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Sohyun walked into the same mini mart the other day. She looked at the cashier. Joon.

She bumped into the exact person that she bumped into the other day, and she apologized before the stranger walked out suspiciously, holding onto his bag strap tightly. 

She walked to the counter and paid the items. She bit her lip and looked at Joon. "Sorry, but is there a man called Jiho working in this shop?" she asked. Just as Joon was about to answer, the owner came running out, as usual gripping onto Jiho's collar. "You are not going anywhere now Jiho! You stole my products and yet you still deny?!" he hollered while Jiho looked down and avoided his glare.

"He got fired yesterday. The boss suspects him a long time ago. Poor guy.." he muttered and shook his head.

"What's going on?" Sohyun asked the owner and he eyed Sohyun, looking at her from head to toe and frowned, then pointed an accusing finger at Jiho. "He stole my products! And it wasn't once, it was continuous! Starting from last week!"

She pressed her lips into a firm line and nodded. “Then do you have any evidence?"

He looked at Sohyun then back at Jiho. "I don't need evidence. He's the evidence! He's an ex convict. If he wasn't the one who stole it, then who would? I shouldn't even have hired him!" he spat. She looked around the mart and the surveillance camera caught her eye. She patted the owner's shoulder and pointed at the camera. "You should check out the surveillance camera."
 

The owner knitted his eyebrows and frowned, looking at the video tape while Sohyun smiled and paused the video. "Here, you can see that Jiho never left his spot, only after Joon took his shift, then he went out. It was only the next day when he came back." She pointed at the screen. "And if you would focus and look at this stranger, he has been here for more than a week, and always going around the mart, then going out of the mart within five minutes without buying anything," she explained, and nudged Joon, while he nodded and zoomed in.

"If you zoom in, you could see that every day he would always have his bag with him. The other day when I bumped into him, I saw a bag of potato chips in his bag, revealing just the tip of the packaging," Sohyun confirmed and Jiho weakly smiled.

She smiled at the boss. "So you can stop pursuing the matter. I guess the thief would come back soon, maybe in less than a day he would come back. And I guess Jiho's innocent."

The owner gulped and looked away, having Sohyun to sigh. "I think you owe Jiho an apology." The owner looked at her with a shock face and he scowled.

"It's alright. If there's nothing else, I'll get going," Jiho said, walking out of the mart.

Sohyun immediately grabbed her bag and caught up with him. "Hey," she greeted.

"Ah yes, thanks for standing up for me just now. There's hardly people like you who could actually do things to help such people, like me.." he muttered and looked down at the ground.

"Actually, you can sue the boss for discriminating against you or ex convicts," she reasoned out. "Why don't you stand up for yourself?"
He forced out a smile and shook his head, waving the thought away. "They won't believe me,” he replied, walking beside her, then stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her. "Are you a social worker?" Sohyun laughed and shook her head. "I'm a trainee lawyer. Actually, if you don't mind could you tell me why were you even sent to jail?" she asked.

"Made a false testimony, charged for obstruction of justice." He shrugged.

"For who? Someone bribed you?"
He shook his head, forcing out a smile. Sohyun knew he was hiding, bottling his feelings up inside, hiding the truth and hiding how sad he was. "My wife. She was charged of murder, but she didn't. I swear."

Sohyun nodded her head. She found the case oddly familiar, but shrugged it off. She understood how he felt, or maybe partially understood what he had been through. Having the person closest to you, seeing that person everyday, and the next thing you woke up, you found that person who has always been with you to be charged of an offence, a crime.
She would find it ridiculous, outrageous.

She would feel that the person was always with her, and how could that person had time to kill someone? She would find it impossible, like how Jiho would find it impossible.

Jiho suddenly stopped in his tracks and he turned to face Sohyun. "You said you're a trainee lawyer, right?"

She nodded. Jiho's haggard face disappeared, and he smiled at her. "Then could I actually appeal to court? My wife's innocent, she really is."

She blinked in surprise and stuttered, "I'm .. I'm not too sure, but well, you can give it a try."

"Then there'll be hope for my wife!" he said quietly, his smile getting broader every second.

"Ah yes, I can also refer to you a job. Well even though the pay isn't that high, but it's still good, you interested?" she asked. Jiho immediately nodded his head. "As long as I can support myself, I can do any work!"

---

"BT!" Tao exclaimed while entering his house, jumping.

"All ready? Let's go!" Tao exclaimed once more while BT shook his head. "Sohyun's still in her room, let's wait for her," BT said and winked at Tao. "She's wearing a hanbok," he added and glanced at Kris who looked around the house. The traditional old man, BT, wore the traditional clothes, together with Tao. Silky blue material with flower patterns sewed on it, blending into the clothes.

