Rae had her notebook on hand, ready to cross out the names of the people she will be greeting.  A box filled with emergency kits was between her and her colleague as she prepared to hand it out.

One by one their organization’s donors and sponsors started to gather in front of her. “Choum reap sor” Rae greeted the Cambodian way. “Welcome to Cambodia. My name is Rae and standing next to me is Hani, she’s based here in Cambodia so you may ask her anything that interests you about the country or the lifestyle of the kids and families that we have been helping out. Again, thank you for joining us on our outreach program. I hope this experience will enlighten you as well as enjoy the gift of giving and helping as much as we have. Our coaster bus is waiting outside so please follow us.”

Yongguk was pleasantly surprised to see Rae in the airport. The last time they met she told him that she was part of a different outreach program. While the others talked amongst themselves, Yongguk tried to catch up with Rae so he walked faster than the others.

“Hey Rae.” Yongguk called her attention.

“Hi. You had a good flight?” Rae smiled timidly before directing the others to the bus.

“Yeah, it was okay. I thought you wouldn’t be here.” Yongguk curiously asked.

“Well…there were some things that needed to be fixed.” Rae answered shortly.

“So it is pretty obvious that he has hired people to scare you and the others. I have talked to the investigators and they have consulted the national intelligence service that we should get you out of the country soon to at least take away some of the heat and threat.” Rae’s boss, Mr. Kim, informed her after she reported the stalking incident that happened the other day.

That night ended with the guy bumping into her. He then tossed an envelope towards Rae containing photos of her taken from various days, showing that they have been tracking and keeping an eye on her. This put her on a high alert thus her boss decided that she goes to the earlier outreach program to Cambodia instead of the Mongolia trip which is going to be held two months later.

“But the trip to Cambodia is this weekend. I haven’t fixed my papers nor finished the remaining work that I have. In short, I’m not ready.” Rae listed the things that hindered her from going through the proposed plan.

“Compared to the danger that you’re in now, those can be easily fixed Rae. We don’t know if the threats are just to scare us or if they will be ruthless like what they did to our witness. We can’t afford to take chances. You are getting on that plane the day after tomorrow Rae, no ifs no buts. This is for your safety.”

“Where’s Ji Eun? I thought she was going to be with you.” Rae asked as soon as she noticed that her  friend wasn’t by his side.

“Unfortunately, she had to stay behind for work. Some of the tracks for this new girl group that TS is debuting got leaked so she couldn’t leave.” Yongguk couldn’t hide the slight disappointment in his face. He was looking forward to sharing this experience with Ji Eun.

“Oh, that’s too bad. I’m sure the kids you’ll be meeting will brighten your mood. Just let me know if you need anything.” Rae assured Yongguk that he would be having a one of a kind trip and that made him genuinely smile. He can’t wait to bond with the kids.

“What’s happening to Rae is crazy scary right?” Yongguk’s ears perked up when he started overhearing two girls talking while he lined up for lunch.

“I know. It really must be serious threats for the heads to send her here urgently.” Yongguk’s brows furrowed. ‘What are they talking about?’ He focused his attention on their conversation.

“I heard that she received photos of herself like she’s been under surveillance for months. Man that must be creepy, knowing that there are people out watching your every move.”

“I can’t believe Mr. Park would do that and to think that there were rumors that he favored Rae, who knew that would backfire. I would have already quit if I was her. We don’t get paid enough for this.” She shrugged in the end.

Yongguk was baffled with the information he was hearing. Out of everyone else, it was Rae that was being targeted by that money-leeching . He probably knows that she has a lot of knowledge about the company or maybe because she’s been aggressively participating with the investigation of the case.

Yongguk looked for Rae after filling up his tray. He wanted to talk to her about what’s happening in her life but then again he didn’t want to look like he was prying too much. He wondered if he has shared this with Ji Eun. He can’t help but feel concerned for her. Despite Rae’s snarky comebacks when they bicker, he knows that every sweet and independent lady can be vulnerable.

Yongguk finally spotted Rae amongst the crowd. He smiled upon seeing what she’s up to. Why isn’t he surprised that she isn’t eating with the rest of the team? Instead of taking care of herself she’s making sure that he kids were eating well, reminiscent of the first time they met. Yongguk’s protective instincts just went up a notch for this girl and he’s not so sure if that’s a good thing to feel...especially when you have a girlfriend back home. Well to justify his thoughts, his girlfriend a.k.a Rae’s best friend would like to know that someone is looking out for her…right?

Real talk:

So… long time no see. I have a tough couple of months. Health scares turned into my worst nightmare and I lost my dad end of October last year. Still grieving…it still feels so surreal. I guess I’ve decided to come back in the hopes that it would distract me. Also, I don’t like the feeling of leaving this unfinished.

I hope you still get interested with this story. I feel like a beginner writing again.

To make myself more relatable, I’ll be sharing what I posted on Instagram on the first day of 2015.

2014 was the year that I thought that things were finally going to 'happen' for me in the best way possible...then a series of unfortunate incidents happened that proved otherwise. Changes can happen in a blink of an eye. Life is what it is. It's been really tough and overwhelming emotions still eat me up. So for 2015, this is what I hope for...please let it be a year fo more ups than downs, clarity, inner peace & good health. 2014 taught me that it isn't corny & cliche to genuinely wish or pray for health & safety of others.

Pa, you are dearly missed.