We Are Family

"Miss Syanja, please meet my wife, Lara, and our little troublemaker, Nina," Driver Lee said, a proud crinkling smile breaking across his usually stern face. He leaned down, placing a gentle kiss on Lara’s cheek. Lara giggled, shifting Nina in her arms, before looking over at Syanja, who was standing entirely frozen in shock, her mind spinning to connect the dots. "We actually already had the pleasure of meeting," Lara explained warmly, gesturing to the empty space where Syanja had just been holding Nina. She noticed the slight daze in the young author's eyes and smiled softly. "So, Syanja... you're entirely new to Seoul, aren't you?" Syanja snapped out of her thoughts, meeting Lara's kind gaze, and nodded with a small laugh. "Yes, I just landed yesterday. Everything is still a bit of a whirlwind." Remembering the mother and son waiting quietly by the entrance, Syanja's protective instincts kicked back in. Lara, noticing them too, immediately gestured toward the cozy dining booths. "Please, bring them inside where it's warm. Let’s get everyone some hot food." The small group moved toward a spacious booth. Syanja walked over to the polished wooden order counter, selecting a warm cup of tea for herself, fresh juices for the kids, and a spread of comforting hearty dishes for the family. Slipping into her seat at the table, she let out a long heavy breath, finally letting the exhaustion of the day settle into her bones. While they waited for the kitchen to prepare the meals, the cozy chatter of the cafe hummed around them. Syanja looked across the table at the woman and her son, who were neatly stacking their new shopping bags beside the booth. The question had been burning in the back of Syanja's mind since she first spotted them shivering in the fog. "If... if you don't mind me asking," Syanja began gently, her voice dropping to a soft inviting tone as she reached across the table to cover the woman's weathered hand with her own. "What happened to you out there? Why were you both sitting on the footpath in that terrible storm? You can share it with me, if it's not too painful." The woman looked up, her eyes reflecting a deep unspeakable exhaustion. Feeling the genuine warmth of Syanja’s grip, her shoulders slumped, and she finally let the barrier drop. "My name is Mrs. Carton Eu-Jo," she began, her voice carrying a heavy raspy depth. "And this is my son, Sui-Ta. Not long ago, we lived with my husband. We had a quiet life... a perfect family, really. My husband was an incredibly hardworking man, dedicated to his corporate job. But out of nowhere, a massive project went under, and he lost his position. The company ruined him. We lost our savings, our stability, everything." Eu-Jo paused, her fingers trembling beneath Syanja's palm as she swallowed hard against the rising tears. "He couldn't handle the failure. He started drinking heavily, and almost overnight, his entire behavior towards us changed. The stress turned into malice. He became violent... torturing us with words, and eventually he began raising his hands against me and Sui-Ta." A single tear spilled over her lashes, tracing a path down her pale cheek. "This morning, he threw us out onto the street and told us never to come back. We had nowhere to go, no money, and no family in the city. That's why we were on the footpath. We were entirely stranded." Before Eu-Jo could spiral into her grief, Syanja moved across the booth and pulled the crying woman into a tight fierce embrace, gently patting her back. "You don't have to worry about the streets ever again," Syanja whispered firmly into her hair. "Listen to me. You can come live with me at my house. First of all, the company gave me a massive place, and I live entirely alone—I genuinely need someone I can trust to help me take care of it. And second, I'm new to this city. I desperately need the company. Let’s help each other." Sui-Ta, who had been listening quietly, suddenly lunged forward and wrapped his small arms around Syanja’s waist, burying his face in her shirt. Syanja smiled through her own tear-brimming eyes, gently stroking his dark hair. "Thank you, Miss," the boy sobbed softly. "You're such an angel." "Just call me big sister," Syanja cooed, pulling back with a bright comforting grin just as Lara approached the table, balancing a massive tray of steaming bowls. "Food is served! Fresh and hot, right according to order," Lara announced with a cheerful sing-song voice, intentionally breaking the heavy atmosphere. She shared a warm knowing look with Syanja, and