SinB stares at her phone. Her phone has not been ringing for the whole day. She has not received even a single call nor a single text message from Handyman Oppa except for the one she got at around 4 a.m. this morning while she was sleeping. This is the first time ever since they began texting each other that SinB has not been contacted by the older girl not even once for the whole day. Handyman Oppa would usually message her good morning and good night even if she was really busy at work. But today, there was nothing on. SinB decides to ask Yerin if she knows or heard anything from the older oppa seeing that the two are close to one another.

”Unnie, did oppa text or call you?” SinB asks Yerin who has her eyes glued to the TV.

”Just this morning when she said she just arrived. I think she text you that too” said Yerin without even looking at SinB as she is watching her favourite show on TV.

”Em. I got that one and nothing else. Did she told you what is she doing there?” SinB sits next to Yerin on the couch.

”I don’t know. Her work, I guess.” Yerin answers nonchalantly.

SinB stares at her phone again for the nth time.  It’s past midnight and she is contemplating whether to call the older woman or just wait for her to call or text her. SinB decides not to call and just wait for Handyman Oppa to contact her. She joins Yerin watching her favourite show. SinB’s eyes are watching the TV, while her hand holds the phone tightly.

Once every few minutes, she would look down on her phone to see if there is a new message although she already knew there is none since she didn’t hear any ringing or felt that the phone vibrates. She just check it with her own eyes to reassure that there is no new message. SinB let out a sigh when she got no new message and continues watching TV, then after a few minutes she will look at her phone, repeating the cycle over and over again.

“Are you okay?” Yerin who finally take an interest in SinB ask the younger girl who keeps looking at her phone.

”Um...oppa has not texted or call me today.” SinB said with a hint of sadness and longing in her voice.

”Ohh. Why? Are you worried or do you have something important to tell her? You can just call her.” Yerin turn around facing SinB and offers her a practical solution to SinB’s issue.

”I don’t know, no reason? It’s just she usually does at least once each day.” SinB answers with her eyes are still glued to her phone.

”Well...text her or call her then.” Yerin once again suggests the only solution to the issue.

”It’s past midnight already. Don’t you think it’s too late?” SinB asks.

”Oh yeah. Uhuh. It is. So, don’t call her. You can talk to me instead. If you want, I can pretend to be oppa.” Yerin grins at SinB while stuffing her jibang dolls under her sleeves to make it look like she has muscular arms, just like Handyman Oppa does.

SinB laughs at Yerin’s silly act. She squeezes Yerin’s newly made biceps and asks the older girl while laughing, “why are yours so soft like mochi when oppa’s are hard like rock?”

”I am a cute mochi. Oppa just a rock. That’s why. Yennie is cute, don’t you think Yennie is cute DdinB-yah?” Yerin asks the younger girl while shooting her cute eyes’ and lips’ smile.

”Omooo my cute Yennie mochi. Here let me eat this mochi.” SinB pinches Yerin’s cheeks and bite them with her lips causing the older girl to blush and they both laugh.

Everyone retires to their room when it was ten minutes to 1 o’clock in the morning except SinB. She is still hoping that her phone would rings with Handyman Oppa’s name appears on the screen. Finally, SinB got tired of waiting so she dialled the older woman’s number and waits for the person to pick up the phone. 

“Oppa, where are you?” SinB asks as soon as the ringing stop and someone says hello.

”Umm, please hold. I’ll get the owner of the phone on the line.” 

An unfamiliar man’s voice to SinB answers the phone and immediately asks her to wait as he gets Handyman Oppa to the phone. This makes SinB curious of the oppa’s whereabouts and why would the man has her phone. Luckily the man didn’t mute the phone or covers the phone’s mic as he yelled out to Handyman Oppa telling her she is on the phone.

”Oppa... you got a phone call.” The man was calling Handyman Oppa but in a cute voice.

”Yah! Did you just lose your mind? What’s with the cute voice and why are you calling me oppa? Did you lose your mind because you couldn’t catch anything tonight? Hahahaha.” 

SinB could hear Handyman Oppa yells back at the man and then laughs. There is another man’s voice laughing with the older woman. The word ‘catch anything’ and followed by a hearty laugh from Handyman Oppa and another man while the man who answered the phone just grunted makes SinB more curious and confused of what is going on with the older woman.

”Wait, who would call my office phone this late at night? Are you sure she doesn’t get the wrong number?” Handyman Oppa asks the man.

”Aish. The call was forwarded from your personal number. Hurry up and take the call.” SinB could hear clearly the man grunted as he stomps his feet, probably walking towards the older woman.

”Ahh yes, my phone died this morning. Forgot to charge it. Thank you.”

Finally SinB could hear the older woman’s voice clearly unlike before, her voice is slightly slower and far from the phone. SinB is getting ready to greet the older woman.

”Hello. Oppa? This is SinB.” Unlike before, SinB greets the person on the other side of the line instead of immediately asking her whereabouts.

”Ahh hello Bi. It’s late, are you still up?” Handyman Oppa greets SinB and for the first time ever, the older woman call her Bi. It caught SinB by suprise how comfortable and lovely it sounded when the older woman calls her that, it causes SinB to blush and choked up.

”Um. You didn’t text me or call me for the whole day. How can I sleep?”

SinB said with pouted as if the older woman can sees her right now. But, speaking while pouting makes her voice sounds cuter and adorable. SinB is also surpise with herself that she could said that to Handyman Oppa while they still have not made up as she keeps getting mad at the oppa for the last few days.

”Oppa mianhae. I got caught up with the training program since this morning and forgot to charge my phone. It’s getting late, why don’t you go to bed. I’ll tuck you in, okay? Do you want me to tell you bedtime stories?” Handyman Oppa is talking to SinB with her exceptionally soft and low voice that it sends shivers down her spine. 

“Oppa! I’m not a child, I don’t need some bedtime stories.” SinB pouts her lips again.

”Ahh, you are not a child anymore? I guess I should give you a kiss then. I owe you one for tonight, I’ll give you once I get back to Seoul. Okay?” 

