"There you are!" Ha-Nui had just finished ordering food as her manager, Yang Kyung Won, walked into the restaurant, catching her attention.

      Jumping backwards, Ha-Nui feigned surprise as she saw Kyung Won's facial hair.

     "A face like that screaming at me in public had me scared for a moment." Eyes wide she laughed mischievously as he rubbed his chin.

     "This is the new trend for men my age. The rough look is making the girls go wild since Ropert Pattin-Patting-that western guy became a thing here." Putting his hands in his vest pockets, Kyung Won shook his hair out of his face as he chuckled.

   Raising a brow, Ha-Nui laughed incredulously as she tried to figure out who he was referencing.

    "Robert Pattinson?" Clapping her hands, she opened her mouth wide. "Ah! I got it now. That ugly guy, right? I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder then, if he's your style. Aren't you a few years late on that trend?" Kyung Won's lips faltered as he realized her insult.

    "You don't know good looking when you see it. I don't have to listen to you. True beauty is timeless." Sucking his teeth, he followed her to the table she picked out for them. Tossing her bag to the side she sat down.

    "What exactly does your future wife have to say about your look?" Kyung Won scrunched his nose as he thought of his fiancé.

    "She hates it." He said with a bright smile." But once she sees other women breaking their necks to stare at this handsome face, she'll become jealous and see that I am desired by many."

    "Let's pray that doesn't happen. I'm already looking at dresses for the wedding, I don't want to miss out on a good time." Kyung Won waved her off as he sat back on the bench. His long legs crossed as he narrowed his eyes at her.

    "Anyways, what's made you invite me out for a meal today?" Reaching into her bag, she pulled out the brown envelope. Kyung Won recognized it immediately as she tapped it before his eyes.

   "I put a little more thought into this..."

   "No way, you're going to do it then?"

   Putting her hand to halt him as he reached for the envelope, Ha-Nui closed her eyes.

    "I said I've been thinking!"

    Jerking it from her hands, he looked inside to the papers he needed her to fill out. "Bullshit. You're going to do it, aren't you?" Excitedly he hit her in the arm with the bundle of papers. "Thank you Choi Ha-Nui! You came through for me on this one. The employee from this company was a sunbae of mine, I owed him one by getting you on to this."

    "I'm always up for sale aren't I?" She said under her breath.

     "Of course! How else do you think I was able to build a savings account big enough to last me the rest of my life?" He grinned greedily, making her lips tug at the corners.

    "You're welcome." She nodded sarcastically as their food arrived.

    "What took you so long to make the decision? You were pissing me off avoiding my messages asking you to make up your mind." Digging in to his food, Kyung Won happily ate.

     Her memory of the letter from Ha-Na came to mind.

     "I had a little encouragement from a special person."

     "Special?" A piece of rice flew from Kyung Won's mouth as he spoke. Ha-Nui had spent 10 years with him as her manager, and she had become immune to anything that would have grossed anyone else out. Simply brushing the piece of food onto a napkin, she continued on.

    "Yes. Special. I may even give them a shout out in the book for pushing me."

    A devilish grin appeared on his face as he began coming up with his own ideas of this person.
    "Ha-Nui...are you dating someone? What is this...you don't think you should tell me this kind of stuff now that you went and practically dropped me?"

    Rolling her eyes, Ha-Nui didn't even entertain his words as she shook her head.

     "This could be good for you. Once we get the word out that you're writing a book, then we can hit everyone with news of athlete C being seen with unknown male X. It will be  great publicity."

    "So you want a scandal? Do I look cheap to you?"

    "Cheap? Don't be silly. Everyone must face a dating scandal in their life. You haven't had a single one, so imagine how invested people we be to figure it out." Just by looking at him, she knew he was already seeing headlines in his imagination.

    "Sorry to disappoint you, but you won't have to escort me to unmarked cars avoiding reporters as I hide behind sunglasses and a hat..." Instantly, Kyung Won's idea was thwarted." I received a letter from a fan a couple of days ago, a young girl."

    Knocking off with his joke, her manager returned to his food as he listened to her talk. He saw that she had been genuinely pleased by whatever she had read.

    "Seeing her words and imagining how happy she must have been to show me her accomplishments made me feel honored. I want her to know she's inspired me to give others advice about life the way I know it to be."

     "The kids have always had a soft spot for you." Kyung Won agreed.

      "I thought all the ones that would even know about me were already grown up by now. It was actually a shock to receive something from someone born after 2000..." She admitted.

    "You know now that you said it, I do have a lot of letters from the young kids their training with the agency. Maybe if you contacted me more I would have a chance to meet you and give them to their rightful owner."

