Chapter Text
The other woman has time to manicure her nails.
The other woman is perfect where her rival fails,
And she's never seen with pin curls in her hair anywhere.
“The Other Woman” - Nina Simone
💸₊˚⊹💲 ♡
Sunoo came from the very cinematic, poor, and broke of a movie.
Couldn't afford to have a meal without the dogs sitting beside him to eat on a plate with him. From the orphanage of dirt and mistreating shelter. He has no idea who his real parents were.
Only a name was known in his identity, no other. No relatives, close calls, blood-related figures, a guardian, or a role model for him to follow on.
The little poor child was lost. There was no path given to him from the beginning. It seemed as though his fate was to end up in the neglected, dirt-covered orphanage.
Gossip spread that he was born out of wedlock to careless women who prioritized men over their own children's well-being, possibly even from different fathers.
Might be even blaming the child that came themselves that the clueless one was the reason why the woman's body was distorted and all a clump of soggy meat that was now unable to make use the body that was once craved by many men.
End up tossing the child for good in a random orphanage that the lift had passed by.
The only thing that the boy knew about his own was his surname.
Kim.
Kim Sunoo.
Heard a few famous Kims; it could be anyone. It could be just someone. But the longing to discover his origins was long gone.
He once thought of looking for those who abandoned and gave him in this crappy place he grew up in, but the question that would come up to his head was, "What for?"
He is unwanted.
That is why he was under that roof of a shelter, along with the same species of him in the society. Unwanted children. The filth and torture of that big building. It was supposed to be warm and welcoming.
On some calm days, Sunoo would listen to the radio's jam of the day after mopping the whole hallway that was tasked for him. Listening was the only thing he looked forward to and had entertainment from.
Then, the station would start mentioning sponsors and brands, even unrealistic ads from the optimistic speaking voice of a man promoting an orphanage, looking for business and sponsors.
It was described as a home.
A place that'll be close to the heart.
A hope.
A chance.
A new beginning.
But it was only nightmares and abuse under the moon when it came and then a ton of chores and scolding when it was the sun's turn to shine. The whipping came from time to time.
When there would be visitors and family or couples who have the ability to adopt and choose what they want to own...
Sunoo always thought that the adoption papers were just as equivalent to selling a child to a stranger.
Until then, when a young woman came visiting the orphanage. The echoing clicks of luxurious shoes reverberated through the freshly cleaned hallway as Sunoo experienced the scent of wealth for the first time.
The rich aroma left him speechless as the person passed by, leaving him in awe of their extravagance. Sunoo was amazed to catch a glimpse of such opulence.
Coca-Cola's body shape was just an understatement.
A tall and slender person with well-defined curves and a stunning figure. Her short, shiny, jet-black bob bounced with every step she took. She had a pale, almost translucent complexion that was incredibly smooth and radiant.
She completed her look with high heels, an elegant black silk dress, and a luxurious LV coat. Adding a stylish French hat and long black gloves that shimmered in a silver pattern.
He turned his head to watch the woman as she walked past him in the hallway. He stood there, obediently, keeping his eyes on the floor and his head bowed low as always when people passed by. While the head maid and the other servants accompanied the young lady, entertaining her with their words.
Before they could eventually pass by, one of the maids gave him a glare and a scolding look. "Filthy kid, go wash up and follow. The Misus wants everyone to be present upstairs."
The cranky tone that was given to him dissipated once they had left him, turning into sweet candy voices to soothe the lady's ears.
Eager to cater to the wealthy.
Sunoo glanced at his tattered clothing, soiled to the point where evident brown marks marred his cream-colored shirt, originally as pristine as a fluffy sheep's wool, gifted by a seldom-visiting sponsor at the orphanage.
His melancholy gaze remained constant, and he clutched the rough, cracked mop-a tool that had caused him numerous splinters—with a firmness that was accompanied by a barely audible sigh.
The boy walked quietly down the stairs towards the back of the orphanage to fetch water from the pitcher pump, hoping to freshen up. The maids had banned him from using the bathroom for a month as a consequence for what they believed he had done not long ago.