SinB turns red upon hearing Handyman Oppa nonchalantly said she should kiss her. But, she purposely ignores the witty remarks and asks her whereabouts. 

”Oppa, where are you and what are you doing? It’s one in the morning, who are those guys with you?”

”Ohh. That’s my colleagues. We are fishing at the port. I caught some fishes and I was cooking a spicy fish stew when you called me just now.” 

Just as SinB about to ask if Handyman Oppa likes to go fishing, she heard one of the oppa’s colleagues yelling at her to get off the phone quickly.

”Prof., D, oppa... stop flirting with girls. Just how many girls are you flirting with these days? Come on, the fish is cooked. We should eat it. Quick! Haih. You should stop flirting with the girl already, it’s not like you would ever get them. You should learn from me, I’m the only one who has a girlfriend.” 

’Them? Just how many are they?’ SinB is now furious hearing that and she is thinking of how many other girls that the oppa is flirting with. It is true that the older woman has never denied the fact that she texted other girls besides SinB. But, she never thought it was more than just exchanging some text messages, not up to the level of flirting with them. 

“Yah! Why did you say that when I got someone on the phone? Aish! Didn’t you say your girlfriend always went out partying when you had to work outside of Seoul?” To SinB’s surprise, Handyman Oppa responded to the man who just bragged about her girlfriend.

”Well at least she will be waiting for me at home tomorrow night. You two are going back to an empty house. Hahahaha.” The man immediately retaliates.

“Come on! Oppa... let’s eat. You always cooked delicious fresh fish stew. Yours are the best!” The other man persuaded Handyman Oppa with an adorable voice. Soon after, SinB could hear the first man also cutely calling Handyman Oppa, probably trying to make fun of her.

“Let’s just eat. We can eat all of it, we don’t have to leave anything for oppa. We’ll enjoy the food. Thank you for the food, oppa. Saranghaeyo.” The first man says it cutely making SinB sicks and wanted to vomit. The sound of a man acting cute is extremely unpleasant to hear and she is sure that the faces the two men are making will be equally unsightly for Handyman Oppa to look at. So, SinB decides to end the call so Handyman Oppa can get back to her friends.

”Yah. You two, stop it.” Handyman Oppa yells back at the two men.

”Oppa, you should go back to your friends. I’m going to bed now. Don’t stay up too late. Go back to your hotel immediately after you finish eating. And please charge your phone. I told you to get a power bank, so you could charge your phone whenever you are outside. I’m going to get you one and you better use it well. Text me tomorrow morning. Got that?” 

“Okay. I’ll go back after this. And I will charge my phone and call you tomorrow morning, hopefully I will wake up in time. Good night, sleep tight, sweet dreams of me. I love you. Muah...Kiss on the right cheek. Muah...kiss on the left cheek and muah... kiss on the forehead. Good night Bi. I love you.”

SinB choked up when the oppa makes the sound of kissing and indicates which part of her face is she kissing. To be honest, she began to hope that after the forehead, the older woman would say she is kissing her lips, but then Handyman Oppa just ends it with a simple good night. SinB is a bit devastated but still the kisses sent via the phone caused her to fluster and blush. 

“Good night oppa. Me too.” SinB immediately ends the call after she said the last words that has the possibility of implying she too loves the oppa. SinB doesn’t think the oppa really means it because that’s what Handyman Oppa would text her every night, it feels like it is some kind of a script for the older woman. SinB has never said anything in response to the oppa’s ‘I love you’ before in her text, but this is her first time hearing it and it somehow makes her respond but she still couldn’t bring herself to say the three words. That is why she just responded vaguely with ‘me too’ and immediately ends the call so the oppa could not reacts to what she said.

SinB quietly climbs up to her bed as Umji is already sound asleep and she doesn’t want to wake the girl up. SinB is quite tired but as she usually do, she will go on the internet and watch videos of Gfriend’s performance that the fans recorded and posted online. This is one of her way to monitor her dancing and singing as well as the other members. She always monitor their performance and see what they could improve on.

Out of nowhere, SinB types #handymanOppa and a video that was posted a few minutes ago on instagram with the hashtag she just typed pops up on the screen among some other posts on other SNS with similar hashtags. SinB taps on the video, luckily the account and the video are set as public and she could watch it. Shockingly, it’s the video of Handyman Oppa and two other men arguing and joking in front of a hot pot filled with fish stew.

The video was quite dark as there are only two small lanterns supplying some lights, it’s quite difficult to make out their faces most of the times. But, it was clearly Handyman Oppa at one point when she turns and faces the man filming the video asking him to start eating and stop filming the video. The men ended the video by screaming with the other men, “oppa, saranghaeyo” to Handyman Oppa before the three of them laugh their hearts out.

As SinB has heard one of the man bragging about his girlfriend through the phone, now she knows which man was it as the same person just make a shout out to her girlfriend and continues to brag about it to Handyman Oppa and the other man who are enjoying the stew with some instant rice. SinB just shakes her head a few times seeing how childish the three people in the video were. 

Suddenly a thought comes to SinB’s mind. She still doesn’t know what Handyman Oppa is doing in Gangneung but it seems like she was busy during the day that she doesn’t have time to text her. But, she still have the time to go fishing with her friends. It makes her feel a little jealous. She felt like the oppa would probably forget about her whenever she is swamped with works and when she is hanging out with her friends. It just hit her that she is actually sad because of it. She has been waiting for Handyman Oppa’s text message and call for the whole day but the older woman just said her phone died and she didn’t even apologise. Furthermore, half of the time they were on the phone just now was she hearing Handyman Oppa talks to her friends. 

“Why is she doing this to me? Can she not make me angry for a day?” SinB grunted as she closes her sleepy eyes.

****

”Are you okay?” A familiar voice is asking from the other end of the line as soon as Handyman Oppa picks up her phone that has been ringing a few seconds ago.

”Ne.” Handyman Oppa answers weakly as she is already half asleep.

”Are you sure? You don’t sound okay...” 

“Mi Soo-yah, did something happened? I’m just sleepy. I’m okay. Why? What happened?” Handyman Oppa asks with her eyes half open.

