Kyuwon jump to her bed and lay on her stomach, let her eyes rested without turning on the lamp. The rest of the day was exhausting and drawning her energy to the limit. She have to deal with grandpa who persistent to stayed at school to watch them practice. She had a hard time finding an excuse to convince him to go. Grandpa knows his own quality and stubbornly thinking that he will be needed to comfort the kids. One thing he doesn’t realize is his story telling makes everyone awkward because they’re her friends. They want to complain about how boring it was, but they can’t since it might hurt Kyuwon.

Well, actualy it won’t. She knows well how common people will react whenever they listen to his long and bragfull storytelling. Not because of the story is boring but the way he tells it which makes everyone doze off.

Like a lifesaver, Kiyeong suddenly came to practice hall to fetch grandpa, that was what he said. Excuse with using proffesors wants to meet the oldman and already wait for him at the department conference room. Although grandpa seemed hesistant to go, he decided to stop the story when he reached the part of his blooming 13 years old.

The kids sighs in relieved and respect Kiyeong even more. His value in traditional art department has increase.

Kyuwon was wrong when she thought she finaly can breath properly. Kiyeong wasn’t lied about proffesors wants to meet grandpa. It was actualy real.

And so she have to store her face to the conference room in front of the whole traditional art proffesors. It was like a torment. Awkwardness and stiffness filled her body. It’s not like she scared to be in conversation with her teachers, no, she’s one of the famous student with great leadership in that department. She’s been in a lot of events. She used to talks and discussing with her proffesors.

But this time she’s got a different case. She thinks a situation where relative and teacher meet is not a good memento to remember. She wants proffesors respect her because of her capability, not which household she comes from.

After an hour that felt like a decade, the conversation ended thanks to classes that about to start. Kyuwon has to attend too, but the proffesor allowed her to skip in order to accompany grandpa home. She refused at first, but the proffesors said that she won’t give her bad grade because of skipping class today. It’s like a gratitude for gave her chance to disscuss with Kyuwon’s grandpa.

Kyuwon happyly linked her arm to grandpa’s arm as they walked outside the building, didn’t mind Kiyeng who still followed them around, didn’t mind with the eyes which filled with curiousity on who the hell is the strange girl and old man who walked with Kiyeong. She wasn’t even aware of them.

It was the first time in history Kyuwon skipping class without specific reason. She felt somewhat excited and light in heart. The summer air suddenly became warm and refreshing.

Unfortunately, as if she’d never allowed to be at ease, Kiyeong’s mother called grandpa’s number and invite him for a diner at their house which grandpa gave a ‘yes’ straightaway. He laughed with Kiyeong after the phone ended. Kiyeong confessed that he knew the diner plan, but he pretended to clueless since his mum wanted to invite grandpa personally. In fact, it was Kiyeong spontanious request after he challanged by Lee Shin’s crazy behaviour towards Kyuwon. He can’t stay still witnessing that guy plays with a girl whom he have his eyes on, the girl his parent want him to marry.

“What are you wearing?” Grandpa scanned his granddaughter from head to toe. “Put a good clothes. Let’s stop by somewhere to get you a proper outfit.”

“Jinjja? You’ll buy me new clothes?” Kyuwon smile expecting a pretty new dress will be store in her closet soon.

“She already looks good, harabeoji.” Kiyeong meant to compliment her, but end up made her disappointed since grandpa satisfied and canceled one and only chance for Kyuwon to get new clothes without saving money.

Kyuwon’s shoulder fell upon the whole misery she face today. Started from the morning with Shin’s nuisance from her house all the way to campus. Not long after that, she have to locked herself inside a toilet to avoid stranger who chased her after Shin’s insane announcement. She owe Kiyeong for saved her to hid, but a moment later Kiyeong pushed a trouble to her face. Thought she finaly can breath properly after took grandpa out of the campus, what a shame today must be her absolute bad day, she have to deal with Kiyeong’s family in his residence. The whole big family were there, it was almost like an official customary engagement.

To make it a complete round, Kiyeong’s mother close her unfortunate events with a few wisdom that have a big potential to give her a heart attack.

“Even though he seemed playful and calm, but our Kiyeong really serious in maintaining his life. He thoroughly arrange plan and schedule everyday. He even have a life map created by himself since he was a kid. I believe you know how he is at school. So...” she put her hand on Kyuwon’s back. “worrying and uneasy are needless as long as you’re with him. Even so, I hope you patiently wait for several years. He wouldn’t want to take care of a woman before he earn a stable income. That’s how responsible our Kiyeong is. Take your time studying and enjoy your passion until your beautiful day comes. Will you be okay to do that?”

