It was quiet.

Ara hesitantly looked over her shoulder, as if there was someone, or something there. The lights were dim and dull, not brightly making the room shine. She swallowed as she cautiously began typing, peering over the corner of her eye.

“Not going home I assume, Ms. Moon?”

Her head jerked up, a few loose strands falling from the side braid she had on, her hair was straight jet black but anyone who glanced by could easily notice the red, almost brown, ombre highlights that painted her silk strands.

“Not this time, Professor Yang.”

“Yet again.” The male loosened his tie a bit, looking at him a little distraught, Ara figured the reason why girls would swoon over Professor Yang, was because he was young and maybe a bit good looking. “Stay safe and see you after the holidays, Ara.”

“You too, Professor Yang.”

It was quiet again.

Ara sighed, her fingers dancing around the keyboard as her eyes remained stoic in front of her laptop screen. Her eyes were focused but her mind remained elsewhere. What was she doing here?

The library was dead silent, you could almost hear a pin drop. The librarian was long gone, and so were the young college students that once filled campus. The semester had ended, break came and most people were out on vacation with their friends or just simply returning home.

Ah….’home’

Ara didn’t have a home. Which is why once again, she remains here on campus, planning to stay in her dorm for the next four weeks, watching reruns of Full House and scrolling her nights away on tumblr.

She sighed heavily, pausing her typing session. She should just spend her evening shopping away in the city. She always loved the city at night, it was beautiful and...homely.

Shutting her macbook off and placing it in her bag, Ara stood up, the creaking sound of the chair rubbing against the marble floor resounding through the walls. Just as she was approaching the door of the library, a sound caught her ears, and she whipped her head to its source, her fingers wrapping around the strap of her bag.

The printer.

Doubtfully, Ara strode over to where the printer had been neatly set by the librarian’s desk. No one has been in the library for hours, and she surely didn’t print anything. But what caught her eye was the words peaking out from the paper with bold large red letters.

FIND HIM

Ara hauled the paper into her hands, now looking at it fully and clearly. She looked below the words, black tousled hair, plump lips stretched out into a smirk, and dark endless eyes that stared back into her’s.

It was a picture.

“Find...him?” She raised a brow, flipping the paper over to see if any other words were written on it, but found none. “Who printed this?”

“Excuse me, but where are the stairs located? I need to get to the rooftop.”

Ara jumped at the sudden voice, she swiveled her body, staring at the stranger with wide eyes as the sudden rush of familiarity hit her. She gaped as she stared into his eyes. Dark endless eyes that stared back into her’s.

It was the guy in the picture she was holding…

But instead of a smirk, his lips were beaming brightly in a smile, as if this man had no worries in the world. He wore black skinny jeans that fit him magnificently well, and a white dress shirt with a black tie hanging fitly around his neck, his shoulders looked lean, especially in that long black coat. He was undeniably y….

“T-The rooftop…?” Ara stuttered dumbly, why did the paper say ‘Find Him’, was he some sort of criminal? ? Theif? “There are stairs down the hall, they will lead you to the rooftop.”

“Thanks.” He threw her a wink before making his way out the door.

Ara sighed before opening up the crumpled paper in her hands, Why did it say to find him? She already found him, didn’t she? But who was he? Was he dangerous? And why on Earth did her want to go to the rooftop th-

“Wait….”

Ara jerked her head, her eyes widening as she began to sprint down the hall, pulling her bag over her shoulders, running to exactly where the stairs were located.

There are exactly six floors in this building of the campus.

The library is located on the sixth floor, where they are right now…

The elevator’s been broken for weeks.

So, how did the stranger get up here, without going through the stairs?

Something’s not right….

She huffed her breath as she didn’t see him on the stairs like she suspected, so instead, Ara made her way up the flight of steps, until the door to the rooftop was just at her fingertips. She swung it open without hesitation, the fresh air of winter hitting her hard, she looked around the rooftop, the sun almost setting as the city lights began fading into view.

“What is it?”

Ara whipped her head as she spotted the stranger, gazing up at the sky with a puzzled expression on his face, as if he was thinking very intently.

“E-Excuse me?” She asked, not entirely sure if he was talking to her.

“What is it that’s so different?” He then jolted his head to look at her and Ara felt her breath hitch in  . “Don’t you feel it too? The air is thicker…”

Ara took one cautious step as she eyed the man. “Who are you? Why’d you ask me where the stairs were? Don’t you attend this university?”

He looked at her, he seemed to pour all his attention into her her hands until he rested his gaze on her eyes, a bright smile on his plum lips as he took three strides and towered over her.

