OCTOBER

 

I want to hide from the world. After classes, I drive all the way to a convenient store to buy some food.

 

I can’t think straight actually, everything is just a blur and at this rate I don’t care anymore for today. I just want some me time.

Inside the store, I don’t notice that I’m staring at a bag of chips for long.

 

Maybe it’s time to go home, sit on my couch with any food I feel like eating and watch re-runs of an old show.

 

Still wearing my shirt and jeans, I feel lazy to change so I just lay down and continue my day in watching TV.

My phone rings an hour later, I answer it lazily.

 

“Hello?” I don’t bother who is calling but it’s dead silent.

 

“Hello? You must have the wrong number or something,” I tell and close my phone. I do not want any calls right now and just snuggle in my blanket.

 

A few minutes later, my door suddenly abruptly opens and I fall out of my couch. My hips hurt as I groan in pain.

 

“Hello best friend,” Hyorin loudly greets me.

“How’d you enter?” I try getting up from the pain.

“Your password is easy to pin in,” she smirks and lays on my bed with a plastic bag still attach on her wrist as she realizes it soon enough and struggles to pull it out.

 

“So, where have you been for the past few weeks?” she asks, pulling out a cup of ramen.

“I just… disappear for a while,” I say.

“Hmm,” she hums and boils the water. “You want one too? I bought two anyway.” She shows the cup and I nod that I want too.

 

“So you joined a cult?” she jokes.

“Yes, I did and in fact, I love it,” I tell sarcastically.

“Great, now I know where you’ll go to,” she says. “Here, eat this. It’ll make you feel better.” She gives the cup of ramen.

“Thanks, a cup of ramen will cure something in me,” I take it and instantly eat it.

 

“So,” she breaks the silence. “Have you seen Taehyung?”

“Why are we still talking about him?” I put my chopsticks down. “Yeah, I still want to see him but he’s just gone. Nowhere to be found and I haven’t seen him since the party.”

“That’s long,” she shakes her head. “It’s October already.”

 

“You know what, I have to go, my break is just 2 hours,” she gets up and cleans her mess. “I will see you when I see you.”

“Yeah, I might drop by someday anyway.”

 

When Hyorin is halfway out, she stops and faces me, “Go see him, you can’t just do nothing until you settle with someone else knowing that he’s your one in a million. Find an alternative, plan something, just anything Jungjoo.” Then she closes the door.

 

I take my phone out that’s sitting on the kitchen counter and text Sera. The only way to get through Taehyung is to seek a little help from her.

It’s also actually the first time I ask help from her in our years of friendship and this will mean a lot.

 

To: Sera 03:30PM

Hey, you free?

 

From: Sera 03:32PM

Yup, what’s up?

 

To: Sera 03:33PM

I need your help, it’s very important. No questions asked.

 

From: Sera 03:34PM

Sure, what is it?

 

To: Sera 03:36PM

Can you like casually text Taehyung, like asking him how’s me and him whatever stuff like that? Please? I need to know.

 

From: Sera 03:40PM

I’m sorry but I can’t help you. I don’t want to help anymore. I don’t want to be involved with things like this, I think you should do it. You a