"Sohyun! Are you done?" her sister shouted, asking and Sohyun came hurrying down the stairs, carrying her briefcase. Wearing just a blouse and black pants.

Tao and BT flung their hands up in despair and rolled their eyes. "Sohyun! You're supposed to wear a hanbok! Where's it?" BT asked, while Sohyun laughed. "BT don't you remember? You threw my one and only hanbok two years ago. You said it was dusty and too tight for me. And after going to the temple I need to go out, I'm just wearing office clothes that's all."

"Oh whatever. Let's go," Tao grumbled, walking out of the house, his mood was slightly dampened. He thought he would be able to see Sohyun wearing hanbok, and also to have Kris to see her wearing.

Sohyun nodded her head and smiled, walking out.
 

--

"You know, I'm really praying for love," BT said, walking out of the car. Sohyun rolled her eyes and smiled. "We'll I'm still sticking to career." She walked towards the main hall in the temple with the others, and they saw a familiar figure, looking up at the statue and smiled.

"It's Hyomin!" Sohyun exclaimed and pointed at her, then waved.

Hyomin turned and waved back, approaching them.

Then, they stood in one row and they closed their eyes, praying hard.

*I wish to clear Kris' mother's name. And also wish her luck in everything she does. People like her are hard to find, and hard to cherish now. I also pray for Jiho’s safety, and hope he doesn't dwell on his wife and continues living well, hoping not to be discriminated by society. I also wish for Kris to success in whatever he does. And as for career and love, I guess that will be put aside for the time being..* Sohyun prayed as she smiled.

*I wish to win the case for omma, and wish her good health and safety. The two kids at home to get the scholarship and help support the family. I wish for Sohyun to be successful in whatever she does. Be it career or romance. And I just hope, she would be able to stay beside me.*

*I wish for love in the house. But not for me, but for Sohyun to accept Kris, and put her past behind her forever. Not being haunted by the feeling again..* BT prayed and grinned.

They all opened their eyes and bowed, then squeezed through the crowd, exiting the temple.

"Hyomin, so where are you studying now?" Sohyun asked while walking beside Hyomin. She shrugged her shoulders and swung her bag. "I'm still considering. But there's a high chance that I can go overseas and study, I'm really excited." She smiled, clasping her hands together.

"Really? Congrats then! You really have a bright future."

She smiled and shook her head. "Well not as good as Tao. He really helped me a lot when I needed someone to depend on. Now I moved out of that house, and stayed in Seoul, an apartment near the orphanage. So when there's time I could actually visit the orphanage to see the sisters and children."

"What course are you going to take?" Sohyun asked. "Taking law or medicine?" she added. HyoMin shook her head and laughed. "Maybe a teacher, I find it more meaningful to heal and teach the young hearts of Korea, instead of curing their illnesses."

Hyomin glanced at her watch and tapped it. "I got to go. I'm seeing the children at the orphanage to celebrate chuseok. I'll catch up with you next time, bye!"

Kris approached Sohyun and looked as Hyomin hopped into the taxi. Where's Hyomin going?"

She jumped and blinked at Kris in surprise, unaware when he was beside her and she bit her lip. "She's visiting the orphanage. She's really smart and bright and she still has a long way to go in life," Sohyun said.

"Well let's go. BT and Tao are waiting for us in the car." He held her hand and walked out.

"Oh wait," Sohyun said and quickly escaped out of Kris' grip. "I'm meeting someone. I guess I'll see you later at home, bye," Sohyun said softly, and slowly walked the other way, taking a taxi to Jiho's house.
Tao and BT quickly scooted next to him, as he pulled him into the car. "Yah. Now Sohyun's gone, we can discuss about you two."

"Us?!" Kris shrieked, pointing a finger at himself. "When are you going to confess to Sohyun?" BT wiggled his eyebrows at him while Kris bit his lip and looked down. "I'm not sure.." he mumbled then quickly shook his head. “I mean-you mean- I mean, how did you know-“

"I'll help you choose a date. Next week. I've calculated. Yin and Yang are balanced at that day especially during day," BT closed his eyes and said, calculating and mumbled as he fiddled with his fingers. "You got to grab that chance."

"You calculated?" Kris asked and BT nodded his head and drove off. Tao glanced back at Kris who was in his own world, and he nudged BT. "Did you really calculated?"

BT laughed and shook his head. "Of course not, silly. I just made it up."

Kris looked out of the window, seeing the trees pass him by and he sighed, resting his forehead on the glass window.

It was the first time. First time being so anxious over a girl. First time having his kiss to the girl he really love. And the first time he didn't know when and how that happened.

He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated and he groaned in his seat, shaking his head. "Kris what have you done to yourself.."

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