Seung-Hyun turns to her with a bad feeling in his gut knowing he will regret the words that will come out of his mouth but only because he would be receiving another slap on the face.

“Your...beautiful,” finishes Seung-Hyun.

Before Seung-Hyun could take one last deep breathe, he was already lying on the ground curled up in a ball. And again, Eun-Ae had her hand over her head, ready to strike a second time but this time there was no one to stop her. Seung-Hyun could feel the pain clawing its way out of his body, but there was no escape. Eun-Ae had punched him in the chest instead of slapping him. She knew he would expect that so she had to strike somewhere else. She brings her hand down gently offering him a hand up. After he takes her hand and the pain shimmers down, they continue walking.

“I was being honest Eun-Ae... I'm sorry.” Seung-Hyun says still struggling to keep the aches in from the punch.

“I know. That punch was just payback. Now we are even,” says Eun-Ae looking up at him. “Is your chest okay?” Eun-Ae now says more seriously.

“I'm fine.” Seung-Hyun says.

They continue walking not knowing where to go.

“So are we good?” asks Seung-Hyun.

“I guess. Anything to make Grandma happy...” replies Eun-Ae.

“What about you?” Seung-Hyun hesitates asking the question knowing this was more personal.

“What do you mean?” Eun-Ae asks.

“You’re not okay,” says Seung-Hyun. “There is something that is making you sad.”

Eun-Ae mind begins to race. Could he be talking about last night how she left and came back crying? Or how she was locking in the bathroom for an hour? Or did Grandma tell them something about her past?

“Why do you think that?” Eun-Ae finally says.

“I saw it in your eyes last night. You were crying…”

“I’m just tired!” yells Eun-Ae.

“Maybe you are tired of keeping that secret of yours to yourself...” push Seung-Hyun. “...I know how it feels to lose someone you love.”

They hadn’t even noticed they had led themselves into a park when Eun-Ae turned away from Seung-Hyun. The park was filled with cherry blossom trees with only a few people walking along the trials. The wind picked up the pedals off the branches and made them dance around in the sky. Eun-Ae didn't know how to react. How did he know? How did he know she was sad because she had finally thought about her brother after such a long time? The wind blew her short hair reviling the hearts on her bandana. Seung-Hyun was being truthful about losing someone he loved. He didn't exactly lose that person the way Eun-Ae did, but it was just as painful.

“They took me away from my younger sister about two years ago. They told me I was a bad influence for her. My parents separated us and put me in camp for the bad children. That's what they told me. I ran away before I could be sent to where ever that was, but that wasn't the worst part. It was only after that I heard the worst. I heard my sister disappeared,” Seung-Hyun takes a deep breath and leans against a tree. “She disappeared but I had no clue how or why. I went back home to go find her thinking she just pretended to run away and she was hiding in her special place in her room but when I got there, her room was empty. I got caught by my parents and I begged them to tell me where she was but all they said was, 'She was worth a lot'.”

Seung-Hyun pounded on the side of the trying to swallow the terror he felt just thinking about where she was. Eun-Ae was silent listening intensely. They were both suffering in the same way and it made her feel a little bit better that there was someone who understood her pain.

“I am sorry to hear about your sister. She must have loved you very much,” says Eun-Ae wiping away her tears.

“Me too. She was only seven years old. If I wouldn't have been so stupid and have escaped with her she would still be alive. I abandon her and I am to blame for her death...”

“It wasn't your fault...” says Eun-Ae. “And I think she would also understand that.”

Eun-Ae could understand what he thought his sister would feel like but he was wrong. She wouldn't hate him. They both sat on a bench thinking quietly, letting the scent of the cherry blossom trees fill their minds and letting it relax their aching hearts. Seung-Hyun tired hard not to cry especially because he was supposed to make Eun-Ae try to feel better, but at the same time he wanted to so very bad. It had also been a while since he had talked about his sister and he had never told anyone his story but for some reason Seung-Hyun felt it would be right to tell Eun-Ae.

“I'm sorry about your brother... I know he's... dead,” says Seung-Hyun.

It takes Eun-Ae a couple seconds to process Seung-Hyun's sentence. He did know. But how? Grandma would never tell anyone and he doesn't even know her? The only other explanation was that he followed her last night but she made sure no one was.

“Why did you follow me?” Eun-Ae dares to say.

Seung-Hyun froze not knowing what to say. He couldn't say he followed her last night or did she know the whole time? She must have seen him last night hiding behind her.

“I'm sorry. You were going out and it's very dangerous to go out at night alone...”

“For a girl, right?” Eun-Ae's says teasing but serious. She had started to believe that she has miss judged him but she spoke to soon.

“No, Yes... I mean...”

“YES. I'm a girl, but I don't need a low life like you watching over me. I have been on my own for a while now and I know some tricks!” Eun-Ae hisses.

She leaves Seung-Hyun in the park to think about his poor choice of words. Seung-Hyun knew he had done it again, but this time he didn't mean too. He didn't mean to be ist against girls. He was truly worried something could have happened to her.

Later

It was seven PM and it had been an hour since Seung-Hyun had returned back to Mi-Kum's house. He sat in the kitchen keeping his eyes on his plate waiting for his last meal but thinking about Eun-Ae. When he was severed, he waited for a while and waited some more, waiting for the sound of the door to swing open hitting the wall and Eun-Ae walking in but it never happened. He finally ate his cold food and carried himself out into the living room where Mi-Kum sat reading a book.

“Where is Henry?” Seung-Hyun asks. He hadn't noticed the absence of Henry till now. He realized Henry hadn’t been at the table in the morning for breakfast but he didn't put too much attention to it. His mind was so distracted on Eun-Ae that he forgot about his friend.