”Sleep. Sleep. It’s almost four in the morning. You have to work tomorrow. We’ll talk again tomorrow.” said Mi Soo, one of the admin staff at Handyman Oppa’s office who is close with the sleepy woman who is already feel asleep on the other end.

”Grrr...huuuu....huuuu” 

Mi Soo hangs up the phone as she realises that Handyman Oppa is already asleep. All she hears was a soft wheezing and snoring while she was waiting for the older woman to respond to her. 

“She must be very tired that she even snores.” Mi Soo says to herself as she hangs up the phone.

Mi Soo was shocked a few minutes ago when she woke up to go to the toilet, she went on her instagram account and see her colleague posted a video. The video features two of her colleagues and Handyman Oppa or Prof. D, the woman she just called. She curses the man posting the video as she watch it. In particular, the moment when the man said “I have a girlfriend who will be waiting for me at home when I go back to Seoul tomorrow. You don’t.” 

Upon hearing what the same-aged colleague of hers said, Mi Soo immediately finishes what she was doing and gets out of the toilet. Her heart drops when she see that among the people that like the video are two people that she wish they didn’t watch the video. One, the GFriend official account. Two, her close friend, a balladeer which happens to be someone who was very close with Handyman Oppa a few years ago which have a strong bond when it comes to fishing.

”Yah! Are you crazy? Why on earth did you post the video? And what the hell did you say?” Mi Soo immediately yells at the man answering the phone after it rings twice.

”Why are you screaming at me this late at night. You are the crazy one not me. Let me sleep please...You can curse me by yourself first and then tomorrow you can spit it out to me, okay? Call me back in a few hours.” Mi Soo grunts as the man just ended her phone call without giving her chance to say anything in response.

As the man suggested, Mi Soo curses him all by herself and goes back to bed to sleep so she will have plenty of energy to yell at him. However, she is facing difficulties as to how is she going to do it without exposing the real reason why she thought the video is inappropriate. Only a few people including her knew about Handyman Oppa and the balladeer’s history; and only she and her close friend, Jung Hwa think there might something going on between Handyman Oppa and one of the Gfriend’s members.

The man, her colleague and one of the staffs that is close with Handyman Oppa does not know about it as she is not a person who would tell anyone about things like this. Mi Soo knew about the balladeer because the two met because of her as the balladeer is her best friends since high school. Plus, the balladeer always shares with her almost everything. And right now, she is worried sick thinking of what Handyman Oppa could be feeling right now as fishing is actually one of the activities that has the strongest ties between Handyman Oppa and her balladeer’s friend.

*****

Handyman Oppa stands in front of the school hall, smiling and welcoming the participants of the training program that she and her team are conducting. Suddenly, her colleague who went fishing with her last night come running towards her wearing his anxious look.

”Is something wrong?” Handyman Oppa asks the panting man in front of him.

“I just got scolded by Lee Mi Soo unnie about the video Sung-Min hyung posted last night. Why?!!!” 

“Did she called you this morning? What did she say?” Handyman Oppa just smile and asks the younger man softly.

”Prof., Mi Soo called me and scolded me about the video I posted last night. Why?” The man who bragged about his girlfriend appears with a slightly red face, probably angry at the woman who just called and scolded him.

“What video? Let me see it.” Handyman Oppa asks while holding out her hand asking for their phone to watch the video.

“Probably she is worried about what Prof. Lee would say about us going fishing while we are on our working trip. You know how he has been trying to shut this project down for years and always looking for any reason to make it happen. We are having the faculty’s projects meeting tomorrow. So, I think it’s just Mi Soo being cautious.” 

“! ! ! I didn’t think about that. I’ll delete the post immediately. I’m sorry Prof. I just posted it for fun.” Sung-Min repeatedly says his sorry while his hand is busy tapping his phone to take down the video.

Handyman Oppa actually just made the reason up as it seems most logical and possible. She knows the reason why Mi Soo is concern about the video. Handyman Oppa already has a slight idea when she received a call early this morning but when she watched the video, she is certain about the reason why Mi Soo is worried of her. Apparently someone she is closed with watch the video and likes the video and someone using the Gfriend’s account did the same. Probably Mi Soo is more worried of the first person compared to the latter.

“Don’t worry. I’ll try as hard as I can to protect this project and keep it going for years, and I am going to continue doing so. Let’s just be extra careful next time. Let’s get started.” says Handyman Oppa calmy with a smile before she gets to the centre and starts greeting the participants.

****

Although Handyman Oppa is quite tired and she is trying to get home as soon as possible, but she still stayed back at the hall as the participants have prepared for a feast because this is the last training session at their place. The feast started two hours after they wrapped up the training program at 5.30 p.m. That gives her a few hours to sleep and rest as she has to drive back to Seoul. At about 10 p.m., she finally leaves the village. Upon seeing her car that is a bit dirty because they went fishing last night, she decides to drive to a self-service car wash she usually went to get it clean and rest for a bit before drives home.

Handyman Oppa drives to Paju to the 24-hours self-service car wash that also has a 24-hours cafe. At around 12.30 a.m. she arrives as she was driving a bit slow, just to be extra careful because she was feeling quite tired. She washes her car and then goes to the cafe to get some food and drinks while rest a while. The cafe is famous with its fresh strawberries milk and waffles. She orders a hot black coffee, a waffle and asks the waiter if she can get the strawberries milk to go as she is driving back to Seoul. The waiter says yes if she has a container to put it in, they can give her some ice to keep it cool.

Luckily, she brought the ice box because she was planning to go fishing while she is in Gangneung. As she immediately cooked the fishes she caught last night without bringing the fishes back, the ice box is empty. Handyman Oppa orders a few bottles of the strawberries milk for her to bring home for SinB and the other girls. She is hoping the younger girl would not be so mad at her anymore with the milk that she will delivers to the girl’s house tomorrow morning before going to work.

