(i was going to try and publish this last night so that the days matched up in real time but this chapter had so much going on, i just couldnt rush things. i hope you like it.

Tuesday

Minwoo worked mindlessly the next day. Despite everything going on, he managed to get a good night's rest. It was probably the shots of soju, not enough to make him unable to drive but it was just enough to send his brain to sleep along with his body.

He spoke to his boss and told him he wouldn't need the advance after all; he simply told him that some “ friends” had stepped in to help him at the last minute.

When he took his lunch break he stopped to call the hospital and check on Hana. She had just gone into surgery, it had been delayed by a sudden spike in her blood sugar from being given glucose because she had been put on it in lieu of the feeding tube. The nurse on the phone, who was more pleasant to speak to then Hana's doctor, assured him that it was actually a rather simple procedure and that she should be out of surgery by early evening and recovering nicely.

“Thank you… thank you so very much”, Minwoo said before he hung up and stared at the bowl of soup that sat before him. What little he had eaten at the bar wasn't enough and he was able to wolf down the first bowl and got an order of mandu to munch on as he walked back to the job site.

There he dug out a small pond and with the help of the rest of the crew, it was lined with plastic sheets and rocks for draining. Minwoo allowed his mind to wander as he worked and he recalled each of the men he'd met last night.

Almost all if them are criminals or lawbreakers of some sort. But I feel like there is more than meets the eye, even with the stone faced lawyer. Tonight I'll meet Eric…. He said to meet at the bar again….. it was strange the way there were so many young girls working but they all seemed like they wanted to be there. That must mean he's a good boss in his own way, right?

He was startled out of his thoughts by the voice of the foreman.

“Yah! Minwoo! We're making a pond, not a rock hill!!”, the man said in a frustrated tone. Minwoo looked at the work he had done and saw that he had piled the rocks higher on one side of the pond than the others. Just then the owner of the property they were working on came out to check their work.

“Oh how nice! I was just thinking that a waterfall effect might look nice.” She was an older lady who looked like she could be everyone's grandmother.

“It was…. I wasn't paying attention”, Minwoo said sheepishly.

“But it looks so nice. All the rocks are stacked so beautifully. If possible, I'd like to have you add the necessary adjustments to make it a waterfall”, she said with a smile and the foreman nodded.

“All we will need to do is add a water pump and some hoses to allow the water to flow over the rocks”, he said with a sideways glance at Minwoo.

“Wonderful! Thank you, just add it to the original cost. I can't wait to see it when you're done”, the lady said happily and left them to their job.

“Minwoo, did you need to leave early? I can tell your mind isn't on the job right now”, his foreman said as he patted him on the back.

“I'll be fine. I'll take care of the diagram for how to run the water system”, Minwoo said worried that he might lose this job just like the ones before.

Right after his parents died, he has thrown himself into a drunken and fueled depression. He had only been able to hold jobs for a short time and this man had given him a second chance and he refused to disappoint.

“That’s fine Minwoo. When you finish that, go ahead and call it a day. I know you must be worried about your sister”, the foreman said with a smile and went back to direct the rest of the crew. Minwoo sighed with relief and went to sit in the bed of his truck with a sketchbook to map out the waterfall feature. When he was finished he headed home to shower before heading to the hospital. In the seat of the truck beside him was a bag, he had packed work clothes for the next day and something to sleep in.

“Mr. Lee, the surgery went well. She is back in the ICU for the time being. Feel free to go up and spend time with her”, Dr. Choi said with a slight smile.

Minwoo gripped his hand and shook it over and over, “Thank you…... thank you so much Dr. Choi.”

“With all hopes she should wake up tomorrow, we reduced the amount of drugs to see what would happen and so far she is responding”, the doctor pulled his hands from Minwoo's gently and walked away. Minwoo hurried to the elevator to go up to the ICU.

When he reached Hana's room he saw that she had less tubes and wires and machine that helped her breath didn't seem to be working as hard.

“Hanners…. I told you I'd be back. You look better”, he said softly as he went to sit beside her and took her hand.

As he looked at her, the enormity of what he was going to do weighed heavily on him and he leaned forward and rested his forehead on the bed by their joined hand and sighed heavily before starting to cry softly.

“I'm about to do something…. I don't know any other way. It's my responsibility to take care of you and I'm doing it the only way I know how. So don't worry about me….. just rest and get better. Things will be different when you wake up and I promise that I will help you adjust.”

He sat with Hana until his tears dried and after splashing his face with water in the bathroom out in the hall, he left the hospital and went to face the first of five men that had promised to help him solve his problem.

Over the Moon, 7:55 pm

Eric sat at a private table in the back of the bar as he waited for Minwoo to show up. He had given Minwoo a choice, he didn't have to show up. If he didn't, no one would lose anything but for the sake of the man's sister, he hoped Minwoo would come.

