Chapter 285 - How They Met (2)

Kang Ra-Eun and her family got back in the car after putting everything they had bought in the trunk. Although she had never been to the orphanage they were going to right now, she had often visited orphanages in her past life.

However, it had not been for volunteering purposes, but for reporters to film Kim Han-Gyo taking care of children at orphanages during general elections. Ra-Eun recalled Han-Gyo affectionately hugging the children while smiling.

‘I think I’m gonna hurl.’

Ra-Eun had known that such actions had been nothing but a show for Han-Gyo to look good as a politician, but now that she knew that he had her killed, her disgust amplified exponentially.

However, Ra-Eun’s father was completely different from Han-Gyo; he had come here purely for volunteering purposes.

“What sort of relationship do you have with that orphanage, Dad?” Ra-Eun asked.

She was curious about why he volunteered only at that one orphanage and nowhere else. It didn’t seem like it was purely out of his overflowing desire to volunteer, but some other hidden reason. Their father, who was sitting in the back seat, softly chuckled.

“Come to think of it, I’ve never told you two about it. Well, I guess I never had the chance to.”

As the father was about to continue, Kang Ra-Hyuk, who had been focused on driving, asked while pointing forward.

“Is it that building with the blue roof?”

“Yeah, that’s it. You can park next to that wall there.”

“Yes, sir!” Ra-Hyuk answered energetically and turned the steering wheel. He masterfully parked the car next to the wall. Having heard the sound of the car, children rushed out of the front door of the orphanage despite them not having called the orphanage that they had arrived.

“Misterrrrr!”

The children surrounded the Kang siblings’ father with innocent smiles. Ra-Eun was slightly surprised by the number of children that had far surpassed her expectations. There were over twenty of them, and that wasn’t the end of them.

‘I heard there were also middle schoolers and high schoolers.’

Including those children, there would be over thirty of them. Despite the numbers worthy of surprise, their father calmly patted the heads of every single child as if he was used to it.

“I came with tons of snacks for you all. It’s cold outside, so let’s hurry on inside and have them together.”

“Okay!”

Ra-Hyuk shrugged as he watched how well the children listened to their father.

“I had no idea Dad had that kind of side to him.”

“I knew, though?” Ra-Eun said.

Ra-Eun had known for a long time that their father was extremely kind and gentle to children, and especially to herself. However, Ra-Hyuk didn’t. He sighed softly.

“You treat your son and daughter too differently, Dad.”

***

Ra-Eun and Ra-Hyuk followed their father into the orphanage with the snacks that they had bought at the supermarket. The building felt far larger than what they had seen from the outside.

‘This many children live here, so I guess there’s no wonder it’s this big.’

However, the number of caretakers seemed to be considerably lacking compared to the number of kids. The living conditions did not seem to be all that good either, possibly because they were lacking financial support. Meanwhile, the warm-looking director of the orphanage greeted the three of them, especially Ra-Eun.

“You’re far prettier in person. How can someone be so cute and beautiful?”

Ra-Eun practically received praises like this daily, so she had gotten used to it. Not just the director, but the middle and high schoolers that lived in the orphanage showed great interest in Ra-Eun.

“Noona! Could I get your autograph?”

“An autograph? Of course.”

“Me too!”

“Please take a picture with me! I want to show off to my classmates!”

They were at the age where they were highly interested in celebrities. Ra-Eun maintained her smile and fulfilled the requests of all the children. Ra-Eun had also left her house at a young age and had to make a living on her own, so she could somewhat sympathize with these children.

However, there was one glaring difference between their circumstances. Ra-Eun had left her home of her own accord because she could not stand it there, but these children had been forced to live this life. The result might be the same, but the cause and process were completely different. Hence, Ra-Eun felt sorry for these children.

Among the children, one caught her attention; it was the oldest of the children, a girl in her second year of high school.

‘She’s right at the age when I first became a girl.’

Due to that, Ra-Eun’s eyes kept darting to her even when they were all gathered to have a meal together. The girl, also having interest in Ra-Eun, stole a glance at her, but their eyes ended up meeting.

“...!”

The girl jumped in surprise and quickly looked somewhere else. The director, who had been looking over their interaction, went up to Ra-Eun, who was helping with the dishes after their meal.

“Ye-Ji isn’t usually the shy type, but she seems to be a bit silent since you’re here, hoho.”

“Her name is Ye-Ji?” Ra-Eun asked.

“Yes. Han Ye-Ji. I named her.”

“You did, Director?”

“Ye-Ji hadn’t even been registered for birth when she first came to our orphanage, so I registered her with the help of some acquaintances.”

