Wooyoung had always been curious what girls were always up to. Or what they do in their free time. What they talk about among them or where do they go on their girls’ day outing. But he didn’t think these girls he was following were just any other girls.

Not all girls are crazy about Mathemathic like this one girl.

And the other girl is the president of the Mathemathic club which the girl before a member of.

And that was how he accidentally, again, found himself doing charity work.

If last time he had to feed halmeoni and harabeojis’, this time he had to sing ridiculously cute nursery rhymes to a group of kids.

“Louder, Wooyoung. The kids wouldn’t follow if you don’t sing loudly,” Gohee scolded. The kids kept laughing at him for mumbling throughout the song and kept getting the melody wrong. Wooyoung automatically straightened his back and cleared his throat. How long had it been since he last sing nursery rhymes? He couldn’t even remember the songs already. Besides, all he had in his mind at the time was to flee back home. When he looked towards the door, he saw Minsun who was mopping the floor sparkling clean. A small kid about 4 years old ran across the wet floor with his dirty feet and left stains on it. Minsun yelled at him but the kid stuck his tongue out at her instead. Minsun tried to chase him but he ran the other way, ending up slipping and fell on his bum. It wasn’t even a second before he started crying loudly. Minsun put away her mop and helped the kid up. She patted his bum and told him to stop crying, in a cold tone saying something like, ‘That’s what a naughty boy gets!’ 

Which was very Minsun-like. 

It surprised him though that she wouldn’t even soften up to a kid. He couldn’t tell if she liked kids or hate them, but she showed that she really care about them. Which made Wooyoung changed his mind of running away from there. Besides, these kids do need the attention. These kids here in the colourful dorm were cursed from the moment they were born. They were all diagnosed with HIV positive, inherited from their parents. Some were abandoned by their family, some already lost their parents, some were left there temporarily by their parents when they go to work because nobody wanted to take them in. They were just as innocent as the other kids, but yet the society still had this negative idea about them.

Just until the nursery rhyme session, and it wouldn’t be so torturing, Wooyoung told himself.






Jung Jihee HIV Children Shelter Home
6.00 p.m.

The girls were in the kitchen at the back, preparing for the dinner together with the staffs and a couple more volunteers. Wooyoung on the other hand, followed what Gohee told him before, which was to take some of the kids and do the laundry since the dirty clothes were already piling up. Wooyoung got himself a bunch, three girls and five boys whose age ranging from four to eleven years old, assisted by a noona who also regularly visited the shelter home. She was in her late twenties, and already had a small son which she brought along everytime she came here to let him play with the kids.

“Ok, let’s start laundry now!” The noona said cheerfully after she finished filling the basins with water. The kids rushed towards the basin and jumped into them. They had a lot of fun as they kept stomping and jumping in the basin filled with the dirty clothes. Wooyoung was also in one of the basins, together with the younger kids to make sure they would not get hurt. He held the hand of the youngest girl there while singing the nursery rhyme from just now with her as he stepped on the clothes with bare feet.

“Wait, why am I singing that song again? Argh!” Wooyoung pulled his hair in frustration. He couldn’t help it when the song he had been repeating for almost two hours got stuck in his head.

The noona who was also doing the laundry laughed at him. “I think you should come here more often, Wooyoung. The kids love you,”

“Uh…” Wooyoung scratched his head. “I’m not too good with kids, noona. Anyway, does Minsun come here often?”

“Oh, she does. But it seemed like the last couple of months she seemed busy. She only comes on the weekends. But it’s okay, since volunteers from schools and colleges come here from time to time too.” 

“I’m sure the kids wouldn’t mind about her being busy.” Wooyoung shrugged.

The noona laughed again. She was a very chatty and lighhearted person. He had only met Wooyoung a few hours ago for the first time, but she was already talking to him like he was her real younger brother. 

“I know what you mean! Actually,” she bent closer towards Wooyoung and lowered her voice, “The kids don’t like her that much, you know? Because she is really strict. People here says she’s similar to her mother, but then, of course she’s not. Minsun is really kind and sincere, just she doesn’t like being honest about it, even to these kids.”

“How do people know about her mother?”

“Oh, Wooyoung!” the noona slapped his shoulder and laughed again. Wooyoung faked a laugh as he gently rubbed his hsoulder. She was pretty strong.

“Jung Jihee is Minsun’s mother! Jung Jihee HIV Children Shelter Home, get it?”

Wooyoung’s small eyes widened. “You mean, this place-”

“Yes. Some people said she is sponsoring this as a way to avoid tax. Whether that is true or not, everyone can tell how Minsun treasures this place.”

