“Thank you, Yonghwa”, Shinhye said as she regained her balance. She took off her hands from his shoulders as though she touched a hot stove.

“You should be careful next time. By the way, do you know where the head mistress’ office is?” Yonghwa asked. Shinhye’s heart started to pound hard as he smiled. She knew he was handsome when they first met years ago but his charm did not lessen as the years passed by.

“I’ll accompany you to her office if you liked”, Shinhye volunteered.

“Thank you”, Yonghwa replied with that same heart melting boyish smile.

They went upstairs towards the direction of the head mistress’ office. Shinhye softly knocked on the door of the head mistress’ office.

“Enter”, Madam Shin called out.

“Madam, Detective Jung is here to see you”, Shinhye said.

“Ah…really…send him in”, Madam Shin amiably replied as she put the documents she was perusing inside her desk drawer.

“Good afternoon, I hope I’m not disturbing you from your reading”, Yonghwa entered and he bowed politely to the Madam Shin who also stood and bowed politely at him.

“Of course not, Detective Jung, by the way welcome back to South Korea”, Madam Shin said.

“Thank you so much”, Yonghwa thanked the head mistress.

“Have a seat, Detective Jung”, Madam Shin motioned at one of the chairs in front of her desk.

“Madam Shin, I’d better be going…I still have to supervise the play time of the kindergarten I students. Please, excuse me”, Shinhye politely said.

“Yes…sure, Ms. Park”, Madam Shin replied.

“Shinhye, thank you for accompanying me here; it’s nice to see you again”, Yonghwa said with his boyish grin which caused Shinhye’s heart to flip both in nervousness and giddiness. She feared him but she must admit that the attraction she felt for him years ago when they first met did not fade.

“Excuse me? You two know each other?” Madam Shin asked curiously.

“We met years ago when I was in first year high school and he was in sixth year”, Shinhye immediately answered even before Yonghwa spoke.

“Ah…really”, Madam Shin said as she slowly nodded her understanding.

“Madam, Detective Jung”, Shinhye said as she bowed and closed the door of the office.

“What do you want to talk about, Detective Jung?” Madam Shin politely asked.

“I would like to inquire as to the facilities of the school, the schedule, the activities…I mean for my daughter”, Yonghwa replied.

“As for the schedule, the class starts at around 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.; usually, the lessons are done in the morning and the afternoon is for play time. The lessons are simple like shapes, colors, nursery rhymes, alphabet, simple number counting; the play time is mixed with some games and exercise”, Madam Shin replied.

“That’s good…I’m glad to hear that. How many pupils are there per class?” Yonghwa asked.

“We have 10 to 15 pupils per class”, Madam Shin replied.

“May I request of the tour of the facilities?” Yonghwa asked.

“Sure…but I’m not going to be the one to tour you around the school…it will be Ms. Park because she will be your daughter’s teacher. I’ll just ask someone to send her here”, Madam Shin replied as she was starting to dial the intercom to call her secretary.

“No need, Madam Shin, I’ll look for her myself. She is at the playground, right?” Yonghwa asked.

“Yeah...she’s most probably be there”, Madam Shin replied.

“I’d be going now, Madam Shin, thank you for your time”, Yonghwa stood and bowed politely.

“I hope you don’t mind me asking this, Detective Jung; but, you’re daughter’s profile said that you’re a divorcee?” Madam Shin asked hesitatingly.

“Yeah…I am”, Yonghwa replied.

“I know that I don’t have the right to tell you this but a child needs both her parents to guide her. The school can’t provide everything that a complete family can”, Madam Shin commented.

“I understand your concern, Madam Shin. I intend to remedy that dilemma as soon as possible. In fact, I think I just met the solution to my prayers”, Yonghwa meaningfully said.

“Ms. Park is a good woman…a decent woman…she’ll make anyone a splendid wife and mother”, Madam Shin replied.

“I know, Madam Shin, believe me I know. I’ll see her then”, Yonghwa said with a gentle smile.

“Please, just don’t break her heart, Detective Jung”, Madam Shin reminded him.

“I don’t intend to do so. Again, thank you, Madam Shin”, Yonghwa said as he again bowed and left the head mistress’ office.

Shinhye was happily playing with the children at the playground. They were playing chase and she took off her high heeled shoes to run at the playground with them. She loved children because of their innocence and because she felt that when she was with them; she could forget who she was and what she did in the past.

“Ouch! Teacher Shinhye, help!” one of her girl pupils called to her. The little girl stumbled and fell wounding her knee.

“I’ll be there, baby girl”, Shinhye replied as she immediately grabbed the medicinal kit from the shady tree and went to see her pupil. The others also went to see their classmate.

