The Scent of Life (1)
CHAPTER 22 TO HADONG, ANYEONG SNOW WHITE!

Hye Bin finished bathing Mrs Kang. Halmeoni came over to Hye Bin who was drying towels, and told him that someone was looking for him in the front lobby. Hye Bin permission to say goodbye to Mrs Kang.

Hye Bin walked quickly down the hallway of the elderly guesthouse. Arriving in the lobby, he saw a man in a neat suit sitting in the guest chair. Seeing Hye Bin coming, the man immediately stood up and bowed his body. Hye Bin also paid her respects.

"Miss Jung, my name is Secretary Kim. I'm the messenger from Hadong to take care of the contract documents to be a nurse in our house" explained the man named Secretary Kim while issuing a folder containing documents. The map was placed in front of Hye Bin.

"Is this about the job Doctor Hyun offered?" ask Hye Bin to make sure.

"Yes. I hope, tomorrow morning you are ready. We'll pick her up at home."

"But, I have to talk and permission with my mother first" Hye Bin said.

"Yes, please," Secretary Kim said.

The man was pampered.

***

In Mrs Kang's room, Hye Bin reads and stares at the old documents in her hands. He'll probably be in Hadong a long time. I hope Mrs Kang gets a good nurse after she leaves. Staring at Mrs Kang, Hye Bin will miss the old grandmother's carelessness.

"Ma, I have a job out of town for a long time. May you be well as long as I am gone" said Hye Bin crouched down in front of Mrs Kang, then placed her head on her lap. Hye Bin's tears melted, but Madame Kang just kept quiet and her hand stroked Hye Bin's head.

***

Hye Bin wrote a letter of resignation to Hyeo Jin. That afternoon he went to the PM Cafe with a sad heart. Arriving at Hyeo Jin's office, he found no one. The resignation letter was simply put on Hyeo Jin's desk. Hye Bin left the room to say goodbye to Hae Won who was preparing in the locker room.

"I'm going to Hadong tomorrow morning" Hye Bin said with a smile.

"So fast?" hae Won asked raising her eyebrows in surprise.

"Yes, the man from Hadong came to see me yesterday" Hye Bin said.

Hae Won is sad. He will be separated from his best friend. They hugged for a long time. Hye Bin said goodbye to everyone. His co-workers also felt sad when Hye Bin said goodbye. Hye Bin came out of the PM Cafe and momentarily stood staring at the cafe building where she had been working all this time. Many memories were created in the cafe.

***

Hye Bin walks home to the bus stop. He saw a familiar figure just getting off the bus. Shahib, Hye Bin said in her heart. Hye Bin waved her hand. Shahib replied with a wave of hands and a friendly smile.

"Hi" said Shahib.

"You just got back from the course?" ask Hye Bin.

"Yes. Why is something different today. You just cried?" asked Shahib who made Hye Bin so embarrassed because she was caught crying.

"I'm going to Hadong tomorrow, so I'm no longer working at PM's Cafe" Hye Bin said.

"Well, I will never see you again" Shahib said with a disappointed look.

"Yes. May you be well" said Hye Bin. "See you later" continued Hye Bin, bowing her body slightly for parting.

"Yes, see you later" Shahib said with a smile.

The bus that Hye Bin was about to board came. They say goodbye to each other. Shahib looked at the bus that Hye Bin was riding on until it disappeared around the corner. Shahib sighed, then walked down the sidewalk to the PM Cafe.

***

Hye Bin holds documents while sitting face to face in the room with her mother. At the edge of the room several large bags have been prepared for the trip to Hadong. Her mother wiped away the tears, feeling sad that she was going to be separated for a long time with her son. He had never been left far away by Hye Bin.

"I'll call you often. Take good care of yourself" Hye Bin said goodbye and hugged his mother. His tears also flowed unstoppably.

Hye Bin's mother nodded while holding back tears. His eyes are red and his nose is watery. Hye Bin's mother stood up and opened the closet door. He opened a wooden box and brought it before Hye Bin. Inside the box was a unique necklace with a pendant of clams and blue stones. The necklace was paired on Hye Bin's neck.

"Wear this necklace. Don't you let go of it though. Go to bed, so that tomorrow you can be fresher on the way. Don't worry, I'll be fine" Hye Bin's mother said as she stroked Hye Bin's head.