“I see…” Wooyoung muttered. He guessed Minsun didn’t like her mother that much since she never spoke of her, but kept referring to her grandmother instead. There must be a reason that these people kept having negative impressions of her mother as well. If these were true, then Wooyoung could imagine some reasons why Minsun prefer to keep herself away from people and was not good at expressing herself.

“Ah, if you don’t want to come here, you can always help them with their projects!”

“What project?”

“The Christmas project.” The noona leaned closer to Wooyoung so she could whisper to him, not wanting the kids to hear the surprise, “the volunteer group is planning on buying small gifts for thekids. Nothing fancy though, we’re thinking for something like a teddy bear for each kid here.”

“How do I help then?”

“Well, maybe look for a sponsor to have a fundraising event, or some sort,”

“Oh… okay…” Sounds like a hassle. Not interested. 

“But on your will, of course,” the noona laughed again, knowing Wooyoung might not be interested with such tasks, but that made Wooyoung felt a bit embarrassed. Well, he could always help in other ways. He could make a basketball team out of these kids and coach them. That didn’t sound so bad to him. 

“Oppa,” the little girl suddenly tugged the hem of his white shirt with her little fingers.

“What is it?” Wooyoung casually asked her.

“I’m tired…”

“You’re tired?”

“My legs hurt,” the little girl pouted and lifted up her leg for him to see, as if he could see how tired it was especially when it was covered with lots of white bubbles from the laundry.

“Your legs hurt?! Where? Here? Here?” Wooyoung playfully pinched different parts of her leg; her calf, her ankle, her knee, her feet.

The girl giggled while holding onto him so she wouldn’t fell back standing on one leg. Wooyoung laughed along listening to her cute giggles. He turned around and lowered himself and pointed to his back.

“Climb onto my back. Quick, before my battery runs out!” Wooyoung said.

“OKAY!” The girl replied enthusiastically and then tried her best to climb onto his back as quick as she could. Wooyoung stood up before she could properly hang onto him, which made her almost slipped from his back but he supported her with his hands and pushed her up in one strong force, which made the little girl felt more thrilled and giggled more.

Minsun who had been watching for a while smiled lightly and casually recorded the scene with her cellphone camera, which went by unnoticed by Wooyoung until at least 5 minutes later.

“Hey, what are you doing?!” Wooyoung pointed to Minsun.

“I’m showing this to Munhwa.” Minsun said.

“Hey! What’s with-” Wooyoung lowered his volume a bit, “with Munhwa all of sudden?!” His cheeks even began to show a faint shade of red.

“So she can see how nice you can be.”

“WHAT THE-”

“Anyway, I’m here to tell you that dinner is almost ready, so you better finish the laundry quick.” Minsun smiled and then left.






Miryung High School
2.20 p.m.

Everybody gathered at the gym as usual and started practice right away. Minsun and Munhwa had been chatting non-stop since class ended, and even when they arrived at the gym, the two girls were still chatting. It seemed like Munhwa looked less busy when she wasn’t running all over the place to make sure everything was allright for the basketball team practice session. Munhwa could have stopped talking about the shelter home and the kids long before if it wasn’t for the video that Minsun showed her during recess. She kept saying how the kids were cute and that Wooyoung was really good with kids. And then the cnversation led to how long Minsun had been visiting the shelter home and the Christmas Project that the volunteers were planning for the kids.

“I can’t wait to go there and meet the kids! Oh, I should have done that long time ago!” Munhwa said, still sitting together with Minsun who seemed as excited as Munhwa in her own way, which was not more than a wide smile. But that smile was still quite a sight for some of the boys. Wooyoung raised an eyebrow when he overheard the girls’ conversation as he bent to reach for a cold drink in the box nearby Munhwa.

“I can’t believe you girls are still talking about that.” He said before he put the bottle on his lips.

“I didn’t know you were so good with kids. I always thought you think children are troublesome.” Munhwa told Wooyoung.

Wooyoung choked on his water a bit. “That’s because I don’t want them to start crying; that would be more annoying.”

“Oh, come on. You don’t have to be embarrassed, Wooyoung. The kids clearly love you too. Oh, and I’m coming along too this evening!” Munhwa said in excitement.

“Coming along to what?” Wooyoung asked.

“To visit that home again. Didn’t you guys said that you’re going there again this evening? I want to come  along, please?”

Wooyoung sent Minsun a look, briefly, so that Munhwa didn’t catch him, but those few miliseconds was enough to send the message ‘What the hell did you tell her?’ to Minsun. Minsun shrugged and smiled, as if telling him that ‘I’m doing this for you’. There he was last night thinking to himself that he would never go there again.

