Chung Ae’s POV

Flashback

“Chung Ae-ah, I’ll be leaving you here, ok? I’ll be by your side by tomorrow don’t worry.” My mom kissed me on my forehead leaving me inside an empty huge house which seems to be a palace with such space.

“Mom, I don’t know anyone here.” I complained afraid to be left alone.

“Don’t worry, there’s somebody here. Just wait, they’ll be here in a minute.”

“Please don’t leave me.” I pleaded but she just gave me smile and caressed my hair. Soon enough, someone came. A middle aged man and a ten year old girl: just 2 years older than me.

The girl looked pretty like a princess with her lacey dress and well combed hair. I smiled at her and she replied a sweet smile.

“Is this the kid?” The man asked mom with his baritone voice. My mom nodded. “Let’s talk outside.”

My mom and the man left for a talk outside and it left me with the princess.

“Hi,” She said smiling. “I’m Ina, Gong Ina. What’s your name?”

“Chung Ae, Joo Chung Ae.” I replied.

“Joo Chung Ae? I thought you should be Gong.” Her words confused me.

“Gong? You mean Gong Chung Ae?” My brows narrowed with what she’s trying to tell me. She nodded as a reply.

“You are my sister right? So you should be a Gong not Joo.” She added.

“Sister? You are my unnie?”

She nodded again. “Yes, yes I am. We have the same father so I guess I am.”

“You, me? We have the same father?”

“You don’t know?” She asked me tilting her head.

“I don’t have a father.”

“Just to let you know, the ahjussi who was here lately was OUR father.”

“He is? Then what about mom?” I asked pouting with what I just learned.

“That was your mom lately, right? My mom’s already in heaven though.”

“Will I be able to see her too? Is she also my mom?”

“You will someday. But you can only have one mom.”

“How come we have the same father?”

She scratched her head to find an answer but she couldn’t find one. “Let’s just go to my room and play!”

I smiled gratefully and took her hand. I didn’t notice how many rooms we have passed due to excitement. All I know is that her room was on the second floor and there, I spent the night. We both slept soundly on her bed and became close to each other since then.

Though my mom promised to be back by the next day, she didn’t. I waited for the next day, still she didn’t. I stayed there for a year in a half. I have noticed how the house runs. Rules made by father should always be followed. He’s pretty strict. Though we both are his daughters, I know well how he treated Ina more favorably than I am. I got no right to complain, why would I complain? I barely know the man. He’s often out of the country for business and we’re left with the maids. My bond with my unnie grew strong for we are the only ones who often talk. After some time when father went back home, I asked when will my mom come and pick me.

“If you want to go live with your mother, you can. I won’t force you to stay. But remember, you can never come back here once you go with your mom.” He warned me.

Because I missed my mom so much, I picked to live with my mom for the rest on my lifetime. Though I live with my mom, Ina and I sometimes see each other. I live a happy life with my mom, though not as abundantly as when I came to live in the mansion with my father and Ina. When I turned fourteen, I learned about my mom’s sickness. My mom told me everything, explained to me everything for the first time.

She told me that her job was in the club before and that’s how he met my father during one happy night. My mom, not knowing my father was a married man, spent a night with him and that’s when I came. It was too late when my mom knew about my father’s civil status, she already have me in her womb. My father knew about my existence from the start but he hid but from his wife, from everyone.

My mom, not wanting her child to grew up living the hellish life she has, she quitted her job and tried to find other jobs just to raise me to be a better child. She decided to leave me with father soon after her wife died just to give me a better and secured future. When I came back from my father’s house after a year and a half, mom restarted to think of how to raise me. Without a choice left, she secretly returned to her job back in the club. That’s how she got her illness: AIDS.

She died soon after. I cried, I sobbed, I almost died seeing the lifeless body of my own mother who sacrificed her life just to give me my future. On the day of the burial, I didn’t even saw my father visit.

After my mom died, I grew up alone, thanks to Jake who was there since I was ten. She and her mom accompanied me to a good road. Being admitted to the good schools are both me and my father’s work. Me for keeping my grades high enough, and father who I know, secretly pays for some of my expenses in school. He even gave me the house I now reside. For me, it isn’t enough. My father’s doings are not enough for they are not what I wanted. I want a father, not a fairy.

End of flashback

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L’s POV

I guess I’m a bit late. I reached the library searching for Chung Ae when I found her and L.joe sitting beside each other. Chung Ae told her story sobbing; I heard every word of it. At the end of her story, she cried even more while I stood there still frozen about her story. She was crying and sobbing and I could see she’s trying to hold back but she just can’t. L.joe hugged her for comfort and she helplessly buried her head on his shoulder. I wanted to laugh at the scene but I couldn’t. I would normally scorn this kind of scene but something inside was telling me to hate it. I turned my back at them. How could they not even notice my existence there? I turned my head to have a peek and saw L.joe caressing her hair and she’s still helplessly crying. There was something there that irritates me. It’s annoying how all I could do is stand there and do nothing. I wanted to punch something, someone but I don’t know why. I’m already acting like a psycho here; maybe I need some fresh air.

I kicked the stones while I paced back and forth under the tree at the library’s backyard breathing all the fresh air I could get. What’s wrong with my mind damn it! I couldn’t stop thinking about the scene at the library lately. It’s so annoying in various unexplainable ways. The urge to punch something is making me frantically crazy.

“Hey man,” I suddenly heard L.joe’s approaching voice.

Without any hint, I punched him which sent him to the ground. It made me feel better and I don’t know why the hell that was.

“What’s your problem, L?” He stood up with a balled up fist but trying his best to control his temper.

I ignored him and walked away. I’m too preoccupied with things that keeps bothering that I neither look back nor look ahead to where I was going.

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I wish you're already sensing how his feelings develop. ^_^