A NEW START?►

Jiyeon went home finally after she thought the day for her was over. Just earlier, she guessed sending the stranger away from her house would be the best thing to do. She did not think a lot about it and she's somewhat scared to know that she'll regret. 

But the stranger willingly obeyed her, and went home. He just badly wanted to talk to her, to tell her that all this time she has been in danger, and to show her how much he likes her. But he was very afraid of the denial and rejection that would come from Jiyeon's mouth.

Jiyeon arrived at her house and she took a deep breath to prepare herself. As she went in, the lights were on and there were lots of luggage around. She was finally getting to realize the situation. 

Then, her mother came out, with a hand bag over her shoulders. 

"Mom," Jiyeon spoke.

"Oh, Jiyeon! You're here? Come and help me take these luggage outside." Her mom answered.

"Why? Where are you going?"

"Ahhh, your father nags me to come back immediately. He said he can't take his supplements without me." She chuckled. "You have your car right? Take me to the airport."

"Eyyyy mom. It's just a week! Tell him to come instead of you going back."

"Yaa! I've already packed everything so let's just go!" Her mother murmured.

Jiyeon then dragged the wheeled bags outside and carried it to her car's trunk. Her mother turned the lights off and closed the door, locking it. 

"Why are you locking it?" Jiyeon asked.

"No one's inside. Do you like thieves to come?" 

"What about Kai?"

"Oh! I noticed him packing his things earlier. I guess he's done travelling Seoul?"

Jiyeon gave her mom a blank face as the latter sat in the passenger's seat. She followed her after some second and they started moving.

"Ah, Kai told me he's sorry for not being able to properly say goodbye to you. It seemed like he was in a rush to get out." Jiyeon's mother stated as they crossed the highway with brightly dimmed lights. 

"Did you ask where he went? Did he tell you?" Jiyeon asked.

"Why would I? I thought you knew." 

Jiyeon was for a second annoyed at her mom and she was about to burst at her. But she remembered it was in the first place, her doing.

"You take care of yourself okay? And why don't you contact your father more often?" Jiyeon's mother said when they reached the airport.

Jiyeon hugged her tightly and replied, "Yeah, I get it. You should also be sure to take your own supplements instead of worrying over dad's."

They slipped away from each other's embrace and Jiyeon watched her mom as she made her way inside the building. They, smiling brightly, waved each other with their hands for goodbye. 

As soon as Jiyeon confirmed her mom to be inside, she took to her car and also started running the engine. As she crossed the highway, she could not imagine what it's like to be alone. Although she has been alone in the past for several years, she can't remember how it felt when she met the stranger.

When she reached the neighborhood, she hurriedly parked the car in front of her house and crossed fingers. She entered the house and slowly turned the lights on. And then she knew nobody was there. 

Nobody was there to ask her why she came home a bit late.

She went to the kitchen and found nothing.

Nobody was there to wash the extra dishes.

She entered the room and opened the closet.

Nobody was there to wear her dad's tees hanged on.

Jiyeon just had a mental breakdown inside her, and she stayed on the living room's couch for awhile. She looked around and she knew it was real. She was alone. Lonely. 

There was no one else.

Now tears just piled up from the basin of her eyes, and she tried hard to keep looking up to deny the fact that she was about to cry. And she was successful in doing so.

Not until she felt the soft texture of the couch where she's sitting. The picture of the stranger sleeping comfortably on it made her emotional. She remembered every single day the man who would always wake up not to the sound of birds but to her nagging. 

For a second she smiled at the picture, because she was happy to recall those moments. But tears again just piled up in her eyes, and this time those tears fell across her face, tainting the texture of the couch.

She cried because she would not see that picture in reality again.

And she cried because she liked him. Maybe not as much as how the stranger felt for her, but because she's regretting why it has been too late. Why she has just been a fool for making that decision. 

--

Then morning came to light, at least for Myungsoo-- the stranger. Yesterday, he left Jiyeon's house, no------  he was kicked out. 

