The small figure, who was seated at one of the steps had his legs drawn up and his head resting on his knees. For a moment, I was just standing by, watching him, until curiosity killed me and I ended up trailing up the steps, quietly taking a seat next to him. 

Although he was pretty much hiding his face, I could still tell that he was restraining his sniffles rather well. 

"Oe-rin-i (child), what are you doing here alone?", it was then I asked. 

But without even raising his head up to look at me, he answered me coldly, 

"Eomma told me not to talk to strangers,"

Well, that's typical for a five year old to say but strangely, the corners of my mouth twitched once I heard this familiar phrase coming out from him. 

Smiling, I adjusted my dress to sit myself comfortably and continued waiting there. And just like I have expected, he lifted up his head shortly after and seeming rather surprised to see me, he gasped with his eyes widened, 

"W-what are you s-still doing here?"
"I didn't say that I was going to leave right? Alright, I'm going to give you another ten seconds to realign your thoughts and think again whether or not you want to share your problem with noona ok?"

FLASHBACK

Thirty minutes. One hour. Two hours have passed but he has not yet returned. For the entire time, I have lost count of the number of trains that have stopped by and left but still, my eyes were frantically searching for the sight of appa. He clearly instructed me to wait and I did as per what I was told but the wait was unusually strange and long this time round. 

I was both mentally and physically drained from the search and my stomach soon started growling from hunger. Holding on tightly to the money he had given me, I hugged onto my knees, buried my head into my chest and tried to shake those thoughts off my mind until someone came along. 

The stranger sat himself next to me and I didn't even dare to look up or to speak to him until the two year old he was cradling in his arms shrieked in delight, 

"N-noona!"

The stranger was first taken aback by his son's call but chuckling to himself soon after, he kissed his son's forehead before praising him,

"Geureoh-ji! Aigoo, woo-ri Jungkookie can now say the word 'noona'! But noona-yah, why are you not paying any attention to your dongsaeng?"

Although I was keeping my cool, part of me wanted to mingle with the cute little fella in his arms so, I turned my head slightly and took a sneak peak at them. 

However, their stares scared me a little and shifting myself about an arm length away from them, I mumbled coldly, 

"Appa told me not to talk to strangers,"

After which, there was a short moment of silence and thinking that they had probably left, I finally looked up to check my surroundings. 

To my astonishment, the two year old boy was now staggering his way to my side and just before he lost his balance and fell, I caught him in my arms. 

He giggled straight into my face and I found him really adorable. However, being aware that his father was still watching me, I held him out and chucked the kid back into his arms and asked nervously while avoiding his eyes at the same time, 

"W-what are you s-still doing here?"

From the corners of my eyes, I saw the stranger shrugging his shoulders before he said it so casually,

"I didn't say that I was going to leave right? Alright, I'm going to give you another ten seconds to realign your thoughts and think again whether or not you want to share your problem with ahjusshi ok?", he paused and gave me a wink, 

"Hana, dul, set..."

END OF FLASHBACK

"Hana, dul, set, ne-"
"Ah geumanhae noona," the boy finally placed his hand over my mouth and gave in to me.

Managing a soft chuckle and then rubbing onto his small hands to give him some warmth, I smiled broadly at him,

"So, are you ready to tell noona about it?"
"Ne," he gave a slight nod, wiped away any trace of tears on his face and sighed.

"Eomma told me to wait for her here but", he took a glance at his wristwatch, 

"It has been an hour and I still don't see her anywhere. Besides,"

I eyed him carefully on his next motion and I saw him rubbing onto his tummy, 

"I'm hungry," he confessed shyly.

For a brief moment, I felt a tug in my heart after I had learned how his situation was so similar to mine in the past, but brushing those sadistic thoughts of mine away, I ruffled his hair playfully before I stood up and held out my hand to him.

"Come. Woo-ri gaja,"
"Eodiganeungeoya?"
"To fill our poor stomach of course," my eyes twinkled with joy at the thought of it but my smile soon disappeared when I saw him shaking his head profusely. 

