4 months later...

Her legs seemed too numb to move, but she had to.

She sat on the ground catching her breadth. Sooner or later she had to stand up once more and go for it.

"Hey hey hey! Hagsaeng! Why are you sitting there?!"

Seulgi flinched as she heard the gym teacher's loud rough voice echo across the field. She immediately sprung up along with another couple of her schoolmates, who immediately started running on the tracks.

"What is this?! Why are you sitting there sunbathing? You have to pay for coming to school late! Everyone is running, why are you just sitting around?!"

Seulgi pushed her hair, which was in a ponytail, almost letting it hit her gym teacher's face.

"I was not the only one sitting!" She let out a shout. It even made the kids, who were running, halt halfway through.

The teacher looked back at her with a surprised face.

He stayed silent for a couple of seconds before he smirked and glared at her. Seulgi realized it was her mistake to burst out at him.

"Wah! This is the problem with transfer students. They think they can behave like how they did back at their old trashy school. I heard you came long away from Seoul. Let me tell you one thing. It's been four months already, it's about time you realize that you cannot play around like you did from where ever you came from..."

Seulgi sighed realizing that she was once again listening to the same speech her new school's gym teacher has been giving her since she first set foot in the place. It's been four months and ever since she got to the new school she had done nothing but listen to people trying to advice her. 

It's been hard on her. She didn't expect adjusting back to the city life would turn out to be this difficult. In fact it surprised her very much that she was beginning to think that it wasn't because she couldn't get settle back down but because her body just missed her old quiet town very much more than she should.

After running ten more rounds than the rest of the kids, because she blast out at a teacher, she picked up her bag to go back home.

She walked slowly to the bus stop and sat on the bench trying to remember the load of homework she got today. 

As usual she found herself looking out at the busy road and letting her thoughts flood in. It was spring. The weather was warm and sweet. Bright colors, cheery music and flowery smell would fill up the place. But the city never seemed to appreciate the season. All she saw was busy people running here and there, cars honking, polluted air and everything dull. She wished she could be there. She wished to see that place once more, for Spring was always so exaggerated and much appreciated there than of here.

The bus arrived and soon she was on her way to her new home.

Her uncle managed to pull a few strings and get them an apartment to stay in. Her mother suffered for the first few months without a job but somehow got one after begging and pleading. She worked at one of the small clinics down the road as a nurse. Seulgi's luck at getting fired from her part time jobs had finally rece more, making her try out eighteen different jobs within a span of two months, and still manage to get fired from every one of them within two days. Now she just stayed at home after her mother said it was okay not to be making money, and that she could provide for the both of them just fine.

Seulgi got off the bus and walked up the lane to her new apartment. It looked derelict the first time she saw the place, but the more she looked at it, the more appealing it became to her. At least she was adjusting to the appearance of her new home, even if it was run down. 

She climbed the stairs to the third floor. Lifted the small pot sitting next to the door and grabbed the key hiding under it. Seulgi opened the front door making a small mental note to herself to get another key made, for it was way too easy for a thief to come inside the apartment.

After closing the door, she immediately grabbed the iron pole resting on the wall next to the front door throwing her school bag aside. She started searching the entire house holding up the pole next to her nose ready to attack any robber hiding. She looked everywhere. Under the beds, inside the kitchen cupboards and any place she found that was a potential hiding place for a thief. After searching through she finally sighed in relief dropping onto the couch and letting her eyes close.

This was the normal procedure. Ever since they heard the news that a robber was found hiding under the bed of one of the apartments from across the lane, both the daughter and the mother went onto searching the place when ever they got back from school or work. It was the price they had to pay for living in a dangerous area with a cheap, affordable apartment. But not one of them complained.

Seulgi slept on the tiny couch for about an hour. Her entire body ached and she was far too tired to move into her room.

But as she heard a loud sound of a honk come screeching through the walls, she fluttered her eyes open sitting up straight.

"Why are they so loud?" she asked as she listened to two men shouting on the road. Seemed like one of them scrapped the paint of the other's car or something. They were loud and the curses flying around didn't let Seulgi go back to sleep.

So, she got up and went to the kitchen to see what was there for her to prepare for dinner. Her mother usually got a bit late to come home, and she had already gotten used to cooking up a simple meal for just the two of them. However, her cooking was horrible and tasteless. Her mother would never be able to gulp the food down, but she never complained to her daughter. Instead, Ji Yeon would prepare something else and eat it with her daughter's dinner and promise herself to find some time to teach her child how to cook.

Seulgi was about to place the rice in the rice cooker when she got a call from her mother.

"Seulgi-ah, don't even think of touching the groceries at home. We will be having some special visitors today. One of my friends are coming to see us," Ji Yeon said over the phone.

"Oh really? Are you sure you don't want me to cook something?-"

"NO!...I mean, it's okay. I will come home in a few minutes. Oh! By the way, my friend's daughter will be coming too, you know. You still remember her, right? She was one of your best friends..."

Ji Yeon's words made Seulgi's face light up. She knew exactly who her mother was talking about. In fact she never had any friends except for her.

"Really?" Seulgi asked back in anticipation.

"Yeah, they just moved back from Canada. And they happened to find an apartment from across. It's the apartment next to the one that thief was hiding in. But don't tell them that!..."

Seulgi cracked a smile at her mother's childishness.

"...Clean your room and--"

"Why do I have to clean my room? Are you having dinner in my room?!"

"Yah! Stop asking questions! Do as I say. Don't even go near the kitchen."

"I won't. I have to study anyway."

Ji Yeon smiled hearing that from Seulgi. Seulgi was never the type to bother about studying. Yes, she was smart. But that was only in math or some other subject that didn't need much cramming. But ever since they moved back to Seoul, Ji Yeon saw Seulgi working hard, constantly studying and memorizing things, and never lazing around like she used to. It even scared Ji Yeon to the point she even consulted a psychologist regarding Seulgi's mental health. But as time passed she realized that it was just Seulgi's way of trying to block her mind from remembering the past. Ji Yeon knew it was just her daughter not wanting herself to be upset about the place she left just after getting used to it.

"Okay, you study hard. Also, think about applying for college. I'll be back soon."

Seulgi nodded and hung up. As she kept the phone on the table, a sudden weird feeling came over her.

She at once turned around and let her eyes set on the small balcony that was been separated with a glass door. The curtains were open and she was looking out at the setting sky that was orange and purple in color.

She was getting that feeling again. The feeling of someone watching her. 

She narrowed her eyes staring at the balcony. She was sure she saw someone in the blink of an eye. But no one could have gotten inside. She already checked everywhere, locked the doors and they were on the third floor. 

But funny enough, she wasn't afraid. Whenever she felt like someone