`KiKwang and Aunt came running into the house dripping wet from the rain. For three days now all the weather did was rain causing many to stay indoors and Auntie’s vegetables sale decline. JiHyun came running in soon after covering her chest area, she had worn a white blouse this morning. She glares at KiKwang as their eyes met and ran off to Mimi’s room. It’s been a week now since Mimi mention DonJoon’s name and made JiHyun go crazy. She was still mad and glaring at KiKwang, JiHyun doesn’t even talk anymore.

 

“Aigooo that girl is so stubborn now. I’ve never seen her mad for this long before.”  Aunt sighs. “JiHyun has been badly hurt by that guy. I feel so useless, I can’t even comfort her.”

KiKwang hands aunt a bunch of spinach. “Don’t feel bad it’s not your fault, you didn’t hurt her.”

“I know…but I can’t help but feel that way. She was so hurt after getting dump by that guy after she came back home she went straight to work so we can pay off our debt. She didn’t even get the time to cry her eyes and heart out. That kid has been bottling everything up inside.”

“Debt?”

Aunt quickly covers . “Aish” She hit her fore head once and “Aish, why am I saying these things? KiKwang-ah just pretend you heard nothing. Uncle will get mad that I told you, this is nothing you should be concern about.”

“Oh” KiKwang nodded and continue helping aunt cook.

 

After dinner KiKwang excuse himself outside and took out his phone. He presses the number one and DooJoon’s name popped up. Whenever KiKwang was in trouble he had always called DooJoon first. He felt like DooJoon loved him the most ever since his mother dropped him off at his father’s house. Step mother took some time to adjust to KiKwang but as she started accepting him she started loving him as her own just like DooJoon but still DooJoon was the only one KiKwang could fully relied on. So DooJoon was number one on his speed dial list.

 

“Should I call Hyung for help?” KiKwang close his phone and shook his head. “No, I shouldn’t. I shouldn’t bother him.”

 

As KiKwang turns around to go back in JiHyun came out.

 

“It’s already dark where are you going?” KiKwang asks.

“Don’t worry about it.” JiHyun snaps at him.

KiKwang back away and let her pass. He trails behind her. “It’s already dark girls like you shouldn’t be going out.”

“Mind your own business.”

 

KiKwang stops following her and watched as her figure disappears into the dark road. That night KiKwang couldn’t sleep. He kept wondering where JiHyun had gone to. He is pretty sure she was working a second job but where? It was about three in the morning when he heard the door close and woke up to check. JiHyun came in stumbling around the little living room.

 

“What are you doing?” KiKwang asks turning on the light.

 

JiHyun was sitting on the floor with her head down and her long hair covering her face. KiKwang kneels down in front of her and pokes her arm. JiHyun looks up at him with big red eyes and smiles. KiKwang looked at her and couldn’t help but notice how sweet and beautiful she looks. She didn’t look like the stubborn, mean, cold JiHyun at all. He smiled back at her.

 

“You” JiHyun points at him. She laughs and leans back against the wall.

“Are you drunk?” KiKwang asks.

JiHyun shook her head no. “I…I’m no drunk. You drunk?”

“I can smell alcohol from your breath.”

JiHyun put her hand in front of and blew to check her breath. “Oh, I smell it too.” She laughs and stood up.

“Be careful, where are you going?” KiKwang stood up and followed her.

 

JiHyun use the walls as her support and walked over to her room.

 

“Yah that’s my room.” KiKwang yells running over to block her. JiHyun push him away and went in. “JiHyun you can’t sleep in here.”

 

JiHyun took off her messenger bag and crawled into the sleeping mat. KiKwang stood at the door way pouting and scratching his head not knowing what to do. Should he carry her to Mimi’s room? What if Mimi starts asking questions? Uncle and aunt will surely wake up. Wouldn’t that make KiKwang look like a ert? KiKwang walked over to JiHyun and pouts at her. He should wake her up.

 

“JiHyun, this isn’t your room. It’s mine.”

 

JiHyun rolled over to the wall and pulled the blanket over her. KiKwang sighs and stood up. He pulled the blanket off her.

 

“Get out.”

 

JiHyun didn’t move.

 

“Aish seriously. Where am I going to sleep?”

 

JiHyun rolled back towards KiKwang and sat up.

 

“Are you sober now?” KiKwang grab her wrist. “Get out, this is my room.”

 

JiHyun turns to him covering and gaging.

 

“What? What? What are you doing? Are you going to puke? WAIT!” KiKwang grab his trash can and hands it to her. “Puke in here not on the sheets.”

 

JiHyun snatch the trash can and stuck her entire head in. KiKwang pulled her hair back and held it away from her face. JiHyun pulls out her head and grabs KiKwang’s shirt. She pulls it causing his shirt to stretch and wipes on it before going back to sleep.

 

KiKwang pouts “I guess I’m sleeping on the couch tonight.”

