Dae Ju reached the destination. He felt bad for his friend. He questioned himself, "Is he living here?"
It was a small alley. There were not so many people but there were so many houses. These houses are in more bad condition from their area. He thought that his area was the poorest area in this town when Lina first take him to her house. But his mind changed after seeing this area. The tin-shaded small houses were looking like toys that can be destroyed anytime without any force. Some ladies were drying their clothes in front of their house. As they don't have any rooftop, they couldn't able to dry their clothes in a neat place. The whole area was shabby and a weak bad smell was coming from somewhere. The area was too cold from his area and seems like they couldn't afford any hitter machine to stay warm. While walking through the path, he saw some kids were playing on the street finding no other playground.
"Hello!" Dae Ju called a child in the middle of their play.
"What?" rudely answered a kid. His maturity level was six or seven years old's but poverty makes him looks like three to four years.
"Um, Do you know this address?" Dae Ju lost his way because most of the nameplates were broken and weren't fixed.
"What will you give me in return?" asked the boy. Dae Ju takes a look at the kids. There were seven kids in total. It could be seen that the boy who was talking with Dae Ju was the eldest.
"Ah! I will give all of you money. You can buy chocolate from that!" after thinking for some time he replied cutely.
"Okay, We will take you there. Guys! C'mon!" saying this the kid took another small road and other kids followed him. They were not properly dressed in this cold winter. That's why most of them catch a cold and they also couldn't get treatment because of money. Dae Ju felt so bad for them but right now, he can't do anything for them. However, they reached near a small house. It was old and was abandoned.
"Are you sure it's this house? You kids are joking me, right?" Dae Ju was expecting the reply as no but he didn't get the answer which he wanted.
"Why we will joke to you? Now, give us money." said the boy and the other kids were agreed with him. Dae Ju took his wallet and took out some cash from it. He was going to give those to the kids but a lady came and stopped him.
She was wearing a black jacket and grey colored pants. Her hair was messy and it was sealed on her face that she was under the poverty line. Her cheeks were very thin and she has little but sharp eyes. Her lips were dried and there was no sign of any prettiness on her face at all.
"What are you doing here? Go back to your home!" said the middle-aged lady to the kids.
"Ajummoni! He was asking for help and we were helping him!" said the leader-type boy.
"Go to your home!" kids were scolded by the lady. Then she looked at Dae Ju and asked, "what is going on? Why you were bribing them?" She was very rude to him.
"No! I was not bribing! I was just helping them because they helped me." replied Dae Ju with a strong and manly voice.
"What do you want here? I never saw you before!" the lady was not that much rude how she was before.
"Do you know this guy?" he took the phone and showed her his friend's photo. The lady looked at the photo and tried to remember after a few minutes she remembered and said,
"Ah! Yes, he used to live here. But, he doesn't live here anymore."
"Ah! Can you tell me where he is now?" curiously asked Dae Ju.
"I don't know. Nobody knows that he will leave this place. Ah! He was very kind to all of us! I wish he would come back!" said the lady and took a long breath.
"He was kind?" being excited Dae Ju asked.
"Yes, why? Did you get your answer? Now, leave!" said the lady in a rude way again and turned back for leaving the place.
"I knew it! He doesn't change! I should find him quickly!" Dae Ju was happy to hear her but he was upset by thinking how miserable his life would be that he had to live in such a shabby place! He called the lady again and the lady stopped, "What?" asked the lady.
"Take these. Buy them(kids) some warm clothes!" he gave her some money and rushed to the main road. The lady was surprised and when she realized she became happy and said slowly,
"He is kind too!"
Dae Ju thought that he could find him if he went to his friend's workplace though he doesn't work there anymore. But he could at least know where he could go. He wanted to go there but when he looked at his watch he saw that it was his job time and he was already late.
"Aish! I have to hurry!" he waits for a bus and when a bus reached he got up and took the bus card. But it was empty and when he put it on the scratch machine it was showing that he has no money. He was done with his life and took his purse but there was not enough money in his moneybag too.
"F**k! I gave my all money to that lady!" He was quite angry with himself but it was not a place for angry on himself. There were so many people who were in a hurry and they had to get on the bus. As Dae Ju was blocked the entrance, nobody could get on the bus.
"Excuse me! Go inside or come outside! We are also in a hurry!" said a middle-aged guy. He has a suitcase in his hand and looks like he was going to his job but he was late too.