“Ah, yes. Visit them… again,” Wooyoung combed the damp hair on his forehead back with his fingers, a little nervously. Nursery rhyme session was a torture already, but with Munhwa watching? He despised that idea.

Damn. Either that or the dishes this time.




6.20 p.m.

“Are you ready, Wooyoung?” Munhwa tapped his shoulder from behind. She was ready with her school bag while Wooyoung was trying to delay the time with his shoe laces. The others were already saying goodbye to each other and left the gym.

Wooyoung slightly turned his face over his shoulder, still not done with his shoe laces.

“Yeah…” he said weakly.

“You look… tired. Are you okay?” Munhwa took a seat by his side. She reached for his face, placing her slender fingers on his cheek and turned his face towards her so she could have a better look at his face. Wooyoung was surprised at the sudden touching so he quickly backed away and stood up.

“Actually I feel very energetic today, wow!” Wooyoung jumped up and down and did some warm up exercises.

Munhwa looked on weirdly. She started to feel uneasy at Wooyoung’s behavior today. Actually, ever since he helped her with the first aid kit. He kept avoiding her and didn’t really bully her anymore. She wondered if he had some kind of problems he kept to himself. Or maybe he was just not comfortable with her anymore. Why though?

“You know, um,” Munhwa slowly stood up, but her eyes were stuck to the ground, looking unsure, “If you don’t want me to go, I can always… Um…”

Munhwa clearly looked disappointed, and Wooyoung really wanted to kick himself for making her feeling bad like that. It just felt weird with Munhwa nowadays whenever it was just the two of them. He hoped Minsun came quick, and speaking of her, where the hell was her?

“No! No! It’s not like that! Minsun, I mean, we really wants you to come along. I mean, it’s going to be really fun and all, the kids will love you I’m sure of that.” Wooyoung nodded to his own statement, hoping that Munhwa would buy it. She looked up and stared at him weird, but she smiled anyway.

“Well, that’s really nice of you to say that. You really think so?” Munhwa asked again, still thinking that it was impossible for such nice words to come out from his mouth. Usually when it comes to her, Wooyoung would be, ‘No way, go home. The kids will start crying because of you and you’ll only make our work harder. Don’t come.’ She didn’t want to get her hopes high before Wooyoung started to pull a leg on her again.

“Hey, guys.”

Wooyoung rolled his eyes and sighed in relief. Just about time she arived.

“Hey, Minsun. Where were you? I don’t want to be late. The kids can’t wait to see me so I have to see them quick and get home quick too.” Wooyoung said in one breath, with a blank face, hoping that Minsun catches his sarcasm.

“Oh, sorry about that. Anyway, I’m not going this evening. I have a sudden change of plan, so you guys can leave without me. And you better be quick, the kids can’t wait to see you, Wooyoung.” Minsun said calmly, with her usual half-smile.

“What? What plans?! What about Gohee nuna?”

“Gohee unni has cram session tonight, so no, she’s not going either. Have fun guys.” Minsun turned around and left as she lazily waved her hand a bit.

Wooyoung just stood there, feeling blank. What the hell he should do at the shelter home? What should he do with Munhwa?




Minsun went around the gym and entered the corridor which led to the changing rooms. She slowly walked down the hallway, her steps echoed in the empty air now that nobody else was around. She stopped by the male changing room and knocked on the door twice.

“Who is it?” Came his deep voice from inside.

Minsun slightly pushed the door open.

Taecyeon looked surprised to see her there, but Minsun just smiled. He was sitting on the bench when she entered. Taecyeon tried to hide the ice pack he had been pressing on his wrist  but Minsun saw it first. She took a seat by his side and took away the ice pack from his hand.

“It was nothing.” He quickly said.

“Did you hurt your wrist?”

“Well, nothing serious. I got that a lot from time to time.”

“Give me your hand,” Minsun demanded gently.

“Huh?”

“Your hand. Give it to me.”

Taecyeon awkwardly stretched his hand which was hurt during the practice just now towards her. She gently took it in her hands and then pressed the ice pack gently on his wrist. 

“How was the practice going?” She asked in the mean time. While pressing the ice pack, she gently massaged his fingers with her other hands. He had been stressed and tired with all the practice and studying, but her simple gesture soothed him. A lot.

“Great. Everybody is practicing hard. Especially Wooyoung. He really wanted to go to the finals. Now if only he studied half as hard.”

