What if Love

New Life

Seungwan checks out the owner’s to-do list that is pinned on the cupboard. Heaving a sigh of relief, she’s finally done with the house today.

“another stack of won for son seungwan” she smiles at the envelope resting at the kitchen counter.

Seungwan, a name that her best friend seulgi insists when she decided to change her english name wendy. New country, new life, new name. The source of an odd name is still unknown to her and she never really care even though people often laugh at how it sounded like a man’s name.

“done for today? let’s grab some beer” seulgi yells from the opposite end of the pedestrian lane. Seungwan chuckles at her equally hardworking but more energetic friend. How did she have so much energy? seungwan wonders and hoping to learn such skill from the monolid girl.

“one of my client is going on a holiday for 3 months. I need a cover up for that, can’t lose a job now, enrollment is in 4 months” seulgi nods listening to her friend’s problem

“I’ll help you find a new one” she winks, making seungwan’s worries dissipate.

“thank you” she replies before making a toast for a fun and relaxing night.

Monday, seungwan starts her day working again after a day off. She starts in the kitchen, cooking breakfast for her employer who wanted to be called by the name of Ms. Bae, her very first client and been working in her house for almost a year, she’s hired to clean every monday and wednesday. She spend 2 hours in her home that starts 6am till 8am, an hour before seungwan's first class. They only talked once when she was new, making her remember everything that she has to do and making sure that it is done well. It is in her rule that the helper shouldn’t ask questions and just focus on her task.

The owner is older as what seulgi says but seungwan thinks that she looks older because of her client’s ethereal and baby face beauty. She’s a programmer, no wonder she earns a lot. The girl also has a boyfriend, as per the clothes she’s folding twice a week. He must be the guy she once saw entered the room when she was waiting for the elevator door to open. Ms. Bae’s posh condo sits on the second floor of a modern looking building in the middle of itaewon where some of the influential and rich people lives.

Tuesday and thursday, her other employer that she’s working with for 3 months is a person with a light and dark personality as what she and seulgi describes her to be. She often experience that dark side while seulgi claims to be experiencing the good side of Ms. Joy Park, an ace student of college of music in Ewha University that lives near Myeongdong. One of Seulgi’s favorite client but for seungwan, it would be the opposite because Ms. Park often gives her difficult tasks.

Friday and Saturday, the new client that seulgi gave her, Mr. Park Bogum. A well known actor and MC. Seungwan’s jaw dropped when the smiley young man opened the door. How in the earth seulgi get rich people as their clients? Was it again because of her charms? Seungwan thought and noting to thank the girl again for getting her a generous guy that gives incredulous amount of pay. He’s a well organized man and very clean but due to his hectic schedule, him and his assistant doesn’t have the time for the cleaning job anymore that is why they searched for a trustworthy person to do the job and the only person seulgi can trust her whole life and job reputation - Seungwan.

“Told you I got your back” Seulgi flashes her eye smile while enjoying the ice cream that seungwan bought her

“really, thank you” The short haired girl pulls the other by putting her arm around her shoulder

“pretty sure I would’ve lost this battle without your help, so again, thank you” she says, remembering how hard it was for her for the first few months executing her plan on living on her own. Working to pay the bills and school fees without the help of her parents, she wanted to prove that she can be successful and happy without their money.

Being a second daughter, they wanted to make her life just like their eldest. Marry a man that can help their company, a person with a bigger name in the business world.

‘you don’t have to work, it is a man’s job. you will stay at home and take care of my grandchildren’ the un-ending line that her father keeps on telling her. Insisting that a woman should only worry about cleaning and nurturing the kids. A concept that she wanted to run to, the mindset that she wanted to change.

“Daydreaming again seungwan? Who is it this time?” seulgi nudges her, making her remember that they’re supposed to finish their group project today

“sorry.. you mentioned playing golf, that’s my father’s favorite sport. We used to play it together” she smiles at the memory

“way back when he isn’t so controlling” she continued making her friend and two classmates look at her with sadness in their eyes

“anyway, let’s get back to work” she announces, stating out her plans on their assigned group work, she might be forgetful at times but when she puts her focus and mind in an important project she will make sure that everyone is doing their part and they will be able to finish the job with an excellent quality but of course there's a price to pay, their sleep.

“you’re late, I’m hungry” seungwan gasps at the girl waiting in the kitchen

“I-I’m sorry Ms. Bae.. we finished our project a little late but I got you breakfast fro-” she cuts her babbling when the older massaged her temples. She mentally hits her head, forgetting the owner’s second rule.

"Do not talk back or not to talk at all inside my house”

She quietly prepares the food in the table and proceeds to clean the house. She glance at the girl still sitting in the kitchen, food untouched. She’s cupping her face with her palm. Seungwan examines the girl who looks like the lady in a horror film she watched with seulgi and their friends during movie night. She wanted to check her temperature but she might get in trouble if she did but she's wendy, even her name changed she will always be wenresa, as what her canadian friends call her as to compare to mother theresa for her selflessness and kindness, she will always do what she think is right. She shyly asked for the older girl's approval and when she heard nothing from her, she went ahead and worriedly touches her employer's forehead.

“you’re running a fever?” the girl didn’t reply but she held both her arms urging her to stand

“let’s go to your room” the girl tried to refuse but she’s weak enough to shrug her off, in the end she complied with the younger’s orders. Seungwan stays attending to her patient, checked her temperature then feed her porridge and medicines

“you’ll be late for school” she mumbles weakly

“go.. i’ll be fine” she continued when the younger didn’t reply

“I can’t leave you like this, so please cooperate and drink your medicine” she pleads and finally the girl accepted, face scrunched tasting the bitter taste of the liquid.

“hey, you skipped class. That’s new!” seulgi exclaims when seungwan reached their shared apartment

“we were worried, you never ever skip classes” solar says while taking a handful of seulgi’s chips, the monolid girl pouts having a mental battle with the owner of their apartment for her precious chips

“I nursed a sick client, that’s why” she answered sitting beside the two in the couch, joining them in watching a night time drama. 

"Joy?" Seungwan shakes her head

"Today's monday, forgetful bear. It's Irene unnie" Seulgi whistles, pointing at her friend

"You call her unnie now? You two gettin close, I like this progress" Seungwan hits her friend's shoulder

"You're the one who told me to use honoriffics, I'm just being polite" seungwan shrugs taking the bag of chips from her friend

"hmm, okay. If you say so" seulgi smiles at her friend, pulling her bag from the side of the couch to give the girls other snacks to enjoy.