Like a puppy, he obeyed her but of course he did not want to obey her. He figured out Jiyeon thought it was the best thing to do and for him, there was nothing best than what Jiyeon thinks.

Silently and without so much fuss, he packed his things and quietly left the house, leaving only a few words to Jiyeon's mom. 

It was already afternoon, around 3 pm, when he hit the streets of Seoul. He had nowhere to go this time so he thought he should just go rent an apartment near to the small museum where he was supposed to start working tomorrow.

But then, there came a brilliant idea from his mind.

Jonghyun, his friend, had rented a finely wide apartment just blocks away from Jiyeon's house, and he guessed it would not be so much of a nuisance if he would stay at it.

And so Myungsoo made a U-turn to Jonghyun's house.

Myungsoo knocked the door to the house and Jonghyun was just as quick to open it.
"Oh, hyuuunnnngg!"

"Hey, Jonghyun." Myungsoo smiled.

Jonghyun, upon looking up to his hyung, noticed the bag he was holding. "What's that?"

Myungsoo fell silent. Jonghyun grabbed and opened it to see a bunch of clothes inside.

"You left Jiyeon's house?" he asked.

Myungsoo shrugged, "I was kicked out."

Jonghyun was very much amazed, as his eyes widened and his forehead creased. "W--W--W--Why?" He looked like someone demanding for a detailed explanation.

"I'll explain. But would you let me stay? Like, for a week?" Myungsoo answered.

"Sure! Come in!" Jonghyun replied and shut the door. 

"You mean Kai harmed her?" Jonghyun's voice echoed throughout the room.

We were on the couch, I was lying down, and he was sitting. "Tried to harm her. That's what I saw and felt. He texted me something like Jiyeon was in danger. How do you think would I react?"

"You went mad?"

"Exactly! Because I knew Kai was someone who would carelessly do bad things, when I saw him with Jiyeon, I just went mad and pinned him to the windshield of Jiyeon's car."

"Wah, you're amazing hyunggg~" Jonghyun said. 

Myungsoo started to close his eyes.

"But why were you kicked out? Didn't you just try to save her?"

"She doesn't think Kai is a bad guy. In fact, she's on his side." Myungsoo muttered with eyes closed.

"Ayyyyy, nonsense!!" Jonghyun retaliated.

"I know. But it's better that we separate. Jiyeon and I need to separate for her to be out of Kai's plans."

Jonghyun nodded in agreement.

--

This morning, Myungsoo woke up earlier than his usual time because he knew he had to be punctual on the first day as a museum tour guide. And since all he had with him are tees, he borrowed a long sleeve from Jonghyun and Jonghyun willingly lent him.

He left the house without having breakfast and just having a cup of coffee.

He entered the building smiling, as he greeted everyone he passes by. He gave lots of 'Good Morning's and in return he also received lots of 'Good Morning too'. He first went to the manager's office, the one who hired him personally, to know what it is exactly that he will be doing.

As he stood outside the door, he heard a conversation from inside. But still, he knocked. 

"Oh, it must be the new tour guide." He heard a voice. 

In a second, the door to him opened and he was invited to go in.

"Good Morning sir." Myungsoo opened with a greeting.

"Sit down, sit down." The person replied. 

Myungsoo was utterly nervous and it was vividly seen from him as he curled up in one corner of the couch. Thus, he did not notice that another employee was also there with him.

"Today's gonna be your first day as a tour guide right?" The manager asked.

Myungsoo nodded. 

"Okay, so before you start your job, let me introduce your partner," The manager said and Myungsoo was surprised to be hearing that he has a partner for the job. "Why don't you be familiar with each other? You'll be working together for a couple of weeks." 

"H-Hello," the employee greeted him first from across the seat. Myungsoo looked at her. "I-I'm Krystal Jung..."

Krystal was also surprised to know that he will be partnered with Myungsoo. She was already flustered the moment she saw Myungsoo come in. Just too bad Myungsoo was too shy to see her.

*no endnotes bcs i am barely breathing HAHA greetings and hurray it's vacation*