"Nae!" Mi Young shouted as she hurried to place another order for table number 11. 

 

9pm and the restaurant was busier than ever. Just a couple more hours and her shift would be over.

 

"A simple "please" would be good" she muttered to herself as she leaned on the counter. She watched as couples, families, friends ate away at different tables, their laugher filling the room. After a couple of minutes break, Mi Young pushed herself off the counter and headed off to lead the new costumers to their table.

 

"Where's our bulgoggi?!" 

 

"Chamshimanyeo! (just a minute!)" Mi Young replied as she ran to grab the plate of delicious bulgoggi. 

 

The smell of the food made her stomach rumble. She hadn't had anything to eat since lunch. Remembering that she had bought bread on her way to work, she quickly made her way to the back of the restaurant. Opening her bag, she took out the bread and bit into it.

 

"Mmmmmm..." Mi Young said as she indulged in the sweet taste.

 

 

---

 

Three hours later Mi Young managed to get home, her eyes slowly getting heavier by the minute.  She walked towards her bathroom to wash up before heading off to bed.

 

Lying in her bed, Mi Young looked up to her window behind her. Alighted on her window sill are 5 plush bunnies, each wearing a mask different color from each other - red, pink, yellow, blue and white which stood out against the black material that made up the body. The bunnies were given as a birthday gift from her grandparents every year when she turned 6-10. 

 

Missing from her collection was one bunny. Before her 11th birthday, her grandparents died in a plane crash along with her parents while she was staying with her cousins in the countryside, so she wasn't able to receive the last bunny. 

 

Flashback

 

"Happy Birthday Mi Young!!" Mi Young's aunty exclaimed. 

 

Mi Young looked up from the pile of presents. She only looked forward to one present this year and it was missing. 

 

"Mi Young-ah, you're looking for your grandparents present right? I can buy it for you if you want"

 

"SHIRO!" and Mi Young ran to her room

 

End of flashback

 

Her aunty tried many times to buy her the last bunny to her collection, seeing the sadness in her eyes, but each time, Mi Young refused. She didn't want to accept it because it was something only her grandparents gave her. She didn't know why, but she felt it wouldn't be the same if she received it from someone else.

 

 

With one last glance and a sigh, Mi Young turned back and went to sleep.

 

====

 

The sound of honking cars and busy traffic startled Mi Young in her sleep, causing her to bang her head against something hard. Opening her eyes slowly, Mi Young realized she had fallen asleep on the bus to school. Squinting her eyes due to the brightness, she peered out the window. 

 

"Aish!" she said as she realized she had missed her stop yet again. 

 

Quickly, she pressed the bell and waited for the bus to come to a stop. As she stepped out, she yawned and stretched, breathing in the fresh air. Looking at her watch, she realized she was already late for school.

 

"Ah, whatever I'm late any way"

 

Mi Young casually walked back to school until she was stopped by a young girl no older than 7 probably.

 

"Unnie. For you" the girl said as she held out a bracelet.

 

"Oh, gomawo" Mi Young softly said as she bent down to the girls level and accept the gift. It was simple bracelet with a simple bow and a silver stud. 

"How much?" Mi Young asked she took out her purse

 

"Ani. I'm giving it to unnie for free because unnie is pretty" the girl said with a grin.

 

Mi Young ruffled her hair as she thanked the little girl again and bid her goodbye. She watched as she happily skipped off in the other direction.

 

 

--

 

Now an hour late, Mi Young slung her bag over her shoulder as she entered class.

 

As she opened the door she was greeted by a paper ball to the face. She knew it was no other than Park Kwangsok, the class jerk, without even looking.

 

"Ya! Song Mi Young!!" her teacher yelled, "what do you think you're doing walking into class this late?!"

 

"Chaeseohamnida" Mi Young bowed and walked to her seat.

 

As she walked, Kwangsok snickered and tried to trip her up. Mi Young managed to avoid it, seeing as he played this many times before. Mi Young turned to face him and stuck her tongue out. In school, she wasn't the most popular, nor was she considered a loser, but she did get the occasional tease.

 

Opening her biology book, Mi Young turned to the teacher but it wasn't long before she switched off and dazed out the window, playing with the bracelet she had received earlier.

 

===

 

After finishing school that day, Mi Young headed to the mall before going to work. It has been a while since she had been and visiting made her happy. She looked around the pretty shops and various people passing by. While looking around, something in a shop window caught her eye. Mi Young backed up and peered through, seeing a black plush bunny with green mask. It was the bunny that would make up her collection

 

Seconds later, Mi Young found herself inside the shop, asking the sales lady to have a look at the bunny. She handed it to her and examined plushie. Hugging it tightly, she imagined how happy she would have been if her grandparents had given this to her on her 11th birthday. If it wasn't for that plane crash, she would be living happily together with them. 

 

*I miss you halmeoni, halabeoji*

 

Sighing, Mi Young put the plushie back to its place and exited the shop.

 

================================

 

First chapter done! What do you guys think? And I got subbies even before I posted chapter 1! Thank You guys!

I thought of this during my stay in Wales :D

 

I might post Chapter 2 later on. :)