They stayed in the playground by the back. The kids weren’t around that time because it was time for their afternoon nap and the volunteers were asked to rest for a while as well. Sehun told Haerin’s group that they’ll be taking a walk for a while and the rest agreed since they already did some cleaning while the others went to eat lunch.

Sehun was still cautious about his words, not wanting to hurt her emotions. Seeing her cry wasn’t really pleasing him at all. He always wondered if she even cries and today that question has been answered. What bothered him the most was the fact that he doesn’t know the reason behind her tears. He wanted to know so he can figure out how he’s going to help her.

Ever since they met, Haerin had been helping him, though she might not be aware of how much she’s helping. Sehun was able to sleep soundly at night without depressing himself to sleep or getting all emotional. He was able to cope a bit because she was there to assure him that everything is going to be fine—even though they both know fully well that it won’t.

And now he wants to do the same, but he won’t be able to do that if she won’t tell him anything. Now that he thinks about it, Sehun figured that she must’ve had a hard time trying to get something out of him. Right now, it’s like the tables have turned. Sehun was now the one curious and pressing questions and Haerin is the victim with all her walls wrapped around her.

“You don’t have to tell me if you really don’t want to. I can respect that,” Sehun muttered, breaking the silence that wrapped them both. He sat on the swing next to her as he faced her. On the other hand, Haerin was staring at the green grass, her eyes swollen and her nose red from all the crying.

“It was the 23rd of December 2012. I was with my parents and my older brother. I begged my dad to bring us to my favorite restaurant and eat dinner there instead. He said we couldn’t go but I was pushy,” She chuckled at the memory of her childishness during those days.

“On our way home, it rained. It rained pretty hard. Our car crashed. Everything was such a blur. All I could see were these men wearing a yellow rain coat and pulled me out of the vehicle…they were yelling things that I couldn’t understand.” Her eyebrows creased and Sehun looked at her as tears pooled in her eyes.

“The next thing I knew it was already Christmas morning and I was lying in a hospital bed all alone and confused. Sister Luna and Sister June went inside with the doctor and they told me what happened to me. I looked for my parents and my family and they told me that they…d-didn’t make it,” Her voice cracked, tears fell from her eyes as she bit her lower lip to conceal her sobs. She immediately wiped her tears and took a deep breath.

“After that the nuns took me to St. Mary’s orphanage until they hear from my legal guardians; my aunt and my uncle. They were newly weds at the time so they didn’t want to take me in at first but the court has decided about my custody and they didn’t have any choice,” She shrugged as she continued to wipe the unwelcomed tears that damped her face. She sniffled and then finally stretched her lips into a smile. Sehun couldn’t believe that she could still smile after everything she just told. He felt so guilty about bringing this up. If he knew it was this bad and it was going to hurt her this much, he wouldn’t have pressed her any questions about it.

“So you did mean it when you said you understood how I feel,” Sehun muttered, remembering the night when she crashed in his place, as he looked at her and she turned to face him, her lips stretched into a small smile.

“They were my first love, Sehun and I lost them. I know exactly how it feels to lose the people you ever loved truly and how bad I wanted to spend just one more second with them. Just one more second and I’d make it last,” He was surprised to hear her say the same words he spoke when he missed Youngmin so much. Sehun thought that she had it worse because she lost her entire family and she completely had no one else besides an aunt and an uncle who aren’t even willing enough to take her in on the first place.

Comparing his struggles to her, he was considered lucky. Lucky because he has a mom, his real father, his stepfather and a stepbrother who loves him and cares for him. He lost a loved one but she lost everything and yet between the two of them, she was the one who always laughed and smiled like life is too wonderful. And now guilt continued to rush and take over his system, as he looked at Haerin wipe her tears away and curve her lips into a small smile. Sehun felt that he was in no place to act like he’s the only person victimized by the cruelty of life.

“And yet you smile like nothing’s wrong,” He sighed.

“It’s because I know that wherever they are, they want me to go on with life. It hurts every now and then when I recall it but all wounds heal, don’t they?” She smiled and looked at Sehun. For a moment they just stared at each other’s eyes and silence wrapped them both once more.

All wounds heal? Do they really? Why won’t mine go away? Why do I still feel the same pain I felt when I lost her? Sehun was lost in thought. He looked away and she was a bit disappointed that he didn’t respond.

“I’m sure Youngmin would want the same thing for you,” She broke the moment of silence as Sehun shot her a look after having mentioned his first love’s name.

“What do you mean?”

“She would want you to go on with life too. I’m sure wherever she