It was allegedly stealing cookies from the cookie jar. The freshly baked batch of cookies was made for the visitors that come by occasionally.
What happened was one of the children in that orphanage was having a fiery cold at that very evening. Other children panicked, scared that they'll get caught in the cold and also get caught by the maids. Being sick in the orphanage was a pain.
The people in the orphanage could only offer to wait and then make a pity talk with the sponsors to be able to get the child expense to visit the doctor. Most of them gave money; a little change wouldn't dent their fortunes. Half goes to the child; the other half, well, in the hands of the head maid.
Sunoo, as one of the children who had stayed there for a long time, had an unspoken responsibility to the other new arrivals. The longer they stay there, the more responsible they are to look over the others. Fighting with each other is already out of their exhaustion.
The child wanted to eat and requested cookies and milk in bed.
The smell of cookies was all over the kitchen, seeping into the building that would later catch their hunger. Sunoo needed to get some for the child. Even if it was just one, he wanted to give it before bedtime, paired with the warm milk he had made.
A shudder went through his body, starting in his stomach. To resist the urge to eat and the temptation of hunger, the boy gulped. Sunoo had been trying to make himself used to being on an empty stomach so that in the future it would be somehow bearable.
That's what he thinks and what he does, avoiding the fact that he isn't allowed to eat unless given permission, and that he needs to secretly go to the kitchen late at night where the maids are sleeping tight.
Sunoo searched for a high stool by the kitchen counter and then gingerly brought it over to the cabinets. He had to stretch to reach the top shelf where the cookie jar was kept.
Once he placed his foot on the tall chair and began to ascend. Standing on his toes, he reached for the high drawer, where he discovered a tempting jar of cookies that emanated the irresistible aroma of chocolate and creamy dough, baked to perfection.
The only silver lining in the orphanage was knowing that one of the maids was responsible for baking the cookies, although this realization brought a tinge of bitterness to him.
Sunoo hastily grasped the jar and used his slender limbs to release the stubborn seal. Moving quickly, he nearly lost his balance on the tall stool. After taking a sigh of relief, he still felt a sense of unease. As soon as Sunoo uncovered the container, the aroma rushed out and enveloped him.
He swiftly picked out a few items, being careful not to dirty them.
He managed to grab just three cookies with one hand as he nervously thought he heard footsteps approaching in the hallway. Sunoo returned the cookie jar to its original place, then quickly climbed down from the tall chair and fetched a fresh napkin to place the three cookies on.
He folded the napkin around the cookies and returned the chair to its original position. Sunoo then went back to their room holding a glass of warm milk and the napkin with the cookies. He walked through the chilly and silent corridor, moving along without realizing that a maid had witnessed his movements.
The young boy shed tears of joy when his older brother finally gave him the cookies he had been asking for. Sniffling with contentment, he eagerly devoured the treat, feeling grateful to his brother for fulfilling his request.
However, Sunoo's act of kindness soon attracted the attention of other children who became jealous and clamored for cookies of their own.
The boy could only make an excuse to cover up the fact that he couldn't go and just get them what they wanted. He badly wants them to give them cookies at least once in a while, but he'll get in trouble for sure if the maids notice the empty jar.
Who knows what gruesome punishment they would give for everyone?
They later knew what punishment had come in the next morning.
The cookie jar was overrun by ants, indicating that Sunoo had forgotten to close the lid. A trail of ants could be seen crawling all over the walls and shelves, making their way into the jar.
It was only a matter of time before the head maid noticed the unsightly scene. One of the maids claimed to have spotted Sunoo in the kitchen during the late hours of the night.
Sunoo was called and scolded for his doings. He kept his head ducked and his eyes down on the floor, showing the forced obedience without explaining his side. He was punished to kneel down on salt for the rest of the afternoon to 'cure' his sweet tooth.
They also forbade him to use the bathroom as he was unable to clean it that night because he was on his mission to get the cookies.