"Ah! Sorry!" with a sorrowful voice Dae Ju said and get down from the bus. Many passengers couldn't get on the bus because of him and when they got their chance they all hurried to get inside. Dae Ju moved backward and gave them chance. He was trying to remembering about the guy with the black suitcase. He looked familiar but Dae Ju couldn't remember him. He tried to remember those little but sharp eyes. Suddenly he remembered and said,
"Wasn't he Baek Kyung's(his friend whom he was searching for) elder brother?" The bus was going to start because all the passengers went inside until then. Dae Ju rushed inside and give all the money he had in his purse.
"Hey! You can't enter! You don't have enough money!" shouted the bus driver.
"Please! Do me a favor this time. I will pay you back someday." Dae Ju was in hurry and that's why he didn't wait there any longer. The driver starts the bus finding no other way. Dae Ju was standing and as the driver started the bus already, he was about to fall. He holds the hanging handle immediately and searched for that guy. He found him sitting on a backseat. Dae Ju slowly walked there. It was not that hard to walk inside a running vehicle but this time it's hard for him because the bus was shaking too much. He was like walking on a rope while performing in a circus. He was too much careful because there were ladies and if he falls it would be a matter of shame for him.
He reached to the guy but his eyes were closed and look like he fell asleep as soon as he got the seat. Dae Ju was finding some space to sit beside him but a boy was sitting beside him. He was very thin and he was wearing a headphone. Dae Ju tried to get the attention of the boy but he didn't notice anything around him as he was looking at his phone screen. Dae Ju couldn't understand what he should do.
"Hello!" Dae Ju wanted to wake him up and it worked on him.
"Who-o a-are y-you!" the guy asked him while trying to recognize him. A moment later, he thought that Dae Ju wanted to sit and he needs some space. So, he moved aside and give him a seat.
"Boy! Can you move there?" Dae Ju couldn't hold him anymore and called the young boy who was using his phone. The boy gets up silently and went another way while keeping his eyes on his phone. Dae Ju sits beside the guy and tried to start a conversation.
"Hello!" he wanted to greet him once more.
"Hello!" bowing his head a little the guy said.
"Um...uh..." Dae Ju wanted to talk but suddenly he couldn't.
"Do you want to say something?" asked the guy when he saw Dae Ju was hesitating in front of him.
"Do-o you-u know Baek Kyung?" faltered Dae Ju.
"Yes, why?" asked the guy.
"Ah! I am his friend and I have been looking for him but couldn't find him." Now Dae Ju felt comfortable around him because they already met though it's been a long time.
"Oh! He is not here. He went to Gangnam City for doing some business." replied the man simply.
"Ah! But, what types of business he does? And why he didn't try to come back to *Monsters of Music Maker* company? Dae Ju was curious about his friend so he looked at the person who was sitting next to him with his questionable eyes.
"I am not sure. But I think he was forced to leave that company and that's why he never head back to that company." he was quite friendly with Dae Ju and that's why Dae Ju was talking with him comfortably.
"He was forced? How?" surprised Dae Ju.
"He told me once that he wasn't selected because of a boy who is so-called handsome. He didn't mentioned me his name but my brother blame him for his failure." said the man.
"Why? What did he do with him?" Astonished Dae Ju looked at the guy with his widely opened big and shocked eyes.
"He didn't tell me in detail so I don't know what actually happened. But I think something bad happened to him indeed or else why he hates that company that much?" replied the guy.
"Ah! But, what type of business he is in now?" Dae Ju asked again because he didn't get the answer though he asked that before.
"Maybe he runs a toy shop. He shifted there recently and he invested some money in a business. I helped him. Not because he is my brother. Because I felt pity for him." said the guy. Dae Ju was not interested in these things but the guy keeps telling him how he helped him and how he is gonna take his money back.
"Can you give me his address?" asked Dae Ju. He was bored and he just wanted to go from here. He had to listen to him and he had to smile through the pain.
"He didn't call me for some months so I don't know if he stays in his old address or not." the guy was confused.
"He didn't contact you? Then you should search for him!" surprised Dae Ju.
"I said, he didn't call. I didn't say that he didn't contact me! We talked by texting on the phone though we don't talk too much. He just sends me how are you, I send him I am fine and you and he replied to me I am fine too! I know he is busy with his business. So, why bother him by taking too much time?" smiled the guy.
"Ah(fake smilingly)! Can you give me his phone number?" Dae Ju's last hope was it and he tried.
"Since you are his friend, you can keep it." saying this he gives him Baek Kyung's number. Dae Ju felt so happy that he was gonna scream but he controlled him. At the perfect time, the bus stopped at a bus stop and it was that place where Dae Ju has to get down. So he said goodbye to his friend's brother and get down from the bus.