    "Is there really that much waiting for me?" She was intrigued by how much he insinuated he was holding on to.

    "Come by and see for yourself." Considering his offer, Ha-Nui decided she could make the trip to pick the things up.

     "If I make time, you better be there when I show up, understood?"

    "Whatever you say. I'll make sure to tell the kiddos to keep an eye out for you then." Winking at her, Kyung Won animatedly began talking about the new athletes under his management now that she was gone. She heartily laughed at his dramatics as he described them all.

    By looking at him, you would never peg Kyung Won as being savvy with sports in any way possible. He had worked his way into the sports world, and became a well-respected manager because of how he treated his athletes, and with Ha-Nui being his claim to fame, he was always advertising the fact that he stood by her side and helped her to win some of the 11 Olympic medals she had to her name. She competed in four games-her first being at the tender age of 14 during the 2000 summer Olympics-and though Kyung Won was not there in the earlier part of her career, he had surely been an important part of her support system during her last two runs.

    They considered each other lifelong friends, and even if their professional relationship continued to dwindle down, they were confident that at any point in their lives from here on out, they could call on each other. Whether it be for help, or just to ask how their day went, they knew that the other would answer their call.

     But of course it was evident that Ha-Nui may take a while to respond-but nevertheless! 

      She would get back to him eventually.

--

        Kibum flipped through the pages of the notebook filled with necessary notes he had taken during the impromptu café interviews he had set up on SNS sites at the eleventh hour the day before. He was in search of a babysitter for Sung Min, it was Sunday evening, and important meetings and a future presentation kept him from calling in to work last minute in order to watch over him. Jimin would have to go to school, and with such a sudden appearance, Kibum had not exactly been in the right mind to begin maneuvering the world of child daycares and preschools for his son just yet.

     He wasn't so sure what he was to look for in the stranger he sought out to watch Sung Min, but he tried to stick to the basics: No possible predators. No possible thieves. No possible future stalkers.

     Grimacing, he realized no one he saw seemed to pass his fundamental standards.

Kibum covered his face with another napkin as his nose rebelled against the heavy perfume the woman before him wore. His mind was clouded from the strong reactions he was having because of the scent.

Blinking away the fog, his eyes focused back on the interviewee. She was dressed in a large fur coat, her breasts on full display. Her V-shaped face was one he had seen among many women in the city before, her nose sat perched on her full face, and her large eyes smiled at him intensely.

Kibum had to give his props to her surgeon, they put her together pretty well.

"Oh my!" Reaching forward, her manicured nails lightly touched his wrist. He had been gifted a watch by the company president for a big transaction he made happen earlier that year."Is this a Cartier? That's really amazing." She left her mouth open slightly, her pouty lips conveying her awe as her eyes sparkled.

"Ahem.So..." Clearing his throat, he discretely covered the watch with his sweater sleeve. It wasn't her first mention of his "wealthy" appearance since they sat down together. He had a goal of 15 minutes per interview, and he knew that now they were down to their last stretch, and he had yet to get any satisfying response from her.

Deciding to cut it short at the image of his bank account being wiped clean, he wished her well, and made sure to tell her to check her email for any updates.

Cordially he stood up along with her as she smiled provocatively.

"Mr. Kim, I'm sure we'll be seeing each other tomorrow then?" Wrapping her arms around him, the woman brought him close to her soft body.

Kibum admired her tenacity.

--

"I may not have children of my own, but my siblings have given me many nieces and nephews that I love. I gotta say, I have a way with kids. When their parents let me come and visit that is, they make a big fuss out of not teaching them to smoke or giving them a taste of alcohol young but I say, what the hell! They've gotta learn someday, right? Why not from their very own uncle?" The greasy man before him hid a beer belly behind a windbreaker jacket as it swished with his every movement.

He loudly sipped the water he held in his hand, drawing the attention of nearby tables as he raised his eyebrows to Kibum. Since he had sat down, he hadn't been able to get a single word in. The creepy grin on his face made Kibum frown with disgust.

"Sir, you do realize I specifically requested for a female applicant in the ad, right?"

"Yes! Yes, I did. I don't think you should discriminate against a potential employee based upon their gender. Men can take care of children too, you know. I love kids." When his lips parted, Kibum cringed at his yellow teeth.

"Please leave."

"But..."

"Leave!"

Standing up, the man called Kibum a crazy bastard as he waddled away. Taking a deep breath, Kibum reached for his phone as he dialed the help line of the site he had used.

"Yes? I was calling to report a suspicious user that frequents your site?"

