After 4 to 5 days of keeping the national fraud hidden in her apartment, on her way from work Chaerin starts thiking about how maybe now is the right time to ask of him to leave. She doesn't want to be rude, but he has recovered, and it's only appropriate. Life has been crazy enough. Perhaps it's time to put everything back into balance. She spends most of her way home trying to come up with the best way to put it and break it down to him.

But she didn't expect to come back to an empty apartment. 

She calls his name but no one answers. She checks all the rooms as well as the balcony, and he's definitely not anywhere around. On the balcony table there is still the couple of unwashed mugs they used and her book, with the addition of a pen and an ash-tray filled with three cigarette stumps.

He smoked, she thinks.

She notices a small piece of paper barely sticking out from among the book pages. She pulls it out right away, with a feeling of what this note might be. And she's right.

It's a goodbye note.

The handwriting is clumsy, and sometimes thick at word endings which indicates long pauses. There are smears too, and many scratches and start-overs. Seems like he couldn't find the words. 


 

Dear Chaerin,

Thank you. Truly, for everything you've done. You saved my life. If there weren't for you, I would've never got my chance at another beginning. I could probably never repay you.

You've given me something more than shelter and care these past few days. I can't quite explain it but I leave as a different man.

I trust you to keep my secret. That goes without saying now. 

I don't think I'll ever forget you, but please, do try to forget me. I don't think I'll ever be coming back. I'm leaving everything behind. So this is my goodbye.

I hope you do great things with your life, because you are great.

I'm sorry to have made you so upset so many times.

Take care,
Jiyong.

P.S. (I assume you don't like my music, but I ask of you to listen to a certain song. It's titled ''Window''. It's how I feel and it's terrible of me to dedicate it to you, but I do.)

Chaerin feels like crying. It's stupid, and she mentally curses at herself for it. She was going to tell him to leave for God's sakes! This just made her job easier! Why are the tears falling? Maybe she just wanted to give him some meds or something else useful. Maybe she just wanted a proper goodbye. Maybe she just wanted that much human decency. She deserved that much. She deserved a warm hug. A note! He left with an ice cold note!

Her tears keep sliding down and she hates herself for it.

He is gone. Finally.

She curls up on the sofa and wraps herself in the blanket. It's still warm. It still smells like him.

For some reason her apartment has never felt so dreadfully empty and hollow as in this very moment.

For some reason Chaerin feels like she was given something she'd been looking for for ages, only for it to be taken from her after a few mere moments. She does not know why she feels this way. She does not understand. But there is a hole inside her chest, and the cold November wind is now mercilessly whistling through.