Jiyeon’s POV:

The cold breeze passed by me while crispy orange-burnt leaves were laying on the floor. I was on my way to meet Haneul at the park's swings before heading to work together. 
The day was nice but it was dark, as if a thunderstorm was approaching, and the air seemed staler than usual but I didn't care, I love fall.

I love the way it made everything seemed so moody yet so dreamy.

The withering trees and the pumpkin colors everywhere.
Something about fall always makes me feel like I was being wrapped and snuggled up in a old cozy blanket, like the feeling of nostalgia. 

Ah, there she was.

With 2 breadsticks and 2 cups of coffee in her hands, waiting for me.
I let out a small smile, "Haneul ah! Sorry for making you wait."

"Jiyeon-ah, you know its no problem! Here, I got you some breakfast. Cheese breadstick and coffee, eat up okay? I don't want you getting gastric!"


It was already 12pm, but business seemed slower than usual.
Scratch that, there was hardly anyone at all.
“Oh well, 9 hours more to ending work then” I sighed as I thought to myself.

I entrusted Haneul to be looking after the store while I sneaked to the storage room to get myself some rest. 

After all, slower days meant I could have time to grab a book and let myself be pulled into another world. 

A world where I could be pulled into endless fantasies, dreaming of anything I wanted, pretending to be someone else. Like I was going on an adventure.

Reading also meant that I could lose the calm rational me for awhile.
To lose the pressure my family had for me, the expectations I held for myself. 

Don't get me wrong, I love my family but I wasn't especially close to them being an only child and having them divorced, separated and constantly working through my childhood even until now.

 I could just never establish that sort of bond with them even though they were fairly supportive parents.

I still love them though.

But I guess that impacted me even though I didn't want it to, but when you've to learn to be alone and independent, I guess you become slightly more distant and rational than most people who were age 18.

I decided to move out when I was 16, under the pretense of learning to be more independent. When in fact, all I wanted was to be alone.
To shut people out and to embrace myself being lonely.
 

I mean, when you don’t have anyone around you, there’s really nothing much to lose but once you start getting attached to someone, you become way too dependent on them. Emotionally.

So having no one around me was easier to get used to having someone around and watching them leave after.

I craved freedom, I craved to be alone, mostly because that's all I really knew.
I didn't live in a place too shabby either, I got myself a small place, it was dingy but it had everything.

Cozy really. I had a bed, a couch, a tiny kitchen and a tub.
That's all I needed.

I didn't have to worry too much about money, for the rent wasn't too high. My parents could afford it, and now that I was working, I was paying half of my share too.

-

The front door bell chimed and shortly afterwards, a smash from outside the storage room came into play. 

Huh? Did I hear a loud smash?

"Yah, stop that! Who are you guy