Kwon Jiyong just got back from the study room when his mother gushed over on someone he never heard of. It was almost nine. His father and brother might at their respective works still. His father was a research company CEO, while his brother was a pediatric resident.

“Yongie, do you know the beautiful girl Park Sandara? She’s someone from your school and just like you, she’s also in second year.” His mother was the only one who was attentive in their household. Living with three cold-by-nature males turned her into a lively lady whom never held anything back. Yet this randomness was off the chart than her usual.

He blinked. How could his mother know someone from his school which he never knew has ever existed before?

“Who?”

“Park Sandara. She wore the same uniform as yours and same name tag color, so you two are in the same year.” She said, as if with that everyone would suddenly know the girl. “Why I have two unpopular sons with no friend?” she huffed, realized her mistake. After all, she gave birth and raised him herself, she must aware his lack on social skill. Not that there had no one tried to befriended him, but in his opinion it was bothersome. Just how a like he was with his father and brother.

His mother started to tell him the story of this mysterious Park Sandara girl.

Apparently, the girl noticed his heavily pregnant sister in law had gone pale and in the verge of fainting at the city bus. He couldn’t fathom why she didn’t take the car though. So the girl attended his brother’s wife and took her home because the hospital as the first option was declined.

“So, Hyung is home?” he asked, knowing the answer. Only one person could turn his arctic brother to chaos, just like there was only one person who had similar power over his father. Growing up while witnessing how the two men he really looked up, he would eventually experience it sooner or later. He dreaded that day the most and wished the curse pass thru him. He didn’t want to be pathetic like his father or brother in that department.

But then, he was only in his eighth grade of middle school. Surely he would still have years to prepare when that come, right?

“Yes, up stair, threatening to tie your sister in law to bed if she doesn’t want to rest.” Urgh, too much information, he only nodded his head.

His mother couldn’t stop on describing this Park Sandara who, if following his mother’s exaggeration, had a pair of wings attached behind her shoulder. Started from where the girl scolded an obviously older student for wouldn’t want to give the seat for his sister in law, then the girl willingness to take her home when she noticed the pregnant woman was rather pale. The story didn’t finish there, but his mother clearly couldn’t hide her ecstatic when turned out the girl could easily master the art of cooking. Not like the only daughter in law their family had right now, which couldn’t be left alone near the kitchen.

Practically, he was his mother’s son his whole life. What he could never get accustomed was his mother tendency to repeat her story in loop. She might feel the need to ensure she was heard among the unresponsive three males she was living with. But still, he heard enough the first time she told him, no need to repeat her words!

“So Jiyongie, tomorrow please return her wallet, neh?” his mother asked as he swallowed the last bite of his dinner, her hand pushed a pink folded leather wallet across the dining table into his direction.

Eh? What? It was the first time he hear it.

“Return her wallet?” he confirmed.

His mother nodded enthusiastically, bobbed her head up and down like a young girl. Did he mention that his mother was a young girl at heart?

“Yes, yes. Her wallet must been fallen into the grocery plastic when she helped your brother’s wife.”

Understandable, thus he nodded his head in agreement. Where was the hardship? He only needed to give it to her. As his mother said, the girl was his schoolmate.

“What class?” he asked.

His mother blinked. He felt uneasy.

“I didn’t ask about it.” he should know better, just typical of his mother.

**

His eyes scanned over the curious stares he was given, as he was far out from his element. It was rare for an A class to wander outside their zone. They were known with no bother attitude and didn’t like to meddle into other’s business but their own. And he had made a spectacle of himself, because he barged from class to class to find this Park Sandara girl his mother told him to, until he reached this very end corner, where the F class located.

“Is Park Sandara here?” he asked the turned into silence class, which happened right after he slide open the door.

