“Here we are.” AJ finally spoke after a journey of comfortable silence.

            They finally reached Kiseop’s apartment. AJ handed Eun Kyung a spare key to Kiseop’s apartment. She look at AJ confused.

            “Just. Open the door, step it. And um…” AJ trails off, his eyes wanders around.

            “And what? AJ? Spacing out again?”

            “And, just be yourself. He is in there. You um. You meet him yourself. Listen, he is very important to me and I know this will take time. But please, count this as a favour. I really want him to be himself again. It’s just that, I missed him so much and I’ve done everything I could. Medication, therapy, spending more time and attention to him. It all just doesn’t work. It just agitates him more.” AJ spilled out, trying to hold back tears.

            “There. There. I don’t know what happen to him. But I’ll do my best. Don’t worry. Your friend right here, is in safe hands!” Eun Kyung assured AJ with a beam on her face!

            “I can never thank you enough for this.” AJ finally carved out a smile.

            “Come here big guy!” Eun Kyung hugs AJ, to comfort him and unlocked the door to the apartment and went inside. She turn to AJ and waves him goodbye. He backs away and went up the stairs, back to his apartment.

            “Helloo?” Eun Kyung called out. She searched for the light switch and switch it on.

            She is surprised to think that this house actually belongs to a guy. Its so clean! Eun Kyung almost forgot her intention here and went around the house looking at every single object, decorations and appliances in the house. She smiles to herself.

            Her fingers trail to a table with picture frames. There she saw a picture of AJ and a guy beside him smiling from ear-to-ear. “That must be Kiseop!” She thought to herself. A few family pictures and pictures of himself and that’s it. Her eyes land on a bedroom door, shut and it seems dark in there. Slowly, she took a deep breath and walk towards the door. She knocks twice. No reply. She puts her bag down and sat, facing the closed door.

            “Kiseop! ANYEONG! I’m Eun Kyung. Park Eun Kyung. But people call me Kyung. You can call me anything you want as long as it doesn’t sound bizarre. I don’t mind.”

            She bit her lower lip. “Why isn’t he responding? Is he okay? Maybe I came a little to chirpy for him?” All kinds of thoughts clouded her mind.

            Behind the door, she hears rustling on bed sheets and a few moment later the dragging of chair. Eun Kyung felt the sense of relieve.

            “I’m going to be your best friend from now on. And I promise, until one day you open this door, show your good-looking face and smile that pretty smile you have. I am never going to leave you. I’m going to make you feel better, trust me.” Eun Kyung said. Then mumbled , “Trust me, Kiseop. I’ve been there done that.”

            A few moments later, a note slipped under the door. Eun Kyung’s face lights up,
“At least he heard what I said!” she thought.

            Written in a piece of paper in a beautiful penmanship, no one would ever thought it’s a guys handwriting, even Eun Kyung was surprised. It reads: Never going to happen. Leave.

            Eun Kyung searched for a pencil in her bag and scribbled: Let’s just wait and see.

            She slids the note back into the room, grab her bag and got up.

            “Lee Kiseop. This is just the beginning. I’ll come back.” Eun Kyung smiled to herself, she knows, one day Kiseop would stand back up, stronger, smiling like how she did.