Myungsoo’s POV

Three weeks have passed since Chorong’s surprise party and my summer break was nothing but working in my dad’s company. When I finished a stack of papers, I was delivered more. This was not the summer break I imagined. I thought I would have more time to hang out with my friends or take pictures but all I did was work until it’s dark out. It’s like I’m wasting my creativity in this place.

I put my head down after finishing a stack and heard footsteps coming into the office. I looked up and saw my dad’s manager coming in with another stack of paper. Great, when we have to write a report about this, my summer break was staying in this office and did something but work for the company. I seriously have to get out of here. I think I know how to get out of here.

“Get a move on Mr. Kim, you don’t want your father coming into this room seeing you being lazy,” said his manager.

“I’ve been working in this place for two hours right now. Can you get me a drink of water?” I asked.

My dad’s manager left the room and I separated the stacks that I finished and the stacks that I didn’t finish. When I finished organizing, I took my photography bag and ran toward the stairs. The last thing I wanted to do was being caught leaving at the front lobby.

I alternated my leaves. I went to the elevator and then ran down the stairs. When I reached the sixth floor, I heard an announcement made to find the chairman’s son. Well, I think going getting out of here was going to be a bad idea.

When I reached the front lobby, I saw guards crowding the elevator. They probably thought it would be stupid enough to use the stairs, well, they were wrong. I looked for closest emergency exit and saw one behind the stairs. I was lucky enough that I knew the code.

When I typed it in, I pushed the door open and saw that I was behind the building. All of the sudden I heard voices.

“Someone went out through the emergency exit!” yelled one of the guards.

When I heard that I started to run to on the left side of the company. When I reached the front entrance, I heard people yelling ‘the chairman’s son’ and ‘get him’.

It was good thing that I was good in running because I ran as fast as I can but I knew that half of the guards were trained to catch people.

The weirdest thing was that they were also chasing me by cars. The disadvantage for them was that I turned at the corner. They had to wait until the red light turned green.

“The chairman’s son needs to go back to the company!” yelled one of the guards.

I am not going back to that office! I ran into the mall and from there, I did behind a fountain. They all ran in separate directions. I ran out of the mall and saw 5 of them chasing after me.

I ran into a cheap grocery store and ran into one of the back isles. I watched the guards past the place and gave a sigh of relief.

I knew that I was going to have a harder time escaping the next time I try to escape.

I sat down and leaned against the boxes behind the isle and tried to catch my breath. I closed my eyes to rest until I heard a conversation.

“WHERE ARE YOU GOING NAEUN!?!” yelled a lady.

I opened my eyes and thought I was going crazy. The last time I heard her name was the party. I probably was just going crazy so I closed my eyes again.

“I’m going to visit my mother,” said a familiar voice.

I’m going crazy! This time I heard her speak. I probably was going crazy but I wanted to know whether it’s reality or just me being crzy. When I stood up, I placed sunglasses on and walked toward the closest isle. I saw that Naeun was wearing a black attire outfit. I like her taste in clothes but I still hated her.

“You’re not leaving! You have to finish the rest of the work load I gave you!” yelled her manager, I think.

Wait, she works here? I thought she works in dad’s company? What?

“I did! I clean the bathrooms, mopped the floor, arranged most of the boxes, and cleared all the expired food and other products that have mold on it. What else do you want me to do? I did everything you said. I just want to visit my mother. It’s her birthday today,” said Naeun.

That pretty harsh what her manager gives her but yet she is willing to do all of that work? No wonder why she looked very tired in the mornings because I also heard that she studies.

The manager didn’t have a counter attack and I watched Naeun turned around and headed out of the cheap grocery. The weirdest thing was I started to follow her. It was probably because I didn’t want to be here when the guards start looking for me and I didn’t have anything else to do.

Naeun’s POV

I worked in the grocery store for three weeks, now, since school ended. I got more money than usual and I was happy, although, very tired. I looked at the time and saw I had one more hour before I can leave early today. I’m so glad that today is my mother’s birthday because I made a book of close range pictures. It seemed to make her happy when I took close range pictures and make her guess. It reminds her about my father back then.

Oh yeah, just because I don’t work for my dad’s company doesn’t mean that I don’t get cameras from my dad’s manager. I don’t know why they give me cameras that I don’t even use. I sold most of them because having 10 cameras in my apartment is just a waste. The only cameras that I saved were a point and shoot camera and this other professional one that my dad’s manager gave out recently. I have the lens for the professional camera too. It’s very recent and I’m glad that my dad’s manager gave it to me because with the camera, I was able to use the close range lens to take those pictures for my mother’s present.

