Yunjae didn’t know how to react when she got through the door. The initial reaction was to turn back almost immediately and say “L.Joe you gave me the wrong key and the wrong door.” But she knew better than that.

The place was depressing. In Niel’s station, it was empty; in here it was worse. It wasn’t empty, but everything was gray and dismal. Nothing was definite, just hazy forms extending far into the horizon. It reminded Yunjae of everything bad that happened to her life: her parents dying, he bestfriend moving to another country, her brother getting into an accident. It made her want to just lie down and cry. It made her want to lose the will to live.

“Don’t think that. You might end up killing yourself.”

Yunjae looked up and saw a bright sunbeam amidst the gray surroundings. The closer it came, the clearer she saw of what it really was. It was a boy, dressed just like the four before. His smile made it look like it’s not yet the end of the world, although it also contained a cocky look about it.

Like L.Joe.

“Yup, Byunghun and I are cousins,” said the boy.

“Y-You can read my mind?” asked Yunjae.

“Actually, no. I was just guessing via your face. I’m Chunji, by the way. Lee Chanhee.”

“H-Hi.” Yunjae was struggling. It was hard to balance out the negativity of the place and Chunji’s optimistic smile.

“It must be hard for you to be here, so let’s finish quickly, yes?” said Chunji with an encouraging smile. Yunjae felt her knees grow week.

“P-Please, don’t do that,” she muttered.

“I can’t. I have to keep on smiling or else I’ll die,” said Chunji. “But I’ll help you walk.”

And that he did. He guided her and supported her until they came to a part of the dimension where everything was like a huge African plain: flat ground ran all the way to meet the sky. Chunji sat Yunjae there and he sat beside her so she could lean on him.

“Wh-What’s your riddle for me?”

“Oh right. You’re almost there, but not just yet. What does your brother do to stop your eyes from getting wet?”

“You mean to stop me from crying?” asked Yunjae. Chunji smiled positively. Yunjae felt a pang of hope.

“Hmmmm….”

--flashback—

“O-Oppa…”

Yunjae came crying to her brother when he came to pick her up from school.

“Omo! Yunjae-yah, why?” Hyukjae asked, getting on his knees to level his face with Yunjae’s red one. He wiped some tears away with his thumbs, but out spilled some more.

“O-One of my classmates said I was weird,” sobbed Yunjae onto her oppa’s arms.

Hyuk swallowed a chuckle. “Sometimes I think you are,” he muttered.

“What?”

“I said don’t believe what they said. To me, you’re pretty, cute, talented, and everything else they aren’t. Why, there are so many of that in you that there isn’t any left for others in the world, even me!”

Yunjae stopped sobbing and started smiling. “No, oppa. No matter what happens, you’ll always be smarter than me.”

“And I’ll always love you,” said Hyuk as he embraced his little sister.

--end of flashback—

Yunjae was unconsciously smiling. Chunji saw it and concluded that she’s found it. This place is too much for someone like her.

“He’ll always love me,” whispered Yunjae. A tiny ray of light peeped through the grayness they call sky.

“Yes he will. What do you think he’s trying to teach you here?” asked Chunji gently.

“To love myself, regardless of what others say. I’m not me without those words of his,” replied Yunjae.

“That’s right. Up you get.”

Chunji helped Yunjae up and supported her to a wooden doorframe. In our world it may have looked ridiculous as you can see right through it, but Yunjae has seen enough to tell her not to question it.

“See you soon, Yunjae-yah,” said Chunji. He waved at her as she regained her strength and walked through the door.

I’ll find you, oppa. I’ll bring you back.