One night, KyonDae was having dinner with her mother at home. Well, it was more like her mother was the only one having dinner as KyonDae had eaten before she came home but she still sat with her mother nonetheless. KyonDae sat across her mother while reading her storybook but on her face was clearly shown how troubled she was. EunJung noticed it even though KyonDae tried to pretend that nothing was going on. Not to mention the fact that she also knew about the latest news that made her daughter suddenly became a quiet person and always kept to herself.

“So,” EunJung began as she put her spoon and fork down and faced her daughter with a smile. KyonDae looked up at her mother from her book to hear what she was going to say. “I heard someone is back in town.” EunJung said and KyonDae looked down again with a nod. EunJung frowned to see her reaction as she seemed like she was not interested with the topic. She knew that KyonDae knew about it already but KyonDae didn’t tell her mother at all. EunJung even found out about this through MyungHee who was kind enough to tell her.

EunJung somehow could sense that something was up. She took her cutleries again to continue eating while saying, “I think I want to invite him to come over someday.” KyonDae’s head jerked up only to meet her mother’s eyes while the lady was smiling happily. She closed her book as she found the book was no longer interesting to read and asked, “Invite him over? Why?”

EunJung simply shrugged and took a drink before she said with a naughty look on her face. “I just want to know him better. You know, I’ve met MyungHee and know what she’s like. So I would like to know what this L.Joe boy is like too.” She teasingly smiled at her daughter who showed no signs of happy or excitement at all. KyonDae who looked at her without blinking sternly said, “No. You don’t have to invite him to come.”

EunJung frowned and tilted her head. Why wouldn’t KyonDae allow her friend to come over? “Why, love? Are you having a fight with your boyfriend?” she asked with a playful tone, which caused KyonDae’s eyes to widen. “Mother! He is not my boyfriend!”

EunJung raised her eyebrows and narrowed her eyes at KyonDae who was obviously avoiding their eyes to meet. “He is not? I thought he is ... well, that’s too bad. He’s a good looking boy and looks like he cares about you too.” KyonDae scoffed and opened her storybook again. “He cares about everyone, mother. He has many other friends too. I am not his only friend.”

EunJung sighed a little and pouted. She was curious to know what the problem with the two of them was. She knew there must be something wrong on why KyonDae suddenly became this cold when they were talking about L.Joe. She wasn’t really like this before. True that sometimes she will get a bit shy when L.Joe got into the topic before but now she seemed angry when they were talking about him. “Why are you so angry with him, love? Aren’t you happy that he is home?” KyonDae sighed, as she knew that her mother wouldn’t drop the topic so she closed her book and faced her mother again.

“He lied to me, mother.” KyonDae muttered. “He lied to me, and he won’t tell me the reason why.” EunJung softened and reached out for her hand. “He must have his own reasons, love.” KyonDae shook her head furiously and sniffed back a tear that was going to fall. “If he has reasons, then why can’t he tell me? Am I not his friend like the rest? At least let me understand why he can’t come back as he promised. I was worried about him for months pondering how he was and now here he is again, acting like nothing ever happened and the promise didn’t mean anything to him.”

EunJung exhaled softly and tried to think of what she could say that can comfort her but she was at a loss of words too. At this moment, she knew that no light or tender words would penetrate KyonDae’s sorrow. In her eyes, she knew that KyonDae was very sad and that the girl could not fathom why.

KyonDae was at the point of crying when she said something that broke both her and EunJung’s heart, “I’m scared to just trust anyone anymore now. Every time I thought I could put faith in someone, they just end up hurting me in the end. This has happened before. When I looked for you, I trusted father to look after SoRa as he promised he would keep an eye on her and look what happened. She died. SoRa died, mother!”

Tears welled up in her eyes and began rolling down her cheeks like rivulets. No one could express her agony as she recalled the painful memory that she’d been trying so hard to forget but was too loyal to stay on her mind.

EunJung shot up from her seat and went to her child. She folded KyonDae in her arms as her daughter started to weep heavily. She rubbed KyonDae’s back and let her cry her eyes out. “I trusted them, mother.” KyonDae continued in midst of crying. “I trusted them and they broke it. I believed L.Joe when he said he would return but he didn’t. And he doesn’t want to tell me why. Was I the only one who cared too much?”