I should tell you that my mother and father were photographers and my dad was probably one of the best. Although, he stopped taking pictures so he could focus on his company. I guess it’s a family hobby because I also love taking pictures but I don’t tell anyone this because everyone would think I would be crazy. The only group that knows about my hobby was Apink. The only reason why they found out was because of Namjoo.

It happened during winter break. I was ice skating with them and all of the sudden Namjoo wanted to rest so while I watched the rest of Apink skate. I saw Namjoo rummaging through my bag and found my secret book of pictures. I wanted to take it away from here but she had fast hands. When she opened it, she was amazing with my talent in photography. From that day forward, Namjoo always suggested that I would be the best in taking pictures.

Anyways, when I finished my last task,  I walked into the staff room to change into my black knee length skirt, with white blouse and a black blazer on. I was about to leave the store but my manger yelled at me.
 

“WHERE ARE YOU GOING, NAEUN!?” yelled my manager as her yell was so loud that probably the customer, that just came inside, heard it.

I gave a sigh and turned to her and told her about my mother and how it was her birthday today. It didn’t convince her to let me leave early. I also knew that tomorrow that I was probably going to do double shifts.

“Just let me leave for today, please?” I asked.

When I looked at her, I knew that her answer was going to be a no. I had no choice but to take my leave. I turned away from her and started to walk toward the door.

I glanced to my right and saw a customer looking at the drinks isle. I felt bad for him because he heard everything that she said to me. The weirdest thought I had was that he looked somewhat similar to the guy I despised. I shook the thought away as I walked out of the store.

****

When Naeun walked out of the store, she gave a smile and spun around once because it was for the fun of it. She started to walk around Seoul. She looked at different stands and other things that were selling around streets and gave a smile. When someone was asking her to pose for a portrait, she smiled and said that she was about to visit her mother.

She didn’t notice that Myungsoo was trailing behind her but tried to walk slowly so it didn’t seem that he was following her. He was also cautious around the streets because he didn’t want to be taken by his father’s manager or the guards that were in search of him. When he watched her, he realized that Naeun was a different person outside out of school. He thought she would be this snobby and annoying girl outside of school but she was completely the opposite. She is innocent minded and nice to anyone she meets like what Sungyeol. Although, he still hated her because she made him feel stupid.

Naeun arrived at the hospital and looked at herself if she looked presentable to her mother. She walked into the hospital and smiled at the nurse and other doctors that were walking past her. They knew her very well because she would always come to visit her mother whenever she could and it’s been 5 years now since she came here for her mother.

Myungsoo, in the other hand, was confused on the fact why Naeun came to such a place. What is she doing here? Is her mother a doctor or a nurse? Probably…I hope my prediction is correct.

 He watched Naeun walk toward the front desk and listened to the conversation.

“Hello, I’m here to visit Son Eunmi, I’m her daughter, Son Naeun,” said Naeun.

“Ah she is on the second floor, waiting for you, in room 218,” said the secretary as she gave Naeun a pass that said she was a visitor.

Myungsoo watched Naeun disappear in the elevator as he said something similar to the secretary. He hated it when he is curious because he knew that he won’t stop trying to find information about Naeun and her mother’s condition. He walked into the elevator and pressed the second floor button. When the elevator opened to the second door, he walked toward room 218. There he saw a window and it was somewhat open so he put his back against the door and slightly watched Naeun and her mother.

“Umma! Happy Birthday!” yelled Naeun as she hugged her mother.

“Naeun! I’m so glad that you’re here. How are you?” said her mother.

“I’m fine! It’s just that I didn’t have time to visit during the last few weeks because I made my manager mad again. I’ve been working there nonstop to pay for the apartment that we used to live in.”

“I’m glad that you’re doing fine but why do you have eyebags underneath yours eyes? Naeun, are you studying late and working a lot?” said her mother looking at her worriedly.

“Ahaha, yeah…..about that...the only reason why I study late is because I want to be ahead for next year. Also, I barely sleep now because sometimes I have nightmares that you will leave me,” said Naeun as she looked down.

Naeun remembered the time when the doctor had said that her mother had cancer. It made Naeun want to donate anything that her mother needed but her mother refused because she wanted Naeun to live a better life than her. It depressed Naeun so much that school became hard for her because she couldn’t concentrate in her schoolwork. A lot of people started to bully her too when her mother or her father didn’t show up to her elementary graduation. It made everyone think that she was just an unwanted child. Because of all those reasons, her father transferred her to another school where she met Myungsoo and her true friends. It was also the reason why Naeun was very secretive about her life because everyone would bully her if they found out about her mother and herself.

Her mother looked at Naeun with a sad smile and patted her head.

