As a change of scenery and given the fact that Min Jee knew that someone was following her, she changed up her routine. So instead of going to the café like she usually did, she went to the library where Minseok was working, even going as far as taking the more obscure roads to the library. As her mother always said to her that it was better to be safe than sorry.

Minseok wasn’t exactly happy about her presence at the library having known her more rambunctious manners all too well, but when he quickly realized that she wasn’t there to stir up trouble he went along his business.

Claiming one the tables near the back surrounded by shelves of books that most people wouldn’t really look at, Min Jee spread the photos she gathered from her grandmother as well as the photo book and journal that she stole from Baekhyun’s place. When she looked at the journal closer she saw an inscription on it—a language the she couldn’t decipher sadly before she flipped it open with careful fingers.

            May 11, 1964

I tried again, but it didn’t work this time. I don’t understand why since I’ve done the same exact routine that I did before. I’ll try again another time but I have to be careful, father has been wondering where I’ve been wandering off to and I can’t let him know in case I endanger her. I haven’t seen her in a while, and I wonder where she’s gone off to…

Min Jee frowned at the entry, the vague descriptions were not giving her enough information and as she flipped through the other pages there wasn’t much change in the way the person wrote—always so vague.

            July 21, 1965

I think I’ve lost it now, whatever I was able to do before just gone, from my fingertips like the Sands of Time. I don’t know what to do anymore. She’s gone, it’s gone. I feel utterly useless as I feel them coming closer now. I’m leaving tomorrow at dusk, and hopefully that will give me enough time to get a head start. And maybe, just maybe I’ll find her.

August 2, 1965

It’s been two weeks now, and I’ve spotted them behind me but luckily I’ve always been one step ahead. I’m fatigued and there’s nothing I can do but run. I still haven’t found her but there have been whispers from what I hear—

Her reading was interrupted when her phone started to blare and with fumbling hands, she tried to locate the source of the sound inside her bag. She glanced around with apologetic eyes to people who were glaring at her for interrupting the silence. Even Minseok was staring with slightly judgemental eyes, while trying to pretend that he didn’t know her at all.

“Hello?” Min Jee answered in a hurry and then dropped her voice into a whisper just in case she would anger any more people around her.

“Min Jee,” At the sound of her mother’s voice, Min Jee groaned internally and wondered just what her mother was calling for, “There’s a young gentleman at the door asking for you. He’s handsome too.” Her mother giggled and this time Min Jee didn’t stop from groaning out loud.

“Really? I mean weren’t you mad at me before for coming home with a young man?”

“Well that was before I knew you actually had good taste. Is this the same young man?” Her mother asked her but before Min Jee could say anything she continued on, “Well anyways I can’t just leave him out there. I’m going to invite him in for some tea.”

Min Jee felt the blood drain from her face, “Please don’t embarrass me mom.”

“So are childhood photos out of the question?”

*

*

*

Min Jee rushed home, knowing her mother she would say too much all at once too soon and Min Jee wouldn’t be able to face whoever it was that was talking with her mother.

The front door opened with a slam and the two sitting at the sofa glanced up at Min Jee’s dramatic entrance. It was at that moment she recognized who it was that was sitting and sipping the tea like he owned the place. On the bright side, after scanning the vicinity, she didn’t notice any photo books out and she breathed a sigh of relief. There were just some things that should never be unearthed again.

“Ah! Welcome home Min Jee. Chen and I have been having a delightful talk and he has been so kind to fill me in on your relationship with him.” Her mother supplied as Min Jee quickly glared at the male when she heard the last statement.

“What relationship?”

“He likes you and you don’t like him.” At this her mother raised an eyebrow at her. “Shame on you Min Jee, I raised you better than that. He’s a delightful young man and I don’t understand why you won’t give him a chance.”

She suddenly didn’t know how to feel about the fact that Chen was able to pit her own mother against her just like that, especially considering that neither of them knew him that well at all.

“But I don’t even know him that well mom!” Min Jee cried, ignoring the fact that said male was smirking at her over his teacup as if enjoying the confrontation that Min Jee now had to face.

“Well you’d know him more if you would just go out on a date with him.”

“I thought you said I couldn’t date until I was thirty at least.” She deliberately left out the fact that while her mother did say that, she said that if Min Jee were to date Minseok, she wouldn’t have mind to revoke the rule.

“That was before I met Chen. He’s well-educated, and obviously knows manners better than you. ”

That was why her mother always liked Minseok too, in a way Min Jee should have expected this. Especially given the fact that Min Jee never expressed her interest in boys at all, and so for some reason her mother was scared that she would grow up senile. Maybe that was why her mother asked to see Kyungsoo when he dropped her off that day, she should have known that her mother would act this way. On a side note, Chen kept quiet during the whole ordeal and Min Jee didn’t quite like how it sat with her.

“Mom,” Min Jee started, “I’m going out now, and Chen is coming with me.”

“On a date?” Her mother asked excitedly.

“No, we’re—” She paused, and tilted her head in question, with the rocky start from yesterday and added on today, she wouldn’t say they were friends, not even acquaintances and thus found herself unable to find a word that would adequately describe them.

It was then that Chen spoke up.

“We met through a friend, and honestly madam, I’m just hoping to get to know her better since we’ll be going to the same university.”

Min Jee raised an eyebrow at the lie he made but surprisingly enough, her mother believed him without so much as a blink of an eye.

“Oh, well off you two go then, wouldn’t want you two to waste the day away talking to someone like me.” Min Jee’s mother announced, before practically shoving the two out the door without letting them speak anything else.

“But mom—” Min Jee couldn’