CHAPTER 1

The woman stood up with her 5 cm black heels, black women’s work suit, and coiled hair tried to shake her leg reducing tiredness in front of the mirror in the restroom. The nametag which tagged on her upper right suit was written with Son Yejin. She tidied up her makeup a bit before leaving the toilet.

Her phone in her left hand suddenly rang and she picked up in an instant.

“Hello,” she answered the call.

“Son Yejin-ssi, can you go to the hospital right now?” the woman’s voice on another phone asked her in a calm voice.

“Ne? I am sorry.., but I can be there 3 hours from now. Is it fine?” She bit her lips on nervousness. Yejin had given so much trouble for her friend who stands beside her, because of her absents from taking care of her mother in the hospital.

“Okay Ms. Son Yejin, I am sorry for disturbing you. But make it sure you will come here as soon as possible Ms. Yejin ” The woman answered casually without further explanation.

“ Ani, I am the one who should say sorry, I will be there in 3 hours. Thank you miss Yang for your concern, Thank you.” Yejin slightly bowed her back concerning the nurse who always beside her mother when she was away. The nurse ended the call and she left the restroom to the receptionist’s desk.

“Yejin-ah.” Lee Hyeokjae, a middle-aged man who was her manager called her after seeing her coming out from the restroom.

“Ne.. manager-nim..” she approached him and gave him a slight bow. She smiled sheepishly knowing that he would scold her about her absents. Her ears naturally deafened after doing a lot of trials much time should I say, If you won’t do the work just write a resignation letter? Didn’t I?” he sarcastically said the words to her with his eyes widened and his shaken head. She couldn’t just agree with his words or disagree with his words either. She often put on an absents and rescheduled her shift with her friends because of her mother’s condition. The fact that she was the only one family her mother had, forced her to do that at once.

“I am sorry...,” she pouted her lips a bit and bowed once again.

“Every day, just sorry..." he mumbled in his so-called English, then left her alone. She exhaled her after he left. She was ready to give a punch behind his back when he turned his back away. Her manager's attitude often acted like a step-mother, definitely raising her blood pressure.

******(())*****

Yejin took a seat beside her friend Im Yoona, who was still doing her work on the computer. She pushed a cup of warm coffee to her desk, Yoona who was looking to monitor, peek at her motion, smiled earnestly. Yejin mouthed ‘thank you' to Yoona and back on her work again.

Yoona hid the coffee behind her monitor after she took a sip and back to her work again.

Son Yejin, worked at HD Enterprise for 2 years. She used to get awards as the best employer for 5 months in a row. Unfortunately, her performance was falling since her mother was hospitalized because of cancer that was diagnosed a year ago. The condition of her mother was at the worst when she first got hospitalized a year ago.

Yejin's mother should take chemotherapy and radiotherapy together after knowing it was at the terminal state. She should be hospitalized to get a plenary treatment and waited for enough money to get the surgery done. Even though the age of her mother matter so much, but Yejin should try it for her mother in any case. The doctor also said that her mother's condition indeed a good one so there was a slight hope for her to get cured.

The cancer treatment wasn’t cheap for Yejin, so she should make sure that her work stabilized and give up on her dream. It was always her mother on her mind. The monthly fee of her was enough for her mom’s chemotherapy treatment, even if she reduced her daily expenses and the other loan was helped by the hospital’s social assistance agency.

Yejin walked as fast as she can after changed her clothes from the locker room to go to the hospital. Along the way, she passed the heavy equipment on the right side of the company building. That was the day when the company expanded the main building. The lift that brought the materials to the top, made her worry because it staggered while she passed the way.

“Ouch... I should be careful!” she mumbled passing the staggering lift.

She walked to the bus stop and waited for the bus that would bring her to Hanse Hospital. The creaky sound that came from the lift, disrupted her and attracted her to see the lift above.

Suddenly, her eyes caught a glimpse of a toddler with her pink jacket ran around the lift. The creaky sound also attracted the kid who was on growing up the curiosity state.

“Yah..kid..! No.. she might don’t know what am I talking about.” Yejin bitted her lips on the nerve and looked for the appearance of the bus which came closer.

The bus stopped in line and opened the door. She didn’t know what to choose.

“Aisshh…,” she cursed to the staggering lift.

The workers around the building focused on the lift and they didn’t seem knowing the appearance of the little girl wandering around the creaky lift. The little girl’s eyes which glued on the lift, full of curiosity, burdened her more. The creaky sound didn’t stop and make the workers panicked, suddenly the lift couldn’t hold the weight any longer.

“Kid...Be careful! “ she chose to run toward the toddler than entered the bus.

Son Yejin ran toward the toddler and hold her in her embrace running away to avoid the lift before the big crashed sound of materials dropped off, startled the people around the building. The worker of the project, approached her in hurry knowing that she passed them when the lift was dropped.

