Chapter 3: Made Him Cry Again

In just two short weeks, Lee Jin had already gotten quite familiar with Han Lanjie. Since her ballet class was shorter than Kwon Jiyong’s, every week after her lesson, she would toddle over on her short little legs to wait for him outside his classroom.

Yi Eun loved ballet. She looked forward to her weekend classes with excitement. Jiyong, on the other hand, had no strong feelings about ballet as an art, it was just the embarrassment of dancing in a tutu in front of a bunch of girls that made him uncomfortable.

Especially when Yi Eun and eomma (his mom) always stood to the side watching and giggling, it made young Jiyong feel even more awkward.

Yi Eun had her hair tied in a little bun on top of her head, with wispy bangs cut right to her eyebrows, making her look adorably silly. She reached out to hang onto Han Lanjie’s arm, her big, sparkly eyes full of curiosity as she stared at the small rectangular object in Lanjie’s hand. Not wanting to interrupt the class, she covered her mouth with her other hand and whispered in a soft, muffled voice,
“Auntie, Auntie! Can Yi Eun play with that, please?”

Han Lanjie’s heart melted from her cuteness. She squatted down and, mimicking how little kids talk, began to teach her how to use the camera.

“Okay. Yi Eun, look through this little hole with your eyes, press this button to focus the picture, and then you can press this one to take the photo.” She pointed to the buttons on the little Canon point-and-shoot camera.

The camera was simple to use. Yi Eun stared at the viewfinder intently. The fluttering white curtains from the breeze, golden sunlight scattered across the floor, and… a red-faced Kwon Jiyong clutching his tutu and charging toward her?

“Ahhh! Yi Eun! Don’t take random pictures!” he shouted, face completely red. Not even the breeze blowing through the hall could cool the heat in his cheeks. “Give it to me!”

After all, he was a child star who had even been on TV, how could he allow a photo of himself in a tutu to exist? He felt like his ears were smoking, hands crossed awkwardly in front of him as he lowered his head and rushed toward Yi Eun.

Even though he was only five heads tall, charging toward the three-heads-tall Yi Eun still gave off a sense of pressure.

Lee Jin clutched the camera in a panic, backing away while frantically pressing buttons, “Jiyong-ah, I didn’t take your picture!”

Han Lanjie opened her arms to protect Yi Eun from behind. As she glanced at the display screen showing her silly-looking son, laughter sparkled in her eyes. Her boy being bullied by older girls was one thing, but now even a younger girl had him completely under her thumb.

With a loud thud, the commotion drew the attention of the other resting children nearby.

Kwon Jiyong reached straight for the camera in Yi Eun’s hands, but little Yi Eun, with surprising strength and determination, used her tiny head to ram both herself and Jiyong to the ground.

“Oh my!” Han Lanjie gasped and covered her mouth in shock at the scene.

Yi Eun’s small head had landed squarely on Jiyong’s chest, and the camera had smacked against his chest from the fall, making his little face twist in pain.

Jiyong’s expression changed from the pain, but Yi Eun was focused entirely on the camera that had hit him. “Ah, we’re doomed!” she cried. Her mom had told her that when you borrow something from someone, you have to take good care of it, breaking it was absolutely not okay!

“Wuuuuhhh…” Jiyong looked down only to see Yi Eun grabbing the camera and running off to find his eomma without even a glance at him, the “injured party.” His young mind was instantly flooded with a painful realization: Am I not more important than a camera?

Then came the soft rustling behind him. Jiyong turned around, his face collapsing in horror. A group of girls about his age had gathered, giggling and pointing in his direction.

In front of him was the innocent-faced, wide-eyed Yi Eun, while he himself had fallen flat on his back in the most humiliating way possible!

The mixture of physical pain and utter embarrassment overwhelmed him. Heat surged up from both his feet and the top of his head, flooding his throat and all that emotion exploded in a loud, earth-shaking wail.