EunJung shushed her daughter and kissed the top of her head. “I’m sure he has his reasons, love. I’m sure he never meant to keep you waiting and worried.” Without her knowing, her own tears fell too when she saw how sad KyonDae was. It had been a few months since the last KyonDae cried for SoRa and EunJung knew she was trying so hard and now she couldn’t contain it anymore. “I don’t want to trust anymore.

Trust had cost my sister’s life. Trust had almost made me become someone different.” KyonDae mumbled unknowingly.

EunJung’s heart broke when she heard that hence she held KyonDae gently by the shoulders. “Then what about me? Don’t you trust me? Don’t you trust MyungHee and MyungSoo?” KyonDae looked at her mother with teary eyes as she sniffed. She felt guilty when she saw her mother’s tears as well and she realized that she had said the wrong thing. She hugged her mother’s waist and mumbled, “I do trust you. I’m just scared if it will cost anymore life.”

EunJung her head and gave her a small smile. “It’s okay to have faith in people, you know. But one thing I can tell you is not to give them your fullest, especially the ones who already ruined it in the first place. It’s okay if you feel it’s hard to trust that boy again but I hope you will give him a chance. I’m sure that there is more than meets the eye.”

After the emotional moment at the dining table, KyonDae and EunJung both managed to compose themselves and hugged each other for a good few minutes before KyonDae apologizing to her mother for saying that she won’t trust anyone anymore, which probably including EunJung as well. EunJung only gave her a comforting smile and said that she knew KyonDae didn’t actually mean it. She just said that because her emotions got the best of her.

KyonDae went up to her room to finish her assignment afterwards while her mother was checking some files in her office. The night was getting late but to KyonDae, it was still early. She went through the topic they were currently learning at college while her right hand was holding a pen, ready to jot down some important things on her personal notebook. While her eyes were on the book, there were times when she grabbed some chips on the study table and munched them while writing.

She was so into in writing down the notes when a sudden knock on her window shocked her, causing her to almost choke on her chip. KyonDae quickly shifted her eyes towards the window with a panic feeling. Could it be a thief or something?! Slowly, she grabbed a thick book on the table, just in case for protection and carefully walked towards the window before her hand slowly moved the curtains. Her eyes widened and lost for words when she saw the person who was standing outside, smiling at her sheepishly.

KyonDae blinked for a few times before silently opening the window, letting the person in. “Why are you here?” KyonDae asked as her eyes hadn’t left the figure. The uninvited guest lifted up his hand, which was holding a book and said to her playfully, “I need help with today’s lesson.”

KyonDae grunted quietly and sighed heavily. “Now? Why me? Why can’t you go to MyungHee’s or somewhere? And how did you even climb up, L.Joe?!” She hissed under her breath as she stared at the open window. How on earth did he climb up here?

“MyungHee’s already asleep and you’re the only person I know left in the class. I don’t understand anything about what the lecturer talked about today. If I don’t get it by tonight, I will have a huge problem starting tomorrow onwards.” He said as he sat on the edge of her bed.

KyonDae sighed again and sat on her chair at the study table. “Out of all people, it just has to be me.” She muttered silently. She wanted so badly to tell L.Joe to just go home but a part of her sympathized him a little. He even climbed up to her room instead of using the front door like a normal person would and he brought all the books with him.

“So, can you help me? I really need someone to explain to me about the Principles of Designing.” L.Joe asked again, seeing that she wasn’t saying anything. KyonDae thought for a while about what she would do. After their awkward talk the other day in class, KyonDae wasn’t sure whether she wanted to be anywhere near him at the moment. But she couldn’t deny the fact that what her mother said just now was true too. Should she give him another chance?

With a sigh, KyonDae nodded her head without even looking at him. L.Joe brightened when KyonDae agreed to help him out and hurried to her study table. Lucky enough there was an extra chair in her room or he would be standing there awkwardly. KyonDae cleared her table a little and scooted aside a bit so that L.Joe could have some space at her table too.

L.Joe opened his book and pushed it towards KyonDae while pointing out the parts that he didn’t understand. It was true, though. He was having a hard time revising what they just learned. He was getting insane at home, as he tried to read repeatedly so he decided to go look for KyonDae instead. Besides having her to explain, he would use this chance to try to get close to her again. He was a little panic when she asked him about MyungHee. To be honest, he didn’t call that girl at