Chapter 11:

Irene nodded. “Yes, I understand.” Her manager gave a satisfied nod before moving over to the next cubicle. There was always some update on the welfare status for some individuals and their families that have to be shared. Her job today was to give it to them in a timely manner which basically was as soon as possible. She shifted her attention from the provided list of families and individuals she had to contact to the confidential list of private information found on the system’s database on her computer.

Majority of these welfare recipients could easily be contacted by phone but there are some households she would have to travel to personally.

Minho always used to fret about these home visits but Irene was sturdy in her job and its duties. The only thing that she dreaded in her line of work was telling a family that they were not eligible for the benefits after going through the extensive application process and the following grueling interviews. It was heartbreaking to deny people in need of these benefits but it was her job and it had to be done.

But this only made Irene determined to do her best for those that do receive the benefits. Her day largely consisted of all of these interactions. Many of times Irene was invited in for a meal or a drink but it was against the office policy to accept these offers but no matter how many times she informed them of this, it never stopped them from offering visit after visit.

Irene stopped at a café for a refresher drink. As she parked her car in the lot beside the store she took a breath in as she pulled her key from the ignition. She walked right by a gaping man who outright stared at her as she sidestepped his frozen form in front of the building and walked right in nonplus dismissing his admiring gaze. She ignored the stare she got from the cashier as she perused the menu for a drink she wanted. She didn’t notice the constant shifting of the customers before and after her as they snuck glances at her. She remained polite as her number was called before everyone else’s even the ones who had ordered before her. She turned a blind eye to the number written just beneath the lid of her to go cup from the male worker.

Unfortunately, it was too common for such things to happen around Joohyun. Seulgi aptly described her beauty as a curse and a blessing wrapped into one. But during her teenage years, it was more of a curse simply due to the harassment she faced at her high school from insecure teenagers both girls and guys alike. Never mind the way she was a clear favorite to her teachers just because of her looks, it did not reflect well on the students. Even worse was when someone she thought was her friend spread the information she was from the foster care system. That was when school became unbearable but simply due to the teacher’s increased favoritism, she persevered.

She had to endure her way through these many obstacles for the four girls following after her that looked to her for all things and it would not do well to give them a bad image to copy. Simply due to this push, she finished as close to the top of her class as she could get while getting into a decent university that provided a scholarship to her. She finished college with more harassment following her and even a stalker at one point.

It was in her last year did she meet one Choi Minho who actively and respectfully pursued her all throughout that year. However, it was the time Seulgi and Wendy were both going through their college entrance exams and Irene turned him down time and time again. The fact that he waited for her already told her all that she needed to know about him and when both of her girls got into their chosen college, Joohyun said yes to Minho. They dated since then until adult problems became a part of their lives and they were unable to stay together.

There were times Irene missed the comfort he provided her but she found it hard to reciprocate his gestures. Try as she might, she couldn’t entirely trust him. Her time in the orphanage which basically encompassed her whole life made her paranoid and walled off from everyone and everything outside her four girls. There just was no room for more.

Or so she thought.

Minho had become one of her few precious people in her heart which was quite a feat considering every wall she put up. Not once had those walls been breached thanks to the struggles she’s gone through all her life and so her trust was one that was hard earned. It was because of this that Minho was someone she continued to wish was still beside her. There was no concrete way to describe his effect on her life only that it was similar but not amounting to her girls’ existence. There was just no way for anyone or anything to reach that golden standard in her life. Only that Minho was the one outsider who was the closest.

Joohyun threw away her cup when it proved to be too sweet for her taste. The barista was a little too giving with the cream and syrup. She since has been desensitized to disposing whatever that’s been given or gifted to her and so in the trash did the cup go. It would be too much for her to accept anyone else in her life when Minho’s absence still had an effect on her not that she was necessarily looking for a presence to occupy his absence.

It’s only when she threw her beverage away did she realize she could have given it to Sooyoung or even Seulgi but they would have surely noticed the number and it would be yet more ammunition for them to with. Irene knew that and so drove off to the next residence on her list for the afternoon with her thirst not properly quenched.