 

----

 

Night after night KiKwang watch as JiHyun disappears into the dark from his bedroom window. He waited in his bed unable to sleep until she was home safely before he could even sleep. He wasn’t sure why he was doing this but he didn’t really mind. Maybe he was just trying to get on her good side. She hated him ever since he came to live with them. He was just tired of her glareing and not talking to him. If she could trust him maybe she wouldn’t be so mean to him. So KiKwang stared working. He found a job in a near buy garage fixing cars and bikes. It didn’t pay much but at least he was making money to help around the house. He wasn’t a guest anymore he had to help out if he was going to stay longer.

 

“KiKwang you have guests…like always.” His boss yells at KiKwang who was under a car trying to find the problem with the ar.

 

“Is it my aunt?” KiKwang rolled out and sat up.

 

“What do you think?” The boss smirks at him.

 

“Argh tell them to go away.” KiKwang lays back down and rolls under the car again.

 

His boss grabs his ankles and pulls him out. “Boy if you don’t get out there you are fired.”

 

“WAE!” KiKwang whines.

 

“Don’t you know they do anything to come see you. You’re bring in lots of money and I need you to keep it up now go out there and see what your groupies want.” His boss pulls him up and pushes him out the door.

 

As KiKwang enters the ladies and ahjummas scream and cheered. He tries to smile and wave to be polite. Like always they each brought him a box of lunch and some tea or herbal medicine so he could be healthy. Every one of them got their turn to come up to KiKwang and hand him their boxes. They will whisper sweet words to him or act shy and run off as soon as he thanks them. It was the same every day that he worked. As the last young lady came and gave him her box he searched the room looking for his aunt. Usually she was the first to give him a lunchbox. She would stand next to him and made all the ladies jealous. But she wasn’t here today.

 

“Does everyone bring their dad or brothers their lunch here?” A familiar voice appeared.

 

KiKwang looked over at the door and saw JiHyun standing there confused at the large crowd.

 

“Or did everyone’s car or bike break down?” JiHyun asks again.

 

KiKwang giggles at her confusion and step over to her. “They’re here to see me.”

 

JiHyun rolls her eyes and chuckle “TSK you must be so popular here that I shouldn’t have come to bring you lunch right?” JiHyun looks at KiKwang’s boss. “Mr. Lee would you like a lunch box from me today?” JiHyun hands him the lunch box in her hands.

 

“YAH, that’s mine!” KiKwang snatches it. “Who are you to be giving my lunch away?” KiKwang cradles the box in his arms.

 

“You have about twenty other people giving you food, give one to him.”

 

“Never!” KiKwang walks over to his pile of food and started stuffing his mouth with food. JiHyun turns around to leave but he stopped her. “Where are you going?”

 

“I have other places to go.”

 

“You have to wait until I finish my food so you can take the container back.”

 

JiHyun opens to say something but an orange/red headed boy came running in.

 

“Wow a lot of people must have broken their car and bike.” HyunSeung gasp as he looked at the crowd. He suddenly points to an ahjumma. “UMMA what are you doing here? You don’t have a bike or car.”

 

“What am I doing here? What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be at school!”

 

JiHyun whispers to him “They’re here to give KiKwang lunch boxes.”

 

“Lunch box? Where’s mine then? You haven’t made me one since middle school.” HyunSeung whines. “I want one too!”

 

“Son I work here and she don’t even bring me food.” HyunSeung’s dad walked into the room.

 

“You could just come home and eat!” HyunSeung’s mother snaps.

 

JiHyun pulls on HyunSeung’s sleeve. “Let’s get going or you’re going to be late.” JiHyun looks over at KiKwang “Just bring it when you come home, I’m busy.”

 

As JiHyun pulls HyunSeung out he yells in to his mother. “UMMA I WANT ONE TOMORROW.”

 

KiKwang stood up “Where are you two going?”

 

Outside of the college library JiHyun sat under a shady tree as she waited for HyunSeung to come back out. You couldn’t go in without a student ID. Moments later HyunSeung came running out with three books in his arms.

 

“Romeo and Juilet, Gone with the wind and Death of a salesman…all in English. You can read English?” HyunSeung asks.

 

“Of course why would I ask you to get these if I couldn’t?” JiHyun stuff the books in her bag.

 

“Ok remember the due date is in the back, give them back in time.”

 

“Ok, you’re going to be late if you don’t go now. I’ll go home by myself.”

 

“Bye!” HyunSeung ran off into a huge building waving.

 

 On the way home KiKwang saw JiHyun ahead of him and ran up to her. She was reading a book and didn’t seem to notice him. KiKwang ran up and grab the book out o0f her hand.

 

“What are you reading?”

 

“Give it back!” JiHyun tries to grab it back but KiKwang ran off with it.

 

“Romeo and Juliet…they both die at the end.”

 

“Give it back.”

 

KiKwang turns to JiHyun and hands her the book. “Why are you reading this? You should have read this in high school. Didn’t you need to read this to graduate?”

 

“I didn’t graduate.”

 

“What?”

 

JiHyun ignored him and kept walking. KiKwang stopped walking. JiHyun looks back and saw him then stop as well.

 

“Why do you think I work these kinds of jobs? I can’t work anywhere else. I dropped out of school to help my uncle and aunt. It’s no big deal.”