They laughed together. It became quiet again soon after.

“How about your parents?” Taecyeon asked.

“Well, busy, as always. They tried to be home in the weekends though, because that’s when I’m home too.”

“And halmeoni?”

“She’s been really supportive.” Minsun looked up to flash him her smile, before she looked down at his hand again. “I can tell she gets lonely sometimes, since my mother keep trying to bring me to functions and events, but at least I can still be with her most of the time,”

“I see,” Taecyeon nodded.

“And halmeoni wants you to come for dinner sometimes,”

“Oh…” Taecyeon smiled awkwardly. Last time he went to her house, he didn’t even have the chance to greet her grandmother properly.

“Well, that is if you want to,”

“Oh, sure! I mean, last time was, you know, so I thought, uh…”

Minsun laughed at his loss for words and shook her head.

“How about tomorrow night, then?”

“Tomorrow night sounds good. Is Khun going to be there too?”

Minsun shook her head and smiled, “No, just us.”

“Okay, tomorrow night then,”

Minsun put down the ice pack since all the ice had melted down, and then continued to gently massage his wrist.

“How does it feel?” She asked.

“Better.” There was a short silence before Taecyeon continued, “Thanks.”

“It’s nothing.”

“I mean, for giving me the chance.”

Minsun was confused at first by what he meant, but then Taecyeon added as he smiled handsomely,

“To give ‘us’ a chance. I really appreciate it.” Taecyeon turned his hand upside down and grabbed her thin fingers in his. His hand felt cold since she had been putting the ice pack on it, so she put her other hand on top of his and gently rubbed his cold hand to make it warmer.

“Oh,” Minsun looked down, feeling shy, thinking  that she was honored more than she deserved. “You shouldn’t be thanking me for that.”

Taecyeon reached for her locks and tucked them neatly behind her ear so he could see her face clearly. His face leaned closer to her so suddenly, she didn’t even have the time to react.

“I love you,” he whispered, and then planted a gentle kiss on her forehead.






Jung Jihee HIV Children Shelter Home
4.00 p.m.

“Oppa!” The little girl who did laundry with Wooyoung from yesterday came running towards him as soon as she saw him nearing the humble home. Wooyoung who had been unhappy since Minsun suddenly decided that he would come again suddenly forgot all about it and smiled wide at the sight of the adorable little girl.

“Hey, Yoonjung!” Wooyoung squatted and open his arms for her. Munhwa watched in amazement as the little girl willingly ran into his arms and hugged him tight while giggling at the top of her lungs.

“Oppa! Oppa! Wooyoung oppa!” The little girl called him over and over again, unable to contain her happiness just at his presence. Munhwa smiled at the cute little scene of Wooyoung having to answer her multiple times since she couldn’t stop calling him.

“Today I bring you an unni too,” Wooyoung briefly smiled at Munhwa before he looked at the little girl again.

“Really?” The little girl looked up at Munhwa and then shyly hid her face in Wooyoung’s chest. “What’s her name?” She whispered to Wooyoung.

“Her name is Munhwa unni. She’s really kind, she’s totally different than Minsun unni.”

“Really?” Yoonjung’s eyes brightened. She looked at Munhwa again, this time with a wide smile on her face. “Hi. My name is Lee Yoonjung. I am four years old.”

Munhwa too squatted down so she could level their eye levels, and with the same wide smile, she replied to the little girl, “My name is Yun Munhwa. I am Wooyoung’s friend.”

“Today, I learned something new! I made a necklace from paper!” She suddenly announced.

“Really? Can I see it?” Munhwa quickly adjusted to Yoonjung’s interest.

“Sure. Follow me!” Yoonjung ran back inside while gesturing Wooyoung and Munhwa with her fingers to follow her lead. Munhwa looked at Wooyoung with a smile on her face before she ran after Yoonjung. Wooyoung was glued on his spot for a moment, frozen to see the brightest smile he ever received from Munhwa. For him. A smile just for him.




Unfortunately for Wooyoung, the volunteers who were suppoesed to be on duty that day had an emergency and they couldn’t make it for the day so there were shortage of staffs. Munhwa offered herself to fill in their spots, so automatically Wooyoung had to as well. Munhwa asked Wooyoung to be in charge in assisting the kids with their homework while she busied herself with laundry and dinner preparation with another staff. During dinner, the kids were allowed to do their own activity, and as expected, Yoonjung was completely stuck to Wooyoung. Peeking from the kitchen, Munhwa laughed softly to herself as Yoonjung’s demands piled up and Wooyoung got lazy to entertain her anymore.

