“Hey, what kind of attitude are you giving to me right now? You’re really rude, you know? Each and everyone of you here. You should be grateful I am still buying from you.”

Here she was. Again. She was the worst of the worst. She, patronizing the shop with 50 pounds of powder on her face everyday, was someone Hye Jin could not stand.

She was a young but really annoying woman. She would always come to the shop and complain about her boss and her employees, then proceed to lecture the poor, innocent girls working there. If it had not been for her kind boss who always calmly settled matters, she would have quit one week after she had started. This work was getting on her nerves.

“All of you are always incompetent, asking for you to find something is not a huge mission, and yet y’all take like, what? 10 minutes? Y’all are probably still relying on your mothers now. Go find her and cry in her arms, then.”

So is this woman.

Hye Jin couldn’t keep it in any longer. She started, “Excuse me, Madam. I have something to say, would you allow me to say it? Okay,wait, nevermind. I shall say it even it even if you don’t allow me to, because I can.”

The woman stared at her, “What? You really have no re-”

“Well, firstly,” Hye Jin cut her off, “I’m gonna request for you to work here, dealing with unreasonable customers like yourself, and try to see if you can do it. I mean, is it our fault you in your work? Is it our fault your boss treats you like you’re just a ? Is it our fault that your employees are newbies and you just can’t seem to be patient with them? Well, judging from your impatience and short temper, I can’t help but agree with your boss. Like, can you not be so inconsiderate? Please, the world doesn’t revolve around you. Everyone has their problems. Doesn’t mean if you feel agitated over dumb things, you are superior. Think about your so called useless employees. I bet they feel worse having you as their boss than you having them as your employees. I hope you properly reflect and think about your own attitude then decide who has the worse attitude. Sure, I am rude because I’m lashing out at a customer, but look at yourself, almighty.”

Upon realising what just came out of , Hye Jin’s eyes widened in shock. She stared wordlessly at the embarrassed customer, who was now hurrying down to the entrance of the mall. While reprimanding the customer, she didn’t realise the crowd which has gathered to watch the mini-drama among the two.

After the crowd dispersed, Hye Jin’s colleagues let out their laughter as they crowded around her. Some of them patted her back, and she felt someone ruffle her hair.

“Nice one there!”

“I can’t believe our maknae is so brave!”

“Good job, Hye Jin!”

She scratched the nape of her neck shyly, then something came into her mind:

Did I just cause the shop to lose a regular customer?

.

Hye Jin saw her manager stepping out of nowhere with a serious look, “Hye Jin, I need to speak to you.”

Hye Jin’s colleagues stared at each other, mouthing, “But she didn’t do anything wrong…”

Hye Jin sighed, then hurried across to her manager. She looked away, feeling guilty. “Ms Jung, I’m terribly sorry, I-”

“What are you talking about?” Hye Jin jerked her head up, staring confusedly at Ms Jung, whose face flashed a bright expression at her, “I was gonna thank you! Ugh, I always have to put on a smile in front of her, solving matters. I was already getting ready to let her feel a gush of embarrassment today, but I didn’t think she would be here so early. Looks like you beat me to it though, so good job, Jin-ah! Geez, seriously. Just because she comes every damn day to vent her anger, she thinks she’s big? She always comes here to test out the lipstick and all the other make-up. She goes off with full make-up on her face, you’d think she bought many stuff everyday. Heck, she just buys like one lipstick and goes off, after applying makeup to her face. It’s already clearly stated you should test it out on your hand, I guess she’s just not well read. When we tell her to stop, she says stuff like we’re rude and everything. I really want to throw a dictionary into her face and tell her to search for the definition of rude, seriously,” she ranted.

Everyone shot her a surprised look. They didn’t expect their usually calm, composed manager to be speaking like that. They always thought she was just kind and overly understanding.

Well, now they know.

It’s really difficult to deal with those customers, even for Ms Jung.

---------------

Hye Jin strided to her unwrapped chair and slumped down on it. She sighed.

Today was a long day.

She looked around her apartment,

Why is there still so much more to unpack?

She cracked her neck and stretched, then got up to unpack.

She started with tearing the plastic out of her furniture, then went to the pile of boxes.

As she was emptying the boxes, she came across an old photo, which has existed for 13 years.