Completely forgot it for a while.
It took him a few whippings on both of his hands, then he proceeded to kneel on salt. The other children were there peeking outside the kitchen, scared to witness the punishment that was given to Sunoo.
None of the children stood up; none of them complained; they could only watch him suffer.
Sunoo understands.
As the older brother, Sunoo needed to toughen up.
He was already used to it, the responsibilities and such. Almost like the other hand of the orphanage when the maids was too disgusted to take care of the orphans.
Sunoo would help them with bathing, meals, and tell bedtime tales to the little ones. The other things that he wanted to help them with were reading and writing. But it was out of his knowledge; he never went to school in all of those years he was stuck in the orphanage, even though the madam had promised to give education because education should be free for anyone.
Regarding their status and place.
"Oh, dear. What had it for you to take this long?" The maid's impatience was evident as soon as she arrived at the door. She seemed agitated and breathless as she approached Sunoo, who was standing stiffly in front of the pitcher pump.
He struggled to anticipate the intentions of the maids as they made their way towards him; as usual, he nervously twisted the fabric of his shirt in his hands.
While standing with a hand on her hip, she observed Sunoo's actions with an assumption. When she approached and placed her hand on his neck, she pulled him towards the pitcher pump and held him there as he struggled against her.
Sunoo kneeled down, closing his eyes tightly as the woman roughly removed his dirty shirt, seeming as though she had no choice but to do so.
He just knows how they despise seeing him in that orphanage. Sunoo experienced the sensation of icy water cascading over him as the woman began pumping from the pitcher.
His body trembled and he struggled to catch his breath. The extreme cold, compounded by the gusty winds, made it even more difficult for him to endure being shirtless.
"Do it faster, can't you?" The woman's voice, with her distinct accent, reverberated in the boy's ear. "Why are you standing there so stiff? Start washing your face," With that command, Sunoo obeyed; briskly scrubbing his face and skin with his hands, ensuring he felt clean. "The lady won't appreciate dirty children like you."
Sunoo found himself involuntarily standing up once more, hastily throwing his shirt back to him by the maid. He examined the dirty shirt before deciding to use it to dry himself.
The maid continued walking away after tossing him a new clean shirt. The young boy was confused, but after catching the maid's stern gaze, he quickly understood her unspoken message.
The maid went back into the house, and he went after her, hurriedly wiping himself dry. However, his wet shorts were dripping and would create a mess on the floor once he entered, so he promptly grabbed a fresh set of clothes from the clothesline.
Sunoo was scared to make the situation worse, to irritate the maid further, so he quickly changed his clothes and wore them there and now. Tossing the dirty, wet clothes in the clothesline and wearing a new, clean set of clothes.
"What're you stallin' for, kid?!" The loud, roaring voice of the maid only made Sunoo's movements more frantic.
The boy hurriedly followed where the voice was coming from. He later took quiet, hurried steps through the hall but stopped to see the whole folks in the dining room at the long table where they would take their tasteless meals.
Sunoo's unruly hair was pointed in all directions. His outfit was disheveled, with the oversized shirt engulfing his slender frame. His face brightened upon seeing them gathering for an afternoon meetup.
The children were ignoring the servants, who were secretly resenting them while they enjoyed warm milk and snacks from the kitchen. Sunoo noticed some unique biscuits on the table, speculating that a woman must have placed them there earlier in the day.
Upon entering the room, the young lady immediately spotted the newcomer. Sunoo, with his distinctive golden blonde hair, always stood out even from a distance at the orphanage.
"And who this little bright chick might be?" The lady smiled widely as her eyes landed on Sunoo, who was fidgeting at the door frame, too shy to approach, but seeing the sharp look of the maids, he had no choice but to take a step forward closer to the pretty woman.
"How come I've only seen him now?"
The lady was pleased to see Sunoo.
While the boy was clutching his fists with his shirt, looking down. The lady couldn't help but smile a lot, thinking that the little lad looked like a shy one. As if he had peed on his pants and was too scared to tell Mama about what he did. She had a good laugh inside.
