~FIND ME A HAPPY PLACE?~
"Hero"

She looked at me with those eyes, red from crying. She asked me where we would run away.

"I don't know" I shrugged, "but I think that whatever place we will find, It would be better than this hell hole that we're living."

"Maybe, we could run away" She asked,” but where would we go? We don't have the money to run away in just a short notice?” 

I was kind a glad inside that she's considering my crazy idea of us running away from this place.

I told her about my stash of cash inside my bedroom. It's a lot by now because I managed to save some money because I no longer have the expenses of myself going to school. I saved so that whenever I had enough of this life, if I gave up on everything in this city, I could just easily get the hell away and never look back. I could do that before but the only thing that kept me from staying is this woman beside me. She's the reason why I kept holding on to this city. She's here and my heart would break into many pieces if I left without her.

"Let's do it." she agreed.

Those three words made me grin widely as I saw her eyes filled with hope that we could find a place that we could call a home. Her amber eyes that made me so warm inside, making any inch of sadness in my sould come away. I held her hand and I never wanted to let it go. I didn't knew where I got the courage to held it but I did. Her face turned crimson and maybe mines too. I guess I held her hand because that was the right thing to do. We were planning on running away together. I guess this idea maybe scares her a little but I wanted her to know that I’m here and I wouldn't go anywhere without her.

I guess I could admit that I'm in love with this girl. I treat her more than just a friend. I don't look at her as a sister. I look at her as a... lady, a lady that should be cared and loved.

"Are sure? If you are not ready to do this, we could just delay it." I told her.

She shrugged and said "Anytime would be perfect. Just tell me when and I'll be ready."

"I will" I promised her. 

I'll find us a new home, Ji Eun. I told to myself.

~FIND ME A HAPPY PLACE? ~

"Do you really have to go home now?" I asked her as we finished strolling in the park. She nodded and smiled to me. She answered that she really needs to go now because her 'mother' would be asking her if where she went; Even if she's good and all, way better than me actually, she kind a lied to her mother about meeting me here.

"Besides, you have work? Remember?" she said.

I tried to act upset and frowned, "I thought you'll be there at the store for the day. It would make me smile a true one to the customers and not give them fake ones."

She laughed and said, "You can survive without me. Just think of me when you're about to greet a customer."

Oh, I'll be thinking about you a lot.

"I'm upset with you" I said, giving a lot of effort just to make her believe that I'm upset for her not coming by to the store.

Then, I felt her hug me. Her body that felt so warm on me made my face feels hot. I looked at her face and she was smiling as she looks at me. The way her face is closer to mine, just inches more made my heart skip a beat. I can smell the fragrance of her hair. The air smelled like rose as she hugged me.

"Don't be sad and be upset with me. You know I have responsibilities with my current family. My Joon Myeon Oppa should always smile even if I'm not there with him." she said. After a second she said that. The words 'My Joon Myeon Oppa' filled my thoughts as I gaze at her. She blushed as hard as she also realized what she said. She immediately pushed back from the hug and looked at the ground. I couldn't also help myself to look somewhere other than Ji Eun.

"I should go back now." she muttered.

I nodded as I saw her look at me with shyness in her face. "Be safe" I told her.

She smiled and grinned, "Don't act like a grandpa when I'm not around. Everybody hates grumpy people these days."

"HEY!" I screamed.

I heard her laugh as she started to ran away from me. I can't help but chuckle lightly at the way she teased me, seconds ago. Also the fact that moment before, she hugged me and called me 'MY JOON MYEON OPPA!’

I could not express how happy I'm feeling right now. That made me smile as I walk back to my work. I had a feeling that the next few days would be pretty good for me. Ji Eun approved at my idea, to run away from these mess and find our own happy place. She hugged me and called me as if I’m her boyfriend or something.

Then something happened, I heard a woman shout something.

“MY BAG, GIVE ME BACK MY PURSE!”

I looked and notice a guy tries to out run a woman. At first look, I already noticed that the guy is a thief since he’s been chasing around by a woman while holding a bag that’s too feminine for him.

The thief was about to pass by me. So I did what I had to do, I tripped him by my foot. As expected, His face met the ground. In a couple of second, He already recovered by trying to stand up. He was shocked that I tripped him. I tried to get the red purse that he held in his right hand but I noticed that he’s holding a knife in his other hand.

I became cautious about the possibility for him to stab me by that small knife. It was a Swiss knife but lethal if got stabbed to a person. He tried to stab me but I walked backward so he would miss me. He did. He’s pretty much messed up so I got the advantage of thinking a strategy that would make me win this fight.

As he tries to stab me again; I defended, then used all my speed and strength to kick him in the gut. My calculations were right. Those made him lose his balance and land on the ground, first. He was shocked that a young man beat him in his 40’s. He looked like my father but the only difference is that my father is a drunk while this man is a thief. I would rather choose a drunk than a thief as a father.

“Get Lost!” I screamed.

That made him ran away from sight. He left the purse that fell from the ground as he fell moments before. I picked it up only to find the woman who kept screaming looking at me.

She looked young and around my age. She wore a red dress that hugged her curvaceous body in place. She’s pretty and all but the confidence in her face made me intimidated. One look from her and I could tell that she’s rich, a perfect victim to rob.

“Here’s your purse.” I said as I handed her the purse.

“You did well. I thought I could never get my purse back” she smirked. She eyed me from my shoes to my face.

I raised an eyebrow at her and said, “Well… Nice saving you”

She rolled her eyes and told me, “What do you want?”

“Excuse me?”

She crossed her arms and said, “What do you want in return?”

This arrogant lady really makes me feel uncomfortable. If I asked her to go jump a building, would she do that? She said what I want in return that would be my wish.

“Nothing”,

I turned my back on her and I heard her say, “I’m not done talking to you. Turn your back!”

I did.

“There.” She said, “All I wanted to say is… Thank you.”

I nodded and told her that I’ll be leaving now. I heard her ask my name. So that she could have a name to remember her hero for today.

I screamed my nickname. I won’t tell her my real name. I find that name only suitable for Ji Eun to be called.

“SUHO! THE NAME IS SUHO!”

~FIND ME A HAPPY PLACE?~

It’s already evening when I finished my work at the local store. I was walking silently at the road as I thought about what happened this day. A lot has happened. Ji Eun and I got a quality time with each other, she agreed that we could run away and start a new life, she hugged me and called me hers, and even save a woman from being robbed.

I felt great.

But each step I take when I walk to my house, I felt anger take over me. This is bad side of me. It only reveals itself whenever I go to that place again. I would come back from the place that is being lived by my father. I would see him again, drinking beer while he watches this tape that he recorded years ago, a video tape of my mom walking down the aisle as she is getting married to my drunken father.

I walked and when the time came, I felt a bad feeling in coming inside the house. I tried to get rid of it but as I opened the door, the bad feeling turned worse.

I was right.

How could he! What has he done!

I opened the door and saw that the whole house looked as if it was raided by thieves. I saw him lying in the couch as he cries while watching the video but everything inside the house was a mess. The difference is he has too much beer in his table. A dozen in fact! I didn’t remember giving him any kind of money this morning.

Oh no! Oh no, please no! Please let be my idea be wrong!