Chapter Three

                 Kris swiveled around angrily and regarded Joongki through incredulous eyes. “Do you really have to say that?” he asked in disbelief.  Joongki didn’t answer as he continued staring where the women had exited.  He could feel the cold drink seeping his shirt, adding to his mounting anger. He reached for his handkerchief and began dabbing his wet face with a muttered oath.  He cursed as he angrily stalked outside. Kris followed him with reluctant sigh.  Joongki finally located his assigned cabin, kicking the door carelessly. Haphazardly, he began to his wet clothes. He flung them on the floor with an impatient jerk while he reached for a new set of clothing in the closet.

                 “You have to admit,” Kris started behind him “-that you deserve that,” he said, as he pointedly looked at Joongki’s discarded clothes.  “Sorry to make your end immediately,” Joongki said scathingly as he impatiently buttoned his shirt.

                 “Damn it Joongki!” he snarled irately, his face reddened in an embarrassed heat at the reminder. “Why did you have to say those things to her?  It is only her job but you didn’t have to disrespect her by adding insult to her injury by your careless accusation,” he said. Joongki shrugged as he zipped his pants.  “In the first place,” Joongki started in a cold voice. “-the woman is a e. Did she really expect us to do the sign of the cross and control ourselves while they themselves around?” Kris winced and opened his mouth to disagree but Joongki cut him in. “In the second place, I’m not the one wearing a skimpy dress to entice a roomful of men,” Joongki continued as he finished dressing.  “She should know better than to try to save her virtue a while ago.  Imagine that. A e who doesn’t want to be touched,” he said derisively.

                 Kris heaved a sigh.  “I’ve never seen you quarrel with a woman before,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s not everyday that I got slapped by a woman,” Joongki answered.  “Especially by a e no less,” he said as he stalked out of the room.

                 Kris followed him along on his wake. “e or not, you have to admit that you have upset the woman when you had unwittingly touched her,” he said as they went back to the barroom. They had reached the bar and Joongki ordered two cognacs.   Kris shook his head, “I’ve never seen you got affected by a woman like that before. You always treat them with amusement and humor,” Kris said absently, as if talking to himself. “This is the first time I saw you got angry with a woman.  Don’t tell me-,” Kris said as he regarded Joongki with amused brows,“-you found the woman appealing?”

                 Joongki frowned and regarded Kris through imperturbable gaze.  “Not only do I found this subject exceedingly distasteful, but a bore as well. Am I making myself clear?” he asked. Kris’ lips curled upwards in a scoff then shrugged as he reached for his drink.  After a few moment of tense silence, Kris said in an amused voice, “You have to admit, the woman has spunk.  I don’t know anyone of our acquaintance who would dare to punch you.  I couldn’t even land a punch on you though I’m really itching to right now. I ought to stop to a boutique and buy a wedding dress as well in order to win against you in a brawl,” he laughingly confided. Joongki’s glass stopped in mid-air as he stared straightly at Kris.  Seeing his reaction, Kris reached for his own drink to hide his smirk.

                 The hope in her chest that Moon Geung is asleep died the moment she saw the lights on the balcony of their apartment flickered.  Chae Won heaved a reluctant sigh as she walked towards the apartment with aching thighs.  She could feel every tired muscle in her body as she progressed.  She winced when she started to climb the stairs. She had almost reached the door when Moon Geung appeared behind it with an angry anxious expression as she surveyed Chae Won from head to toe.

                 “You brainless little fool,” she snarled as she opened the door wider and pulled her inside.  The warmth of the apartment had almost relieved the knifing cold of the night.  She settled herself on the sofa and curled herself.  Moon Geung reached for a blanket and wrapped it around Chae Won securely. 

                 “You reckless little fool,” Moon Geung said as she settled herself on the divan infront of her.  “When would you stop being reckless and think for one second about what you were doing?” she asked angrily, as she passed the hot coffee towards her. Chae Won tried to smile and reached for the cup.  “I couldn’t let them down,” she said.  Moon Geung sighed. “That’s the problem with you,” she started.

                 “You ought to stop being selfless and stop worrying about others, Chae.  Look at you, you’re a mess. And what’s with the make up?” she asked as she stared, horrified at her face.   “Part of my job,” she said wearily, gulping the hot drink.  She rests her head against the sofa.  “I can’t let Mother Superior down after everything that she had done for me.  It’s time for me to repay her kindness,” she said.

                 Moon Geung sighed.  “But I’m sure that Mother Superior, God rests her soul, wouldn’t agree to your methods of helping her.  Why? Look at you, Chae. You can barely hold yourself up.  Just what the hell are you thinking?  Sticking your head to this kind of job? First, from construction works then this?” she said disbelievingly, shaking her head.  “I don’t know what you’re thinking Chae Won.  I knew you wanted to have the orphanage working but you don’t have to sacrifice yourself too much because of what you’ve promised to her deathbed.”

                 Reminded once again of Mother Superior’s death brought tears on her eyes.  She wiped her tears then felt Moon Geung hugged her tightly. “I’m really sorry Chae. I know I’m being such a bully. But I’m just concerned with what you’re doing to yourself,” she said softly, as she gently touched her hair. 

