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Hana worked at a retirement home. Being an elderly care nurse was not what she had in mind; in her mind, she was always a pharmacist. She didn't know that she loved taking care of others. Despite it requiring further training for a few years and the pay wasn't that good, she enjoyed every second of it. The sleepless nights and the endless work were enjoyable for her. At first, she thought of being a chef (she loved cooking), but thought that she wouldn't last a second under a high-pressure environment where she'd have other chefs yell at her.

"Your son dropped some flowers on his way to work today," Hana said to an elderly woman sitting on her wheelchair. Seeing them being taken care of by their families warmed her heart. "He said to not disturb your sleep, so I gave in to his request. He will visit after work, he said." Hana said, preparing a bowl of warm water to help the woman wash her face.

"Ah, he is too sweet," she said with a laugh. "I hope you will have that too one day, Hana. A loving family. You deserve one." She looked at Hana, her nurse in charge. "Have you ever been in love, and the love grows bigger every day? That was me to my husband, and me to my children..." 

Hana let out a small laugh, shaking her head. "Well, I have been in love before. That much. Let's say luck wasn't on my side..." Hana remembered the day she packed her bags––the day she left their home. She quickly tossed the thoughts away, and smiled, "Okay, Agatha, let's get you all cleaned up before we head down to breakfast?" she asked, smiling at the elderly woman. She helped the elderly woman get into new clothes and head to the dining hall, where she would help the elderly get their food and help them if needed.

The retirement home was something Hana really did not know that she would love. She loved taking care of elderly people––since her parents went through an accident and her father was bedridden for two years before he passed away, she took care of him and gave all she could give to someone. She really found peace in taking care of other people. Helping them change clothes, take medicine, even helping them spread butter on their bread for breakfast was enjoyable for Hana.

"You look beautiful today, Hana."

Hana smiled at the woman praising her. "Thank you, Bettina. Should I pick up more bread for you?" she asked the elderly woman, who was sitting next to an empty seat, as she helped Agatha position the wheelchair next to Bettina.

The elderly woman nodded, "there is a new cook in training. I heard he is very sweet." 

"Ah, new cook? I wonder if we could be friends as we are both in training," Hana chuckled.

Hana picked up some bread and helped the ladies eat their breakfast. They then were joined by another elderly woman who was more than excited to tell her stories about her marriage. She suffered from dementia, that was what the other nurses said, but she still remembered how much she loved her late husband. 

When her marriage failed––Hana thought that love simply didn't exist. That people just... did not really mean what they were saying. That people were lying when they say they love each other. Working at such place has changed her mind––people do love each other. People say until death do them part; but sometimes, some people love each other despite death.

---

It was Jongin's first day of training at the retirement home.

He had always been a chef. Back in Korea, he worked at a hospice. He found love in service. He found that he was content with caring for other people, especially the sick and the elderly. He had always been a good Christian who loved serving others, it was just that... life hadn't been kind to him for the past year or so, that he strayed away from everything he used to believe in. That's okay, he thought when he first boarded the flight to Germany. He was going for a fresh start. After rehabilitation, he headed to a new place he'd never been before, spent most of his savings trying to learn the language, before he was able to apply for an apprenticeship as a cook in a retirement home. 

He had been working part time in different places, mostly in Korean restaurants––that was where they'd hire him, as he studied at the same time at a university to re-learn a whole language he'd never thought he'd have to study. Hey––that's alright. He made it anyways. 

"Hey, Kim! Go clean up after breakfast. Take the bread back to the kitchen. Then we get ready for a warm meal for lunch." The head chef said to Jongin, who just finished his work in the kitchen; peeling potatoes. Being a junior, he was the one to do scrap work. "Good job this morning, by the way." He said to Jongin, before heading out to pick up a call. 

And there he saw her.

A beautiful young woman he saw at the Living Sober meeting a while ago. Her hair was long, tied into a loose bun. She was bare faced, and looked very tired from all the work she was possibly doing, but she looked very happy with her work. She was chatting with three other woman. She just looked... so happy. Jongin had never seen someone so vibrant before. Her positivity filled the room with so much joy. He stood there, staring at her for a while, as if he was starstruck.

Hana Park, the name tag says.

That's her name.

"Hey, do your job instead of looking at... old women," another apprentice said with a chuckle, jokingly poking Jongin on his shoulder. "Or are you looking at that trainee nurse, huh?" she asked. "I heard she's one of the best trainees because she is so patient and caring towards all the elderly." She said, helping Jongin putting bread in a basket to be returned to the kitchen. 

Jongin shrugged, "well, I was wondering if she was finished with her plates because... we need to take that too." Jongin said, with a smile.


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MissMong24 #1
Chapter 2: Ah the classic healing story. One of my favorite tropes if i must say! Really excited to read more!