--

    They had all been failures.

    But what could he have expected? It wasn't like he reached out to some elite babysitting service in search of someone. Now here he was the night before, and he had absolutely nothing in line for Sung Min.

     "Forget it." Slapping the notebook against his dashboard, Kibum that he was left with only one option-take Sung Min with him to work.

    He couldn't imagine a situation like this being perceived in any way but disastrous should any of his higher ups find out, but if he could just manage to get him in and up to his office with little incident, maybe it could work.

    Maybe.

     Walking into his home, the sound of cartoons could be heard from the living room. On the floor sat Jimin and Sung Min, both of their necks craned up towards the flat screen TV as they were so invested in the show that they didn't even notice his entrance. He watched as they mindlessly ate from a bag of chips, laughing at whatever joke had been made. Sung Min turned his head, watching Jimin as they did. Scooting closer, Sung Min leaned against his arm. When Jimin felt the weight against his body, he softly ruffled his hair.

      "I'm home."

      At the sound of his voice, Sung Min whirled around quickly. His eyes brightened even more. Hurrying to his feet, he shuffled towards his father, stopping a few feet ahead of him.

     "W-Welcome home." The little boy's voice squeaked as he hesitantly muttered the words. On the tip of his tongue lingered the word, Appa , but he was still too shy to let it escape.

    Jimin was amazed to see his brother act so awkwardly, it was a rare sight. Kibum rubbed the back of his neck as he looked around, saying hello to Sung Min once again.

     "Ah, you two looked like you were enjoying yourselves." Nodding his head towards the now abandoned TV, Kibum looked down when he felt his legs being wrapped up by Sung Min's embrace. Jimin's mouth crooked to the side as he recalled the earlier conversation he had with his nephew.

"So with dads you get to hug them when you want?" Stuffing his mouth with the salty snack he never got to indulge in often, Sung Min listened intently as Jimin answered him. He needed all the tips he could get about the things he had dreamed of doing.

"You can do a lot of things with dads. You can hug them, laugh with them, or go to them when you're sad and they'll always take care of you." He said thoughtfully. Though his own father had never been so affectionate, he knew what he would have wanted as a child, and he knew what Sung Min needed as well.

"Hyung-ah your dad-he will be a good dad for you. "After all, he had been like one to him.

Sung Min sat still, deep in thought as he considered what he was told.

"And he's really my dad? No one else's?"

Widening his eyes Jimin hoped not."Yeah, of course."

 Putting his chin in his palm, Sung Min seemed to be carefully contemplating everything. He wouldn't have to pretend like he did with driver Kang, he would never have to worry about missing out anymore.

He liked that idea.

"You promise?" Burrowing his brow, he pointed his finger at the older boy. Sitting up straight, Jimin placed his hand in a saluting gesture as he answered.

"I promise."

  Releasing him and stepping back, Sung Min's cheeks lifted as he hid a small grin. He rocked from side to side imitating his father's actions.

    "Wow," noting the similarities, Jimin headed over clapping his brother on the back.

     "How did everything go? Were you able to find someone?" Holding his thumb up for emphasis, Jimin was met with a deep sigh.

     "I'm not sure that there would be much difference between leaving him with one of the people I met today and leaving him here to fend for himself alone." Cringing, Jimin asked the one question Kibum knew he had little choice in now.

    "What are we going to do?" When Jimin looked at the situation, he didn't see it as an issue separate from himself. What one brother dealt with, the other felt too. They would be in this together. "Missing a day of school would be no problem for me-"

    "No." Dismissing the thought immediately, Kibum shook his head in disagreement.

     "Why not? It would be just one day. I don't have anything important coming up soon. You could trust me, Hyung."

   "I'm not paying all those tuition fees for you to miss a day of school."

    "What do you expect me to do when I know you need help?" The genuine expression on Jimin's face reminded Kibum of all the times when he would beg him relentlessly as a child to let him help, to let him show his manliness and prove his worth in even the minutest of situations. He knew where that need to be of use to others grew from within his little brother.

     "I've always had you by my side haven't I?" Looking down at his feet, Kibum met the two standing before him with a nod of his head, accepting the challenge before him.

     "Tomorrow, Sung Min will have to come with me. I don't feel confident in a last minute sitter for him, and I don't want to have you thinking you need to place yourself in difficult situations because I know you definitely will. You're still a kid, Jimin. Trust me, Hyung can work this out even if you don't think so."

    "How long do you plan on doing that?"

     Shrugging his shoulders, Kibum could only say," For as long as I have to."

     Taking his brother's word, Jimin tried to give him some reassurance that in no time, everything will begin to fall in place.

