Jong Kook takes the way home worrying if Ji Hyo will be alright in the presence of her aunt. 

Maybe she'll get in trouble again. 

What if her aunt went to the school and found out she did not attend the afternoom classes? 

Surely, she will receive a slap in the face again. 

He arrives in the house of his aunt and waits for Jong Han to come running out. 

She usually stays near the window to wait for him every afternoon. 

But this time, no one comes. 

"Jong Han-ah..", he calls as he enters the house. 

But the house is empty. 

He hastily goes to Jong Han's room, but she's not there. 

He tries to calm down and convinces himself that his sister is just outside, playing. 

But she has no one else to play in this neighborhood. 

This fact makes him panic, and he throws his bag as he runs out of the house, desperately looking for Jong Han. 

She's not in the streets, or in the park near the house, or the playground near the school. 

She is nowhere to be found. 

Jong Kook wanders around their neighborhood, hoping that Jong Han is just around. 

Night comes, and the light of his aunt's house is already on. 

He hurries inside, expecting to see Jong Han inside. 

But it is his aunt that he sees, sitting in the couch. He sees the spark of sympathy in her eyes as she looks at him, and he immediately feels dread spreading in his chest. 

"Where's Jong Han? ", he asks and looks around. "Jong Han-ah! Oppa is here! ", he announces. 

But no one comes running. 

"Jong Kook-ah.. ", his aunt says. 

He goes to Jong Han's room again, hoping that she is just playing a prank on her brother. But the room looks just like how he'd seen it earlier. 

"Jong Kook-ah.. ", his aunt calls gently again. 

But he goes to the bathroom, the kitchen, her aunt's room to look for Jong Han, only to feel even worser. 

He sighs in surrender after a while, and he sits in the table, resting his head on his hands. 

"Your mother came earlier. ", her aunt says. 

He closes his eyes and tries to deny what he has just heard. But he just can't. 

He sighs deeply to calm himself and clear his mind. 

"Where did she go? "

"I don't know. "

"Why...! ..don't you know? ", he asks, trying not to yell at his aunt. 

"She just came and dragged Jong Han out. "

"You should've stopped her. "

"I can't. Jong Han is so happy seeing her. "

"She did not even refuse to go? "

"She tricked Jong Han, saying you're already where they are going. "

He stands up, determined to find his sister and bring her back. 

"Jong Kook-ah, just leave them alone. "

"No way. "

"It'll be less of a burden to you. "

"Jong Han is not a burden! ", he says and walks out of the house. 

He thinks of possible places that his mother would go. 

But he stops in the streets, unable to think of one. 

He's only seen his mother in one or two places before, and that is in their house and in a bar where lots of drunkards and gamblers gather. 

That is the world of his mother. The world of alcohols and gambles. That is where she met his stepfather, who hits his mother whenever he isn't in a good mood. 

Then they got indebted with loan sharks, driving them into hiding. 

He sits in the ground, ignoring any passerby. 

He's just useless. And he has no one to ask for help. 

He enters school the next day, trying to put the matter aside just to take in lessons. 

But it seems like trouble is not really letting him have peace, for he spots Ji Hyo during lunch break with the others, and he can see the faint slap mark in her left cheek. 

He stares at her and tries to get her attention while they are eating, but it seems like she is avoiding everyone's gaze. 

He nudges Kwang Soo, who is sitting next to him. 

"What's wrong with Ji Hyo? ", he asks in a low voice. 

"I don't know. She has been down since this morning, and she must be angry to us dragging her all the way here. ", he explains. 

He continues to eat his food, mentally calling Ji Hyo. 

He doesn't know why. He just wants to hear what happened. 

But also.. he wants to tell her that JONG Han is taken by his mother. He knows she is the only one who can understand him. 

But it seems like she is drowning in her own problems, too. 

So he decides not to make her load even heavier. 

He is walking along the empty grounds of the school when he sees Ji Hyo sitting in one of the benches. 

