After that day Erik approached Tiffany they became good friends. They will help other kids, play with them. Tiffany will sometimes read them a story. Unknown to her was Erik who is looking at her with so much admiration and with a bit of envy.
Admiration because she really looks like an angel sent from above to help other people. She gave a positive aura to the orphanage. Tiffany is a giant ball of happiness to them.
Envy, because Erik can’t do what she can. Erik can’t read or write because he wasn’t given the chance to study unlike other kids who got sponsors to send them to school.
In the middle of the story telling of Tiffany, he caught Taeyeon looking at them. She was thinking why he never joins them. He will always busied himself or he will have some excuses not to join them.
“Erik? “ Mrs.Lee saw him.
“Yes , Mrs.Lee. Do you need any help?”
“No. I am good here. You can join them. The food is almost done. Go play with them”
Instead of going back outside Erik just sat down on the kitchen stool
“I don’t want to join them right now. You know Mrs.Lee, I don’t even know how to read or how to write. I don’t even understand what they are talking about so I’d rather stay here where I know I won’t pity myself”
Mrs.Lee stops what she was doing and went to hug Erik. Her heart hurts knowing that Erik was struggling but he won’t even let them know that not until that day.
“If every thing is already hard enough for you to carry, you can always come to me. Share your burdens to me. Don’t keep it all to yourself, Erik. Let it out even just once”
And with that, for the first time Erik broke down in front of Mrs.Lee who he treats as his mother
“Mrs.Lee, what did I do wrong to deserve all of this? Why does no one wants to be with me? I’m tired of pretending to be okay in front of everyone. I can’t do it anymore. I’m tired to feeling unwanted. No one wants to love me, even my own mother doesn’t love me. I am destined to be alone and die alone. A person like me deserves to be alone, unwanted and not to feel love”
Mrs.Lee cries along side Erik. She wasn’t expecting to hear all that from Erik. Erik’s vulnerability is hard to see. Erik doesn’t deserve all of that.
“You might be alone now but just wait a little bit more, someone will be willing to stay by your side and don’t think that you are not loved. You have us Erik. We all love you. Always remember that we love you for who you are, we love you for what you have done to us. Maybe it wasn’t your time right now. Just keep on praying and believe that everything happens for a reason”
Taeyeon wasn’t able to answer back. He just nodded his head and hug Mrs.Lee tightly
“Stop crying now Erik. Go to your room if you don’t feel like playing with them. I will call you when lunch is ready”
“Thank you so much Mrs.Lee”
Erik walks put of the kitchen with a heavy heart. Tiffany was looking for him and saw him walking lifelessly. Not knowing what happened, she decided to let him alone for now. Sometimes all we need is some quiet time to think.
Erik stayed in his room sitting on the floor just looking down the floor. Sister Anne who happens to pass by his room heard a snipping. Without anything to expect, she opens the door to see a crying Erik on the floor.
“Erik, what happen to you? Why are you crying?”
“I’m fine sister” he answer her showing a fake smile but Sister Anne didn’t buy it.
“You know you can tell me anything. I will always listen to you” Sister Anne motioned Erik to sit beside her on the bed
“I am just thinking about myself. I am thinking about what will happen to me in the future. I know that I am old enough to be adopted”
“Don’t say that. It wasn’t just your time now, but soon it will be yours. Don’t lose hope Erik”
“I just don’t want to hope for something impossible. I know you aware of that also Sister Anne. You know that there is no chance for me anymore. I just want to prepare myself”
Sister Anne was out of word to answer him. Because she knows the probability of him being adopted was very low.
“Don’t think of anything. Just enjoy yourself, have fun. You are still young. don’t over-think. God has a plan for you” Erik nodded his head “I assume you don’t want to go outside” Erik shook his head “Alright, I will let you stay here but be sure to eat lunch with us”
“Yes Sister Anne. Thank you”
Once alone at the room again, Erik start imagining what would his life be in the future. He really wants to feel what it was like to have a family.
Too tired of thinking the future he slowly drifted to sleep. He wish somehow not to feel alone even on his dream.
Back to the garden where all the children are playing, Tiffany was started to get worried because it was almost 4 hours since the last time she saw Erik.
Upon looking for him, she saw Mrs.Lee alone at the kitchen so she wonder where is Taeyeon because it was very unlikely of him not to help at the kitchen.
“Uhm, excuse me Mrs.Lee”
“Oh, hi Tiffany. Are you hungry?”
“No Mrs.Lee. I just wanna ask do you know where Erik is? I can't find him" Mrs.Lee just smiles at her. She doesn’t want to tell her what really happens to Erik.
“Erik is in his room”
“Is he sick?” Tiffany got worried because Erik never stays at his room even though he wasn’t feeling well.