Chapter 12:

Yeri laughed as she got off the elevator. Joohyun was actually chatting in the group chat and she made some attempts to use some slangs Yeri and Joy tried teaching her. Joy and her shared a look as they stepped off the elevator together and headed out the exit of the apartment building. They were once again going to the park for Sooyoung’s benefit and kind of hers too since she was getting a parfait out of it. She would do and accept anything so as not to stay within the confines of the apartment by herself. But since Joy has already offered the treat, Yeri saw no point in letting the older girl know.

With her snack in hand, Yeri reclaimed her seat on the same bench as before. Joy had quickly run off to the playground like an overgrown kid who wasn’t in her late teens approaching her twenties. Yerim knew better than anyone that there wasn’t much getting in between Joy and what she truly desires.

Sooyoung, a hundred meters away from her roommate, laughed as she knelt down. The puppy that followed after her yipped and yapped in as threatening manner as it could with its chocolate curly fur almost covering its eyes. The owner, an aged woman, followed after it with a tired look in her face.

“Student, please don’t pet it. You’ll only encourage it.”

Joy found no offense to that and so withdrew her hand and stood up as the woman pulled on the leash of the puppy enough so that it was yanked back to its owner’s feet.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any harm,” Joy wanted to assure the owner. But she was ignored as the woman scooped up the still growling dog and walked off. She watched the woman’s back leaving before her head dropped in sadness. She walked over to the swings and settled into one.

Another ding signaled a new message: Seulgi. She was going to be stopping by in an hour. This was gift enough to Joy and so with her spirits lifted, she swung her legs out with a gusto that was absent just seconds ago. Within a few moments, Joy was gliding in a repeated pattern back and forth on the playground equipment with her long hair whipping with the same motions. Joy giggled as she swiped her head to the side so she could see the slightly elevated view she was granted with each propel forward. However, her joy was cut short at an early death as she noticed a dark figure just to the side of the playground barrier staring right at her.

Instinctively, she looked for Yerim to make sure the younger girl was okay. Now in a panic, Joy fumbled in her seat as she tried to slow down her swings enough so that she could jump off. But the figure was still there motionlessly watching and Joy disembarked much too early and landed much too hard. Dropping down to the earth in a messy heap, Joy darted up only to see the dark figure actually walking toward her.

Blinking quickly, Joy flipped her hair out of her vision and darted across the playground. With a determined look, she agilely jumped the fence and ran off to where her younger sister was.

Yeri was lounging on her bench and heard quickly approaching footsteps. Her eyes shot open in a panic and sat up in one quick move. Seeing Joy running at her like a ghost was chasing her put the younger girl in a panic. Without a thought, Yerim jumped up and ran straight to the older girl. “What? What’s wrong? Are they okay?” she asked each question in quick concession.

When only silence answered her as Joy leaned forward to catch her breath, Yeri pulled her phone out of her pocket and went straight to the group chat. But there was nothing incriminating there. Yeri frowned at the panic in Joy’s eyes.

“There-,” Sooyoung took a shuddering breath in. “Someone was watching me.”

Yerim deep set frown settled even deeper. “Where?” The girl was already peering over her shoulder from whence she came tumbling over.

“At the swings.”

The two started walking back to the apartment.

“Who?”

“I didn’t get a good look.” Joy’s shuddering breath was concerning but none more concerning than the possibility of their past catching up to them.

Yeri’s fingers were soon typing out the events of the day to the other girls. “Seulgi is on her way.” Once done typing out the message, she grabbed Joy’s hand and gave it a healthy squeeze. “Let’s hurry up. We shouldn’t be out in the open too much.”

Joy nodded as she began regaining her composure. She looked over their shoulders in such a nonchalant manner Yeri was a bit envious at how smooth the motion was after a quick recovery from a dead sprint. “No one.”

“Guy or girl?”

“Guy.”

Yeri nodded as Joy gripped her arm as they crossed the street to put the road and traffic in between them and any possible pursuers.