6 months now since Tiffany was sent to the orphanage. 6 months now since he met Erik. She still feels the loneliness whenever she remember he mom and dad. But Erik told her to think of the happy times they shared together whenever she feels sad. Erik is always there for her when she needed someone by her side.
In just 2 weeks of teaching Erik how to write and read, Erik was now able to somehow read some phrases and he can now write his own name. She was so proud of him because of his determination to learn.
“Fany-ah, look I can read now. I can even write my own name now. E-R-I-K K-I-M “ he happily spell it out loud
“Good job, Erik. I know you can do it”
That went on and continue for at least a month that Erik became a good reader. He was smart enough to understand the things that he can now read. Tiffany and him became more close as time went by. They are inseparable. And Tiffany likes to be with Erik all the time.
“Fany-ah, if..if you will be adopted one day. Will you forget about me?” out of nowhere Erik ask her that and she can feel the sadness in his voice.
“I will never forget you, Tae. How can I when you gave me so much to remember”
Erik didn’t talk again after that. He just lay down on the grass looking up to the sky with many thoughts running through his mind.
“I want to believe that. But still, there’s a lot of possibility. No worries, I am used to be left alone”
With that he get up and went back inside not minding of waiting for Tiffany.
The sudden change of Erik’s behavior was not left unnoticed by the people around him. He doesn’t hang out with Tiffany anymore and he spends more time alone. He became a quiet boy again.
Tiffany was hurt by his action. Tiffany wants to confront Erik but still he manages to avoid her.
“Why don’t you talk to me? What did I do wrong to be ignored by you?” Tiffany says when he finally cornered Erik. She cries in front of him . Erik saw her.
“Don’t cry. You didn’t do anything wrong. It was my fault”
“But why are you pushing me away?”
“I am just protecting myself from the pain that is about to come. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you?”
“What are you talking about? Pain? Who will hurt you?”
“You will know it soon. By then I hope you will understand me"
That soon came sooner that he expected. Tiffany was adopted by a rich couple who lost their child due to some clinical trial error that their company is doing.
The public doesn’t know who their child was and even her name was unknown to the public. Tiffany was almost identical to their daughter so to save their family and business they decided to adopt her as the replacement of their late daughter and also for their business.
Tiffany didn’t know how to react. She knows that she should be happy about that. But she can’t feel any excitement or happiness because she knows her happiness will be left in there in the orphanage.
She now understand what Erik was trying to tell her. Erik must have known about her adoption before they tell her. Tiffany waited for her new parents to leave before she run to find him.
“Sister Anne, do you know where Erik is?”
“I haven’t seen that boy all day”
Tiffany went to their hide out but he wasn’t there. She went to his room, to the kitchen but still she can’t find him.
“Tiffany unnie, are you looking for Erik oppa?” Seohyun saw Tiffany walking around looking for someone
“Yes. Do you know where he is now?”
“He went to the garden just now. He doesn’t really looks fine. I think he is crying but I don’t know why”
Tiffany runs toward their hide out. She saw Erik on the grass, his arm covering his eyes. She slowly lay down beside him.
“Erik, please talk to me”
“Just leave me alone. I want to be alone!” It was the first Erik snapped at her or anyone. She knows he was hurt and sad so she didn’t mind his action
“You can snap at me all you want. You can feel whatever you are feeling right now. But please Erik look at me. Talk to me please. I don’t want to go seeing you like this”
“What’s the difference? You will just leave no matter what”
“I promise to keep in touch with you. I’ll send you letter, photos or anything”
“I will miss you so much, Fany-ah. I want to be happy for you but I can’t”
“I am not either. I don’t want to leave but I have to. I need to start a new life and I’m gonna bring all our memories with me”
Erik felt the urge to tell Tiffany about what he truly feels for the girls. He hold her hand, look her in the eyes
“Fany-ah, I just wanna let you know how much you mean to me. You might think that we are still young you’re 16 and I’m 17. before you leave I want you to know that I love you. I love you not as a friend, not as a sister. I love you more than anything in this world. I know it’s too late and this will be the last time that I can tell you that so here goes nothing. I am in love with you Tiffany Hwang. And I don’t need you to love me back. Being able to tell you all this is more than enough for me”
Tiffany was stunned. She didn’t know that Erik was in love with her. Erik didn’t show her any signs. It is now clear to her that Erik is loving her from a far and he doesn’t have any intention of confessing not until she was about to leave. She can’t form or find any word to answer him but she knows that action can be an answer.
Tiffany caught Erik off guard when she pressed her lips to him. It stayed like that for a couple of seconds. No one seems to be able to move from the shock. Erik’s eye went wide by the sudden action of Tiffany.
She looks at Tiffany silently asking if he can move and the girl just nodded her head and closes her eyes. He started to move his lips and seconds later Tiffany and him are moving in sync. With the lack of oxygen, Erik pulls away.
“Does it mean that you love me too?” Erik who is still in daze ask her for confirmation and Tiffany just gave him a peck on the lips
“What do think, Erik?”
“I love you”
“I love you too, Erik”
Erik couldn’t believe that Tiffany also feels the same. He is happy because finally someone accepted who he was and someone that can love him too. But the joy was only temporary as it became a heartbreak. Erik knows that this was only temporary because the world outside is so big that a lot might happen and a lot can change.
“I just said that I love you but why are you sad?” Tiffany ask him when she seems to like a broken man
“Because you are leaving tomorrow. And I don’t even know if I could still see you after”
“I promise to wait for you. Once you're out here, we will find a way to meet again” the sudden mention of that makes him more sad and afraid of the future.
