Yongguk and Kyoko had always been friends. In a very odd way.

Kyoko took the bus 511 to go to work. And Yongguk well he took the 511 too. But in the other direction. So they would always see each other, both on their own side of the road, in their own bus stop. They were the only ones, with older people. One day, when he was going to "work", he looked at her and for the first time she didn’t just starred. She smiled and waved.

He was surprised and didn’t react. But the next day, he could see she was waiting for him to do something. So he waved awkwardly at her. She giggled and she went on her bus.

From that day they would always say hi from their side of the road.Smile at each other, nod... Until one rainy day. Yongguk never used umbrellas. It was not convinient and he always ended up loosing them.

That day, Kyoko crossed the road, and she was holding an umbrella above her head, and an other one in her hand. That day without a word she put the umbrella near the bus stop. Just in case. She smiled at him and crossed the road back.

He took the umbrella. Not because he needed it, but because it was the only thing he could do. It was a white umbrella, a new one.

*

One night, Yongguk was late to that daily "date". He had been shot. He was bleeding, hurting, and he didn’t knew where to go. His steps, weirdly,took him to the only safe place he knew.

He sat neat the bus stop, on the wet floor, he closed his eyes.

"You came."

She was here.

"You’re bleeding ! Oh my god !"

He opened his eyes, but it was hard, blurry.

"Home... I need to go home."

"Where is your home ?"

Any normal person would have took him to the hospital, and would have left him there, he would have been picked up by the police the next morning, went to jail and would have been executed in a few years. But that didn’t happened.

Because she took him to her home.

She got rid of his clothes, all covered in blood, and she made him take a shower, which helped him wake up. Then she put him in her bed, he was still conscious, and he was leaning on her to walk, but he had no memory how they crossed the streets. Maybe she called a taxi.

"What’s your name ?"

He couldn’t answer. He was bleeding. He knew what had to be done. But could she do it ?

"Bullet..."

"What ?"

"The bullet... Out... Do you have ...tweezers or... chopsticks.. ?"

"yes yes !"

She ran around her place and finally she brought him a pair of tweezers.

"Clean them...sanitize...with fire or...alcohol..."

"Soju ?"

"Pure alcohol would... work.. better...."

"Oh wait :"

She ran around again, and she came back with a survival kit.

"My dad loved to go on long hicks so we would always bring one of those just in case. There is... this."

She showed him a bétadine bottle.

"On the... wound..."

She did exactly all he asked for to make sure he would die from an infection.

"Now... the bullet... Take it out."

"Me?"

"Now...please."

He wanted to ask her if she prefered to have a corpse in the morning in her bed. But she probably didn’t thought that way.

She started to look for the bullet, it wasn’t very deep, but he still felt every part of the operation. He felt when she introduced the tweezers inside his wound, and he felt when she touched the bullet, he grit his teeths, he kept his scream inside, and he hanged on the bed to not move. But he was still shivering, and so was she.

"I can feel it... Please don’t die.... Please don’t die... Don’t die..."

That was the last thing he heard before he passed out. The pain was too great.

He woke up in day light. He was covered with a huge blanket, and his wound was still hurting. She had stitched him apparently. And than covered the wound with a bandage.The bleeding had stopped. But the sheets were wet with the blood, so was the blanket she apparently had tried to put under him. He tried to lift his bust, but it hurt too much. He was too weak.

"You’re awake ?!"

He wasn’t sure if it was a question or not. She was standing in the kitchen.

"I made some... some.... rolls. Some...Gimbap I mean. And a soup. Do... do you want some ?"

"Water.."

"Of course !"

She ran to him with a bottle and she gave it to him. He could see she was terrified. What was he supposed to tell her ? Lie ? Truth ? He would probably have to kill her either way. What if she had already tell someone ?

"Did... did you tell anyone I … was here ?"

"Me ? No... I stayed here all night. I wanted to call the hospital but..."

"You didn’t ?"

"No."

"Good."

