98. I Should Visit You

Jason laughed. “No. You don't think I'm doing this half-heartedly, do you?”

Ashley shrugged.

“I'm really enjoying myself here,” Jason glanced at Ashley's blank drawing paper, “Next time, you might want to come here occasionally. Not during events like this. But on a regular day at the end of the month to volunteer. We can cook together, clean this place, play… and many other things."

Jason looked at Ashley, giving her a light nod as encouragement to make her interested in his suggestion.

However, Ashley, who had just returned here after years away, was hesitant due to the unfamiliar feeling that was sabotaging her emotions. All the staff at the orphanage had changed, and the children she once knew were no longer there. Only Mrs. Yoon remained as the sole person still living here. 

Additionally, she was unsure whether she had the time and permission from her mother to get involved in the orphanage's activities. Up until now, every event or activity she attended or participated in had to be approved by her mother first.

Jason hadn't taken his eyes off Ashley as he waited for her answer. This forced Ashley to respond with anything just to make him stop pressing her.

“I'll ask my mother first.“

”Eh—why? Just come. You don't need permission from anyone to be a volunteer. Just tell Mrs. Yoon."

However, instead of being satisfied with that diplomatic answer, the man unconsciously pressed her further.

Ashley remained silent at that moment. She was trying to come up with a good reason for a temporary refusal, as she herself couldn't guarantee whether she had the right to approve Jason's sudden proposal or not. Her mother had to know first before she made any decisions. But she couldn't tell Jason about this unreasonable rule, unless she wanted to be laughed at. Or worse, if she spoke carelessly, it might only fuel the strange rumors about their family that were already circulating.

Fortunately, as Ashley was feeling overwhelmed, a shelter staff member suddenly approached her and said she had been called by her mother to take a photo with one of the media reporters.

Like a breath of fresh air, Ashley immediately bid farewell to Jason as if their recent conversation had never happened.

Ashley quickly disappeared from Jason's view behind a crowd of orphans who were already waiting for the photo session in question.

A few moments later, assuming the session was over, Jason approached the buffet table, took two glasses of cold drinks, and waited for Ashley to appear. When Ashley was seen emerging from the crowd and halfway back toward the drawing table, Jason stopped in his tracks.  

He extended the glass in his right hand to Ashley.  

“I'm sorry. You must have felt uncomfortable because I suddenly asked you to join as a volunteer.”  

Ashley awkwardly accepted the drink and held it, not drinking it immediately.

“It's okay. I… just… really didn't know if I could join or not. That's all.“

”So,” Jason tapped his glass filled with syrup against the one Ashley was holding. “Am I forgiven?” Then he smiled with raised eyebrows.

Ashley laughed lightly. Then nodded.

Jason then extended his hand to point toward the buffet table near them. “Want to chat while eating some snacks?”

When Jason offered that, Ashley suddenly remembered the old woman who had fallen with her.

“Ah—right! I heard you went back to visit Minu and her grandmother, right?”

Jason smiled and nodded.

Ashley, remembering the very inopportune timing—when her mother and mother-in-law suddenly came to visit her house the day after the incident—sighed regretfully. Her shoulders slumped and her forehead wrinkled sadly.

“Why?” Jason asked, finding Ashley's behavior odd.

"You really came the very next day.”

Jason nodded again lightly. As if all that wasn't something worth taking seriously.

"I couldn't come as I had planned.”

“Ah…” Jason finally understood why the girl was acting that way. ‘It's okay. I've taken care of it. The old woman also got a job at a factory near her house. She used to work in an office, so it wasn't hard to find her a position that wasn't too strenuous. It's suitable for someone her age.’

Ashley tilted her head, ”You—you got her a job too?”

Jason nodded slightly again.

Ashley smiled this time, looking at the man with deep emotion.

“You took my place looking for her cart. You even managed to find the child who stole her wallet. And… you also gave her a job. I should have thanked you sooner.” Ashley continued to look at Jason with great respect, “Thank you.”

Jason laughed heartily, “It's nothing. And there's no need to thank me. You don't owe me anything. Besides, I only helped a little.”

“Your help means a lot to them. Their lives can change for the better because of you.”

“Well,” Jason shrugged, “that's good if it can be like that.”

“That means I owe you a favor. You took my place in helping Minu and her grandmother.“

”Yeah, I couldn't do anything because I ended up arriving before you. That's why you should have come sooner, so I wouldn't have beaten you to it."

Ashley laughed, ”We're like competing to do good deeds.”

“That's good, right?“ Jason replied, ‘Better than competing to do bad things?’

They both laughed. Then they stopped when Jason asked.

”So why didn't you come?”

Ashley paused for a moment, weighing whether she should answer truthfully or make up a little lie.

But in the end, she told him exactly what had happened.

"My mother and your mother came to visit the day after the incident. That's why I couldn't go to their house. My injuries also caused me to have a fever and made it difficult to move.”

Jason was slightly surprised, and concern showed on his face. “Your injuries were severe at the time. What happened to you afterward? Did you get sick because of the injuries?”

“I just had a fever. The doctor said it was normal because it was the body's reaction to fight the infection. And when the wounds dried up, I found it hard to move. That's all. After the wounds healed and my skin improved, I could resume my usual activities."

Jason looked at Ashley with sympathy.

“I should have visited you back then.“ His tongue clicked involuntarily, showing regret. ‘But at the time, I was too busy with my work to even think about your condition.’

”It's okay. It wasn't that bad that I needed a visit. It was just a regular wound. My body was just too weak to cause such a fever.” Ashley laughed softly.

She only thought about the possibility of Jason visiting her at that moment. Fortunately, he hadn't done so. She had gone to great lengths not to tell anyone about the incident and let it pass. If Jason had shown up and told the truth, her mother might have made everything complicated and spread it everywhere.

“But you got hurt because you avoided my car. I should have been responsible not just to that old woman, but to you too.” Josh glanced at Ashley, ”I didn't hear anything from you after that. Nothing at all.”

Ashley smiled faintly. She didn't know what to say. Besides the fact that her own situation was complicated, and she didn't have Jason's contact number—it would be even more complicated if she asked Josh for it—she felt it was better to end the incident without bringing it up at all.

“Why? Is there something you can't say?” Jason narrowed his eyes, as if he could read Ashley's mind.