A few days passed, Minjeong decided to finish her homework and work at her part-time job since there was nothing to do back at home but play video games which she strangely grew tired of— not entirely.

The girl just thought of doing something more productive and different than her usual routine.

Furthermore, her neighbor has been busy lately due to family reasons the girl doesn't want to tell her about. Minjeong felt a bit bumped out regarding it, though was fine cause she knew how she couldn't do anything about it but wait for her best friend to tell her herself.

"Hey there."

An unfamiliar voice approached Minjeong and averted her attention away from the book she was reading to the figure across the counter, a stranger.

Minjeong displayed her usual bright yet fake smile, "Hey, what can I do for you?"

"You know, I've been coming here regularly... and I haven't seen you in a while." The girl in front of the latter pouted, "You're my favorite cashier." she smiled flirtatiously which went unnoticed by Minjeong thanks to her condition.

Unfazed, Minjeong smiled apologetically and subtly bowed her head. "I'm sorry for the absence I guess?"

Intrigued by the cashier's undaunted composure, the girl smiled and rummaged through her bag to take out a sticky note with her number on it. She stuck the note on Minjeong's shoulder before making a "call me" gesture, and leaving the bookstore.

"Yahhh~ That girl's beautiful!" A fellow worker appeared from the staff room, "How come you don't show any signs of reaction but that charming smile of yours?"

With the mentioned girl now out of sight, Minjeong sighed and patted the guy's shoulder. "Beomgyu, I don't have time to date."

Beomgyu raised a brow, "But you have time to play games?"

"That's a different thing, dude."

Minjeong punched the guy on the shoulder, making her way into the staff room to change clothes as her shift was done.

After changing into her casual clothes, the girl stepped outside of the room and glanced at her coworker, giving the guy a subtle wave.

"I'm going."

"You forgot your book." Beomgyu grabbed the book on the counter and tossed it at the girl which she flawlessly caught, "Are you going to disappear for weeks again?"

"I'm unsure."

"Right, be ca-"

"There's the last volume!"

A child-like voice echoed through the aisle that stole some of the customer's attention. When Minjeong turned her head toward the voice. She saw a cute little girl running her way with a pout on her face.

"Pretty unnie, will you give me that book?"

"Ah, this?" Minjeong waved the book and got a nod as a response, "Sorry, I already bought it."

"Oh... I understand," the little girl looked down as if she was suppressing the tears that were forming in her eyes.

"Oooo, Minjeong made a kid cry," Beomgyu teased.

As Minjeong gave her coworker a glare, Beomgyu whistled and quickly danced away into one of the aisles, scared of the fact this girl could rip him out into pieces.

Kneeling at the little girl's level, Minjeong took a deep breath and patted the latter's head. "Don't cry..." she sighed. "Do you want it?"

Hearing the question, the little girl was quick to raise her head and look at the older with sparkling eyes.

Promptly, the younger rapidly nodded her head, causing Minjeong to snicker at the gesture cutely.

"Alright, you can have it." Minjeong stood up and handed the younger her book, "You don't have to pay me back."

The little girl flickered her eyes back and forth between Minjeong and the book, not being able to hide her expression and smile happily. "Thank you!" she quickly wrapped her arms around the latter.

"Ah..." Not used to the situation, Minjeong scratched the back of her head and patted the little girl's head once more. "Anyway, where are your parents?" she looked around the place to take her mind off the abrupt situation.

When the little girl finally pulled away from the embrace, she tilted her head and fell in thought. There she remembered how she was alone and her sole purpose was to buy the particular book she had in hand.

"I'm alone."

Minjeong raised a brow, "How old are you? What's your name?"

"I'm Arin! And... and..." Arin began to count her fingers, "I'm five!"

Huh, and I could barely even take care of myself at that age.

Minjeong shook her thoughts and held her forehead, then took in the situation calmly. She led Arin out of the bookstore and asked if the little girl knew how to get home, only to get a response that she was supposed to be in preschool.

"So you skipped? That's bad."

Arin only smiled, "Then would this pretty unnie take me there?"

"You sure are bold." Minjeong crossed her arms, "Didn't your parents tell you not to go with strangers?"

"You seem nice!"

Minjeong snickered, "What time does your preschool start?" she looked at her phone's time.

"In the next ten minutes! I think... but it's only a two-minute walk away from here."

Contemplating the circumstance, Minjeong already found herself walking toward the preschool with the little girl holding her hand. To think that she'd suddenly fall into this kind of event, the older blamed her conscience.

"Why are you alone?"

"Well, I ran away from my unnie just to get this book you gave me... she loves to read this series! So I'm planning on giving it to her as a gift."

"Your unnie must've been dead worried."

"So-so~ Yet, she knows how I can take good care of myself." Arin giggled, "So everything's fine! I'm strong!"

Minjeong smiled, "Your parents took care of you well, huh?"

A frown formed on the little girl's lips, "Only my mommy, my daddy's always busy because of company stuff."

"Oh, I'm sorry for saying that then."

"It's okie dokie! Without Daddy not being busy, I wouldn't have spent so much time with my brother."

With that being said, the older didn't even realize that they already arrived at the preschool and were being pulled by the little girl to