No one knows

1

"please! Just give me another week, I promise! I'll return your money! My uncle got sick.. I need to buy him medicine"

Taehyung bows his head repeatedly, his hands clasp in front of his face, asking for another chance. 3 men stand tall over her till she drops on her knees afraid of what they can do to her but the leader steps in stopping them

"Leave him boys! I'm sure he will bring my money back because if he doesn't he knows what will happen to him"
He smirks grabbing the young boy's chin to look at him

"Life is really hard these days and believe me, I don't like to see your pretty face crying but business is business.. I need my money, you need to pay me back"

Taehyung closes her eyes hard nodding her head

"yes, yes sir.. I understand.. thank you for giving me another chance"
A tear rolls down on her cheeks and the leader named Kai wipes it with his thumb

"Don't cry now... You better be ready, fix yourself...such a cry baby you are"

He releases him and step back, his men follows him laughing at the crying boy

Taehyung stays in her knees till they are gone still crying, she feels terrified whenever Kai and his men catch him even she's hiding from them, she knows she needs to pay him back but it's hard to earn money lately. There was no one who needed her help

She accepts any kind of work from being a helper in the market, sometimes fixing any furniture, dance teacher but lately she accepts writing a letter to any man that wants to express their feelings for the one they like. Her name is famous for being a match maker, her clients recommend her for the people having love problems, giving advices on how to make their crushes fall for them

Her tears run dry as she stands up dusting her shirt and trousers. She is still pretending to be a man just like what she promised to her mother 10 years ago, she walks going to the house of the man that adopts her

Mr. Yohan will surely be worrying by now, it's late and she's having some bruises and wounds on her cheeks and eyebrows, dirt is visible on her hands, elbows and clothes too

She's a few meters away from the house she considers home, Mr. Yohan is walking back and forth in front of their front yard neck stretches looking if her daughter has returned

He knows Taehyung is a woman, she got her when she was 8 years old.. a day after the lantern festival 10 years ago. He saw her walking in his way dirt all over her clothes, now he's totally worried what happened to her. He didn't wait for her to reach him, he comes running to meet her halfway

"What.. what happened to you?"
His eyes moisten, tears threatens to fall, his eyes look at her pretty face. He holds her hand firmly till they reach inside his small house. The only place she knows what it feels like to have a home

"Tae, tell me what happened? Who did this to you?! Who am I need to kill?!"
He guides her carefully, he walks to the kitchen and grabs the largest knife he has

"Uncle.. calm dowm, I'm fine" she holds his hands and get the knife out of him

"You're telling me you're fine?! That is not the face of a fine lady!"
His voice raise pointing a finger on her face. Taehyung covers his mouth fast

"Sssshhhh! Uncle" she whispers

"who is the lady you're talking about? We are both man here!"
She matches his voice going to the windows to shut them close, their neighbors might hear them

Mr. Yohan gets the first aid kit and takes a seat pulling her to take the seat beside him

"I told you to get away from trouble"
He starts to clean her wounds and wet a towel to wipes her face clean. He shakes his head

"I'm old now and I'm worried about you.. when you're going to stop pretending and dress like a woman so you can get a man that can defend you, to love you properly and be by your side for all your troubles. When are you going to stop this facade?"

Taehyung holds his hand caressing his knuckles and smile the sweetest

"I'm going to be fine,. you don't have to worry about me"

"I'm sorry for the things I couldn't give to you, I can't even give you proper clothes"

"uncle, what are you saying.. you let me in your house, treat me like your own. It's more than enough"
Taehyung got teary and she doesn't know why they talking like they were going to be separated

Mr. Yohan cough when he starts to cry, if only he's rich, Taehyung won't suffer with him. Taehyung runs a hand on his back and guide him to his bed

"you should be resting..did you have your medicine?"

"you shouldn't have bought it.. I'm old, I'll die sooner or later,  you should let me so you can be on your own now, I'm a burden to you now"

"aish! Uncle! Don't say that! I bought it for you so will be well, we need to perform.. our audience are waiting for us"

Mr. Yohan is a puppeteer with few of his friends.. they go to different villages in every festival and performs. Sometimes she dances while he's playing his flute. He smiles looking at his instruments that he didn't play for weeks  because he got sick

"Promise me.. when I'm gone, you'll find a fine man and he should take care of you or else I ghost him"
He laughs but Taehyung didn't find it funny and pouts at him

"You're the one should promise me that you're get well soon"
He help him lay in bed and cover him a blanket but before he got out of his room he speaks again

"Our neighbor Julio came with someone, he said they need your help. It looks like you have a client again, I can tell he's having trouble confessing"

Taehyung lightens her face, those clients are willing to pay any amount as long as she can help them with their love problems

"When they're going to return?"

"I told them to get back tomorrow. The man seems willing to wait for you but he needs to do a lot of chores"

"Then I'm not going to the market! I'll wait for him!"
She claps her hands in tiny in excitement

"you better be careful.. asks them who  they wants, please, stay out of trouble"

"uncle... I can't ask them, my job is make that woman to fall for him"

Mr. Yohan shakes his head again. Taehyung is stubborn. She has her term whenever she plays cupid

"goodnight uncle"

"goodnight Taehyungah"

She walks inside her small room and starts changing clothes, she lays her long straight hair and wash her hands, arms and feet before going to bed. She smiles excited to earn a lot of money so she could pay for her debt

"Good night Mom, please look out for Mr. Yohan too"
She whispers before closing her eyes to sleep and hopes for tomorrow

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