from which a garden grows / purinz

Chapter 5/03

There's a lot of hugging, screeching, and more hugging before Chaewon's able to piece together who this Yerim is, how she knows Yunjin, and why her dog is the spitting image of Yunjin's dog.

The story dates back all the way back to the year 2000 when Mr. and Mrs. Choi embarked on their annual vacation. Within a week, they had quickly grown tired of each other's company; it was so dull, just the two of them on their privately owned Caribbean island. How they longed for a little princess to coddle and shower with their endless riches. Behold, through the magic of a nine month time jump, Yerim was born! And oh, was Yerim spoiled beyond belief!

When Yerim first started to express interest in fingerpainting, her parents dedicated two entire rooms to her hobby. The first, a sunroom located on the south side of the estate, was the designated "thinking room" where Yerim could bask in the light and brainstorm ideas for her next masterpiece. The second, a former office on the east side of the estate, was the designated "creating room" wherein Yerim had the liberty to paint on the white walls, white floors, white furniture, or wherever else her heart so desired (including the radiator and vents).

When Yerim made an offhand comment about cherries being "yummier" than apples, her parents cut down every apple tree in their backyard, planted cherry trees in their stead, hired a team of imaginative pastry chefs and challenged them to come up with eight never-been-done-before dishes utilizing cherries as the star ingredient. The expert culinary judge of this makeshift competition was none other than Yerim herself. And if little Miss didn't lick her plate clean or offer two stubby thumbs up, that dish's chef was to be terminated immediately.

And when Yerim-precious, butterfly-chasing, Santa Clause believing Yerim-began to bring home dogs, cats, roaches, possums, skunks, raccoons, and practically every animal aboard Noah's Ark, her parents had no choice but to allow her to open up an animal rescue in their front yard.

There had to be limits, of course. Yerim couldn't keep all the animals. Gradually, she began to adopt the domesticated ones (i.e. those that had all their shots, were spayed and neutered, and unlikely to transmit disease) out to other girls who had the same heart for creatures big and small.

One day, a dorky looking girl four grades above Yerim visited her animal rescue and developed a liking towards Shiro, Yerim's dog's brother.

Although it saddened Yerim to break the boys up, she couldn't think of a better home for Shiro besides her own.

Something about Yunjin made Yerim want to trust her; Yunjin had the most honest eyes Yerim had ever seen.

So on the eve of Yunjin's seventeenth birthday, Yerim gave Yunjin the greatest birthday gift she could ever receive.

Then a year later, when Yunjin was set to amass the legendary Huh Family fortune but instead was kicked to the curb on the virtue of being anything other than straight, Yerim opened her doors to Yunjin once more.

"Shiro and I would've been homeless if it weren't for Yerim," Yunjin explains to Chaewon, nearing the end of the story. "She hid us in her basement for a month, snuck us food from the kitchen, lied to my parents, said she had no idea where I was. I'll always be grateful for what she did. She didn't have to help me. But I guess it's in her nature. She loves to take in strays."

Yunjin picks up Yerim's letter from the ground and presents it to her.

"I'm sorry I left in the middle of the night. I just had to get out of this town. I'm sorry I don't visit often-I'm going to work on that. I want Shiro to spend more time with his brother. And I'm sorry this is long overdue. Please accept this thank you note for now. When I come back and visit you again, I'll pay you that month's worth of rent for the time that I was here."

Yerim laughs because a month's worth of rent is pocket change to a millionaire like her. She doesn't need a long winded letter either. A simple "thank you" would suffice. Yerim pats Yunjin's shoulder reassuringly, as if to say "don't feel guilty" without any words at all.

Then Yerim turns to face Chaewon.

"It's not that I take in strays-it's that I see the good. I saw the good in Yunjin and I let her in. I don't really know who you are, or what you are to her, but I recommend that you do the same. When you let Yunjin in your life, only good things are bound to happen. Because she's good. She's one of the most good-hearted people I know."

Yerim is saying what Chaewon already knows but it sure doesn't hurt to hear it again.

"I agree," Chaewon says, stroking Yunjin's cheek fondly. "I suppose I should thank you as well for taking care of Yunjin."

Yerim studies the couple before her, how Yunjin sighs and melts at Chaewon's touch and how Chaewon bites her lip and giggles at how cheesy Yunjin's being.

Yerim sees the love pouring out of them-it's thick and sweet like honey yet explosive and fiery like lava-and she can't help but wonder if they see it too.

"I was just doing my job," Yerim states humbly, "and that is to provide lost souls with temporary shelter until they find a home. From what I see here, it looks like my job is done."

Unfortunately, Yunjin and Chaewon are far too preoccupied with each other to register what Yerim is not so subtly implying.

If Yerim, Sakura, Kazuha, Irene, Seulgi, Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Hyunjin, Hyeju-hell, let's throw in Chaewon's dental hygienist (yes, Chaewon's even gone to her relationship advice)-were to hold a bright red banner that reads "YOU'RE IN LOVE, YOU IDIOTS" in front of Chaewon's face, Chaewon still might not get the message.

Realizing there's nothing else she can do, Yerim shrugs and changes the topic to Yunjin's career.

"So you've done really well managing Shiro's account. You must be getting sponsorships left and right!"

"Oh yeah, I'm having loads of fun! I've had a bunch of companies and startups reach out to me. They send me all sorts of cool stuff in their promo packages. There's this one hard apple cider company that's like obsessed with me..."