His Reason to Live - Hwang Inyeop Short Story

Chapter 8: Our Story

I stood still in front of a white door. The tremble of my hands doubled as I learned that what's behind this door in front of me holds all the answers I am seeking.

"We aim to renovate all rooms yearly to make sure the orphans feel that they are at home. Once orphans get adopted or can handle themselves and decide to be out of this orphanage, we see to it to clean the empty rooms for it to be occupied by new orphans." The nun explained. "But never in this room."

I remained staring at the closed, white door and waited for her to continue. "She's been in this orphanage all her life. Even though there are several couples who want to adopt her even as a teenager, she refused to come. She is such a lovely girl but whenever there were couples who came to adopt, she did these silly antics just so she could not be chosen," I heard her chuckle as she remembered those days.

"Why? Doesn't she want to have a family?" I quietly asked. I felt her hand grab mine.

"She always tells me she doesn't need a new one because she already has and she is just waiting for him. She's been waiting for you, In-yeop. All this time, she was waiting for you to come back."

I close my eyes tightly as memories come rushing back. The way we care for each other. The craziness we do whenever we are together. We did everything together before until one day, I was chosen to be adopted. Because of my selfishness to be out of this orphanage, I agreed to be adopted only if she will get adopted as well. It was already late when I realized that the people who adopted me tricked me and I was the only one who got adopted. And then all of us were caught up in an accident a month after my adoption which is why I lost some of my memories. The couple who adopted me died in that accident. The woman's family took me in their home not because they cared for me but because of the insurance named after me. My life's been a mess because of that stupid money.

"She decided to be out of this orphanage when she turned 20 and it is not because she's sick of this orphanage. She actually loves it here and plans to stay here forever. She decided to go when she learned of her illness. She told herself she would find you before...before anything happens to her. Not only did she find you but she also found her real mother. I vividly remember it was last year when she went back here just to tell me that she found you and her mother. She was so happy at that time." I heard her sniffle as she continued telling our story.

"Last year?" I looked at her, baffled that she had already found me a long time ago. "Why did she not approach me?"

"She did," she said and now she is the one staring at the white door in front of us. "She's been a waitress in a lot of clubs because that is where she saw you. She approached you as a waitress and she waited for you to recognize her but to no avail. Since then, she's been watching you from afar."

I clenched my fist upon hearing our story. I am such a jerk for not recognizing her. She's been watching me all this time, waiting for me all this time because I promised to be with her forever.

"In-yeop?" I smile whenever she calls my name. I peeked at her through one eye and saw her looking up at the sky. We are at the back of the orphanage, at our favorite place. I am lying down on the grass with my hands under my head and she's sitting down with her hands leaned on the grass. "You won't leave me right?"

I completely opened my eyes, alarmed at her question. "What kind of question is that? Of course I won't." I firmly said.

"Even though you already have a girlfriend?" She asked and I chuckled.

"Even though my girlfriend has bigger boobs than yours, I won't leave you," I calmly said which made her face me and continuously punched my arms. "Ow..." I pretended to be hurt. We still act like children even though we are already teens.