The Unspoken Connections: Between Hurt and Healing”

When Soo-ah looks, it’s Tae-hyun.

She asks the little sister, “Is he your brother?” and the little sister replies, “Yes!”

Tae-hyun sees Soo-ah with his little sister. Tae-hyun recognizes Soo-ah, but he doesn’t remember her name.

Tae-hyun looks at his sister and says, “Why are you wandering outside so late?”

His sister replies, “You told me earlier that we were going to the mall for shopping today, but why are you late?”

Tae-hyun says, “I had an extra class at school today, so that’s why.”

Soo-ah, shocked, because there was not any extra classes in school.

Tae-hyun’s sister says to him, “Alright, I’ll forgive you for today, but I won’t next time!”

Tae-hyun smiles softly.

Tae-hyun then says to Soo-ah, “You were with my sister, right? It’s the responsibility of grown-ups to ensure that little kids are safe. If you see them wandering alone or sitting by themselves, it’s your duty to ask and take them home safely.”

Hearing Tae-hyun’s words, Soo-ah gets annoyed and replies, “ Did I said to you not to fulfill your words ?Parents have their own authority to keep their children safe.

Over there, Soo-ah falls asleep with a heavy heart, her mind weighed down by her worries and sadness.

Meanwhile, Tae-hyun drifts off to sleep, lost in his thoughts about Soo-ah, Min-jun, and the events of the day.

Hearing the two of them argue, Tae-hyun’s sister says, “Guys, stop! Why are you fighting like kids? And, buddy , don’t scold her. She came here because she saw me crying and wanted to cheer me up.”

Hearing this, Tae-hyun becomes silent.

It was getting late, and Soo-ah was worried about going home, so she asks Tae-hyun’s sister, “What’s your name?”

Before she can answer, Tae-hyun interrupts and says to his sister, “You shouldn’t share your name or personal information with strangers. Otherwise, they might kidnap you!”

Soo-ah looks at Tae-hyun angrily.

Tae-hyun’s sister smiles and says, “My name is Ji-yeon, but everyone calls me Ji.”

Tae-hyun says to Ji, “Let’s go home now; Mommy must be waiting for us.”

He hesitates and then asks Soo-ah, “mm… are you going home alone?”

Soo-ah replies, “I’m not a kid. I can go home by myself.”

Tae-hyun says, “Still, let’s go. Ji and I will walk you home. It’s not safe for girls to walk alone at this hour.”

Ji is surprised to see her brother being so caring all of a sudden.

As they are walking Soo-ah home, they come across Min-jun. Soo-ah greets him with a “Hi,” but Min-jun just ignores her and walks away,.

Seeing this, Soo-ah feels upset, but Tae-hyun says, “Maybe he didn’t see you. He’s just walking, probably not paying attention to anyone on the road."

Soo-ah stays silent.

As Soo-ah is about to reach her house, she sees her grandma standing outside, asking others about her,

The moment Soo-ah spots her grandma, she quickly says, “Grandma, I’m here!"

Her grandma sees her and scolds, “Why are you so late?” But when she notices a young man and a little girl with Soo-ah, her expression softens, and she smiles warmly at them.

Soo-ah says, “They’re my friends. This is Tae-hyun, my classmate, and his little sister.”

Hearing this, Grandma suddenly remembers how Soo-ah had once mentioned someone precious to her and had said that one day she would meet that person. Grandma begins to wonder if Tae-hyun might be that person.

Soo-ah quickly says, “Grandma, let’s go home. They just came to drop me off.”

But Grandma, smiling, says, “Oh, no! Little ones, come in and have dinner with us before you leave!”

Tae-hyun says, “No, it’s okay, we don’t need to,” but Grandma insists and takes them to her house.

They reach Soo-ah’s home, and next to it is a small food stall—a tiny restaurant of fried noodles and other dishes, owned by Soo-ah’s family.

Soo-ah points at the stall and says, “This is my grandma’s little shop. If you ever have time, you should come by! My grandma makes the best fried noodles!”

They arrive at Soo-ah’s house, and just then, Tae-hyun’s mom calls.

Tae-hyun answers the call and says, “I’ve already found Ji, so don’t worry. We’ll be home in a little while after having something to eat. Make sure you take your medicine and get some rest.”

Tae-hyun hangs up the call.

Grandma tells everyone to wash their hands and sit at the dining table. Once they’re seated, she brings out delicious food and serves it to everyone.

They all start eating happily, with smiles on their faces. Ji looks especially cheerful.

While serving, Grandma asks Tae-hyun, “Is your mom unwell?”

Tae-hyun replies, “Not exactly. She just has a bit of a sugar and blood pressure issue.”

After everyone finishes eating, they sit by the TV for a while. Ji and Soo-ah enjoy watching cartoons together, laughing and having fun. Grandma brings them some fruits to snack on as well.

A little later, Tae-hyun and Ji get ready to leave. As they’re about to go, Grandma hands Tae-hyun a small packet of snacks and says, “Give this to your mom. It’s good for people with sugar and pressure problems.”

Tae-hyun smiles and says, “Thank you.” Then, saying goodbye, Tae-hyun and Ji leave Soo-ah’s house.

It’s night time, and as Soo-ah gets ready to sleep, she keeps thinking about how Min-jun ignored her on the road earlier.

She takes out her personal diary and starts writing about how Min-jun ignored her and everything else that happened that day.

As she writes, she begins to feel disheartened and sad.

Soo-ah falls asleep.

Meanwhile, Tae-hyun is in his bedroom, lost in his own thoughts. He still doesn’t know Soo-ah’s name, but he suddenly remembers how her grandma had called her by name earlier in the kitchen. That’s when her name, “Soo-ah,” finally clicks in his mind.

As Tae-hyun thinks back to the day’s events, he recalls the moment when Soo-ah had fallen on top of Min-jun. What stands out the most to him is Soo-ah’s eyes—how bright and happy they looked in that moment.

But then, Tae-hyun also remembers the sadness in her eyes when Min-jun ignored her on the street. The stark contrast between those two emotions lingers in Tae-hyun’s thoughts.

Tae-hyun also remembers that Min-jun had clearly seen Soo-ah and them earlier but still chose not to speak.

He wonders, Why didn’t Min-jun say anything, even though he saw her? This thought lingers in Tae-hyun’s mind, making him curious about the relationship between Soo-ah and Min-jun. Something about Min-jun’s behavior doesn’t sit right with him.

Over there, Soo-ah falls asleep with a heavy heart, her mind weighed down by her worries and sadness.

Meanwhile, Tae-hyun drifts off to sleep, lost in his thoughts about Soo-ah, Min-jun, and the events of the day.

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