They looked at each other. Two strangers. And she smiled.

"Tea ? Food ?"

"I..."

"I’m starving, she giggled nervously, i was so scared when I took the bullet out. And you passed out. I thought you were going to die ! I didn’t knew what to do... Blood was running out from you ! So I googled it and... well I did stitches with what I had but... It’s not very pretty. You’ll have a big scar..."

"I don’t mind... You saved my life today..."

She smiled. And she went to to kitchen, coming back with a lot of food. She fed him, but he didn’t ate much, he drank a lot of water before falling asleep again.

He slept for three hours. When he woke up, it was dark.

"Hm... Hey ?"

She wasn’t answering. Maybe she had left. Maybe she went to tell the police...

Where was his gun ?

It was next to the bed. He took it and got up. It hurt but he could walk very slowly. He only had his underwear on.

He couldn’t find his clothes, he walked a little further. He heard a noise from behind the door . Was it a trap ? He put his gun forward and opened the door ready to shoot. There she was. , wet from the shower. She screamed. He couldn’t believe how unreal this was. She reached for her towel and he closed the door.

"I’m so sorry, he said. You weren’t answering... I thought you had left. I... I apologize really.. I didn’t saw anything.. she wasn’t answering, I mean I did but I don’t mind... He hit his forehead,that’s not what I meant I’m not a ert I’m not going to you or anything... Not that you are not desirable that’s not what I meant either. The silence kept going, I’m sorry I scared you. I... The gun … I put it away. Please come out... I’m... I’m sorry."

"What’s your name ? She asked from behind the door."

"Yong... Yongguk."

"Yongguk ?"

"Yes ?"

"Could you... could you come in and help me with something ?"

"Yes what is it ?"

"Don’t laugh.. ;"

He went inside, she was holding her towel against her body, and she was standing on the toilet.

"What is it ?"

"There is a huge spider between the door and me."

He looked down. There was a huge spider indeed.

"So ? He asked."

"so...put it away, kill it, do something."

"OH !"

He leaned downed and put the spider inside an empty glass. Once she was inside of it he put a paper under the glass a threw the spider through the window.

"Thank you, she said. Now... Could you turn around so I can go in the other room and change.. ?"

"Of course."

He did what she asked and wait a few minutes.

"You can come back, she said."

Her hair were wet, and she was shivering as he came out of the bathroom, still half .

"Maybe... Maybe you should take a bath..."

"Hum... Yes... Maybe.... But... I don’t want to... Bother you...I... he leaned on the wall, it was hard for him to stay on his feets, I am going to leave.."

"In the middle of the night ? You can’t even stand... I’ll help you clean. I’ll make you a nice bath ok ?"

She started to fill up the bath and let him sit on the toilet. He noticed how sometimes she would look at his wound and then at his chest. He had build a strong body through the years, his chest was muscular, and he had a large tattoo on it to cover one of his first scars. One that had almost cost him his life. Just as the very fresh one she had healed.

Was she starring because of the tattoo or because she was attracted to him ? He smiled for himself. Maybe both.

"Hum... I.. You should get ."

"What.. ?"

"I won’t watch, she turned around,but... You will not be able to get in on your own..."

"Oh.. yes..."

He stand up and took off the last piece of clothing he had.

"I.. I am ."

She gave him her hand without looking at him. He took it and leaned on it, on her shoulder too, to get inside. She helped him sit down, looking up at the ceiling.

"Ok... Are you comfortable ?"

"My body is. My mind isn’t."

"Trust me, my mind isn’t either, they giggled.

She finally pulled the curtain and they both sighed.

"I’ll just stay here so... If you need anything..."

"Ok..."

They stayed like this, both on one side of the curtain, just like they used to be both on one side of the road.

"What’s your name ? He asked."

"Kyoko."

"It’s not korean."

"No."

He started to wash his body, his face, avoiding to touch his wound. It still hurt a lot. But the hot water was helping him to relax.

"How old are you ? She asked."