“Ah, I’m tired!” He yelled and then lay flat on the cold floor, showing a bad example to the kids in being stubborn. Yoonjung pulled on his hand, telling him to get up over and over again until he finally gave up and complied to her wishes, one of them was playing dolls with her.




9.00 p.m.

It was already time for the kids to sleep, so Munhwa tucked in the rest of the kids while Yoonjung was tucked in by Wooyoung, her last request for the day. Half-awake himself, Wooyoung had a short conversation with Yoonjung before she went to sleep.

“Am I a good girl?” She asked, since she had been told by people around her if she behaves then maybe one day her mother will come back for her again.

“Um, yeah. You’re a very good girl, Yoonjung,” Wooyoung said carelessly, and then yawned.

“Then, will you come again tomorrow?”

Opening one eye, he looked at her, “You want me to come again?”

Yoonjung nodded muliple times. “I promise that I will be a good girl forever.”

“Hm…” Wooyoung gave it a thought. Honestly, he really didn’t have ay intention in coming her again, but he couldn’t refuse when Yoonjung herself requested for him to come.

“Okay, I’ll come.” He said lazily. “What do you want to do tomorrow?”

“I want you to read me a book. And then, I want to bath Jiji.”

“Jiji?”

“This is Jiji.” Yoonjung showed him her old, worn-out teddy bear. 

Secretly inside, he grunted. But still, he couldn’t refuse. 

“Okay. Let’s bath Jiji tomorrow. Go to sleep now.”

“Okay,” Yoonjung pulled her own blanket to her chin, and then closed her eyes right away. Wooyoung stayed for a while until he was sure that she was asleep before he finally got up and left the room that Yoonjung share with the girls. Munhwa had been waiting outside the room, holding Wooyoung’s bagpack for him and handed it back to its owner once he saw her.

“Thanks,” he muttered sleepily as he put on the bagpack on his back.

“I’m sorry I dragged you until it’s late like this,” Munhwa casually said.

“Nah, nevermind.” At least there was no nursery rhyme session today, Wooyoung secretly added.

“So you’re coming again tomorrow?”

“Hm, yeah,” He guessed he will have to visit here regularly from now on. He’ll have to start planning and tell Yoonjung on when he can and can not come first thing. Ah, responsibilities.  

After saying goodbye to the permanent staffs there, they both walked together to the bus stop, just in time to catch a bus together. There were few empty seats at the back, so Munhwa picked her seat, and surprisingly, to her, Wooyoung didn’t sit with her. Instead he sat at the seat right behind her, so she turned around and rested her chin on the top of the backrest so she could speak with him. Little did she know her little actions and that little smile which had been dangling on her lips since they left the shelter home sending Wooyoung’s heart racing.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Wooyoung asked without even looking at her, pretending to be sleepy with his small eyes half-opened when in reality he almost wanted to get up and sit somewhere else because her stare made him nervous.

“Yoonjung really likes you, huh?”

“…”

“I never thought you could be such a good oppa,”

“What… of course I can, sheesh,” Wooyoung finally opened his eyes and looked at Munhwa directly.

Munhwa softly giggled at his reply. 

“You know what? I always thought-” Munhwa paused and looked outside, checking if her stop was nearby. She was supposed to leave at the second stop and it was getting near.

“Thought what?”

“I always had this thought in my mind, whoever ends up as your girlfriend will be so unlucky and sad,”

“WHAT?!” 

Munhwa grinned wider, enjoying her rare moment of being able to tease Wooyoung. She briefly stood up to push the buzzer and then sat back in her previous position; looking backwards at Wooyoung.

“But now I think, it won’t be so bad anymore.”

Wooyoung’s mouth left agape, dumbfounded. He couldn’t think of anything to reply as the bus took a gentle halt, Munhwa slowly getting up from her seat, smiling at him, waving cheerfully and climbed down the bus. As if everything happened in a slow motion like in movies, the moment the male character felt so mesmerised by his love interest.

What did she just say? Did it mean anything or it was just a general opinion?

Wooyoung looked out the window and Munhwa was still standing by the side walk, waiting for the bus to leave, her eyes glued on Wooyoung. Still smiling, like an angel, she waved at him goodbye, when all he did was stare at her like a fool, a blank expression on his face.

If he had to describe his feelings right then in one word, it would be numb. Because everything seemed so surreal. Munhwa smiling and waving at him, her having a good impression on him. It all felt like a dream. But then when he looked back, there she was, standing on the side walk, smiling at him.

Yun Munhwa was smiling at Jang Wooyoung. A real smile.