"Unnie... eat some. You need gain energy to look for your children." Eunha trying to persuade. She has a bowl of porridge on her lap, and ready to feed Sojung with a spoonful, but she keep on refuse.

"How can I eat, when my babies might haven't eat yet now..." Sowon wailing.

"Who knows... they might get something to eat." Yuju also trying to persuade.

"There's no way  we can make sure of that.... when I got kidnapped years ago... I barely got something to ate or drank. Kidnappers tend to starve their victim, so they doesn't have energy to trying to runaway." Sowon tell.

"Oh..." Yuju lost of argument, also her thought flying to her little nephew and niece. Her worry is raising a lot more than before.

"Why don't you wish for better kidnapper this time?" Eunha suggest.

"There's no such better kidnapper! They won't be kidnapper if they are good people." SinB scolding. Eunha pout.

"Hey... c'mon Unnies... with this such conversation, we not gonna make Sowon Unnie feel better." Umji reminding, it snapped the girls back to their sanity.

"Oh... right. We're so sorry, Unnie." They apologized.

 

 

Suddenly the door open, Hyun enter the room...

"Honey, the kidnapper send this mail..." Hyun hand a paper to his wife.

Sojung take it in quick, the girls gather closer to her, trying to read too.

 

Dear CEO Lee and family...

We got your children. We want money.

If you want your children back, you better prepare 300 million won in at least 24 hours.

We'll inform the time and place for exchange.

 

P.S : don't tell the police. Or we kill them.

 

Sojung gasp at the last sentence, "Get the money, Oppa! Just give it to them! I want my babies back alive and safe as soon as possible!" She furiously yell.

"Oh geez... 300 million won... that's a lot." SinB mumbling.

"I don't care! Just take all that I've got for being idol and artist all these years. If it stil not enough then... Oppa... please cover it up, I will definitely pay it back to you. I will work harder onward to pay you back. Just please... please... give me back my babies~..." Sojung wailing.

"KIM SOJUNG!! Hold your sanity!! Who do you think I am??! You talked as if I'm not their father!!!" Hyun yell.

 

Silence...

 

"You've disapointed me..." then Hyun turn around and walk to the door.

"(Sobs) Oppa~..." Sojung wailing.

But Hyun keep walking and leave the room.

"... I'm sorry~..."

But Hyun already leave the room and can't heard Sojung's apologized.

 

"Unnie... you shouldn't said that..." Yerin tell.

Sojung is sobbing sadly. Feels even more anguish. Umji just hug her tight, since she can't think of any words to make her Unnie feels better.

 

*****

 

Meanwhile...

Geon keep thinking about how he gonna find a way to escape from there. When suddenly he snapped back into reality and aware that there's a rat that trying to drag a pack of bread that the kidnappers left there for them.

Geon get up to chase...

"Shoo! Shoo!!"

He trying to shoo away the rat and defend his precious bread. The rat squeaked in surprise then sped away, escape through the gap between the wooden plank walls.

 

Geon chase until near the wall. Then he see the gap and then decided to examine it.

 

 

"Sohyun-ah..."

"Yes, Oppa?"

"Come here!"

Sohyun go closer to where her Oppa kneeling at the corner of that room.

 

"Look!" Geon told her, and Sohyun just doing what he told her to do.

"This is our chance to escape from here."

Sohyun look at her older brother in confuse, "What do you mean oppa?"

"Let's through this hole. I'm sure this hole will bring us out." Geon said.

"But it's dark. I'm scare~..." Sohyun protest.

"I'll go first. You just follow me. We doing thia together. Oppa will always be with you. So you  will be okay. Don't be scare."

"But Oppa... it's dirty and smelly..." Sohyun whining.

"It's okay. We just have to take a bath and clean it up by soap as soon as we get back home. You wanna go home, right?"

"Yes. Of course I wanna go home."

"So then let's do this!"

"Uhmm... okay..." Sohyun finally agree.

 

Geon gladly smile then he pulling the board to make bigger gap, bigger entrance for them. He crawling inside and find that it's bigger than he thought.

