You wanna know what’s worse than waking up to the most disturbing noice that your alarm clock gives you? It’s waking up to someone knocking at your door at 3 in the morning.

“I swear to god, I’m calling the police. Go away!” I warned the person knocking non-stop at my front door. But it seems like he/she doesn’t mind going to jail or something so I might as well go get my bat and kill it with it.

“Who are you?! What do you need?!” I asked, hoping that this time there will be an answer and a good reason for this unforgivable disturbance. But none, nada. I should call Eunji. I can’t deal with this alone.

And just like the person outside my door, no answer. The call went straight to the voice mail, “EUNJI IF I DIE TONIGHT, PLEASE TELL MY PARENTS THAT I LOVE THEM. AND THAT I’M GAY!”

I guess it’s now or never. If I survive this dawn, I’ll make sure to install a goddamn peephole first thing in the morning. I collected all my courage and decided to open the door.

“WHY the are you here?! Wh- what do.. what do you need?” I quickly hide the weapon I’m holding, asked this harmless looking girl who’s doing absolutely nothing but standing there with this guilt-free look in her eyes.

“?” she answered me, wait what?! No, no she clearly just said it.. innocently with such modest head tilt. Like mimicking my choice of words. What the hell?

“Hold on a sec.” I closed the door again trying to think, trying to decipher what’s happening right now. It’s 3am and there’s a girl outside, maybe she’s crazy? Right. I did the right thing closing the doors on her. Not even in a blue moon that an innocent lamb would just go specifically at my house to say that she needed to.. fu- ahhh!

“Hello?” there’s no way that this girl with the softest voice would be a crazy right? “I’m sorry if I said something wrong.” Girl! What you said is.. okay two ways, it’s either she’s just expressing it like I did, or she really- oh dear lord if you’re going to take me, just take me. I can’t deal with this it’s way too complicated than I thought it’ll be! What I had in mind is someone who’s a serial killer but what you gave me looks like an angel fallen straight at my doorstep. “Will you let me stay over please? It’s brr.” Brr?

I quickly took one of my clean coats and went back to open the door for this girl only to see her halfway from my porch. “Hey! Where are you going?” I quickly walked towards her and lay over the coat on her shoulders. She’s right it’s freezing cold out here.

Oddly we both made our way back to my place without saying a single word. I know it’s dangerous to let strangers into your home but this one is nothing savage but a tame lost soul who needed a place to stay.

“Okay, only so we’re clear, I need to know why are you here at this ungodly hour of the day?” I asked but like talking to a new born, she said nothing and continues to look at me. Study me, not just my face but everything of me. She stares at me like airport baggage scanners and it’s starting to make me feel uncomfortable as she eyes me from head to toe. “Stop. Just stop. I don’t believe in anything supernatural but the way you’re looking at me, believing in it is starting to be an option.” 

Did she just- smile? I’m pretty sure this girl understands me if she thought what I said was funny. What is this girl seriously.

“I see so you’re not gonna say a single word right?” I tried.. and again, failed. Maybe she’s really just wrecked in the brain kind of girl. I guess this is the only way, “You” I said pointing at her and finally something, an action, a movement, as she pointed at herself too and said,

“You?” eh?

“No no, You.” I tried again still pointing at her, “Me. Got it?” hands back towards myself. “So uhm you. Why? Here?” I said like playing charades. But this is useless as she’s not responding to these efforts. “Seriously woman, what’s up on going dumb mute? You we’re just talking alright earlier. Where are those words now?” I’m losing it. I can tell by the way my head is starting to hurt. With a temper like mine, challenges like this can’t make me sit in this situation for any longer. 

“I want to sleep.” There we go, a sentence.

“Suit yourself, after dealing with you I think I’m dead tired as well. You can stay in the room closest to the kitchen. There are clean clothes in there, a shower, even a refrigerator filled with drinks, a cabinet filled with snacks so go nuts.” I said but the moment I look at her, she’s knocked off on the sofa. Did I talk too much? The least I could do now is to cover her with a blanket but I’m too tired for that. Okay I take it back, I should get her something that will keep her warm. Why am I doing this again? Whatever. I’m heading to bed, she could kill me if she wants too.

“Eunjiii, we have no work today so why are you here?” I absentmindedly said as I felt someone poke my feet, definitely one of Eunji’s way of waking me up whenever she’s in a very very good morning mood- which is almost never because she’d always go and hit me with something like her bag or anything hard that would wake the hell out of me so this poking isn’t- isn’t her but- RIGHT the girl, “NO. NO. DON’T KILL ME! I AM KIND ENOUGH TO LET YOU STAY HOME FOR THE NIGHT SO LET ME LIVE PLEASE!” I screamed for mercy, seriously my living and dying mood is on and off lately, one minute I wish I was dead next thing I wish I’d live. 

Yet with all the commotion she did nothing but to look at me again like a lost kid. It’s starting to feel creepy to be honest. The fact that she’s in my room, it’s giving me the chills and I think I might need that warm cover wrapped around her.

“Good morning.”

“What a great way to start a day, with you speaking. Good morning to you too.” I said and it all came rushing back that there is a stranger in my place. 

But it’s too early to deal with her so like how I do in the mornings, I lay back to bed and grab my phone to read some messages. Messages from Eunji who totally didn’t help me.

From: Eunji

Still alive? Message me as soon as you read this or I’ll barge in your place to retrieve your dead body.

Well thank you, best friend. At least I know that my body won’t rot in this place if something did happen to me. Thanks a lot.

To: Eunji

Barely breathing but I still do need your help.

The moment I pressed send, an incoming call from her popped in. Isn’t she just the motherly kind of friend, she must’ve been worried sick.

“Hey.”

“Just making sure that you’re really alive and it’s not just some sasaeng fan who texted me for us to think that you’re doing fine.” 

“That’s very smart of you. So! What I actually need help for is-” then I noticed her standing at the foot of my bed and I don’t think it’s a good idea for this girl to hear what I’m about to say so I gestured for her to stay in the room while I go to the kitchen as far away from her as possible. And I think that one she understood as she didn’t move an inch as I walked out. “I need you to ask if there’s some crazy woman missing in the city.”

“What? I’m a film director as far as I remember. What is this for seriously?” I myself don’t even know what this is. Geez. 

“There’s Hayoung.” I answered her as I sit on one of the bar stools while we continue to converse over the phone. Maybe I should grab myself some water too.

“You can ask her yourself! But fine, I’ll try to see if they have reports of a missing person. Whatever you got yourself into, you better tell them to me tomorrow. Don’t be late at work.” Yea for sure as long as you don’t freak out over it the same way I did. And yes! Work tomorrow so she should be gone later today.

“I should go. Message me ASAP when you guys found something.” I ended the call and rest my head on top of the counter wondering how this whirlpool of events would end. 

I hate falling off my bed and I hate more the fact that I woke up falling. off. the. bed! But wait why does it hurts quite a lot this time around? This is no carpet.. tiles? Am I in the kitchen?! 

“Oh hell no.” Looking at the windows I’m pretty sure it’s past noon. I was never a morning person to begin with so this ain’t new to me but what’s new is that there’s someone here with me. Speaking of which.. where is she? “Don’t tell me she really didn’t move out of my room.” With the horror of me sleeping over the kitchen leaving some