within minutes, the table was filled with the clinking of utensils and lighthearted laughter as they all began to eat. An hour later, the meal was finished, and the sky outside had cleared into a crisp starry night. As Syanja stood up to gather her things, a small stubborn force tugged tightly on her hand. She looked down to find Nina looking up at her, her lower lip pouted out. Without waiting, Syanja scooped the five-year-old up into her arms. Nina immediately wrapped her tiny arms around Syanja’s neck, burying her face in her shoulder. "Please come back and see me soon. I'm going to miss you so much." Syanja’s heart melted completely. She pressed a soft kiss to the little girl’s forehead. "Of course I'll come back. Seoul is my home now, where else would I go?" Nina pulled back slightly, locking her big round eyes onto Syanja's face, and extended a tiny pinky finger. "Pinky promise?" Syanja let out a soft melodic laugh, extending her own finger and looping it securely around the little girl's. "I promise, Nina. Cross my heart." After bidding a warm farewell to Lara, Syanja carried her bare feet back out to the sedan, where Driver Lee was waiting to load the endless shopping bags into the trunk. The drive back was quiet but peaceful, a stark contrast to the chaotic storm from hours prior. When they arrived at the modern corporate house, Lee helped carry the bags to the porch, offering Syanja a deep profoundly grateful bow before driving off. "Well, this is our home now," Syanja said, unlocking the heavy wooden front door and gesturing for Eu-Jo and Sui-Ta to step inside the pristine spacious living room. She set the shopping bags on the polished floorboards. "Please, look around. Choose whichever bedroom makes you feel the most comfortable. I'm going to head upstairs to freshen up." Syanja retreated to her master bedroom, pulling a pair of oversized, comfortable loungewear from her closet. After a long hot shower to finally wash away the chill of the rain, she walked back downstairs to check on her new family. The moment she stepped into the hallway, the rich savory aroma of a home-cooked meal hit her nose. Walking into the kitchen, she found Mrs. Carton already standing at the stove, humming softly as she stirred a simmering pot for dinner. "Are you already working in the kitchen?" Syanja asked, a soft smile gracing her lips. Eu-Jo glanced back, her eyes brighter than before, and offered a peaceful nod before turning back to her cooking. Syanja left her to her peace and wandered into the spacious TV lounge. Sui-Ta was sitting cross-legged on the plush sofa, carefully organizing the new notebooks, pens, and clothes from his shopping bags. Syanja walked over, sitting beside him and gesturing to the stationery. "So, you like to study, huh? You excited about all this new gear?" He gave her a brilliant dimpled smile. She patted his head affectionately, a spark of determination in her eyes. "Get plenty of rest tonight. Tomorrow, we are going to find a good school nearby and get your official admission sorted out." Sui-Ta’s eyes widened with pure excitement, and he threw his arms around her in a tight hug. Syanja hugged him back, feeling a deep sense of purpose washing over her. Grabbing her phone and slipping some cash into her pocket, she stood up. "I'm going to step out for a quick evening walk to clear my head. I'll be back in an hour or two. Take care of the house, okay?" She waved them goodbye and stepped out into the cool pleasant Seoul evening. Two weeks flew by in a blur of routine. Syanja spent her days locked in her beautiful new office at VIM Empire, typing away at her manuscript under Robby’s guidance, while her evenings were spent laughing at the dining table with Eu-Jo and Sui-Ta. She had adjusted completely to the rhythm of the city. But across town, in the elite high rise district, time had seemingly ground to a halt for someone else. Jeong Jung-Hoon sat alone on his private balcony, the cool evening air whipping past his face as he stared blankly into the distance. His laptop sat closed on the table beside him. For two solid weeks, he had been utterly consumed by a ghost. We've been looking for two weeks, he thought, his jaw tightening as he rubbed his temples in sheer frustration. Two weeks of running data searches, checking traffic cams, and looking for any clue. Nobody knows who she is. Why's it so incredibly hard to just move on? Why can't I just let it go and try one more time? He closed his eyes, a bitter memory flashing behind his eyelids. Just a few days ago, he thought