"C'mon Sohyun-ah. Follow me!" He ask his little sister.

Then Sohyun obidiently following him. Then they crawling inside.

 

It's been a while...

"Oppa~... it's smells really bad here..." Sohyun whining.

"Just keep crawling and follow me. We need to get out from here to get home." Geon insist.

"We'll get home if we get out from here?"

"Eung."

"To see Mommy?'

"Eung."

"And Daddy?"

"Yes. And Daddy too."

"Promise?"

"Eung. Promise. Of course we still have to walk to get home."

"Is home is far from here?"

"Eung."

"Oppa know the way to get home?"

"Eung. Oppa know. As long as as we able to get out from here, Oppa will definitely bring us back home."

"Promise?'

'Promise."

"Okay."

After that, Sohyun just quietly following Geon.

 

 

Then after quite a while that felt like forever, they facing a down way. It's a narrow and completely dark.

"Sohyun-ah, you see this?"

"Eung."

"Oppa will go down first to find out the way. You wait here, okay?"

"No~... don't leave me~..."

"Oppa not gonna long."

'But... you said we will always be together."

"Oppa not gonna leave you. Promise. You are my little sister. I love you. I won't leave you. You don't believe me?"

"..."

"Oppa promise will be right back, Sohyun-ah."

"... okay..."

"Good girl. Wait here!"

Then Geon start to climb down that hole.

 

 

Sohyun is hugging her folding legs. She feels scare and want to cry. She hate her current situation. She hate her surrounding. But nothing she can do. All she can do is waiting her Oppa back.

 

After a while...

Geon's face showing up from the hole.

"Sohyun-ah..."

"Oppa~... what took you so long? I'm scare~..."

"Shh... be quiet. We can't let those ahjussis hear us."

"..."

"Come here! Oppa will let you sit on my shoulder, like Daddy used to did, remember?"

"Really?"

"Eung. Come here!"

Then Sohyun excitedly do what her Oppa told her to do. She set her position on Geon's shoulder.

"Hold thight my head, okay?"

"Okay."

"This hole is narrow. The rough wall might gonna scratch your skin. But you have to stay quiet, okay?"

"..."

"It's completely dark. If you scare, it's okay to close your eyes. Just make sure that you have to keep holding me tight, okay? Don't let me go, okay?"

"Okay oppa. As long as you stay with me."

"Of course. I even let you sit on my shoulder."

"Okay." Sohyun's voice sound glad.

 

Then Geon start to climb down while Sohyun on his shoulder and holding tightly on his head. It's hard and heavy. But Geon is insist himself to make it.

 

After pretty long...

"Sohyun-ah, we have to slide down after this. Like how you slide at your school. You like that, right?"

"Eung."

"But this time you shouldn't make any sound. Don't shout! Promise me!"

"Okay, Oppa."

 

Then they slide...

Sohyun almost squeal. But that toddler manage to shut her own mouth until they stop to slide. Then they crawl for some more, then they see a slight of sunlight through a gap. Geon push the gap. But it's hard. He doesn't have enough strength to push it more wide. They stuck on that corner.

 

Oh geez... how I gonna make thia work out?

It's stuffy here. It's so hard. I feel like want to cry and scream...

But if I do that, I'm sure Sohyun will cry, then those ahjussis will hear it and catch us back and trap us even more. And I'm sure they will double their guard on us...

We won't ever escape if that happen...

Oh.. how I should do this?

Geon is secreatly having brainstroming by himself.

 

But after struggling quite long, Geon still hasn't make any progress. That little boy is really tired. He turn to check his sister and find the toddler is curling in the corner, sleeping.

 

Argh!

I'm so tired and thirsty. My hand are hurt. My arms are sore.

What should I do?

Geon sigh. Then he shift to sit next his sister and lean to wall. Having a rest. Unconsciously fall asleep while he thinking his next plan.

 

Geon awaken when he feels something furry rubbing him.

He jolted when open his eyes and find a cat next to him.

 

Meouw~...

The cat greet him.

