"Unnie, we really need to bring this," Hyowon insisted, showing the book's front cover to Jung Woo. "This is us."

"How many chapters have you read on this?" Her housemate took the book and began skimming through the pages. "I've read this first on an ebook, and then I decided to buy the book," Jung Woo narrated.

"These two planned to live together when they turned 40," Hyowon explained the book's synopsis, as the other woman was still engrossed in skimming through the pages. "They wrote words based on how they feel as they live; that's how the story of the book started. The other one said, 'I feel like I'm studying a country.'"

Intermittent "mmh's" could be heard from the older woman as the younger continued to explain. Hyowon went on, "Like when you go to another country, you need to study everything about it. Things you need to learn to adapt, things like that..."

Jung Woo looked up at the younger woman and tried to listen seriously, but couldn't contain her laughter. "Why?" The younger asked, confused.

"Do I look funny wearing these glasses?" Hyowon was wearing a pair of comically shaped orange sunglasses, which reminded Jung Woo of a certain comedian who wears a similar accessory. "You look like Choi Yang Rak," the older woman blurted out almost breathlessly, barely containing her laughter. Both of them ended up laughing hysterically at the uncanny comparison.

As their laughter died down, the younger woman resumed explaining about the book. "When it said he feels like he's been studying a country, I felt like we're the same," Hyowon acknowledged her similarity with one of the main characters in the book. "I always say this to you," she continued, pointing to Jung Woo, "that I've been studying a country called Shin Jung Woo for 6 years now."

For Hyowon, Monika (Jung Woo's stage name) is certainly a difficult person. Despite living together as best friends for several years, she felt like there were still a lot of areas that she hadn't been able to see and needed to know about Monika.

***