(Bright Smiles Orphanage - 2002)

“Unnie! Unnie!”

A girl about 7 years of age can be heard shouting and pounding endlessly from the other side of a locked door. Her new parents are going to pick her up in a couple of hours, but she’s not yet finish gathering her few belongings because she’s intent of talking to her bestfriend, who unfortunately subjected herself to be locked on the rooftop while trying to ignore the endless pounding and calls from her.

“Unnie, please!” her voice cracking as tears began flowing from her eyes.

The girl on the other side of the door let out a sigh when she heard the sign that her bestfriend is now crying. Although she does not want to open the door, she made a promise that she will not ever make her bestfriend cry. Without any other choice, she slowly opened the door and saw the other girl sitting on the top step trying to wipe her tears away.

“I told you I don’t want to see or hear you crying…” she scolded her.

“How can I not when you’re not talking to me?” asked the younger girl. “If this is because of my new parents, I can tell them that I don’t want to go.”

The older girl shook her head. She brought her hand to the younger girl’s face and wipe the latter’s tears. She will be lying to the both of them if she says that it was not the reason for her behaviour, but she will not allow herself to prevent the younger girl from gaining a brighter future.

“Remember our promise of not lying to each other?” she asked the crying girl and the latter nodded.

“I don’t want you to go, Joohyun, but I also want you to achieve your dreams.”

“I can achieve my dreams here, Unnie…”

“But there is no assurance of that… Besides, going with them will be better for you.”

“But I don’t want to leave you here…”

“We cannot do anything about it, Joo-…”

“Unnie…”

“Tell you what… Send me a letter with your address once you get there, okay? We’ll write to each other and if fate will approve, we’ll see each other again…”

That was all the assurance that she can give. She’ll ruin both of their futures if she’s going to be selfish. Apparently, that was also what the younger girl was waiting from her – an assurance that they will stay in touch.

(A few months after they were separated)

It was a full moon when they found me sitting on a bench outside a mall. Upon seeing my red and puffy eyes, one of the ladies immediately brought her handkerchief to my face to wipe away the tears. I was surprised because they were the first strangers to come to my aid after hours of silent crying. Why am I crying, you ask? Well, my bestfriend brought me to the mall and told me to wait for her as she buy something for the two of us, but hours passed by and she did not came back. I panicked since we’re nowhere from the area nor the surrounding areas. With no one to talk to and because I was at the same time feeling afraid, I was not able to prevent myself from crying.

The other lady, the baby-faced one, then asked me