 

"Ah! You scare me!" Geon scolding. But then he caressing the cat and that animal like it.

'Hey.. can you show me the way out from here?" Geon mumbling to that cat.

 

Meouw~...

 

"Go then! Shoo!" Geon told the cat to go.

Then after the cat it paws, the cat leaving. The cat is not going out through the small gap on front of Geon, that he had been struggled to push before. The cat is leaving by other way. Then suddenly Geon see the cat already outside.

 

Hey! The cat is already outside...

How he made it?

The cat was went that way, wasn't it?

Then Geon go where the cat left before.

 

After crawling few meters away, there a turn, Geon just keep on following the turn, and then...

 

Voila!

 

He find the way out. A bigger gap than before. He trying to push it and it easily opening wider.

 

Huft! This is it!

 

Geon quickly back to where Sohyun sleeping.

"Sohyun-ah... wake up! Let's go! Oppa found the way out."

Sohyun is squirming before open her eyes.

"C'mon! Follow me!" Geon commanding. Then Sohyun just following her older brother, then without taking too much time and effort, those two children finally breath the fresh air outside the building.

They look at each other and smiling happily.

 

"Let's go!"

Geon said then grab his sister's hand and pull her. They sneaking, stay along the wall of the building. Then stop at the end of the wall. Geon check the surrounding, after sure that it safe, he pull Sohyun to hide between the bushes. Then they crawling again between the bushes and the tall grass.

 

After a while they stop under the tree. The warehouse where they locked up before is a bit far from them now. Geon feel a lot better. He glad they already out from it.

"We made it, Sohyun-ah. We escape from them. Good job, Sist!" Geon hug his sister.

Sohyun giggling, "Really? So we can go home now, Oppa?"

"Yeah. Let's go home. We still have to walk, though... you will able to do this, right?"

"Of course. C'mon Oppa! I wanna see Mommy as soon as we can."

"Yeah. Me too. Let's go!" Geon offering his hand and Sohyun happily hold on it. Then they start to walk their still-far-a-way journey to get back home.

 

After quite far...

"Oppa, I'm tired. My feet hurt~..." Sohyun start to whining then squatting.

Geon stop to look at his little sister, then look back to check how far they have been walked. It's indeed quite far, no wonder Sohyun get tired.

"Would you like Oppa to piggy back you?" Geon offer.

Sohyun smile as soon as she heard that. She nod then reach out her arms to her Oppa. Geon smirking then kneel so Sohyun can get on his back. Sohyun circling her arms on Geon's neck, climb on Geon's back, then he get up and continue to walk while piggybacking his sister.

 

"Look Oppa! I saw that bridge before. We used to saw it everytime we go to school, right?" Sohyun shout while pointing the view of Banpo Bridge that look far away from them.

Geon look to where Sohyun pointing. Then a smile bloom on his face.

"Sohyun-ah, you are so smart! You show the way to get home."

"Did I?" Sohyun wonder. She has no idea actually.

"Yeah! Indeed so smart! Oppa proud of you. I'm so lucky to have you as my dongsaeng." Geon complimenting.

Sohyun giggle, she is happy for her brother's compliment, "I like you so much, Oppa!" She said while tightening her wrap on Geon's neck.

"Argh! Yah! Don't choke me, Sohyun-ah..."

"Oh, sorry Oppa. I just so happy to having you..." Sohyun sound regret.

Geon chuckle, "Okay, I get it. I'm also happy to have you too."

 

 

It's been  a while. More than an hour for sure. Geon just keep on walking just in socks. He not wearing his shoes, since they tried to runaway from the back door of Sohyun's Day Care yesterday (*remember? Part 1). No wonder his feet feel hurt and it's awefully dirty, but it's better than wear nothing to protect his feet.

Sohyun already fell asleep on his back. For Geon it's better that Sohyun sleeping, so she won't whining along their way.

 

 

Finally they reach civilization. A highway. Geon can see houses from afar. It raise his hope that they will safe. But Geon didn't dare to be too visible.  He was always vigilant looking back, cautious if the kidnappers chased. He walk between the bushes on the side of the road. Force himself to ignore the bushes that grazing his bare leg. How he wish he wear trouser rather than his short pants at that time.

