“That is all we’re asking of you.”

“Look, I understand how you feel, really, I do. But what you want me to do right now is impossible. This is going to be hard on me, too, you know.”

“Please, we’re begging you. Please give us a chance to be loved by her. Give us the chance to create more happy memories with her. Please give us the opportunity to start anew, after all that’s happened.”

“What about me, then? Are you saying that she doesn’t have to remember me?”

“You’ve had her love for ever since she was an infant. You watched her grew, you were her best friend, you were her inspiration while we never had the chance to feel or be those things. For years, you’d created memories with her while we have none. If only you’d give us the chance, we would be able to atone for our mistakes and start fresh.”

“I’m sorry, but I really can’t decide.”

“If you’d agree, it would mean the world to us. I’m sure you’d understand.”

“Well, I could agree, as much as this is hard for me, but under one condition.”

Sometime later.

“I’m home!” She said aloud once she stepped into the living room but as usual, only the silence and static furniture greeted her. No one was home, as always and she’d expected that every single day. As the days went by it didn’t feel so overwhelming anymore, though it used to be before.

The kitchen helper walked over and bowed at the young girl while she only nodded her head and made her way upstairs. Well, at least there was someone acknowledging that she was home, even if that person was a scullery maid.

She put her school bag down and threw herself on the bed, sighing at the same time, as she felt extremely tired with the hectic activity at school. “Why can’t school get any more interesting? We’ve been doing the same thing every single day.” She complained, though we all know that there was nothing she could do about the same routine at school.

Feeling stuffed inside the room all of a sudden, the girl stood up from her bed and grabbed her storybook on the nightstand before heading out of the room, having one place in mind to go. Running down the stairs again and even skipped a couple, which caused the house cleaners to look at her again in worry, she ran towards the back door, which would lead her in the direction of the back garden.

She smiled to herself as the cool breeze greeted her, and she knew then again that it was much better than being inside her room. She headed to the chairs and table that her father had placed there, and plopped herself down comfortably.

She’d always liked to read her books there and or even doing her homework. It felt less suffocating. Though she could’ve opened the windows in her room, somehow she felt like the air just chose not to enter and called her to go out instead.

And of course, there were days when she wasn’t so lucky to spend her days out in the sun. If it started to rain heavily then she had no choice but to be inside, and yet she’d break the rules once in a while. The rain was her friend, and when her family wasn’t around, she’d just get soaked in the rain without a care whether she’d catch a cold later.

As she was reading, she caught the glimpse of their handyman t the bushes at the other side of their big garden. They didn’t have a gardener, as her father said that the handyman he employed was also capable of doing gardening things, aside from odd jobs so he had a complete package.

The girl was always impressed with the man, as often what her father said was true. He could do almost everything in the house. From maintenance work to repairs, as well as gardening and sometimes cooking. It was as if nothing that the man couldn’t do.

However, as impressed as she was with him, she felt embarrassed with herself for not knowing his name even though he’d worked there for two years. So much for being the employer’s daughter.

Closing her book now, she stood up and decided to bother the older man for a while. There were times when she tried to be friends with him, but she rather learned later that he was a shy person. The maids were often too scared to talk to her, and sometimes were way too formal around her for her liking, so she thought that maybe this handyman would be a better friend.

“Hello, there!” She greeted, causing the man to jump in shock. He turned towards her and literally stunned to see her there, as he didn’t expect her to. Anyway, he still bowed in respect and greeted her back. “Hello miss, I’m sorry, I didn’t notice you around.”

The girl waved her hand at him and said jokily, “Oh, come on, there’s no need to be so proper and stuff. Just drop the miss and call me ByulHee. You’re making me feel older.”

The man only nodded and continued his work, forming silence between them once again. The girl, whose name we knew now as ByulHee, huffed at his muteness and continued pestering him once more. “You did a good job of looking after our garden, and the other things you do around the house, too.”

The man only bowed slightly at the compliment, hands never stopped t the bushes. “Thank you for your admiring comment, miss. I am doing just as how your father hired me to.”

ByulHee only nodded her head, as everyone in the house basically said the same thing whenever she praised them about their good work. She took a quick look at his face and noticed that he looked just about her father’s age. Maybe she should call her ‘ahjussi’.

“You know, I’m pretty bored to tears right now and there’s no one to bother so I’m going to trouble you with some questions.” ByulHee frankly