5 I can't give up!

Hani and Yoon Shik arrived at their small house. The neighbours were crying seeing the condition of the two women.

"Ahjussi, how are umma and halmeoni?" asked Yoon Shik with teary eyes.

"Yoon, your grandma has passed away and your mother, your mother," mumbled the man with a broken voice. Yoona opened her eyes and looked at her kids. Seeing her mother's eyes opened Yoon and Hani sat near her, holding her hands.

"Eomma, it's fine now. Hani is also with me. See," muttered Yoon with a smile. Hani started crying seeing her mother's condition. The people surrounding them were also crying but didn't say anything.

The man and his friends who had helped Yoon Shik earlier asked a person among the crowd about the incident. The man narrated them the entire incident. The man looked at Yoon Shik who was crying and then turned to his friends. "Let's go and settle the things with the landlord, Kyung," said the man, looking at his friends and they left from there.

"So..son...you..have to live. Ok..okay....protect Hani with your life. Mother..told me you want to study.....I...I"

Yoon was crying. He held her mother's hand and said, "Eomma, we can talk about this later too. Take rest for now. Ahjussi will check you and treat your wounds." Yoon kissed her mother's hands which were filled with blood.

"Yo..on... I can't live more…..," saying this Yoona closed her eyes.

Hani held her mother tightly

"Eomma, Eomma wake up, you can't leave us. Eomma, Halmeoni", with a broken voice Hani called them. People started crying seeing them. But nobody actually came forward to help them.

Yoon Shik was devastated seeing this. He started crying profusely. Hani hugged him tightly. Yoon Shik was shouting and calling her mother but Yoona didn't open her eyes. The ahjussi who was treating them earlier embraced the two kids in a warm hug. He caressed at their heads. "Let's bury them with all the rituals," murmured the man with tears in his eyes. The two kids tightly hugged the man while crying.

They buried them in the jungle forest and returned back home. Hani didn't stop crying for hours. Yoon tried hard to make her sleep.

"Hani, look Orabani has something for you. This bracelet will always protect you," muttered Yoon as be took Hani's hand. Wiping her sister's tears he put the bracelet around her small hand.

"Orabani, what will we do now? Eomma, halmeoni are no more," murmured Hani while Yoon was caressing her head trying to make her fall asleep.

"Don't worry. I have found a job. Sleep now," said Yoon. After much effort Hani fell asleep with her head on Yoon's lap. Carefully Yoon put Hani's head on the pillow and then covered her from the blanket. Hani's forehead started burning up and Yoon got scared by this.

He rushed out of the room and saw the ahjussi was still outside sitting on the wooden bench. "What happened?" asked the man.

"Hani is burning up," said Yoon with a worried look. The man quickly ran inside and then checked Hani while Yoon was observing the man.

"She has got the fever. I've some medicine in my house. Don't worry she will be fine," state the man.

"Ahjushi thank you." Saying this Yoon Shik bowed his head.

"Your grandma was a kind lady and your mother was always ready to help me and my wife. I don't have a family as my wife died a long time ago but grandma always helped me. After their sudden demise I think I should be your guardian," said the man and looked at Yoon.

"I'm Jang Shiwo." Introduced the man. "I'll be your father. You both don't have to worry," Shiwo said further with affirmation and patted Yoon Shik's shoulder. Yoon thanked Shiwo for helping them and taking care of them in such a condition. Tears fell from Yoon's eyes and he started crying heavily.

While sobbing Yoon said, "The person who's my father never bothered once for us but this you are ready to help us. Mother is no more. If I hadn't come here then she would be alive today."

Ahjussi embraced Yoon in a warm hug and patted his back. "It's fine. Don't cry now. Take care of Hani, I'm coming taking the medicine from my house," said Shiwo and walked away from there.

~~~~~~~~

Yoon Shik's sleep broke when someone touched his hand. "Hani," murmured Yoon. Jang Shiwo came inside and gently held Hani in sit. "Yoon, here. Make her drink this. Hani you're fine now," said Shiwo.

Yoon Shik did so and made Hani drink the entire soup.

"You both can call me father. Let's live like a family from now on," said Jang Shiwo and caressed their heads. Yoon Shik and Hani nodded.

"Abeoji," said Hani and Yoon Shik together. Shiwo smiled hearing this and hugged them both.

A few days passed like this. Their entire house was completely changed. Since Shiwo's house was adjacent to theirs so he broke the left wall and made the house big. They all decorated their house. Shiwo made a fence of wood in the front of the house. Shiwo is the medical doctor so Hani usually helps him in the work. Many commoners come to them for the treatment.

"I've not gone for work for so many days. Ahjussi will kill me," murmured Yoon.

"Abeoji, I'm going for work. I'll see you in the evening," mumbled Yoon and left the house.