He halts in his tracks, reluctant to go near. 

She is sitting so stiffly, her eyes blank as she stares into nothing that he hesitates to interupt her. 

But then Joong Ki comes and sits next to her. 

"Noona. ", he says. 

Jong Kook stays where he is, not knowing why he is eavesdropping. 

Ji Hyo snaps out of her thoughts and looks at Joong Ki, who smiles at her. 

"Are you okay? "

"Ou. "

"Is your cheek okay now? "

"Yes. It's no biggie. ", she says. 

"Of course it is."

"Well, why are you still here? You should go home now. "

"I'll leave once your aunt arrives. "

"You don't have to."

"But i want to. ", Joong Ki insists. 

"Yah. Why don't you guys leave me alone? ", she asks in an irritated voice. 

Joong Ki shrugs. "I don't know about them. But i care about Noona a lot. "

"Tss. Why do you guys always say that. ", Ji Hyo says, looking straight ahead. 

Jong Kook stares at Joong Ki, and is shocked at what he is seeing. 

He might be insensitive and cold sometimes, but he knows someone who is inlove when he sees one. 

Joong Ki is staring at Ji Hyo with such affection in his eyes that he wonders why Ji Hyo has not even noticed it. 

"You insensitive girl. ", he mutters. 

But then he feels some kind of excitement for the moment. He finds unrequited love amusing. 

"So many guys say that to you? ", Joong Ki asks, annoyed. 

"Ou. ", she answers, unable to notice the furrowing of Joong Ki's brows. 

"Who? "

"Jong Kook hyung. ", she says, making Jong Kook's eyes widen and he hastily hides behind the tree nearest to him without reason. 

"This stupid girl, why does she have to mention me?! ", he asks himself. 

"Jong Kook hyung? Jong Kook hyung told you he cares about you? "

"Ou. "

"Does he like you? "

"You rascal! Of course not! "

"But why would he say that? "

"Tss. Just shut up and go home already. "

"But---! "

"Just go, Joong Ki-ah. "

"But Noona... "

"Please. ", she says, her voice pleading. 
The tone in her voice makes Joong Ki consider her request. 

"If that's what Noona wants.", he says as he stands up. 

"Thanks. ", she says. 

"Take care, Noona. ", Joong Ki says and leaves. 

Jong Kook plans to furtively pass behind the bench she is sitting in, but he accidentally steps on a big stone, making him tumble backwards. 

He manages to stop his fall with his hands, but the sound he made has attracted Ji Hyo's attention. 

And now she is staring at him, who is sprawled over the ground. Her eyes turns round as she sees him.

"Uuhh.. ", he says, standing up straight. "I'm just passing by. ", he says. 

She is staring up at him with those round eyes that it makes him uncomfortable. 

He looks away and thinks of a word to say. 

"Are you okay? ", he asks. 

"Are you? ", she asks back, reminding him of his problem. 

He wants to say that he is not, that Jong Han has been taken by his mother. But he wants to spare her the worry. 

"Of course. ", he says. 

"Good for you. ", she says and leans at the bench so that she is now facing the sky, which is turning orange because of the sunset. "Til when do i have to follow orders? ", she asks. 

"Until you'll know how to resist your aunt's orders."

"I can't though."

"Then that's your weakness.", he says, resisting to tell him his weakness. 

His fear that has just come true. 

The fear of losing Jong Han. 

"Then what is yours? ", she asks, looking up at him. 

He looks away, afraid of getting caught. He can't tell her. He just have to deal with this in his own. 

She has enough problems on her own. 
He is about to say something when a car honked from a distant, turning their heads to its direction. 

It is the car of Ji Hyo's aunt, and she hastily stands up and gathers her things. 

"I have to go. ", she says, her eyes looking as if she is going for an ordeal and is asking him to wish her luck. 

He stares at her as she stiffly heads towards her aunt's car and slided inside with a last unreadable glance.