    "O-Okay." Clapping his hands, Jimin began to list off all of the things he hoped would happen for them." You'll take Sung Min with you, he'll have a great time, you'll find him a school to attend, he'll get the top scores in the country for the rest of his school career, and then we'll all live happily ever after."

    "Yeah, that's just what I was thinking." Facetiously, Kibum agreed.

    "What do you think Sung Min?" Leaning down to his nephew, Jimin waited for his response.

     "Can I take your tablet with me?" He cut straight to the chase.

     "Sure, why not?"

      "Then I hope tomorrow comes right now!" Sung Min's little feet moved around excitedly as he was satisfied with the promise of being in control of the device he had become fond of over the last couple of days with his new family.

      " He's already figuring out how to scheme..." Jimin said with slight amusement.

      "I feel like I'm missing something here." When Sung Min ran off to return to the living room, Jimin looked to Kibum as his features seemed to become heavy.

    "What do you mean?"

    "When I think about everything, all I can do is try to do what's right, but I have no idea what I'm doing. I still don't feel entirely here, and this is only the beginning. What do I do when I can't figure out what he needs? What happens when he's crying out and I can't relieve him of whatever he is feeling? "

       Deep down, he was still reeling from the effects of the change in course his life had taken. He had always followed the life map that had been laid out for him long ago by his father, and by habit, the same one he had kept to without diversions. Whenever he did stray, he was always shoved back into place by his dad who always told him that because of the vision he had for his son burned so brightly, that nothing in the universe could ever cast a shadow over it, blocking the path he intended for him. He had placed his hope and aspirations in his sons, and would guard it with all his might. Moths may flock to the light his father had shone over him, attracted to the brightness like mindless creatures with no way of their own without it, but he said he would always make sure to swat them away. Hyo Min was what he had considered a pesky insect. He had defended his claim in Kibum's future by being the hand to keep away whatever desire drew her to his flame.

   Wherever he was in the afterlife, Kibum knew he was experiencing death all over again when Sung Min arrived, looking for shelter in his father's warmth.

      With a crooked brow, Jimin could see the worries racing through his brother's head.

     Shaking his shoulders like a chill ran over him, Jimin sucked his teeth," Stop getting all antsy, it's contagious." Shuffling away, he went to join Sung Min once again, wanting to get away from the wave of nervousness emitting from Kibum.

     He wished that he could do just that, but until then, he would have to deal with the streak of gray hairs he was sure to have before this was over and done with.

--

      Sung Min sat quietly on the small couch of his father's personal office. Kibum's office was quite spacious, aside from his own working desk, he had a sitting area he used for relaxation or whenever a visitor happened to stop by. The floor to ceiling windows that provided a view out into the general team's space were slightly opened now, allowing him to look over the employees under his care. Sung Min paused in his drawings to watch as the adults walked by, some taking a peak to catch a glimpse of the face of the child who had swept the entire floor up in curiosity.

    Looking back towards Kibum, he watched as he flipped through paperwork, twirling a pen as he focused. His memories flashed back to watching Hyo Min do the same during her long nights after work. He had always been forbidden to bother her much whenever she sat seated in the home office, with only the bright beam of a small lamp keeping her company. There had been times he had managed to slip past his grandparents' watchful eye and hide behind the large desk watching her. On occasion, she would give him some of her attention which he always loved. Maybe it was a joke to share between the two, or a gentle rubbing of his hair before she reemerged herself into her work once more.

       Other times she would only break her pace to give her son a smile to let him know he did not go undetected. Before he knew it, his grandmother would swoop in to whisk the boy off, leaving Hyo Min to herself, and reasserting herself as a great divide between the pair.

    He still felt himself shy around his father, so even if they sat in silence, being able to turn and see that he wasn't alone was enough consolation for him.

    Kibum could feel the eyes of his little admirer when he looked up to catch Sung Min glimmering his way. The time was creeping towards noon, and he would soon have to sit through one of his many meetings for the day. He was to attend a meeting that would include the company president and members of the board as he discussed the final details of the big project he and his team had been working on. This would seal the deal on one of their largest accounts, and he knew that the president was expecting a huge profit in the outcome. The morning so far had gone without incident, aside from the confused looks of his coworkers. They all waltzed around him as they put two and two together upon seeing Sung Min hold his hand as he quickly moved his short legs to keep up with his father's pace as they walked through the huge building. When they ran into the team manager on the crowded elevator, he handled the ensuing scene the best way he could.

