--- HAE ---

"11:00 at Helping Hands Orphanage. The house will have a big signage with two hands. Look for Ms. Amie, she already knows you are coming. Attached here is the map."

I read again the message of my coach regarding the Social Welfare club as I drive. Today is Sunday and I don't have anything important to do so I decided to help out instead of wasting my time playing video games or waste my time over the internet. The Social Welfare club is one of the clubs that are not strict. You are only requested to come once a month to visit an orphanage assigned to you, but you are more than welcome to come anytime you can. It works well for most of us in the basketball varsity, we do not have concrete tournament schedules sometimes.

I drove around the streets to look for the sign, when I have spotted it, I looked around to check for possible parking. I parked outside the house but a little bit far. Walking is no problem for me anyway.

I took the food that I brought. It's a fresh octopus that my mother gave me to share with the kids. I walked towards the house, but I stopped on my way. I saw one FJ Cruiser parked outside just near the gate of the house. I looked at it and realized it is Dara's car. I smiled. Just my luck, she is here as well? I happily walked towards the house and rang the door bell.

I heard someone walking towards the gate and opened it, I was surprised by a little girl maybe around 6 or 7 years old.

"Annyeong, is Ms. Amie inside?" I asked her, she looked at me with her big smile showing her teeth. She is a very cute girl.

She twirled around, holding her doll, before answering me. "Oppa your name is Hae?" She said in a very cute voice.

"Nae. What is your name pretty girl?" Her eyes rounded and she flashed me a big smile again.

"Oppa, did you just call me pretty?" She asked me.

"Yes, what's your name pretty girl?" I asked her again, flashing her with a smile.

"Mae-Ri." She smiled back at me. "Oppa, do you have a girlfriend?"

I was surprised at her question but I answered her. "None. You have a lovely name."

"Thanks!" She smiled brightly, then she held to my wrist and said something that surprised me. "Can you wait for me? When I grow up, I wanna be your girlfriend." She replied.

I suppressed myself from laughing and answered her seriously. "Sincha? But Oppa here will be too old that time, maybe it's better if you find someone your age?"

"Hmmm, okay as long as he is same as you. Handsome as you. It's okay. If not, you will still be my boyfriend. Okay?" She smiled back at me again.

"Okay!" I replied.

"Mae-Ri?" We looked at a woman walking towards us. "Is that you Hae?"

"Ms. Amie?" I don't know her but since she called me by name she maybe Miss Amie.

"Nae. Come on in. Mae-Ri ah, why did you keep oppa outside, you should have asked him to go inside." She looked at the little girl.

"Oppa will be my boyfriend when I grow up." She said to Ms. Amie.

"Omo, you're looking too far ahead." She shot me an apologetic smile. "Sorry Hae. She is really playful." She ushered Mae-Ri inside the house. "Go inside Mae-Ri."

"It's okay. No problem." I smiled at Ms. Amie.

Ms. Amie looked at me again. "Were you surprised I know you? I have a record of all the Basketball team with photos. I was informed that some of you will be coming here soon. I was surprised when your coach told me you will be coming today. You are not supposed to start yet." She smiled at me kindly. "Thank you."

"Ani, it's my pleasure. I have free time so I decided to start today." I replied as I follow her inside the house.

"Your school mates are already inside, some are preparing the food, the others are playing with the kids. What do you prefer doing now?" She asked me.

"I don't mind doing both, but where do you need most of the help?" I asked her as I looked inside the house. Nobody is inside, the house is like an ordinary house, with a big living room on the right with an old but big TV and around it are book shelves, stacked with books, on one corner there is a big box full of toys. There is no sofa, but it was a fully carpeted room with colorful cushions arranged on one big basket. On the left is a room with tables and chairs facing one big white board. Inside there are more book cases. On the walls you can see the different drawings of the kids carefully pasted one by one. As we walk more there are two doors, one on the left and one on the right. The one on the left is a toilet and the one on the right is a kitchen, I guess as it has a poster on the door with fruits on it. There's a stairs going up. In the middle there's a long table with chairs, their dining table, I supposed.

"We could have more help in the kitchen." She smiled at me. "Do you know how to cook?"