~~~~~~~~~

Baek Chun was calculating the figures in his revenue book. Yoon Shik reached there and greeted him.

"Aha, what a sight! Finally you showed your face. I thought you ran away from here," said Baek Chun glaring at Yoon.

"Ahjussi, why would I run? Something has happened with me that's why I couldn't come here for a few days. Please don't fire me," murmured Yoon Shik and lowered his head.

Baek Chun was still busy at work and asked, "What happened?"

"Someone killed my umma and Halmeoni," said Yoon with a heavy voice. Baek Chun stopped writing and put the brush down on the table. Closing the notebook he looked at Yoon Shik. "Don't you want to work? This place missed you. Everybody was asking about you. I think my regular customers have started liking you. I've gained so much profit because of you," mumbled Baek Chun and then patted at Yoon Shik back. Yoon Shik smiled hearing this and thanked Baek Chun.

"Go inside the kitchen. Then take the orders," ordered Baek Chun. Yoon nodded and walked away from there. Baek Chun thought why would someone kill Yoon Shik's mother and grandma.

"Baek-aa, here are your 50 cents. Cut my name as I've paid my debt," mumbled a man in the silk robes. Baek nodded and did the same. The just environment of Yoon Shik made him dissolve in the work entirely.

In the evening Baek Chun paid Yoon Shik his daily wages. Yoon thanked him. "Ahjussi, I want to learn too," said Yoon with a determined voice. Baek Chun looked at him and joked with Yoon. "Why? Do you want to be an official or scholar by studying?"

"Yes, I want to be a Scholar," stated Yoon with a smile. Hearing his words a man who just entered there started laughing. Baek Chun too started laughing. "You crack good jokes kid," muttered the man and laughed along with Baek Chun.

"I'm not joking. I really want to be a Scholar," Yoon said. "When I'll be a scholar then you both will bow before me. So don't laugh at me."

He further added.

"Haha, Baek Chun from where did you find such an amusing kid?" asked the man and again laughed.

"Jangmi, he's Kim Yoon Shik. Yoon Shik, greet him. He's the Liberian head in Sungkyunkwan and owns a big book store two shops beside mine," said Baek Chun. Yoon Shik greeted Jangmi.

"Yoon Shik, it's good to meet you," said Jangmi with a smile.

"Why are you saying that I can't be a scholar?" asked Yoon.

"Because only the top class makes it to the final, that is Yangban class. Very few chances of Chungin class to be a Scholar and for Sangmin there is a nil chance. I can tell by looking at you that you're a Sangmin so don't crack such types of jokes anymore," Jangmi explained to him and smiled. He then started talking with Baek Chun

"What if I will qualify the exam?" asked Yoon Shik. Baek Chun and Jangmi looked at him.

"You can't Yoon Shik. Go home and come early in the morning," murmured Baek Chun.

"Kid, that's because it's A level exam. The kids of your age continuously study at their homes instead of working. Yangban class kids have those facilities which Sangmin kids don't have. Moreover many Sangmins are usually illiterate." Jangmi explained the things to Yoon.

"Do you know how to write words?" asked Baek Chun. Yoon Shik refused.

"Then just give up on your dream because even if you want to study you won't be able to do it. Your family is dependent on you so you shouldn't aim for the things which you'll never get," Jangmi declared.

Yoon Shik looked at Yangmi. "I can study too," said Yoon Shik.

"From whom?" asked Jangmi.

"Ahjussi will teach me," said Yoon Shik, looking at Baek Chun.

"Haha. Yoon Shik I have a lot of work to do," said Baek Chun. "I can only teach you basic things," Baek Chun said further.

"That's sufficient," replied Yoon and smiled. Jangmi smiled and said, "since you're so determined to study then I can give you books too. But I want to advice that just, give up on this thing because it's impossible."

Yoon Shik smiled and declared, "I can't give up. I want to give justice to my mother and grandmother." Baek Chun and Jangmi stared at the kid in astonishment while Yoon Shik was smiling.