“I will stay alive as long as you need me. I promise to stay alive until you graduate, okay?” smiled her mother.

Son Eunmi glanced at the window and saw that there was a shadow that watching them. She smiled and kept quiet about it while Naeun began to tell her about school and her complaints about Kim Myungsoo.

“I don’t like him umma! He is so mean! I haven’t done anything and he usually calls me stupid even though I’m ranked higher above than him. I have a feeling that Bomi is falling for him because when I complain about him, she starts telling me that he is actually nice. Ha! Like that’s possible. He is forever an arrogant and cold person,” complained Naeun.

Her mother laughed at her daughter and smiled. She always loved to hear about Myungsoo because it reminded her about her high school days.

Myungsoo listened and tried not to yell as he gave an annoyed glare at Naeun but kept himself hidden so Naeun wouldn’t see him. Why was he here anyway? He already knew that Naeun’s mother has cancer. He wanted to leave but he stayed and listened to the conversation.

“Don’t you like someone in school yet?” asked her mother.

“Aniyo, it’s not time yet. I’m still trying to raise as much money as possible for our apartment and my tuition. I don’t have time for relationships yet, umma.”

“You know, I wasn’t like this when I was in high school. It was probably because your grandmother didn’t have any cancer but I want you to experience love one day, Naeun.”

Naeun looked at her with a dumbfounded face. She didn’t know what to say about her mother’s request. She never thought or believed that someone would actually like her as she listened to her mother’s story about how she met appa.

When it was time to go, Naeun gave a pout and argued that she should stay until the morning. Her mother wanted Naeun to leave because it wasn’t safe for Naeun to stay for the night. Naeun gave a sigh as she hugged her mother and turned toward the direction of the door.

Myungsoo saw that Naeun was walking toward the door so he ran toward the next room and was looking at a mother sleeping with a child. He realized that he was looking at a mother who just gave birth. He kept looking at the room until Naeun left. He then walked passed room 218 but was stopped by Naeun’s mother.

“What’s your name, dear?” asked Son Eunmi.

Myungsoo didn’t bother telling her and started to walk away but then realized it was horrible to walk away when he was invading Naeun’s privacy in the first place. He turned to her and looked at her.

“Kim Myungsoo.”

Eunmi glanced at the boy and what her daughter had told her about how Kim Myungsoo was correctly accurate. She smiled and asked him to talk to her for a while.

“So you’re the ranking top male student that my daughter despises. How are you Kim Myungsoo, I’m Son Naeun’s mother, Eunmi. I think you already know that because you were listening to our conversation. I also apologize with how my daughter described you.

Myungsoo shook his head and said he was fine because he knew that she would say that about him.

“I’m sorry for being rude but your promise to her, before she left, seemed rather doubtful.”

Eunmi looked at him with surprise and then gave a sad smile as she looked at the present that her daughter gave her.

“It is correct. It was doubtful because I’m dying soon. I have a feeling it’s closer than usual. It’s been five years since I found out that I had this cancer. It shocked everyone but it certainly hurt Naeun the most. That girl depends on me the most. Even though she is independent and hardworking, she only sees me in her eyes. If I die, I don’t think she will be able to remain how she is right now.”

Myungsoo didn’t know what to say. He watched Naeun’s mother babble about Naeun and how she was when she heard about her mother’s cancer. He also didn’t want anything to happen to Naeun but for his selfish reasons.

“I’m sorry for asking. I shouldn’t have said that,” he said.

“It’s not your fault. It’s just, Naeun is very simple minded and only depends on me. If I were to die, I need someone to take care of her. It can’t be her father because she doesn’t trust him. It also can’t be her relatives because moving to another district will probably devastate Naeun. She already developed friends here.”

“I’m sorry but I’m not Naeun’s friend. I’m just a classmate and probably her rival.”

 “Then tell me why did you follow her?”

“I followed her to escape my dad’s overload of work for my family’s company.”

Eunmi studied Myungsoo and gave smile. She knew that deep down this boy’s heart was a soft spot for Naeun. Even though she just met her, her decision of who Naeun should depend on should be Myungsoo.

“Are you sure about that?”

“Positive, ma’am.”

“Then promise me something.”

“What is it ma’am?”

“Promise me that when I leave, you will take care of Naeun until you find someone for her.”

Myungsoo didn't know what to say as he bowed and apoligized that he needed to leave for the night. As he walked out of the hospital, he started to regret leaving his father's company because he was given a promise that he probably couldn't have kept.

YESH! I updated again!
Okay so there.
Now you know why Naeun is very fond about her mother.
Aww, Myungsoo followed her lol xD
Comment or Subscribe or both jkjk xD =3