The obnoxious beep of MinHee’s alarm clock half startled her awake. She leapt up from the bed and slammed back down with an groan. Annoyed, she reached for her phone and turned it off. Eight o’clock sharp. She’d an hour to get to the shop before she was late for her shift. An hour for breakfast, showering, checking the mail, and getting to the shop. She groaned. She could already tell it was going to be a long day.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, she stood from her bed and started towards the bathroom. The apartment her parents had found for her and Cora had two. One was connected to each of the bedrooms, which were on opposite sides of the house. It was rather nice. She threw open the door and moved to turn the water on. A towel was already waiting on top of the sink. Cora must have left it for her before she left the night before. 

MinHee was quick getting in and out of the shower, wrapping the surprisingly warm towel around herself and moving back into her bedroom. The closet was already opened with dirty laundry sprawled on the floor beneath the hanging shirts. MinHee grabbed a pair of white jeans and pulled them on. She unwrapped the towel from around herself and dried her hair as she moved to the closet and grabbed a black and white polka dot shirt that fell off her shoulder. When she was fully dressed, and her hair was dry enough, she moved to the door that led out of her room.

The door opened into the living room, and straight across on the other side was the door to Cora’s room. Usually, Cora’s door was opened and she was sitting on her bed brushing her hair, but she hadn’t come home the night before. The kitchen and livingroom were separated by an island, and past the kitchen was the door into the apartment. MinHee walked to the door, where all the shoes were kept on a shoe rack. MinHee grabbed a pair of black flats and pulled them on before grabbing her keys and opening the door, which opened into a hall of a dozen doors. At the end of the hall was the elevator. 

MinHee hurried to the elevator and pressed the lobby button. It was a quick trip. When the doors opened, MinHee was greeted by a wall of hundreds of mailboxes. She moved to number forty five and forced the mail key into the lock. 

A figure moved up to the mailboxes and began opening one beside MinHee. She opened the box without looking beside her and grabbed her mail. “Hey, you’re that girl from the fourth floor, right?” Asked the voice of someone far too old for MinHee. She simply nodded her head. “You’re a quiet one aren’t you?”

At this, MinHee looked at the man. He was in his early thirties, she was sure of that, and looked rather grubby. She just slowly nodded and turned her back to him. She moved to the elevator, pressed the button, and waited patiently for the doors to open. When they did, she slunk in and closed the door before the man could ask her to hold the them. She pressed the fourth floor button and sighed as it began to lurch towards her floor.

It hurt that MinHee couldn’t say anything. At the very least, she would have told the man to have a nice day. Of course she was quiet. She couldn’t be anything else. 

The doors opened and MinHee strolled towards the apartment. She hurried inside and, as she opened the letters, she moved into the kitchen to get something to eat. Letters from the college reminding her that she and Cora had a recital that following Saturday, one for both Cora and MinHee, a few letters from Cora’s American and German friends, some bills, and a rent notice. The usual mail. 

  MinHee was quick to make herself food, which she finished quickly before hurrying to the door and starting to the lobby again. The restaurant that she and Cora worked at was less than four blocks away, and would take MinHee no time to reach. 

When MinHee did turn the corner to the street the shop was on, she spotted Cora, wearing a pair of light blue pants and a simple white V-neck shirt, moving towards the shop. She was on her phone, and MinHee could hear the angry German words from a good twenty feet away. She was speaking to her mother. As the two neared each other, Cora ended the call and sighed, rolling her eyes. 

“Long night?” MinHee signed, and Cora made a face as she shoved her phone into her purse. “Did you get to see your aunt and uncle off?”

Cora nodded. She hadn’t been home the night after their performance, or the day after because her mother’s brother came to town, and they didn’t know Cora had moved out. Her mother was embarrassed by the fact that Cora lived in a lesser part of town. “I was out the door the second they said they were boarding.” Cora signed, moving towards the door to the Guksu Bar, the restaurant they worked at. “Is Haruto here?” She spoke these words, as MinHee’s back was to her while she pulled open the door.

When the two were inside, MinHee pointed into the kitchen. Haruto, the owner’s son and Cora’s boyfriend, was standing beside the fridge. Already the two girls could see the rose in his hand. MinHee rolled her eyes and nudged Cora, who groaned audibly. 

Haruto’s head shot up and he smiled at Cora. He strode across the room and lifted the flower to his face, sniffing it and closing his eyes exaggeratedly. “A flower, for my flower.” He announced, bowing and taking Cora’s hand in his, which he kissed.

Cora looked to MinHee, who signed that if she was so annoyed with this daily routine, why did she stick around. Cora replied with a frown and the fact that it was the boss’s son. MinHee nodded and moved towards the kitchen. She could hear Cora and Haruto arguing already. Something about how Cora wasn’t being thankful enough, and that she wasn’t even trying. Cora joined MinHee in the kitchen a few minutes later, and tossed the rose in the garbage. 

“I’m pretty sure he knows we can’t have flowers.” Cora signed as MinHee pul