Handyman Oppa leans back on the padded bench at one of the booth while waiting for her waffle and coffee. She begins to calculate how much sleep she can get tonight as she has to wake up early to stop by Gfriend’s dorm to drop the milk then straight to the office for a one-day meeting. As the thought of she could at least get five hours of sleep eases her mind, four young, beautiful girls stand in front of her shooting their sweetest smile at her.

”Oppa? What are you doing here?” One of the girls is asking Handyman Oppa while taking a sit in front of her.

”Tzuyu? What are you girls doing here this late at night?” Handyman Oppa asks the four girls from the girl group Twice who are already sit in the same booth as her.

”We are craving something sweet. So we asked our manager oppa to drive us here.” Tzuyu answers with her sweet smile.

”We haven’t met before, have we?” Handyman Oppa asks a girl who is smiling brightly showing her rabbit teeth.

”Oh? You don’t know Nayeon, oppa?” Jihyo looks at the older woman questionably.

”Well of course I know this beautiful young lady. It’s just we have not met personally. The first time you girls came to my office, it was just the three of you.” Handyman Oppa smiles charmingly at Nayeon who is blushing upon hearing the older woman just called her ‘beautiful lady’.

“Uhhhhhhh....” Tzuyu, Mina and Jihyo exclaim with excitements when they heard what the oppa said and how red the fair skinned Nayeon turns into.

Tzuyu then stares at Handyman Oppa and pouts , “so is Nayeon unnie is the only one that is beautiful?”

”Aniya. You are beautiful as well. Mina and Jihyo too. But, among the four of you, you captured my eyes first.” Handyman Oppa smiles with her charming smile that has never worn out ever since the four girls joining her at the table.

A man who looks like he is the same age as Handyman Oppa approaches the booth where Handyman Oppa and four of the Twice members are sitting in. 

“I have already place your order. They said it will take about ten minutes. Prof., did you crave for something sweet as well?” 

Handyman Oppa is a bit shocked as the man recognises her while she has no idea at all who the person is. 

“Ah, I guess we have met before? Sorry I couldn’t remember your name. I was driving back to Seoul from Gangneung and I stopped by to wash my car and get something to eat. Come and join us.” Handyman Oppa scoots over to make some room for the man to sits at the end of the bench. 

Since Handyman Oppa was here before the girls, her coffee and waffle arrive first. The girls ask the older woman to enjoy her coffee while it’s still hot when Handyman Oppa says she will wait for their orders to come. Just as they were insisting Handyman Oppa to drink her coffee, the waiter brought their strawberries milk and milkshakes to the table. So all six of them, including the girls’ manager devour their drinks.

”Oppa, you should eat your waffle. It might not taste as good when it gets cold,” suggests Jihyo who sits next to Handyman Oppa.

”Why is your waffle doesn’t have cream on top?” Nayeon asks as the waffle normally came with some whipping cream and a scoop of ice cream if they ordered the special one.

”Ohh, I don’t like things that are too sweet. Well, except for people. I do like people that are sweet, beautiful, pretty, especially those who can sing and dance...” Handyman Oppa smiles and winks at the younger girl who just laughs it off.

”You are a sweet talker, aren’t you oppa?” Mina asks as she sips on her strawberry milk.

”That’s why I avoids eating too much sweet foods. I might end up being a whole lot sweeter than this.” Handyman Oppa laughs along with the girls who pretending to gag and vomiting.

Handyman Oppa eats her waffle and offers it to the girls who are still patiently waiting for their orders. All the girls take a bite of the waffle and exclaim with joy. 

“Oppa, you should try it with the whipping cream. It tastes better. Just wait for ours to come and you should taste it.” Tzuyu says excitedly while putting a piece of the waffle into .

”You look tired. Where is your house?” Handyman Oppa asks the manager who has been yawning for couple of times.

”Manager-nim, you should go back first. We’ll take a taxi to go back to our dorm. That way you don’t have to go back and forth as your house is on the way from here to our dorm.” Nayeon, the oldest girl suggested to the tired and sleepy manager.

”I’ll take them home. Don’t worry, I won’t let the girls take a taxi at this hour. You just need to ask for your boss’s permission though,” Handyman Oppa immediately offers the girls  ride home when Nayeon said they would take a taxi.

The manager calls his boss and sorts out his permission. He got Handyman Oppa on the phone talking to the chief manager, who already knows Handyman Oppa. They know each other because of the incident involving Tzuyu and a drunken, old erted man during one of the fundraising event that Handyman Oppa attended and Twice was performing.

The middle-aged man has a track record of being erted and always perform some kind of ual harassment act either verbally or physically at women of all ages, and that unfortunate night was Tzuyu’s turn. It started when Twice was performing on the small stage in front of the banquet hall of a prestigious hotel where the fundraising dinner was held. The man started to say out loud how y Tzuyu that night, how he likes her pretty young face, how hot her body, how he loves to get to know Tzuyu, and all sorts of creepy things. It did not stop there, he continued to harass the girl when she got off the stage and sat at the table that happened to be next to Handyman Oppa’s table and the erted man who was sitting at the table next to Handyman Oppa.

The man and Handyman Oppa knew each other as he has attempted to ually harassed her physically at the university where Handyman Oppa works. He have been verbally ual harras her and most women in Handyman Oppa’s department as he usually came to the office to see Prof. Lee. Unlike the other women, Handyman Oppa reported the man to the police and because he was a man that have connections with higher authorities, he was only put under probation.

The man claimed he was drunk when he harassed Handyman Oppa, so he has no idea what he has done. So, his probation terms include not to be drinking in public places, of course not to act or say things in a way that can be interpreted as carrying ual meaning or ually-oriented, and the newly added terms as requested by Handyman Oppa, to be monitored when they are in a same place as it was inevitable because they usually attend the same event.

Handyman Oppa repeatedly asks the man to stop harassing the girl and as he was drunk, he just brushed her off saying that it was not any of her concern because Tzuyu is not someone related to her. Handyman Oppa even reminded the man that he has violated his probation terms as he was drinking and ually harassing a girl. The man kept ignoring Handyman Oppa’s warning and continued harassing Tzuyu. He even bragged to Handyman Oppa that he will not be caught as they are at a private event to which he later learnt that he was caught on surveillance camera that was set up in the hall.

