It was one of those calm weekends when the air felt soft and golden, the sky lazily shifting between clouds. Soojin spent her day at the orphanage—her happy little escape from work. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by children laughing and playing, crayons scattered everywhere. She helped one draw a crooked sun, another color a flower, and her smile never faded.
But then she noticed something—one of the girls, maybe ten or twelve years old, usually the most lively one, was sitting quietly by the window. No giggles, no sparkle in her eyes. Just silence.
Soojin walked over, wiping her hands on her apron, and sat down beside her.
"Hey, sweet girl," she said softly, tilting her head. "Why's your mood off today? Are you not feeling well?"
The little girl hesitated, fidgeting with her sleeves. "No, I'm okay... it's just—" She stopped mid-sentence.
Soojin gently patted her hair. "You can tell me anything, my pretty baby. I'm listening."
The girl bit her lip, eyes lowering. "They said I'm getting adopted soon," she whispered. "And I'm happy, I guess, but... I'm scared. What if I don't like that place? What if they don't like me? I love my friends here. Why do I have to leave? What if they... abandon me?"
Soojin's heart softened. She reached out and pulled the little one into a small side hug.
"Awww, my pretty baby," she murmured. "It's okay to feel like that. Really. You're brave for saying it. But you know... it's also a beautiful thing. You're getting a new family, a new life. You can't stay here forever, right? With a family, you'll have love and warmth every day."
The girl looked up, unsure. "But... what if it goes wrong?"
Soojin smiled faintly. "Then you'll still grow stronger. You'll still learn. You'll find people who care about you, trust me."
The girl stayed quiet for a while, still holding on to her fears.
Then Soojin said gently, "You know, about six months ago, I felt just like you. Want to hear what happened to me?"
The girl nodded.
"I kept asking my boss for overtime," Soojin began with a sigh. "I needed more money, so I tried to improve my skills. He told me I should find a part-time job outside instead. But I was scared—new place, new people, what if I couldn't handle it? So I pushed for overtime anyway."
Her eyes softened with the memory. "After two months of pestering him, I finally got it. I was happy for a while, earning decent money... but the work became too much. No time for myself, no rest. After two and a half months, I fell sick. Hospitalized for ten days. And you know what happened to all that extra money?"
The girl blinked, curious. "What?"
Soojin smiled sadly. "It all went to medical bills. Every bit of it. The pain was double—for my body and my heart. So I quit the overtime."
She continued, her tone lighter now. "Next month, I focused on getting better. One weekend, I went to the city market with a friend. We got so caught up eating street food that we didn't realize we'd spent all our money. By afternoon, we were broke! Not even enough for the bus back home."
The girl gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Then you walked home??"
Soojin laughed, the sound warm and real. "No, silly baby! We saw a bakery nearby looking for part-time help. I've always loved baking, so I joined in. Worked till night. It felt so good, like I'd found something special. The baker saw my passion and offered to keep me as a part-timer."
The girl tilted her head. "But... didn't you say part-time would be too much for you? With your health?"
Soojin nodded. "I did. But funny thing is, working there didn't drain me—it refreshed me. Traveling a little each day made me feel alive again. Baking made me happy. And yes, the money was nice too," she giggled. "A month later, I even moved closer to the bakery so I wouldn't rush every morning."
The little girl listened, wide-eyed.
"So," Soojin said softly, "you see? What I thought would be unmanageable turned out to be the best part of my life. I didn't want it at first, but Allah's plans were better than mine. Sometimes we don't even know what we truly want. We just have to trust that He does."
The girl slowly nodded, her expression softening.
Soojin brushed her hair aside and added gently, "If you stay here, you'll have to struggle for a long time, all alone. But when you have a family, they'll take care of you when you're sick, when you're sad, when you just need someone beside you. That's what love does."
The girl leaned into her, hugging her waist tightly. Soojin hugged her back, eyes growing misty. For a moment, she wasn't just comforting the child—she was remembering her own parents. The warmth she missed every night.
They stayed like that until the sun began to fade, laughter from the other children echoing softly around them.
