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I felt like I was suffocating. Each time I tried to take a breath, I was being choked even more until I just stopped breathing. I was relieved to discover that I had only been dreaming and that I in fact could still breathe. Granted, I was panting after I had woken up from the nightmare. I analyzed my surroundings and noticed that the candle was on the floor. 

I gasped and quickly got off the couch to pick it up. Surprisingly, the candle wasn't lit. Maybe the candle was extinguished by the wind and then fell. Either way, I'm glad nothing got serious. I go into my room and check my alarm clock. It was a new day and the time had been nine exactly. Had I really been asleep for so long?

I pass by the front door and noticed it was open. I got nervous and I looked around the house, looking for anything that may be missing. Did I really think it to be ok to just leave the door wide open for anyone to come in and take anything they wanted to? Anything including me.

Nothing had appeared to be stolen. This is all just very strange to me. I recall the events from yesterday. From what I could remember, Sunny told (or more like ordered) me to get a social life, gave me a book, and I read in the park without fainting. Oh, and that blonde demanded that I meet her again today. 

...Dear God, the blonde demanded that I meet her again. I exhaled heavily, placing both my hands on my face. What was I going to do? I barely managed to keep my composure yesterday. I almost passed out from lack of air when she approached me. Do I go and risk my emotional stability or say whatever it is the younger kids say (yo-yo was it?). 

This is good though. I'm sure that this is the perfect opportunity for me to break this "shell" Sunny had mentioned. I could gain positive results from this venture. 
The blonde didn’t seem so friendly, I must say, but she looked like she was having a bad day so she really isn't that rude...I hope. 

After fifteen minutes of thinking I decide that I really should just go for it. The worst that could happen is that I would faint. Death would not be a part of this whole 'experiment' I guess one could call it. 

I can do this. I can do this. I can definitely do this. 

I still had time remaining before I would meet up with the woman from yesterday so I mentally prepared myself for the time being and allowed some peaceful thoughts to enter my mind. 

My peaceful thoughts had turned into various scenarios, all in which I was humiliated to the point where I had to hide in a tunnel underground. My mind is very creative. 

It's time to visit the stranger. I gather my things and shove them into my bag. I walk down the porch stairs to find that my bicycle was the darkest black I've ever seen. It was rusted harshly and the wheels were almost non-existent. This of course caused me panic. What in the world had happened? Did someone take my bike on a trip into the flames of hell?This was sort of a good thing though, as it gave me an excuse to not socialize with pretty much anyone for quite a while. I gave out a heavy sigh and shook my head. I'm a coward and I should face reality. 

I can try to do this. I can try to do this. I can try to do this.

I walked my way to the city and enjoyed the scenery around me. I noticed the grass leading up to the highway got paler as it stretched along. There were no sidewalks or any sort of pavement along the road, if you were cycling you had the dirt and if you chose to walk you had both the dirt and dead grass to do so. I decided to be brave and walked with one foot on the road and the other on the dry soil. A small smile had appeared on my face. 

Before I knew it, I was back in town and headed straight for the same park as yesterday. At this point my mind had begun thinking of the many different scenarios that could evolve from this. The funny thing is that none, not even the worst one, stopped me from going to meet the girl from yesterday. I even started to believe that bodies could have minds of their own. Then again, the body does have a mind of its own. Have I been mind blown?

I found the bench I was seated at the day before and stood beside it, waiting for the blonde’s arrival. I  puff my cheeks and tap my foot, trying to give myself a pep talk. I wonder what Sunny would tell me if she knew I was this scared about talking to someone.

Can I do this? Can I do this? Can I do this?

“There! Look, there she is!” A voice broke my thoughts. My brain had little time to register to whom the voice belonged to and before I knew it there were two girls standing a few feet away from me. “Hey, so you came after all.” She then looked to her… friend, I suppose. “See, I told you she was real.”

I didn’t dare look at who she had spoken to. I’d already been as stiff as ever when I looked at the blonde’s face. I could imagine how much of a wreck I’d be if I saw two unfamiliar faces so close to me in one day.

I can’t do this.

“Is she ok?” 
“Um, I think so.”
“She looks like she wants to run away.”
“Then we’re gonna have to chase her.”

Her friend was right. I wanted to run, and before I did I could hear the other girl say “Hyo, I don’t think we should be chasing random people.” I’d agree if only I hadn’t started to run off.

I could hear footsteps and that only made me run quicker. I didn't know where I was going until I realized that Sunny's bookshop was literally twenty-four seconds away. I made many turns, just so I could lose the pair of girls who were hot on my trail. 

"Run all you want, you can't hide from Kim Hyoyeon!" The blonde screamed. I mentally scoffed, made a quick turn to my right and entered the bookstore, hiding in a corner next to the front window. 

"We finally… lost her." One of the girls, most likely the brunette, panted. Her friend had sighed. 

I peered out the window only to have the brown haired girl spot me. We kept eye contact for two seconds before "Kim Hyoyeon" started to follow her friends gaze. I quickly hid back into the corner. 

"Wait. What if she's in there?" I prayed to all of the gods in the world that the blonde wouldn't dare to enter the building. 

"No! Wait, Hyo isn't that her?" I hear her friend say. 

"Where?"
"Over there! She made a left turn!"

"Hey, come back! I just want to thank you!" Her heavy footsteps faded and I looked out the window, only to stare at the brunette again. She smiled and began to walk towards the entrance of the book store. 

"Taeyeon, what in the world are you doing?" I don't bother to answer her and I immediately dash to another corner in the very back of the shop. 
I heard the door open and closed my eyes. 

"Hello," Sunny greeted slowly, "how can I help you?" 
"Um, the girl that was here...do you know where she's hiding?"

