Soonkyu pushes the glass door and looks around the place she just stepped into.

“Hi, I’m Mrs. Kim. May I help?”

She turns to the owner of the voice and sees a middle-aged woman who is standing near the reception with a file in her hands.

“Uh…”

Soonkyu hesitates again. She has been contemplating whether this is the right thing to do over the last few weeks before another friend convinced her to do so.

The woman senses the hesitancy and walks towards the girl at the glass door. She places her arm around the shorter girl, ignoring the flinch. She wants to make anyone who walks through the door as comfortable as possible because that is probably what they need.

“I understand that it can be hard to talk about it but we’re always here to listen so don’t worry.”

“Ah, it’s not about me actually,” Soonkyu finally speaks. “It’s about my friend.”

“Oh?” The woman removes her arm, now facing Soonkyu. “Want to talk about it?”

Soonkyu exhales. Let’s do this. I can’t see her go on like this.

“Yes, I think I would love to talk about it.”

“Sure…” Mrs. Kim pauses. “What is your name, if I may ask?”

“Soonkyu.”

“Soonkyu?”

Soonkyu chuckles lightly at the older woman’s response. “Very old-sounding, I know.”

“Oh, that’s not it. I’m sorry for my reaction. I was just surprised because I have a niece called Soonkyu as well.”

“Another unfortunate young lady like me.”

The woman laughs along with Soonkyu. She brings her into a room, away from the opened area.

“Take a seat, Soonkyu.”

Soonkyu sits down on the couch, hands clutching her knees.

“Here,” The woman says as she places a glass of water on the table.

“Thank you, Mrs. Kim.”

“No worries.” Mrs. Kim sits down on the chair across from Soonkyu. “Now, shall we talk about your concern about your friend?”

“Yes.” Soonkyu straightens up. “Her name is Kim Taeyeon, she’s 21 and I think she needs some help.”

===

Knock knock.

“Mrs. Kim?”

“Ah, Miyoung. Come on in.”

“Why do you always call me Miyoung instead of Tiffany?”

“Sounds a lot friendlier, don’t you think?” The woman smiles. “Tiffany is too hard to pronounce for an ahjumma like me.”

“You’re not an ahjumma, Mrs. Kim.”

“I appreciate that. So how have you been adapting to this place?”

“Everything’s been great. I’ve been getting along and learning a lot from the seniors as I follow them while they work on their cases. Though I wish I would get a case myself but this is still great, nonetheless. It feels great to be able to help people.”

“Glad to see that you still have the passion as when you first joined us a month ago.” Mrs. Kim sits up. “And I’m pleased to tell you that you’re officially getting your first case.”

“Really?” Tiffany’s eyes light up. “I’m getting my own case?”

Mrs. Kim nods. “We just received this case and I think it will be great for someone of her age to follow it. May be more effective in the talking and stuff.”

“I see.”

“Her name is Kim Taeyeon and she’s 21 just like you. A bit of a delinquent – stealing, fighting, hanging out with bad people… The usual stuff. Was caught for stealing twice but because she was still underage, she only went into a girls’ home instead of getting jailed. She probably still does it every now and then, but she hasn’t been caught since the last time she was out. Her friend was the one who turned to us, thinking her friend should get some help because she doesn’t want to see her friend continue living like this.”

“Her friend? What about her parents?”

“Her parents got a divorce when she was seven and none of them wanted her so her aunt took her in but,” Mrs. Kim sighs before continuing. “I guess even her aunt’s family got tired of having to clean up for her after the things she did. According to Taeyeon’s friend, Taeyeon knew her uncle is displeased with her and didn’t want to be a burden to their family so she moved out two years ago and has been staying alone.”

Tiffany can’t help but feel sad for this girl named Taeyeon. She’s my age but she has been through so much. This is nothing a 21-year-old should be experiencing. No, this is nothing someone should be experiencing.

“This is her file,” Mrs. Kim says as she pushes the file that has been sitting on her table all this time. “You’ll learn more about her by reading this. I know it’s your first case so there will be bound to be things you’re unsure of. Just ask any of your seniors out there or you can even ask me about it. I also understand that you’re only working here as a part-time social worker so I’m not expecting speedy progress. All I ask for is your true heart for wanting to help her, okay?”

“You can rest assured I’ll be putting in my utmost effort.”

“Good. I’ll check back with you in two weeks’ time.”

“Sure. I’ll get to work then, Mrs. Kim.”

Tiffany bows, takes the file and walks out of the office. She goes back to her seat and opens the file, wanting to know more about the girl she had just been told about. She sees the photo of the girl on the left side of the file and feels slightly taken aback. She looks too cute for a delinquent.

She flips through the file, understanding this Taeyeon a bit more in-depth on top of what Mrs. Kim told her a few minutes ago. She is still surprised by how this cute-looking girl acts in contrast to how she looks, but she also understands why the girl became like this, considering her circumstances. I don’t think I’ll be able to handle being kicked around like a ball into different families, much less not wanted by my own parents. Why do people even do this anyway? How cold-blooded are they to not want their own child or to have the heart to let their child suffer like this? She sighs again. Humans are indeed the scariest creatures on Earth.

It is at times like this that makes Tiffany even surer about the job she is doing. Ten years ago, she witnessed how a man pushed a frail-looking older lady to the ground, which she assumed to be his mother. The man even said really terrible things to the old lady with foul language in between his sentences. She may have been young at the age of 11, but she was old enough to understand that it wasn’t something anyone should do to the people who raised them up. She walked up to the old woman after the angry man left, helping her up and sending her home. The old lady thanked her several times after that and she felt an inexplicable joy in her heart. It was then that she knew she wanted to help people when she grows up. She wanted to heal people and show them that there is still kindness in this world.

Tiffany closes the file and sets it on her table. I don’t know who you are yet but I will definitely help you, Kim Taeyeon.

===

“Stop right there!”

Taeyeon turns to see the man chasing after her and smirks. She increases her speed and runs down the dark alley before hiding under the cardboards, away from the man’s sight. She sees the man going another direction and waits a few minutes before stepping out again.

“That was no fun,” She mumbles to herself.

She looks at the handful of chocolate bars in her hand. “These are no fun too but I guess it will do for now.” She tears open one of the bars and shoves the rest in her jacket pocket. As much as she would like to steal something more valuable, she can’t risk getting caught and then getting sent to a police station now that she’s no longer the underage kid she used to be. She can’t risk getting jailed. She knows the owners will not report theft over small things like the chocolate bars she just stole from the convenience store so these are all she has been stealing all this time. I just need the thrill anyway. She bites a portion off the bar.

She walks back to the direction of her house. She is supposed to meet her friend the café nearby.

“We’re supposed to meet at 9, Kim Taeyeon. It’s 9.20 now.”

“Sorry, was on a run,” Taeyeon says nonchalantly as she sits across her friend.

“You stole again?”

“Only some chocolate bars. Relax, Soonkyu.”

“That is still stealing nonetheless. When will you stop doing this?”

“And when will you stop nagging me? I know what I’m doing.”

“You know I’m just concerned, Taeng.”

“I know, but I’d appreciate it if you can skip the nagging.”

“You can’t keep doing this. You’re bound to get into trouble one day.”

Taeyeon shrugs and sips the iced coffee her friend got her before she arrived.

“You’re no longer 16, Taeng. It’s the jail this time instead of a girls’ home, you know that.”

“I know and like I said, Soonkyu, I’d appreciate it if you can stop repeating it every single time I see you.”

“I don’t want to either, but look at yourself. Can I not do it?”

“I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you? Really?”

“Yes.”

“If you kne