Wow, 13 years?

She tenderly the polaroid, tears falling from her eyes as she looked regretfully at the 5 year old her with her parents, posing outside the amusement park.

They were smiling. A few hours before the incident, they were happy.

The fact that they have been away from each other for 13 years, scarred her.

Badly.

---------------

“Jinnah, have you enjoyed yourself today?” Mrs Choi asked, smiling lovingly at her excited daughter who was bouncing to the carpark. Hye Jin’s tiny hands were fit perfectly into her parents’ big hands as she was still excited from all the rides she went onto that day.

“Yes! Hye Jin had fun! Daddy, bring Mommy and I here again tomorrow!” she begged, looking at her father with anticipation in her eyes.

Mr Choi flashed a smile of apology to the little girl, replying, “Sorry, Jinnah, Daddy has work tomorrow. I went on leave today just for you, princess. I promise, during the holidays, okay?”

Hye Jin tilted her head in confusion, “I don’t know what a leave is, but okay!”

Her parents looked at each other and laughed at their daughter’s response. She was so precious to them.

By the time they were beside the car, Hye Jin was fast asleep in Mrs Choi’s arms. She smiled, opening the door, "I’m glad I gave birth to her. I’m glad you’re her father. I’m really glad.”

Her husband stared at her, shocked from her sudden confession. Then he looked at how lovingly she was looking at their daughter and he smiled back, “Me too. I’m lucky to have you two ladies in my life.”

The couple held a conversation till they reached their destination. Their smiles immediately dropped when they saw that the door was open. Inside of her, Mrs Choi was praying that she had forgotten to lock the door, but she knew that was not the case. She was sure she locked the door. She made sure it couldn’t open before she carried Hye Jin to the car, where her husband was waiting.

“Please, Jinsoo, don’t,” his wife begged, “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

He looked at his wife and comforted her, “Everything will be alright, Minjoo,” he smiled soothingly, “I promise.”

Just then, the little girl in the back woke up, “What’s happening?” She rubbed her eyes and studied her parents’ worried expression, “What’s wrong?”

Jinsoo looked back and smiled, “It’s nothing, Jinnah. I will go out for a while, stay with Mommy in the car, okay? Be a good girl.”

Hye Jin sensed that something was wrong but she didn't question it. She didn't want her parents to feel burdened.

"Okay!"

He left and ran to their house, after locking his car.

Mrs Choi looked at her husband’s retreating figure. He went inside and the lights.

---------------

Jinsoo was spotted by the unwelcomed guests, who were holding hand knives.

He stood by the door and tried to negotiate with the robbers, “Misters, please put down your weapons. Is there anything you want? I can give you everything, just name it.”

The robbers glanced at each other and laughed out loud, “Did you hear that? He wants to negotiate with us! If that’s the case, then isn’t it obvious? We want every single dollar you have and every single valuable item you have. And now that you’ve seen us, who knows, you may call the cops. We want your life.”

Jinsoo’s eyes widened. He was sweating profusely, staring at the strangers. He opened his mouth to reply, but he didn't know what to say. One word. One wrong word, and he would never be able to see the two most important females in his life.

Ever again.

His eyes shifted from one of them to the other, and finally he spoke, “Please don’t hurt me. I won’t call the cops, I won’t. Please let me live,” he pleaded, tears welling up in his eyes.

The men laughed at him. One even called him pathetic.

Jinsoo didn’t care about dying. He wouldn’t care if he didn’t meet his perfect wife. He wouldn’t care if he didn’t have a beautiful daughter with her.

He wouldn’t.

He didn’t even care about his pride. He just wanted to live through so that he wouldn’t die in guilt of leaving Minjoo and Hye Jin, so that he could be living in happiness with his family. Unfortunately, his thoughts were interrupted by one of the men, charging at him with the blade in his hand.

He screamed in pain.

He didn’t even realise he was walking in front the whole time.

He didn’t know his will to live made him walk forward, wanting kneel in front of the robbers to beg them.

He looked down at the blade, now covered in fresh blood and held it. He looked up at the robbers in shock. He fell to the ground as the robbers started bickering.

“Hey! We weren’t supposed to kill him! What the !”

“You think I care? Just run!”

The men gathered their items and fled.

