Hayoung couldn't help but admire Kris. He was unlike any other guy she had seen - she cringed slightly as she recalled her schoolmates back in high school, their thick glasses perched primly on their noses as they literally threw their faces into the thick textbooks. She was half-thankful that she didn't end up like that, but then again she was never a conventional type of girl.

"Here you go." He flashed a small smile, and at that instant when she took the toy soldier over, their hands brushed past each other's, and Hayoung blushed involuntarily. 

"You must really love your nephew a lot." Kris looked down fondly at Daesoo, who raised his hands towards Hayoung for the toy, and she sighed as she passed it to him while ruffling his hair.

"Who wouldn't?" Hayoung looked at Daesoo fondly. Indeed, she had never been happier to take care of a little kid before, and it truly surprised her. She turned to face Kris, and asked, "Do you like little kids?"

Kris was taken aback. "Uh, well, not really," He didn't bother to lie. "But maybe I'll start liking them." He watched as Daesoo's eyes were lit with excitement at the sight of the toy soldier, and Hayoung nodded.

Hayoung took Daesoo's hand and said softly to him, "Daesoo-ah, let's go and buy groceries."

Kris remembered what he wanted to say, and it just spilled out.

"Hey erm, what's your name?"

"Huh?" Hayoung turned back and looked at Kris in surprise. 

Kris realized that he sounded really rude and it must have been abrupt, but Hayoung just laughed it off - she wasn't the type to be that easily offended.

"Hayoung. Kim Hayoung." She gave a sincere smile. "See you around soon."

Kris watched as she left the shop, with the little boy still holding tightly to her hand. The sight of both of them somehow made his heart pound a little faster, and a smile spread involuntarily across his face yet again.

"Oppar~~~"

A high-pitched voice pierced his eardrums as he saw another annoying girl walking into the shop together with a bunch of friends, and the smile was instantly swiped off his face.

Here we go again.

"That was weird." Hayoung mouthed to herself as she headed towards the supermarket, this time holding Daesoo's hand a little tighter, just in case he decided to run into random shops again.

"Aunt Hayoung likes that man?" Daesoo looked up at her with huge, innocent eyes and Hayoung gave a silent gasp.

"N...no. Aunt Hayoung doesn't even know him well." She found herself stuttering, and Daesoo kept silent as he watched his aunt blushing.

"Aunt Hayoung, you shouldn't lie. Mummy taught me not to lie." 

What? A little boy is teaching me not to lie?

"Aunt Hayoung isn't lying..." She rubbed her burning cheeks furiously, in a futile attempt to stop herself from blushing any further. "I probably won't ever see him again anyway."

"Does Aunt Hayoung want to buy toys so that you can see him?" 

Is this boy really just a toddler?

"NO." She said in a slightly fiercer tone. 

"Oh." Daesoo whispered. 

Hayoung noticed the sadness in his words, and asked worriedly, "Is something wrong? Do you want to buy candy?" Candy was the only thing that could cheer her up, and she was hoping that it could do the same with Daesoo. 

"I thought Aunt Hayoung might run away with a man just like Mummy and leave me alone." 

The silence that ensued was so loud that it could have deafened Hayoung. Daesoo's words rang in her eras again, and again, and again. 

That was how much his parents had hurt him.

"Aunt Hayoung won't leave you." She squatted down on the pavement to face Daesoo at eye level, and raised her pinky. "I promise."

Hello readers and subscribers! Thank you for supporting this story thus far! I'm sorry for the rather short chapters and late updates /bows/ Hope you guys enjoy the story! Now that Kris and Hayoung have met...what's going to happen next? ^~^