The chilly morning breeze harshly brushed against JongHyun waking him up every time he yawned inside his helmet. He was tempted to turn around to see how the one behind him was faring, but decided against that considering that was a serious traffic hazard. Not that looking behind yourself occasionally was bad, but looking at that mischievous little girl was a different story. He distinguishably remembered the one time she was experimenting how far she could let go of the driver before she falls to her death, or that's what he thought she was doing. The point was that around Krystal, he felt unnecessarily old. It was although he wasn't fitting in with how youthful and daring she was.

JongHyun was only 22 though.

He switched into another lane and buzzed past a car or two. He actually wasn't sure if that itself was safe. It sort of assured him though; maybe he was still young...inside.

Self-comforting is another sign of aging though.

A few minutes later, JongHyun pulled up in front of her house. Technically speaking, it was Jessica's apartment, but it was the same difference. Krystal enjoys being nomadic; she occasionally lives with her father, sometimes with her sister, and other times at her friend's dorm. With her situation today, he assumed that she wouldn't want her father seeing her coming home at barely five in the morning stinking of cologne, alcohol, and her own perfume.

“ There.” He took off his helmet and held it in front of himself, “ You should go take a shower and eat some food.”

Krystal pouted and hopped off his bike, “ Alright, alright, Grampie.” She smiled and stuck her tongue out at him.

“ I guess. ” He admittedly nodded his head, “ I should get going. I have a rough draft I have to finish and show a client today.” JongHyun began putting his helmet back onto his head and stuck his keys back into the bike, though not get turning on the engine.

“ Wait! ” Krystal suddenly yelled causing JongHyun to take off his helmet again, “ I almost forgot.”

“Hm?” She wasn't making herself clear.

“ What unnie gave me. Remember I told you last night? ” She was searching for the house keys, but no luck avails.

“ Here. Use these.” JongHyun tossed his entire key ring at Krystal, “I'll go in with you to get it.”

She almost forgot too, that JongHyun had keys to Jessica's apartment. Krystal laughed at herself as they walked over to the door and opened it. She immediately ran upstairs to find what she was told to give JongHyun while JongHyun made himself at home at the kitchen table after pouring himself a glass of water.

Before he knew it, Krystal was back downstairs with an envelope.

“ What's that? ” He placed the glass down on the table.

Krystal handed the envelope to him, “ I haven't opened it yet. It came a few days ago.”

“ New York? ” JongHyun read the return address, “ Sica? ”

He didn't feel particularly strange because she contacted him, but rather because she mailed something to him. JongHyun has known the girl for a bit over a decade now; he was almost certain that she never took a liking to the mailing system. They were born in the same era, yet while JongHyun preferred the old way over the new sometimes, Jessica almost always preferred the new way. To him, mailing letters, receiving letters had a certain beauty to it. Perhaps it had to do with him being a writer. To Jessica, mailing and returning letters was troublesome. Buying stamps was troublesome. Writing letters were a bit less troublesome, but still troublesome.

He knew it didn't have to do with the mailing system though. She was just forgetful. In actuality, Jessica probably shared the same view about mailing as he did.

He tore the short side of the envelope open and pulled out a trifolded piece of paper. JongHyun did believe for a second that it was a rare hand-written letter from Jung Jessica, but it only took a few more seconds for him to realize that it was typed, in a handwriting font though. She tried.

To Kim JongHyun

You thought this was handwritten, didn't you? Just kidding. You probably saw it already, the plane ticket in the envelope. So let me explain. Since we talk all the time, I expect that you're sick of hearing about my day and so on already, so I won't bore you with that junk. We can save that for later actually. But truth is, I don't want you to miss out on New York. I came here with a business mindset since I had a job on hand at the time, but I've came to really like this city. I think cities in general are unique. So is Seoul, only we've known it for too long. It's beginning to rust in our mind and losing its shine.

New York is like a new shining penny, I guess. At every traffic light and every lamp post, there are people and everyone has a different story. After walking past countless numbers of people, do you ever wonder what their story is? Why is that woman walking with that man, are they dating? Engaged? Why is that man there selling food from a vendor? Was that his original occupation, is he unemployed? How long has that lady passing out flyers been doing that? Was the boy who sped by you on that bike born in this city? There’s too much to a city, too much noise and too many stories that people don’t stop creating. People come for the city, the place, but people nonetheless also come for the people. Their stories make this city a perfect place for capturing, capturing the immediate time and moment because the rapid change of this city sweeps away the unlasting beauty of the moment too quickly.

I expect that you understand how I feel, so I went ahead, pulled my own money, and bought you a plane ticket. My treat. What do you think, future house mate? Do you believe me? Or you think I just needed an old man house mate?

Well, it's both actually. Anyways, I'll see you. Call me! Kekekekkkk~ o^-^o

~Always,

Sica.

JongHyun finished reading the letter and picked up the plane tickets, “Somehow, Sica was always right.”

He did understand what she meant.

“ What did unnie say? ” Krystal tried looking over JongHyun's shoulders.

However, JongHyun decided not to tell Krystal just yet, folding the letter up after stuffing the plane ticket in-between the layers, “ I'll catch you up later. For now, go take a shower.”

JongHyun grabbed the envelope too and his keys, “ Oh, and make sure you find your own keys.”

She obediently nodded while heading upstairs, “ Hey Oppa.”

He turned around one last time before actually leaving, “ Wanna grab lunch together later?”

“ Sounds cool.”

He smiled at the younger girl.

JongHyun locked the door behind himself as he began to let everything fall into place. He began to take everything he needed to take into consideration, into consideration.

Sica was somehow always right. He was being seduced by her offer.