A string of sparkling tears overflowed from his eyes, dropping one by one onto the ground.

Yi Eun held the camera, flustered for a moment, unsure whether to first ask her aunt if the camera was okay or to help Jiyong, who had fallen after bumping into her.

Before her two conflicting thoughts could settle, Han Lanjie immediately stepped over to help the fallen Kwon Jiyong up.

But Jiyong, feeling like he already knew what Yi Eun would choose, became even more upset. Bright tear trails streaked down his flushed, chubby face, large drops falling onto the back of his hand. “Waaah, eomma, Yi Eun bullied me again! I’m never playing with Yi Eun anymore!”

Yi Eun blinked her big eyes, still confused while telling her mother about what happened, scratching her little head. “Mommy, why is Jiyong crying again?”

Her hands folded on the table, her short legs swinging gently in the air because the chair was too tall for her to reach the ground. A little unknown flower bloomed just right in a glass vase beside her hand. Though Li Zhen’s pastry shop wasn’t large, it was neat and clean.

But no matter how warm the environment was, it couldn’t ease Li Zhen’s despair upon hearing about today’s incident. When Han Lanjie came back with tearful Jiyong and innocent-eyed Yi Eun, she already knew something had happened again.

Han Lanjie smiled and waved it off, refusing to tell her, so Li Zhen had no choice but to ask her daughter.

Finally, after sorting through her daughter’s jumbled words, Li Zhen painfully rubbed her forehead. No matter what, it was her fault that while other moms might take photos, her own daughter’s photo-taking had caused Jiyong to fall.

“It’s my fault, it’s my fault.” Li Zhen’s face flushed with embarrassment as she went to apologize again, tugging Han Lanjie’s hand with full guilt. “Is Jiyong alright?”

Although they’d only known each other for two weeks, the neighbors were truly kind people. Not only did they let their kids play with Yi Eun, but seeing a woman raising her daughter alone in a foreign country, they often helped take care of her business.

Yet, in just two weeks, her daughter had made their son cry twice!

“Auntie,” Yi Eun’s voice choked as tears welled up, her hands clutching her little toy tighter and tighter with reluctance, “Yi Eun has come to apologize again…”

The little brother was actually made to cry by little Yi Eun. Kwon Domi, who always enjoyed watching her brother embarrass himself, had already been laughing at home for half an hour. When she heard Yi Eun’s apology, she quickly responded, “Ah Yi-gu, is our little Yi Eun bringing toys again?”

Reminded by Domi oppa, Yi Eun suddenly remembered that she had lost a toy two weeks ago. She pursed her lips tightly, her eyes moist, looking like she was about to burst into tears any second.

Han Lanjie shot Kwon Domi a glare. Eein, curled up like a little dumpling and clutching the toy, already looked pitiful enough, no need to poke at her hurt feelings.

“It’s okay, Yi Eun doesn’t have to apologize.” Thinking of her son who had been sulking alone in his room until now, Han Lanjie felt both heartache and amusement. “I’ll take you to play with Jiyong.”

She really didn’t think it was a big deal. Her son had always been doted on since childhood, and it hurt him to realize he couldn’t even compete with a camera in Yi Eun’s heart. But facing this delicate little girl, she just couldn’t bring herself to say anything harsh.

Han Lanjie sighed inwardly, how could there be such a cute child? No wonder her son had said twice, “I’m never playing with Yi Eun again,” yet as soon as he heard Yi Eun was coming over, he immediately awkwardly locked himself in his room, waiting for someone else to apologize.

“Jiyong-na.” Yi Eun’s soft, sweet voice came from above. Jiyong’s ears twitched, but his limbs under the covers held the blanket even tighter.

Yi Eun’s eyes immediately caught the little dog plush that once belonged to her on Jiyong’s bedside. She looked down at the plush in her hands, feeling reluctant again. She glanced back at her mom and aunt and waved the little dog toy.

