Chapter 2: Days before the Storm

Neatly stacked books and papers are sprawled out on the coffee table at a nearby cafe by the university. A visibly stressed woman in front of her laptop typing one of her many theory papers for a planetary science class. Headphones are plugged into her ears, her coffee cup half full, and is probably at lukewarm temperature. She’s been typing non-stop for a good five minutes to make sure all her thoughts were written down on her document.

Her fingers stopped and she finally wakes up from her trance-like state and looked away from her laptop screen. She stretches and groans from her position, her muscles feel sore, having been at that spot for over three hours, typing her life away for this paper that’s due in a few days.

“I thought I would find you here Yoo-Seong. How’s the paper going?” Yoo-Seong looks towards the direction of the voice who called out to her. “Mentally exhausted now. I think I’m almost done but now I have to write the conclusion part of my theory. Probably the hardest part of the entire thing. Haewon, please write the rest for me.” Yoo-Seong begs her best friend, Haewon, to finish up the paper. “Woman. If this was a financial paper, I’d finish this for you. Otherwise. You’re on your own. I know very little about the planets and the galaxies.”

Haewon is a financial advisor for a nearby company near this same specific coffee shop that Yoo-Seong is currently at. Haewon is also Yoo-Seong’s best friend and roommate. The small lie of not knowing planets and galaxies though, is in order to hide her true form from Yoo-Seong. Haewon’s true form is Taurus, a Goddess from Heaven.

“It’s almost 7pm. Let’s go get some food. I’m starving, and knowing you, you probably didn’t eat at all since you got here, so you’re also famished. So let’s go eat.” After that comment from Haewon, Yoo-Seong’s stomach growls at the word of food.

“Chicken! Let’s go!” Yoo-Seong claimed what she wanted to eat and packs up all her papers and books in her tote bag. They both head out of the cafe and down the street to the nearest bus stop. Their favorite chicken place is halfway from their apartment and the university, so it is very convenient position to just drop by.

After their mini excursion for dinner, they head home back to their apartment. As they were walking to their apartment, a small business was being refurbished and is being opened very soon. “Ooh~ A new cafe? I need to make sure I try this place too.” Yoo-Seong notes to herself where this location is from her apartment and how far of a walk it is.

Luckily for Yoo-Seong, it isn’t a far walk from where she currently resides. They live up on the second floor of the apartment and the current neighbor is still in the middle of moving out. Haewon stops to talk to them but Yoo-Seong keeps walking due to the fact of heavy books and papers that she’s been lugging around since this morning. But the walk wasn’t far from the neighbor’s door, just right down the hall.

“Moving? Where are you headed off to?” Yoo-Seong can hear Haewon ask the neighbor a question. “Oh, I got a job promotion not too long ago and it’s too far from this apartment complex. Luckily, I negotiated with the property manager and they have another unit closer to the job! So I’m taking it and going with it. It was nice to be your neighbors though! It was short lived, but I gotta get out of this unit soon. Someone else has already talked to the property manager and this spot got occupied right away.” He said as he puts some boxes into the doorway for easier access for the move.

“I’ve already got some of the furniture out of this place and on the way to the other place. I should be finished up in a day or two.” It is a bittersweet moment to see their quiet neighbor move but it’s a promotion he wants, sacrifices need to be made. Now they’re curious on who the next tenant will be in the unit right next to theirs.

“It was nice to see you before you leave.” Haewon tells their neighbor. Yoo-Seong strides up right after dropping her tote bag inside their apartment. “Really though! You caused us no problems and even helped us at certain times. Thank you for being a great neighbor!” Yoo-S