"U-Umma", little Jimin whined. "I-It's s-s-so -c-cold.", he was freezing like crazy.

"I know.", Minhee whispered and hold him tight in her arms. "We can do this baby. Just wait a bit ok?", she pleaded and rubbed his back.

Jimin nodded and burried his face in her chest.

He was so afraid. He hated this place. They were now under a bridge. They didn't even had a blanket to cover themselfs up.

Suddenly Jimin heard a dog barking loudly und he whinced. "I'm scared Umma. Let's go back.", Jimin cried at her chest.

"We can't Jimin.", she said softly and his hair.

"Why not?", he asked freezing. "It's cold and dirty here. I'm hungry. I want to sleep on a bed with pillows Umma."

"I also want to, but if we go back, they-", she stopped talking and hugged Jimin tighter. *I don't want to lose you Jimin*

"Just endure it a little bit ok? Tomorrow we'll be able to sleep in a room again.", Minhee assured.

"You promise?", asked Jimin and closed his eyes. They had run for hours and he was tired to death.

"I promise.", she said and also closed her eyes for a little while until she heard again some dogs barking. She wouldn't rest this night, this was for sure. But at least she had her little Jimin by her side.




                                                                                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


And his mother kept her promise. They two found an apartment with a little room for them two. Jimin didn't understood how his mother managed it, but she just did and he was happy about it.
How couldn't he? They were finally under a roof and he wasn't freezing anymore. He was able to wash himself and he had bread for breakfast. He was more than happy.

They stayed there for awhile, but Minhee was behaving strangly.

She always told Jimin to stay home. Never to open the door if someone knocks unless it's herself.

Minhee went often outside especially in the evening. Jimin often begged her to stay, because he was scared. Their neighbours were so strange and noisy, they were frighten him, but she managed to assure him that nothing bad will happen. That when she comes back, she'll teach him some new english words and that he could get soon to school.

He just obeyed his mothers order and just watched TV in the night when he was scarred.

One night he watched a strange movie. There were a woman and a man. They were kissing each other like every couple does. Suddenly the man started to put his pants down just like the woman's. He was laying on top of her and making strange noises. But he remembered these noises. *Appa often made these noises.*, he thought and continued looking.
It seemed like they two would enjoy what they were doing, so obviouly when his mother and his dad made THIS, they both had liked it, hadn't they? Jimin decided to ask his mother later about it when he continued to look at the scene.

After half an hour a new scene was seen. But this time the woman didn't look like she would like it. When he wasn't imagine things, the woman was even crying. She was pleading the man to stop, but he just continued with this game. Jimin was confused now.* Why doesn't she like it anymore? It's the same game?*
The man was beating her while playing and Jimin frowned. *If someone would beat me, I also wouldn't like to play anymore*, he thought angry, but he thought the film was quiet interesting, so he continued looking. Some scenes later the woman had put make up on her face, but the blue and red bruises were still lightly seen. *Her face looks exactly like Umma's when after she played with Appa*, Jimin frowned. But his mother never cried. She was always smiling. This film was absolutly confusing him.

"He forced me.", the woman was crying at another woman's shoulder. "I-I didn't w-wanted to, b-but he-"

"What are you watching baby?", asked Minhee when she was suddenly next to him. Startled Jimin screamed and fell from the little couch.

"Did I scare you? I'm sorry!", Minhee immediately apologized and helped Jimin up.

She looked back at the TV and a flashback about the cruel thing the man had done to the woman was seen.

"WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING?!", screamed Minhee and immediately turned off the TV.

"How long did you watch this?", she asked angry and Jimin flinched at her tone. "F-for a while.", he stuttered.

"You-I-why did you watch this?"

"I was scarred. I didn't knew what else to do.", he confessed. She immediately softened when she saw the teary eyes of her son.

"Come here.", she said gently and hugged him tightly. "Don't watch these movies ever again ok?", she asked and he nodded his head.

He tried hard to forget about the scenes he had seen on TV, but then again...these pictures came always back in his head when his mother was coming back with a man on her side, pleading Jimin to turn on the music on the TV as loud as he could, and disappearing with the man in her little room...



                                                                                                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Minhee's view:



She was hating herself. More then anything else. She was lesser then dirt in her opnion. A woman who sells her body. What was she for a woman? Can she even be called like that?
But then again she had a reason. She hadn't had done this for herself, but for her baby. Her baby boy Jimin. Just for him she would endure her disgusting self and do everything these disgusting men wanted, just to give Jimin a life. Even if her money wasn't enough to let her baby boy go to school, in the end he was able to eat and to survive.

One night she was staying infront of an appartment and waiting for another man to take advantage of her.

"Hey look! A !", called a boy in his twenties. Minhee refused to look up. She refused to react to the word . At least, the bit pride hasn't left her.

"Haha, yeah! And at least a pretty one!", said another male voice and now 5 male figures were infornt of her.

"Can I help you?", Minhee asked as normal as she could. They were checking her out from head to toe.

"Well...how do you think you could help us?", asked one of the boys and a dirty smile appeared on his face.

*Disgusting*, she thought but tried to keep herself calm. She didn't answered and just waited that the damn door would open of her 'client'.

"Come on, don't you think you should be nice to us?", asked one of them and put his arm around her waist. He brought her closer to his chest.

Before Minhee could say somthing a quiet childish voice said. "Let go of her!"

