The moment he parked the car, Jaehee felt her stomach churn. She had never felt this nervous before, not even when taking exams she didn't prepared for. No, this was much more different. She was about to find out her true identity.
The orphanage was rather large, it was like an institute; one building for administration and school and another one as the children's dorm.
It was strange how she could barely remember the place. Even when they arrived she could barely remember any of it, it was as if she was never there.
She followed reluctantly after Doyoung as he got out of the car. As soon as she pushed the door close, she grabbed the handle again.
"You know what, I take back what I said. I don't wanna do this." The girl was about to walk back into the car when he locked it.
Doyoung marched over to her and simply grabbed her wrist. He pressed the lock on his key, indicating she had no way to escape.
Jaehee was too busy with her own bad predictions on what will happen once they ring the bell, than to actually focus on what Doyoung was trying to make her do. She realised a little too late when the front door opened, revealing a middle aged woman with the most motherly smile.
"Yes, how can I help you?"
She asked and Jaehee felt a lump in her throat instantly. Seeing how she wasn't reacting, the male knew he had to do the talking. "Are you the manager here?" He asked as he released the hold on her wrist, a polite smile formed on his face.
The woman flashed yet another smile that made Jaehee's heart skipped beats. "I prefer to be called Mama here, but it's alright." She said. The woman gestured for both of them to walk inside and Doyoung was so quick to follow after.
Jaehee held his hand instantly; she had a habit of holding people's arm when she felt less secure. She wanted to leave as she was growing nervous again. Yet somehow, Doyoung's presence was the only thing she could hold on to make her tranquil.
At the sudden touch, he almost flinched but he was careful not to disrupt her fragile feelings at the moment. Instead, he smiled softly and squeezed her hand before pulling her along with him.
As they walked down the hallway, there was a section where children's painting were pasted on the board. The best drawing for this year's competition. There was also a baking competition and there were photos of the children participating.
She found herself tugging at Doyoung's hand, causing him to halt as well. Jaehee was busy scanning the photos pasted, hoping some kind of memory would come flooding in her mind; but nothing.
Doyoung looked at her, trying to analyse her expression, to get a glimpse at what was bothering her. He was a little taken aback when she turned to look at him, pulling him along to follow the manager.
As the two entered what seemed to be the woman's office, she motioned for both of them to seat across her.
"So, would you like to have a boy or a girl?"
She asked as she beckoned at their locked hands. The two youngsters followed her gaze and instantly pulled their hands away from one another. They were dying from embarrassment but Doyoung was quick to recover.
"Actually, we wanted to ask about an adoption made probably 22 years ago?" Doyoung cleared his throat to avoid further teasing from the lady. "That's quite a long time." She chuckled slightly. However, the two of them didn't react the same way.
While Doyoung was simply unamused, Jaehee was too busy thinking what might happen next if the woman said yes.
"May I know why?" She asked, looking Doyoung right in the eyes. The male diverted his gaze on the main girl for today but Jaehee was simply too nervous again. "A-actually, I wanted to know about my... adoption." The word was too much for her to even bear.
