“So?” Mrs. Jung Sang Min greeted So Min. She was waiting for her daughter to come home. “How have you been?” she added.

“Everything’s fine, mom. I just came from the ever boring Science training,” she replied as they made their way inside the house. So Min laid her body on the couch in the living room.

“It’s so tiring! Thank goodness, it’s finally Friday tomorrow!” she said as she stretched her body on the couch.

“Come here. I’ll prepare your food,” her mom called her from the kitchen.

She excitedly went to the kitchen wondering what her mom made for her. It would be something sweet, of course.

“Mom, how come you’re home this early?” she asked her mom as she sat on one of the dining chairs.

“Why? You don’t want me to be here?”

“Of course not! I love it when you’re here. It’s lonely being alone,” she said while playfully smiling. “I was just wondering because you and dad usually come home late from the shop,” she continued as a way of reasoning out. She looked at her mom inquisitively. “By any chance, did something happen out there?” she continued.

Her mom smiled at her question. Her daughter is really good at sensing things.

“It’s not a big deal, baby, don’t worry about it.”

“It must be big enough to send you home this early,” So Min replied with all the curiosity on her mind.

“Just don’t worry about it. Your dad and I will talk to you about it later when he comes home,” her mom told her. “Now, eat this,” she added as she passed the plate with a piece of custard cake on it.

***************************************************

“You’re going home this early? I thought you have your journalism training,” Hyun Joong asked So Min as she quickly ran to the locker room right after the bell rang.

“I’ve talked to the journalism adviser about it. I can only come on Mondays and Wednesdays,” So Min replied while catching her breath.

“But why?” he asked again.

“Because I have my Math training on Tuesdays and Science training on Thursdays,”

“What about Fridays, just like today? Isn’t that supposed to be for journalism as well?”

“Aish! Why do you have to ask so many questions?”

She stuffed her books inside her locker. “I have to go to my parent’s bakery today. They’ve talked to me about it last night. I will start with my special training there every Friday in preparation for my college days,” she elaborated and shut her locker loudly.

“Oh, is that so? But wait, I thought the Math contest was over a couple of months ago. You’re still having your training?”

She turned and looked at him suspiciously. “How did you know all of this? Since when did you become my personal planner?” she asked.

He looked back to her. He didn’t know what to answer. “I… I thought you kept on telling me all of this since I’m just sitting next to you in our classroom.”

‘Great excuse, Mr. Tongue-tied. Just hope you wouldn’t get caught again,’ his mind told him.

“Really? I did that? But I don’t remember…” she put her index finger on her lips while thinking. “Oh well, I don’t have time for this right now. Anyway, we won that contest. That’s why we’re moving on to the next level,” she replied. And then she turned around. “Now, if you may excuse me. I have some business to attend to.” She lifted her foot to run off the hallway.

“Wait!” He grabbed her arms just on time and pulled her back.

She turned to him with annoyance. “What do you want again?!”

“Can I come with you?” he asked.

She looked at him for a moment. She stared at his eyes, making sure he was serious.

After some time of examining, she sighed. “All right then. Come on, I don’t want to be late. And don’t bother me when I’m working there,” she told him as they began running down the hallway. “Even if I’m the owner’s daughter, I will still be an acting employee, a new trainee. No special treatments,” she added.

“I understand. I just want to see how you work and how your products will taste,” he teased.

*******