“I’m Kyungsoo. I’m not from here. Now, mind telling me your name?”

Ara hesitated for a minute before falling into the trap of his gaze, “My name’s S-It’s…..Ara.”

Kyungsoo nodded a moment before turning his back towards her, peering up at the sky. “Mind telling me your real name?”

Ara looked bewildered as she gaped at the male inches from her, her fingers wrapped around the paper as they clenched the texture, confusion zapping through her veins. “I-Wha-How’d you know?”

Kyungsoo gazed at her, a faint smirk. “You don’t look Korean at all. Your eyes are different, they’re much more round and in a rotated angle. Your skin is nowhere near pale. You’re peachy darker, tanner. And the way you talk seems as if you have another home dialect. Korean isn’t your mother tongue. You’re from the south of Asia, aren’t you?”

“My grandmother was Nepali and my grandfather was Malay. My mother was their daughter and she married my father, he’s from here, Seoul.” She didn’t really know why she was spilling all this to a stranger, but she felt like she had to.

“My, my, it turned you into a beauty. So what’s your real name, gorgeous?”

“...Samara. Samara Moon.” She looked down, hiding her blush. It’s been awhile since she said her full name. And it felt good.

“Okay Samara Moon, now tell me, do you feel the difference?”

Ara furrowed her brows as she looked up at the clouds the same way Kyungsoo did. “What do you mean?”

“It’s cloudy…” Kyungsoo spoke, but obviously, Ara didn’t get it.

“It’s always cloudy. All year round.” Ara shrugged, why was he making such a big deal?

“Exactly!” Kyungsoo exclaimed as if he just won the jackpot. “Why is it always cloudy?”

Ara looked at him as if he lost his mind, completely delusional. “What are you talking about? It’s always been... cloudy…”

“There’s hesitation in your voice, isn’t there, Samara? You’re trying to remember it, aren’t you? The sunshine? The bright blue sky? The atmosphere?”

Ara looked lost. Sunshine…? Why did that seem so familiar? She shook her head slightly, looking dull. “I don’t-I don’t...know.”

Kyungsoo nodded as he stuck a finger in his mouth, then popping it out to feel the air, as if he was searching for wind. “Nothing. The air is still. It’s thick, but still.”

Ara looked at him openly. “I get that your name is Kyungsoo, but who exactly are you? Why do you keep asking these ridiculous questions? And why did I-”

“Why did you receive a printed picture of me with the words ‘Find Him’?” He seemed to be looking for something. “Chanyeol sent that, he’s a really good hacker. One of the best in the galaxy.”

Ara brushed off the double meaning to his words, leaving them unnoticed. “Why did he send it? And how come you asked for the stairs when we’re already on the last floor? The only way you could’ve gotten up to the library was by using the stairs…”

Kyungsoo smiled as he reached for the gravel beneath his feet. “You’re a clever girl, Samara. I like you.”

Ara tried not to take his compliment to heart as she uncrumpled the paper and handed it to Kyungsoo. He looked at it with glee. “Ah, I remember this picture!”

“Why does it say Find Him on it? Are they looking for you?” Ara tilted her head at an angle.

“No, it’s actually for me, to remind me to find him.”

“Who’s him?”

“I don’t know either, that’s what we’re going to find out.” He tossed the paper away before tightening his tie and running a hand through his hair.

“Woah, what do you mean, ‘We’re’ going to find out?” Ara spoke as if she was taken aback.

Kyungsoo looked at her with those round eyes. He had no expression at all. “Obviously you’re going to help me, you’re clever. I like clever people.”

Ara bit her lip, why was this man so….strange?

“And besides, it’s better than staying cooped up in your apartment all break.” Kyungsoo squinted his eyes, as if he was searching for something in the view.

Her eyes widened as they shot up back to Kyungsoo, but instead of sparing her a glance, he seemed content with finding what he was searching for.

“How did you know I-”

“There!” He pointed to a building, not far but much across from where they were standing. “Let’s go to that building.”

Ara took a step forward, unconsciously leaning over so there was no space left between the two, her eyes landed on the building Kyungsoo pointed at and she threw him a look of confusion.

“There?” She asked, suddenly pulling away. “You want to go there? But why? It’s an abandon building.”

Kyungsoo’s lips curled into a carefree grin. “If you were to come to a new place, but you had to stay hidden for a while. You couldn’t be seen by the people. You had to wait and observe them for  their lifestyle, for a long period of time. Then where would you first go?”

“I would go to a place where no one is there...” Ara’s eyes fell on his, understatement. “I would go to somewhere…. abandoned.”

Kyungsoo’s ruffled her hair, messing up the strands. “Bingo.”