Han Lanjie didn’t understand, but Lee Jin instantly got what her daughter meant Jiyong didn’t accept my apology, so can I take the toy back home?

She placed her hands on her chest and made a cross gesture, whispering softly in Chinese to her daughter, “Apologize properly.”

“Okay then…” Yi Eun pouted, her chubby little hand tugging at Jiyong’s small blanket. A stronger tug pulled back from inside.

“Jiyong-na, mianhae (sorry).”

She asked sadly, “Are you really never going to play with me again?”

The lump on the bed, which had only been gently rising and falling, shifted a little bit toward Yi Eun after hearing her words.

Like a little caterpillar, it moved in a way that made Yi Eun curious, so she leaned over the edge of the bed to observe. She poked the spot that looked like Kwon Jiyong’s head with her little plush toy and whispered, “Yi Eun apologizes to you, will you forgive Yi Eun?”

The lump moved again.

“I promise from now on whenever I see Jiyong fall, I will immediately help him up.” She covered her mouth with her hand, glanced at the two adults behind her, then quietly made her vow. Though she felt sorry for her plush toy, Jiyong had just fallen flat on his face in front of so many people.

A kid who doesn’t comfort or understand their friends is too cold! She shook her head, thinking, Yi Eun is not a bad kid!

She lay on Jiyong’s bed, kicking her little legs up, her voice cute even with the whisper, “Jiyong, will you still play with Yi Eun later?”

The tightly closed lump on the bed revealed a tiny crack.

Yi Eun pressed her head against the bedsheet and peered through the small opening, inside was Jiyong’s little face, flushed red from holding his breath.

Jiyong hadn’t expected that by revealing just this tiny gap for air, she’d manage to wedge her chubby little head inside!

They looked at each other through the faint light. Jiyong blinked, and Yi Eun blinked too. Yi Eun tilted her head, and Jiyong followed suit.

His watery almond-shaped eyes met the sad droopy eyes of the little dog. After nearly half a minute of eye contact, Jiyong suddenly remembered that he was still angry! How could he forgive her so easily just because she was cute?

He raised the small hand he’d been using to hold down the blanket and tried to push Yi Eun’s head out, but his strength was weak. Yi Eun wriggled twice, not only refusing to back out but also bringing the little dog plush in with her.

Yi Eun pressed the nose of the small plush dog, about the length of her arm, against Jiyong’s arm, her voice full of reluctance and her eyes watery, “Jiyong, this is for you too. Please don’t be angry anymore, okay? Does it still hurt?”

Kwon Jiyong’s gaze flickered between the little dog plush and Yi Eun. Her fair, delicate face looked as sweet as the Chinese dessert called lianggao that her aunt made.

It looked very delicious and very squeezable.

Suddenly, he pulled his gaze back, shyly reached out a small hand, pinched the plush’s paw with two fingers, and hiccupped with a muffled, sniffling voice, “It doesn’t hurt anymore. Let’s just forget about it this time, but next time you have to help me up, okay? If Yi Eun falls, I’ll protect Yi Eun, not the camera!”

Jiyong’s voice grew quieter and quieter, but the blush on his face deepened. He felt he should act like a big brother and not be so petty.

It definitely wasn’t because Yi Eun was just too cute!

“Okay, okay!” Yi Eun nodded, one hand still resting on the little dog plush, her eyes curved with delight. “Then this plush…”

Thinking that since Jiyong said this time was forgiven, she might as well keep the little dog plush!

Little puppy, little puppy, maybe you can go home with Yi Eun after all! At that moment, her heart bubbled up like it was filled with sparkling bubbles “glug glug” and happiness made her feel light as air.

“Then I’ll take it,” Jiyong said, pinching the plush’s paw a little tighter. “Also… Yi Eun, can I pinch your face?”

As he pinched her chubby little cheeks, the bubbles in Yi Eun’s heart suddenly popped with a “pop.” But this promise between them was something they kept from childhood all the way through.