Next day…

Hyeokjae really come with Mr. Baek, supplying new stocks storage for Sojung’s store. As usual that young guy alone carrying in the stocks, while the old Mr. Baek is listing.

“Okay. That’s the last, Old Man.” Hyeokjae said after he put the last wooden box of fresh sweet potato inside Sojung’s storage room. He roughly exhale breath while wiping his sweat with his arm shirt.

Sojung is looking at how that man’s back shirt is completely wet as he drenching in sweat. She hasn’t have a single conversation with him. She still remember how they quarrel last night.

Hyeokjae is about to get out from the store, when Sojung called him.

“Can I talk to you for a moment?” Sojung asked.

“Yeah, sure. What is it?” Hyeokjae said as he shoved his gloves into the back pocket of his jeans.

“Uhmm… I just want to say… sorry.”

“Sorry for what?”

“For last night.”

“Oh.. okay. Your sorry accepted.”

“But I’m serious about pay back the hospital bill.”

Hyeokjae sigh, “And I’m also serious about want you to forget about it.”

“Listen… I don’t wanna fight-…”

“Me too. I don’t wanna to constantly have fight with you.”

“But-…”

“Sojung-ah, listen! You have no debt to me. I’m not giving you sort of loan. I’m not such a creditor. I paid it because I want to. Nobody, including you, asked me to did it. Nobody forced me to paid. I decided by myself. Then.. do I have to beg for you to just accept my help. Do you want me to kneel and beg you? I’ll do it if that makes you willing to forget about ‘pay me back’ things.” Hyeokjae firmly said.

Yerin and Eunha who just few meters near, helping to arrange and listing the new stocks are start to worry that Sojung and Hyeokjae gonna start to have a quarrel again. Mr.Baek also fidgeting as worry as the girls.

Sojung sigh, “Okay.. okay. I get it. I accept it.”

Hyeokjae staring at her, seems still doubt it.

“Thank you for your help.” Sojung finally said that.

Hyeokjae nod. He about to leave, but stop when Sojung says another words.

“Really… seriously… sincerely… thank you very much for everything you’ve done for helped me.” Sojung’s tone at the end of her sentence is a bit trembling, “and I’m so sorry that my stubborness oftenly made you upset.”

Hyeokjae nod again, “I’m sorry too.”

Sojung nod.

“Okay then…” then Hyeokjae really leave to go outside.

“Here's, Hyung.” SinB hand a glass of water to Hyeokjae who wiping his drenching sweat after finished his duty and now have a rest under the shade of tree. Umji who come along with her is holder the water jug.

“Thanks.” Hyeokjae smirking accept the glass that the water quickly gone through his throat.

SinB can’t help to wondering how her thought about Hyeokjae able to change drastically than her first impression about this guy. SinB remember how she thought that Hyeokjae as such a tipical self-center man who just rely on his strength without brain and feeling capacity, since SinB always saw him had rough quarrel with Sojung about petty things. But now, after she know him a bit more, it turns her perspective about him become way better than before. His smirk that she felt annoying before, now feels friendlier and boyish.

“Some more?” Umji offer more water since she bring along the water jug.

Hyeokjae’s smirk grow wider, he nod then getting closer the empty glass so Umji can pour water to refill it.

“Why you did this? It must be tiring. You could just order your employee to did things like this.” Umji finally asks that question that she really curious since Yerin and SinB told them about Hyeokjae few days ago.

Hyeokjae chuckle to heard that question, “It’s okay. For your information and reminder (as he glance to SinB), I am a farmer. It’s usual things to do. I did this not just for her.”

“Really? Not just for Unnie?! I thought you did this because she’s special.” SinB almost shriek.

Hyeokjae laugh, “Yeah, she is indeed special. But I do still use to carry up the soil, the harvest, by myself. Why I have to order other people to do that such heavy labour, when I still this young and stronger, right?” He said while moving his eyebrows ups and downs in witty way.

SinB and Umji laugh looking at him.

While inside the store…

“What?!” Sojung shriek, “What do you mean I don’t have to pay for those stock supply?”

Mr. Baek shifting his point of stand to one of his legs, feels uneasy by Sojung bold reaction.

“Was Hyeokjae who told you to do this?” Sojung accused.

“Uhmm… he-…” Mr. Baek really don’t know how to say it. Hyeokjae already warned him before to keep the secret about him from Sojung. He absolutely can’t reveil the thruth, at least for now.

“Did he pay all of those on my behalf?” Sojung keep on accused.

“No. He’s not. He-…” Mr.Baek almost say that Hyeokjae doesn’t need to pay because those stocks were his afterall, Hyeokjae can give it as many as he wants to whoever he want to, but fortunately Mr.Baek is still on his sanity to shut his mouth right before he spill it, “… uhmm… Huijang-Nim (회장님: CEO/Chairman). It’s Huijang-Nim’s order.” Mr.Baek finally said that excuse, he just said it another way. When actually it’s the truth that Hyeokjae is the Huijang-Nim he talking about. Well.. Mr.Baek is just trying to stay honest without messing up his boss order, right? Hahaha…

Yerin and Eunha almost burst in laugh to heard Mr.Baek witty and tricky excuse.

