Chapter 1: Misidentification 1

It was his graduation day. Taesan walked out of his school with his graduation certificate in hand.

At the gate of the school, there were students locking arms with their parents or guardians. Some in their groups hugged each other, balled their eyes out, and promised to meet their friends in the future.

"So," started a voice, "what are you going to do after this?"

Taesan looked to his right, watching the guy and his friends in the distance.

"Let's head to the PC room!" said another.

"PC room, really?" asked the guy in disbelief.

The guy who suggested playing in the pc room for their celebration pursued his friend desperately through his way to success. He exclaimed happily when his friends reluctantly agreed to his suggestion.

The guy left with his arms on his friends' shoulders as he sang away.

As Taesan looked at his certificate, he felt indifferent since he had no one to share the moment with. He had no guardians to take pictures with, no shoulder to cry on as he bid farewell, and no loved ones that would surprise him with a graduation gift.

Taesan didn't have any plans then to find an apartment to live in now that he was no longer a resident of the orphanage. Orphans like him had to leave the orphanage when they became an adult. But beyond that, he had no idea what his future held.

"Let's see each other at college!" shouts a voice from a girl to her best friend, talking about their plans for the future.

Taesan clutched his graduation certificate, passed along the two girls, and walked down the street heading to the orphanage.

"...College," Taesan muttered.

That was right. He knew he needed to go to college, but that meant he also needed money for the tuition.

'Well, college can wait,' he said inwardly.

He planned to work for a year and earn money for his college tuition in the future. He was okay with that though.

'Right, that's the plan.'

As he walked through the gates of the orphanage, he was greeted by the familiar faces of the staff. They congratulated him on his graduation, and Taesan simply smiled.

He was wrong about what he had said earlier he had no one to share the moment with. So wrong, because he had this family. Although some would not understand since his was different from normal families.

"Congratulations, Taesan!" exclaimed a voice from a lady in her late forties.

"Thank you, Ms. Seo."

Taesan was baited by the big smile on Ms. Seo's face that he didn't notice that she was hiding something on her back.

"Here, I want you to have this," she said as she revealed the surprise.

"A key and an envelope? What is this for?"

"It's the key to your apartment, Taesan."

Taesan was in disbelief. "Y, You did not have to, Ms. Seo."

"It's from the whole staff of the orphanage," she said, tapping a hand on his shoulder.

"Can I really accept this?" Taesan asked.

"Of course!" the voices from the staff said in unison.

But Taesan was skeptical to accept the surprise. An apartment for a gift? It was overwhelming for him.

"This is just a secret for every person here. We gifted an apartment, too, to your unnie."

"To Harang-unnie?"

Taesan hadn't heard from her since she left the orphanage as an adult. She never called or sent a text, despite her promise to keep in touch before leaving.

"Yeah. But we only paid the deposit and the first three months for the apartment, okay?" Ms. Seo answered. "Now, open the folder!" she said.

As Taesan did what he was told to, he could hear the giggle and smiles from the orphanage staff. It felt like they were tickling his ears.

He laid his eyes on the text of the paper. It didn't occur to him at first, so he started from the top to the middle—

"N, No, I can't." His hands started to shake as he held the paper. The weight of the realization was too much to bear.

"Congratulations again, Yoo Taesan." The motherly voice brought him back to the present.

Taesan couldn't believe it. He had never expected to have a surname or an apartment, let alone both on the same day. He was overcome with gratitude towards the staff who had become like family to him.

"Thank you, thank you so much," Taesan said, bowing deeply.

"Don't mention it, son. We're happy to support you in any way we can," Ms. Seo replied.

...

With hope and determination, Taesan headed to his new apartment with a backpack and a box. As he walked, he thought about his future and how to make the most of the opportunities.

He had thought of going to college, and now that plan seemed more achievable than ever before.

Taesan reached his new apartment building and inserted the key into the lock to open the door to his new home.

What greeted him was a small but cozy studio apartment with a bed, a desk, and a small kitchenette. It was perfect and he was overjoyed.

Taesan quickly unpacked his things. Yesterday was full of mixed emotions with unwrapping two huge opportunities for him.

After placing his clothes on the rack, the utensils and dishes in the kitchen cabinets, and arranging his books on the desk, Taesan sat down on his bed to take a breather.

'I still have to find a new job, though. Probably construction work will pay well.'

He pushed himself and lay on the bed as pondered about finding a good job for a steady income to support himself. He had some experience in construction, but he wondered if there were other jobs available out there.

As Taesan lay there, he felt his eyes giving in to the smell of his new and soft bed.

'...I'll find the job later after a nap.'

With a cozy blanket, he wrapped and held himself close. Like a gentle wave, he got carried away and lost to the sea of relaxation. He felt the breeze, his body sinking deeper into the water.

In his dream, he opened his eyes and watched the softness of the clouds. His eyes wandered to the other end of the sea, only to notice something approaching.

He squinted to see what was in the distance.

'Is that a ship?'

Ding, dong!

His body jolted, causing him to wake from his nap.

Ding, dong!

"Huh? I didn't remember inviting someone."

He thought they could be Ms. Seo or one of the orphanage staff.

Ding, dong!

The sound of the doorbell echoed again, this time more persistent.

Taesan got up from his bed, shook off the drowsiness, and walked towards the door. As he approached, he could hear muffled voices from the other side.

He opened the door enough to reveal two men dressed in black suits, one of them holding a clipboard.

"Hello," Taesan greeted politely, thinking they could be the people running the apartment building.

"Is this the guy?" asked the man without taking his hands out of his pockets.

As they talked to themselves, treating him like a bubble, Taesan grew suspicious and worried.

"Hey, your name." From the man's tone, the one who was holding a clipboard, he didn't sound like he was asking. It was more of a demand.

Taesan creased his forehead. "What is going on? Who are you, people?"

His heart raced as he surveyed the two men. They looked tough and aggressive, just covered with danger.

The first guess immediately flew from his head, and he started wondering what they wanted from him. Subconsciously, Taesan pulled his door close.

"Just answer the damn question!" The guy's hand swiftly and the door swung open, revealing their menacing presence.

Taesan's heart pounded in his chest as he watched the two men trespass into his apartment.

'Should I just run away?'

Upon seeing the tattoo on one of the men's necks, there was no damn question. These people were dangerous. Whatever they wanted from him, Taesan needed to run away!

He sprinted from the door to the staircase, thinking he could escape from the two men behind him. As he took the steps downstairs, he almost collided with an old man making his way up.

"W, Wait, mister. There are dangerous people upstairs!" Taesan warned him.

"Hm?" The old man, his hair washed white, wore sunglasses indoors. He looked back at him and took an entire minute to stare.

Eventually, the mister approached him and muttered, "Oh, you are the one."