They enter the nearest village. It's a small town. Geon stop at neighbourhood garden, put down Sohyun on a bench. That little girl sleep soundly. Geon sitting on the bench too, then put Sohyun's head on his lap, doesn't need too much time for Geon to fall asleep. He's so tired. After a quite while, Geon waken up, and he jolted as soon as he wake up because Sohyun is disappear from his lap.

 

"Sohyun-ah!" Geon panickely shout to call his sister.

"Yes?"

There's a quick respond right after Geon shouting. Geon turn to look at the sound source direction. It's from behind. Sohyun is playing in the sand box.

"Ah! You scares me. I thought I lost you." Geon scolding, and Sohyun just grining.

"Oppa sleep soundly, So I play by myself here to wait you awake. Oppa, I'm hungry." Sohyun innocently confess.

Geon sigh, "Me too. How we able to get food?.. I don't have any money."

 

Suddenly ..

Sohyun shows a plastic bag, "I mean... let's eat this. I've been waiting you to wake up so we can eat these together, Oppa."

Geon take the plastic bag and check what inside it, "Where you got these?"

"A halmoni (granny) gave these to me." Sohyun tell.

'A halmoni?"

"Eung."

Geon thinking about it for a while.

 

"Oppa~... let's eat these. I'm really hungry~." Sohyun whining.

"Oh..  right. Okay. Let's eat."

 

They got 2 rolls of gimbap, an apple, a bottle of milk, and a bottle of plain water. Geon and Sohyun gratefully devour all of it. After finished it all, Geon suggest for them to continue their way to back home, and Sohyun obidiently follows. They walking hand in hand, feeling better since they able to escaped from their kidnappers also because they got something to ate.

Geon keep on eye at Banpo Bridge as the guidance. He've been passed through that bridge a lot in his entire life. He believes that as long as they can reach that bridge, it'll be easy to find way home.

 

They've been walking quite far...

"Sohyun-ah, c'mon!" Geon reach out his arm and offer his hand to his younger sister who left behind few meters away.

"Wait up, Oppa, my shoelace is untied..." Sohyun said while kneeling to fix her sholace.

Geon looking at his sister who fumbling with her sholace.

"Tsk... babies..." Geon scoffs then walk closer to her then join to kneel, "What take you too long. Let Oppa fix it for you." Then he take over the sholace from Sohyun's hands, then agily tied it up for her.

Sohyun grinning, "Wow! Geon Oppa is so cool. You fixed it so fast." She cheerfully compliment.

Geon stand up and feel like his body so light, he feel good to hear Sohyun compliment, "It's a piece of cake. I'm an Oppa, remember?"

Sohyun chuckle, "Eung, my Oppa indeed awesome." She said happily.

And it makes Geon feel even more proud.

 

"C'mon!" Geon once again offering his hand.

This time Sohyun quickly grab it. Then Geon pull her to stand up then they walk hand in hand.

 

"Where we gonna go, Oppa? Are we gonna go home? I want to go home. I miss Mom and Dad and GFriend Imos. Can we go home now?" Sohyun babbling.

"Okay... okay... I hear you. Oppa want to go home too. That's why we need to be quickly. You don't want those bad ahjussis catch us and bring us back to that dark place, right?" Geon trying to persuade 

"No~... that dark place was scary. Also those ahjussis are scary. I wanna go home. I want Mommy." Sohyun keep on whining.

 

Then from afar Geon notice a familiar big black car just make turn to his direction...

"Oops! Hide!" Geon suddenly turn to the right, about to enter a small alley near them and pull Sohyun along. Unfortunately Sohyun is not agile enough to follow his quick movement. That toddler fall on the rough aspalt.

 

"Ouch!" Sohyun groan.

"Tsk!" Geon can't hold himself to upset. But he quickly scoop his baby sister and bring her to the narrow alley that he about to go.