After the man wouldn’t stop verbally harassed Tzuyu who just ignored him, he tried to get physical. That’s when Handyman Oppa asks one of the man in the security team to take him out of the hall. Although Handyman Oppa was directly involved during the incident, she never said anything to Tzuyu or go near her. After the man was taken away, she continued eating as Tzuyu who has been ignoring the man also continued eating with the other Twice’s members.

The first time that Handyman Oppa and Tzuyu are in contact was at the hotel’s toilet. Handyman Oppa was in one of the toilet stall and as she was done doing her business, she heard someone got in the stall next to her. Just after the door was locked, she heard the person in the next stall was sobbing. Handyman Oppa just stayed in the toilet as she doesn’t want to startle the person who was crying. While she was sitting on the toilet bowl waiting for the person to stop crying, she noticed the person’s shoes and she recognised it. It was Tzuyu’s, she remembered it as her eyes were glued to the shoes the whole time she was performing half an hour ago. So, Handyman Oppa decided to give the girl her pocket square for her to wipe her tears when she heard the girl was pulling the toilet roll.

”Here, use my handkerchief. The toilet roll is too rough, it will hurt your face.” Handyman Oppa handed the girl her handkerchief from above of the toilet stall’s wall. It took about thirty seconds for the girl to finally take the piece of cloth that are dangling from above the toilet stall’s wall.

Handyman Oppa then got out from the toilet stall and washed her hands at the sink. Then, Tzuyu came out from the toilet stall and stares sadly at Handyman Oppa with her teary eyes through the mirror in front of the sink. Handyman Oppa just smiles at the girl through the mirror’s reflection. They had not got the chance to talk to each other as Jihyo and Mina stormed into the toilet looking for Tzuyu worriedly. Handyman Oppa left the toilet and Twice’s chief manager was already standing not too far, also looking anxious and concerned.

Slowly and calmly Handyman Oppa approaches the man and told him what happened, and advices him to take some legal action against the man. She told him briefly about the surveillance camera footage that they can use if they want to pursue legal actions and gave him her card if he needed any help before leaving the man and the three girls who just came out of the toilet.

Then, about a week after the incident, the three girls- Tzuyu, Jihyo and Mina came to Handyman Oppa’s office to meet her and returned the handkerchief. That was their second time meeting one another and during that time, similar to Solar, they thought that Handyman Oppa is actually a handyman at the office. They even went back to the department’s administrative office and told Mi Soo that a handyman ahjussi was in the office and the professor they were looking for was not, to which they found out later is the same person. Handyman Oppa was fixing one of the light bulb when the girls walked into her office and couldn’t say anything before the girls walked out on her to find Mi Soo, the woman working at the counter. 

So, tonight is actually the fourth time Handyman Oppa personally met Tzuyu and the third time she met Jihyo and Mina, while it is the first time she and Nayeon meet. After talking to the chief manager for a while, they agreed that Handyman Oppa would drive the girls back to their dorm and the girls are to call him as soon as they arrived. The manager who is with them then left the cafe after he finishes his coffee, leaving Handyman Oppa and four bright and energetic girls who are enjoying their strawberries milk and waffles.

”Oppa, here, try this. The cream, it’s not too sweet. The waffle is more delicious with the cream. Aaaaa” Tzuyu cuts her waffle topped with ice cream and whipping cream, and stretched out the fork with the waffle to Handyman Oppa who is sitting across from her.

Handyman Oppa has no choice but to open and eat the waffle as Tzuyu and Nayeon insist that she should try it once. Plus, Tzuyu was complaining that her hand is getting sore as she was holding her fork out for quite some time to feed Handyman Oppa. Surprisingly, what the girl said is true. The waffle does tastes more delicious with the whipping cream. Probably because they made their own whipping cream and not the spray canned whipping cream. Handyman Oppa is surprise by the taste that she mouthed ‘wow’ and is pouted a bit.

”Haih, look at this big old baby eating,” Jihyo mumbles while reaching for a tissue.

As Handyman Oppa heard Jihyo mumbling something, she turns her head around facing Jihyo who sits next to her to ask her what did she say. ‘Chup’. Handyman Oppa’s lips touches Jihyo’s lips. Apparently, Jihyo is trying to wipe a smudge at the corner of Handyman Oppa’s lip when Handyman Oppa suddenly turns her head causing their lips to touch one another. They both froze for couple of seconds before Handyman Oppa pull her face away from the now red-faced, frozen Jihyo.

”I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I thought you said something to me, I wanted to ask you what did you say so I turn around. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Handyman Oppa quickly apologises to Jihyo who just bend her head down staring at her thighs. 

The other girls just exclaim in excitement, teasing the Twice’s leader. Jihyo couldn’t look into Handyman Oppa’s eyes as she is both embarrassed and flustered. She felt like she was being strike by a lightning when her lips touched the oppa’s lips. Her heart is thumping as she doesn’t know what is this feeling she is feeling. She is kind of shy that they just got into a kiss accidentally, but at the same time, she feels nervous and a bit happy. Her feelings are all mixed up, so she just stares down on her thighs without moving or saying anything.

”I’m sorry. Are you crying? I’m sorry, don’t cry. Please, don’t cry.” Handyman Oppa is panickingly apologises and begging Jihyo not to cry as the girl didn’t say anything or even move and just stares down for a few minutes.

“Jihyo, are you okay?” asks Handyman Oppa while she bends her head down almost touching the table trying to see if Jihyo is crying. 

Handyman Oppa keeps bending her neck and her head finally bumps to the table’s edge causing a loud thump. “Ouch!” Handyman Oppa cries out in pain automatically as soon as her head bumps on the table.

The girls just laugh at Handyman Oppa rubbing her forehead that is in pain. Jihyo finally looks up as she saw the oppa’s head bumped on the table and she could not help but laugh as the older woman is looking so funny right now with a huge lump on her head.

“I am okay, oppa. Are you? Come, let me see.” Jihyo pull the older woman’s head slightly closer to her to check the lump.

