“You seem rather happy today, Fany-ah.” Siwon can't help commenting upon seeing the vice mayor’s cheerful face as she got inside the car.

“Wae? Am I not supposed to be happy?” she slumped down on the seat and pouted.

“It’s not that.” Siwon gave a nervous laugh as he started the car. “You just seem happier than the last time. I’m just glad to see that you are coping up well.”

“It seems like the effect of the kids take time to wear off.” Tiffany put on her seatbelt first before facing him. “How are they oppa?”

“They miss you a lot. Especially Eun. She keeps asking when you will be back.”

“Ah~ I want to go back as soon as possible. Are you busy this weekend, oppa?”
“Yes.”
“Oh. That's too bad.”
“Why?”

“Ummm...” her eyes darted to her skirt as she started drawing invisible doodles on them to ease her disappointment. “Never mind.”

Siwon glanced at the girl beside him and smirked at her down-casted expression.

“I'll be busy this weekend because I'll be hanging out with the kids at Kajeong with you.”

“Neh?”

“Well, that's if you'd want to come.”

“I want to!” the girl looked so happy she held on to Siwon's arms and shook it excitedly in her delight. “Aigoo~ I was about to ask you that a while ago.”

The young man said nothing and simply smiled back in return.

“Umm, Siwon-oppa. I have a question.”
“Fire away.”

“Where were you this week?” Tiffany saw Siwon grip the steering wheel harder so she quickly added “I mean, we haven't really talked to each other and err... no messages. So, yeah. I was wondering. Were you busy?”

“Yeah. A bit.” Too busy thinking about what is happening with my life.
“Oh. I hope I'm not being much of a bother to you.”

“You're not bothersome Fany.” It is my stubborn hypothalamus that is being such a burden.
“Ummm... I know that you have a lot to do and you taking care of me is really something that I'm grateful of. But don't worry, oppa. I am getting along fine.” she raised her fist and mouthed “fighting!”

“But I want to take care of you.” it was a thought but his eyes almost popped out of its sockets when he heard himself blurt it out loud. “I mean, of course, ahaha you know... as an oppa... yeah...”

Tiffany heard him well; and she also noted the subtle sound of denial on his voice. Not the type to assume, she just shrugged her shoulders and smiled back at him.

“If it's okay with you oppa, then there's nothing else I have to worry.” for some unknown reason, she felt courageous to add something to her answer. “I actually like it when you take care of me.”

Siwon, too surprised and overwhelmed about what he heard, was silent.

“Oh.”

“Err... yeah.” Tiffany bit her bottom lip and looked outside the window. The atmosphere inside the car is getting thick. It was starting to get really, really awkward even though the air of awkwardness is the kind that makes you feel giddy.

Maenchoeum neoreul budeon nal
Sujubki manhadeon neoyae mageun misodo
Oneuri jinamyeon kakkaweo jilkeoya
Maeil seollaeneun kidaereul hae

Tiffany turned back her attention inside the car when she heard music playing. Siwon, obviously, the radio in a feeble attempt to ease the sudden awkwardness only to silently nag at himself when the song currently playing practically mocked the entire situation between him and Tiffany.

He was about to turn off the music when Tiffany cut him short.

“Isn't that Yonghwa's song?”
“Neh?”

“Yonghwa. Jung Yonghwa.”

“Ah, Yonghwa. Yong choding from Kajeong.”

“He is from Kajeong?” Tiffany was obviously surprised with the new information.

“I'm not sure if we are talking about the same person but there's this playful but talented little boy in Kajeong before and we used to call him Yong.” Siwon tried to keep himself from smirking at Tiffany's reaction.

“Is he the same boy who went to Madam Shim's office five years ago to ask for support from the city government about pursuing his dream to be a musician?”

“The boy with the overbite whose really good at playing the piano?”

“The one who made headlines on all the local papers when he became the youngest prize winner for the Seoul International Music Competition...”
“...but declined the scholarship at Julliard School and opted to work as an independent composer instead.” Siwon finished the statement for her.

“Omo! We are talking about the same person!” the girl went all giggly; renowned eye-smile making their appearance once again. Siwon, who has kept his attention at the road all these time, was grinning from ear to ear.

Uri seoro banmal haneun saeega duikireul
Ajik chogeum seotureogo eo saekhanae do
Komawoyo raneun maltu daesin
Chum to chinhagae mareul haejullae

“Aigoo~ I never knew Yonghwa-yah is from Kajeong!”

“He's the liveliest kid Kajeong ever had.” Siwon seemed to forgot his purpose of turning off the radio. “Though we never really managed to find out about his background, he had won our hearts.”

“You do background checking for the children?” the girl asked surprised.

“Yes. It's necessary. Especially for cases of children who ran away from home. We make it a point to know about their family backgrounds and most of the times, umma visits the parents to give them a good scolding.” he then laughed as if remembering a certain memory.

“Oh.”

“And there are times too when kids simply ran away from home but their parents were actually looking for them. So, it's really is a requirement to at least know some information about them.”

Tiffany nodded her head upon understanding. “Hmmm, you mentioned about Yonghwa...”
“Yeah. Actually, Yong showed up at Kajeong's doorstep one clear Chuseok night. It was the last night of the holidays and Ahjumoni was done tidying up the place from all the remains of the festivities. If I'm not mistaken, Yong was around eleven then.”

Completely healed of the awkward atmosphere, Tiffany leaned closer to listen to Siwon's tale.

“Ahjumoni recalls how even with his foot bare, he was dressed smartly for a street kid. Though his hair was disheveled and he has this blank look in his eyes. She gave him food and took him for the night. The next morning, Ahjumoni woke up to the sound of piano playing and was surprised to see the entire household awake listening to that lost little boy as he conjured notes out of the tips of his fingers.”

The vice mayor's mouth formed into an 'o' as she listened on.

“I remember umma leaving the house in a hurry after receiving that call from Kaejong. She later on told us that she suspects that Yong is from a well-off family. They tried looking for his family background but there has been no success whatsoever.”

“Wow, that sounds like something from a drama. So, up until today, nobody knows who he really is?”

“Yes. The only answer they got from him is his name. I think umma tracked all the Jungs in Korea but there isn't one with a missing son named Yonghwa.”

“He's a funny person. That Yonghwa.”

“True. He only stayed here for five years but it seemed as if he has stayed here all his life.”

“I was helping grandpa at his office during the time he went to the city hall. He was waiting outside Madam Shim's office all alone but looking at the expression on his face, it seems as if he has a band of invisible children with him. He was all smiley and bubbly and was even the first one to talk to me.” Tiffany then gave out a tinkling laugh. “We are of the same age but I thought I was older than him! I even reprimanded him for not calling me noona but then I learned that he was actually two months older than I am. I still think I am older than him though even until today.”

Siwon took a glance at her and smiled. “That's Yong alright. Seems like he doesn't grow up. If not for his talent in playing classical pieces in piano as if he was trained to do that all his life, he just seems like any ordinary kid. Always genuinely happy, playful and is always pulling pranks on everyone. His personality is quite contagious, actually.”

Uri seoro saranghaneun saee ga duikireul
Cha beun du son yeongwonhee huhjiah neulkkeoya
Baraboneun neo yae nunbit sogae
Haengbokhan mi so manee kkilbarae

The car slowed down indicating that they were near thei