After dinner, Joon Hee went to Hee Joo. He apologized to her for making her angry.

"You are really clueless," Hee Joo said spitefully. She did not tell him that Bo Woon had been looking at him the whole time, and it made her uncomfortable.

"Huh?" he, indeed, cluelessly asked.

"Never mind. Forget that I said anything," Hee Joo said.

But Joon Hee was still giving her that puppy face of his. "All right, all right, I forgive you."

Joon Hee jumped in delight and hugged her tight.

"Omo? You are getting thinner and thinner!" he said. "You should eat."

Just then, a black car came, and Hee Joo's eomma opened the window from the backseat. Joon Hee bowed politely and greeted. Madame looked at him in grand airs and instructed Hee Joo to come in. Both of them waved hands as they bid goodbye. As he watched the car go by, he also saw Bo Woon bidding her friends goodbye. When the rest of the Windflower went their way, he approached her and waved her hello.

"Gomawo, Joon Hee-ya..." she said.

"Can I walk you home?" he asked her.

She knew that if her eomma will see him, the ajumma will batter her again with her rod. Or worse, the ajumma will bring out her whip again and might use it instead.

"Ah...ani...gwaenchanha..."

"No, I insist," he begged. "We are friends, and I will help you."

She looked at him with sadness in her eyes and allowed him to walk her home.

************

When they reached the house, she peaked from outside the window, and saw her eomma with a bottle of soju in hand. Then, she looked back at her friend.

"Joon Hee-ya, I think you can go now," she whispered. "Eomma might see you and even hurt you."

He nodded at her and started to walk away. He intended to run as fast as he could, but he promised her he would defend her. He waited for some rod sounds, but good thing was, the ajumma was unusually sober today.

"Have you eaten dinner, Eomma?" he heard Bo Woon ask.

The ajumma just told her to cook food instead of talking to much. Joon Hee heaved a sigh.

"I hope Bo Woon-eonni won't get hurt."

********************************

Saturday afternoon,

Bo Woon went to her father's house for a visit. The wife of her father greeted her amiably and let her in to have some refreshments. The two of them went to the veranda, where the patriarch was sitting on wooden chairs.

"Good afternoon, Appa," she greeted.

Her stepbrothers all went to her and asked for gifts. Since Bo Woon was an only child, she felt great fulfilling the role of a doting noona to her namdongsaengs.

"Now, now kids, let your Bo Woon-noona eat something first, arasseo?"

The two kids, aging around eight to nine years old, nodded and went away to play by themselves. Stepmother and Bo Woon sat down across the father.

"How's your Eomma?" Appa asked indifferently.

The stepmother saw that Bo Woon had lost weight since the last time they saw each other.

"Ah, Eomma is fine," Bo Woon lied. "She is tired most of the time."

"Hmph!" Appa grumbled.

"Why don't you transfer here with us, Dear?" the stepmother coaxed her. "It seems that your Eomma is not taking care of you."

Bo Woon was hesitant to take the offer and declined.

"Anio... gamsahamnida," she said, her voice breaking. "I will miss my Eomma. Of course, I miss Appa too, but Eomma is sick all the time."

She had heard the same offers all over again, but she was adamant. She would rather stay with her eomma. Then, her Appa began to shed some tears.

"If anything is wrong, please don't hesitate to tell me. I will come and rescue you," he said.

"A..ani, Appa," she lied. "I am fine, and so is Eomma. Time's just hard, and I am studying a lot. No worries."

The father and his wife nodded.

"Don't hesitate to call us anytime, huh?" Stepmother said to her, and Bo Woon nodded.

***************

She walked down the road going home, thinking about her father's words. He had given her money, and her problem as of that time was how to hide her money in order to avoid being ransacked by her own Eomma. Just then, Gyu Won and Shin came to her.

"Gyu Won-ah, gomapda," she said in relief.

"Oh?" Gyu Won asked. "Something wrong?"

"Please, please hide my money for me," Bo Woon begged.

Gyu Won was about to hold her money when Shin interrupted.

"Is that a bribe so that Gyu Won and I will shut up regarding your feelings for Joon Hee?" Shin .

 Instead of being playful, she had a sad mood on her face.

"I am not joking around, Shin-ah," Bo Woon said. "Just please."

"Mian..." Shin said. "Mianhae...."

Gyu Won nodded and took the money. She was about to talk Bo Woon regarding her problems when the latter began to run away.

"Bo Woon-ah!" Gyu Won shouted after her friend.

She was about to run when Shin held her back.

"Gyu Won is my friend, and she has a serious problem," Gyu Won reasoned out.

"Did you see that she wanted to be alone?" Shin pointed out.

"Still, I will go to her," she answered.

Shin looked at Gyu Won run towards Bo Woon's direction, but the heel of her shoe broke off, and she fell on the street.

"Gyu Won-ah!" Shin shouted as he ran to his girlfriend.

Gyu Won looked at her ankle, and fortunately for her, it was not swelling though it hurt a bit. Still, Shin was worried.

"I'll bring you to the hospital," he proposed.

His instincts told him to carry her.

"Wait," Gyu Won said. "How about your hand?"

That was when Shin remembered the previously injured wrist.

"I don't care anymore. I will just hope this will be fine soon, but you need attention," he responded as he swept her off the ground.

As he ran to his bike, he felt his wrist getting a bit painful, but he was willing to take the pain, just for her. He let her sit comfortably on his bike before he hopped in.

"Hold me tight," he instructed her before riding away.

************************

Bo Woon, meanwhile, was done shedding her eyes out when she went back her way to go back home. Coincidentally, Joon Hee passed by the vicinity.

"Eonni!" he waved happily at her.

For the first time in weeks, he finally saw her smile at him and waving happily. He came to her, took her by the hand, and went to the park.

"What do you want to eat today?" he asked.

"Oh? Ah, that's fine, Joon Hee-ya," Bo Woon said. "Appa gave me money, but I gave them to Gyu Won for safe keeping."

"No, no, I will not let you spend," Joon Hee said.

He grabbed all the remaining money he had, and found out that all he had was enough to buy just a bowl of meat. He looked at her, embarrassed that he wanted to treat her, and yet, he had less money.

"Gwaenchanha," Bo Woon said. "I am not hungry."

"Oh, but I seldom give food to people," Joon Hee said.

Bo Woon lied again, stating that she had eaten at her father's house. It was really a lie, for she only ate two pieces of cookies which were offered to her. She hadn't even finished her orange juice back there. But Joon Hee was not one to be fooled, for he heard her stomach grumbling in hunger.

"See? You are hungry," Joon Hee pointed out playfully. "I will treat you to ice cream sandwich again."

It was all he could afford, but Bo Woon was too grateful. They shared funny stories and good memories over ice cream sandwiches, and for Bo Woon, that was one night to remember. In her darkest nights, one beautiful and clueless guy lit up her night for her. Then, they went to the place overlooking the lake and sat among the grasses. The moon up above was shining brightly, and the stars were twinkling beautifully. As they sat there side by side, he allowed her to lean on his shoulder. One gesture was enough, and for her, it was better than nothing.

"I hope you'll love me too, Joon Hee-ya," Bo Woon said to herself as she wished.

*****

It was already night when Joon Hee took her home. Good thing, the ajumma was asleep, and he lingered, praying that the ajumma would stop hurting her own daughter.

*******

Meanwhile, Gyu Won was given first aid treatment. The doctor advised her to use crutches for a few weeks, and to have her come back for evaluation. She was discharged afterwards.