YES! I’ll definitely okay. Instead I wish I can taaaaaaake my time foreverrrrrr!

She wants to cry so bad, but tears won’t come out. Maybe it knows that crying is useless since the only thing she’s able to do now is giving up.

‘How To Fight And Stand For Her Freedom To Marry Someone We Love?’

That’s the big question filling up her head. Kyuwon hope someone write a guide book like that and sell it for a cheap price at the book store.

She wants to see dad, maybe he knows the answer. But he lives too far in Ulsan. She’s never been somewhere far alone. It’s too risky since she get lost so easyly.

Kyuwon turn around and laying on her back, staring at the dark ceiling, wish she could find a reason to laugh despite being on the edge of her freedom.

“Eomma, why did you left me alone? Harabeoji is unstopable. I can’t feel myself if he stay stuborn. I know he love me and wants the best for my future. But I’ve never ask for a perfect future by sacrifice my youth.” She put her arm on top of her eyes. “Eomma, could you come back to me? I really need you here.”

Her loud and long breath fill the quiet room. Her lips form a sullen shape like someone crying, followed by a sobbing sounds. It’s not a normal sob actualy. The sound forcefully coming from the nose which clear and not runny.

She’s pretending to cry.

“Aish! At least let me cry like a broken hearted girl!”

“Youuuu have... a meeesaagee...”

She startle by the ringtone of incoming message on her phone. She sighs loudly as she lazyly take her phone from the table next to bed.

Her eyes open wide. The name appear on the screen consist of two words: Lee and Shin.

“Lee Shin sent me a message?” She look up to see the clock wall even though she can check the time from her upper screen or date and time info below the message. “Shouldn’t he sleep already by this time? Does he a nocturnal person?”

She’s being cautious when her thumb tap the screen to open the message. You have to stay alert because this is Lee Shin we are talk about.

Sleeping?

Kyuwon dazed with hands holding her phone in the air. So strange. A word ‘sleeping’ with question mark sounds so vague between good sign or bad sign if it comes from Lee Shin. She can’t help but wondering by staring blankly to the screen.

She can’t control her senses on account of one word from Shin. She accidentaly loosen her grip as she think of the reason why Shin asked that. The phone slip from her hands and touch her nose before land on her eye then sliding through her right cheeks, pass by her ear and succesfully arrive on her bed.

Kyuwon flinch and rolling silently on her bed. All of her face and her right ear are in pain. The smartphone already heavy as it is. She doesn’t put additional asecories tho. But the pain is real. Sting to her eyesight.

“What have I done that make me deserve to experience bad day? Ouch it hurt!”

She gets up to sit with legs crossed, and take her phone to send him her reply.

Almost. Waeyo?

Shin – Do you really can sleep?

Kyuwon – What do you mean?

Shin – Looking at how fascinated you were, I thought you will be carried away for the rest of the day until you can’t sleep at all

Kyuwon frown to her phone screen. “Why so confidence? I’m tired, you know. Had I not open your message, I might already asleep by now.” She put both fingers on hold above the phone screen. Thinking what’s the best words to hiss him. “I’ve experience a full package of unlucky moments, my energy drained. Impossible if I’m not sleepy,” she mumbling.

She lay her back to the bed, rolling to the other side of the bed to face the wall. She put her phone down to think hard about the reply. At that time, from the outside of her room, Grandpa who just back from the bathroom notice the darkness in Kyuwon’s room. He stretch his hand through a slightly open door to press the electric switch.

Kyuwon startle as she can feels a sudden brightness even though her eyes shut tight from thinking hard. She turn her head quickly to the door. “Harabeoji, what are you doing? I’m sleeping.” She lied.

“Won’t you clean yourself after stayed outside all day?”

She nods languidly. “Ne. Just a moment, harabeoji. You can sleep ahead.”

“Alright. Don’t fall asleep before washing up, arasseo? You have to take care of your body.” He turn around as he add, “that’s an assets of a wife.”

Kyuwon dumbfounded by three things that grandpa did: 1. something about being wife; 2. he didn’t turn off the light as he was the one who initiate to turn it on; 3. he didn’t close the door when he left.

“Urgh! Lee Shin and harabeoji annoying level equally capable to awaken my inner bully.” She sulking as she roughly gets up to close the door and turn off the light, then back to bed by throwing herself upsetly. “What will you guys do if I start rebeling and torment people to release my stress after facing you??!”

She decide to sleep without changing clothes and clean herself. Who cares if acne and germ growing on her body? If Kiyeong really persistent to marry her, he have to deal with everything including the germ.

“Youuuu have... a meeesaagee...”

She knows it must be Shin.

“Youuuu have.