A usual sunny day was progressing, its sharp rays penetrating the glass window of the salon. Scissors continued snipping in unison to the jazz singer from the overhead radio. Every time a cluster of hair would land on the ground twenty-two-year-old Namjoo found herself peering at the clock on the wall. It was almost 4:30 in the afternoon and in about another five minutes she would be out the door.
 
This busy metropolitan city with a population of 50 million never died of life. The tall skyscrapers, never ceasing traffic, busy street goers, construction sites, the business and the malls had never stopped growing and changing. It had been the same when she'd abandoned the city and came back. Stepping back into modernity hadn't been an easy choice, but Kim Namjoo was ready to make any sacrifice for the better future of her lovely daughter. 

Half a year had passed and it hadn't been easly settling down, but it hadn't been hard either. With no income Namjoo had felt shameless in the apartment too expensive for her. To guarantee that she would pay Oh Sehun, her old schoolmate and lover, the money with interest back she'd written down an I.O.U. and even let her daughter sign it. 

Sehun even offered to help her get a job through a friend, but upon rejection Namjoo was on her own. After a few weeks of coming back and forth she'd ended up at the salon, a small franchise with the branded Aveda. The small store crammed between a women's fashion store and a lazy café about to close down had been remodeled just before her arrival. Lucky Namjoo landed the job as an assistant who swept up hair, made sure hair sprays and gels were stocked up, and washed the hair of customers before receiving their trims.

The location of the store was always in direct view of the sun so no matter whether it was rainy or sunny, she was always on the bright side of the world. When on break she'd sit outside and enjoy watching traffic come and go. Across the street stood some two other cafes and a restaurant for those whose days were filled with too much work and no break. It had a sit-and-go concept promising the customer that food would be out in fifteen minutes and if not, would get the meal for free. 

Namjoo thought she wanted to go there someday. 

Her head shot toward the clock again and turned around, "I'm off!"

"Ok! Have a good day!" Rita, her boss had been persistent about keeping an English name was in her late thirties. She'd been the one to hire Namjoo on the spot. 

Setting the broom into the closet Namjoo grabbed her bag and turned around. An immediate smile succumbed over her face when she saw Soo Ae, her daughter who was soon turning five, pressing her face into the glass doorway. 

"I saw that!" Namjoo pushed the door open and leaned against it. 

Backing up Soo Ae laughed at her, her gums showing through.

"Mommy!" She jumped against her, wrapping arms around her waist. 

Rubbing her head Namjoo let the door go, "How'd you get here? I was about to come for you." 

Soo Ae threw her hand back, "Uncle Se-Se." 

"Uncle Sehun," Namjoo corrected and watched her daughter smile mischievously. 

Looking past her Namjoo recognized Sehun leaning against his car with phone to his ear. Sehun had grabbed a job as a secretary at some office after completing university was all she knew. She hadn't gotten particularly close to him, but they weren't in a relationship to regard each other as strangers either. If it weren't for him she wouldn't be here nor would she have a place to stay. So maybe they were friends, but not really friends. 

"How about we go home on our own today?" Namjoo crouched down to speak to her daughter. 

"Uncle Se..." she stared up at Namjoo and continued, "hun said he would eat with us." 

Pulling on a smile Namjoo continued, "Your uncle's busy. Sometimes we need to do things on our own, you know? Like going home." 

Soo Ae stared up at her before lowering an eyebrow and nodded. Patting her head Namjoo straightened up and waited for Sehun to finish his phone call. Paperwork was currently in progress of going through so in a few days' time Soo Ae would be going to kindergarten instead of the daycare. Up until recently Sehun sometimes picked Soo Ae up from daycare and Namjoo saw it as a gesture that didn't need to be done. 

Finally tucking his phone away he walked over with a smile, "You're done?" 

"Yes," she replied and put her hand at the back of Soo Ae's head. "Why don't you go on home? Soo Ae and I can take the bus from here." 

"Can't do that," he refused, "since I'm here I'll drop you off at home."

"Don't do this," Namjoo remained stubborn, "you didn't need to pick her up either. The daycare's not that far from here, besides I'm sure you have other things you'd rather do. Soo Ae and I will be fine."

Figuring he wouldn't be able to beat her he turned his attention to her daughter, "We said we'd have dinner together, right? And your mother's going to make your favorite dish?" 

"And play with me!" Soo Ae excitedly nodded forgetting their earlier conversation and Namjoo ended up sighing. 

Taking Soo Ae's hand Sehun led her forward, "We're leaving without you, mom." 

Sehun had gotten her an apartment on the west side of the city. It was one of those buildings that faced the river and was constructed from environmentally friendly equipment. At the back of the building stood a basketball court and a little playground for children. Off to the side a short row of hedges that led toward the streets. The building itself was no less than a century old and the scent of fresh carpet and furniture still lingered around on some floors. 