 

“You should at least finish high school. You would have gotten a decent job.”

 

JiHyun looked at her watch and then back at KiKwang. “Dinner will be served soon, lets hurry home.”

 

KiKwang and JiHyun silently walk home. As they approached the house they heard some yelling and stuff being thrown inside the house. JiHyun stepped back and KiKwang followed her. She stuffs the book in her bag and hid the bag in an empty jar before stepping into the house.

 

Inside the house uncle, aunt and Mimi were in the middle of the room crying and begging for the thugs to stop trashing the house. Mimi saw JiHyun and stopped crying. The guy that was watching her looked behind him and saw JiHyun standing in the door way looking around the house. Inside JiHyun was burning with rage. She made a monthly payment of five hundred to the thugs like she had promise why where they here doing this?

 

JiHyun glared at the guy and stepped towards him. “Why are you here!” She yells into the guy’s face.

 

“B-b-b-boss!” The guy ran into KiKwang’s room.

 

“Unnie” Mimi grabs JiHyun’s hand as she walk by.

 

JiHyun grab a baseball bat that was left on the floor and with no emotion JiHyun push her away “Not now Mimi.”

 

JiHyun continues walking towards KiKwang’s room dragging the baseball bat on the floor. IN the room JiHyun could hear them going through the room searching for money. JiHyun stopped at the door way and tap the door with the bat. JunHyung, the big boss stopped and gave her a little smirk before walking up to her and grab her chin to lift up her face.

 

“You have gotten prettier.”

 

JiHyun got away from his grip “What the F are you doing here? I kept the end of my deal, I’m always on time with payments WHY THE F ARE YOU HERE?”

 

“You’ve gotten feistier too…I like it.” JunHyung caress the side of her face with his hand.

 

“WHY. ARE. YOU. HERE?” JiHyun repeats herself.

 

“To collect money, why else would I be here?” JunHyung walks around JiHyun took the bat away and held her hand leading her into the living room. “You see I was promised two thousand dollars by the beginning of this week and as you can see it’s the end of the week. I came to get my money.”

 

“What? Who promised you that?”  JiHyun looks at the three in the middle of the room and slowly one by one she observed their face expression and body movements. “Uncle!”

 

He immediately apologized “I was just helping out a friend.”

 

“Like always you were just helping. But you always get taken advantage of and I will always have to clean it up for you.” JiHyun got down on her knees and started crying. “Please, if you hate me so much just tell me to go away, why do you have to do this to me? I’m tired…I’m so tired of this never ending nightmare. I gave up school so I can work to help you, I worked and worked and worked to pay off all the debts but you just keep bring in more debt. When will this stop?”

 

“JiHyun-ah I’m sorry I was wrong. I promise this will be the last time. JiHyun-ah forgive me.” Uncle begged her.

 

JiHyun look up at JunHyung “Is your offer still available? Can I just go with you and let this all be over with? Huh? If I go with you, you will let them go?”

 

Uncle stood up and ran over to JiHyun to pull her up and away from JunHyung but JiHyun held onto JunHyung’s leg and wouldn’t let go. “JiHyun-ah you can’t do this. Please I was wrong, I won’t do it again. You can’t sell yourself to him please, I was wrong.”

 

“Where are you going to get the two thousand to give him tonight huh? He won’t leave without it. This is the only way. You would be debt free if I go.” JiHyun stood up and held onto JunHyung’s arm. “Take me with you.”

 

KiKwang who has been at the front door the whole time stepped in. He stomps over to JiHyun and pulls her away from JunHyung. He hands her to uncle and steps up to JunHyung “I’ll give you the two thousand so leave.” KiKwang hands him his account book.

 

“I would rather take her…but since there seems to be some family issue going on here I’ll take the money this time.” JunHyung took the account book and turns to JiHyun. “My offer is open to you any time baby. Just give me call and it’ll all be over.”

 

JunHyung wraps up all his boys and left the house. Mimi was crying in aunt’s embrace while JiHyun, uncle and KiKwang sat at the dinner table staring at each other. Dinner was already served but no one was eating. Uncle offers JiHyun some boiled chicken but she picks up her bowl of rice and refuses his offer. JiHyun puts down her bowl and walks away from them.

 

“Where are you going?” Uncle yells at her but she kept walking. Uncle got up and KiKwang stops him.

 

“Let’s leave her alone for a while, I’ll go look for her later.”

 

After everyone had gone to sleep KiKwang looks out his window and saw JiHyun walking back and forth in front of the house. He stood there and watched her for a good ten minute before he actually went outside and talked to her.

 

“What are you doing?” KiKwang asks sitting down on the porch steps.

 

“Who are you? Who are you to give him money? Did anyone ask you to give him money?” JiHyun asks.

 

“I’m KiKwang and I also live in the house, I should be involved in whatever problems the people living in the house is going through.”

 

JiHyun stops walking. “You shouldn’t get involved. What if they get too attach to you? When you leave it will only end up hurting them. It’s better to stay out of the family problems.”

 

“Don’t you trust me?”

 

“…No…”

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

was it confuseing? hopefully it wasn't