around 11pm, jaehyun sneaks out.

chaeyeon pretends to be sleeping, but honestly, who can sleep in this situation? before, she was too tired, but tonight, she has too much in her mind that she can't sleep. jaehyun has bough a spare pillow and blanket, he even has a floor mattres - "it's my friend's," jaehyun muttered while laying the mattress, his ears red, probably embarrassed that he seems fully prepared for chaeyeon's extended stay. 

but chaeyeon can't sleep, no matter how hard she tries to close her eyes. there's so many things she wants to ask jaehyun that she doesn't know where to start or what to say at all. jaehyun doesn't say anything either, but she can tell he hasn't sleep too. yet, no one says a thing, they just lie there, pretending to sleep. that is, until jaehyun's phone buzzes. 

whatever message he receives, it makes him quickly gets up. he tries to make no sound as he change his clothes and grabs his jacket, and then there's a moment of silence where chaeyeon feels as if he's staring at her back, maybe contemplating whether to wake her up or not, before she can hear his steps walking to the door and out. 

after it's clear that jaehyun has left, chaeyeon opens her eyes. she turns her body and stares at the ceiling. there was a time she felt like she knows every little thing about jaehyun, what he feels, what he thinks, what he wants, but now--nothing. she knows nothing.

she wants to know why jaehyun left, what happened to him... but what about the present? what about the future? after this - whatever this is - ends, what will happen between them? 

chaeyeon lets out a sigh and closes her eyes. it's probably better if she doesn't think about it too much. 

feeling stuffy, she gets up and decides to get out from the room, just to get some air. 

chaeyeon stands by the railing in front of jaehyun's room - the room is facing outside, the only scenery is the small alley down below and the buildings in front of it, but she can hear the traffic from beyond the buildings - tightening the cardigan she wears around herself as the wind blows.

she just stands there, staring at nothing in particular, trying to drown out her thoughts, when she hears footsteps and clinking sounds from the side. chaeyeon turns her head and her eyes meets with a pair of another eyes. it's a girl, walking to her direction while carrying a plastic bag - from the shape of it, there are cans inside of it, the source of the clinking sounds she hears.  

"hello!" the girl greets her first. she has a striking features, with thick lips donned in a bright red lipstick, a deep gaze, and long wavy hair down to her waist. "i don't think we've meet before, are you a new tenant?" 

"oh... no," chaeyeon waves her hand. "i'm staying with... a friend." 

the girl tilts her head a little bit, her eyes flickers to the rooms behind chaeyeon. she glances back at chaeyeon, and this time, somehow, her smile doesn't quite reach her eyes. "... youngho?" she mutters a name.

"ah," chaeyeon looks back, wondering if she has wander around from jaehyun's room. "no. um. jaehyun."  

"jae--? oooh, jaehyun," the girl repeats, smiling again. "he's out, isn't he? wanna hang out at my place? i have enough for the two of us." she lifts the plastic bag in her hand, showing chaeyeon what she has. "if you want to wait for them, it might takes a while." 

she seems know something about jaehyun and where he may be, and honestly chaeyeon can use some beer right now, so she nods and follows the stranger to her room next to jaehyun's.

"my name's chungha, by the way," the girl says as they enter her room, taking off her sneakers. her room is identical with jaehyun's, except that it's tidier despite having more stuff. "i'm... friends with jaehyun's friend," she explains without being asked, waving her hand carelessly to tell chaeyeon to sit wherever she wants while she prepares their midnight snack. "then jaehyun moves here, and well, i guess we're sort of friends too."  she opens a can of beer and hands it to chaeyeon. "sorry, i don't think i asked for your name...?" 

"it's chaeyeon," chaeyeon says, taking the beer from chungha and bowing her head while mumbling a thank you. 

her name doesn't seem to ring a bell from chungha, who only nods while taking a piece of a fried chicken she also bought along with the beer, and somehow it makes chaeyeon more relaxed being with the girl. finally, someone who doesn't branded her as jaehyun's girlfriend. she takes a sip of the beer in her hand, and ends up taking more than a sip. guess she really needs it. 

"here, eat the chicken too!" chungha pushes the plate to chaeyeon. "waah, as expected, chicken and beer after work is the best!" 

chaeyeon picks up a wing, mulling over her next question. "do you... know where's jaehyun going?"

chungha smacks her lips after a big gulp of the beer. "hm, i don't know exactly where they are now, he never tells me the details... oh, when i said he, i don't mean he as in jaehyun. it's his friend i mentioned earlier. but well, i know there's a problem and they're--," chungha stops abrutly, staring at chaeyeon. "do you know about jaeh