---------------

As soon as Mrs Choi heard a scream, she carried the 5 year old out of the car, making a beeline for their house. She saw two men making a run for it, and ran even faster to see her husband.

She put her daughter down and scurried for her husband, whose blood was soaking up his clothes. She started to sob uncontrollably. She started, “Jinsoo! Jinsoo, you have to live through this! You said you will! You said everything would be alright!”

Hye Jin quickly picked up the telephone, and dialled for an ambulance, then ran forward to shake her father, tears streaming down her face. “Daddy! You promised you would bring Mommy and I to the amusement park again during the holidays! Don’t sleep, Daddy!” she cried.

Jinsoo used up all his strength to reach out his hand, ruffling the crying girl’s hair.

“Silly girl, don’t cry.” He smiled weakly.

“Daddy… Don’t say anymore,” Hye Jin begged. “The ambulance will arrive soon, Daddy, don’t…”

“Be good to Mommy, okay? Don’t let anything happen to her.”

Hye Jin nodded, as tears fell off his own face.

“Jinsoo…”

He turned his face to his wife for the final time, “Honey, it’s fine. You are Park Minjoo, you must be strong, okay? Don’t cry, you have to protect our little girl.”

Just at that moment, his breathing was cut and he closed his eyes.

“JINSOO!”

“DADDY!”

Suddenly, Minjoo stopped crying. She glared at Hye Jin, “You… It’s all because of you! Why did you have to be born on this day? If you weren’t even born, we wouldn’t even leave the house, no robbers would come in,” she sighed deeply, “And my husband wouldn’t die. It’s.Because.Of.You.”

She abruptly took out the knife from her husband’s stomach and directed it to her daughter, “Because of you.”

She raised it up high, but was unexpectedly stopped by their neighbours, who also heard the scream. They held her hand and tried to remove the bloody knife. She struggled, “LET ME GO! I NEED TO KILL THIS UNGRATEFUL CHILD!”

Hye Jin was dumbfounded and just stood there, watching.

Me? It was my fault?

She cried as she saw her mum struggle, trying to get away from their neighbours. Then something no one thought would happen, happened.

“MOMMY!!!!”

“Hye Jin’s mom!”

Hye Jin ran towards her mother and hugged her as she fell to the ground. The knife pierced through her neck while she was struggling. Blood spilled out as she kneeled beside her dead husband.

Hye Jin screamed, knowing she lost both her parents.

“MOMMY! DADDY!”

She cried, but it was no use. She wished it was a horrible nightmare. She wished she would wake up soon, and her mother would wake her up with kisses, help her wash up, and give her cereals.

But no.

It was reality.

Her parents were dead.

The next morning, the news about her parents were shown everywhere; newspapers, TV, internet.

“5 year old loses both parents on the same day; father murdered by robbers, mother stabbed herself while struggling to get free from neighbours who were holding on to her.”

Hye Jin sobbed as the police officers tried to get her statement, but all she did was cry.

“Little girl, you have to co-operate with us, so we can help you,” the female officer consoled Hye Jin nicely, “Will you assist us?”

“Mommy.. Mommy said it was my fault. If my birthday was not yesterday, Daddy wouldn’t bring us out to the amusement park… If I wasn’t born at all, Daddy would be fine. Mommy wouldn’t be angry. She wouldn’t want to hurt me with the knife. Mommy wouldn’t hurt herself." She sniffed, "I promised Daddy I won't let anything happen to Mommy. It's all my fault!"

The female officer listened to her story and her heart shattered into pieces, “Poor girl.” She shook her head and concluded Hye Jin’s statement with, “Choi family was out together, came back and discovered robbers. Mr Choi Jinsoo went to check on the robbers, Mrs Choi (Ms Park Minjoo) hid with daughter Choi Hyejin in the car. Hears a scream and carries Hye Jin into the house and saw two men running away. Seeing Mr Choi Jinsoo sprawled on the floor, Ms Park Minjoo resents Hyejin and tried to kill her, accidentally resulting in her own death.”

---------------

[ authors note : Sorry for not updating till one month later ;'( We had exams xD that was basically an excuse we were slacking most of the time.. We are most active on instagram so follow us if u want at @junhohohong and @kpoo.p :) We will try to update soon haha. ]