A rather small girl raised her hand, but before her opened mouth could mutter any sound, the whole class stood up almost at the same time and faced him. Like a barricade to block him from the girl. If he was any normal, he would stepped back with the sudden force he was feeling. But then, he wasn’t normal. According to his mother, three males she was related into were far from normal by society standard.

So his only respond is just to blink.

“What do you want?” asked the guy who stood closest to him.

“Guys, it’s okay…” the small girl smiled to her classmates, rather felt like her followers, and came to him. “I’m Park Sandara. You’re Kwon Jiyong from class A, right? Is there anything I can help you with?” now her smile was directed on him.

He answered by shoved the paper bag his mother gave him this morning, her wallet and a lunch box. His mother prepared extra lunch box to deliver her gratitude for what the girl did yesterday.

“Oh, this is mine! I’ve looked for it everywhere!” she exclaimed in delight, oblivious to the frowns behind her back. “Thank you very much!” she beamed at him, then tilted her head to side, “But why you have my wallet?”

“You left it at my sister in law’s plastic grocery. My mother said we go to the same school, so she asked me to give it back to you. It must be important.”

“Oh, yesterday it was your house? What a small world! We’re practically neighbor.” She told him before took her walled and inspect its inside. “Thank god, I wouldn’t have to the administrative office anymore. I’m okay with losing the transportation card because I have more at home, but I just made a new student card last month, I’ll get another scolding if I ask for another one.”

Suddenly he felt stupid. What was with all the classes barging when he could just simply open the wallet and read what class was her from the student card. They got a new card at every new school year and their class information was written there. Being number 1 in the school wasn’t always equal for being smart all the time. He should feel ashamed.

“Eh? The lunch box…”

“Yours, Mother made it for you. Then, I’ll get going. Thank you for your help yesterday.” He nodded and without waiting for her respond, he turned and walked away, ignored the students from neighbor classes who gathered to watch.

What with them?

**

It was another two months when he made another spectacle for the whole school to watch.

Last night, night around the very middle of the night, his sister in law went into labor. She gave birth into a gorgeous baby girl, too much for his mother delight. This morning, just before he was going to get home so he could go to school – after he spent the night cramped in the delivery room’s waiting room – his sister in law asked him to give the news to the Park Sandara girl.

Apparently, they kept in contact and according to his mother the girl had come to their home several times to accompany his sister in law. Since that bus incident, his brother banned his wife from going out on her own. Not that he ever met the girl when she visited.

Also still from his mother’s words, the very same he delivered her wallet she went to his house to return the lunch box. And bringing boxes of Korean cuisines in return, his mother was told the girl’s parents owned a Korean style restaurant just the next block.

He knew the restaurant. It was very famous and known for elite place to hold a banquet. Rare to find customer went there just for casual dining, it must be a celebration or some regale. And you have to wear your best attire just to enter the gate. Yes, the place was that good. His family had been there several times, and every time was for celebration.

As the first recess’ bell rang, he went to F class to find the girl. It wasn’t taxing chore, as his mother could go crazy and he definitely experienced at the firsthand what kind of taxing chore could be. Yet as he got near his destination, he could felt his back was getting heavier and heavier. From experience, he knew what they were thinking.

The day two months ago, his usually not-interest-not-my-business classmates swarmed him with questions. Made him rethought his earlier believe that not all A class wasn’t minded with others – might be it was only him.

He wasn’t near the girl’s class but he had found her.

Today was going to be a tougher day, he sighed. She was having snack at the back yard where the picnic tables were placed. All the classes from this three stories school building could get a clear look just by looking over the windows. Yet he couldn’t back down. He only has now to relay his sister-in-law message, because after the recess he had an optimization program for the science olympic until the school ends.

“Oh, Kwon Jiyong, hey,” she said, smile spreading when saw him walked to her direction. “Do you need something?”

He didn’t answer but watched as curious eyes directed on him, courtesy of her friends’. He frowned at how blatantly they were gawking on him. And he was stupid for reacting to that. He should just say it there.

“Can we have a word?” he asked instead.