“Baby girl, teacher will clean your wound. It will be a bit painful but we have to do this so the germs won’t get in”, Shinhye gently said to the little girl who was already frightened.

Shinhye cleaned the wound while she was gently blowing on it to make the sting bearable. She then placed a band aid on the wound.

“Teacher Shinhye, will you kiss to make it heal faster?” the little girl cutely asked.

Shinhye smiled and kissed the wound lightly as her other pupils also smiled and laughed with giddiness. From the distance, Yonghwa was watching everything…he was touched by Shinhye’s genuine concern for her pupils. While she was playing with them, she looked so innocent and beautiful that he wanted to join in the play and give her kisses on her lovely lips and rosy cheeks.

“Let’s just sing rhymes instead of playing chase because one of your classmates can’t join us anymore; but, I promise will play chase again once she’s already well, okay?” Shinhye gently told her pupils.

“Yes, teacher”, the pupils chorally replied.

“Okay, let’s sing Row, Row Your Boat”, Shinhye said as she started singing with her pupils and teaching them the action for the song.

Yonghwa found himself smiling wider. Shinhye was such a beautiful wonder with the kids and he bet she would be a splendid wife and mother just like Madam Shin said. To be honest with himself, he knew deep in his heart that one of the reasons for his come back to South Korea was to see Shinhye again…the young girl whom he had never forgotten…the young girl who always had a special place in his heart even when he was still married to Seo Hyun.

“Pupils, I’ll see you again tomorrow. Don’t forget to do your homework, okay? You’re going to color the garden on your coloring books”, Shinhye reminded her pupils.

“Yes, teacher. Bye, teacher”, the pupils bowed politely…cutely before they scampered to the direction of the parents and guardians’ waiting area.

Shinhye walked to the shady tree where she left her shoes. She was putting them on when she heard a familiar voice.

“You’re a good pre-school teacher”, Yonghwa commented.

“Detective Jung, you startled me”, Shinhye said in surprise.

“Detective Jung? Why so formal, Shinhye?” Yonghwa chuckled.

“Are you done speaking with the head mistress?” Shinhye asked changing the topic.

“Yeah and she told me that if I wanted a tour of the school premises I should go see you since you’d be my daughter’s teacher”, Yonghwa replied smiling…obviously he was enjoying looking at Shinhye trying to be aloof and formal.

“Okay, I’ll tour you around”, Shinhye said as she walked with Yonghwa but she maintained a certain distance between them.

“Shinhye, I don’t have any contagious disease so please feel at ease”, Yonghwa said as he tried to get himself closer to her but still she maintained a space between them so Yonghwa just sighed and smiled at her reaction.

Shinhye toured Yonghwa around the school…she showed him the classrooms…the books…and other amenities. Yonghwa on the other hand was just pretending to listen because he was more focused on looking at Shinhye’s angelic face.

“It’s the end of the tour, Detective Jung”, Shinhye said interrupting Yonghwa’s perusal of her face.

“Already? I thought you’ll show me around?” Yonghwa asked feeling reluctant to part from Shinhye.

“Detective Jung, I already showed you the entire school and told you everything there is to know. Weren’t you listening to me a while ago?” Shinhye asked her annoyance plainly written on her face. Yonghwa instead of finding it offensive found her annoying look cute and adorable like a little girl on the verge of having tantrums.

“You look beautiful even when you’re angry”, Yonghwa could not help commenting.

“You’re joking”, Shinhye mumbled as she shook her head and ignored the compliment.

“Would you care to have a snack with me at the school cafeteria?” Yonghwa asked wanting to prolong their time together.

“Look, Detective Jung, I still have a lot of things to check…my pupils’ activity books won’t check themselves so I better be on my way now. I’ll just see your daughter tomorrow at my class”, Shinhye said in a formal tone as she bowed shallowly and took a step forward

“Shinhye, I asked you politely; so, please be polite”, Yonghwa said at her back.

Shinhye turned around to look at him. She must admit that she must have been really impolite with what she did but she simply could not risk being with him…she knew how angry he was at his father’s death. She still remembered his words years ago when she and Chae Won went to visit his father’s wake and funeral.

“I’ll make my father’s murderer pay. I’d get my revenge someday”, Yonghwa said then.

“Will you only take your revenge on the person who murdered your father?” Shinhye asked knowing that she just murdered the one responsible.

“No…I’ll get his or her entire family…I won’t spare anyone with his or her blood…I’ll get them all!” Yonghwa replied in clenched teeth and fists as bitter tears fell from his eyes.

Shinhye then felt blood being drained from her system at Yonghwa’s words and since then she tried her best to stay away from him…it helped that he stayed in US and eventually married…so she was safe…safe from him and his planned revenge.

