My father used to tell me ,'You see those innocent eyes and warm smiles? Those are the ones you need to stay away from,kid. They are lethal,I tell you.' he said those words while sparing my mom a glance,a mischievous grin is playing on his lips. Now that I'm caught up in the same situation as his,I can't help but agree. It's already 1 AM and normally I'm already curled up in my bed around this hour,probably reading a newly bought manga and munching on mom's homemade cookies if not for this Chinese beauty I stumbled upon at the library three months ago. Yes,three months have passed and the two of us haven't spoken a single word to each other. One could say I am so ed up and in too deep. Who the hell stays up this late and buys cup noodles every night anyway? Apparently someone as idiotic as me would. After finding out that she works at a mart downtown which operates 24/7,I just had to grab the chance,hoping that maybe I can get to know her.

Her shift usually ends a minute from now. Guess I was right when I hear her bidding farewell to her co-worker,her bright smile somehow managing to lighten up the former's gloomy mood. I was quick to dispose my trash,falling into steps just a few meters behind her,the road is slightly wet due to earlier's short downpour. This has become a routine,really and I know she is aware of my presence. The first time I followed her home,she was scared probably thinking I was some random stalker judging from her quick steps and occasional glances at me,but soon she was able to adjust after confirming that I mean no harm. It's somehow funny how we have this certain connection between us despite the fact that we haven't exchanged words since day one. I wait for her shift to end,walk behind her in a safe distance,attempt to start a conversation but fail afterwards,wait for her to get inside her house and go home to my own. That is our typical drill and I expect that it would be the same cycle to be followed tonight but the sudden bark of a large dog,its height barely reaching my waist seemed to have broken the chain.

Alarm signs are flashing in my head as the dog took a step closer to her frozen state,huge and sharp canines are visible even in the dimly lit area. My movements were swift for seconds later I can be found standing in front of her,completely shielding her from the beast. "Don't make extra movements,okay? It'll only provoke him more" I said in the softest voice I could muster. I can feel her trying to suppress her whimpers as she nods,reaching out to hold unto the hem of my shirt. If we weren't in this situation,I might have done celebratory cartwheels inside due to our close proximity but the sight of the dog looking like it's about to devour us any sooner didn't let me so instead,I took her hand in mine. Ever so slowly I walked with her in tow,my grip on her is tight. Growls coming from the dog can still be heard from our backs,drowning in the sounds of our feet against the cold ground. '3...2...1' I made a dash after my mental countdown,her squeals of surprise resonating around the place,mixing in with the loud barks of the animal. We were out of breath as we kept on running non-stop but I made it sure we are in a safe zone which was in front of her house.

Fortunately,the dog gave up chasing us minutes later,making us sigh both in relief and exhaustion. It wasn't long before we realized that our hands are still laced together. She was the first one to pull away,head bowed as she does so. Awkward silence filled the area and I decided I've had enough. "I should go" I stated as I eye her form,turning unto my heels afterwards. "Thank you,Mingyu-ssi." her words gave me a shock,causing me stop in my tracks. Looking back,I can see her casting her gaze to the ground,her lower lip is caught between her teeth- a habit of hers whenever she feels nervous or embarrassed in general. 'How did she know my name?' I asked myself and as if reading my mind,she spoke up again, "You left your ID at the table last week. I was the one who kept it and I asked Jinnie-ah to give it to you instead. By the way my name is Jie-"

"Jieqiong." I immediately cut her sentence off,amusement dancing in my eyes as her own orbs widen in disbelief,"I know."