Later that evening, Soojin returned home. She had cooked earlier in the morning, so dinner was ready. She freshened up, ate quietly, and sat at her desk, opening her study notes.
She stretched, sighing. "Ahhh, this is so much," she muttered, smiling to herself.
The house was small, quiet, peaceful. Somewhere in that calm, she felt lighter—as if comforting someone else had quietly healed a small part of her own heart too.
The rain pounded against the windows like an overexcited drummer. Soojin had just finished tidying the kitchen, a warm cup of tea in hand, thinking about the stack of government prep books waiting patiently on her desk. Three months of balancing work at the bakery, volunteer time at the orphanage and old age home, and study sessions were finally starting to feel... good.
One stormy night.........
The storm battered the windows with a relentless fury. Soojin hunched over her notes, muttering formulas, trying to concentrate on her government exam prep. The wind howled like some wild creature, and the rain hammered against the roof in sharp, angry drumming.
Knock. Knock!
She froze mid-breath. "Who... at this hour?" she whispered to herself, heart thudding. Slowly, cautiously, she tiptoed to the door and opened it—
And froze.
Two figures stood there, drenched to the bone, looking like a disaster had walked up in human form. One wore a skirt far too big, flapping around like a sail in the storm; rubber boots squeaked with every tiny step. The other had a jacket buttoned all wrong, sleeves dangling, a wig slipping to one side. Their faces were... horrifyingly awkward—like someone had tried to create a "fancy female disguise" and failed spectacularly.
"Uh... hi... we... um... need to... come in?" the taller one stammered, wobbling forward as if her life depended on it. Her voice was strange, thin, unconvincing—definitely not matching her "female" look.
Soojin blinked. Her brain tried to process what she was seeing, but failed. "Wait... what... why do you... your voice—"
Before she could finish, the shorter one lunged forward, slipping slightly on the wet doorstep, arms flailing, nearly knocking Soojin over. "It's... it's storming! We... we can't stay outside!"
And just like that—they rushed inside, wet coats and all, water dripping onto the floor, hair plastered messily to their faces.
Soojin stumbled back, eyes wide, mouth open. "WHAT?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING INSIDE MY HOUSE?!" Her voice cracked. "WHO—WHAT—IS THIS?!"
The storm outside continued to rage, but inside... inside her apartment, absolute pandemonium had arrived.
The door slammed behind them.
"Seriously? Couldn't you help two helpless girls stuck in a storm?" the taller one said, voice wobbling. "What if you were out there? Huh?"
Soojin blinked. "Who... what... you're in my house?!"
Before she could react, both lunged for towels.
"Mine! No, mine!" they squeaked, wrestling and flailing, water flying everywhere.
"Stop it! You're turning my apartment into a pool!" Soojin yelled.
"Shh!" the shorter one hissed, darting to the first window. "Nothing... clear..."
"Wait, maybe—no, check the second!" the taller one whispered, creeping over.
They went to the third window. Then back to the first. "Still clear... okay maybe—"
Soojin's patience snapped. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! Stop! I'm calling the police!"
"Relax," the taller one said, pressing her face to the third window. "No tails. Seriously. We're fine."
After a few more frantic peeks, the shorter one threw her hands up. "Oh my gosh... we're... we're really not being followed!"
"I told you! I told you!" the taller one shouted.
High-five—wet, sloppy, triumphant. Then a hug. Laughter burst out, ridiculous and loud.
Soojin rubbed her temples, staring. "You... you seem familiar. And your voices... No... it can't be..."
Soojin's eyes darted between the two "girls." Something about the way they moved, their gestures... it all felt familiar. But her brain refused to connect the dots.
Then the taller one yanked off her wig with exaggerated flair. "My lady... it's so much harder being a girl than I ever imagined," she said, flopping onto the couch.
Soojin froze. Her heart skipped. The voice. The gestures. The stupid little way they argued over who got the towel first...
The shorter one pulled off her own wig, shaking out her wet hair. "Seriously, I think I deserve a medal for surviving this storm outside."
Soojin blinked. Slowly, like a photograph developing in reverse, recognition hit. "Wait... wait a second... it's... it's you?!"
