When dawn approached, the light from the rising sun softly peered through the crack in the window, giving a slight illumination to the dark-lit room.
Soon, the light gently reached the sleeping girl’s eyelids. The young girl's body shifted quietly, nestling and snuggling within the warm blanket that wrapped her entire body. Not long after, the girl, Cha So-Young finally woke up as she sat on the bed.
A questioning face emerged on her face as she noticed the soft blanket on herself. She didn’t remember ever seeing one, not to mention using one.
But nonetheless, it was a godsend for her as she realized that the room was freezing like the harsh winter. She didn’t dare imagine how she would go through the night without this blanket keeping her warm.
After some mild stretching, she rose up from the bed as her leg lazily moved to leave the roo—. Cha So-Young came to a halt. A look of reflection flashed across her face. After nodding to herself like a proud mom, her body then spun back towards the bed as she energetically tidied it up.
Today, she wanted to be a helpful girl. Or to be precise, to repay the boy who helped her yesterday. And what better way to start than by tidying her own bed?
But because this was her first time doing it. It took her thrice the intended time just to neatly arrange the sheets and blanket on the bed. Although she was slightly embarrassed about this, what truly mattered was the first step no?
Thus, with her cheerful mood, she exited the room and began searching for the boy. As the wooden house wasn’t huge, she immediately caught the boy falling deep into slumber.
The boy was peacefully sleeping on the wooden couch placed right in the living room.
The seat of the couch was covered with only a piece of cloth. And the boy slept through the night on top of it with a pillow to support his head.
When Cha So-Young imagined the boy going through the cold night without anything covering him, a realization struck her as everything just clicked inside her head. A touched and guilt-ridden emotion instantly filled her heart.
Meanwhile, the boy was woken up when he felt a shadow casting over his face. Scrubbing his eyes, his mouth let out a sluggish and drowsy voice. “Hmm? Who is… So-Young…?”
Tae Hyun Goo instantly recognized the girl in front of him. “It’s still morning... Why does your face look like it's about to cry? Did you get a nightmare?”
“The blanket…”
The boy tilted his head in puzzlement as he repeated the word. “Blanket?”.
“I only have 2 but one of them is still drying up outside. What of it? Is it still too cold for you?”
After thinking for a while, the boy figured that she had not been used to the cold night here.
However, So-Young’s saddened expression worsened instead. “Sorry…”
“Eh? Sorry? Why?”
Following a brief explanation from her, Tae Hyun Goo instantly understood her sudden attitude. “Aah.. so that’s why…”
“I’m so sorry… even though Hyun Goo already helped me so much.”
Watching her puppy-like eyes that were on the verge of bursting into tears, Tae Hyun Goo sighed to himself.
Standing up, he began tidying up his makeshift bed, “You said you wanted to help me, right?”
So-Young nodded hastily.
“…Nn, dad and mom said that I must repay the people that helped me.”
Tae Hyun Goo glanced at her. “Then from now on, start saying thank you instead of sorry alright?”
“…Eh?”
Although the word ‘sorry’ was barely used since their first encounter, the boy could already imagine a bad trend arising if he didn’t do anything about this.
“There are only 2 kids living in this house. So we’ll need to help each other a lot. If you keep saying sorry everytime I help you. It will feel like I’m having a loss everytime I’m doing it.”
“But—”
“No but!”
Tae Hyun Goo continued with a stern gaze.
“Just say ‘thank you’ and help me back whenever I need one, got it?”
Although it took her some time, in the end, she nodded and said, “Got it… thank you for the blanket,” albeit her tone was a bit low.
Tae Hyun Goo gave a wry smile when he heard her downcast voice. But then, a past memory came into his mind.
After some thought, he placed his hand on top of her head and began tenderly patting her hair. He then said with a playful expression.
“Good job.”
Cha So-Young remained motionless. His movement was so sudden that she didn’t react at all.
In truth, she had had her head stroked several times by her family. But no matter what, this was the first time she had been pat by someone her own age!
In the past, when her dad did it to her, she honestly kinda enjoyed it too. But for some reason… this one felt really annoying!
Cha So-Young rapidly steps back as she shielded her head and stared at his palm menacingly.
Tae Hyun Goo was of course taken aback by her extreme reaction. When he glanced at his own palm, he let out a chuckle and whispered to himself. “I see. So this is how it feels.”
Cha So-Young narrowed her eyes, attempting to deduct the meaning of his words. But the boy only shook his head and gave out an infectious laugh.
“My bad my bad. I didn’t think you would hate it so much.”
Wanting to escape from this topic, the boy tried changing the subject. “Right, So-Young, do you want to take the shower first?”
“…No, Hyun Goo can use it first.”
“Alrighty!”
Watching him quickly preparing his clothes to go to take a shower, So-Young asked wonderingly.
“Hyun Goo… are you going somewhere?”
The boy responded while planting a towel on top of his head. “Hm? Did you forget that I need to buy your clothes first? And also, I’m going to work!”
“Really? What work are you doing?” So-Young asked curiously.
“You won’t believe it though.”
“Hey! What is that supposed to mean?!”
“It means what it means…”
Cha So-Young squinted her eyes as she speculated.
“Are you doing something weird? Like a gil… ee… gilo… umm.”
Watching her struggle, the boy felt a little helpless but decided to lend her a hand regardless. “You mean gigolo?”
“Aah! Yeah! …Are you actually a gigolo, Hyun Goo?” Cha So-Young asked while featuring an innocent appearance.
With a roll of his eyes, his finger smacked the little girl’s head.
Tak!
“Ouch! It’s just a joke...”
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”
“Mou…” she gently rubbed on her red forehead.
With her chubby and plump cheeks, she begged with her grumpy tone. “Just tell me Hyun Goo! I swear I’ll believe you!”
With a shrug, the boy answered plainly.
“Mercenary.”
“Ehh! You’re lying!”
“…”
So-Young skillfully squatted down when she noticed a finger moving in to attack her again.
“This brat… you’re asking to get punished!” Hyun Goo stated angrily.
“Hehe..”
“Don’t hehe me!”
Cha So-Young’s reaction wasn’t that surprising. After all, all the mercenaries that she had seen before had always been buff and rough-looking. But not only was Tae Hyun Goo just a child… looking at his fair face and slim body…
The boy folded his arm and glared at her as though offended by it. He spoke with a harsh tone.
“And why can’t I be a mercenary? Because I’m a kid? And a kid can’t be a mercenary?”
Feeling the sudden change of atmosphere, Cha So-Young felt a little nervous as she connected her index fingers.
“N-no… I just…”
“Just what?!” he shouted suddenly.
“Eeek… I’m sorry…!” Cha So-Young quickly apologized in a sorry state.
Seeing her pitiful display, the boy suddenly broke out into a giggle as the towel on top of his head swayed like jelly.
Cha So-Young was perplexed when she noticed his laugh. So was he angry or not?
The girl never expected to get played like this.
Well, who told her to be so bratty? But teasing her was a little fun, so this was an unexpected discovery for the boy.
Under the betrayed gaze of the little girl, the boy cleared his throat. “Didn’t I tell you before? They don’t know that I am a kid.”
“…But how?”
A proud image then manifested in his expression. “You’ll see.”
After saying that, he winked at her and entered the bathroom before locking it right after. And just like that, Cha So-Young was left alone on a cliffhanger.
This was the first time that she felt like she had been tricked, backstabbed, and quite possibly, bamboozled. And all she could do was thrust out her lips and wait like a good kid.