“No he’s fine. He is just having some time thinking of something”
“O-okay”
“Tiffany, can you help me?” she nodded “Can you please tell Erik that it’s lunch time”
Tiffany runs to Erik's room, she doesn’t know what to expect from him or what to see inside his room because she’s never been inside that room.
She’s been knocking on the door but still she can’t hear anything from the inside so she decided to just open the door. And there she saw Erik sleeping soundly in his bed but with tears stained on his face. He might be crying when he fell asleep.
“Erik” she softly calls him but still not enough to wake him up so she tries again, and this time he hold his arm while calling his name “Erik, it’s lunch time now”
Erik slowly open his eyes and he realizes that Tiffany was beside him
“What are you doing here, Fany?” Tiffany smiles because it was the first time someone called her that.
“Mrs.Lee, ask me to call you. I was knocking on your door but you’re aren’t answering so I decided to just come in”
“I’m sorry. I guess I haven’t had enough sleep so I fell asleep”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m good. don’t worry”
Just like what he always do, Erik help all the kids and prepares theirs utensils and plates. Then afterwards he will help Mrs.Lee to put their foods on their plates.
“Oppa, can I have more meat?” Little Seohyun ask him
“You’re hungry huh. Here you go. Eat slowly, okay” Erik watch how she happily eat her meals and that makes him happy too.
They had a problem because the other kids also asked for more foods than they usually eats. Everyone already has their own food but Erik was left with almost nothing. He didn’t complain. He just eat whatever was left for him, a half bowl of rice, soup and a piece of meat. Mrs.Lee saw that and she was offering some portion of her food but Erik politely rejected it, telling her that she needs more food because she was the one who prepares their meals.
Tiffany saw it so she put some rice and meat on Erik's plate.
“Don’t try giving it back to me. You should eat more. Besides I can't even finish all my foods” Tiffany says flashing her eye smile that makes Erik blush.
“Thank you, Tiffany”
“It’s Fany-ah for you not Tiffany. I like how you call me that” Erik became more shy because he was not aware that he call her that.
After their lunch, Erik volunteered to wash all the dishes because he felt guilty because he didn’t help preparing the foods.
They let him do it because they know that Erik won’t stop if they didn’t let him.
Tiffany saw him washing all the dishes so she decided to give him a hand.
“Yah! Fany-ah, you don’t have to wash that. I can do it alone”
“But I want to. Besides I don’t have anything to do”
Erik sigh because he doesn’t want to let Tiffany do the dishes.
“Okay. You can help me. Just wipe all the plates and I’ll do the rest”
The two friends enjoyed having their own time together while washing the dishes. Tiffany will sometimes laugh so loud with some of Erik’s lame jokes. Just what they say, time flies when your having fun.
Erik stares at Tiffany admiring her beautiful face. He knows that that they are still young but what he was feeling for her was something more than friend. There was an urge for him to protect her, to take care of her and also to love her.
After cleaning everything in the kitchen, Erik ask Tiffany to follow him. Tiffany was reluctant at first follow him because she was afraid that they will be scolded by Sister Anne.
“Ta-da” Erik shows her his hide-out that none of the other kids knows
"Wow. This place is beautiful” they are at the other side of the garden that Erik works hard to clean. He even ask permission to Sister Anne and she allows him to do what he wants to that place.
A bunch of flowers are planted everywhere. It was like a mini paradise inside the orphanage. There are big trees. A swing. The place is so peaceful and cozy.
“I’m glad you like it. don’t tell anyone about this"
“Of course, I won’t tell them about this place. It’s our place after all”
They spend the rest of the afternoon there just admiring the scenery. The smell of the flowers is enticing and it makes them feel at peace.
“Tae, I notice that you never join us during our story telling session” Erik suddenly avoided tiffany’s eyes. He doesn’t want her to know the reason
“I just have a lot of things to do”
“Is that the real reason?” tiffany wants to know the reason behind it because she know Erik is not telling her the truth
Erik can’t think of any good alibi and because it was Tiffany he decided to tell her the truth
“No. I didn’t want to join because I can’t understand everything that you and the other kids are talking about. I can’t read and write, Fany. I don’t even know how to spell my own name”
“Why? I mean the other kids are studying but why aren’t you?”
“Because they were sponsored. Someone sponsored to sent them to school. But as for me, I didn’t have any so here I am at the age of 17 still cannot write or even read” Tiffany was sad hearing those because Erik deserves more. She can see the potential on him. She grabs his hands.
“If they will not give you a chance to learn, I will do it for you. I will teach you everything that I know. I will help you, I will teach you how to read and write so you won’t be envy of the others. I will help you, Erik”
Erik looks at their hand and smile to Tiffany. That was the first time he felt being loved and cared for. He was happy because he is not alone anymore. Someone is finally by his side now or maybe not.