"Ani. I can't go with you," he said dejectedly. 

"Waeyo?", I realised that I am squatting down in front of him now while placing both of my hands on his shoulder. 

"Eomma. Eomma will come back for me,"

Oh right. So, I won't be able to bring him to dinner and yet, I can't leave him alone here until his mother returns. 

"Ah, arasseo," I said to him and started scratching the back of my head for solutions. I began pacing back and forth in front of him until I snapped my fingers at a sudden thought. Turning back to face the boy, I beamed at him, 

"Yah oe-rin-i, will fried chicken be alright with you?" I suddenly recalled that I can always call for delivery. 

The boy cheered and his eyes sparkled at my words. 

"DAEBAK! Noona, Minho-ie fried chicken neomu joh-ahae," while he said that, I saw him playing circles with his fingers, 

"And, I heard that it tastes best with soju,"
"Yah! Where did you learn that from?!", I was stunned by his knowledge, but giving him a gentle push on his forehead with my finger, I told him, 

"But uh-uh, you and I are just going to have cola. It's either you take it or leave it,"
"Take it!!!"

-
-
-

Pushing the door open, two young lads could be seen making their entrance into the restaurant. 

Just as the older one was following closely behind the young one, Youngjae held out his arm to stop him. 

"Hyung, settle down first while I get my uncle for you," he told Mark before disappearing into the back of the kitchen. 

Shortly after, a man in his mid forties appeared along with him and trotting forward to greet his guest, he held out his arm and shook Mark's hand briefly. 

"Hi, you must be Mark", he smiled at him.

"I heard that you are interested in taking up the delivery job right?"
"Ne sajangnim,"
"Alright, considering the fact that you and Youngjae are great buddies, I will entrust you with the job then,"
"Ne, gamsahabnida!"

Just as Choi sajang was about to say something else, the loud ringing of the phone echoed across the restaurant. 

"Give me a moment," he mouthed to Mark and Youngjae before disappearing to the counter and when he finally returned, all he said to Mark was,

"Mark-ssi, could you possibly start work like, right now? An order just came in and I'm short of helpers,"
"Sure,"
"I will get the order ready in a jiffy and," he passed Mark a memo, 

"This is the address. The bike and helmet can all be found at the back door. Yeolsimhi,"
"Ne sajangnim,"

-
-
-

She should have been here by now. 

The happy, chattering crowds had long since flowed into the theatre and in the almost deserted street, Jin leant against a lamppost and gazed up at the pool of yellow light that wrapped around the bulb. 

As his head sagged back down to his chest, he chucked his hands into his pocket and fished out his phone.

8.30 pm, he noted the time that was showing on his old pink ice cream phone. It has been an hour and thirty minutes since the movie had started showing but still, she has yet to arrive.

Staring vacantly at his phone, his fingers soon scrolled to her contacts but he couldn't bring himself to call her. So instead, he dialed for the next person after her.

"Hyung, what's up?", the person on the other line was prompt in picking up his call.

"Oh Jungkook-ah, can I ask if your noona's at home?", 
"Noona? I thought she already left for the movies with you?"
"She told you so?"
"Ne. I heard her mentioning about it in the morning. Waeyo? She's not yet there? Hmm... It can't be, let me give her a call,"
"A-aniya Jungkook, I will call her by myself," Jin told him immediately.

"Alright, if you say so,"
"Yea, thanks anyway,"

With that, Jin ended the call with him and instantly, he dialed for her number.

The ringing persisted for a few times and just as he thought that she had answered his call, a pre-recorded voice however caused his face to fall. 

"Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently not available. Please try again later."

-
-
-

Within half an hour, Mark arrived at the designated venue - the water fountain in front of XX shopping centre to meet his client. Carrying the order behind his back, he held up the piece of memo in his hand as he tried to look out for them. He was having a rather hard time as this was his very first encounter in which someone would actually order from just along the streets. 