“Are you okay, Ms?” The man approached her, asking her condition in worry.

“ I am okay. “ Yejin nodded lightly while suddenly she heard a loud sound of crying from her embrace. Naturally, she tapped the little girls back lightly to give a reassurement. Fortunately, there were no people injured in the accident.

“NANA -YAAA” a man voice screamed from another side of the building. He ran approaching the toddler she hugged, Yejin widened her eyes in a second realizing the man was her CEO.

“Daepyo-nim (Director)..” she stuttered and suddenly take a bow, still hugging the little girl. The little girl kept crying out loud and hug Yejin even tighter.

Yejin caressed her back lightly, coaxing the little girl. He almost lost his breathe to approach her.

“Thank you very much..” he gasped out of breath after running.

“N..ee.. daepyonim..(Director).” she stuttered while looking for the first time the CEO of the company that closes. He stretched his hands to hug the little girl back.

The little girl hugged her and didn’t want to release her hug on Yejin's. Yejin was feeling uneasy.

"Daepyo-nim.." the worker bowed lightly feeling wrong about the incident.

"Just talk to secretary Baek about this incident. I don't want this accident to happen in the future.." the CEO glared at the worker. His cold voice gave the worker a shiver which made the worker bowed in repeat before he left the CEO and Yejin alone.

“Nana-ya.. aunty should go somewhere, come to appa, Nana -ya!” he persuaded the little girl to get out of Yejin's. However, she cried even louder. Yejin kept calming on her while looking at her boss feeling uneasy.

“I am sorry Daepyo-nim. Can I go somewhere with Nana, seems like she doesn’t want to let go of me that fast? I am sorry I am in a hurry, daepyo-nim.” Yejin felt the little girl hug that tightened, growing up awkwardness between her and CEO. “I will bring her back here after she calmed, but still I need to go as fast as possible... daepyo-nim..." She added after seeing his uneasy face.

“No, I can’t let Nana go without me! I will accompany you! Wait here!” he ran out fast to the basement. The dominant yet soft voice of him froze her.

“ Anii…daepyonim” she wanted to stop him but he was already gone. “Ssshhh…Nana-ya gwenchana,, Aunty is here..sshhh..” she calmed little girl with her soft voice.

Suddenly, a black SUV came out from the basement and he was in the driver seat. He let her entered the passenger’s seat, motioning with his head.

“Where are you going?” he asked Yejin in hurry. She thought for a while feeling the biggest difference of the CEO and the front officer. She gulped and still caressed the little girl’s hair. “What are you thinking about? You need to go fast!” his dominant voice brought her back to reality.

“Ahh.. yes daepyo-nim.. I.. will go to Hanse Hospital!” Yejin mentioned the place she would go and she entered the passenger seat carefully. “Kamsahamnida (Thank you), daepyonim..” she stuttered still coaxing the little girl who was still crying shocked from the accident. Yejin then took a bottle of water from her bag and lead the little girl to take the water slowly, when she was a lot calmer. The little girl still sobbed and hugged her tightly on her chest.

Naturally, she caressed the little girl's hair and kept repeating the word ‘it's okay’ and hugging her tightly. Her way of coaxing Nana caught his attention, he peeked at her appearance along the way to Hanse Hospital. There was no one of them tried to break the ice except Nana’s sobbed that filled the awkward silence between them in the car.

After she reached the hospital, she went to nurse Yang who called her on her rest time. The little girl was still on her hug and sobbing.

Yejin went to the isolation room directly, which was the room her mom’s body was laid. She couldn’t come inside because of her unstable condition and she should wear a protector on her, in case she could make her mother's stance worse. The protocol that she couldn’t do, because she still hug the little girl. She only got to see her mother's appearance through the glass.

“Ms. Son, let's talk.” Nurse Yang came to her with a worry expression.

The nurse Yang, who seemed to be in hurry since in the morning, lead her to the nurse's desk and gave her an explanation about her mother’s condition. Her mother's condition was unstable this morning when nurse Yang called her.

“Your mother should do surgery as fast as it can, Ms. Son. The condition this morning could make her in a dangerous state soon. Fortunately, she passed the dangerous state fast, so it is better that she got the surgery as soon as possible. If it doesn't matter for you, it should be done by tomorrow to keep the other organ in a good condition. We should do it fast before the metastasis took all over her body."

Yejin nodded her head, slightly knowing that condition will be coming soon, but her saving would never be enough by today.

“Excuse me, but for surgery how much should I pay?” Yejin asked her carefully.

“I will lead you to administration, lets get this way!” the nurse let Yejin took the way she leads. Her heartbeat fast knowing that the surgery should be done by tomorrow. The thought of the loan that she would have after the surgery kept bothering her mind, but it should be okay it was for her mother.

