Chapter 3

“Mom! Dad!” Hainun called out as soon as she entered the house.

“What is it, sweetheart?” her mother asked, immediately coming over to greet her.

“Where’s Dad, Mom?”

Hainun wrapped her arms around her mother and planted a quick kiss on the forehead of the woman she loved most.

“Your father isn’t home yet, sweetheart. You know he usually comes home late,” her mother replied. “But you look so happy today. What happened?”

“Mom, I got a job! I’m so happy!”

Hainun hugged her mother again, her face beaming with joy.

“Thank goodness. I’m happy for you, too,” her mother replied, gently rubbing her daughter’s back.

However, a few seconds later, Hainun’s embrace loosened.

“But...”

“But what?” her mother asked, pulling away slightly.

“The job is as a delivery courier. That’s okay, right, Mom?” Hainun asked, her voice growing quieter.

A hint of worry appeared on her face.

All this time, her parents had worked hard to provide her with a good education, hoping that one day Hainun would work for a major company, secure a good position, and enjoy a better life.

Yet, the first job she had managed to get was that of a delivery courier.

It wasn’t that being a courier was a lowly job. Hainun knew that every occupation had value as long as it was done with sincerity and dedication. She was simply afraid of what other people might say.

If the neighbors found out that she had graduated from college with cum laude honors only to end up working as a courier, there would surely be people gossiping about her.

And Hainun wasn’t thinking only about herself.

She had grown accustomed to hearing various comments about being unemployed for months. However, she didn’t want her parents to become targets of other people’s gossip, too.

She couldn’t bear the thought of people saying that her parents had worked so hard to send her to college, only for her to end up becoming a burden to the family.

Her mother, however, simply smiled warmly.

“That’s perfectly fine, sweetheart. Being a courier is an honest job, too. Your father will agree. What matters now is whether you’re capable of handling it. Working as a courier isn’t easy, either. There are plenty of risks because you’ll be spending more time on the road.”

“I can handle it, Mom.” The young woman nodded firmly. “Rather than staying at home doing nothing and becoming an even bigger target for gossip, I’d rather work. Even if the job isn’t what I originally hoped for, at least I can help Dad provide for our family.”

“All right, sweetheart. Just keep your spirits up, okay? So, when do you start?”

“Tomorrow! My first day is tomorrow. That means I might come home late, just like Dad. Is that okay?”

“That’s fine, sweetheart. Just make sure you take good care of yourself.”

Hainun nodded.

“I will. I promise I’ll be careful.”

She hugged her mother tightly once more.

---

Hainun was in a completely different mood that morning.

Today was her first day at work.

Ever since she woke up, the young woman had been brimming with excitement. She even checked her appearance in front of the mirror several times before finally leaving her bedroom.

Breakfast, prepared by her mother, was already waiting on the dining table. All Hainun had to do was eat before heading to work.

“Good morning!”

Hainun greeted her parents, who were already seated at the dining table. She also gave each of them a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” her mother replied.

“So, are you ready to go to work?” her father asked.

Hainun nodded enthusiastically.

“Of course!”

Her mother smiled at the sight of her daughter’s excitement.

There was something different about Hainun that morning.

Her eyes seemed brighter and more alive. For the past several months, she had always tried to appear strong in front of her parents. However, her mother knew all too well that behind that brave facade, her daughter was hiding a great deal of disappointment.

On several occasions, she had even caught Hainun crying alone in her bedroom.

The reason wasn’t difficult to guess.

Other people’s words.

She still remembered how some of the neighbors had talked about her daughter.

“She’s already graduated from college, and she’s still unemployed.”

“Poor parents. They worked so hard to give her an education, only for her to become a burden to the family.”

Hainun had heard comments like those before.

And as a mother, it broke her heart to see her daughter endure everything on her own.

What made it worse was that those people didn’t even know the truth.

Hainun hadn’t completed college solely because her parents had paid for her education. She had received a scholarship from her university, which covered most of her tuition expenses.

Her parents had still helped her financially, but their contributions had been relatively small.

They occasionally gave her money for daily expenses, but Hainun often refused to take it.

She preferred bringing food from home rather than spending money on meals at campus.

That was why hearing people call Hainun a burden always made both her parents’ hearts ache.

“I’m leaving now!” Hainun announced after finishing her breakfast.

She took her parents’ hands and respectfully kissed them before leaving.

“Be careful. Don’t speed,” her mother reminded her.

Hainun could only flash an awkward grin.

“Okay, Mom.”

Her mother always had to remind her about that.

Hainun sometimes had trouble controlling herself when she was in a hurry. Once, she had taken her mother to the market and nearly been sideswiped by a car because she had tried to squeeze through traffic too quickly.

Not only had Hainun taken the wrong path, but she had even snapped at the car’s owner.

Fortunately, the driver had been patient enough not to make a fuss after Hainun’s mother apologized.

From a distance, Hainun looked calm and graceful. However, anyone who knew her well would quickly discover that she was actually rather unruly, spoiled, and occasionally prone to doing whatever she pleased.

Hainun’s motorcycle eventually roared to life and carried her out of the front yard.

After her daughter left, her mother remained standing by the door, gazing down the road.

Slowly, her expression grew gloomy.

“What’s wrong, dear?” Hainun’s father asked when he noticed his wife standing there lost in thought.

His wife let out a sigh.

“I’m just worried.”

“Worried about what?”

“What will happen to our daughter when we’re no longer here?” she asked quietly.

Her eyes began to glisten with tears.

“Who will look after her? Hainun is actually quite fragile. She may look strong, but I know she carries so much sadness inside. She also tends to keep her problems to herself, probably because she doesn’t want to burden us.”

Tears began rolling down her cheeks.

“What will happen when we’re gone one day? Who will be there for her?”

Hainun would always be their little girl.

Even though she was already an adult, her spoiled side still occasionally showed. She also didn’t have many friends. In fact, not once had any of Hainun’s friends ever come to visit their home.

Sometimes, her mother feared that her daughter would have to face life all alone.

She remembered an incident that had happened after Hainun’s graduation ceremony.

Back then, they had held a simple celebration at home to mark the occasion. Hainun had told them that she had invited all her friends to come over.

Yet, the day passed without a single one of them showing up.

Her mother could still remember the disappointment on her daughter’s face.

Hainun had continued smiling, pretending that nothing had happened.

However, as her mother, she could see the hurt her daughter was trying to hide.

Since that day, she had become increasingly aware that Hainun was carrying a much heavier burden than she had ever let on.

“Come on, dear. Don’t cry,” Hainun’s father said as he wrapped an arm around his wife.

“We have to stay strong for Hainun. We won’t leave her until she’s truly capable of standing on her own two feet.”

He gently rubbed her shoulder.

“Hainun is an adult now. She already knows what’s right and wrong for her life. All we can do is support her from behind.”

Truthfully, he was also saddened by his wife’s worries.

However, if he allowed himself to show his sadness, who would be left to give them strength?

He was the head of the family.

No matter what happened in their lives, even if they had to endure ridicule or be looked down upon by others, he had to remain strong.

For the two women he loved most in the world.