"Oh! Director Kim, how's it going?" When the doors of the elevator opened for the next floor, Kibum was greeted by the team leader as he boarded. The man was noticeably in a good mood for it to be so early in the morning. His loud voice rang through the small box as he caught up with Kibum.

"You look like crap, I almost feel like I should call you hyung. Or maybe samchon?" He pointed out the dark circles which rested beneath his eyes, and the almost tousled look the usually impeccable director had. With his hands in his pockets, the team leader commented that today he could regain his title as the best looking in their department. During the exchange he hadn't taken notice of the tiny body he bumped into as he shifted for newcomers to enter the elevator. He threw back a cordial ‘excuse me', but when he turned to see that those behind him shook their head letting him know that they weren't the ones he should be talking to. He saw a flash of color from the corner of his eye as Kibum bent slightly to say speak softly into Sung Min's ear. The boy's eyes traveled to the gaping team leader whose mouth open and closed as he stuttered.

"Is it some special kids' day or something?" Pointing to Sung Min, the team leader drew back when he realized within Kibum's palm laid the boy's much smaller hand. His tiny fingers grasped at his father's even tighter.

"Director Kim? Are-are you doing a favor for someone by watching their kid?" Everyone else around them tilted their heads closer as the team leader began digging at the questions they all had on the tips of their tongues. Kibum could feel their eyes all on him, when the corners of his lips lifted, he said with confidence," No. He's my son. Call it-a father and son day."

The ding of the elevator left him with a perfect exit as he left every one bewildered. By the time the team leader was able to digest Kibum's words, he missed his stop as the doors closed behind his director, leaving him staring after the two figures as they strolled away.

       Out the corner of his eye, Kibum caught sight of one of the newer employees. She was still known as the "runner" for the office, and while he usually tried not to push off mindless errands on her himself, today he would have to ask for just one favor.

       "One Americano, two cappuccinos, and two black coffees...." The young woman read off the list on her smart phone as she confirmed the group's orders.

      "Yuri? Can I speak with you for a moment?"

       "Oh, Director! Did you want a coffee today too?" With her fingers posed and ready to type in his request, he waved his hands before him as he declined.

      "No, actually I have a favor to ask you today." Stepping aside, he nodded his head towards his office. When they both entered, Kibum closed the door behind them. The woman's eyes fell on Sung Min who was too caught up in his drawings to notice her. She had listened in to everyone's speculation, and now here she was able to see the kid for herself.

    Clearing her throat, she turned around to find that Kibum stood with a knowing look on his face.

   "What did you need to ask me?" Expectantly, she listened closely.

    "As you can see, I have a -special guest with me today. I have a meeting with the president, so I won't be able to watch him for the next hour or so..." His words trailed off as the employee's head nodded in understanding.

      "Oh-I think I understand!" Turning to the boy, she continued." I can keep an eye on him, Director."

      Clapping his hands together softly, Kibum sighed in relief.

      "I know that this is an out of the way request-"

      "Don't worry about it. He seems like a well- behaved kid. And it's only for a little while." Turning back to him, she bowed her head slightly." I'll take care of him. Go on to your meeting, please."

    "I mean it when I say thank you, this will help me out so much today." Kibum's dimpled smile made the employee smirk. Everyone paled before the handsome director whether they wanted to admit it or not. It was something about being praised by such an accomplished and genuine person that gave them motivation to work harder

     Going to Sung Min, who was now all ears to their conversation, he saw a look of worry in the child's eyes.

    "You're leaving me." His words came with soft accusation as Kibum knelt to his level.

    "I have an important meeting to go to, and I won't be able to be by your side. But just for now."Closing a comforting hand over his knee, he pointed behind him to the employee. "She's going to watch you for the time being. You can ask her for anything that you need while I'm gone, and then when I come back, you and I can do something together. Is that okay with you?"

     Clenching the crayon in his hand, Sung Min's eyes began to water as he stared into his father's.

     "Sung Min, I promise you I won't be long-"Ready to console him, Kibum's thumb reached out to wipe away the large tear that managed to fall.

     "Don't forget about me." Sniffing, Sung Min wiped at his eyes, determined not to cry. It was his first reaction at the thought of another parent leaving him alone. Even if it was just for a meeting, his naivety told him that Kibum could easily leave him as his mother did. Trying to be a big boy, he would hold his tears and wait until his father proved him right, or proved him wrong.

    Kibum refused to leave until the sadness that creeped into the boy's eyes was gone. The alarm on his phone went off then, letting him know that he needed to be on his way. A hand rose to Sung Min's hair, it was a reddish brown that Kibum had had as a child too. Stroking it lightly, he didn't hesitate to lean forward and place a kiss on the boy's forehead. When he stood to leave, Sung Min rushed to his legs, hugging them tightly.