Ye-Ji had no idea who her parents were, but she had grown brighter and more energetic than anyone else. However, something about her had been worrying the director.

“I don’t know if she’s in her rebellious phase or if something happened at school, but she’s been doing nothing but sighing by herself whenever she’s here.”

“Really?”

“I told her multiple times that she could talk to me, but she wouldn’t say. She’d be able to say what’s on her mind if she had a friend her age of the same sex in the orphanage. It’s truly a shame.”

Now that the director had mentioned it, the children of middle school ages and above in the orphanage were all boys. The director was a woman, but she was far older than Ye-Ji. The director was sad that Ye-Ji did not have anyone with whom she could lay her feelings bare.

“In that case, why don’t I go talk to Ye-Ji?”

“You, Miss Kang?”

“Yes. I was a high school girl once.”

Not just that, she had also been a high school boy. The director softly smiled as Ra-Eun exhibited great confidence.

“I’ll leave it to you, then.”

“Okay.”

Ra-Eun left the kitchen, walked past Ra-Hyuk, who was playing with the children, and went up to Ye-Ji’s room. She knocked on the door, and it then slowly opened.

“Who is i—!” Ye-Ji was lost for words midway.

She seemed to have fallen into a state of panic with her eyes fully widened. Ra-Eun had planned to get close to her as naturally as possible so that she wouldn’t be uncomfortable, but...

‘I’ve already failed.’

Ra-Eun giggled bitterly and asked, “Can I come in?”

“I-In here?”

“Mhm. I’d like to talk to you.”

Ra-Eun entered Ye-Ji’s room while she was still flustered. Ye-Ji’s room was far cleaner than her own in her high school days. While Ra-Eun was looking around the room, Ye-Ji brought over a chair for Ra-Eun to sit on.

“Thanks,” Ra-Eun remarked.

“Y-You’re welcome...” Ye-Ji muttered.

Ra-Eun found it hard to believe that Ye-Ji was not a shy girl.

“How’s school?”

“It’s... good. My friends treat me well.”

Her classmates treated her very well despite knowing the fact that she lived in an orphanage. There did not seem to be any trouble in her school life. In that case, what was on her mind? Ra-Eun was able to find a hint to the question in her room.

There were many photos of her with her friends on her desk, and one of them caught her attention; it was one with a boy who seemed to be her age, and her face was completely red. Ra-Eun was able to tell exactly what was on her mind as soon as she saw the photo.

“You’ve found someone you like, huh?”

Ye-Ji flinched. She tried to deny it at first, but then nodded to affirm.

“Yes, but... I’m not sure what he thinks.”

“You’re not sure what he thinks of you, right?”

Ye-Ji nodded. It was a common relationship worry of a teenage girl. Although Ra-Eun had no experience having such feelings, she could easily give advice on such things. After all, she had once been a ‘he’. She knew the mind of a high school boy at their age.

“Don’t be too embarrassed and try to express your feelings to him. Once you do, he’ll show you responses that are very easy to read.”

“Will he really?”

“Yup. I’m sure of it, so you can trust me.”

Teenage boys were highly interested in the opposite sex. Ra-Eun knew this since she had experienced it herself. If a girl as pretty and kind as Ye-Ji were to like him, the boy would most definitely like it. Ra-Eun was fully aware of the psychology of men.

“If it doesn’t work out, then you can call me. I’ll take care of things for you.”

“Okay, unnie!”

Her expression brightened after having gained confidence.

***

Ra-Eun came out of Ye-Ji’s room and met her father, who was staring at her with a smile.

“How did the talk with Ye-Ji go?”

“How did you know about that?”

“The director told me. I can see from Ye-Ji’s face that it went well.”

Her father thought that he had done well to bring Ra-Eun with him.

“Why don’t we have a short talk?” he suggested.

They walked to where they could see the yard well. The father brought up what he couldn’t say back in the car.

“You were curious about why I volunteer here, right?”

“Yes. I completely forgot.”

Things had been so frantic here that Ra-Eun had completely forgotten that she had asked. The father pointed at a large tree in the yard.

“That tree was apparently planted by your mother on Arbor Day when she was sent here as a little girl.”

“Mom was... raised in this orphanage?”

“Mhm. And I met your mother here for the first time, and fell for her at first sight.”

Ra-Eun finally realized why their father volunteered here so frequently. This was not simply a place to volunteer for him; it was a precious place that had allowed him to meet his wife.

“Even after becoming an adult and marrying me, she still came here and listened to the children’s troubles. Seeing you do that too, it reminded me of some past memories.”

The daughter was just like the mother. Ra-Eun felt that her former self was being erased and replaced by her new self before she realized it.