One maid answered, "The boy was helping with the chores; he was sweeping the floor earlier when you came. That is why you haven't seen him upstairs, my lady."
"I like this boy." The woman was impressed to hear that information. "Come and have snacks. You must be hungry, lad." she insisted.
Sunoo then took a look at her before avoiding his gaze. Seeing how carefree rich people were was haunting him in some kind of way. Then he raised his head to look at the other children who were munching on the expensive biscuits that were on the table.
His stomach made a rumble inside before he went and took a seat along with the others. Sunoo smiled inside. Seeing how happy they were and the maids couldn't do a thing about it, he took a biscuit as well and ate.
"Please forgive me for my forwardness, but may I ask why the lady had come and visited this time?"
The head maid's calm and soothing voice echoed inside the dining room, and behind this were the children's giggles and sounds of small happiness for the first time, because they knew the maids wouldn't act as they are on a normal day.
"Ah, right." Light laughter came along; it sounded sweet as honey to hear it. The lady smiled, "I want a child." It was a light statement coming from the lips of a young lady, but it was a harsh and heavy reality for someone who had lived in an orphanage.
Sunoo could hear them, he flinched to hear that coming from the pretty lady. He was oddly feeling scared yet also feeling a little hope.
If he were to be the chosen one then he could finally leave this hellish place, but at the same time, leaving the others behind feels like betraying them as well... but they wouldn't think of it too much, right?
They're just kids after all.
"You mean... you want to adopt a child here, my lady?" The head maid slowly made it clear to them.
"Precisely," the lady smiled; the deep red tint on her lips reflected her stubborn determination.
"I mean, for what cost, my lady? I haven't heard from you for a long while, and you had come in so suddenly now... But we're happy! We're certainly happy that you had visited us..."
"Oh, Madam. What makes a family without a little one?" A helpless tone had come lovingly from deep inside the lady's heart. There was more of that coming from inside.
The head maid gave a pity look, almost burying the greediness from within. "Is that so? Forgive me for questioning, then I must take care of the papers."
"Not at all, i know how much of a good friend you are."
"It's been a while since people had come and gone to see the kids; it's disheartening when they would go without even giving a proper look to our children. They've been longing for a long while now... I'm happy that you had come and chosen us, my lady."
The head maid motioned the others to take care of the papers for the young lady while she kept her company. "Have you decided who among these kids had your liking?" Calmly, she asked the lady.
Her eyes darted around, but they found their way to Kim Sunoo. The innocent, clueless little boy eating the snack she bought with her.
The lady thought how adorable the boy was; what more to spend her time with this lad? She'd been longing for a child of her own, but under the circumstances, she was unable to. So she resorted to adopting a child.
"I want that child over there," the lady said.
The head maid came, turning her head to see who the lady was referring to. Squinting her eyes despite her wearing glasses.
"The blonde-haired one," she specifically describes, "What's his name?"
That was when the head maid realized. There was only one blonde here. "Kim Sunoo..." she said.
"I love it," the lady said with a wide smile, eyes sparkling with excitement. She rolled the little boy's name under her tongue, having satisfaction in getting to know his name.
The head maid had paused; the little boy had been the one taking care of the others, looking out for them when they refused to do so. So he is someone useful in that orphanage; it might cost them for him to leave the building. Her eyes narrowed down to Kim Sunoo, innocently and quietly eating while he entertained the little ones.
"Well, my lady... It might cost a little bit."
"Don't worry, madam. I understand what the orphanage's state is, and I will continue to support these children."
It sounded too good to be true. She may have supported the orphanage through bills and expenses, but they were given to the wrong filthy hands.
Sunoo always thought how unfair it was, and he couldn't blame the lady for being blinded and being manipulated to become their bank account. The head maid must be pleased to hear it coming from her.
It wasn't too long before Sunoo found himself packing up his things.
Two days after that visit, the maids didn't need to repeat it to his face.
He's leaving.
He's finally leaving the orphanage.