Sanctuary for the Lost and Broken (Skz Fanfiction)

Jisung (2)

Jisung had been helping out at the orphanage as usual. Hana, labeled as one of the troubled children by the staff, though Jisung disagreed with that characterization, was in trouble for drawing on the walls again. Eunji, one of the workers, had caught her red-handed, and now Hana was on the verge of tears. Jisung assured the older woman that he would handle Hana, and once Eunji had walked away, Jisung approached the distressed girl.

"Hana-ya, you know you shouldn't draw on the walls," he gently admonished, kneeling down to her eye level. He enveloped her in a comforting hug, feeling her little hands immediately wrapping around his neck.

Hana's teary eyes looked up at him, her voice shaky. "But I asked for paper, and no one gave them to me. I wanted to draw so bad, and I thought if the other kids saw my drawing on the wall, they would be happy."

Jisung continued to hold her, rubbing her back to soothe her. "I understand, Hana. We'll talk to the staff about getting you some paper, okay? There are better places to show your beautiful drawings, and we'll make sure everyone gets to see them without any trouble." He offered her a warm smile, hoping to reassure the young girl that her artistic expression was valued, even if it needed a more suitable canvas.

Hana sniffled, her eyes still glistening with unshed tears. Jisung gently wiped away a stray tear with his thumb, maintaining his comforting hold on her.

"Let's make a deal, Hana. I promise to get you some paper for your drawings, and you promise not to draw on the walls anymore, okay?" he suggested, trying to strike a fair compromise.

Hana nodded, her small face brightening a bit. "Okay, Jisung oppa. I promise."

With that, Jisung released her from the hug and stood up, offering his hand. "Now, let's clean up this wall together, and later, we can find a nice spot to display your artwork where everyone can enjoy it."

Hana took his hand, and together they fetched some cleaning supplies. Jisung showed her how to gently scrub the crayon marks off the wall, turning the task into a collaborative effort. As they worked, he kept up a light-hearted conversation, sharing stories and laughter to distract Hana from the earlier distress.

Once the wall was cleaned, Jisung knelt down again, looking into Hana's eyes. "You did a great job, Hana-ya. And soon, we'll have lots of paper for you to create your masterpieces. How does that sound?"

Hana's eyes sparkled with newfound excitement, and she nodded enthusiastically. "Sounds good, Jisung oppa!"

As they headed back to the main area of the orphanage, hand in hand, someone called out to Jisung. He turned to see a familiar face.

"Sunwoo, what are you doing here?" Jisung greeted his old friend with a warm smile.

"I was visiting the orphanage to say hi to Auntie Jiyeon; I hear she is retiring soon," Sunwoo replied, returning the smile.

"Yeah, she is. I wish there was a time machine so she could work forever," Jisung remarked, a hint of nostalgia in his voice.

Hana, who had still been holding Jisung's hand, spoke up with a sad voice. "I will miss Auntie Jiyeon. She said she will visit us, but anyone who leaves never comes back."

Jisung's heart twinged at Hana's words, recognizing the underlying fear of abandonment that often plagued children in orphanages, himself included. He crouched down to Hana's level, offering her a reassuring smile.

"It's natural to feel sad when someone we care about leaves, Hana. But Auntie Jiyeon loves us all very much, and I'm sure she'll keep her promise to visit whenever she can," Jisung said gently, hoping to alleviate Hana's worries.