                 "I know you care about me Moon Geung,” she said a moment later when they had pulled apart. “I’m really grateful for your concern,” she said as she wiped her tears.  Averting her eyes from hers, she said in a barely restrained voice, “But now that Mother Superior is gone, it felt like the weight of her responsibility had fallen on my shoulders.  I thought to myself that I should never disappoint her by letting the orphanage brought to a closure.”

                 “What do you mean closure?” Moon Geung asked as she reached for her hand.  Chae Won heaved a sigh as she took a gulp of coffee.  “I couldn’t tell you about it,” she started. “But the land where the orphanage was located was actually owned by a businessman named Park Chanyeol.  The orphanage was given a notice of closure in order to pave way for the construction of his mall.” Chae Won laughed bitterly. “He had given an ultimatum for us to pay a two million yen within the year in order for us to buy the land from him, but if we won’t meet the deadline, he would forcefully wipe out the orphanage,” her hand shook as she took another gulp of coffee. “The children would have nowhere to go. No families would be ready to accept them,” she said.  “That’s the reason why I’m having these kinds of jobs,” she finished, sipping the hot coffee, feeling the warmth spreading on her aching body.

                 Moon Geung winced. “I-I’m sorry, Chae. I didn’t know,” she said lamely.  Chae Won shrugged.  “No matter what, I can’t let the orphanage end like that,” she said.  Unconsciously, her hand reached for her gold necklace with her engraved name on it.  “I-If I don’t have any other way possible, I will pawn this necklace.  I already inquired to some pawnshops. It almost costs 800,000 yen,” she said. 

                 Moon Geung gasped. “But you can’t!” she almost shouted in disbelief. “How could you sell that necklace Chae Won? It’s the only thing left for you to find your family,” she said as she looked at the necklace.

                 Chae Won smiled lightly.  “My real family are the people on the orphanage.  Imagining them without a roof over their heads pains me,” she said, as tears began to form in her eyes.  Moon Geung hugged her once again. “I know you care for them, Chae,” she started. “But you don’t have to pawn that necklace,” she said as she pulled from the embrace. Moon Geung looked at her straightly. “Someday, you must find your real family, Chae.  And your necklace will help you find them,” she said.  Chae Won looked at her necklace then sighed.  “I don’t know if I want to find them Moon Geung,” she sighed wearily.  “In the first place, I grew up in an orphanage. Which means that my family doesn’t want me.  My real family are the people living on the orphanage,” she said stubbornly.  Moon Geung heaved a sigh. “I never could understand your own pain Chae Won. It must have hurt to not knowing your real family,” she said as she looked at Chae Won straightly. “But you don’t have to burden yourself with the orphanage because of your promise to Mother Superior and because you felt dedicated to the orphanage.  You ought to start thinking for yourself.  You don’t have to do this kind of job anymore-” she said but Chae Won cut her in.

                 “I already quit,” Chae Won said. Moon Geung regarded her with raised brows, her eyes widened in obvious reprieve. “That’s good! What made you decide to quit?” she asked.  Chae Won started to picture a man with mocking gray eyes and she started to clench her fists.  She shrugged, which took an effort when she wanted to grit her teeth.  “I just realized that the world is full of pompous, arrogant, spineless men,” she managed to say.  Moon Geung frowned.  “Something happened?” she inquired.  Chae Won shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she started.

                 Moon Geung regarded her raised brows. “Chae, you know we’ve been friends for years, and I know that you’re an honorable person. But you know that you could ask for my help right?”  Chae Won immediately grasped what she was saying.  She shook her head. “No Moon Geung, please. I can’t let you be burdened by my problems. It’s enough for you to hear me out. But you don’t have to lend money,” she said.  Moon Geung sighed. “I want to help Chae, and besides you could return the money when you’re ready. I don’t really mind. Besides,” she said as she grasped for her hands.  “Chae Won, I love you like a real sister. Your problem is also mine, so how hard could it be?” she asked.

                 Chae Won smiled reluctantly and she could feel again the start of tears forming in her eyes.  “Thank you Moon Geung. I know I’m being shameless and-” she started but Moon Geung cut her in. “Oh please, save the drama, girl. I’m not saying that I would just lend the money. I’ll collect more interest rates later. Besides, we should try to get some sleep.  You have an early day tomorrow,” she said.  Chae Won chuckled as she picked their almost empty cups.  Moon Geung held Chae Won’s forearms. “You know Chae, you should realize that you’re not fooling anyone when you said that you’re not interested in knowing your real family,” she said.  Chae Won frowned at her. “What do you mean?” she asked in astonishment.  Moon Geung pointedly looked at the necklace Chae Won is wearing. “Wearing that necklace means something, right? It means that somewhere deep inside you, you’re still hoping to find your real family,” she said as she released her hold in her arms.  “Think about it Chae. Pawning that necklace would totally severe your ties with your real family. Think before you act.”

                 Chae Won lay on the bed and stared absently at the ceiling, her mind replaying what Moon Geung had told her.  Unconsciously she touched her necklace around her neck and looked at it.  The engraved letters of her name glittered against the light coming from the lampshade.  As far as Mother Superior told her, she was brought to the orphanage when she was just a babe which meant her real family didn't want her.  She fought the tears forming again on her eyes.  No matter what, her 'real family' lives in the orphanage.