It’s been a week of me rotting in my apartment. This life doesn’t feel like living at all. I’m physically alive but emotionally and mentally dead. My tears already dried up and I have no more left to spare. I’m starting to feel numb. I’m practically living a zombie life. I don’t know if it’s me or this house stinks. My phone’s been beeping every now and then. I’m getting texts and missed calls from Chaeyoung and Nayeon. Also, messages from Momo asking me out for lunch. I don’t wanna see anyone anymore. I’m just gonna live in this filthy place for the rest of my life.

I’m in my room thinking: “Why am I still in here?” If Chaeyoung and I were meant to be, then why did she have to like Tzuyu instead of me? I could’ve just died that day believing Chaeyoung loves me more than anyone else. I would die happily believing in a lie such as that.

But why did I live?

I suddenly came back to my senses when I heard the vibration of my phone. I picked it up.

A text from Nayeon again. Great.

“Go on. Just waste your life all over again. Die like how you were supposed to. Waste the chance of having to change everything. You’re good at that, coward.”

I felt mentally stabbed. Those words are too painful to bear that they made me tear up. I don’t hate Nayeon for saying such words. She’s right. I’m a coward. I sighed deeply. Suddenly, I received another text. I checked to see who it was.

“Mina unnie, let’s meet today if you’re free.”

It was from Chaeyoung.

“Okay. Let’s meet at the park.” I replied.

Nayeon made me remember the words she said to me at the café: “Running away from them won’t help you.” It’s true. Nothing will happen if I run away from everything. I finally decided to get up and wash up.

I headed to the park with a blank expression the whole time. I waited for Chaeyoung at the bench.  I could see her approaching from my peripheral vision but I didn’t look at her and just stared at the view in front of me. She then sat beside me.

“How have you been unnie?” she asked while looking at the view in front same as me.

“Good.” I answered coldly.

“Why haven’t you picked up my calls and replied to my messages for the whole week?” she asked.

“I was sick.”

Although she knew I was lying, she just nodded. She then handed me something rectangular that is covered with newspapers. I suddenly looked at her with a surprised gaze.

“What’s this?”

“Sorry it took awhile. It was supposed to be my birthday gift for you but I didn’t finish it early. Happy Birthday unnie.”

I unwrapped the gift that was covered with newspapers. It was a landscape painting. I was stunned. I kept staring at the landscape painting with a surprised look. I know where this painting is. I could never forget this place. This is a painting of a place somewhere in Jeju. These trees, rocks, flowers, and this