CHAPTER 1



"Jaejoong ah. . . Jaejoong?" Jaejoong groaned when he heard his name called. When he check the time it was 4am and he wonder what could be so important. He stretch his limbs and rub his eyes to abandon the sleepiness.



"Jaejoong?" He heard his mother called again followed by a sound of a broken glass. He stood up. Surprisingly the sleepiness left him and he was now running to attend his mother.



His eyes widen when he saw his mother on the floor, groaning in pain while her fist clench the tattered shirt she worn. His mother is about 38 years old and it seems like the miserable life she had gone through reflect on her aged face.



Ever since his father passed away, the poverty they had gone through had doubled to the point that jaejoong was not able to attend Junior High and have to give up his studies to help his mother earn a living.



He has 2 siblings. Seohyeon and Changmin. They are still too young to experience such difficulties in life. He wouldn't want to see anything that might put his siblings in danger.



Seohyeon is only 4 years old and Changmin is 8 years old. They're too innocent to suffer life's cruelty.



"Jaejoong ah. . . Help me!" He immediately run to his mother as he guided his mom to the nearest old sofa. It was too old that jaejoong was actually fearing it might give away any minute from now.



"What's wrong umma? Are you sick or something? Where does it hurt? " Despite of the pain showing in her face, she gave jaejoong a tired smile.



"Don't worry about me son. I am okay. I got a little dizzy. When I tried to get some water it slipped in my hand." Jaejoong caressed his mother's hand as he observed the emotions running on her face.



"Umma, we need to get you check up. I hope I can get some overtime or cash advance to Mr. Lee so we could get you check up. You've been feeling this dizziness for a while now. "



"No. Didn't you say you will use it for Changmin's enrollment? I wouldn't want to use that. You can keep it Jaejoong ah."



"But Umma!"



"No. I will get some check up once I get may pay from Mrs. Huang tomorrow. She still have a few bucks to give me when I finish the laundry. I promise you I will get a check up as soon as I got my pay."



"You promise me. Okay? " His mother smiled as he guided her back to her room. When he stare at the window, he realize it's been raining hard outside. He remember Seohyeon's room. The ceiling is about to give up and he's afraid it might give away and drench their whole house. He hurriedly tuck her mother back to sleep and went to Seohyeon's room.



Seohyeon has been sleeping soundly and did not even flinch at the sound he had made. When he check the ceiling near the window, it shows a gaping hole that drench the side of the wood connecting to Seohyeon's bed post. He went back to the kitchen and took an empty basin to catch the dripping water. This is not a good sign for jaejoong if the rain keeps pouring outside.



He sighed as he took a sit beside Seohyeon and comb her beautiful raven hair. She groan but didn't wake up.



There's a sudden flashback in his vision when he remembers the day Seohyeon went home crying.



"What happen baby? Why is your dress dirty?" Jaejoong took Seohyeon into his arms and carried him inside the house. The little girl keeps crying and rub her eyes with her little chubby hands.



"Oppa, there are some pretty bad kids at the park. I don't want to play with them anymore. They are being mean to me. "



"Why? What did they actually do?" He brought the little girl inside the kitchen and gave her a glass of water.



"They said that they don't want to play with me anymore because I am a beggar. I look different from them and I am not going to school like they are."



Jaejoong breath in as he tried his best not to cry. Sometimes he wanted to give up and took his life. But he remains standing and strong because he has dreams for his siblings to attend proper school. Sometimes it frustrates Jaejoong that he can't even attend school himself. But that's always been disregard as he thought that he had gone through grade school and that's enough.



He wanted Seohyeon to go to school by next year that's why he's been working so hard to save enough money for Seohyeon's studies.



He has abandoned his own dream to give way to his siblings and he can't no longer take people picking up on them. He can take the insult and bullies but he can't take it if it's been his siblings.



"No baby girl. That's not true. You're the most pretty girl I know. Like Cinderella. "



Seohyeon pout as she stare at his brother.



"But I am not Cinderella, oppa."



"Who said you are? I said just like Cinderella. Pretty girl and very kind. She has a kind and genuine heart just like yours." Jaejoong playfully draw a circles in her little baby girl's chest making her giggle and ticklish.



"That tickles oppa."Seohyeon swat his hands and look adorably cute as she pouts. "Oppa, I want to go to school and have lots of papers and color pen like minmin. I want to wear beautiful dress like the girls in the park."



"Hmmmm... You want that? " Seohyeon nodded furiously.



"If you will be a good girl to umma and oppa, we are going to buy you a dress and lots of color pens and paper!!" Jaejoong stretch his arms widely as Seohyeon happily embrace him.



He will try his best to double his work to get enough savings. Even if it means that he will work extra hard. He just wished his body could take the exhaustion.



Jaejoong woke up from his reverie when he heard his alarm from his room. As he stood up, he saw that rain has turned into drizzle and there's a shadown of sun trying to rise from the sky. He smiled. Maybe it will be a bright day for him today.



And hopefully the next coming days.

*****

 

"CONGRATULATIONS TO MR AND MRS JUNG!!!" There's an explosive round of applause to congratulate the newly wed. Finally they tied the knot after so many years of being engage and Yuri will be forever Yunho's wife.



Jung Yuri is the woman he had dreamed forever. She's not the typical woman who loves jewelry, branded clothes and shoes. She's actually a simple woman despite of the fact that she wears different type of branded clothes when she modelled it for the respective owners of the company she work for. She is a freelance model and had her own wealth and money to begin with. What he loves about the woman is a down to earth attitude and her willingness to contribute what she had and share it to those unfortunate.



Their l