looking at her.

When Thunder was just about to leave, the phone rang.

“Hello.” – he answered, not very friendly.

“YAH!” – the caller yelled – “Where are your manners, Sanghyun?! You can’t talk to your sister like that!”

“Dara?!” – Thunder’s expression changed. He loved his sister and he missed her a lot. – “Sorry, I didn’t know it was you! How’s everything?” – he spoke fast, smiling – “When are you coming back? Mom went to China again, she sent a post! When are you coming back?”

Thunder sounded like a kid. His sister couldn’t help but smile. Her baby brother would be forever her baby brother.

“Calm down, Dog Poopie!” – She laught – “Look, I’m calling because…well, I’ll stay a bit longer.” – she spoke hesitantly.

“Well, okay…” – Thunder replied with exaggerated sadness.

“Your sister promises she’ll buy you a beautiful gift!” – Dara cheered.

“Drums?!” – Thunder said, way too happy.

“Let’s see!” – Dara laught. It was good to talk to her brother. She missed home. – “Dog poopie, I gotta go. I’ll call again soon. Love you, bye bye.”

“Bye, Dara. Don’t forget my gift!” – Thunder laught before hanging up.

Talking to his sister had made him forget Chaerin’s bad aura. His day would be so much better now…

“Excuse me, are you Park Sanghyun?” – a man in a suit asked, when Thunder opened the apartment door. For how long had that man stood there?!

That couldn’t be good. A man wearing a suit, holding a suitcase… that looked like bad news.

“Yes.” – Thunder answered slightly unsure of what to do next.

“Mr. Park, you were the one who paid for Lee Chaerin’s bail. We’ve tried to contact her, but it seemed to be impossible. Do you have any information of where she could be?” – the man said all those things without taking his eyes off of Thunder’s.

Of course. Problem can always be related to Lee Chaerin.

“Er…please, come in, sir.” – Thunder told the man. – “She’ll be here in a couple minutes” – he rushed to the bedroom, as the man entered the apartment.

“CL, wake up!” – Thunder yelled in a whisper, but Chaerin was not in the bedroom anymore.

Where did she go?! And how?! Perhaps she had run away through the window, not to go to jail… that woman was a problem!

“Sir, I’m sorry, I…” – Thunder stopped speaking when he saw Chaerin in the living room. She had taken a bath and changed. How come he hadn’t noticed anything?

“Community…work?” – Thunder heard Chaerin say, as if reassuring herself.

Community work.
The woman Chaerin had run over had a broken leg; a tree had been damaged; the district main square had suffered mild damage, and she was the heir of the Lee family. One hundred days of community work would be enough to teach Lee Chaerin she could kill people if she drank and drove.

“We have a list of places you can work at. It’s up to you.” – The social agent said, handing Chaerin a sheet of paper.

Chaerin took the paper and didn’t even look at it.
On Thunder’s eyes, she was rude.

“Sir, if I could suggest a place…” – he spoke, ignoring Chaerin’s death glare.

He knew exactly where she should work.
Because of her short temper, it would have to be a place where she could build up patience; because she was coldhearted, it would have to be a place where she could be surrounded by warm smiles; because she was rude, it would have to be a place where she would have to be sweet…
It would have to be a kindergarten.