Chapter Five:

After telling Yerim about her plans to move out of the dorm and look for a more affordable place the upcoming month, Chanmi transferred all of her savings, which is not really a lot, but should be able to cover at least the hospital stay, into her father's account. She even dipped a bit into her main account and transferred some money from there too, but had to leave some for living expenses. Once she gets the refund from the form money, she would use it to rent a new place and send the rest over, Chanmi planned. 

Although Yerim was sadden by Chanmi's sudden request and having to quickly find a new roommate, she was still considerate about Chanmi's situation and insisted on helping her find a place as well. It was hard though, because most of the apartments near SKY University were expensive while the places for rent like houses where you have to share with other tenants were sketchy. 

Less than one month left, I have just less than one month left and I'm out in the streets unless I find a place. 

Everything, including schoolwork, was on a roll for Chanmi. If she was not studying, then she was either looking for another job or trying to pack things in advance. Even with the nonstop work, Chanmi still felt pressed for time.

There were times where she felt the urge to call and check on her father, but she was afraid he would just make excuses and refuse to accept the money. Her father was not a step behind anyone when it came to stubborness, and unfortunately, it was a trait that Chanmi inherited from him. 

After writing her essay for two hours since she had woken up, Chanmi's eyes were tired. She had to get up early in order to get as much of the essay done as possible without any distraction because her new job started that day. It was some job at a cafe a girl in one of her class had recommended a week before. She said it has good pay and the owner replied to Chanmi immediately after she sent her resume so she thought why not. She needed a job for money, not to show off, so what does it matter what job she had?

Taking a break, Chanmi closed her laptop and exhaled. 

They say dark chocolate is best for stress, but I don't even have to money to afford that kind of luxury right now.

Chanmi was sitting in a quiet corner in the library, her newfound favorite spot on campus while Yerim was busy socializing. It's not that Chanmi did not want to make new friends with Yerim, she just did not have the time or mindset to with everything going on so she had been shutting herself out for a while. 

Chanmi rested her chin on the palm of her hand and stared out the window, thinking of Gray again. No matter how hard she tried and no matter how occupied she was with her academics and problems, the image of Lee Sunghwa still managed to sneak its way back into her brain everytime. 

The scene of what happened four nights ago replayed in Chanmi's head:

Gray was there, hugging her head close to his chest. His soft hoodie snuggled against her face and his hand gently her hair. In silence, they stood for a few minutes, absorbing the moment. 

It felt so peaceful and comforting - the scent of him and the feel of his touch.

Chanmi wanted so badly to stay there, listening to his heartbeat and feeling his soft touch. For a moment, she was convinced everything would be alright. However, abruptly, he pulled away. 

"I'm sorry," Gray apologized as if it was a mistake, striking her heart with his baffled words. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay. You were just comforting me," Chanmi cut him off, feeling flustered and hurt. "Thank you."

What was that? Is that regret and fear I see in your eyes? Chanmi wondered, searching for an answer in his eyes, but still ended up lost. She took a few steps back, wanting to disappear. 

"Thanks for taking care of my notebook," She said and made a quiet exit, leaving him standing alone. 

That scene clung onto her memories every hour of the past few days. She did not know what to make of it because it felt so right and wrong at the same time. 

Why did you have to act that way? As if you were afraid of touching me? Are you afraid I would get the wrong idea? A hundred questions crossed her mind but no answer were given. Maybe that is as close as I can get to him.

After that day, he has been giving her the cold shoulder, not even greeting her when they ran into each other at the university's book store, or the library, where he no longer visisted. However, Chanmi felt more like he was running away rather than pushing her away; like he was retreating, leaving her more and more confused. It was as if the person she met that night and the person she saw during the day are two different people. Trying to understand him is like trying to decipher a code without a single hint. 

What made Chanmi most disappointed was that Gray did not even give her a reason. It was not like Chanmi expected them to be more than friends. In fact, she was fine with just being acquaintances, but now, she felt like they were barely strangers. Regardless of how things are right now, Chanmi knew she could not deny that she felt an attraction to him. 

Suddenly, a text message appeared on her phone. 

"Chanmi, I'm currently heading to the restaurant across our dorm building, wanna come and have breakfast with me? If so, come quickly!" The text message from Yerim read.

Chanmi was about to say no, but her stomach openly objected and let out a roar that made her feel obligated to leave the library before more eyes turn her way. 

"On my way," Chanmi texted back and stashed her laptop into her backpack. 




Within ten minutes, Chanmi was able to half jog, half walk her way to the restaurant, ready to chow down breakfast. However, as she entered the crowded restaurant, Chanmi could not see Yerim anywhere. Is she late? Every table is full of people already.

"Chanmi, over here!" Yerim's voice called out to Chanmi from the corner of the restaurant. She was seated at a full table with a bunch of other people. T