Minhee looked up and saw a boy walking towards them. "She's mine.", he yanked her away from the dirty man.

"I paid her, so let me have my time with her. If you want I can give you her number and for the next time you can call her.", the boy suggested.

"Nah. are everywhere. We'll see this around.", said the male and looked to his friends. "Let's go.", he said and walked away with them.

Minhee didn't noticed that she had hold her breath. "Puh.", the boy next to her sighed and she immediately took some footsteps away from him. She gave him a suspiscious look. The boy looked like he was in her age.

"What?", he asked with a scowl. "I just rescued your . You should thank me!"

Minhee kept quiet and looked at the ground. She didn't knew what to say. She was afraid and ashamed. So the best solution was to be quiet.

"Oh!", the boy snapped his fingers. "Don't you understand english?", he asked. "From which country are you?"

*Should I answer him?*, she thought disprately. "K-Korea.", Minhee whispered and he looked surprised at her.

"Really? Me too!", he said, but then again he gave her a disapproving look. "But you work as , I shouldn't talk to you."

She looked down at herself and her eyes started to tear up. With these red high-heels, mini skirt and tones of make-up she had on her face, she really looked like one. But not only that she looked like one, she was one.

"H-hey. A-are you crying?", the boy asked slightly irritated.

"Why do you care?", Minhee cried. This was the first time in the US she had cried and someone saw her. "I'm a so why do you care. Go back home. You shouldn't be here anyway."

"And you should, or what?", he asked back.

"I don't even want to be here!", Minhee shouted. "I don't know anyone here! I'm here alone in an unknown country! I want to go back home, but I can't!", she hold herself like it was helping her not to fall in pieces.

"I don't want to do this anymore, but I have to.", she continued crying.

"Why do you have to?", the boy asked gently.

"Because my son will suffer if I don't.", she cried harder. "I'm doing this for him. Just for him."

The boy soften at the pathetic girl infront of him. "How old is your son?"

"He's 10. He can't even go to school, because of me."

"10? But you don't look-"

"Why am I even talking to you?", Minhee asked herself and whiped her tears away. "Please go now. I have to...do my job.", Minhee said bitterly and wanted to walk off when the boy grabbed her arm.

"I can maybe help you.", he offered all of sudden but bit his lip immediately in regret.

"No one can help me.", she said bitterly and jerked her arm away.

"No really! I just...have to talk to my father ok? Wait here.", he said and took his mobile phone. He walked some footsteps away from her to have his phone call.

After some minutes he came back with a frown. "He wants to see you.", said the boy and Minhee also frowned.

"Who?"

"My father."

"Why should I come with you?", she asked.

"You have the chance to live a better life-"

"I don't care about me-"

"-and your son.", the boy finished. He gave her an intense look. "Come with me.", he hold out his hand. "For your son.", he tried again when he saw that she wasn't moving.

"For my son.", she whispered to herself and took bravely the hand of the unknown boy. "What's your name?", she asked.

"Jay Park.", he said and squeezed her hand. "My name is Jay Park."







They had walked for awhile until they reached a little restaurant.

"Appa! I'm home! And I brought her!", Jay called and a frowning man came from the kitchen. He gave Minhee a disapproving look and she bowed immediately.

"Good evening, sir.", she greeted. Even when she endured so much, her good and respectful behaviour never left her.

The man came closer and looked at her face. "What's your name?", he asked with a very deep voice.

"P-Park M-Minhee, sir."

"You are Korean?", he asked.

"Yes, sir."

He looked at her from head to toe. 

"She isn't ugly appa.", said Jay next to her. "I think she'll be able to get some new costumers.", Jay assured.

"Is that so?", his father raised an eyebrown and Minhee looked confused up to Jay.

"I took you here because we need a waitress. She has to be pretty to get some new costumers. It might also happen that they want to touch you in a disapproving behaviour but in the end you don't have to fu-well doing your disgusting job.", Jay informed and Minhee looked at the elder.

"Do you really want me here?", she asked the older man with big eyes and somehow the older man felt sorrow for that girl. Her eyes were hiding a painfull history.

"Yes.", said the elder and left.

Jay turned to Minhee. "We have some proplems and we need money. And for new comstumers we need someone pretty. You are helping us while we are helping you. This should be ok, shouldn't it?" he asked.

"Get your son here.", Jay said. "Start a new life now."

He wanted to walk away when Minhee grabbed his arm.

"Thank you.", she whispered and bowed 90 degree. "Thank you so, so much."

"Nah, stop thanking me.", he smiled. "Just bring your son here and let's all start new, arasso?", he said and Minhee nodded greatfully.

Thanks to him Jimin and Minhee were able to live an almost normal life.




                                                                                                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



"Jimin!", Minhee gasped when she saw Jimin standing at the door. Jay looked worried to Jimin then to Minhee.

This situation was more than akward. His savior kissing his mother. He always so Jay as his big brother. As his Hyung. And now he just felt betrayed as hell.

"Hey, I-", Jay started but was cut of by Minhee who had put her hand on Jay's shoulder. She was shaking her head and Jay understood.

"I'll be going then.", he whispered and even dared to give Minhee a kiss on her cheek before leaving.

Minhee looked up to her son who was glaring at her. His eyes were shouting anger, wrath and disappointment. Before Minhee could say something, Jimin had left the kitchen and locked himself in his room.

*I knew it. I freaking knew it.*, Minhee sighed tired and rester her head at the table. *Secrets are always a burden.*