"A girl dressed in a pink dress with a child," he mumbled to himself as he walked up the steps and scrutinized the area for the two. And just within a few seconds, he managed to spot them playing with the water at one of the fountains and he shook his head slightly at their playfulness. 

Heading towards their direction and finally stopping in front of the girl, he held out their order and said curtly,

"Hi. This is the fried chicken and cola you have ordered. The total cost would be 10,000 won,"

-
-
-

"Yah noona, when will the chicken be arriving? I'm so hungry..."

I stared at Minho in disbelief. 

A moment ago, he was still fretting over the fact that his mother had left him here but now, he was however more concerned about filling his stomach. And hold up, I suddenly recalled what he have just said, 

"Did you just 'yah' me?", I blinked my eyes at him. 

"Yea," that was his reply and before I could lunge at him, he stood up from his seat abruptly and ran away.

"Yah Choi Minho! My phone battery's flat after making that call for you and now you are even being rude to noona! Yah yinom! You better come back here now!", I yelled as I gave chase to him.

Very soon, we were running around back and forth the water fountain and splashing water at each other until a guy stopped in front of me. 

He held out a plastic bag to me and said, 

"Hi. This is the fried chicken and cola you have ordered. The total cost would be 10,000 won,"

Without looking up at him, I figured out that our delivery has finally arrived and so, I started fumbling with my wallet to pay him up.

In the process, Minho had already hopped over to my side and even started a small conversation with the delivery man. 

"Cool! The chicken's here! And woah! You are even dressed like one too!"

I almost laughed out loud at Minho's comment but that guy was quick in retaliating.
 
"Yah dude. For your information, this is a helmet, NOT a chicken head,"

While they were still bickering, I finally managed to find the correct change for him but as I looked up, I was shocked to find myself bulging my eyes out at him. 

"M-mark?! Is that you?" 
"Moon Gi-ssi?", he too, was startled at meeting me here. 

Minho, who was standing next to me now tugged onto my dress and asked curiously, 

"Noona, you know this chicken?"
"Ne,"
"I told you that I'm NOT a chicken!"

Just as the two of us continued staring blankly at each other with our mouth gaped open, a female voice then interrupted our commotion. 

"Minho-ah~ Luckily you are still here. Eomma thought that I have lost you,"
"Eomma," Upon hearing that familiar voice, Minho twirled his body around and immediately ran into his mother's embrace. 

-
-
-

"Noona, jal-ga!" Minho waved a one last goodbye to me before he skipped off with his mother. As his figure slowly disappeared down the streets, I was smiling at myself subconsciously until I felt a nudge on my elbow. 

"Yah. What are you still doing here?", Mark demanded but I rolled my eyes at him.

"What do you mean by that? Why can't I be here?", I snapped back at him and then turned to walk off.

Shaking his head defeatedly at me, Mark grabbed me by my wrist and stopped me from going anywhere further. Then, scanning me down my head to toes, he pointed at my overall outfit and tilted his head sideways.

"Aren't you suppose to be on a movie  date with your crush?" he gave me a dubious look.

"OH TTTTTTTT", I cursed out loud and ran my fingers through my hair. 

"What's the time now?" I asked with sheer urgency in my voice.

"9pm,"
","
"Hey, easy with the language there girl," Mark scrunched his face up into a frown, 

"Anyway, the money,", he was eyeing on the notes in my hands. 

"Right," I quickly chucked them into his hands after which, 

"And you know what, I better get going now! Damn it, my life," I was all prepared to charge to the venue until Mark threw something into my chest. 

"Yah Mark Tuan! What's the meaning of this?"

I threw a scorn at him when I realized that I was holding on to a chicken head. 

"Well, I don't have a spare helmet with me now and that's the only protective guard that I could find in the compartment. Anyway, quit talking and just hop on if you don't want to keep him waiting any longer," as he said, he gestured me to take the back seat on his bike. 

"But of course, that would be another 10,000 won ya,"