“Shinhye, are you okay? Look…I’m sorry…I know I’m being such a nagger but I just want to spend some time with you”, Yonghwa said apologetically.

“What for, Detective Jung?” Shinhye asked in a controlled voice even when her heart was beating nervously remembering the past.

“To catch up…to just talk”, Yonghwa replied with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.

“Okay, I’m sorry with the way I reacted to you. Let’s just have coffee at the cafeteria”, Shinhye sighed as she walked ahead of Yonghwa who followed her with a wide smile on his face.

“One cappuccino and one iced Americano, please”, Shinhye ordered…she was about to pay at the counter when Yonghwa went to pay the bill and carried their coffees at their table.

“How have you been?” Yonghwa asked before he sipped his iced Americano.

“Good…fine…I’m teaching here and I love my work”, Shinhye replied.

“You look so happy out there”, Yonghwa commented.

“I love children…I love taking care of them and making them smile and learn new and valuable things”, Shinhye replied as she slightly smiled.

“You look so lovely when you smile. Will you smile for me?” Yonghwa requested.

“What?” Shinhye asked bewildred as such request.

“Smile for me”, Yonghwa repeated.

“Why?” Shinhye asked.

“Because I just want to see you smile, that’s all”, Yonghwa replied.

Shinhye smiled half-heartedly so Yonghwa would stop pestering her to smile.

“Your smile is not a sincere one”, Yonghwa commented jokingly.

“Detective Jung”, Shinhye called him warningly.

“Yeah…I get it…I’m being a nagger again”, Yonghwa said with a chuckle.

They were sipping their coffees when Jong Hyun approached Shinhye.

“Teacher Shinhye”, Jong Hyun called with a smile.

“Hi, Teacher Jong Hyun”, Shinhye smiled brightly at Jong Hyun because they knew each other and been friends with each other ever since they both started teaching at the pre-school.

“Ah…you have a visitor”, Jong Hyun said.

“Yes…by the way, Detective Jung this is Lee Jong Hyun…Jong Hyun this is Detective Jung, he’s the father of my new pupil from New York”, Shinhye introduced the two men.

“How do you do, Detective Jung?” Jong Hyun politely but amiably said.

“I’m fine”, Yonghwa simply replied…he did not like seeing how sweet and friendly Shinhye with Jong Hyun while she was treating him like a plague or worse like an annoying fly.

“Teacher Shinhye, I already supervised the cleaning of your class room since the maintenance people were not able to see you a while ago after the activity at the playground”, Jong Hyun said.

“Thank you so much, Teacher Jong Hyun”, Shinhye said in a friendly voice that Yonghwa was starting to find irritating because it was a friendliness given to Jong Hyun instead of him.

“Teacher Shinhye, I’d better be going. I still have to bring my car for a wash. Nice meeting you, Detective Jung”, Jong Hyun said as he bowed shallowly and walked to the door of the cafeteria.

“Is he courting you?” Yonghwa asked abruptly.

“Why do you ask?” Shinhye asked back.

“It’s because he is overly attached to you like a koala bear”, Yonghwa sarcastically commented.

“He is a friend…a very good friend and my co-teacher here. Anyway, what is it to you if he is getting attached with me?” Shinhye asked.

“I don’t like him”, Yonghwa said. “Because I like you for me”, he silently told himself.

“I don’t understand you, Detective Jung; and, I don’t plan to start now. I’d better be going. Thanks for the coffee”, Shinhye said as she stood from her chair. Yonghwa also stood and before she could take a step…she felt him holding her wrist.

“We used to be friendly with each other. Where is that young girl who helped me when I was robbed at the marketplace at Incheon? Where is that young girl whom I helped carry the sacks of flour and sugar at the storeroom of the grocery where she was working? Where is she, Shinhye?” Yonghwa asked not looking at her…he was staring at the wall of the cafeteria as though he could find the old Shinhye there.

“She was long gone, Detective Jung….she was long gone and she won’t ever be coming back”, Shinhye replied.

“I’ll find her again, Shinhye”, Yonghwa said.

“A piece of advice, Detective Jung, you don’t know me that much so stay away from me from now on…stay the hell away from me”, Shinhye said as she pulled her wrist from Yonghwa’s hand.

Shinhye went towards the door of the cafeteria and went out. She hurriedly went to the parking lot and entered the driver’s seat of her blue green Volvo. Tears fell from her eyes as she was leaving the school premises.

“I’m sorry, Yonghwa, we just can’t be together…we just can’t”, Shinhye said as she continued on her way to her scheduled appointment to her psychologist, Dr. Park Min Young.

Hi everyone! To my readers and subscribers, thank you so much for all your support...for reading and subscribing to my story. Please, please, feel free to leave your comments because I really appreciate them and make me feel more inspired in writing...thank you so much...