~FIND ME A HAPPY PLACE?~
"Proposal"

Have you ever had this person in your life, where just talking and just be with them made you wish that time could stop forever? I always experience this kind of feeling when I'm with her. The happiness that swirls inside of me made me wants to forget about everything and just spend time with this girl. Of course that wouldn't be possible since time would never stop and our planet won't stop turning.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

Walking beside her in the park as she smiles happily towards me, it felt great. This is one of the things that made me feel fine. Being with her is like a fresh new breeze instead of the problems that I face in my house. I won't call it home. My home was destroyed years ago.

I nodded, "How about you? I haven't seen you, yesterday".

She answered, "My mother made me took some errands, yesterday."

"She made you did all the house works by yourself again. Did she?"

That question made her froze. I knew about her conditions since we've met. We both had terrible lives because of our so called Family.

"Let's take a seat at that bench. I made you lunch.", She changed the topic.

 We sat in silence as she prepared me my lunch. Ever since we were 17, she decided to make lunch for me. She said that my cooking is not good as she has. At first, I never wanted her to take the effort of making me food because I find it troublesome for her. Even though, I find her cooking very delicious. It beats the eggs and bacon, I always eat before. So we made a deal. A deal where in she'll make my lunch while I give her money to buy her the ingredients. Her guardian's didn't stop her because they didn't care about this wonderful girl beside me. They would care if she's using their supplies but she's not.

"I made a whole bunch this morning." She says, "While everyone was sleeping, I decided to sneak in some green peas in your rice. They’re going to reach their expiration date tomorrow. I could not let some of it go to waste.". She showed me a plate filled with rice that has green peas on top of it. Beside it was a cup of vegetable salad and some scrambled eggs. They all looked a great. Everything she cooks are great and delicious.

I smiled. She knew I love eating vegetables. I remembered how my mother always said to me this quote that made me love vegetables. 

'A young man just like you, Joon Myeon; Should always eat vegetables so they could be strong and healthy as they become an Adult.’ mother always say to me when she was alive.

"Thank you, Ji Eun" I say, "You're so nice."

Her face turned slightly crimsoned and said "You're welcome."

I asked her if she would like some for her to eat. 

"Oh! Thank you but no" she said, "I made it for you so please eat it".

I nodded but I knew better than that. I ate the food that she made. The Green peas made an excellent topping to the rice. It added an extra crunch inside my mouth. The vegetables made great appetizers and even they are vegetables, they taste great. The eggs that she made were my favorites for today. The scrambled eggs were sweet in my tongue. 

I only ate the half of what she cooked.

"Here eat some" I said.

She was shocked but shook her head. "It's yours I ca---".

I stopped her from not taking the plate by putting the plate into her hand and told her, "I'm not that hungry anyway. You should eat some. You looked tired.".

She's looking at me if I was lying when I said to her that I was not that hungry anyway. I lied but I made sure to myself to become a great liar. I would never let my selfishness run me this time. Not with her. I can't make her just stare at the park while I'm stuffing my stomach with the food that she made.

She finally agreed.

I smiled as I saw her eating in her own way. I can't help but notice the way she eats. She stuffs with the vegetables first, then eats some egg, and then some rice, Lots of rice. Some would tell her that she looked like a pig as she ate her food but not me. She looked adorable as she eat the food I gave to her. I was glad that I'm seeing her eat. I can't see her eating in her house. I know where it is but I cannot enter inside it. She would be punished knowing that she has a friend outside. She told her father that I was only a business partner; a young man paid her to cook for him.

"What are you looking at?" she asked.

I chuckled and said, "A girl that told me she's not hungry minutes ago but now stuffs with food."

She faked a laugh, "Ha-Ha-Ha".

God! Can this girl get any more adorable?

I've seen a lot of girls in television that acts cute and adorable in real life but this woman, she doesn't act like those actresses. She's just adorable in her own without any traces of efforts or any kind of force just to make her adorable in a person's eyes. She's so real in every possible way. I like that about her. I do like everything about this lady. She's just simply sweet and good to my tragic life.

After she's done eating, she said thanks to me. I wanted to tell her how I should be the one thanking her for existing in my life but she did something that distracted my thoughts. I noticed her looking at this young girl, walking with his father and mother as they pass us by. I wanted myself to understand the longing she felt, to be able to live a life without any love from an actual parent; Even a fake one. In my life, I have experience the love of my parents until they all became dead. My mother being literally being dead while my father.... He's dead in my life even if he's breathing up until now. I could not help admire the strength that Ji Eun had for living this unfortunate life that we're living. How could she out lived that? How could she wake up before knowing that there won't be any Good morning greetings, a breakfast made for her, and many other more that a person should experience with his/her family?

I wanted to change that. I want her to experience those things but how?

"They called me that again, this morning." she confessed.

I got back from my thoughts and inched myself closer to her.

"What is it this time?" 

She looked at me and I could see it in her eyes how she wanted to make her tears not fall from her eyes. She's failing miserably at that task. I put my arm around her as she tries to wipe the tears that are now falling on her cheeks. 

She told me again how her family hurt her again. They told her words that they knew would sting her poor heart and eventually they'll break it all over again when she comes back.

I thought about the person I left in my house, My father, who's drunk in his sleep and would wake up again to drink beer to himself as he cried my dead mother's name. I wanted to pack my things and leave that useless and pathetic father to rot in that house. I don't care about him anymore. He lost me when he turned to his alcohol and left me to face the adult world in my early life as a teenager. He doesn't care. I don't even give a .

Then I thought about what would happen to Ji Eun when she would come home to her father. Can it even be called as a home? They treated her like a maid in their house, and cursed her every word that signifies her as an outside daughter. I didn't want that for her. She needs a home. I also need a home. Both of us dream about finding a perfect place to live where there is no sadness which always followed us because of our past, a haven that would be our home. 

Out of the blue, I thought of an idea.

"Let's run away" I told her.

For a minute, I felt fear inside my heart because of the thoughts that she might not agree to my plan. But it’s too late. I said it loud and clear now about asking her if she wanted to come with me; to a place where even I don’t know what would be the outcome.

I’ll just pray that if she does agree to this; I wish that she would be safe and happy under my assistance.