“Sure,” her smile still there, eyeing him expectantly, waiting him to move first.

Stupid. Now they were more got all the attention. He could feel it from his back how many eyes on them.

“Hyungsu-nim has delivered a baby girl.” He told her, ignored all the stares. “Both mother and daughter are fine.”

“Wah! Really?!” she beamed. “I’m happy to hear that,” he could tell she was sincere.

“Do you want to visit her?” he asked before he realized what was said.

“Do I can?!” another spread of smile. Her whole face shined, a sudden thought came through him that her smile could sell. “I don’t want to disturb the recovery process.”

“It’s okay. Hyunsu-nim will loves to see you come.” He said, so sure on what he had said. Not only his sister in law who would love her to come, but also his parents and brother as well. He knew his family dotted on her as she frequently visited his sister in law. “I’m going to visit her after school. Do you want to come with me?” He offered.

“Alright,” she agreed without further thinking. “But can we come to my home first before we go?”

**

Jiyong was pretty unconscious with eyes kept directed on him since he waited Sandara at the end of the hall – more accurately, pretended to be unconscious. He just tried not to be bothered. And now, with the two of them walking side by side, the stares turned intense.

Sandara must be really oblivious as she kept on being herself, waving and greeting everyone she knows along the way. Truly didn’t realize their shocked expression in returning her gestures.

He couldn’t understand though, why the other kids were wearing the expression. Even now they were in the bus, many kept stealing glances on them. He didn’t think anything strange, as many other kids went to and from school with others.

“Please press the button for the bus stop at your block.” She said after they rode for some while.

Jiyong raised his eyebrows, but didn’t say anything, decided to just comply her request and nodded to her. He knew where her family’s restaurant at, but he didn’t know where her house was. His mother said it was close to the restaurant.

They went off with some lingering glances as almost half of the student from their school that rode on that bus didn’t get off yet. He didn’t really know if they haven’t reached their destination yet or the opposite, as usually he never bothered to check.

 “My home is closer from this bus stop.” She informed him as he followed her.

But she didn’t bring him to the house. She brought him to the restaurant instead. He knew it was the restaurant’s back entrance.

“Your home?” he unconsciously voiced out his question.

“Huh?” she turned to him, blinked in surprise. “Oh, yes.” She nodded. “Our home is behind the restaurant, that…” she pointed at the small building across the yard, surrounded with a small garden.

The restaurant had a massive hanok building for the restaurant and several small building attached around. He guessed they were functioned as kitchen or any other support form for the restaurant. Now he knew, one of them was the owner’s house.

Yet, she didn’t walk toward where she was pointed her house at earlier. If his guess correct, they were headed to the kitchen. And he was right.

“We have to bring delicious food for Hana Unnie, she must be exhausted and nothing in the whole world would give comfort than delicious food and good rest. But since she just had a baby girl, she doesn’t want to sleep. So the left choice is having delicious food. As for the baby, I’ll buy her some play stuff once she’s older, since she didn’t need it right now.” She explained just before she asked him to wait outside the kitchen building.

Being left, her words brought him back to thinking. Her mind indeed worked in different way. Many people would buy some baby stuff when visiting a newborn, not the mother. He himself did an internal list for what to buy for his new niece. But none in the list for his sister in law, yet.

Now he knew, maybe this was the reason why the girls in his family got attached to this Sandara., because she just naturally a caring person.

What he didn’t know was that day his heart got attached to the girl. And years later, that felling loyally linger there unwavering.

Such a long wait for finishing the 20% part.. OTL mianhe, got sidetracked with real life and stuffs.

So, now.. here it is. The first Chapter.. hope you like it. 

I'm still wondering if I have to have slow-paced or fast-paced for this one, as both have their own advantages. Will figure it out as this story goes by.. XD

Signing off from this story, since my fav story in AFF is being updated! bye~ until the next chapter.. ^^/~