Namjoo worried about the expense of the apartment and wanted him to downgrade it, but he'd went to explaining that this apartment had been reused by some of his distant relatives. After purchasing it for some few hundred dollars he was giving it to her. Namjoo was still worried about this family thing. 

Like a child, Sehun ran into the living room adorned with nothing but a glass table, a long extending couch, and a TV. They were what his relatives had left behind, he'd explained, so Namjoo had just left it as is. 

Upon entering the kitchen stood on her right, the living room behind it with a large window for a dreamy view of the world outside, and on the left the bathroom and bedrooms. A place of modernity was what it seemed to announce on arrival. Since she was here temporarily until she could pay him back, maintain a stable income, and find her own place she hadn't bothered with adding her own touch to the place. The home was simply laced with white walls, kitchen material, a rice cooker, and their clothes. 

Sehun and Soo Ae hurried back out with her dollhouse and a car, which was in his hands. Although an adult he tended to take on the role of her daughter's playmate. They'd gotten close very quickly and Namjoo couldn't even count the number of times Soo Ae had ruined his clothes with her markers and playing around. Namjoo in particular wished to receive nothing more from him. It made her feel indebted. She'd returned to the city with a mindset of starting a life of her own and nurturing Soo Ae, but somehow it just felt like Sehun was doing everything for them.

Sometimes...a lot of times he helped with providing grocery and would even take to dropping Soo Ae off at the daycare in the mornings. Even when she'd made it clear that she would pick Soo Ae up, he still did it. Toys, coloring books, markers, dolls, and even a few dresses were some of the things Sehun had even gotten for Soo Ae. And in return all he'd asked for was a bowl of rice and some food for dinner. 

Namjoo wouldn't deny that they were once sweethearts, but they were practically strangers now. She wasn't looking for someone to lean on. 

"Boo! Someone's caught mommy!!" Soo Ae shouted jumping against Namjoo covering her eyes half an hour later after Namjoo had set the table.  

"Whose tiny hands are these?" Namjoo smirked touching her daughter's hands and listen to her giggle. "They're so small I'm gonna eat them!"  

Grabbing her hands Namjoo playfully bit them and listened to Soo Ae shriek with laughter. She was so full of energy and mischievous tricks Namjoo sometimes couldn't keep up.

"Enough playing, go sit in your seat," Namjoo told.  

Climbing onto her chair and grabbing her spoon Namjoo placed some egg rolls onto her plate, "I want to eat lots of yummy food, mommy, but not until I'm fat. There's a very chubby boy at the daycare and he can't run. He gets tired very quickly." 

"Is that so?" Namjoo replied in the childish tone she always used with her daughter. "Then I'll keep working hard so you can eat all you want."

"I want to be tall too, like Uncle Se-Se."  

"Uncle Sehun," Namjoo corrected cupping a hand under Soo Ae's mouth as she fed her a spoonful of rice. In return she heard Sehun chuckle.  

"Don't you think it has a unique tone?" Sehun asked.  

"You're teaching her bad manners," Namjoo shot him a glance.  

Leaning in toward Soo Ae he said, "But that's how kids learn good manners. Right, Soo Ae?"  

Her daughter laughed and nodded her head. After a few more bites Soo Ae had run off from the table announcing to Sehun that she was going to finish his coloring book. Wiping the table clean after clearing the dishes off she returned to the kitchen to wash them. Sehun's shadow appeared by the fridge a second later before he leaned against it.  

"Did the enrollment papers go through yet?" Sehun asked.  

"They'll call soon."  

"Did you figure out who to put down as an emergency contact?"  

"Well..."  

"You can put me down," he offered. "You don't really know anybody else."  

Namjoo's fingers squeezed the sponge. Her world suddenly seemed so small. There was only her co-workers and Sehun now. She didn't want to involve Sehun in her life.  

"Soo Ae's birthday's coming up soon, right?" He asked. "Have you thought about what to do?"  

Namjoo didn't know the real date of Soo Ae's birth so it'd become the day she'd picked her up in the alley. Through the years of raising Soo Ae alone, Namjoo had never held an official party for her. It'd just been a special meal of pancakes and whatever else she'd been able to afford, but Soo Ae never complained. As a mother it was a disappointment she couldn't do anything more for her precious baby.

"I have something in mind, but we can talk about it later." Sehun told.  

Namjoo found herself thinking about how ecstatic Soo Ae would be if she could spend her birthday with her new friend. She'd be all laugh and smiles.  

"Ok," she ended up nodding, "and tomorrow, don't go to the daycare. I'll get her tomorrow, so don't leave work early."

Sehun only returned a smile before turning around to hurry back to Soo Ae. As she listened to the two of them talk over how well Soo Ae had colored the dog, she wondered if this kind of involvement was safe for her daughter. 

