“Try to sleep now” I say rubbing his forehead.

            He sighs heavily and turns to my side. I’m still kneeling beside the bed waiting for him to catch some sleep. But he looks wide awake, his eyes don’t even think of closing. I hear ajhumma’s footsteps.

            “I made some tea for you two since it is kind of cold outside” She says with two tea cups in her hands.

            “Ah kamsahmnida” I quickly get up and bow.

            “How are you feeling now Jung Minah?” She asks placing the cups on the bedside table.

            “Genchana ajhumma” He says.

            “No headache or anything right? If there’s anything then tell me alright? No hiding like last time”

            “Aniya, yagsog” He smiles at her.

            “Geurae. Drink the tea now and go to sleep” She says while closing the windows and the curtains.

            I start to feel a little bit cold. I didn’t even notice the cold weather with everything that happened today. I wasn’t cold at all, all the time I was burning inside not knowing what to do; not knowing how to help him to get out of this. My short sleeve shirt is making me feel colder. I go and turn on the radiator at the corner of the room.

            “Are you cold?” Jung Minnie asks.

            “A bit” I say with an ignorant tone.

            “I’ll turn on the hallway radiator as well then if you want so it’ll be warmer. Call me if you need anything, I’m going to take a little nap” Ajhumma says.

            “Yeah you must be tired. Chaljayeo” I say bowing at her.

            She bows back and leaves the room. I’m still feeling cold. I cross my arms and hug them to myself. Where am I going to sleep? Ah I’m such a pabo I don’t have any extra clothes nor did I call omma either. Ottokae?

            “You want to take a wash before sleeping?” He asks.

            “Aniyo, genchana”

            “Yah you dirty animal. Go and take a wash!” He shouts.

            I pout at him.

            “There’s an extra towel in the bathroom. Go now; you didn’t even wash after getting all soaked at the beach. You want to sleep with salt all over you?”  

            “Ah right! I forgot. I’ll go and take a wash”

            After leaving the room I realize that I don’t know where the bathroom is. I turn back. God I’m going to get teased by him again now. Ah jinja. Why does all this keeps happening to me?

            “Jung Minah…” I call his name with a pleading tone while peeking into the room.

            “Ah jinja. I once asked you not to call my name in vein eh?” He frowns heavily.

            I give him a huge grin. “Where’s the washroom?” I ask very cutely.

            “Ah jinja! You’re such a disappointment” He says with a laugh.

            “Ah odi?” I shout with my eyes wide opened.

            “Go and find it” He says and turns to the other side.

            Typical Jung Min! Typical Jung Min! God this !

            I stick my tongue at him and leave the room. It’s dark in the hallway. I feel a little scared. I walk forward looking at both my sides to find the washroom but there’s nothing. I arrive at the living room. All I see is a pitch black room nothing else. I look back at the hallway. It looks so isolated and miserable. Ah this is so scary. This damn Jung Min! Ah jinja molla! I run back to his room putting my hands on the wall at my sides guiding myself.

            I scream so loudly and my heart nearly jumps out of my throat as Jung Min jumps onto me screaming right near the door.

            “Oh my god!” I shout.

            He starts laughing as hard as he can.

            “Oh my god, oh my god!” I repeat over and over again.

            My eyes are wide opened and eyebrows are nearly flying in the sky. He’s laughing like a machine next to me and after a few moments he falls onto the floor with the laughter.

            “You’re such an !” I shout at him.

            I feel my heartbeat going faster than a train. Oh my god I was really scared. Oh god this rascal! He’s such a… oh my god this idiot stupid monkey!

            “Yah! You ant butthole! Monkey! Donkey!” I hit him over and over again.

            He laughs more and more rolling on the floor.

            “God that was really fun!” He says through his laughter.

            “You are such a… god I was so scared you idiot! I thought I’ll die!” I scream at him.

            He’s still laughing like a fool.

            “What was that sound? What happened?” Ajhumma runs in.

            “Ah nothing. This fool just scared me so I screamed” I quickly say.

            “Ah I thought something happened again. Stop the silly stuff and go to sleep. My god I was so scared”

            “Mianhe” I bow at her and she leaves.       

            “I’ll take you to the bathroom” He says standing up.

            “Rascal!” I snap.

            “Gaja” He leaves the room, still laughing.

            I follow him. The bathroom is next to the kitchen. Oh I didn’t even notice. How could I? The last time I came to the kitchen was to find that syringe, not like a person would look around with curiosity at such a moment.

            I switch on the light and go in. Wait…

            “Yah don’t you dare off the lights okay?” I shout at his face realizing that the bathroom light switch is actually placed outside the bathroom.

            He suddenly starts laughing again. Oh ! Did I just give him an idea? Seriously can I be more stupid?

            “Don’t worry, I won’t” He says with laughter.

            “I dare you!” I growl at him and close the door behind me.

            Don’t turn off the lights; as soon as I’m inside I start chanting it inside my mind. God I might even pee here if he does that. I wait for a few seconds and make sure he has gone as his footsteps sounds get distanced.

            I quickly turn on the shower and adjust the heat. The water is refreshing, and it slowly smoothen my body. It starts to feel light as I shower. The heavy burden that has been in my mind starts fading away. I sigh heavily as I finish showering. Everything seems really light and less pressured now. I quickly dry myself and grab my old clothes and step out of the bathroom wrapping my lower body with the white towel. As soon as I’m out I quickly look around to find Jung Min, I just can’t predict this rascal, and he can be anywhere!

