"Coming!" I shout cheerily at the door. Finally, this is what I've been waiting for—

          "Hi, Sara."

          The ends of my lips go down again, and my shoulders drop. This man with dark eyes and aura is not who I'm running to the door for. The urge to close the door back is tempting, but I sigh first. "What do you want?"

          "Taking refuge." Do Kyungsoo lightly passes by me and enters my house. I roll my eyes, and close the door.

          "What now?"

          Kyungsoo just smiles vaguely, and sits on the sofa. "Seems like you were waiting for someone, who would it be?"

          I haven't even reached the living room when the bell rings again. "This might be it." I reply.

          I can feel Kyungsoo looking at the scene of me and the delivery man finishing the transaction, and he gets up to help me take the food to the table. A bit of water drops from the plastic bag, since outside is raining and it might be splashed by water on the way here.

          “I wonder if the delivery man can see clearly on this weather.” I look at the window longingly.

          “You’re worrying about a stranger, but you look ready to kick me out any moment.”

          I exhale audibly. “Seriously, what’s the matter now?”

          Kyungsoo raises his eyebrows looking at the food, clearly ignoring my question. “Wow, you ordered all of this for one person?”

          I click my tongue. “I just can’t understand how someone so quiet and composed like you could fight with your parents so often.” I take a pack of kimchi from his hand. “And yes, I ordered all of this for myself, I can just store it in the fridge. But now since you’re here…”

          I take two plates from the kitchen, and separate the noodles I ordered into two portions. We relocate to the dining table, and sit facing each other.

          “Thank you for the food.” Kyungsoo says happily. “I’ll pay you later.”

          “Forget it.” I stand up again to boil some water for tea.

          “I’ll buy you something instead. How about shaved ice?”

          “You bought it the last time you escaped here.”

          “Ah.”

          We eat quietly, and the rain outside gets bigger. I glance at the window, and stare at the table. “You know, most of the time, you come here when it’s raining.”

          “Really?” Kyungsoo looks up to me with his big eyes. “I wonder.”

          “I can’t say anything about your family problems, but you should stop making me curious.” I start the serious talk. “I’ve known your parents just as long as we know each other. Do they know you run here after fighting with them?”

          “No.” Kyungsoo answers.

          The sound of rain and water simmering in the pot combine to decorate the room, and we both almost finish eating.

          “Hey.” Kyungsoo breaks the silence. “Should I just live here?”

          We look at each other for a few seconds, and I form a smile. “Do you want me to kick you out to the rain, or pour the hot water over your head? Or both?”

          Kyungsoo displays his heart-shaped smile, and fades it in one second. “Either, Your Highness.”

          I go to the kitchen to stack up our dirty dishes, and Kyungsoo follows. At one point I turn around, and tremble. Kyungsoo is right behind me, and my eye level is right on his lips. “Oh God. Move aside.”

          Due to the narrow space between the washing bin and table we’re standing on, Kyungsoo finds difficulties to step away. While the struggle occurs, I keep looking down to the floor, feeling somewhat awkward. I finally succeed to free myself, and emptily look at the living room.

          “There’s just one more person here, but the house feels much more crowded.” I mumble.

          “Why do you sound nervous?” Kyungsoo asks innocently. I turn to see him, and he has this mischievous smile on his face. I look around to find something to throw, and Kyungsoo runs away to the bathroom.

          The problem is… He’s right… I am nervous.

          Not that kind of nervous, though. It’s just strange to see a friend from kindergarten as an adult. They look the same and different at the same time. The kid with squeaky voice transformed into a man with deep voice and bulky body. The thing that hasn’t changed is his overdosed playfulness towards me.

          Kyungsoo and I met for the first time when we were five, then we went to different elementary and middle schools until high school reunited us again. Our families know each other, mostly our moms who hung out sometimes and exchanged stories because we are both an only child.

          This is the fourth time he used my house as a hideout after arguing with his parents. At first he said that the reason was because his parents disapproved of the career he wanted to start after being discharged from the army last year, an illustrator. Later when he came again, he said nothing, but I guessed it was because of the same thing.

          Kyungsoo comes out from the bathroom and glances at my family photo on the wall. “Your parents are still in Guam?”

          “Yeah… They have so much fun managing their bed and breakfast there.”

          “It must be good to have the whole house for yourself though.”