Soo Ae wouldn't come to expect anything from Sehun later on, would she?

*****

Compared to the rest of his friends Sehun still lived at home. If it weren't for his overly protective mom and strict father he would already have a place of his own to call home. Before he was born his mother had suffered from two miscarriages and through all the suffering and praying they finally had him. His mother would never let him out of her sight until she probably died.  

While growing up his father always set a curfew for him and if he wasn't home on time, would receive a long lecture and be rid of his monthly allowance. They were the cause of his obedient upbringing and the rebellious nature he'd kept under wraps until meeting Namjoo in high school. Till now his very social life was still observed by them. 

Regardless of his strict parents, they were a very normal family who owned their own plot of acre where their house stood. It was a simple two-story building the color of baby blue. His mother often tended to the yard outside when the seasons were warmer, decorating the front of the house with blooming flowers. His father was a businessman who took enjoying fishing as a sport and watching the TV as a leisure activity. His mother tended to be more outspoken compared to his father, the quiet man. Sometimes they seemed to be exact opposites.

When he drove into the driveway he spotted the next door neighbor's daughter, Eun Bi, pacing in front of the doorway. There was an orange glow coming from the back light. He'd recognize her shadowy figure from anywhere. They'd grown up together and one time as a young boy he'd even promised to marry her when they grew up. Both their parents had mused over how he took to chasing her so desperately and even joked about getting them married when they were older.

Now he regarded them as friends, nothing more.                        
                    
She turned upon hearing him close the door and broadly smiled, revealing to him the teeth she'd cleaned at the dentist's earlier in the day. Her long straight bangs brushed her face while her eyes glittered.  

"You're here?" She asked.  

"Yea," he replied stopping before her, "what are you doing out here?"  

"I was just waiting for you, we just had dinner. I told mom to leave some for you in case you were hungry." She meant his mom.  

Their families were practically so close that she'd taken to calling his mom and dad her mom and dad. Sehun didn't really feel anything about it, so he'd let her call them as she liked. If he ever made her cry his mother would probably have his neck since she regarded Eun Bi as her own.  

"I already ate," Sehun replied walking toward the door.  

"Really?" She turned to watch. "You don't eat dinner at home anymore. Where do you go?"  

"I had an appointment."  

"Must be important," she nodded, "you have six important appointments each week. You only have dinner at home once or you're with Chanyeol."

Sehun turned to glance at her and as if realizing he'd caught the disappointed sarcasm in her voice, turned away. 

"I'm going home now. I'll see you tomorrow." She smiled and waved before walking off. 

Sehun watched her disappear through the narrow path between the hedge that separated their homes from each other. When he climbed the stairs up to his room he immediately undid his tie and started to his shirt. The wilted flower he'd placed inside a Ziploc bag and the uneaten candy beside it caught his eye when he turned. 

They were the very gifts he'd received from Soo Ae along with a few drawings she'd drawn up at the daycare he'd taped to his wall. Namjoo's daughter was a precious one. It felt like he was magnetically pulled to her and just like how Namjoo dedicated her all to her, he too, wanted to give Soo Ae as much as possible. It was amazing how much Namjoo loved that little girl, someone who had nothing to do with her. 

When he first heard of how Namjoo had rescued Soo Ae from the pile of trash in the alley his heart went out to them. Regardless of how it had started, Soo Ae was now a happy little girl who smiled even more than her mother. Out of goodwill, Sehun just wanted the best for the little one. Coming back to Seoul had been a big decision and he realized Namjoo wouldn’t have enough income to keep the two of them going. He'd just wanted to lend a hand at first, but after a month or two he couldn't stop himself from continuing to help them.  

And precious little Soo Ae, the shine in her eyes and how she mischievously joked with him just kept calling him back.  

"Uncle Se-Se," he could hear her calling him again before Namjoo would correct her for the hundredth time.  

Smiling, he turned around to head into the shower. 

His mother was setting up the table when he walked downstairs the next morning. Sehun stared at all the homemade food on the table and sat down.

"Good timing," his mother commented. 

"What's all this? Are you preparing a feast?" Sehun's eyes glazed over the variety of dishes. 

"Eun Bi brought them with her this morning," she explained. "Did she talk to you last night?" 

"Last night?" 

"Her parents are heading out of town for a funeral and don’t want her staying home alone. So she's going to be staying with us for a while."

Sehun stuffed his mouth with a spoonful of the soup Eun Bi had brought and approved of the taste at once.

"In the meantime, you two can have firsthand experience at what marriage life is like. I'm not going easy on you." His mother went on. "Ah...there you are. My pretty daughter-in-law." 

Immediately choking on the food Sehun began coughing before turning to stare at Eun Bi, who stood in the doorway with her hair up in a bun - the exact style of a housewife's - and an apron around her torso.