Minwoo stood in the darkened entry way and scanned the interior of the bar until his eyes landed on Eric. He was dressed more casually this time but his clothing still spoke of money. The collar of a dark green dress shirt peeked out of the neckline of a thick woven sweater and he had paired it with well worn blue jeans that were ripped at the knees. On his his feet, polished black boots reflected the light. Minwoo, in comparison, had dressed in comfortable jeans that were shredded at the thighs and a plain white T-shirt under a red cardigan that had been a Christmas present from Hana the year before. His feet were clad in sneakers that were his best pair, a pair of knock off Yeezys that he'd bought in a shop near Sindaebong when he'd taken the subway to visit their parents ashes. He knew that he didn't look as well put together as Eric but he knew that his good looks stood out no matter what he wore.

Minwoo approached him and sat down across from without a word. Eric's eyebrows shot up and a smiled formed on his full lips.

“Mr. Lee, you're", he looked at the watch on his wrist, “three minutes early.”

“Call me Minwoo”, Minwoo said as he returned the smile nervously and let his eyes slide around the room. The same girls from last night were working and unlike most bars where the staff was all female, they were dressed professionally in black slacks, white dress shirts and sensible black flats. Eric watched him with a curious smile, “I'm sure you're curious about my staff. I noticed you watched them last night too.”

“Just a little”, Minwoo admitted as he gaze went back to Eric,”they all seem fairly young but it doesn't seem like anything inappropriate is going on here.”

Eric rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward a little, “They are all college students, working here to either pay their tuition or help their families. I pay them well and they study hard in return. I know what it's like to be a struggling college student and I wanted to make sure that no one else had to experience some of the things I did.” He looked at one of the girls and smiled like a proud father. The expression made him even more handsome than he already was, it gave a gentleness to his already striking features.

Minwoo was taken aback by his expression and leaned closer.

“What did you study in school, Eric?”, he asked as a waitress brought him a glass of water and a bottle of beer.

“Business. The plan was to take over my family's restaurant but we ended up going bankrupt so when I graduated I made up my mind that I would one day own my own business. After several failed businesses I finally opened this bar and it's been very successful. I was able to pay my parents debts off after a few years and bought them a house so they can live comfortably without worry.”

Minwoo grabbed the beer and took a drink while he looked at Eric. One wouldn't know looking at him that he was a self made man and not a chaebol born with a silver spoon surgically implanted in his mouth.

“You offered to help me without knowing my story. What if I had owed loan sharks or a drug dealer?”, Minwoo said seriously.

“I still would have helped. You seemed very upset. I apologise for eavesdropping but it seems it was the right thing to do”, Eric said as he took a drink of amber liquid from a crystal glass on the table between them. Minwoo let his gaze drift to Eric's hands; they were large and well shaped and unadorned by any rings.

“So….. what did you have in mind for tonight?”, Minwoo said in a quiet voice after he cleared his throat.

“Don't sound so nervous, Minwoo. I was just thinking we could have a drink then head back to my place for dinner.” Eric understood Minwoo's apprehension, he was about to spend the evening with a complete stranger. “I'll cook for you, it's not often I get to cook for guests. This bar takes up a lot of my time.”

Minwoo felt a little less nervous and sipped his beer as he tried to think of something to talk about. After a few moments of silence he thought of something.

“Did you know that I was part of the landscaping company that did the work out front?”, Minwoo asked and leaned back into the comfortable chair he sat in.

“I thought you looked familiar. My manager handles all the details for work orders and such. I've always thought the arrangement was beautiful, thank you for your hard work.” Eric smiled again and crossed one ankle over the other under the table and leaned back as Minwoo had.

“All I was given was a theme…. The moon and I had to work from that. I found the statue at an estate sale and as soon as I saw it, I knew it would be perfect. Selene, Greek goddess of the moon, what better way to represent the moon”, Minwoo leaned forward as he spoke energetically about his work. “It was my first solo job and to know that you like it, well that really means a lot to me, Mr. Mun.”

“Please call me, Eric”, Eric said as he looked at the way Minwoo's eyes sparkled as he talked about something he loved.

“Of course… even if it's just for tonight”, Minwoo said with a smile and finished his beer.

“Now that you've finished your beer, would you like to go to my place? The manager can take over in my absence”, Eric said as he neatly finished his scotch and stood up from the table.

“Sure, should I follow you on….”, Minwoo stood and reached for his wallet to pay for his beer.

“It's on me, so put that away”, Eric said with a chuckle, “and we can take my car if you like. Do you have anything to get out of your vehicle?”

“Um just my bag of clothes for tomorrow”, Minwoo said as he stepped away from the table, “I'll get it and be right back.” He hurried off to get his bag and make sure the truck was locked up. When he got back inside Eric waited for him at the door.

“I just wanted to remind you that you can leave at any time and shouldn't feel obligated to do anything you aren't comfortable with”, Eric said as he slipped his arm through Minwoo's in a friendly gesture and led him to a gleaming black four door sedan parked just a few cars away. Minwoo felt a little tension creep in and he gripped his bag tighter and didn't speak even after they were inside the car, the door had been held by Eric and he waited until Minwoo was buckled in to close it. Eric went around and got into the driver's side and looked at Minwoo.

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