“Thank you! Please come again!” Eun Kyung bowed as she greeted the customers who were leaving the restaurant.

            Eun Kyung shuts the entrance of the small family restaurant, locked it before turning the sign from ‘Open’ to ‘Close’. Tying up her hair into a bun, she started clearing the tables and brought all the dirty utensils back to the washing area. She sat on the small stool, the tap and started washing the dishes.

It’s almost midnight. After she finished busking at the park in the morning, she left straight for her next job at the small family restaurant. This has been her daily routine working for almost 16 hours every day without fail. All those just to pay off her dad’s remaining bank loans and for her bills as well as living expenses. It’s no surprised if the word ‘exhausted’ does not exist in her dictionary.

Eun Kyung started singing to her favourite song; Someday by U-KISS. She wiped of her sweat with her sleeves before letting out a sneeze. What she did not realised is, someone who is the closest person Eun Kyung ever had as a mother, was watching her as the woman sat behind by the counter wiping the dishes dry.

“Eun Kyung-ah. Are you cold? Tired? Hungry?” the woman asked her, worried for Eun Kyung’s health. Seeing such a young lady working so hard, the woman has always admired Eun Kyung. At the same time, seeing Eun Kyung worked too hard worries her, that she might just collapse any day.

            “Don’t worry about me, ahjumma! I’m fine…” Eun Kyung let out another sneeze before continuing, “I’m strong, remember?”

The woman just smiled and shook her head hearing Eun Kyung which she now regards her as a daughter. Her aging body was hugged tightly by someone from behind, as the person laid her head on the back.

“Ahjumma,” came a soft whimper, like a puppy wanting sympathy.

“Hmm?” Ahjumma held the soft arms of the young lady hugging her, with all the love of a mother.

“I’m done. Can I go home now?”

“Not yet, hand me your Kitty pouch.” Ahjumma replied her.

As usual, Eun Kyung took out the Hello Kitty pouch she owned where she kept all her earnings for the day, and handed it over to the ahjumma. The woman slid in a couple of notes into the pouch, zipped it and passed it back to Eun Kyung.

“You can go now, my dear.”

“Goodnight, ahjumma.” Eun Kyung whispered as she pecks the woman on the cheeks goodbye.

It was almost half passed one in the morning when she stepped out of the restaurant. Eun Kyung breathed in the cold winter air, zipped up her jacket and made her way home. The bus service has long ended, and taking the taxi might cost a lot. Since the restaurant was a few blocks away, she decided on walking.

“AHHHHHH-CHOOOO!” Eun Kyung stopped in her steps as she let out another huge sneeze. Her nose started to be runny.

“Oh no. Flu, go away please. Throbbing headache, go away.” Eun Kyung mumbled to herself as she kicked stones on the pavement as she walked home.

Alone, the nice winter air, walking home, Eun Kyung had always loved even the simplest things. She let her mind wander. She sometimes replayed the memories of her happy life with her family just to find a reason to smile. She replayed memories where her life falls apart just to give herself a chance and reason to cry. But tonight, she thought about her future or probably what will become of her in the future. Her head hung low as she walked.  As she was deep in her thoughts, one man came across her mind, like a gust of wind. That one man, whom she once hoped to be able to pull himself out of darkness, slipped her memory for a while.

Ever since Eun Kyung got too preoccupied with her jobs to pay off all her loans as fast as she could, she hasn’t been visiting Kiseop anymore. The last time was, when she made lunch for him, and that was the day he finally stepped out of him room, looking like a mess. Eun Kyung giggled at the thought of sloppy LEE KISEOP who hid behind the door, with his hair all dishevelled, stubbles on his chin but still able to look good with his glasses.

“AH! How long has it been, again?” Eun Kyung mumbled to herself.

*

            Kiseop sat at the foot of his bed, his bedroom door closed. Every single day, that was all he does, sat right in front of his bedroom door, which is always closed and stare into space, or maybe stared right at the door, seeing if it might click open anytime soon. If Kiseop had laser eyes, his bedroom door might already bore a really big hole.

He heard the front door of this apartment unlocked, his heart started racing, and perhaps he got a little bit excited and leaned close to his bedroom door to hear footsteps approaching his direction. He shifted himself away from the door a little so there is enough space for it to open. He was still kneeling on the floor when the door flung open. Kiseop looked up; hopeful with puppy eyes and a smile on his face only to realise he is greeting his very own best friend looking very surprised at the sight of Kiseop kneeling on the floor.

“Kiseop? Just, WHAT are you doing?” AJ smirked, trying to control a roar of laughter from escaping his throat.

Kiseop scratches his head, trying to find a good reason.

“Uh… Welcoming you to my room?” Kiseop voice fades away with every word.

“Why Kiseop, that’s very nice of you.” AJ said, sarcastically. He could not contained his laughter anymore and burst out laughing.

AJ held out a hand and help Kiseop up to his feet. It’s this side of his best friend AJ missed the most. AJ thought he saw a hint of disappointment in Kiseop’s eye when AJ stepped inside his room a few moments ago.

Kiseop was making AJ a drink as AJ sits at the bar counter staring at his friend.

“You know, ever since I stepped out of my room. She stopped coming.” Kiseop broke the silence as he poured water into the two mugs.

“Who?” AJ asked, flipping through old magazines on the bar counter.

“Who else?”

“Ah, Eun Kyung?” AJ replied.

Kiseop stopped stirring the hot chocolate drink, faced his friend, rolled his eyes and showed him the ‘DUH’ look.

“Whoa, chill man. Ah, I’d like some marshmallows in that, please?” AJ tried to loosen the tension.

Kiseop turned back to the mugs, grabbed the jar with tiny marshmallows on the kitchen shelves and dumped the marshmallows in AJ’s mug until it fills the brim. He then scoops some out from the jar with a teaspoon and into his mug of hot chocolate. He took both the mugs and placed it on the bar counter.

“A little too much marshmallows here, my friend.” AJ blurted out.

“Well, you asked for it,” Kiseop answered. “So, did anything happen to her?” Kiseop asked again.

“I don’t know.” AJ replied, trying his best to scoop out the marshmallows out of his mug without spilling them on the table. Kiseop hates mess.

“Don’t lie. I know every morning you always see her perform at the Fountain Terrace, in the park nearby here. Seriously, AJ. How long have I known you be able to see right through you?” Kiseop looked at his friend busy chewing on his marshmallows.

“You know, you can go see her everyday too. Since you know where she’s going to be every morning.”

“AJ. You know very well, I’m not ready for that. Yet. Just give me some more time.”

“Kiseop, and I know very well how much you really wanna see her.” AJ finishes up his mug of hot chocolate, puts it down, pats his best friend’s back and head out back to his apartment.

Kiseop was left alone again, deep in his thoughts, sipping on his hot chocolate in this cold winter.

“How in the world did AJ managed to finish this entire mug of piping hot drink full of marshmallows so fast? Wow, AJ.” Kiseop giggled at the thought.

Kiseop thought of Eun Kyung. That one girl that made him plucked out the courage to finally step out of the room. But to face the cruel world once again, perhaps Kiseop is still afraid. He is still not ready.

“Eun Kyung. Come back.” Kiseop whispered.