"Twenty four. And you ?"

"Twenty one."

"You’re young."

"You too."

He smiled and he kept cleaning himself. He knew she was dying to ask him the one question he couldn’t answer.

"Did it hurt ? When they shot you."

"It did."

So she didn’t asked him why, who, how... But he did.

"Why did you help me ?"

"I... I didn’t wanted you to die."

"What if I was dangerous."

"You probably are.. ."

"I am. What if I try to hurt you ?"

"You said you wouldn’t me..."

"How can you trust me ?"

"I can’t. But I do."

"What if I kill you ?"

"You won’t."

"Why ?"

"I know you won’t."

Something in her voice that day moved him, and he knew she was right. He wouldn’t kill her.

He stayed in that house for two more days. She fed him. She slept on the floor. And one day, he left.

*

It took him some time. But he came back. He rang at her door. She opened. And at first, she looked scared, or surprised, or both. He hadn’t seen her at the bus stop anymore.

"I bought you new sheets..."

She huged him. At first he thought she was attacking him, and he wanted to push her away. But she just hanged on him, holding him.

"You’re alive, she said."

So he huged her back. He wrapped his arms around her and for the first time he smell her perfume. Her hair. It was a soft flower perfume, with some musk.

"I am, he answered. Thank you."

He realized he had never thanked her before. When she stopped huging him he gave her the sheet.

"You don’t take the bus, he said."

"No. I got a car. I thought it would be more practical."

"Probably..."

"How is... your wound ?"

"It’s better."

He lift her shirt so she could see. It has healed very well, he didn’t felt any pain anymore, he was back on training, the only thing was the scar. As she had predicted it was both ugly and big.

"It doesn’t look nice."

"I don’t mind. I’m alive, that’s what matters."

She smiled. And he smiled too.

"Would you like to take a coffee or something ?"

"If you don’t mind.. I would like to yes."

*

He came back the next week, this time with cakes. She told him she loved cakes, specially the ones with a lot of cream. So he bought her a few small cakes.

She opened the door, she didn’t looked as happy as the first time, but when she saw him she smiled.

"You’re here..."

"I am. Is.. Is it not a good time ?"

"No ! Please come in. You are welcome here.."

She was very happy to see the cakes. And she laughed a lot with him. It had been a long time since anyone had laughed near him, in a pure candid way. This moment felt so normal, he just asked her out without thinking it through.

"Would you like to go see a movie some time ?"

"Me ? She asked."

"Yes.. Unless you’re busy or.."

"No... No why not. I’d love to see a movie."

"Any movie ?"

"Yes. I let the choice to you."

When he left, he saw a guy starring at him. He didn’t mind, but the look in the guy’s eyes was worrying him. It was pure hate.

*

They went to see the movie. He couldn’t remember what the movie was about. He kept thinking it had been so long since he had been to the cinema. And out with a girl.

He had bought her popcorn, and she had bought the drinks. They were sitting next to each other, and a few times, their hands touched when they picked popcorn. If it was a simple skin contact, somehow, he couldn’t not feel anything everytime he felt her. He felt hot, cold, and shy.

They left the movies pretty late so he insisted to walk her home.

"You walk alone at night a lot ? He asked."

"No. Just.. Well when I have to."

"You should have took you care."

"Maybe, she smiled mysteriously, but I don’t use it lately. Something’s wrong with the wheels."

"Oh."

They talked all the way to her home. He found it surprising how much they could talk without ever speaking about what his job was and how he got injured. How they carefully never mention the fact that he owned a gun.

She went inside and he went to see her car, he wasn’t much of a mecanic, but it was easy to see what the problem was.Someone had stabbed her wheels and now she couldn’t go anywhere. He felt his heart bumping in his chest. Was someone after her because of him ? He looked at the lights turning on in her house. Than, she screamed. He knew it ! Someone was trying to get at him through her !

He didn’t wait to get inside her home. A guy was holding her arm and pushing her against the wall.