“Chaerin-ah…”

“who…”

“Chaerin…”

“what…”

“CL…”

Chaerin opened her eyes.

“Sorry for waking you up…” – Thunder spoke, not looking at her – “I…I’m going to work. There’s an omelet…and orange juice.”

He was weird, Chaerin thought.
She soon understood why.
She had shorts and a bra on. Only that.
Because she had had a heat the night before, Chaerin had replaced her shirt and pants for a bra and shorts. She had also gotten rid of the blanket.

“You should have wakened me up earlier” – she said, covering her body with a pillow.

“Your community work ended a weak ago.” – Thunder spoke, still not facing her - “One hundred days, remember?”

One hundred days…
That’s true.
One hundred days had already passed, but Chaerin had stopped counting on day seventy-one, as the calendar on the desk next to the bed suggested.

“I better go…” – Thunder left, not looking back.

Chaerin felt something weird on her chest.
Looking at the elephant alarm clock the kids had made for her, she couldn’t help but smile. The thought of not playing with them anymore made her heart skip just a bit.

The day had passed so slowly… It was so boring to be there all alone, with nothing to do…

Chaerin had gotten used to waking up early, and doing the chores.
She had leant how to cook, in order to save money. Ordering food was way more expensive than doing it herself.

At 5pm, while she changed the armchair’s position for the fifth time, the phone rang.
Hey, it could be Dara! That’d be good. Chaerin was never there when Dara called.

“Hello!” – Chaerin got the phone excitedly.

“Hello, are you Lee Chaerin?” – the caller said. It was a woman but it was not Dara.

“Yeah.” – she answered matter of factly. Perhaps it was another of her father’s secretary trying to convince her to take the business. It had happened a thousand times already.

“Miss Lee, could you come to the Central Hospital? Park Sanghyun had given this number… Miss Lee? Miss Lee, are you there?”

Hospital? Thunder?
Chaerin rushed through the door.
She couldn’t… she couldn’t lose him too.

“Please, please…not him.” – she repeated as a mantra, entering the hospital in a hurry.

“Please, Park Sanghyun!” – She told the receptionist – “What’s his room? Who was the doctor? Is he very hurt? Is he going through surgery?!” – she spoke without breathing.

“Hey, hey, hey! Calm your tatas, lady!” – The foreign receptionist said, getting up from her seat – “Your man’s over there” – she completed, pointing at the end of the corridor.

Chaerin was slightly shocked. The way that woman had spoken was way too informal, but she didn’t mind. She didn’t have time for that.

She rushed to end of the corridor, where Thunder sat.

“Thunder!” – she shouted, running on his direction.

“Hey…” – he answered getting up from his seat.

Chaerin hugged him. A tight hug.
“Are you okay?! Gosh, I was so worried! Damn it!” – she spoke still hugging him.

“I’m fine…” – Thunder said. He was very surprised by her action.

“What happened?” – Chaerin let go of him to check his face and body – “Where’s hurting?”

“Calm down, CL” – Thunder smiled – “I just broke a finger.” – he said, showing the cast on his index finger.

Chaerin held him again.
“Thank God it was just this…” – she said.

It felt good to be held by Chaerin. She looked so concerned… like it would really make a difference on her life if it had been more that just a broken finger.

Thunder put his arms around her.
“Let’s go home…” – he suggested.

On their way home, Chaerin would take a look at Thunder every five minutes.
Because he couldn’t drive, duo to his broken finger, she drove.
Thunder had slipped at the school’s pools area. He had put his hand on the floor, trying to equilibrate, but ended up breaking a finger.

“You come in first. I have to drop by my house to solve a problem.” – Chaerin said, when they got to their building.

“Okay…” – Thunder replied – “I’ll buy us dinner.” – he completed, exiting the car.

Chaerin watched as he closed the car’s door, walking away. She only spoke when he was almost too far to listen.
“Hey, Thunder!” – she called out and he turned around – “I... am really happy you’re fine” – she said smiling.

Thunder smiled.
Those words had had such an effect on him.
He had walked to the market and bought Chaerin’s favorite noodles. That smile still on his face.

On his way back, Thunder saw a street seller selling bouquets… there were yellow roses, red roses, daisies…

He couldn’t help but think of Chaerin.
It had been a difficult month for her. She had lost her father, she was being pressured to take her family’s business… and even though her community work had finished, she kept on going to Happy Cookie Kindergarten.
She had changed a lot, going from water to wine; and she had been through a lot… she deserved to be happy.
And Thunder would do the best he could to make that woman happy.

He bought a bouquet and went home with that one lovely smile on his lips.

Getting home, first thing Thunder noticed was Chaerin’s shoes at the entrance. His heart skipped and it felt good.

He entered the apartment and headed straight to the bedroom after dropping the plastic bags at the kitchen.
His heart skipped a bit upon seeing Chaerin, but it didn’t feel good.
She was standing, staring at a suitcase close to the bed.

What was that? Why had she put her stuff on a suitcase?

“I… bought us dinner.” – he spoke, looking from the suitcase to Chaerin.

“Thanks…” – she smiled lightly, dragging the suitcase to out of the room.

“And I bought you these” – he said showing the bouquet on his hands, following.

“Red roses? Why?” - Chaerin spoke, crossing the apartment’s door.

“Because… I think you’re beautiful inside and out and you…are you… leaving?” – Thunder spoke, still following.

“Yeah.” – Chaerin confirmed.

“But you can’t leave me, I…” – he started, but Chaerin cut him before he could finish.

“Shhh…” – she placed her index finger on his lips – “Don’t say anything…” – she said, getting closer to him.
“I’ll…come back for you.” – she whispered on his ear.

She was leaving?!
It hurt.
Thunder had gotten used to her, he had even learned how to like her stubborn personality and her short temper…
He just had not yet leaned how to pay attention to his surroundings, otherwise, he would’ve noticed they were standing in front of Mrs. Wang’s apartment.

“Yes?” – the old lady answered the door.

Chaerin had rung the doorbell and Thunder hadn’t even seen her moves.

“Thank you, Mrs. Wang. It really helped a lot.” – Chaerin spoke, bowing, while Thunder watched with his mouth open.

“Oh, you’re welcome sweetheart.” – the old lady spoke to Chaerin, and to Thunder: “Close your mouth, Sanghyun! The lady’s gonna think you have no manners.”

She closed the door as they left, slowly walking to Thunder’s apartment.

That suitcase was not Chaerin’s. It was Mrs. Wang’s. She had lent that suitcase so that Chaerin could keep her clothes. Thunder himself had suggested that, when Chaerin mentioned Dara’s stuff were occupying too much space on the wardrobe.

But if the suitcase was empty and with its owner, where were Chaerin’s things?

“So… what were you saying?” – Chaerin teased, pretending to be serious.

“You know…about that, I…I was just…” – Thunder stuttered, avoiding Chaerin’s eyes, as they walked.

She laught.
There was something about Thunder that never failed to make her happy, make her life a bit brighter when darkness was all that existed.

“C’mon, teacher Thunder, we got some works to do.” – she smiled, finally taking the bouquet from Thunder’s loose hands, tenderly holding his arm. – “And we can’t keep Dara’s stuff under the bed forever.”