After eating everything set on the table, I started cleaning and washed the dishes. While I was drying my hand, my eyes landed on the picture frame on the wooden shelf.

It had three picture frames. The first one was her picture in a graduation gown, probably her senior year or university one. The second was a picture of her and a middle aged man, probably her Dad. It didn't look like her grandfather for that matter. The last one was a family picture. Two middle aged couple at the back, their left hands placed on the shoulder of the two teenage siblings. I suppose this is her family but something about the second and third picture was off; the middle aged men don't seem to be just one person. They both are far different from each other.

I was still looking at the pictures when she came out of her room with some pillows and blanket. She placed it on the sofa and I followed her to the living room.

"Obviously, this house has only one bedroom. So you're going to sleep on the sofa, if that's fine with you," she said.

"More than okay. Thank you." I smiled and she just nodded as she walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?" I asked, alarmed that she was going out for a walk at this time of the night.

"Just outside." She answered and went out, not even waiting for my reply.

Upon her exit, I fixed the pillow and already prepared to sleep but as I stared at the ceiling, I couldn't sleep. It had been a long day but I just can't believe this has happened in my life.

Then I suddenly thought of that lady. She was straightforward but softhearted. She can be serious but she knows the word fun. And by the way, I still don't know her name. Why have I not asked? Stupidity at its finest, Kim Seokjin.

I looked at the wall clock on the wooden divider and it has been 20 minutes since she left. Just where did this girl go?

I decided to wait outside but I heard sobs above her house. I examined the house's structure and I saw a ladder at the left side. Whatever is there, I took the courage to climb up the ladder. I was almost near the top when I heard her talk.

"Dad, I hope you're listening to everything I told you. It’s just so hard living without you but I promise I'll manage. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, I brought home a chaebol. Don't worry, he is harmless though outspoken. Yeah, he is good looking but can easily be swayed. Thanks to him, I made a seaweed soup to celebrate my birthday. Anyway Dad, I hope you're doing well up there." She didn't say anything more.

I was quite shocked upon hearing that today was her birthday but a smile formed in my lips while recalling her thanks. I listened for a while and she wasn't talking anymore so I went up quietly.

She was looking at the stars and didn't feel my presence.

"I thought you went out for a walk." I stated and she wiped her tears before looking at me.

"How'd you know I'm here?"

"I didn't know. I just went out and thought of watching the stars. I saw the ladder so I came here." I lied and she didn't talk anymore.

I sat beside her and we both looked up at the stars.

"I forgot to tell you something." I uttered, after what felt like an endless silence, and she looked at me.

"About Mr. Feng, I just thought it was amazing. He knew I was a runaway something. I mean he kept saying he was like me back in those days." I recounted, I didn't really plan to tell her this but the silence is deafening so I decided to start a conversation which I thought is sensible.

"Sure, he was but no one ever believed him. I heard his story once and I knew he was telling the truth. He only lied about one thing, that he enjoyed his freedom. He may not say it out loud but he was regretting his decision of running away during his wedding day." As she told me that, I felt like she knew a lot about Mr. Feng.

"Are you asking me how I knew about that or you're trying to figure it out yourself?" She asked and I knew I was voicing my thoughts out again.

"A little of both." I replied and she looked at me in the eyes.

"He told me his story and I wrote down every bit of information he shared about his life." She said. I understood it but I didn't quite understand the part about her writing that information.

"I dreamt of becoming a writer and so I wrote stories, both fictional and not. But among those that I've written, I kept a journal. It contained basically my whole life. And every chapter of the journal, I'd write about the new people I meet. Mr. Feng is one of them. The rest are the people in this town. I kept their information so I would be able to recognize them and I would know how to talk to them. It was my survival instinct but it turned out, I started to see life in the lives of others." This is the first time she opened up about herself during the entire evening I was with her.

"So did you ever try to get your works published?"

"I did but I always got rejected. The publications didn't like the storyline. I know I'm still lacking when it comes to my skills in writing." She admitted.

"And about the new people you meet, does that mean you'll give me a chapter in that journal of yours?" I raved.

"What choice do I have? I can lie and erase you from my memory but that wouldn't be fun. You're a good company, after all. I had a hearty laugh today." She confessed and it felt warm just sitting beside her and seeing her smile. I can feel the wind blowing but it wasn't enough.

"I have a question," I muttered and she looked at me.

"I'm sorry if I'm asking you this only now but what's your name?" I asked and she chuckled.

"So you finally had the guts to ask that, huh? Seulgi. Kang Seulgi." She said and I thought her name was beautiful, it matched her perfectly.

"Nice to meet you then, Miss Seulgi Kang. And thanks for treating me so well." I stretched out my right hand and waited for a handshake. She took it and we smiled as we felt the cold breeze of the summer night.

--

"This is just a proposition, it’s okay if you won't agree though. I understand. So, uhm—would you allow me to read your stories? I actually have an interest with stories because I dreamt of becoming an actor, if not a producer." I sincerely proposed and she studied my face, probably figuring out what I was planning to do.

"I just wanted to know how good you are at writing and I really love reading stories." I added quickly before I melt from her stares.

"Fine." She just said and went inside her room. When she came back, she was holding a lot of binded books, both thick and thin.

"The thin ones are short stories. The thick ones are novels. I binded them so I could feel like a real writer who have published a lot of books. So, enjoy reading but I hope you won't criticize me that much for my writing skills. I'll get to sleep now," she said and I said my goodnight before she shut her door close.