"Oppa, it's hurt~~..." Sohyun whine. She has tears building up and ready to let it go at the nearest time.

"Oh...No, don't cry. Not now! Not now, Sohyun-ah, we have to hide now. Or those bad ahjussis might will find us and take us back, so we won't able to get home. You don't want that happen, right?"

Sohyun shake her head, while her tears already streaming down from her eyes, her chin and bellow lip are trembling.

"So be quite, okay?!" Geon command.

Sohyun nod, "But it's hurt. My knee is hurt."

Geon look at Sohyun's knee, there's scratches and bleed a bit, no wonder that toddler feels hurt and crying. Geon feel so guilty and sad. He force himself to gulp down 'the lump in his throat', he sit on the dirty floor then pull his little sister to sit on his lap, facing him, "Just hug Oppa! Don't make any sound! We have to hide, so then we can go home to see Mommy and Daddy. Oppa will allow you to cry as much as you want once later we finally at home. Okay?"

Sohyun nod. She sobbing quietly then wrap her arms on her Oppa's body and drown her face on Geon's chest. While Geon also wrapped her tight and rubbing her back, soothing.

 

After a while...

Geon hear there's no more sobs from Sohyun, she finally calm down. Geon keep watching the road, then he look a familiar big black car passing by the road, followed by few men that look scary looking around. Geon quickly pull himself and Sohyun to hide more securely behind the trash can on that dim, dirty, and narrow alley. He wait for some more time.

"Sohyun-ah, I think it safe now. Let's continue to walk home." Geon said in whisper. But there's no answer or movement from Sohyun.

 

"Sohyun-ah..." he call again, but still got no respond.

Geon carefully peek at his little sister's face, then find that Sohyun is sleeping.

Geon sigh, "Yeah... no wonder... she must be tired. Me too. Maybe I should sleep too for a while." Geon decided, then close his eyes.

 

 

Later...

Geon waken up, a bit confuse with his surrounding. It's already dark and the smell from the trash can beside him is pretty aweful. He wonder how he and his sister able to sleep while they being there.

Geon decide that they should go now. He want to get home as fast as they could. But Sohyun is still sleeping and he think that's better than she awake and whine. Geon then get up while carrying his sister. Sohyun wriggling a bit and mumbling whine.

"It's okay, you are with Oppa. Just go back to sleep."

Geon gently caressing her head that snuggling between the crook of his neck and lay her head comfortably on Geon's shoulder. Sohyun fall back to sleep. Geon sigh gladly. Then he start to walk. Before they go out from that alley, he check on his surrounding, to make sure it safe enough.

 

It's pretty hard for Geon to carrying Sohyun along their way. He think it will be much better if he can change their position, since his arms are sore very much. But he doesn't have heart to wake Sohyun up. He keep on hold his suffer, until they reach a small park. Geon put down Sohyun on the bench, then he massaging his sore arms and have a rest there. He carefully looking his surround, make sure those kidnappers doesn't chase them.

The Banpo bridge is near. It looks big. Right in front of him. But the night already come and Geon feels hungry and thirsty. He's sure that Sohyun gonna whine the same as soon as she wakes up later. But they don't have anything. Geon trying to find idea how to provide food for them.

 

Not too far from where Geon sitting, there's a mini market. An employee look busy cleaning up and sorting the trash based on it materials into each trash bin.

Geon carefully shift Sohyun's head from his lap to the bench, then go to that employee...

"Excuse me, Ahjussi... may I help?" Geon offer.

That employee look at Geon suspisciously.

"Let me do this for you." Geon offering.

"I don't have money to pay you." The employee said.

"You don't have to give me money. Just give me some food and drink. My little sister must be hungry when she wake up later..." Geon politely asking.

The employee peek to the bench where Sohyun sleeping. He seems considering, but hesitate.

"Please..." Geon begging.

"Okay." Finally that employee agree. "You know how to do this, right?"

