Seohyun went home at an empty house, its quietness is deafening it worsens her mood.

They had a call from the hospital that Chunsa, that little girl was confined… again… and her injuries were more serious this time. In a hurry, they went to the hospital and there she found the child inside a charity ward.

She almost couldn’t identify her, with a bandage on her head, a cast on her right leg not to mention the bruises. Her left eye was swollen. She looked worn out. Her heart went to the child. And to think she has no one else but her father breaks her heart in a million pieces.

She couldn’t help but cry in silence.

The doctor said she received several blows to the head and caused some internal bleeding. One of her ribs is broken and then the bruises.

He almost killed her.

And she’s upset coz they could’ve prevented it. But because of lack of evidence.. their restrictions as Social workers.. they couldn’t

The father is already behind bars. Drunk. But being drunk is no excuse to almost murder his own daughter.

She’s keeping her fingers crossed and vowed to keep the direct line to heaven busy until Chunsa got well.

She sighed at the thought. Their maid told her that her oppas have gone out to wherever and her appa was called for an urgent meeting at Jeju, her omma decided to tag along.

Instead of going directly to her room, she went to their very own bar counter situated at the farthest corner of the living room. She sat on the bar stool and poured a vodka on a glass

She has drunk a couple of shots when Yonghwa came. She felt his presence but she chose not to acknowledge him. She was staring at the vodka bottle, as if studying what’s inside it. She failed to notice that he instantly took notice of her forlorn figure and that he knew that something was terribly wrong.

He sat down on the bar stool beside her and stared at her in silence

When their eyes met, the tears that she was holding fell down. She cried in silence. No sobs. No sighs. Just tears, that flowed down her cheeks.

Yonghwa was still silent but stayed staring at her. but when she glanced at him, she saw the understanding in his eyes.

Just like that, her emotions opened like a dam. “I was assigned to this case at work. A child, this is the second time she’s in a hospital. At least, that was what was reported to us. Her father almost beat her to death. I almost couldn’t identify her because of her bruises and cuts…“she said in between sobs.

She could not understand herself, how she could talk about the incident to him. Maybe, in the kind of mood she was in at the moment, she was just desperate to have someone to talk to.

Before she knew it, she was telling him the whole sordid story. And not just Chunsa’s story, but all of her cases. And how she was having a hard time not to get emotionally involved.

“They have already warned me before about this. About always being levelheaded and avoid being too emotional. Maybe because I’m still new at the job… that’s why…” she poured another one on her shot glass. The bottle was almost half empty.

Yonghwa slowly took the bottle of vodka in her hand. “I don’t think so. No matter where you are, or what your job would be, you will always get emotionally involved. And that’s what makes you a good social worker. Because you care”

“I don’t know about that. I felt like I absorbed the little girl’s stress earlier. Although, if that’s one way to help, then… I wish to absorb all the pain that she has gone through. At least I can handle it, but not that poor child”

“I think I know why you’re so attached to her”

“What do you mean?” her eyebrows furrowed

He shook his head. “Simple, she reminds you of yourself, Seohyun-ah. admit it or not, she’s a lot like you in so many ways”

Her eyes widened at what she hears. She tried to deny it but he didn’t give her a chance. “Loving someone even though it hurts. And still loving him even if he doesn’t love her back the way she deserves to be loved” he said looking at her deeply

She stared back at him in defiance. There was something in his tone which suggested that they are not talking about the little girl, Chunsa anymore. That they were now discussing something else.

She decided to be frank. “Are we talking about Chunsa here?”

He did not even blink an eye. “What do you think?”

“I think we should end this now” she does not want to talk