     "Sung Min? Are you okay?" Kibum didn't know what he would do if leaving him was going to be an issue. While the meeting was important, so was he.

     His son's small chin rested against his pants as he looked up to him with a small smile.

    "See you later." He said before letting go.

    Slightly wide eyed with surprise, Kibum grinned as he reached into his wallet, pulling out a couple of bills."Make sure this noona buys you a drink, okay?" Handing the money to the employee, he gave Sung Min one last pat on the head before making his exit.

    Left alone, Sung Min looked up to the woman who seemed a hundred feet taller than him. She wore the same pointy shoes his mother did.

    "We have to make a trip to the coffee shop, okay? Stay close by my side." With a light hand on his back, she led him out the office.

    "Hey! Don't mess up any of the orders this time! I've never met someone as forgetful as you..." A heckler called out.

    "She's watching the director's kid? Isn't that too much for her to remember?"

     "If she has to come back with only one thing, I hope it's at least the coffee."

     The employee was oblivious to the snide remarks as they left    

   Ha-Nui sat with her legs thrown over the chair she sat in. Kyung Won lounged in his office chair as he ended a phone call. She had come as she said she would to sign off on the book deal Kyung Won had brought her way. Being back at her hold agency gave her some sort of relief. It had been awhile since she had seen many of the faces that she grew up with. When she had entered, she was greeted by all the employees who were happy to see her again. Ha-Nui had been one of their favorite athletes; she brought the success along with a pleasant attitude which made working with her even better.

    "This kid has the nerve to not show his face after another drinking incident? Pissing on the streets and walking around with no pants..." Kyung Won complained out loud as he typed away at his computer." I'm starting to think that these kids live for scandals now."

      "There's nothing like the old times, huh?" She said facetiously. Ha-Nui browsed her cell phone as she ate a chocolate bar she had stolen from his stash. "You act like we weren't wild back in the day either."

    "Please, what you guys did was nothing compared to some of these kids. To me you were the angels, and they are lucifer2.0."

   "Now they sound like they know how to have a good time. Give them my number so we can get to know each other, sunbae to hoobae." She joked. Flipping around, she stretched out her body nosily.

   "Are you leaving now?" Kyung Won multitasked at his desk as he looked up to see Ha-Nui stand.

    "Yeah. I figured my work here is done." Slipping one hand into her pocket, she continued munching on the candy bar. "See you later, Hyung."

     "Later." Kyung Won gave her a big smile before frowning. "If you cared about me, you would come see me more, Ha-Nui." He wasn't at all shocked by her use of hyung. It had started out as a small joke when he first became her manager. As they grew closer, Ha-Nui opted for the more masculine name whenever she addressed Kyung Won. Many people would look bewildered at first when hearing her use it, but eventually they became used to it.

    Blowing him a kiss, Ha-Nui left as he made another call. Closing the door softly behind her, she greeted the employees one last time as she walked through the building.

     She was able to make it out unscathed by more requests for photos and autographs, already having done that when she first arrived. Her respected status remained and was highly valued by everyone within the company. She made promises to meet up for drinks with some old colleagues, and acknowledged some of the new athletes she had been keeping up with in the sports world.

     Instead of going straight to her car, Ha-Nui remembered an old coffee shop she had been fond of nearby, and with the hopes that it still remained, she went in search for it. She had enough time to spare to get something that would warm her up in the cold weather.

     "There it is..." She said. Catching the door as another customer left, Ha-Nui saw out the corner of her eye, a small boy follow in behind her. He seemed far too young to be maneuvering the streets on his own.

     "I guess he needs a break from work too..." She said under her breath. Part of her remained aware of the boy as she saw him head for a table where a small milk carton held what she assumed to be his spot. No one was there to meet him, and no one else in the busy shop seemed to pay him any mind.

    "Hello! How may I help you?" The barista called to her. Even while Ha-Nui ordered, she involuntarily looked back to the small boy.

    The more she focused on him, the more she could see the frantic look in his eyes as he anxiously stared everyone in the face as they walked by. His short legs swung beneath him as he sat on his hands, he looked like a child who had been told to stay put, and was trying his best to do just that.

    Turning around, Ha-Nui told herself that there was nothing to be concerned about. She wasn't sure if there was even a situation at hand that required her to be as nosy as she was.

    Carefully handling her hot drink, she made a beeline for the first available table she spotted, which just so happened to be behind the young boy.

     To keep herself occupied, she checked her emails.