Hye Bin walked out of her mother's room. Hye Bin's mother looked at her son who disappeared behind the door. He knew his son loved to learn things. A smart girl like Hye Bin cannot be confined at home and left like a frog in her inner shell.

***

Hye Bin still hadn't slept that night, when her dress rang. Hyeo Jin called her. Received that phone call.

"Hey, who are you to resign without my permission?" hyeo Jin asked in a high tone that made Hye Bin surprised and kept the device away from his ears.

Hye Bin was immediately annoyed while looking at his dress.

"Come out, I'm in front of your house!" keep Hyeo Jin.

Hye Bin jerks. Didn't expect that Hyeo Jin was in front of her house last night. Quickly disbursed the blanket, then out of the house. Hyeo Jin was sitting in front of her car.

"What's up, Boss?" ask Hye Bin to relax.

"Why did you resign? You can't just leave without my permission" Hyeo Jin said

"I've got a new job. I can no longer work at the PM Cafe" Hye Bin said calmly.

"Where?" ask Hyeo Jin.

"I work out of town. I can't tell you how, what, and who I work for. Sorry," said Hye Bin.

Hyeo Jin was silent.

"I'm sleepy, good night" said Hye Bin and turned around to enter the house again.

"Wooii, Hye Bin!" call Hyeo Jin.

Hye Bin flips her body to face Hyeo Jin.

" Hmm .., I ..., I will call you often," Hyeo Jin said, turning away what he had to say in his heart.

Hyeo Jin actually wanted to say that he would miss Hye Bin, but could not say.

"Yes, good night" said Hye Bin, bowed, and went back into the house.

Hyeo Jin took a deep breath. He is disappointed with himself being unable to say anything to express his feelings to Hye Bin, while Hye Bin will go far. They will be separated for a long time. Hyeo Jin looked at Hye Bin's closed door and got into the car. The car runs down the alley and mingles with the hustle of the Seoul city highway.

***

The car they were riding in got into a villa in the middle of a tea garden. The villa fence opens automatically and the car skirts the courtyard of the villa which has many shady and cool trees. Inside the area is a Hanok* with thick walls typical of Korea. They went down and were greeted by the housekeeper.

"Are you the new nurse?" asked the friendly middle-aged female caretaker and her cheeks were reddish.

"Yes. My name is Hye Bin, Jung Hye Bin" Hye Bin said.

"Call me Mrs Joo, the housekeeper of this villa. Come with me, Agassi," Mrs Joo said.

They walked to a house from the main house. The house was a bit far back from the main house passing through the courtyard with rather lush trees. Hye Bin's eyes looked over here. He was curious who the owner of this beautiful and large villa was. Madam Joo invites Hye Bin into a modern-style house. Madam Joo escorts Hye Bin to a room.

"Miss can stay here" explains Mrs Joo

"Mrs .. may I ask? Who is the woman I will take care of? Is she the wife of the owner of this villa?" hye Bin asked curiously while arranging his luggage.

"Yes, she's the hostess of this house. She is very dear and loved by Mr. Kang. For twenty years he was in a coma and various kinds of treatment had been done so that the woman was aware, but the woman seemed reluctant to wake up. Even Mr. Kang didn't remarry that long. And strangely, the whereabouts of this woman should not be known by anyone. You know there are a lot of rumors circulating among the servants that Kang's family is cursed to such an extent."

Hye Bin was surprised, her eyebrows raised. Mysterious, he thought.

"Don't say anything, Mrs Joo!" reprimand Secretary Kim who suddenly entered while carrying suitcases, but not Hye Bin's. Someone then emerged from behind Secretary Kim's back, apparently Halmeoni stood up with a cheerful face and his smile expanded. Hye Bin was strangled with excitement at the arrival of Halmeoni. Then they need. The people around him smiled too.

"I'm also asked to help care here" Halmeoni explained.

Hye Bin is happy, she feels not lonely when there are friends she has known.

***

Madam Joo took them around the house and explained what their duties were. Until finally on the second floor there is a spacious room and wide windows. A beautiful woman with short hair fell asleep with the tools around her. Hye Bin was astonished and speechless at the woman's condition.

Which made Hye Bin even more amazed, why he felt familiar with the face of the Woman. But where is it? Hye Bin tries to remember. Hye Bin was surprised by her own thoughts until she was strangled to the point of shutting her mouth. The girl is the girl in the first photo of the PM Cafe. Oh Se Man!