”You are mostly muscles, how can you get a huge lump from bumping your head on the table?” Mina asks while Jihyo and Tzuyu are checking the oppa’s head attentively. 

“Well, the only body part I didn’t worked on when I go to the gym is my face...” Handyman Oppa answers grinning like a fool.

”Is it painful?” Jihyo asks concernedly.

”Just a bit.” 

The five of them left the cafe shortly after everyone finishes their waffles and Handyman Oppa gets the strawberries milks she ordered and have been placed in the ice box by the cafe’s owner. Tzuyu naturally sits in the passenger’s seat while the three older girls sit in the back seats which causes a bit of a ruckus among the older girls.

”Why are you naturally gets into the passenger’s seat?” Mina asks Tzuyu, discontented with the sitting arrangement.

”Ahh, no reason. I didn’t realise it. Unnie, do you want to sit in front?” Tzuyu turn around and look at the three girls.

”No, it’s okay. It’s just seems like you are used to it.” Mina responded.

”Ah, I don’t think I’m used to it. This is only my second time.” Tzuyu nonchalantly responded. Everyone suddenly grow silent with Tzuyu’s shocking revelation.

After a few minutes, Tzuyu, Jihyo and Mina fell asleep leaving Nayeon accompanying Handyman Oppa driving towards Twice’s dorm that has been set in her GPS. Handyman Oppa places her jacket over the sleeping Tzuyu sitting next to her in the passenger’s seat. 

“You can sleep if you are sleepy Nayeon-ssi. I’ll wake you girls up when we arrive.” Handyman Oppa looks at Nayeon who is sitting in the middle between Mina and Jihyo.

”Okay, oppa. I’m not sleepy just yet.” Nayeon shoots her bright smile to Handyman Oppa who is looking at her from the rear mirror.

When they arrive at the dorm, Nayeon wakes the two girls sitting besides her. Handyman Oppa tries to wake Tzuyu up but the girl still sound asleep. 

“I’ll just carry her to her bed then.” Handyman Oppa said while getting ready to lift and carry the girl to her bedroom.

Handyman Oppa leaves immediately after she called Twice’s manager informing him that the girls have safely arrived. At around three in the morning, she finally arrives at her home. Handyman Oppa immediately falls asleep as soon as she lays her head on the pillow.

****

”Oppa.” 

“Em.” Handyman Oppa barely opens her eyes when she answers her phone that she placed under her pillow. 

“Oppa.” 

When the caller calls her name the second time, Handyman Oppa forces herself to open her eyes to look at the phone’s screen. Solar is calling her.

”Em. What time is it? Are you okay?” Handyman Oppa asks with her eyes begin to shut again.

”Five. I’m okay. Just saw someone posted pictures of you leaving a cafe with the girls from Twice.” Solar said with her voice a bit sad.

”Em. Can I sleep some more. I have a meeting this morning.”

”I know. I asked Mi Soo unnie to sync your schedules with me. Oppa, let’s go to the cafe. I wanted to try the waffles as well.” Solar asks knowing that the older woman is not fully awake and this usually the perfect time if anyone wants to ask her to do something.

”Em. Okay.” 

As Solar expected, the older woman just agrees to go to the cafe. Solar smiles brightly thinking of eating the scrumptious looking waffles after getting off work tonight. This was not Solar’s original intention of calling the older woman, she accidentally saw the picture when she was waiting for Handyman Oppa to pick up her call. So, she just blurted out what she has in mind when the woman picked up her call. 

“I’ll pack you some lunch and drop by at your office on the way to my show today. Then, we will go to the cafe tonight after I got off work. Okay,oppa?” Solar asks even though she already the answer would be ‘okay’ because the older woman has fallen asleep again while talking to her.

”Um.” 

Solar just chuckles when she hear the older woman’s response. Solar is not quite sure whether Handyman Oppa was responding to her or that was just the sound of her snoring. She ends the call and then texted Handyman Oppa what she just said and the plan that the older woman just agreed to so she could read it when she wakes up later. Solar then goes to the kitchen to see what she has in her fridge that she can cook for lunch before starting to defrost the meat and went back to bed.

****

SinB wakes up and fishes out her phone from under her pillow. As usual, she opens the message she got from Handyman Oppa. However, unlike usual, a picture was attached with the message. Apparently the older woman left an icebox filled with strawberries milk and rice cakes for SinB and the girls. SinB checks the time the message was send and it was about 45 minutes ago. She gets down from her bed and goes to the front door, she opens the door and found the same exact icebox as in the picture laying there. SinB carries the icebox into the kitchen and put it on the kitchen counter. She then move the bottles containing the strawberries milk from the box to the fridge before she gets ready for school.

’Thank you oppa. We will enjoy the milk. You will have a long day at work, so don’t forget to eat. Have a great day.’ SinB replies Handyman Oppa’s message and left the phone on her bed before going to the bathroom.

SinB knows that the older woman would not reply her message as she probably still in her car driving to the university or she just got to her office, preparing for the meeting that she told her about in her message. SinB expected that they will not be exchanging messages today as Handyman Oppa is attending a one-day meeting and from her past experience, the older woman usually would only texted her once or twice during her breaks or just texted her after the meeting ended. 

“Oppa dropped us some strawberries milk and rice cake this morning. She left it at the front door. I already put all the milks in the fridge. It’s enough for all of us, she bought extra two bottles as well.” SinB as she enters the kitchen where everyone is already seated at the dining table getting ready for breakfast. Only SinB and Umji are dressed because they have to go to school while the other unnies are still in their pyjamas. 

“Oh, really? I guess it’s really her then.” said Umji while opening the fridge to get the said milk.

”What do you mean?” SinB asks as she gestured Umji to get her a bottle as well.

”There are some pictures of Nayeon, Jihyo, Mina unnie and Tzuyu leaving the cafe that is famous with this strawberries milk with oppa.” Umji shows the pictures she came across this morning to SinB, Yuju and Yerin.