     After a few minutes, she looked up to see the child moving between others as he rushed to the exit. Pulling her drink from her lips, she waited expecting to finally see him with the idiot that had left him by himself for who knows how long.

     Her eyes followed him as he ran in and out of view of the front windows.

     "This is ridiculous..." Standing now, Ha-Nui made her way to the barista on duty, hoping that they would have an answer.

    "Huh? I don't recall seeing anyone." When she questioned whether or not they had recognized the child, she was met with a half-hearted response as the young man dealt with the chaotic orders he was having to fill.

    Knowing that he would be of little help, Ha-Nui sighed as she tapped the counter. As she made her way back, the boy whizzed past her.

     Speeding behind him, Ha-Nui could clearly see tears on his face.

     "Why are you crying?" She lightened her voice as she approached him. She kept her distance so not to scare him. The little boy stood stiff as his eyes fell.

      Going into a crouch, Ha-Nui came closer, bit by bit.

      "Are you waiting on someone? Your mom? Your dad?" When all he did was begin to cry harder, Ha-Nui's hands instinctively went to his. They were cold and a deep red, a sign that he had spent too much time outside searching for whoever it was he waited on. Rubbing them between hers, she tried to warm them. She didn't know if she pulled him into her, or if the poor boy was so saddened that he mindlessly fell into her arms for comfort.

    While she told him not to cry so she could help him, the boy held onto her shoulders as she picked him up, carrying him to the table. She allowed him to sit on lap as she made small circles on his back, calming him down.

    "He didn't like me." His mouth was buried into the side of her neck, obscuring his words.

     "Who didn't like you? I can't understand you when you're crying like this..." She soothed.

     Pulling back, the boy's mouth trembled. His eyes weren't even open as he repeated himself.

     "He didn't like me. He left me too." The child cried so deeply his face turned red as he held his breath.

Is he an abandoned child?

   She thought to herself. It was apparent the boy had been left behind by someone, and he understood his situation more than a child his age should have. Ha-Nui didn't want to voice her thoughts which echoed his words, and end up in sighting even more fear in the boy.

     She could feel her heart beat against her chest as she wanted to curse the coward who dumped the kid without any concern for his wellbeing. Anything could have happened to him. A predator could have snatched him up and...

   "You don't have to cry now.  I'm here with you, okay? I'm a good person, I promise." The sobs continued.

    Moving his hair out of his eyes, Ha-Nui smiled softly when he finally looked at her.

    "Can you tell me your name?" Tentatively, he wiped his face.

    "Sung Min."

     "Sung Min, huh? Can you tell me how you got here?" As Sung Min retold his story as best as he could, Ha-Nui tried to think of how they would be able to find the young woman who left the child behind. From what she could tell, it had been a long time since the boy first arrived, and someone should have been searching for him by now.

    "Do you know the building your father works in?"

     "It was really big." Even though that gave her little to go off of, Ha-Nui made sure to tell him that is was great he could remember that.

    "If I go with you, do you think you'd remember the building when we find it?"

     Shrugging his shoulders, he answered, "Maybe." She could possibly check with the larger offices nearby to see if anyone was searching for a child. Otherwise, she would have to take him to the police station and report him as being abandoned.

    "Do you know you're father's name, Sung Min?"

     Hyo Min had made sure that he memorized Kibum's name in the short time before she sent him away.

    "Yes. Kim Kibum." He said with certainty.

     "Kim Kibum...Kim Kibum..." Ha-Nui chanted to herself. "And you're sure about that?" She asked one more time. Sung Min nodded his head with sureness. Wrapping his hand in her own, Ha-Nui moved him to the ground as she prepared to leave.

    "Let's go find your dad." When they walked through the doors, they were met with no resistance. No one had even noticed that she was leaving with the child even after only meeting him for the first time.  What if she had been someone else? Ha-Nui couldn't even stomach the thought and lack of concern for Sung Min.

     "That was a wonderful presentation, Director Kim." The company president gripped Kibum's hand tightly as he shook it. He smiled triumphantly as he was congratulated. Other important figures for this deal stood around, laughing along with the president as they continued discussing the meeting. It had gone way over the time that Kibum had been prepared for as his presentation brought forth some questions and commentary afterwards. Caught up in it all, he hadn't realized just how long it had been.

   Politely excusing himself, Kibum left the old men to their own devices.

    When he made it into his department, he headed straight for his office, expecting to meet Sung Min there. When he found the room empty, he scanned the desks of his team, looking for the employee he had asked to watch over Sung Min.

    She sat at her desk with headphones in her ears as she worked away at the computer.