“Excuse me, Yejin-ssi I am just knowing that you have a daughter.” Ms. Yang smiled at her, walking to administration. That was the first time she brought a little girl with her that arouse Nurse Yang's curiosity.

Yejin let out a small sigh after the meeting with the hospital administrator. She kept caressing the child on her hug who was asleep, tired of crying. She strayed her sight on the hospital building, taking a seat on the bench, in the hospital garden.

“Excuse me..” a deep voice brought her to reality. She looked at the handsome man who wore a black suit with a cold drink on his two hands, greeted her. She tried to stand up, want to greet him politely, but he stopped her ways.

"It’s okay, just sit!” he smiled and took a seat beside her, he opened a can of chocolate drink and lend it to her. Yejin was amused at first and felt a dejavu when she reached for the can.

“ Thank you, Kim Hyun Bin -Daepyonim..” Yejin took the can slightly bowing. Hyunbin let out a slight smile while opening his drink and take a gulp.

“I must be the one who says thank you,” he smiled looking at the can in his hand. “I don’t know what drink you will like, so I take chocolate instead. It because I couldn’t think of any kind of drink other than chocolate.." He chuckled.

“ It’s fine, daepyonim.” She took a gulped of the drink he gave in a manner way in front of the CEO.

“Ah, right! I don’t know your name yet.” He added.

“ I am Son Yejin, Daepyonim !” she said nervously.

The thought of meeting the most important person in the office would be a dream for her, no one would be brave enough to meet him. The high-class personality, a sculpture-like face, skill, and power turned everyone around him, feeling as they were nothing than him. The daughter of him shocked her. She didn’t even know that her CEO had a child, even his wedding wasn’t something that would be heard in the company. The workers just knowing that he was single. Mysterious indeed.

“Let me take Nana to the car. She must have made you tired this whole day. She is asleep though.” He took Nana from her hug and lead her way to his car.

“ Be careful on the way, daepyonim.” She stood up and bowing to him. He looked back at her and gave her a questioned look. He tilted his head aside.

“ I will take you to your house with me. Since it is dark already!” he said to her with a smile pointing his finger to the dark sky.

“Aniyo, gwaenchanayo (No, It's fine), daepyonim.” He dragged Yejin’s hand and brought her with him to his car.

“ I won’t let someone who saves my daughter to be in danger.” He smiled.

He opened the passenger seat and let her entered his car. He turned into the backseat to let Nana sleep on her baby car seat and soothed her. After he was done with Nana, he took a seat on the driver seat and drove the car past the night.

“Son Yejin-ssi, the front officer, right?” he said out of nowhere breaking the ice.

“ Yes, Daepyonim!” she mumbled. Yejin was surprised that he knew her job. Every morning, when her boss was coming, all the workers would greet him, but she wouldn’t even dream to be recognized by him.

“Thank you so much, Son Yejin-ssi. It’s a relief knowing that Nana was saved. It almost makes me got a heart attack.” He chuckled trying to break off the awkwardness.

“It's okay daepyonim.” Yejin still keeps her eyes down not knowing how to do.

“Eomma (Mother)…” the little girl cried loudly which echoed in the car.

“Who is Eomma?” he suddenly mumbled while driving, until he realized that Nana woke up from her sleep. He stopped the car sideways near the bridge. They looked back to Nana in unison. Nana cried and lifted her arms to Yejin. “Who is Eomma, Nana-ya?” his voice tried to calm her while his hand patted her chest lightly, but she cried even louder and signed that she wants to be hugged by Yejin.

Yejin pulled out the seatbelt and in hurry came to Nana. She hugged her in a time and caressed Nana’s back to see the view of the night. Fortunately, the car stopped on the bridge where lights were hanging through and built a nice romantic view.

“Look at that Nana-ya, Isn’t it pretty?” Yejin's hand pointed out to the lights made her cry turned into sobbing. Nana hugged her tightly and rest her head on Yejin's shoulder. Yejin wiped her wet eyes and kept on soothing her. “ Are you having a bad dream, Nana-ya? It's okay aunty is here.” Yejin said swinging her body slightly.

Hyunbin was touched, once he saw the whole scene and came closer to them. He couldn’t just ask Yejin to soothe his daughter for a whole day, right. It was non of her business.

---to be continued---

Author's note:

Let's support Binjin with full of responsibility ^^

Thank you for reading and supporting ^^

Korean's word:

Ne : Yes

Ani : No

Choesonghamnida : Sorry (Polite)

Agassi : Ms

Daepyo : head of...

Gwaenchana / gwaenchasseumnida / gwaenchanayo : it is fine (less polite)/ (polite) / (polite)