─Chapter Five;

Howon pulled Ae Young behind the orphanage before he came to a stop and stood still holding onto Ae Young’s wrist. He panted and she simply looked at him out of breath herself.

“I’m sorry,” Howon said softly. He had nothing else to say. He knew that it was his fault that he was leaving. It was his fault that he hadn’t made his last week with her more memorable. He blamed himself for everything,

“W-what are you saying oppa?” Ae Young asked as she looked over at him. She didn’t know why, but her heart clenched inside of her preparing for the worst.

“I’m leaving… today,” Howon confessed refusing to look at her for he knew that if he did he would break down. That would possibly be the last thing he would ever want to do.

“H-how?” Ae Young croaked as she held in her tears.

“I’ve been adopted Young,” he said.

“Look at me Oppa,” she ordered with a shaky voice.

Howon took a deep breath and slowly turned his head to look at her. The look on his face, the way she bit her lip to hold in the tears that formed in her eyes broke his heart. He was everything she had and he was about to walk away from her. The last bit of family she had was going to disappear.

“D-do you really have to leave?” she asked despite already knowing the answer to it.

Howon nodded slightly and closed his eyes feeling the tears begin to roll down his face. Ae Young let out a sob as she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

Howon bit his lip and slowly wrapped his arms around her hugging her back just as tight. She cried a little harder.

“I-I promise I’ll come back for you,” Howon told her in a shaky voice as he