The taller one grinned sheepishly, dripping wet. "Surprise?"
Soojin's jaw dropped. "You... Min Hyun?! And... Jihoon?! You... you came like this?! In... wigs? Wet coats? How—why—this is insane!"
Min Hyun rubbed the back of his neck. "We didn't have time to explain. The storm... the timing... we just had to get here."
Jihoon added, tugging at his wig, "Yeah... and we needed a disguise. It's... complicated."
"You could've just... called me!" Soojin stammered, panic rising. "Less than a year we're supposed to meet... If my father—"
Min Hyun held up a hand, urgency in his voice. "Soojin... breathe. First, we need to stay alive. Everything else comes after."
Jihoon nodded. "Exactly. Trust us. Just... trust us."
They huddled near the windows, whispering rapidly to each other. "We need to figure out how to get out safely."
"Where will we stay? We have to call friends... grab everything we need..."
Soojin's mouth opened, but no words came. She was horrified, frozen, watching them act like they owned the apartment.
Twenty-five minutes had passed in a blur. Min Hyun and Jihoon moved like orchestrated chaos—calling friends, coordinating pickup points, stuffing Soojin's essential documents, albacore files, and anything that could be ruined by rain into waterproof bags.
Soojin, still in her shocked haze, was disguised under a hooded jacket they had tossed her, trying to stay out of sight. They all finally huddled around the tiny table and devoured a quick, hungry meal. Bread, tteokbokki, and a few scraps, nothing fancy—but it filled the emptiness gnawing at them from the storm and the panic.
"Alright, everything we need is here. Bags sealed, safe. Move out!" Min Hyun said, scanning the apartment once more.
Through alleys slick with rainwater and shadows that seemed to reach for them, they ran. The city around them was a chaotic blur—puddles splashing, neon lights reflecting on wet asphalt, the storm's dying roar still hammering against rooftops.
Finally, they reached the car. It was hidden behind a derelict building, battered and barely recognizable as a vehicle, but it was theirs. Min Hyun and Jihoon pushed the doors open, soaked to the bone, adrenaline still thrumming through every vein. Soojin climbed in, heart hammering, clutching the waterproof bag with trembling fingers.
Min Hyun started the engine. The sputter of the old car was drowned out by the pounding rain. Tires hit the waterlogged street with a hiss. Each alley they passed made their pulse spike.
"Are we being followed?!" Soojin whispered, peering through the foggy windshield.
Jihoon shook his head. "Not yet... but stay alert. This storm could hide anything—or anyone."
The car swerved into another narrow street. Water sprayed across the hood, mixing with their fear and exhaustion. Every turn was tighter than the last. Every shadow seemed alive.
And then—something moved.
A dark shape darted across the street, almost too fast to see. Min Hyun slammed the brakes. Tires screeched. The car fishtailed. Soojin gripped the dashboard like it was her lifeline.
"Hold on! Hold on!" Min Hyun shouted, teeth clenched, one hand on the wheel, the other slapping the horn to scare whatever it was away.
The vehicle slid dangerously close to the curb, narrowly missing a streetlight pole. Sparks flew. The rain poured harder, blurring everything into streaks of silver and black.
Soojin's chest heaved. "I... I can't..."
Min Hyun's eyes were razor-sharp. "Just a little longer! Trust me!"
Jihoon leaned forward, scanning the rearview. "They're close... don't let them see you!"
The car barreled through the alley at a maddening pace. Water splashed over the hood, tires barely gripping. And then, for a fraction of a heartbeat, everything slowed—the rain, the screeching tires, her pounding heart.
A sudden shadow leaped in front of the car.
Soojin screamed.
Min Hyun slammed the brakes. The car skidded. Sparks shot from the tires. The windshield was a blur of rain, neon, and panic.
And just when it seemed they might collide with the unseen threat—
Everything went black.
The storm's roar, the car's screech, the pounding of hearts—all cut to silence.
Next chapter tease:
Who—or what—was in the shadows? Would they make it out of the storm alive? And what would happen to Soojin, Min Hyun, and Jihoon next?