The professor ended the last course of this Friday evening, wishing his loyal students a good way back home. Unconsciously, Dalnim let out a sigh. If she was sometimes feeling uncomfortable at the University, the Friday evening was even worse.

For two reasons.

The first one being that each time she headed back home, she dreaded this feeling of loneliness she never missed to feel when she crossed the threshold of her apartment. Thither, there were no thoughts intrusions; there were no contemptuous looks, no mocking whispers. There was just silence. Silence and Solitude remained her only company. And she couldn’t help but to think it was even worse. This ‘nothing’ feeling was the worse to handle. She would have no one to talk to, no one to eat with, no one to share happy moments with. She might be a strong and courageous young girl, not paying attention to the constant mockery or the mischievous behaviours of her comrades; however, she was still human. She still needed to erase her frustration, sometimes.

What led to the second reason.

Every Friday, after her lessons ended, she would pay her family a visit. In fact, Dalnim cherished this moment. She had always held her parents dear to her heart. Even if they were not her biological ones. Despite the fact that they found her four-year-old self, obviously abandoned in the woods nearing their house, they had tried to find her real parents. They could have settled for letting the police do all the work, but they helped her. They could have let them send her to the orphanage, but they kept her. They raised her and loved her as if she was their own daughter. And she would never be able to thank them enough for that. For giving her a chance to experience the unending love of a real family.

One day though, when she was thirteen, they announced her that their little family would welcome another member. Dalnim could still remember their faces lit up with happiness. And she had been as equally pleased. She literally adored her six-year-old baby brother, Hajin. However, to speak honestly, he was the only one paying attention to her, now. She had noticed, as time went by, that little by little they had seemed to grow disinterested in her; until she finally reached the age of eighteen. She clearly recalled the day when they told her it was time for her to move from the house she was used to live in all these years. Not wishing to feel like a third party anymore, she eventually complied, despite her adorable brother’s protests.

They still loved her, but they had always been really busy with their respective work and didn’t really have time to spend with her, to the extent where, even at home, their minds were filled with professional matters. What led to the current situation.

Since Hajin was still young, they had no choice but to take care of him. However, Dalnim inwardly feared the same thing would happen with her baby brother.

She snapped out of her thoughts when she felt someone playfully pinch her cheek.

“What am I going to do with you, Dalnim?” Mark sighed, seeing the girl was once again lost in her thoughts. The lecture had ended about ten minutes ago already but he had not felt like pulling her out of whatever she was thinking so hard about.

“Hm?” She looked up, not hearing his words because of her still hazy mind.

He gazed at her adorable, innocent, wide eyes quickly darting around the amphitheatre as she realized it was completely empty. Even the professor had already left. Her eyes instinctively landed on Mark, seated next to her, his chin propped up in his two hands and his tinged with amusement and fondness eyes were locked on her face. When he noticed the little tilt of her head, that he knew was due to his unexpected expression, he quickly straightened up and awkwardly cleared his throat.

“Sorry, I spaced out again!” she exclaimed, almost bumping her hip against the wooden table in the process of standing up a bit too hastily if the boy hadn’t pulled her backward before the inevitable could happen.

“Be careful” he gently patted her head as he released her shoulders, leading her towards the exit. “Still going to visit your parents, tonight?” he inquired, concerned to know whether or not she would wander on her own at night to go to her parent’s house.

“Hm.” she simply nodded and her quiet answer struck his attention. These days, she seemed less and less enthusiastic at the idea of seeing her family.

“Everything’s alright?” he asked hesitantly, not wishing to trigger something unwanted within her.

No matter how much Mark wanted Dalnim to tell him when she had a problem, it was still her right to refuse to talk about something when she didn’t feel like it. He had always looked after her, even if she never knew about it. And God knew he had often been lectured about how he “should be more ‘inquisitive’” to quote his exact words. However, Mark didn’t want to invade the girl’s privacy. He would always wait for her to confide in him when she felt ready to do so. It was easier for her now, but at the beginning, she was rather distrustful towards him. Because Dalnim was a secretive girl who didn’t like to burden others with her own problems.

“Yeah” she offered a little, tired smile, much to the boy’s dissatisfaction. “My parents remain my parents, you know. I’m mostly going there because of Hajin. I don’t get to see him often and I…miss him when I don’t.” She grinned sheepishly, admitting the weakness that represented her brother to her.

Mark was already aware about the change of her parents’ behaviour, since Dalnim already told him a bit about it. But he also knew she was really attached to the child. Fortunately, it was reciprocal. He had already witnessed from afar, as he secretly escorted her, that the young boy never missed to dash out of the house while screaming her name in utter happiness, a huge grin decorating his face. Despite not being blood-related, the two of them surely shared a strong fraternal bond.

“He seems like a nice kid. I’d like to meet him, one day” Mark stated as he noticed the way Dalnim’s face would lit up each time she mentioned her baby brother. Very few people were able to achieve such a prowess. And to say he was thrilled to be one of them was an understatement.

The both of them had already arrived to the big arch that was the University entry, when Dalnim stopped in her tracks at his words and looked up at him in a quizzical manner. She was surprised that he always gave so much importance to what she could tell him, concerning her family and, well, her life in general. It was a comforting feeling to have someone to share her worries and happiness with; and she was glad Mark was being this type of person for her, even if she still remained a secretive person. She wasn’t the style to offer her trust easily. Though, the boy had already proved to be deserving of it.

Maybe it was time for her to give answers before he could ask the questions. Maybe it was time for her to open up a bit more. That was the least she could do for her one and only friend, after all. As he noticed she had stopped walking, he turned around.

“Would you like to come with me?” She suggested before he could say anything. Her lips had parted on their own, without even bothering to ask for her consent.

“Who are you and what have you done of the mysterious Dalnim I know?” he asked, faking wide eyes and a frightened tone.

“Well, if you don’t want to come…” she shrugged her shoulders with a blank expression and began to walk away, apparently unfazed by his playful behaviour. For a second, it did come to his mind that, maybe, she didn’t get the joke.

“Choi Dalnim, where do you think you’re going without me?” he shouted to her as he used his muscular legs to quickly catch up to the girl.

“Curiosity killed the cat.” she turned and offered him an almost indiscernible smirk.

“Wait, you knew I was going to follow…” he stated. It wasn’t a question but an affirmation of a certainty. “You were teasing me, right now?” he concluded, almost choking on his words, as though it was the most incredible thing he had ever said.

“I’m a quick learner. Besides, I have a good teacher.” she answered with teasing eyes matching her voice, softly hitting his arm with her little, innocuous fist. She couldn’t retain an amused laugh at the sight of his current facial expression. She reached out to his chin and closed his gaping mouth using her forefinger, which made him snap out of his dazzled state. Once again, as always, he smiled this comforting smile of his as they both walked, side to side, towards their destination.

***

A loud ‘bang’ was heard and it didn’t take Dalnim too long to guess it was the sound of the front door bursting open.