"Wait for me. I'll be right back."

Jongsuk had returned with a bundle of pastel-colored balloons of pink, blue and purple that he got from a volunteer.

“Aren’t they pretty?”

Jiwon tried to smile, but she couldn’t. She had never liked balloons. Because balloons made her feel sad. They looked cheerful and colourful on the outside, they were all but empty on the inside. A façade, like a mask to hide the void space. Balloons should fly and be freed, not to be tied down by humans’ selfish desires.

 “…Don't you like them?”

Jiwon looks towards the sky, pensive. “If I let them go, would they come back to me...?” 

Jongsuk’s phone rang. He looked at the number but wasn’t sure who the caller was. At this moment the brake of Jiwon's wheelchair was just starting to lose grip... The wheels began slowly rolling backwards down the pavement.

Jiwon couldn't stop the wheelchair, she was going down too fast. Her hand reached out to frantically fiddle and stop the wheels but did not have the strength to hold it down.

"Jongsuk ya! I'm scared!" She screamed, closing her eyes.

Jongsuk heard her and looked back. He dropped everything, his phone and balloons, and sped downwards towards the Jiwon. He reached to grab her hand and pull her into his arms right before the wheelchair crashed onto an incoming truck. She squeezed her eyes shut and her body trembled. His chest is heaving against hers, and he held on to her tighter.

"Gwenchana jigeum, (it's alright now)... I won't let you go."

***

Two days later, Jiwon was getting ready to be discharged. She packed her clothes and Jongsuk arrived to send her home.

They walked and talked about school, then they talked about Kim Tan and how she didn’t think of him anymore these days. She was happy, she felt free. It was not long they were right by the tattered building again. “Thanks for sending me home… twice.” They smiled as they recalled the last time he walked her home.

"Well..." he paused.

"Well what?"

"Aren't you gonna ask me in for coffee?"

She looked right up at her house windows, and thought Ahjusshi would be inside. It didn't use to matter, whether Jongsuk knew about her family or not. Somehow, now, she didn't want Jongsuk to see her in such a pathetic state anymore. What would he think? Now that he is aware that her family is in ruins, would he despise her? Would he leave her one day?

"Or... maybe another day? ...Ahh, we don't have coffee at home." She blinked away and tried to avoid eye contact.

Jongsuk had recalled the Ahjussi from the other time, he looked treacherous. Would Jiwon would be fine by herself? He reckoned maybe not…

"Just let me have a rest then. I am really tired from driving... Pretty please...?" He insisted and followed her into the house, just to make sure she was going to be safe.

And true enough, the topless Ahjusshi had a towel wrapped around his waist. His raised an eyebrow and scrutinised Jongsuk.

"Where have you been to, our darling Jiwon? You didn't come home for days and now you are back with a man."

"You don't have to know." She replied coldly.

"Whatever you wish. Just help your mom find that ing legal document. She urgently needs to get it signed today. She's been pestering me over the phone all day.”

Jongsuk held her hand back, "Jiwon ah, let's head somewhere else instead?" The idea that Jiwon was staying with an older man who walked around topless in the house was manifesting in his head. He didn’t like it, it was offensive and brutish to him.

Jiwon wanted to leave too, far away from this dirty place. She had wanted to escape this hell of a place with her biological dad, but he didn't bring her along. He ran away all by himself when she was 13.

Ever since Ajusshi came to live in with them, Jiwon had to be very careful in the house, as though walking on eggshells. She recalled the last time when she bent down to retrieve the phone she dropped, Ahjussi had come to her from behind, touching her thighs in her pleated maroon skirt and cupping her with the other hand as she bent down to reach for the phone she dropped. She jumped and turned to slap him, but he had only laughed it off. She had warned him, and he rebutted she needn't worry about cheap thrills. She loathed this place. Telling it to her mom was useless, she had shrugged off saying he would be a major investor of RS International, and she should have conceded to his request. She cried. She wanted to rent another apartment, but she hasn't got enough money. After that incident, she would only wear long flowy dresses that covered herself, and lock herself in her room all the time.

She hesitated about leaving.

"And hey rascal, we will be busy today, so you should go."

"Jongsuk... I still got to help my mum with the legal document. I'll call you again."

"You gotta call me right away if anything happens."

Jongsuk left, and Jiwon dropped her hospital baggage in her room, before going to her mom's room to search for the papers. Ahjussi steps into Jiwon's room, only to find the document from the hospital, which speaks information of the miscarriage.

He went back to Esther's room and slapped Jiwon. "Youuu ! You had the audacity to sleep with other man but you won't let me touch you?!! You acted all innocent and played hard to get?" He threw down the hospital document on the floor and he slipped his arm around her waist, pressing himself against her firmly. "YOU'RE MINE TODAY."

"Stop it!! Ahjussi!" Desperately, she begged. She struggled and tried to push him away but she was too weak to overcome him.

"I love it more when you resist! I have been taking care of your family for these years, what do I get in return?!" He grabbed her wrist and forces himself onto her. He ripped off her shirt and d her, exposing her cleavage and lacy black lingerie to his gaze. Then he covered with his hand. He moved in between her legs and rubbed himself against her.

And suddenly the door swinged open and Jongsuk barged in. (!) (Yes!)

He knew he had to come back to check again. He grabbed the Ahjussi by his throat, threw him to the floor and violently punched him with anger and fist with exasperation. When Ahjussi's face was covered in blood, he smirked at Jongsuk.

Jiwon teared and sank to her knees. She was torn and bruised, and shaking in fraught. She wished that she could just disappear.

He returned to Jiwon, and immediately took off his jacket and putting it around her.

Then he went into her room and took her bag of clothes and some books. He came back out and grabbed her wrist, "You are coming over to my place."

He pulled her close behind him until they reached his apartment. She felt safe in his warm hands. Jongsuk was always around to protect her from danger. Not once or twice, but thrice.

It wasn't long before they reached his place. It was a modest apartment, and comfortable enough for himself. He brought her to his room where she was free to use, it was neat and tidy.

She closed the door behind him, and walked slowly to see the mirror. She felt a little faint, a little hard to breathe. Her head was spinning and she couldn't think. She saw herself in reflection and her dirty body, and cried silently. She badly wanted to erase what had just happened. She washed her face, again and again, until it become numb and cold.

Jongsuk was getting impatient and anxious. Jiwon's taking too long, wasn't she? When she finally came out, and he grabbed her arms and stared at the red marks from the struggle.

There was rage in his eyes. "That bastard... I should have killed him!"

"Jongsuk... please. I am fine now..."

He then closed his eyes, wrapped his arms around Jiwon. He leaned in to kiss her forehead. "I am sorry that I came late."

She rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes. "Ani... Komawo (No... thank you…). For being part of my life."