Deen-The Wish

'He's still glaring at you,' Hae-ra commented.

'Who?' I asked.

'Jungmo.'

I turned back to see Jungmo throwing daggers at me through his eyes. Ever since Mee complained against him to the principal, he had been kept on a leash by the authorities. I do not know what Mee told the teachers but after talking to her for half an hour, they suddenly forbade him from coming near me ever again. Even our class teacher was behaving...nicer? After her meeting with Mee, she suddenly started behaving well with me. Even gave me a star sticker on my homework notebook.

I shrugged and returned to my coloring book. We were at our art class, drawing pictures of something we want.

'What did you draw?' Hae-ra asked curiously. She tried to take a peek of my work but I hid my paper.

'I can't show it to you,' I mumbled.

'Oh come on!' Hae-ra complained. 'Just a peek. Come on.'

I shook my head furiously. 'No,' I said stubbornly.

Hae-ra was disappointed. I did not want to show my picture to anyone. It was embarrassing for me.

The bell rang and it was time to go home. It had been four months since we arrived at Korea but both my mother and I got adjusted to the place. I could even walk back home by myself since the school was not far from our house. Still, Shae noona, my new babysitter picks me up everyday.

'Deen,!' Shae noona called out as soon as I exited the school gate. I blushed a little. Shae noona was in her early twenties and very pretty. Her long, mousy hair reached up to her shoulders. Her half moon shaped smile was heart fluttering. I lit up upon seeing her.

'Noona,' I swooned.

'Hey kiddo!' Noona ruffled my hair. My cheeks grew even redder. 'Let's go home?' she suggested.

I happily nodded and we walked home, chattering away. When we reached home, Shae noona heated up some lasagna for dinner while I scribbled my homework.

'So when is your mom coming home?' Noona asked.

'Dunno,' I replied. 'She said she won't be late. Apparently, Soo-Yon ahjusshi went to Japan and Cheng Ahjusshi has some work at Busan. Since they're not here, she will return earlier than usual.'

'Great!' Noona clapped. 'I was thinking of heading over to uncle's house to drop off some food mom prepared for him. Maybe I'll stop by after your mom comes back.'

'We can head over there now,' I said excitedly. 'I want to visit Mona!'

'You still have your homework left,' Shae noona said sternly.

'I'll finish it there!' I promised. 'Please let me come with you, pleeeeease.'

I pleaded in front of her. Shae noona sighed. 'Fine,' she conceded. 'Get your bag. We'll head over there.'

'Yaiii!' I exclaimed. I gathered my bag and we set off towards the tunnel. Yes, even Shae noona knew about it. It was easier to go to the mansion through the tunnel than go all the way around from our front entrance.

After a while, we reached the front door of the mansion. Shae noona rang the doorbell.

'Who is it?' Taewon ahjusshi's voice came out of the intercom.

'It's me uncle!' Shae noona announced.

The door flung open. 'Aren't you supposed to be babysitting the kid?' Taewon ahjusshi asked as he came out. Shae noona pointed at me and I grinned, waving at him.

'You brought him?' Taewon ahjusshi asked exasperatedly.

'He insisted,' Shae noona replied. 'Besides, I brought you this. Mom sent it.'

She handed him the enormous food container and barged into the house. I followed suit. Ahjusshi groaned.

'Where's Mona?' I inquired.

'Jan took her out for a walk,' Taewon ahjusshi replied.

'I'll wait for her then,' I said.

'Don't you have homework?' he asked suspiciously.

'I brought them here,' I said, pointing at my bag pack.

'Fine,' Taewon ahjusshi crossed his arms. 'You better stick to your homework and not disturb anyone.'

'Aye aye sir,' I said sarcastically.

'Oh just stop it you two,; Shae noona laughed. 'Uncle, you're being so petty towards a kid!'

'Hmph,' he scoffed. 'Kid? More like the spawn of Satan.'

I stuck out my tongue at him. He gave me a 'do-that-again-and-I'll-throw-you-out' look. Shae noona burst into a giggling fit.

I sighed and took a seat at the dining table. Within minutes I was buried in my notebook, doing my Science homework. Shae noona was lying on the sofa, studying her own textbooks for her government job exams. Taewon ahjusshi retreated to his room.

After a while, I began to feel my eyelids getting heavier. Sleep was enveloping me and I found it hard to concentrate on the homework. I dropped into a light sleep.

'Is he asleep?' Amidst my sleepy state, I heard a deep voice hovering over me.

'Seems like it,' Shae noona replied.

Taewon ahjusshi sighed. He picked up my bag and placed it on the chair next to me.

'Hey uncle,' Shae noona said. 'Something dropped out of the bag.'

I dimly heard Taewon ahjusshi picking up something from the ground, but my head was too muddled with sleep to care.

Unbeknownst to me, the two adults were staring at a piece of paper which had a childish drawing on it.

'Uncle,' Shae noona looked at him. 'Is this...Deen's inner wish?'

Taewon ahjusshi took a deep breath and glanced at my sleeping form. He carefully folded the drawing and kept it back in my bag.