I assume Sunny had pointed the girl to my direction. I thought about moving to another corner, then making my escape, but I just accepted the social contact I was about to make and waited. 

"Before you go, though, be gentle. She's... kind of shy." That was an understatement. I sat in my place for what seemed to be forever before I feel a tapping on my shoulder. I opened one eye and looked above me. It was her. 

"Hey, I just... Do you mind if I sit with you?" I legitimately thought of all the excuses as to why she couldn't and why I had to leave, but I said nothing and just nodded my head. 

"Thanks," she said as she placed herself next to me. She must have noticed I was a bit uncomfortable, so she scooted herself further away from me. "Sorry, I forgot. Short term, you know." I nodded again, not looking at her. 

"So, first of all, I want to apologize for my friends... abrupt behavior. She’s a pretty energetic person." I repeated my actions from moments ago. 

"Second, I want to know if you're ok. What your friend told me was that you're shy, so I think a pair of random strangers coming up to you like that only happens once in a blue moon." I just nod again. Right as I'm about to stand up and leave running, she speaks. 

"You know, I watched this whole documentary about people who are, like, shy and one of the tips it gave was that if you aren't comfortable or you don't trust someone, you should look at their nose." I opened my mouth to say something, but then quickly shut it. 

"You should try it. Then people can't tell whether or not you're looking them in the eye." This girl cannot be serious.

I hesitate, not wanting to have some sort of panic attack from this entire contact-with-people-you-don't-know thing, but I turn my head and look at her nose. The process happened slowly, but it happened. 

"Huh, well I guess it would work a little better if we were farther away. Are you ok with this?”
"Y-yes." I manage to stutter. 
"Good. Now, let me introduce myself. I'm Jessica." She smiled warmly.
"I-I'm..."
She shook her head. "It's fine if you don't want to say or you if you can't."
"Taeyeon, I-I'm…Taeyeon." I said. 
"Alright then, nice to meet you, Taeyeon."

I just nodded my head for the nth time and continued to stare at the tip of her nose. How on Earth am I doing this? 

"So... I guess I'll take this as a sign to go." Jessica stood up; dusting whatever fake dust she thought was on her. “Again, I apologize for my friend’s actions. She doesn't really consider anyone's personal space. I promise, though, if you get to meet her well enough she's..."

I waited for her to continue, not bothering to look up at her. All of a sudden a hand is in front of me. I take it, stand up, and return my eyes back to her nose. 
"...a good person. She's just got some flaws, but don't we all?" She asks as though she expects me to answer. 

"Rhetorical question, Tae. Well, I’ll take my leave. See you later?" She waved farewell to Sunny on her way out of the shop and I'm left wondering whether her last question was rhetorical or not. I’m going to guess that it was.

"So, Tae, what was that about?" Sunny asked in a teasing tone.

"I-I... d-don't..." I'm gasping for air at this point and Sunny takes immediate action. 

"Oh God, not again. Come on, Taeyeon. Let's get you somewhere dark." She places her hands on both my shoulders and leads me into the back room of the store. 

Sunny had told me that the room was originally supposed to be for storage, but she made it into her second room. Whenever she decided to go out on the town and "have fun" she'd come into the shop and sleep here since she knew the aftermath of that "fun" would leave her unable to walk properly for more than a few feet. She didn't even want to think about driving. Staying at the store was the better option. 

She watches as I lay down on the small mattress she had inside and turns off the lights. The room had but one window that did not reveal as much light as needed. There was a smell that resembled to what cabin in the woods might; like dirt, wood, and somewhat fresh air. That may have been the doing of the air conditioner, but I like to think it was because the room had always harbored the scent.

Anxiety attacks use to be common for me. Back when I was in high school, I’d go home and suffer through them for long periods of time. During the weekends, I’d curl up on my bed and tell myself that I wasn’t dying; that it’d all be over soon. I haven’t had an attack since the first night I moved into my home.

As I lay on the mattress, I replayed the events of today in my head. The blonde, Hyoyeon, is someone I will always make sure to avoid in the future. She seems rather reckless and I bet that her hobbies include bar-hopping and pole dancing. Not that either of those things are bad, they just suit her. 

Then there’s Jessica. She appears to be… nice I guess. I have this feeling she too can be reckless at times, but unlike her friend, she knows when to be responsible. I also feel like she’s from a wealthy family. Not necessarily in money, just wealthy in general whether it be in happiness or in pride. 
I just can’t stop thinking about our conversation. 

… Wait, conversation? … I had a conversation. Not with Sunny, but with a stranger. A complete stranger and I didn’t die like I thought I would. Nothing bad happened. I did it.

A smile found its way to my face again and this time a squeal came with it. I actually talked to someone today. It would be two people, but my dislike of the blonde rejected the idea of that.

I was too engulfed in my supposed achievement that I didn’t notice Sunny enter the room. “Since ya’ feel better, mind telling me what’s got you all happy?”

“Remember the baby steps I was talking about a day ago?”

She rolled her eyes, “Yes, I remember.”

I waited a few seconds before I continued. “I took the first step.”

Instead of saying anything she just flicked my forehead. “Silly Taeyeon, talking to someone for more than a few seconds isn’t really an accomplishment.”

And just like that, the self-loving attitude I had vanished. I felt worthless and incompetent. Sunny noticed the change of mood and sighed. “Yeah, it’s great you met someone new, but you can’t really believe that just because you had one conversation you’re breaking out of your shell. It’s a bigger process than that.”

“Longer. It’s a longer process.” I corrected her, my voice flatter than the expression on my face.

“Bigger, longer, does it really matter when they got the same meaning?” she replied.

“You’re grammar physically hurts me, you know that?” I say turning my head towards her.

Sunny just grins, “I’d do anything to remind you that you’ve still got the ability to feel stuff.”