“You know the chances of me to be adopted was so slim. I might have to wait until I am old enough to live on my own”
“Don’t lose hope, Erik. Just wait and keep on praying. I know you will have your own family too.
“I hope so”
“Cheer up. I will give you this ring. This one is my dad’s wedding ring. You keep this and I will keep mom’s ring. When we meet again you can just show me that ring and I will know that you are you”
“I love you, Fany-ah. I love you so much that it hurt knowing I won’t be able to see you for a long time”
“ I love you too. I will wait for our path to meet again and I will always remember you”
The following day Mr. and Mrs. Young came back to pick up Tiffany. Everything is settled and final. They can now go home with Tiffany.
But the young girl was not interested to what the were discussing she kept on looking around trying to find Erik. She doesn’t want to go without saying goodbye to him. She excuse herself to look for Erik. She instantly found him sitting on the swing in their hide out.
“Erik, aren’t you going to say goodbye to me?” Tiffany says and Erik doesn’t even look at her
“I hate goodbyes and you told me that we will still gonna meet someday so I will not say goodbye. If I say goodbye it means we will not meet again”
Tiffany suddenly launches herself to hug Erik. They hug each other without saying anything but just feeling the warmth of one another until they hear Sister Anne calling out Tiffany
“You should go now. They are looking for you”
“Here…take this one. Sister Anne gave me this” it was their photo together that Sister Anne captures. “I’m gonna miss you so much Erik”
“I will miss you so bad, Fany-ah. Take care of yourself. I love you so much. Till we meet again, Fany-ah”
“I love you. Let’s meet someday. I will always remember you. My heart will never forget you”
A kiss was the last memory that they both shared. Because after that day, Tiffany was gone. No news, no letters. Erik always wait for the day the he can finally receive something from her beloved. Maybe he will give up when he was able to finally say goodbye to her.
Days turns week, weeks turns months until it became 5 years with no news from her. As year passed by, the other kids was already adopted. From 20 to 15 to 10 and now it was only him left in the orphanage.
The foundation has stopped supporting them that made Sister Anne the biggest decision of her life; to close the orphanage. Erik didn’t know what to do because he has no one to go to. Sister Anne was sent back to the monastery where she could be taken care of because of her age. While Mrs.Lee will go back home to her family in the province.
“Sister Anne, I don’t know where to go”
“I’m sorry, Erik. I’m sorry that I failed you. I’m sorry that I couldn’t find you a family”
Mrs.Lee was looking at them suddenly cries. “I want to bring you with me Erik. But my family doesn’t want to. We barely have a meal to eat. We really can’t afford to bring you home. I am sorry Erik"
Erik understand them. He knows that it was not easy. He was feeling sad but he can’t do anything. He just accepted his fate that he was really going to be alone in the real world that he has no idea to what kind it was.
“Don’t worry. I believe I can survive outside, I know I can find my own home. With everything that you have taught me, I know I can be able to conquer everything. I wanna thank you Sister Anne and Mrs.Lee for everything that you have done for me. Thank you for taking care of me since I was a baby. Thank you for loving me. I will never forget your kindness”
That afternoon was the last time Erik saw the people who he treated as his mother. Before he left the orphanage Sister Anne gave him some money to help him start a new life , it wasn’t that much but still enough for him to start while Mrs.lee gave him some foods that was left on the pantry.
At the age of 20, Erik was alone wondering the streets of Seoul. On the 6th month of being a homeless the money that was given to him by Sister Anne was now down to a dollar.
In order to survive Erik will go to some restaurant to ask for water because he can’t afford to buy even a slice of bread. Some owner will just throw him out and some were kind enough to give him water and some foods.
At the age of 21, Erik found a way to earn somehow. It wasn’t enough but still he will take it instead of nothing. A kind store allowed him to stay outside his store. Erik will open the door for the customer hoping to received even just a cent. Some will give him, others will ignore him.
One day a customer who always go to that store notices him. “Hi Mr.Park. Is he always there at the door?” The young man ask the owner and look at Erik who was patiently standing outside and happily opening the door for the customers.
“He’s been there for quite a while now. I let him do that because that boy has nowhere to go, he has no family, no house, literally he has nothing. He even came to me politely asking if he can stay outside even after the stores closes. He will sleep there too”
“At the young age he’s already experiencing that kind of life. He should have been out there with friends. His parents should be punish for abandoning their child”
The young man decided to give him some foods and grocery that he can use. Mr.Park notices it and smile at the young man proudly. He went outside to meet Erik. He opens the door for him and after he gave him the bag full of foods and some items.
“Thanks bud. I got a little something for you” he handed him the bag
“Are you really giving all this to me?” Erik was skeptical to accept it
“Yes. That’s all yours. Please just accept this” he grabs Erik’s hand to force him to accept the grocery. Erik who was really confused looks inside the store to see Mr. Park smiling at him and telling him to accept it.
“Thank you so much. You don’t know how much this will help me. I haven’t had a meal for I think 3 days now except some waters”
“What?! how can you even survive not having anything for 3 days?”
“Being a homeless with no job will really teaches you ways to survive”
“Don’t worry. I will help you”
“Thank you so much. May I know what’s your name?”
“I am Kwon Yuri. And you are?”
“Erik Kim”
“Nice to meet you bud. I have to go now. I’ll see again tomorrow” before he go he put a 100 dollar bill on Taeyeon’s pocket and run off before Erik can react.
That day was the day Erik and Yuri became friends.