“Ah!”

Jiae startled when she felt something fell on her head. She pointed her head upward and saw the rain started to drop. She speeded up her pace. The rain became heavy, but fortunately, she already arrived at her destination. She opened the door and welcomed by the ringing bell.

“I’m here.”

“Oh, you came. Please hurry to the staffroom and change your uniform.” A man behind the cashier, said.

“Yes sir.”

She quickly changed her uniform shirt to a plain white shirt and wore an apron. She took a note from a table and came out from that room. She approached a customer that raised his hand and made a note of his errand.

--

“Good job today, Jiae.”

“Thank you, Sir.” She smiled.

“Tomorrow is Friday. There will be many more peoples come tomorrow, because it’s a weekday. I hope you can come on time.”

“I will, Sir. May I leave now?”

“Oh, yes. Be careful, Jiae-ah.”

She nodded and left that place. It was muzzling outside, the weather these days were not good. Almost every night, you could hear the rain pouring down on your roof. Jiae sighed and then opened her umbrella. She walked to a bus’ shelter and waited a bus that will bring her to her house’s complex.

Jiae entered the bus and almost fell because a person bumped her body. She just frowned and took a seat silently. She just looked outside the window all the way to her home. She startled when someone took a seat beside her.

“What did a student do at this hour still wearing uniform?”

Jiae observed the guy beside her. He didn’t look young nor old, maybe 3 or 4 years older than her. He had small but pretty eyes. A squirrel’s image popped in Jiae’s head when she observed him more. She tried to hold her laugh, created a smile on her face.

“Why are you smiling? Do you like me?” He smirked and Jiae mentally knocked her head. Why did she smile to a stranger? it could make a misconception.

“I wasn’t. I’m sorry.” Jiae gave him a straight look and turn her head faced the window again.

“What’s your name?” Jiae can felt that stranger’s hand above her hand, and she immediately and pulled back her hand.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know you. Please go back to your seat.” Jiae emphasized her last sentence.

“Ey, don’t be so grumpy. Let’s have fun with Oppa.” That guy tried to touch Jiae again but before he could do that, someone pulled her collar from back.

“Kim Himchan, don’t disturb her.”

“Ya… what are you doing…?” That Kim Himchan guy gave an annoyed look to the man beside him, and then shifted his eyes to Jiae and winked at her. Jiae winched.

“I’m sorry, he always like this if he’s drunk.”

‘So that’s strange smell comes from him.” Her mind said

That tanned guy beside Himchan bowed so deeply to her, and Jiae awkwardly bowed her head. She never saw a person bowed at her like that, especially a stranger.

“Ah, I’m fine.”

“We’ll go to back our seat.”

Jiae nodded and they went back to their seat. Jiae could her her ‘savior’ deep voice, scolding that drunken guy, because they were just two seats infront of her.

A few minutes later, she arrived at her destination. She walked to the front, looking at that two guys in her way. Himchan was sleeping and the other guy just looked outside the window. She shrugged and exited the bus. Jiae just wanted to open her umbrella, when she felt there’s no rain again. She speeded up her steps to her home, because it was already so dark, and she didn’t want to meet with another drunken guy again. Fortunately, she could reach the home safely. She didn’t go into her home but entered her neighbor’s yard instead.

She knocked the door, and a middle-aged woman opened the door.

“Oh, Jiae. Come in.”

Jiae followed that woman to living room.”Jinwoo and Mirae already fall asleep; they must be tired because they were playing all day long. Do you want me to make you a hot chocolate?”

“Thank you, Mrs. Kim. But you don’t have to. You must be tired for taking care my brother today, I don’t want to bother you more.”

“It’s okay, Jiae-ah.” Mrs. Kim almost went to the kitchen, but Jiae held her hand. “Mrs. Kim, it’s okay. I will just pick Jinwoo, so you can sleep earlier.”

“Really? Okay then. It must be cold outside, are you okay Jiae-ah?” Jiae could see the motherly look on her face while she was her hair. Mrs. Kim just 15 years older than her but somehow she always act like her mom.

“I’m okay.” She smiled so wide and it made Mrs. Kim shocked. Because, Jiae never had smiled like that since that incident.

“Okay, come with me.” Mrs. Kim guided her to a room and she found her brother was sleeping beside Mirae. Carefully, she picked him up and Jinwoo immediately leaned his head on her shoulder, felt comfortable.

“Thank you, Mrs. Kim. Is it okay if I bring him again to your house tomorrow?”

Mrs. Kim chuckled.”You always asked the same question every night. Of course you can, dear.”

“Thank you. Ah, can you open my bag?”

Mrs. Kim reached her bag. There was a sound of zipper opened.”Can you take that box inside?”

Mrs. Kim took the box outside and gave it to Jiae, but that girl shook her head.”That’s for you, Mrs. Kim. My boss always gave cupcakes for his new employee.”

“Ah thank you, Jiae-ah. But you can just give it to your brother.”

“No, I want to give it to you. I can buy it for Jinwoo later.”

“Thank you, you such a nice kid.”

“Hehe, well I will leave now.”

Mrs. Kim accompanied her until to the door. Jiae smiled and nodded when Mrs. Kim said goodnight to her. She opened the gate and walked to the front door. She was struggling when she took the key on her skirt’s pocket and opened the door. Her 4 years old brother shifted his body when she locked the door.

“Noona, is that you?” he asked in his cute sleep sound.

“Hm, it’s Noona.”

Jiae brought him to his room and laying him down to his bed. Jinwoo opened his eyes as soon as he touched the bed.

“Why are you awake? Go back sleep.” Jiae his hair.

“Noona, this morning Mrs. Kim took us to a mall and while we’re on the way, I saw a place with bunch of kids like me. Mrs. Kim said it’s a kindergarten. Can I go to that place? I want to play with many friends.”

Jiae shocked by how long he talked when he was just awake. She his hair and smiled softly.

“You aren’t old enough, Jinwoo-ah. You can go…. Maybe next year?”

“Really, Noona? Really? Yeaaaay!!” He got up and jumped happily on his bed.

“Yes, but Noona wouldn’t take you if you don’t sleep now.”

Jinwoo immediately plumped his body down and grinned happily. “Alright.” Jinwoo closed  her eyes and turned his body to his side.

Jiae covered his body with blanket and kissed his forehead.”Goodnight, Jinwoo-ah. Sleep well.”

She had the lamp desk and turned off the lamp room before went to her own room.

She closed the door and leaned on it.”I should work harder.”

Jiae and her brother were orphan kids. Their parents passed away one year ago on a car accident. Their aunt wanted to bring them up but Jiae politely refused it. She didn’t want bother other person, because she was a big girl now and she was sure that she could take care both of them by herself. Her parents left them big savings and she received insurance by their parent’s death. But she knew that she couldn’t live by just using that money. She decided to keep it for important thing and searched a part-time job.

She took a picture on her desk. It’s a photo of her small family that had taken 3 months before the accident. She caressed her parent’s face when a tear fell on it.”I will take care of him. I will make him happy, and make him a good boy that you will be proud of.”

 

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English isn't my mother language, so it's kinda bad T__T sorry for mistakes.

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