    Waving his hand to grab her attention, she pulled out a headphone to hear him.

    "Yes, Director?"

    "The boy...I asked you to watch earlier, where is he?" Kibum's eyes narrowed as he saw no sign of recognition cross her face.

   "Wh-Who?"

    Kibum's heart sunk.

    "I-I asked you if you could keep an eye on the boy who was with me earlier. You took him with you..." Jumping back in her chair, the young woman remembered. Covering her face with her hands, she looked at Kibum terrified.

    "I told him to wait in the coffee shop! But-"

     "You didn't come back with him?" His brow came together in disbelief. Did he have any right to be upset with her for doing something that wasn't a part of her job?

    Others around them began to listen in as Kibum's voice raised.

    "How did you forget a child?" He bellowed before reigning in his anger.

     The woman stood in a panic, pacing back and forth as she tried to think of what to do." What do I do? Maybe he's still there. I'll call and ask!" Picking up her phone, she could feel the weight of Kibum's gaze as she fumbled over the numbers.

    "First, let me find the shop's number." Sitting back down, she typed away at her computer, looking between the screen and Kibum as she moved as fast as possible. Before she knew it, Kibum had taken off in search of Sung Min.

   Drowning in her embarrassment, the employee hid behind her computer when she heard the others snickering around her.

    "...I didn't actually think she would forget the kid. Did I jinx her?"

       "I'm afraid we have no one here by that name, Ma'am."

      "Oh, is that so?" Disheartened, Ha-Nui saw that she would have to result to her second option in the search for Sung Min's father. She didn't want to, but sending him to the police station looked like the best choice to make at this point.

    Sung Min still stood by her side, clinging to her hand.

     "I'm sorry, Sung Min. It looks like this isn't where your dad works either." The boy watched his feet as they left. With a heavy sigh, Ha-Nui searched for the number for the local station. Just as finger lingered over the call button, a shout from the distance drew Sung Min away from her. When she felt his hand slip out of her own, she followed behind him.

     "Sung Min!" Kibum didn't know how, but he was lucky enough to spot the red coat his son wore out of the many people on the streets. He had been running all over the place, checking the coffee shop and any other place he could imagine, hoping he would find Sung Min along the way. Whenever he asked someone if they had seen his son, no one could recall the boy's description.

    Just as sheer panic began to truly set in, he finally found him.

     "Sung Min, where are you going?" A strange woman chased after Sung Min. Sneering his nose, he snatched up his son before she could reach him. "Are you okay?" He asked him the instant he had him in his arms. Sung Min hugged him in response.

    "Who the hell are you?!"  He nearly bared his teeth at the woman as she came to a stop before him.

     "Who the hell are you?" She echoed with just as much disgust.

    They stared each other down. Kibum threatened to report her to the police.

    "What were you doing with my son? Did you think you could just walk around with someone else's child like that?"

    "Ah!" Ha-Nui clapped her hands together." So you're the bastard that we've been looking for? Wow, to imagine that someone who abandons their kid has enough pride to look at me like I was going to harm him even though we've been searching for you! You know, seeing that kid cry the way he did made me pissed off at who made him that way, but now I just want to kick your-"  Remembering Sung Min's presence, Ha-Nui bit her tongue.

    "Sung Min, is this really your dad?" She asked. Sung min turned around in his arms with a brightened expression.

   "Yes!" His mood had improved, and with that Ha-Nui's heart felt more at ease for him in that moment.
    Holding him closer, Kibum glared at Ha-Nui as he turned on his heel to leave.

    "Hey! I'm not done with you!" When she was ignored, she scoffed. "The next time you want to get rid of your kid, you should take him to the police and leave him there. It would only be courteous of you to consider his safety even if you don't want him anymore." Her accusation was dipped in sarcasm as she stirred his ire.

    Abruptly stopping, Kibum turned to her. In the blink of an eye, Ha-Nui's coat was now in the ball of his fist as he pulled her dangerously close.

    "Don't ever show your face in front of me again, do you hear me?"

    "Stop taking my lines." Ha-Nui gritted her teeth, not backing down. Pushing her away, Kibum gave her a look that could kill as he stalked off. Even as he walked away, Sung Min turned to lift his hand in a small wave as Ha-Nui returned it.

    Even though she was able to get the boy back to the father he desperately wanted to be with, Ha-Nui could only help but wonder if this was a victory or a defeat. All that there was to do now was hope that it wouldn't have been better for them to have made it to the police station first, rather than running into Sung Min's father.

   "Son of a bitch!" She exclaimed. Kicking her foot into the ground, Ha-Nui left, still with the boy on her mind.