I was lying on the floor near the dark window. Loud cries escaped from my mouth. Wheein couldn’t understand how lonely I was. She left me like everyone and everything else left me, to suffer alone till the end of my days. No one was there for me.

Bells gently jingled through the air. A door closed somewhere. Light footsteps were heard.

“Hwasa,” the voice called. It was Solar’s voice. “Hwasa?”

I stumbled over to Solar and hugged her. Solar jolted from the sudden movement.

“You’ll always be here for me, right?” my voice broke. Warm tears flowed into Solar’s soft, peach scented hair. Sobs overtook my body. I held Solar tighter. “Right?” I whispered.

I felt her arms gently hold onto me.

“Yes,” Solar softly replied, “I will.”

THE NEXT DAY

“Well look who slept with my friend,” a voice called in my ear. A long fingernail dug into my arm.

I jolted awake. Hwasa was centimeters away from my face, glaring into my very existence. I jerked away from her in surprise. The couch shifted on the floor from the movement.

“Slept with your friend?” My voice cracked. “What do you mean?” I slowly brought myself together.

“Ho, ho, ho,” Hwasa smirked. “Don’t think I wouldn’t know,” she pushed a strand of dark hair behind her shoulder, “hoe.”

“Hoe?” I raised an eyebrow at Hwasa. “Me?!” My eyes widened.

Hwasa shrugged. “I looked at you holding onto Solar on the couch. You know, Solar had to pry off your arms when she woke up this morning,” Hwasa grinned.

I suddenly remembered holding on to Solar like a stuffed animal before I went to sleep. I looked down at my feet in embarrassment. Technically, Hwasa wasn’t wrong.

Hwasa cleared loudly while she moved to the refrigerator. She bent down and pulled out a thin cardboard box.

“I have some leftover pie crust for us to eat,” Hwasa said, waving the box in the air.

“Pie crust?” I stifled a laugh.

“Hey!” Hwasa bellowed. “Don’t question my sources of nutrition.” She pushed the refrigerator door closed with her manicured toes.

I plopped down into one of the chairs around the small round table. Hwasa handed me a plate of pie crust. She sat down in the chair across me.

“Hmm,” I held the pie crust with my fingers, “this stuff is actually pretty good.”

“What did I tell you?” Hwasa scoffed.

Hwasa devoured her pie crust.

“Whatchu lookin at?” Hwasa questioned, widening her eyes. “Never seen a lion devour her pie crust?” The heavy eye makeup around her widened eyes made her resemble a tired lion.

I burst out laughing. Hwasa smacked me in the head. Suddenly, a thought slipped into my head. I needed to ask Hwasa about it.

“Hwasa,” I said.

“What!?” Hwasa glared at me. Her eyes quickly softened into a knowing gaze. She sighed. “You’re going to ask why Solar came in the middle of night,” she stated.

I nodded.

“I thought it was weird too,” Hwasa continued. “She’s only come over to my place in the middle of the night when she really needs to be by someone.”

My heart felt heavy.

“Poor kid,” Hwasa looked out the window, “I guess she really wants to go to the U.S,” she sighed. “Well, it’s what she’s wanted for so long, ever since she became a photographer.”

The door chimed.

Hwasa looked behind her.

“I’m actually supposed to have another patient today,” she said while she got up from her chair. She looked at me. “You can observe if you want though. I’ve known him for a long time, so I’m pretty sure he won’t mind.”

She scurried over to the door and opened it. A young, worn out looking man smiled at Hwasa in greeting. They walked over to the brown recliner and white armless chair a small distance away from me. Hwasa introduced us to each other and the man came off to be a nice person. I quickly found that the man was depressed. He was living by himself in Korea, while the rest of his family was living in the U.S. Whenever his family called him, he pretended that he wasn’t lonely because he didn’t want them to worry. He hasn’t told his family about him receiving help from a therapist either. I watched as Hwasa carefully evaluated what he was feeling. It was clear that the two were close to each other. To me, it seemed like he had too much of a burden on his shoulders because he felt he needed to be strong for his family. And he was all alone and had no one to lean on.

“Could I say something?” I asked them.

They looked at me. Hwasa smiled. A phone buzzed loudly. Hwasa rummaged her phone out of her pocket.

“Hello,” Hwasa said. Her eyes widened as the phone call went by. When the call ended, she sprung up from her chair and ran over to the door.

“I have to go,” Hwasa said while putting on her black heels. “I think I found a new place to move my rehabilitation center.”

I smiled. “That’s great Hwasa! Congratulations!” The man also expressed his congratulations.

“Thanks,” Hwasa breathed. She stood up with her black heels strapped onto her feet. She looked at the young man. “Can you keep him company?” Hwasa asked me.

“Sure,” I nodded.

“Thanks Moonbyul,” Hwasa waved while stepping out of the door.

I waved back. The door chimes rang throughout the room. I turned to look at the man. He seemed glad about Hwasa’s success.

“Could I sit in that chair?” I pointed at the white armless chair Hwasa was sitting in a few moments ago.

The man nodded.

I sat down. I smiled at him as if I was smiling at one of my patients I had when I was a doctor.

“I know I’m not a therapist,” I broke the silence. “but I used to be a doctor, actually.” I shifted in the chair, “before I became a homeless alcoholic, of course.”

The man looked slightly shocked but eventually nodded.

He suddenly looked at the door behind him, but then shifted his gaze back at me. I decided to continue.

“I’ve had my fair share of hardships, and so when I look at you, it seems like yo