In the distance, they hear children laughing and playing at the tiny sandbox. They hear parents and babysitters telling the kids to be careful and not to eat the sand. However, on their side of the park, it’s quiet while Goeun waits for an answer.

Slowly but gradually, Chaewon forces a smile, “No, just Wonyoung and dad. Should I worry about someone else?”

Goeun shakes her head with a shrug. “Then could it be your dad? Perhaps he was testing to see how committed you are to the company and how capable so he resorted to wiring?”

Chaewon doesn’t like it one bit. The witty and quick thinking Goeun is faltering for the first time in eight years. Goeun, who usually shines a light on the positive intentions of family members, is suddenly suggesting Chaewon’s father is deliberately doubting her whole existence.

For years, Chaewon surrenders and sacrifice a lot to gain her father’s trust. She has committed mistakes along the way and were reprimanded for them, but she’s confident that her father trusts and relies on her. Although she has yet to prove she’s no longer his hostage and doesn’t need his approval for all of her decisions.

“I wouldn’t know. But like I said, I’ll test it out by the end of today. It can be anyone around me,”

Goeun nods, “I’ll help you catch whoever it is,”

Chaewon bobs her head in agreement. I just hope it’s not you, Goeun.

On the side of a dirt road, Eunbi is cover in mud and scratches as she curses, and groans. While overseeing her broken bike in a squatting position. She forces her hair back as she glimpses both ways to see if anyone is coming her way. After a few glances and no sign of people, she huffs and puffs out hot air then tries to stand up straight. She winches as her knees burn and her body ache.

Eunbi is horribly mistaken when she thought it wouldn’t rain because although Busan was dried in the morning, there was a shower in the mountains. A small fact she would have known if Sian had cable or she had a phone.

With every strength in her body, Eunbi tries to stand the cycle upright and although she struggles, she manages to a few seconds later. Stumbling here and there, Eunbi walks with a limp as one of the bike’s handles presses into her side.

Moments later she hears splashing behind her and stops to turn around. It’s a black van that looks like those used to transport celebrities. When the van stops beside her Eunbi sees one of the windows in the backseat roll down, revealing a bright face. “Sorry, do you know how to get to Sunflower Foster Home?”

Eunbi stares at the woman for a moment, overwhelmed by the vibrant, cozy vibes she emits. “Sun-Sunflower Foster Home?”

“Yes, Sunflower Foster Home. There’s no service up here so our GPS doesn’t work. Do you possibly know where it is?”

It takes Eunbi a moment to melt the stiffness in her muscles then she says, “Yes. I’m actually heading there too. What you want to do is go straight until you see a tree with popped balloons tied around it, turn right before that tree then keep going until you cross a bridge. Then from the bridge—”

“Hold on,” the woman intercepts her giving directions and propose, “you said you’re also going there right? Do you want to jump in and go with us? Your bike seems to be in bad shape too. If you want, we can load it into the back of the van and go together,”

Eunbi notices that’s a good idea but as she looks down at her clothes, she embarrassingly mumbles, “My clothes are dirty though…”

To her surprise, the woman heard her and smiles, “No it’s okay. Come in, I’ll have my manager put your bike in the back. Kaeun,” the woman says as her face disappears from the half-opened window for a split second. Then Eunbi sees the door to the driver’s side open, revealing a tall and curvy woman in black clothes.

“Go on in, I’ll take care of your bicycle,” the kind woman, Kaeun, says. Eunbi passes her bike off then carefully maneuvers toward the vehicle where the woman opened the door for her from the inside. As she moves over, Eunbi helps herself into the woman’s seat with small thankful bows.

Once they were back on the road, Eunbi releases a sigh of relief. If she has had to walk, it would have taken her three to four hours. “I’m Lee Chaeyeon,” the woman introduces herself with a grand smile, “and this is Lee Kaeun, she’s my cousin slash manager,”

Eunbi greets them then says, “I’m Kwon Eunbi. Thank you for offering me a ride too,”

“No, we should thank you. We were lucky to meet you here, otherwise, we would be lost and late,” Chaeyeon says.

“Late? Oh, right you’re going to Sunflower, too...”

“Yeah. I’m volunteering there today. But what brings you to Sunflower Foster Home too?”

Eunbi forms a thin line with her lips then says, “My sister is staying there,”

“Ah,” Chaeyeon produces in a small, sad voice, “I’m sorry,”

“For what?”

“For your sister staying there,”

It takes Eunbi a couple of seconds to process Chaeyeon’s tone and words. When she finally understood, she chuckles, “Oh no. My sister stays there to help out with the children. She’s not a child waiting to be adopted,”

A simple ‘oh’ escapes Chaeyeon before she begins laughing along and is apologetic.

When they made it into the parking lot, Chaeyeon and Kaeun detect dispatch and reporters instantly. Kaeun suggests Eunbi stay in the van until she and Chaeyeon lured them into the home to prevent rumors and scandals for Chaeyeon. Eunbi agrees to stay as Chaeyeon and Kaeun leaves together and were immediately ambush with camera flashes and a party of people.