he had spotted her walking down a crowded avenue. He had practically sprinted through the crowd to approach her, but by the time he reached the intersection, the figure had vanished into the sea of commuters, leaving him standing alone in the wind. His mind drifted further back, replaying the day they had actually crossed paths without him realizing it. Flashback. Jung-Hoon and his core team had just finished a high profile press interview outside a major broadcasting station, heading back toward their waiting fleet of cars. At that exact moment, Syanja had been walking down the very same sidewalk, her headphones firmly over her ears, completely lost in a slow acoustic melody as she took in the gorgeous weather. She was so deep in her own world that she didn't notice the security detail or the towering billionaire passing right by her. As they walked past one another, their shoulders had missed brushing by a mere fraction of an inch. Jung-Hoon had stopped dead in his tracks. A sudden powerful jolt had echoed through his chest a strange invisible melody resonating in his heart. He had slowly turned his head, his eyes locking onto the back of a girl with long hair walking away into the crowd. His heart had begun pounding at a frantic erratic pace. Driven by pure instinct, he had taken a step to follow her, but U-Ram’s hand had firmly clamped down on his shoulder, stopping him. "Where on earth are you going, Jung-Hoon? The cars are waiting." Jung-Hoon had looked back at his cousin, momentarily speechless, before shaking his head to clear his thoughts. U-Ram had let out a confused sigh, turning back toward the vehicle. Left alone for a split second, Jung-Hoon had placed his palm directly over his racing heart, a slow breathless smile breaking across his handsome face as he watched her figure disappear around a corner. I know it's you... he had whispered to the empty air. End of Flashback. Jung-Hoon snapped his eyes open as the memory faded, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. A sudden hand clapped down on his shoulder, breaking his solitude. "Listen to me, man. I think you seriously need to move on," Ho-Jin said gently, pulling out the adjacent chair and sitting down. "We've pulled every favor we have, and we can't find her anywhere in the registry. Maybe she was just a tourist passing through the city for the weekend." Jung-Hoon shot him a dull unamused glare but didn't argue. He just offered a sad defeated smile. Before Ho-Jin could speak again, the balcony doors slid open, and Vim Hyun-Tae stepped out onto the terrace, joining his friends with a confident bright expression. As the young highly successful CEO of VIM Empire, Hyun-Tae hated seeing his close childhood friend looking so thoroughly defeated over a mystery girl. "Hey, look at me. I have a brilliant idea," Hyun-Tae announced, leaning against the balcony railing with a proud smirk. "Our media division is currently finalizing the launch schedule for our new creative projects. Why don't we just arrange a massive public fan-meeting and promotional gala? We can broadcast it across the entire nation. Who knows... if she lives in the city, maybe she’ll show up to see the exhibition?" Jung-Hoon stared at him for a long, quiet second. The sheer genius of the plan hit him. Sprinting across the terrace, he threw his arms around Hyun-Tae, pulling him into a rough grateful hug. Hyun-Tae laughed, heartily patting his back in response. Pulling away, Jung-Hoon's elite corporate mask returned, a sly mocking smirk touching his lips as he decided to tease his friend. "Wow, Hyun-Tae. I honestly had no idea you actually possessed a functioning brain." Hyun-Tae's jaw dropped, and he immediately shoved Jung-Hoon away in mock offense. Across the table, Ho-Jin let out a loud laugh, an impressed expression pulling at his features. "Honestly, though? I think it’s a flawless plan. It handles our corporate promotion and hunts your mystery girl at the exact same time." Jung-Hoon nodded slowly toward Ho-Jin, a spark of genuine hope finally reigniting in his dark eyes. Hyun-Tae puffed out his chest, looking incredibly proud of his own intellect. Jung-Hoon raised a single elegant eyebrow, leaning in close to nudge Hyun-Tae's shoulder. "Don't tell me you've got a lot of personal experience using corporate resources to hunt down pretty girls, Mr. CEO?" Hyun-Tae let out a flustered giggle, playfully shoving him back as the three friends burst into easy laughter, the heavy weight of the search turning into absolute anticipation for the upcoming event.