"Yes. Like this, right..." Geon pick a glass bottle of Soju to the bin with  'glass' label on it. Then he pick a soda can to put it into the bin with 'can' label on it. Then pick a bottle of mineral water and put it into the bin with 'plastic' label on it. The pick a milk carton and tear it up, spill the left over liquid into the 'organic' bin then put the empty carton into the 'recycle' bin. Then Geon look to the employee, waiting his respond.

"Uhmm.. you smart little boy. Okay. Finish all these! I'll give something to eat after I check on your work later." The employee said.

"Okay, Ahjussi. I won't let you down." Geon excitedly said. Then he start to work, while the ahjussi back inside the mini market 

 

 

"Geon Oppa, what are you doing?" Sohyun ask while rubbing her sleepy eyes.

"Oh.. these.. sorting trash." Geon said.

"Euw~.. that's dirty and smells bad. Mommy won't like if she see you touching those things." Sohyun said while schrunching her face.

Geon chuckle, "It's okay. I can wash my hand later. We can get something to eat after finish this. Just wait there on the bench. Don't go anywhere."

"But I want to wait here close with you." Sohyun whine.

"Oh okay." Then Geon pick a cardboard, tear it up, put it on the ground, make it into a matress, "Sit here close to me." Geon said, and Sohyun happily sit on it.

 

After quite a while, Geon finally finished his work. He even clean up the left over and arrange it neatly. Then he clean himself and wash up before report to the ahjussi employee so he can check his work.

"Good job! You finished it well." The employee compliment.

"Then I can get my dinner, right?" Geon reminding.

"Of course. Wait a bit..." then the employee go back inside and back outside not too long with a bag on his hand. "Here you are."

Geon accept it then check on it, "Oh wow! Gimbap. You gave us a lot. And it's warm. Thank you very much." Geon happily said.

The employee hand him something, "This is your bonus for work very well." He hand over a big bottle of warm milk.

"Thank you very much, Ahjussi. My sister will love these." Geon politely said and grateful.

The employee smile and nod, "You seem educated kid... what are you doing outside at this late at night? Don't you have a home and family?"

"We have. And we are on our way back to our home and family. But we don't have any money to take a ride. That's why we have to walk. We've been walking this whole day." Geon tell.

"Where's your home?"

"It's somewhere at that side." Geon said while point at across the Banpo bridge.

"Seoul?"

"Yes."

"Then you will walk across the bridge?"

"Yes."

"It's pretty long way to walk, you know?"

"Yes. I know. But we have to."

"Well.. I hope you'll able to get back at your home."

"Thank you, Ahjussi."

 

Then Geon and Sohyun eat their dinner on the bench. After that they continue to walk. They take a rest right before they start to walk to cross the Banpo Bridge.

"Oppa, do we have to cross this huge bridge to get home?" Sohyun ask.

'Eung. You will able to walk by yourself, right?" Geon ask back.

"Of course. Let's go! We should hurry to see Mommy and Daddy." Sohyun start to walk while pulling her brother along. Geon is chuckle and follow her.

Banpo Bridge is a major bridge in downtown Seoul over the Han River, South Korea, connecting the Seocho and Yongsan districts. The length it's about 1,5 kilometers, so it's normal when after quite a while, about a quarter of the bridge length, Sohyun start to feel tired, so Geon suggest them to take a rest for a while. While they resting, suddenly The Moonlight Rainbow Fountain start to showing. Geon and Sohyun become so happy and exciting to watch it closely. They having fun watching the show for about 15 - 20 minutes.

"Wow! That was beautiful! Right, Oppa? Can we watch it again?" Sohyun begging.

"It will shows again. But later. We better continue to walk while wait for it. Okay?" Geon persuade.

"Okay. C'mon!" Sohyun happily get up to walk again.

But until Sohyun get tired again the fountain it isn't shows again yet. She start whining. So Geon piggyback her.

"Oppa, can we really get home?" Sohyun ask in somehow sounds anxious.

"Of course." Geon trying his best to sound firm to assure his little sister, "Don't you trust me?"

"I trust you, Oppa." Sohyun calmly said. Geon feel better that Sohyun sound glad than before.

 

 

 

To be continued...