As Chorong stepped out of the arrival hall, she sighed in relief upon seeing the familiar hangul signs again.

It’s been awhile.

Instead of going straight to her parent’s house, Chorong decided to head to the cafe located in the arrival hall.

After ordering her espresso, Chorong occupied the table at the corner of the cafe.

“What’s your name?”

Chorong looked up to see a brunette smiling at her. “Chorong,” she said to the stranger.

“Full name?” asked the brunette as she sat opposite Chorong.

“Park Chorong.”

“What should I call you?”

Chorong gave the brunette a look.

What a stupid question.

“Chorong…?”

“Ah, I’ll just call you mine.”

Smooth.

The brunette’s eyes flickered to the small yet compact baggage by the side of Chorong’s chair. “Where are you from,” the brunette asked again, returning her gaze to the girl sitting in front of her. She gave a cheeky smile as she finished her sentence, “mine?”

Chorong thought the brunette was being rather intrusive considering the fact that they didn’t know each other. “Your sentence doesn’t really make sense.”

A cocky smile appeared on the brunette’s face. “Because I called you mine instead of your name?”

Chorong fought the smile threatening to surface. “You’re getting ahead of yourself,” she responded indifferently.

“Am I?” The brunette frowned. “I thought girls love these sort of pick up lines.”

“Then I guess you picked the wrong one.”

“Sounds like a legit point,” the brunette grinned. “I’m Yoon Bomi, but you can call me yours,” she stated, as she winked at Chorong.

“You’re quite a sociable person, aren’t you?”

“Indeed I am. But they left me, so I’m upset.”

Chorong wanted to ask why, but she felt that she was going to be as intrusive as Bomi was. “I see.”

Bomi sighed dramatically. “This is the unfortunate thing about humans. People need to be more caring and empathetic instead of just staying in their tiny bubble of selfishness, ignorance and apathy.”

Chorong was visibly offended.

How dare the brunette make an overgeneralization of the society.

“You’re making a sweeping statement about the society,” Chorong pointed out.

“I wasn’t. I made an observation,” Bomi corrected.

“You’re anti-society.”

“Oh honey, you have no idea how society is anti-me,” Bomi laughed. “You don’t know who I am?”

Chorong looked at Bomi quizzically. “Am I supposed to know who you are?”

Bomi shook her head in fake disappointment. “Seems like I’m not that famous after all. How long have you been overseas, young lass?”

“4 years.”

“Which country were you staying in?”

“The UK.”

“Ah, The Beatles. Do you like The Beatles? Or One Direction?”

“I have better things to do than fangirl about boy bands.”

Bomi chuckled. “So you’re back here to visit your family for a few days before returning back to the UK?”

“I’m staying here for good.”

“Cost of living must be high in the UK, ain’t it?”

“Yeah, London is expensive,” Chorong sighed. “So, who are you? A celebrity?”

“I would like to think I am.”

“You’re being confusing.”

“I like confusing people. Going straight to the point makes the human’s mind lazy. When you need to figure something out, your mind will be actively working like a gear. You don’t want to be a society that’s constantly being spoonfed, do you?”

“Shouldn’t you be telling all that to the kids that’ll be the future leaders of the nation? I’m not the president of South Korea to act as a catalyst for a better future in years to come.”

“You’re no fun, mine,” Bomi remarked, making a face. “Do you want to hear a story then?”

“What kind of story?”

“Any story told by me will be spectacular. This genre is rather sad, though. Will you still like to hear it?”

Chorong’s curiosity piqued. “Sure.”

A smile formed on Bomi’s lips. “Let me regale you with my sob story then,” she adjusted her sitting position so that she would be more comfortable. "A long time ago, there was a girl who fell in love with an amazing girl. The relationship lasted for a really long time. But one day, the girl discovered that the amazing girl was sick. The girl got scared. She was scared of losing the amazing girl. Time was running out for the amazing girl, whereas the scared girl kept running away from reality, refusing to accept that the amazing girl will leave her eventually. Until one day, the scared girl finally found a solution. On one Friday night, she went to the amazing girl’s house, and killed the latter. She slit open the amazing girl’s chest and took out her heart. That way, the amazing girl will be with her for eternity.”

Chorong’s hair stood on end as she listened attentively to Bomi’s horror story. “That’s scary.”

“I know,” Bomi laughed. “I’m the scared girl and the amazing girl is my late girlfriend.”

Upon hearing that, Chorong’s jaw dropped. Fear struck her like lightning.

“I’m just kidding!”

Chorong scowled, “Gosh, you’re such an .”

“I’m a criminal though.”

“You are?” Chorong asked in bewilderment.

Bomi is indeed one hell of a confusing person.

“The police arrested me for stealing a lollipop from a kid.”

“Are you serious?” Chorong narrowed her eyes at Bomi. She didn’t believe the brunette.

“Up to you whether you want to believe me or not,” Bomi shrugged her shoulders. “Do you want to follow me to a special place?”

“I don’t think it’s safe for me to follow a stranger anywhere.”

“Oh come on, you’re an adult. You can think for yourself.”

Chorong bit her lip. She sighed, “Alright. Where?”

“Out of places, you decide to bring me to a rooftop of a really high rise building.”

Bomi grinned as she walked on the ledge, stretching her arms wide apart horizontally for balance as if she was walking on a trapeze. “I like to talk to strangers. They’re nicer to talk to than your bestfriends, or family members.”

“How so?”

“Because they don’t know anything about you. They don’t know your background, so whatever story you tell them, they will receive it in its entirety, instead of cross-referring it to your personality or what you’ve done in the past,” Bomi explained.

Chorong quite liked the wisdom coming out from the enigmatic creature named Bomi.