Eunbi sat in one of the swings out back when she hears someone approaching. Before she can turn around to look, she sees Joohyun getting into the swing next to her. “Thank you for the pears. The kids love it,” Joohyun begins until she gets a glimpse of Eunbi, “you’re cover in mud. I’ll give you some clothes to change into so take a bath before you leave,” Joohyun’s dead-on-the-inside tone brought down the mood and made Eunbi want to cry.

She misses her sister’s smile. She misses the days Joohyun would laugh so loud they’d hear echoes of it. Joohyun’s airiness and openness, Eunbi misses all of that.

“Joohyun, please go back with me. We’re about to lose our neighborhood. The landlord is trying to sell it. We’ll lose our house if we do nothing,” Eunbi watches as Joohyun steadily faces forward without any emotions.

“It’s okay. That place is full of bad memories. Mom’s remaining days were there and even though he promised, dad has no time and place for us,”

Eunbi gets off the swing and goes to hold Joohyun, then she begs, “Joohyun, please. Please come back. I’ll take care of you for the rest of our lives, so please go back with me. I only have you now, I can’t sleep at night knowing you’re here alone so please, I’m begging you,”

Without a sound, Joohyun pushes Eunbi off and away from her, “Stop coming here, Eunbi. I don’t appreciate it. You should live your life now that you’re free. Don’t worry about me. I’m going to shoulder all the punishments dad should be paying for. If I don’t do this, I’ll never be able to face mom again in the afterlife,”

Eunbi’s eyes were red as she holds back tears. And when she looked down into Joohyun’s eyes, she sees that they were blank. It pained her to see Joohyun looking dead. The older didn’t have any more tears to shed and any emotions left in her were simply gone.

Despite the aching and bruises acting up again after Joohyun’s rough act with her, Eunbi leaves the area before she breaks down.

As she travels back down the way she and the others came from, Eunbi can’t help but feel helpless and hopeless. The only reason that made her want to live is gone.

Joohyun’s words, when replayed in the back of Eunbi’s mind, pinches and squeezes her heart then makes her dizzy. Eunbi didn’t know what to think or how to feel about it. Everything is confusing and dark. Nothing made sense.

When Eunbi can hardly hold herself up, she falls and leans against the nearest tree. Her forearm digs into the hard, pointy barks of the tree and shoots pins and needles through her body. However, Eunbi could care less about the pain it was causing her. She couldn’t get Joohyun out of her head and ear. What Joohyun did, didn’t only hurt Eunbi but is killing her.

In a car parked on the side of the road, Chaewon has rented for her own use, she listens as her informer leak the news, “Miss Hyewon has left the spa a few days ago, however, it’s odd that the man we presume is watching her is still there,”

Chaewon shuts her eyes in disappointment, “What about the poolhouse and my house there?”

“Before the Chairman came home, your housekeeper let a man in uniform in. The man appears to be working for a plant inspecting company. He also went to your pool house,”

Chaewon smirks, “I see,”

For a moment, no one utters a word before the caller asks, “Who do you think is doing all of this, Miss Chaewon?”

Sluggishly, Chaewon opens her eyes. The smirk wiped off her face as she knows she has no choice but to accept the truth of it.

“I’ll take care of the doer. For now, I need you to do me a favor, Mr. Oh,”

“Anything, Miss Chaewon,”

Chaewon exhales sharply through her nose before saying, “The man who’s been bullying my sister. Break his legs,”

“I’ll send you pictures, soon,” without another word, he hangs up first. Chaewon then scrolls through her contact list until she finds Ahn Yujin’s number. After one ring, she hears the easy-going, happy-go-lucky Yujin greets her over the phone.

“Why is the almighty Chaewon calling me?” Yujin teases.

Chaewon smile, “I need you to find Hyewon for me,”

“Oh-kay, searching for MIA Hyewon,” in the background, Chaewon can hear the lass typing and smashing her fingers into a keyboard. “Um, looks like she’s standing outside of Cafe de Comics,”

“Let me know when she goes in,” Chaewon says as she starts her car.

“Yes, boss!”

Once Chaewon merges onto traffic, she sees an incoming call from her father. “Yujin, stay on the line, I’m going to take my dad’s call,” then with one swipe, she hears her father’s voice on the other end of the phone.

“Have you found Hokjae?”

Chaewon hums, “I think I’m getting close,”

“Good. When you find him, bring his daughter to me too,” her father demand in a calm tone. Chaewon doesn’t think much of it and relays that she’ll do that. Then a moment later he says, “I’m getting married again,”

Uncertain of how to react, Chaewon didn’t know what he meant. As far as she knows, her father doesn’t interact with many women and only with married women through work. So who was the woman he’s possibly seeing or wanting to marry?

“To who?”

When the old man says the name, Chaewon’s heart drops a little. “To your friend, Na Goeun,”