Hye Bin approaches the poor woman. Anyeong Snow White, Hye Bin said in her heart. Her face was a bit pale and tyrannical but her beauty seemed to have not faded with time.

Madam Joo explained everything and the schedule they did while taking care of Snow White. For medical treatment, Mrs Joo did it. Doctor Hyun came once a week to monitor. Then suddenly Madame Joo's device rang, someone called her and asked them to the main house because Mr. Kang was coming.

Madam Joo took them to the main house. They left Snow White alone. Before leaving the room, Hye Bin once again looked closely at the woman. His face looks a bit like her, but not exactly the same. There was a strange feeling as if flowing within him. The door to the room was closed.

***

Hye Bin and the others stood in line in the front yard of the main house. A car stopped and the driver opened the back door. A middle-aged man who looked still strapping and handsome came out of the car. He's Kang Seo Woo. Everyone looked down, but Hye Bin stole a look at the man's face. Kang Seo Woo looked at Hye Bin. The gazes of their eyes met each other, making Hye Bin look down again. The man stopped and stood right in front of him.

"Is she the new nurse for Madam?" ask Seo Woo to Madame Joo.

"Yes, Sir. His name is Jung Hye Bin," explains Mrs Joo.

"Truly similar to Madam. According to Doctor Hyun's story," Seo Woo said in amazement.

Hye Bin bowed respectfully.

"Hye Bin," call Seo Woo.

Hye Bin looked up at the face of the man who was smiling kindly at her.

"Yes, sir," replied Hye Bin.

"May you be hot here. And ... keep our secrets," Seo Woo said as he coded a finger on his lips so that Hye Bin could keep his wife's whereabouts a secret.

Hye Bin bowed respectfully. Then the man walked into the house.

***

Hye Bin painstakingly takes care of Oh Man Se. Start cleaning her body, changing clothes, and take the woman out of the house to bask in the morning sun. Hye Bin's hand trembled at first, but over time he got used to it. Check the woman's heart rate. It was still throbbing, but he remained limp with his eyes closed as if he were sound asleep.

Hye Bin takes Man Se for a walk in the back garden of the house. There was quite a roomy space and a shady tree with a wooden bench underneath.

"Mrs, I know you must be listening to me even if you don't want to open your eyes. I'm Hye Bin, Jung Hye Bin, your new nurse. We are currently walking in the back garden. The view is pretty good here. The sun and sky are also bright. Look at the green grass in the garden and the tiny flowers there. If they can talk, they might want to say hello. Wake up Madam, we greet them as well" Hye Bin said with a smile holding Man Se's hand.

Without Hye Bin knowing, a tear dripped from the corner of Man Se's eye.

"Do you want me to read a novel? I'll read to you every day" Hye Bin said.

Man Se's fingers moved weakly, but it escaped Hye Bin's vision of opening a book.

From a distance, Kang Seo Woo noticed the two women, then decided to come closer and say hello.

"The weather is indeed sunny today, Man Se-ah. You should have opened your eyes" Seo Woo said to Hye Bin's surprise.

Hye Bin bowed to pay respect to the man.

"Thank you, you want to come here to take care of my wife" Seo Woo added.

"Yes Mr. .. I resign then," said Hye Bin as usual when Seo Woo was alone with Man Se.

Hye Bin left that place. He saw the two men under a tree. Hye Bin was amazed by Mr. Kang Seo Woo's loyalty to his wife despite her condition. The man once told him, he did have to be patient until Man Se wanted to open his own eyes. He will wait for that moment and be as happy together as ever.

Hye Bin still wonders in her heart, who is Mr Kang Seo Woo? who is Oh Man Se? In the first photo of the woman's PM Cafe with Hyeo Jin's father. While in the main house there is not a single photo of Mr. Kang Seo Woo and the woman together. What a mysterious family. Hye Bin then checked her necklace. Necklace given by his mother. Then he went into the house and called his mother.

"Mom, what are you doing? I miss you," Hye Bin said in a spoiled tone.

"How were you there? Send me your photos to treat my shady," asked Hye Bin's mother.

"In the meantime" replied Hye Bin.

They communicate with each other for a long time and it ends when Hye Bin sees Kang Seo Woo bringing Man Se back home.

Hye Bin assisted Seo Woo to lift Man Se back to his tidy bed. The man also exited the room. Hye Bin looked closely at the female figure like Snow White who was in front of him. The poor woman, who had been sleeping for a long time, waited for the Prince to wake her.

*Traditional Korean house