3AM...

 

Jeongyeon stood at the edge of the bridge and looked down at the deep blue water. The troubling thoughts in her mind was making her head throb. It was very painful and the only way she could think of to soothe the pain was to end her life, divin down into the water which can block out all sound. She took another step up the railing and slowly loosened her grip. Sitting on the railing, she allowed herself to enjoy the last few moments of her life.

 

"Hey! What are you doing?! Come down!" She heard a voice from behind.

 

"Mind your own business..." Jeongyeon sighed.

 

"Miss, whatever is on your mind, you can talk to me about it." The stranger begged.

 

"It's the end... I lost everything... I have nothing..." Jeongyeon uttered. 

 

"Ahh... why not you come down and we talk about it while I send you home?" She asked.

 

"I have no home anymore!" Jeongyeon yelled. 

 

"Huh?"

 

"I sold it... for money to come to the city... I don't know this place... I don't know anyone... anything..." Jeongyeon sobbed.

 

The stranger then clicked her tongue and reached forward to grab Jeongyeon by the wrist. 

 

"Hey, can I interest you in a tour around Korea?" She asked.

 

"I said I don't have money!" Jeongyeon spat as she tried to jerk her hand away.

 

"A free one." The stranger added. 

 

"Fully paid meals included and if after the tour, you can go if you want to. Give me a chance to show you another side of life."

 

Jeongyeon looked at her skeptically.

 

"Trust me, I'm not the boogieman. And based on what you said... You have nothing more to lose right?" Nayeon smiled.

 

Jeongyeon thought about it before reluctantly accepting.

 

"Great! I'm Im Nayeon and I'll be your guide for today!" Nayeon hummed.

 

Nayeon opened the passenger car door and gestured to Jeongyeon before getting behind the wheel. 

 

"We'll start tomorrow and it'll be a 3-day tour." Nayeon said. 

 

Jeongyeon didn't answer but Nayeon took the silence as consent. While driving in the rather awkward silence, Nayeon tried to ask for the reason for the latter's decision to want to commit suicide but she didn't reply. All she did for the whole ride was just look out of the window and zoning out.

 

"Welcome to my humble home!" Nayeon hummed as she opened her arms and did a twirl. 

 

Jeongyeon just looked around before following Nayeon to her assigned room.

Nayeon had shown her the guest room where she could stay for the time being before going to prepare the shower and clothes for her. 

 

"Hey, may I know your name?" Nayeon asked.

 

The latter stopped at the door to the bathroom. 

 

"Jeongyeon... Yoo Jeongyeon..." She uttered before closing the door behind her. 

 

Jeongyeon found herself unable to sleep that night. She looked at the clock on the wall and how it's hands moved to every second. It was only at 5am when she felt her mind and body finally falling asleep. 

 

"Wakey, wakey!" Jeongyeon scrunched her face up and squinted her eyes open to see a face in close proximity of hers. She was startled and it caused her to knock her head against Nayeon's. Both girls fell backward and held their foreheads in agony.

 

"S-sorry." Nayeon chuckled before getting herself up. 

 

"Did it hurt?" She asked Jeongyeon, reaching out and wanting to touch her. But the latter flinched.

 

"S-sorry..." Nayeon uttered when retracting her hand back. 

 

Jeongyeon looked away.

 

"Ah! Look at the time! Hurry and get changed! Today is our first day together!" She hummed as she pranced out of the room.

 

Jeongyeon watched and lowered her head sadly. 

 

'First day together...' she thought to herself.

 

The drive in the car was just Nayeon singing to the songs on the radio while Jeongyeon sat at the backseat daydreaming. 

 

"If you look over there, that's the aquarium." Nayeon said.

 

Jeongyeon turned her head slowly and looked at the building. 

 

"I hope you like fishes because that is where we are going next." Nayeon said. 

 

"Aquarium..." Jeongyeon uttered to herself. 

 

Nayeon looked at the rare view mirror before watching the road again. She didn't know what was wrong still but she knew the aquarium must mean something to her. 

 

Like Nayeon promised, she paid for Jeongyeon's expenses. They walked side by side as they looked at all the different variety of species and colours of fish. Nayeon was chatting away when she noticed that the latter was gone. She looked back to see her staring at a goldfish tank.

 

"You like them?" Nayeon leaned from behind and asked. 

 

Jeongyeon got startled and moved away.

 

"No." She said before walking to look at the other fishes. 

 

Nayeon rolled her eyes and chuckled. She noticed that Jeongyeon has a weird way of saying she likes things. 

 

"Nayeon unnie!" A person called out. 

 

Nayeon turned her head.

 

"Momo, my moguri!" She screamed and ran to her friend of 4 years.

 

Jeongyeon, who was a distance away staring at jellyfish, turned to look at the commotion before going back to minding her own business.

 

"Who are you here with? A date?" Momo smirked. 

 

"Ya! No! I'm here with a Friend and she's right over-" Nayeon looked around to see Jeongyeon gone. 

 

"She must've went to see something else. Enough about me, and who is that pretty girl?" Nayeon waved while the latter looked away shyly. 

 

"Oh, this is Mina, my girlfriend." Momo hummed. 

 

"Mina? finally I know the name of the mysterious girl you keep speaking of!" Nayeon laughed.

 

After much catching up with Momo and ranting to her about the fact that she didn't announce it to her, Nayeon went to search for Jeongyeon. 

 

"I finally... found you..." the latter panted. 

 

"I couldn't find you. So I just stayed here." Jeongyeon explained.

 

"Ah... let's go back, I haven't showed you-" 

 

"No." Jeongyeon interupted.

 

"Huh? Why?" Nayeon exclaimed.

 

"It's boring." Jeongyeon spat.

 

"Oh... then... do you want to go to the arcade?" Nayeon asked.

 

"No."

 

"Movie?"

 

"No."

 

"Museum?" 

 

"No." 

 

"Then do you have a place in mind?" Nayeon finally gave up. 

 

"... actually... is there a wishing fountain?" Jeongyeon asked.

 

They had lunch before they headed to a place that fit Jeongyeon's wants. Nayeon tailed behind, letting Jeongyeon lead the way and explore. They reached the fountain where Nayeon suddenly grabbed Jeongyeon's wrist. Jeongyeon watched as Nayeon placed her other hand on her open palm and removed it to reveal a coin. She looked at the coin and then to Nayeon. 

 

"Go ahead." Nayeon said with a smile.

 

Jeongyeon bowed her head a little to show her appreciation before closing her eyes and holding the coin close to her chest. With the setting sun's lighting, Nayeon couldn't resist the urge to take a picture of her. And she did, without Jeongyeon's  knowledge. She looked at he photo and smiled; she was proud of her work. 

 

"I'm done." Jeongyeon said. 

 

Nayeon quickly hid her smile and phone before announcing that she is taking Jeongyeon somewhere. 

 

Before dinner time, Nayeon and Jeongyeon arrived at a carrier provider. 

 

"Why are we here?" Jeongyeon asked.

 

"Getting you a phone. It would be easier to communicate if you had a phone." Nayeon explained. 

 

After getting Jeongyeon a phone, Nayeon taught her how to use it even though she's not that technology savvy herself. 

 

"So you attach a picture and press the send button." Nayeon said.

 

Jeongyeon's phone dinged.