The corner of the brunette’s mouth tugged up, and she stopped in her tracks. “What do you think of suicide, mine?”

“Some people think it’s wrong. But there are others who don’t. We’re the authors of our own books, I believe it’s up to us to decide the ending.”

A smile graced the brunette’s lips- the kind of proud smile a mother would have on her face when her infant child manages to utter a word. “Impressive, I like what you just said.”

Chorong gave a small smile. “Thank you…?” she said awkwardly.

“Tell me a story then. I’m not going to judge you.”

Chorong was hesitant to tell Bomi anything about her. But there was something about the brunette that made Chorong feel at ease.

“I have a deadline to meet,” Chorong said softly, as if she didn’t want anyone else to hear.

Bomi nodded in agreement. “We all have our days to a definite deadline.”

It surprised Chorong that Bomi understood what she was talking about.

Bomi must be one who thinks about life deeply.

“Why definite?” Chorong inquired.

“I would like to think it’s definite.” That was all the brunette said.

No other explanations.

“How much time do you have left, mine?” Bomi asked as she stepped down on from the ledge, and sat on the ground. She patted on the space beside her, motioning Chorong to sit beside her. The latter did as instructed.

“A month or less.”

“Have you decided on how to live your last month on earth?”

“I’m just going to spend it with my family.”

“That’s good,” Bomi replied with a smile. “What do you think of the story I told you earlier on?”

“Creepy.”

A small laugh escaped Bomi’s mouth. She pulled up her pants slightly, revealing an ankle bracelet. “Do you know what’s this?”

Chorong recognised the ankle monitor immediately. She had seen it before on the internet and in dramas. “The story you told me…”

“Yeah,” Bomi said casually. “I’m a murderer. But hey, innocent until proven guilty,” she quipped.

“The trial is still ongoing?”

Bomi nodded in response. “The police is tracking my every move. I think it’s nice to be under such scrutiny. I’ve never gotten such attention before. Twisted isn’t it?” Bomi laughed at her joke which seemed funny to only her, since Chorong didn't join in. “My filthy rich parents have always been so busy with work, since I was a kid. They barely make time for me. The only genuine attention I got was from my girlfriend. But she wasn't going to live for long. My happiness was so short-lived. I couldn’t bear the thought of someone I love so much disappear, so I killed her and preserved her heart in a jar. I admitted to my wrongdoing, but my parents are adamant on getting me a lighter punishment so there’s this lawyer who’s defending me. He’s using the ‘having mental issues’ or whatsoever excuse to save me from getting executed,” she sighed. It was the sort of sigh which came right from the bottom of her heart- ringing with so much disappointment. “I bet the only reason why my parents bother to do this is because they want to save their faces. Unfortunately, their reputations are probably already in deep waters since there’s been countless articles splashed across the media talking about how their one and only daughter, Yoon Bomi, is a murderer.”

There was then the heavily weighted silence when Chorong didn’t respond. She was deep in thought, gathering the appropriate words and stringing them into a proper sentence that wouldn’t come off as insensitive.

“Are you hoping the court gives you a death sentence?”

“Bingo,” Bomi grinned. “I would love to see you in the afterlife, but you’ll be in heaven, whereas I’ll be in hell.”

“What makes you think I’m worthy enough to go to heaven?”

“Every sinner has a future, and every saint has a past. I’m the former, you’re the latter. Sadly, my future is more bleak than my present, but I’ll make my last days count. I hope you do too.”

“Will we meet again?”

“No,” Bomi gave a sad smile. “Like you, I have a deadline to meet too. But I have two- the first is the trial, and the last is my death sentence.”

“But your sentence hasn’t been decided yet.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll die when the time comes.”

“Why do you view life in such a morbid way?”

“I don’t know. Some people are just born that way.”

The ankle monitor made a beep sound, signalling that Bomi had to be home soon.

“Time for me to get home.” Bomi stood up and dusted off her pants. She outstretched her arm to help Chorong stand up. “Thank you for your willingness to spend a bit of time with a stranger like me, who also happens to be a criminal feared by the society. It’s hard to come by an angel who will listen to the bad people’s woes without being judgmental.”

“Firstly, I’m not an angel. Secondly,” Chorong sighed and wrapped her arms around Bomi’s neck, enveloping the girl in a warm embrace, “you’re a good person, Yoon Bomi. I’m not sugarcoating anything, because a dying girl doesn’t spend her last days lying to people.”

Bomi hugged Chorong even tighter. “All I ever wanted is a hug during these hard times. Thank you for being the first, and last person to do this for me.”

They stayed in that position. Seconds passed. Minutes passed.

The ankle monitor beeped again, and Bomi was the first to pull away from the hug.

“My late girlfriend gave me this,” Bomi showed Chorong the dove necklace she wore around her neck. She then unhooked the necklace, and placed it in the palm of Chorong’s hand. “I want you to have it.”

“I can’t,” Chorong stated firmly. “Here, take it back, it’s a gift from your girlfriend.”

Bomi shook her head. “No, I want you to have it.”

“Why?”

“Because you make me feel whole again, although it’s for a short while. But for someone like me, whose time isn’t on my side, even a fraction of a second is enough.”

“Hey, time isn’t on my side too,” Chorong lightheartedly reminded the brunette, earning a faint smile from the latter.

“Let’s meet again. In a different life,” Bomi said, “Not the afterlife of course since we will be heading to different destinations,” she managed to lightly joke.

“I would love to,” Chorong smiled, “and maybe, time will then be on our side.”

“That would be lovely, mine.”

“Of course, yours.”

---

Now you know why i didn’t divulge much about the story in the description/foreword haha. was just thinking about life after all my philosophy lessons so i came up with this so it's totally random and sorta plotless.