            He ain’t around and again the hallway looks very much isolated. God, do I have to go through that again? The lights aren’t on; not even in the kitchen or the living room. What am I going to do?

            “Jung Minah” I call him across the hallway with a lower volume.

            He doesn’t reply; maybe he didn’t hear it.

            “Jung Minah” I call him again raising the volume a bit.

            My heartbeat fastens as I start to get a bit scared.

            “Wae” He appears through the darkness towards me.

            I sigh in relief.

            “Ani… the hallway’s a bit scary” I give him a grin.

            “How old are you huh?” He asks and switch on the hallway lights. “There’s a pajama on the bed, go put it on and sleep. I’ll come after taking a wash, arasso?” He adds.

            “Oh… arasso” I say.

            He already prepared clothes for me? Oh how thoughtful, I didn’t even ask him.

            “Ga” He says and goes into the bathroom.

            I comfortably go into his room through the hallway since the lights are on. He has placed a blue pajama on the bed. It has white sheep printed on it in a pattern. It’s really cute. Aigo.

            I close the room’s door and quickly change myself into the pajama. I put on his skin toner on my face and dry my hair a bit more. The room’s warm now unlike before. I move the curtains of the window and look outside through the glass. The view is beautiful from this high floor. The whole city is visible and the street lights, the car lights everything just sparkle. He must be having a really good sight at night here. This is really beautiful just like the one I had back at the hotel. Oh! The hotel suddenly reminds me of omma.

            Should I call her now? She must be sleeping. But she might scold me tomorrow if I don’t call her now since she has called me in the afternoon too. Maybe I should call her.

            I go to the living room and search for its light switch. The room is a bit visible with the hallway lamps. I switch it on as I find it and go through my bag to find my mobile phone. It’s not there! Oh, maybe ajhumma put it somewhere. But where?

            I look around the room and catch it lying on a desk in the living room. There are more than ten missed calls from omma. I quickly dial her back. She doesn’t pick up. I re-dial again. It takes her three calls to pick up.

            “Ah Hyung Junah…” She whispers in a sleepy voice.

            “Ah omma… I was sleeping earlier. Woke up just now, had a wash and changed into a pajama. Omma sleeping?” I ask.

            “Ah mmm… You wore Jung Minnie’s clothes? You should have called me in the afternoon nah, so then I would come and give some clothes to you”

            “Ani genchana. It’s Jung Minnie’s nah, so it’s fine. If you want come tomorrow. Remember to bring my PS3 okay? Jung Minnie broke the joysticks of the 360 here”

            “He broke it? What happened?”

            “Long story. I’ll tell you later. Come tomorrow okay? I’m going to sleep now. Omma sleep too okay? Chalja”

            “Mmm... If you want anything call me arasso? I’ll come in the morning then. Chalja” Omma hangs up.

            I take the phone with me to the room and place it on the bedside table. Oh the tea? God I keep forgetting things. I take my tea cup and quickly finish it as it has gotten cold now. Jung Minnie’s is not back yet. I look at the bed. The blanket is wide enough for two people. I sigh in relief.

            “Ah wasso?” I ask as Jung Minnie comes in.

            “Mmm… There’s a pajama kit on the second shelf of the cupboard. Grab me that” He says.

            “Arasso” I say and open the cupboard.

            God the damn thing is so neat! Wow, my cupboard is literally a hell; I think to myself and grab the pajama kit and throw it to him. I look outside the window as he changes. A billboard keeps changing its LED lights into rainbow colours. The sight is really pretty. My mouth unknowingly curls into smile with the beautiful scenery.

            “Catchy eh?” Jung Minnie asks from behind.

            “Yeah… a lot” I whisper.

            “I stared at it for hours the first night I spent here. Ajhumma had to beg me to go to sleep. It was so beautiful, it still is”

            “Mmm… wish I could live here forever starring at this at night. Wah, it would be amazing” I say placing my hand on the window glass; it’s really cold.

            “Hmm… Come and sleep now” He says.

            I stare for a few more seconds and turn around. He has already switched off the hallway’s light. He closes the room’s door and jump onto the right side of the bed.

            “Your tea?” I ask.

            “Ah, I forgot!” He says and quickly gets up. “You drank yours?” He adds.

            I nod and sit on the other side of the bed. The bed is really comfortable. The mattress must have springs. I bump a little and laugh.

            “Awesome eh? I love this mattress. The one I had before was a normal mattress. But doctor gave me this later. She said it’s good to sleep on springs because it’s comfortable for the body and it helps me to relax” He says finishing the tea.

            “Mmm… she’s right. It really is relaxing” I say lying down.

            It feels amazing, refreshing, light and comfortable at the same time. For a moment I feel like I’m out of this nightmare; the nightmare which my best friend is going through hell. I lean my head back and make myself comfortable. Jung Minnie covers the both of us with the blanket and switches off the bedside lamp.

            “Chalja” He kicks me and turns to my side.

            “Ah appeo! Chalja” I frown at him.

            I secretly stare at him after he closes his eyes. After a few seconds he starts snoring lightly. He’s comfortable sleeping; so peaceful and still, my partner in crime.