Sojung frowning her forehead, “Huijang-Nim’s order? How was that possible?”

“Uhmm… Huijang-Nim heard about your problems, also about Joonwoo got sick. He just want to give you some help. You have been our loyal client for years, right?” then Mr.Baek somehow awkwardly grining by himself.

“He heard it from…? By chance.. was it you, Mr.Baek? or Hyeokjae? Was he who asked to Huijang-Nim?” Sojung guessing with such an intimidating stare.

Mr.Baek floundering by that blunt accused, he stutters, “Uhmm… yeah. It’s me. I talked to him about you. Uhmm… you know.. here’s just small island, Sojung-ah. News spreading faster than disease. You know… haha..” and again, Mr.Baek end his sentence with awkward grining.

While Yerin and Eunha are suffering to holding their laugh. They feels so sorry to Mr.Baek who be at loss to confronting the rigorous Sojung. But hearing his effort of excuses is make them sincerely appreciate him.

Sojung is pursing her lips, while slightly massaging her temple, but then she sigh, “Okay. Mr.Baek, please send my grateful to Huijang-Nim. I really appreciate his help. Thank you very much.”

The awkward grin on Mr.Baek’s face change to glad beam of smile, “Okay. Don’t worry I’ll tell him your gratitude, Sojung-ah.”

Sojung nod and smiling.

“Okay then. I’ll better go now. I still have list of clients to go to today. See you again, Sojung-ah.” Mr.Baek excuse himself.

“Okay. See you again, Mr.Baek.” Sojung politely greet.

“See you again next time, girls.” Mr. Baek bid goodbye to Yerin and Eunha as he passing them by.

“Yes. See you again, Mr.Baek. Thank you very much for your efforts today.” Yerin and Eunha cutely said with meaningful smile plastered on their faces, as they secreatly give their thumbs to Mr.Baek, that makes that kind heart old man is sheepishly chuckle to them.

“Oh my God, Hyeokjae-ah… don’t make me do this ever again, please~…” Mr.Baek nagging as he squatting next to Hyeokjae who still chatting with SinB and Umji. “I’ve told you, I’m so bad at lying. I almost mess up. Sojung is way too smart and accurate. She almost caught me. Why don’t you just tell her the truth? The girls are already know afterall… just tell her, for goodness sake.”

“It’s ‘almost’, right? It means we’re safe, right?” Hyeokjae asks while chuckling, that Mr.Baek serve him an upset glare.

*****

Other day…

That day is the first day Joonwoo go to school after he got back from hospital. But he come home from school earlier than he used to be, and that boy is got bruises and scratches on his body. Of course it makes his Eomma and Imos surprised.

“What happened?!” that’s the ultimate question on that kinda situation.

“Kids at school mocked me. They say Eomma is naughty woman. Nobody want to play with me.” Joonwoo upsetly reporting.

“Then how did you got these bruises and scratches? Were you fought?”

“They threw things at me, pushed me from the swings, also tripped me to fell. I’m angry, so I hit them, then we fought.”

“Oh my goodness…”

“Teacher told me to to give you this letter, Eomma.” Joonwoo said then hands an anvelope with a head letter of Joonwoo’s school’s logo on it. Sojung accept it, then take out the letter to read it. Sojung deeply sigh as she fold back the paper.

“What is it, Unnie? May I read it?” Yuju asked. Sojung just give it to her. Then the girls read it together. They gasped in shocked then start to upsetly grumbling and protest.

Sojung bring the aid kit then start to treating Joonwoo’s bruises and scratches. That boy is yelped everytime Sojung touches his skin.

“Ouch~! Slowly, Eomma~.. it’s hurt~..!” that boy whine and groaning.

“I already doing this slowly. Just hold it for moments. I’ll make it fast.” Sojung tryinig wooing her son, while keep on carefully dabbing the medicine on Joonwoo’s wound and softly blowing at it to ease his pain.

“Ouch… ouch~..!” but that boy keep on groaning.

Sojung feels so sad, hurt, angry about what happened to Joonwoo. Even more about the letter from the school, it was suspension letter. Joonwoo is prohibited from attending school for a while until there’s a subsequent decision from school committee.

Pathetic!

What kind of school policy is that?

They even not mind to do sort of counseling session first, they just instantly judged and punished him without consideration or investigation. Such narrow-minded! Cruel!

Poor my Joonwoo~…

Sojung feels the urge to scream out her anger and disappointment at that time.

“Joonwoo-yah, these must be really hurt~…” Umji who help applyin