SinB looks at the pictures and just uttered an ‘ohh’. She eats some scrambled eggs with a toast and drinks up the whole bottle of strawberries milk. The milk have slices of strawberries and it tasted really sweet with the fresh strawberries. Everyone except Sowon were exclaiming in excitement and joy when they drink the milk. Yuju and Umji even looked up the cafe on the internet and the milk is the cafe’s special menu and got hooked up looking at the delicious looking waffles of various kinds.

Since this morning, SinB wanted to call Handyman Oppa asking her about the pictures but managed to hold herself back from doing it. She does not want to interrupt the older woman when she is at work, particularly on a busy day like today. SinB and Umji just buy some packed lunch at the school’s cafeteria since they didn’t packed anything from home. While they are having their lunch, Umji and SinB bump into pictures uploaded by Twice.

This time, there is a picture that clearly shows part of Handyman Oppa’s face but they still can make out that the person is Handyman Oppa. In the picture, the older woman is looking down on the table and the center point of the picture is the lump on Handyman Oppa’s forehead. Once again SinB wanted to call Handyman Oppa asking her about it, but since she hasn’t got any text message from the older woman shows that she is busy. So, SinB just held her anger in and reminds herself to ask the oppa later on today.

****

The faculty’s project meeting is one of the meeting that would take the longest time to finish and the one that Handyman Oppa hates the most. There are over almost two dozen projects to be presented, updated and discussed during the meeting. It usually takes longer time when it is Handyman Oppa’s turn as the particular professor who hates her would ask a lot of questions and would suggest the committed to discontinue her projects for various absurd reasons.

As Handyman Oppa thinking of reasons to get out of the meeting, Lee Mi Soo, the woman who is younger than Handyman Oppa by four years is waving at her from the door showing her her phone. Handyman Oppa quietly screaming in joy and goes out of the meeting room to get the phone.

”Why? Is it important?” Handyman Oppa asks the woman who is waving her handphone that she uses as her office number.

”Eunha is on the line.” Mi Soo hands the phone to Handyman Oppa.

“Hello, Eunha?” Handyman Oppa takes the phone and greet the caller while thinking hard how did the girl get this number.

”Oppa. I’m sorry I interrupted you during your meeting. This is the number on the card you gave my parents when you drive me home on Friday.” As if Eunha can read Handyman Oppa’s mind, she told her how she got the number and  it finally came to her memory that she did that.

”Oh, no, it’s okay. The room is full of professors, they can talk instead of me. Are you okay?” Handyman Oppa asks concernedly.

”Ah I’m calling you because my parents are driving me back to the dorm this evening. Omma cooked some dinner and we are going to eat it with the girls at the dorm. Omma and Appa ask me to invite you for dinner as well. If you don’t already have plan or work to do.” 

“Yes, sure. I’ll go straight to your dorm after work. I might be late though, the meeting usually got dragged for an hour after office hours. If I don’t make it to meet your parents, say thank you to them.” Handyman Oppa quickly and happily accepted Eunha’s invitation as she is not too keen on cooking tonight, nor eating at the restaurant.

”It’s okay. We are going to wait for my sister and father to get off from work first. I think you would make it just in time.” Eunha reassures Handyman Oppa.

”Ah okay then. How are you feeling today Eunha?” Handyman Oppa asks the younger girl again as she didn’t answer her the first time she asks.

”Are you not going back to your meeting, oppa? You should go back to your meeting. I don’t want to take more of your time. I just wanted to invite you to dinner, I didn’t know you are in a meeting.”

Handyman Oppa thought the girl did not hear her question the first time. But now, clearly Eunha is avoiding the question. 

“Eyh, no. I don’t really like to be in the meeting in the first place. Plus, it’s not my turn yet. So, it would be better to hear your soothing voice than to hear some old men’s voices arguing.” 

Handyman Oppa glances over her shoulder to see if anyone from the meeting room is looking for her. As expected, no one is looking for her. She has been sitting in the meeting room for almost seven hours, and this is the chance she has been waiting for so she could at least get away from the meeting for a few minutes. 

“Well... I think I am better today. I haven’t cried since I got home last Friday. But, I am not too sure about me and Sowon unnie. My sister and I went shopping and we had a picnic with omma, appa and oppa as well.” Eunha hesitates at first but she finally opens up to Handyman Oppa.

”Oh, that’s good. It’s a relief to hear that you are feeling better. You don’t have to figure everything out in a hurry. It’s good to hear you are taking some time for yourself. Did you get to eat a lot of your mother’s cooking? I’m sorry, that’s the only thing I could think of when I talked to your CEO that night.” Handyman Oppa absently scratching her neck, her habit when she is feeling uncomfortable about something. In this instance, she lied about Eunha missing her mother’s cooking.

“Em. It’s okay oppa. Omma cooks a lot of my favourite dishes. I think I gain some weight over the weekend. Hehehe. Oppa, are you not going back to your meeting? It makes me nervous that I might get you in trouble. We can talk more at the dorm tonight.” 

“I don’t want to...please, don’t make me go back.” Handyman Oppa is begging like a preschooler who doesn’t want to go to school.

”Aing! You big baby. Go back to work. I’ll see you at the dorm tonight. Hahaha.” Eunha laughs as Handyman Oppa keeps begging her not to end the call because she doesn’t want to go back to her meeting.

”I don’t want to. Please...” Handyman Oppa begs Eunha for the nth time while the girl is still laughing, calling her big baby.

”Prof., they are looking for you.” Mi Soo calls Handyman Oppa from the meeting room.

”Oppa, go. They are looking for you, stop playing around with me. You’ll get into trouble.” Eunha urges the older woman to go as she heard the lady who answered her call earlier just called Handyman Oppa’s name.

“Okay. Big baby have to go to work now. See you tonight. Bye-bye.”

”Oppa...oh, sorry big baby, see you tonight. Bye.” Eunha ends the call while still giggling because the older woman just call herself ‘big baby’.