“Where has your mind been Seung-Hyun? I told you just fifteen minutes ago. He left early this morning before I woke up. He left a note on his bed saying he wanted to get a fresh start to make something out of his life.”

“He must have been sleep walking then!” says Seung-Hyun sarcastically. “He was just going get himself caught and then he really won't have a life until he is eighteen. How could he just leave like that?”

“He doesn't want to be a runaway forever and I give him my full support. If he wants to have a better life, he needs to start now. Of course he could get caught but he could also succeed and I believe in him!” Mi-Kum says rising her voice. “Now it's your turn to be smart and start making something out of your life than just hiding around and getting into fights.”

“I don't believe in stuff like that for me.” Seung-Hyun knew well that Mi-Kum only said this to try and cheer him up but in reality, he wouldn't be a free of running away from everyone until he was a legal grownup.

“Who knows, only you can create your future,” smiles Mi-Kum.

Seung-Hyun slowly makes his way to the door. Once he stepped out of Mi-Kum's home, he would be on his own.

“No hug for your Halmeuni? After all the trouble I went through to revive you and I don't even get a hug or a goodbye?”

Seung-Hyun runs back hugging her so tightly he hurt his chest. He was already attracted to Mi-Kum, he didn't want to make it any harder to leave.

“I'll still be around and I will come and visit you. You are my Halmeuni!” says Seung-Hyun trying to sound happy.

“That's my boy!” Mi-Kum now in tears, pulls away waving her hand at him to leave. “Now go!”

“Wait!” says Seung-Hyung, “before I go I wanted to ask you if... Do you know where Eun-Ae is?”

“If you didn't fix things with her, forget about ever seeing her again my boy,” answers Mi-Kum.

~

The night was quiet. There were only a couple cars that roamed the streets, coming and passing every couple minutes. Seung-Hyun had forgotten how lonely it was to travel alone. He had been going from city to city looking for what he now admits, nothing. He had been here for no more than two months and he always managed to survive somehow but now he felt like he didn't know anything about the runaway life.

He sat in the park alone, staring at the moon’s reflection in the small pond in the center of the park. What would he do now? He could stay in this city or he could simply keep on traveling to find nothing? He had told Mi-Kum he would still be around but would that truly matter? Would she even remember him in a couple months? What about Eun-Ae he thought. She could handle being on her own but not for long if her keeps thinking about her brother. Plus he technically owed her for saving him. This was the first time Seung-Hyun cared about someone else’s feelings in an honest way. He looked his reflection in the pond and wondered what made him feel this way? Why did he care about her so much? Then again he had never been able to connect too much with a girl before. He had always been locked away, alone. “If you didn't fix things with her, forget about ever seeing her again my boy.” Mi-Kum's words kept repeating in his head and he almost wanted to slap himself to set his mind straight but he knew it would be useless.

Seung-Hyun wondered the streets once again but this time he was in search for something. He needed to set things straight with Eun-Ae, he owed her an apologized at least. He snuck back to Mi-Kum's house and peeked through the window but he found Mi-Kum still sitting in the living room reading the same book. He searched nearby stores and checked every alley and then suddenly it came to his mind where she could be.

Eun-Ae was frightened. It was dark, with no one around besides the moon. At least she hoped. There were noises she kept hearing every couple seconds. Footsteps. Someone was behind her, and they had been following her for the past thirty minutes. She was on her way to Mi-Kum's when she spotted someone from the corner of her eye. They kept their distance but they weren't careful enough, unless that's how they wanted it. To keep her on her toes until she gives up and beg for mercy. She tried to lose them but it was worthless, and she didn't know how much longer she could stand this. She couldn't give in though! She had to try to lose them once more. Eun-Ae speeded her pace little by little and turns a corner, now running-walking, then turns another corner, now running. Almost in tears from the fear of getting caught, she makes her last move and turns into an alley. The darkness covers her but the silence of the night was now her enemy. Her breathing was heavy from running and she tried as long as she could to hold her breath in but her lungs demand oxygen. She hears the noise once again. Footsteps coming closer, stomping on the ground, crawling towards her. She was now trembling in fear when the noise suddenly vanishes. She lets her heart come to its normal rhythm and then she slowly peeks her head out into the street.

~

A scream travels throughout the lonesome streets. Seung-Hyun stood in place processing the scream through his head. Someone was in trouble. Or was it one of the polices tricks to get runaways attention? He takes the chance and begins running towards the direction the scream came from keeping his eyes open for anything out of place. He couldn't risk getting caught now but what if it was Eun-Ae in trouble! He had to find Eun-Ae.

A hand covers Eun-Ae's mouth and the other hand grabs her waist. She tries screaming again but he crushes her against the alley wall eliminating space for her to move around and shrike. She tries hard to escape the grip but it's hopeless to swarm around. It was only tiring her out more which was exactly what this person wanted. She didn't notice she had closed her eyes but when she finally opened them, she almost wished she hadn't. A bolt of pain hit Eun-Ae's stomach that left her breathless. The person pulls back and Eun-Ae drops to the ground in pain. She tries getting up but it only made the pain worse. They grab her by the collar of her shirt and hurl her down the alley.

“I told you I would get you back girly. NO ONE messes with me!” says the voice.

“My daddy is not going to be happy when he finds me!” spits out Eun-Ae.

“Who knows, he may never find you...” They laugh and kneel down beside her. They show no emotion like the other times and then something changes in his voice.

“Your pain... is my gain.”

The color of Eun-Ae's face vaporize and it was almost like she could feel the stab. The stab her brother received that night.

“It was him! He was the one who should have gotten stabbed instead of her brother!”