"A little bit." I smiled back at her. I actually know how to cook well but I don't wanna boast. I don't have any siblings, and I basically tortured my mother while growing up, I was eager to learn to cook when I was young. My mom owes a restaurant chain, and she knows how to cook well. She was a chef before in a prestigious hotel then she decided to start her own restaurant, it became a big hit that she opened another branch and another one. In total she has 11 restaurants all over South Korea. I grew up in the kitchen to be exact. Watching my mom cook and when I was old enough, she taught me slowly about food. And later on, she taught me her secret recipes. "You should have told coach to send me earlier, I thought we start at 11."

"Oh, no we really start at 11, Dee is just always early. I guess you know her?"

"Yes." I smiled at her. "What are we cooking? I've brought this." I raised my hand showing the Styrofoam box I have. "It's octopus, my mom sent it."

"Oh sincha? This will be a treat then, we do not have octopus every time, I guess the kids will be really happy today. Let's go here?" She ushered me to the door with the fruits poster. "This is the kitchen. Bom, one of your schoolmate is ---" She wasn't able to finish her sentence when Bommie came straight from the counter to greet me.

"Hae!!!! What are you doing here?" I looked around the kitchen and saw no sign of Dara, Minzy is also inside, clad in her apron, beside her there are 2 ladies also in their apron, holding knives, cutting some vegetables. I guess they are part of the club as well.

"Hi Bommie." She embraced me and I laughed at her, she was really happy to see me I guess?

"Oh, you knew each other?" Ms. Amie asked.

"Yes, we are good friends." Bommie answered.

"Very well then, I'll help Dee and the others outside." She smiled to me while she went outside.

"Hae!!!!" Bommie held both of my hands and started jumping. In her hands, she is still holding the celery she was cutting, the leaves started to fall on the floor as she jumps. I just looked at her, waiting for her energy to drain. Minzy was just looking at us amused.

"You are really happy huh? Ahmmm Bommie, the octopus?" I looked down my hand and she followed my gaze.

"Oh, sorry, I'm so happy to see you here. You do not know how worried I am!" She exclaimed, I looked at her confused as I do not know what happened.

"Is there a problem Bommie?" I started to get worried. She leaned closer and whispered into my ear.

"Jiyong already told Dara how he feels." She bit her lip and looked at me.

"Oh." I flashed her a worried look.

"I know right? Well. At least now you are here. You can do something about it." She winked at me.

"Okay. First things first, what are you cooking?"

"Oppa. Help us." Minzy said. "This is kyupidd and ryeongsupergirl. They stay here with Ms. Amie." She added, the two nodded to me. I smiled and nodded to them as well.

"Arasso." I went over the counter, and looked at what they are preparing and the other ingredients. "Hmm, kimbap, yangnyeom tongdak and bibimbap?" I asked Minzy.

"Nae, wow! Oppa, you are great!" She smiled at me.

"Of course, they have a restaurant chain Minky, he knows how to cook... Really well." Bommie answered while shoving me an apron. I put it on.

"I'll make Nakji Bokkeum with this one." I told them.

"But Hae, don't make it spicy, as the kids might not like it." Bom told me.

"Arasso." I went to the sink and prepared the octopus. "What time were you all here?"

"Around 10:30, Dee wants to be here early." Bommie answered.

"Oh, but it's supposed to be 11:00?" I went back to the counter and looked for the ingredients I need. I gathered everything and took a knife and a chopping board.

"Nae." Minzy answered with Bommie.

"Woah, Oppa, you are really great with the knife." Minzy exclaimed.

"Oh, thanks." I smiled at her.

"You should be the one to prepare the ingredients for the Kimbap, we are too slow, and you are too fast." She then asked me.

"Sure. Put it over here, I'll prepare it for you." In just a short time I prepared everything they needed and put it in front of them.

"Wow Hae, you're really something!" Bommie clapped her hands while looking at the well-chopped ingredients.

"Anything else?" I looked at the four ladies and they just shook their heads.

"Let's start cooking?" I asked them.

"Nae!" They all answered enthusiastically.

--- DARA ---

"Chang-hee! Be careful!" I shouted at the running little boy. He was so happy with the airplane toy I gave him. He told me last time we visited that he wanted to be a pilot