Handyman Oppa reluctantly enter the meeting room and the second she takes a seat, Professor Lee, who is known to hate her starts asking her why did she leave the meeting earlier. Mi Soo immediately says that one of her clients called her, and it is quite important so she took the call. Since it will soon be Handyman Oppa’s turn to present the progress of all her projects, which is the last one to presented, Mi Soo joins the meeting.

“I propose that the projects to be shut down.” Prof. Lee is the first to comment once Handyman Oppa finishes her presentation.

Handyman Oppa let out a sigh as this has been going on every time they had the meeting in the past few years. The older man always suggested that the faculty research’s committee to support his proposal to shut down her projects.

”All the projects have not reported deficit in the budget and the outcomes are good. Why do we need to shut down the project?” For the last few years, this has always been her response whenever he brought up the proposal.

”All the projects also did not earn big profits either. So, just shut them down. We can use the money for other projects.” Prof. Lee stands by his proposal that he has been put forward for years that he started to sound like a broken record.

“The aim of the projects are to empower the parents to do the intervention at home to compliment the intervention they received at the clinic. The projects are more about social and community service, rather than profitable projects. I have two projects that are profitable as befitting the aims. Why the projects need to be shut down?” Handyman Oppa responded, irritated by the same thing to be discussed repeatedly.

After a heated discussion, or more like an argument between Handyman Oppa and Prof. Lee with the other professors either act as moderators or supporters for Prof. Lee has been going over 45 minutes, the chairman asks all eleven members of the research’s committee that made up of half of the members of the meeting to vote whether the projects should be continued or to be reviewed for discontinuation. The projects in question were voted by the majority of the committee members to continue  that put a stop to Prof. Lee’s argument.

The meeting move to the next agenda in the minute that concerns the budget and other related agenda including fundraising events that mostly involving Handyman Oppa. Usually, Handyman Oppa refrained herself from saying too much when they discussed about budgeting but today, it seems like Prof. Lee would not let go of his idea getting her projects discontinued. So, Handyman Oppa shares her opinions more expressively.

“The committee already decided. Why do my projects that always had budget surpluses every year need to be shut down? Other projects that reported deficits over the years should be the ones to be considered. There are projects that spent more money on social-related expenses than the research itself. Those projects need to be closely monitored and reviewed this year whether it should be continued or terminated for next year.” 

Most of the members of the meeting agree with Handyman Oppa’s comments as they always have to do some other events to raise money to  cover for the projects’ deficits. But, it causes an immediate objection from Prof. Lee as most of the projects that Handyman Oppa was referring to were his projects. 

“Your projects just spend money and not making any. That’s why. Just shut down your projects for the countryside people, make them pay for the service. That way you can make more money. It doesn’t matter if you don’t lose money, what matters is you make money!” says Prof. Lee furiously. 

Handyman Oppa just about to respond, but the chairman quickly shakes his head at her indicating that she should let it go. Handyman Oppa takes the hint and just sit still without saying anything. With Handyman Oppa’s silence being treated as a win by Prof. Lee, the discussion about the budget went smoothly.

Finally, the last agenda is being brought up. It should not be much of a discussion because each events has their own committees and a separate meeting. However, Prof. Lee keeps dragging the meeting over and even suggests that the details of the fundraising events should be presented and reviewed. Handyman Oppa notices that over half of the people in the room including herself keep checking the time as the meeting has been dragged over for almost two hours, so she braced herself and voice it out.

”Prof., I don’t think it’s necessary to hear the details of the fundraising events. We have separate committees and meetings for the purposes. I’m sure the events are all well-planned by the committee members. It was mentioned today to make all the research project’s teams aware of it and contribute as much as they can. Plus, the meeting has been dragged over for almost two hours. I’m sure most of us are already tired and have plans. The staffs have to wait for us too. I think it would be a good idea if we rap the meeting up?”  

Prof. Lee glares at Handyman Oppa and say arrogantly to her, ”you, you better watch out. Even with the committee’s vote, I can still make your project to be discontinued. So, you better watch your back. You know what you have done. You are as corrupt as I am. You just want a free fishing trip, stop pretending you are all good person doing something beneficial for the poor people. Say one more thing and I will make sure that the poor, countryside people would not get any benefits from any program. You can kiss any community service program you have planned good bye.”

Once again Handyman Oppa’s intention of rebutting to what Prof. Lee said was blocked by the chairman of the meeting who happens to be one of her closest friend despite of their age differences. The chairman however agrees with Handyman Oppa’s suggestion and raps up the meeting after asking Mi Soo to email the details of each fundraising events to all the professors. The meeting ended and a few professors stopped by Handyman Oppa and told her that she needs to be careful as Prof. Lee has a lot of friends in higher ranking positions who can turn his threats into reality. Handyman Oppa just nods and smiles weakly, thanking them for their support and reminders.

****

SinB waits patiently for Handyman Oppa to arrive. She has been looking at pictures fans posted online featuring four of Twice members and the older woman. There is a picture of the five of them laughing, a picture where Jihyo unnie is facing Handyman Oppa, and a picture the five of the leaving the cafe. She is getting furious with every pictures she looks at online. The thought that the older woman bought them the strawberries milk just because she was out with Twice members at a cafe that happens to sell the milk gets into her nerve. 

She was getting angrier when Eunha texted the group messages saying that she will be back at the dorm tonight. Her parents and older sister are driving her to the dorm. She told everyone that her mother packed some dinner to have with them at the dorm. Eunha also said that she called Handyman Oppa and invited her for dinner tonight as her parents wanted to thank her for driving her home the other night.

“She didn’t text or call me once, but she talked to Eunha unnie. Is it so difficult for her not to make me mad just for a day?” SinB grunted to herself while waiting for Handyman Oppa to arrive so she can let out all her suppressed anger.

Finally, the person she has been waiting for arrives. 

“Oh, you are all dressed up like someone who is meeting their future parents in law.”

SinB greets Handyman Oppa as soon as she opens the door and her eyes caught the site of the older woman. She is burning inside with anger seeing the oppa dresses smartly just for a dinner with Eunha’s parents.

”She really can’t stop making me angry for a moment, can’t she?” SinB mumbles to herself, biting her bottom lips as her anger reaches its peak.