          “Hah, not that good… It feels empty to come home to a dark house after work every day.” I put my legs on the sofa. “And I have to feed myself. Cooking is troublesome, ugh.”

          Kyungsoo slowly approaches me in the living room, and take a seat to face me. “Remember what I said?”

          “What?”

          “Should I just live here?”

          He looks so serious, and I shudder. “What’s wrong with you, really?”

          “Sara.” Kyungsoo straightens his back. “Let me live here for a week.”

          My eyes make ten different movements within two seconds. “Did you eat something wrong? Wait we ate the same thing—I swear I didn’t put anything into your—”

          “Sara, I’m being serious.”

          My lips part a bit, and I raise a hand. “Just tell me what happened.”

          “If I do, will you let me live here?”

          “Hey.” I take a deep breath. “I know we’re close, but—”

          “I’ll take that room in the basement, next to the storage room where we used to play as kids. I’ll pay rent, I’ll take care of my own meals, and I won’t be a nuisance to you.”

          “Then look for an apartment! Why does it have to be here?”

          I shut my mouth tight. Did I say something wrong? Is this possibly money problem? The last time we talked, he was working in an art studio, and he said it paid well.

          But most importantly, why is he leaving home? Are things getting out of hand with his parents? Is he kicked out? Questions roam my head as Kyungsoo stares at me, and I close my eyes.

          “So what happened at home?” I ask slowly.

          “I need to be apart from my parents for some time.” Kyungsoo answers without missing a beat.

          “It’s that bad?” I ask.

          Kyungsoo looks at somewhere else. “I’ll tell you later… During my stay here.”

          I groan. “That won’t work.”

          “Sara, I’m asking for a favor. Please. A week.”

          I scratch my head. “Why me? Don’t you have friends?”

          “You are my friend.”

          I stand up from the sofa while shaking my head, but Kyungsoo takes my arm. “Sara.”

          He always uses this low, breathy voice for calling my name and I’m almost swayed by it. What am I going to do? Do I trust him enough for this? There will be only the two of us… A week… On weekdays we probably won’t meet each other because of work.

          “If.” I say, and Kyungsoo’s eyes light up. “If.” I repeat. “If I say yes, when will you start?”

          “Today.”

          I raise my eyebrows. “You’re that desperate?”

          Kyungsoo doesn’t falter. I shake off his hand from mine slowly, and sit back down.

          “I’m going to be really strict with the rules, and you know what will happen if you don’t adhere to them, right?”

          Kyungsoo smiles. “Yes.”

          It gets quieter, and I realize the rain stopped when we were talking. I look at the floor in silence. “I don’t know if I made the right choice or not.” I mutter.

          “Sara, I won’t do anything. You might not gain anything from this, but this is a great help for me. Thank you.” Kyungsoo says in his most convincing marketing tone as he takes one of my hand, and I slap his away. He chuckles, and stands up. “Well then, I’ll bring my stuff here.”

          “Wha—now?” I ask in disbelief.

          “I said I’d start today, right?” Kyungsoo smiles as he wears his jacket. “I’ll be back soon.”

          I stay on my seat, defeated. I hope this wouldn’t be a trouble.

*

          Kyungsoo is back at night, and I open the door after he rang the bell. It’s raining again outside and his jacket is hit with a few raindrops, but he looks pleased with a sheer smile on his face. I look at a gigantic suitcase which is half of his height on his side, and frown. “Wait. A week, remember?”

          “I work from home, so I’m bringing my equipments.”

          “…alright.”

          I lead him to the basement through the stairs right beside the main entrance, and open the spare bedroom there. The room was for a house helper who used to work here when my parents were both working, but as I grew older and my parents retired early, we don’t employ one anymore.

          “I changed the sheets. I put towels in the wardrobe. Tell me if you need anything.”

          “Of course, Han Sara is the best.”

          I give him a shrug. He starts unpacking, and I see him taking out sketchbooks, a drawing pad, two laptops, and a series of wires. “Looks complicated. I’ll go upstairs.”

          “Okay. Let’s order dinner and eat together, I’ll buy.” Kyungsoo says. I nod, and head outside.

          I’m watching a talkshow on TV in the living room with my head supported by my hand and elbow on the sofa armrest when I hear footsteps getting nearer, and it slightly surprises me because I’m too used to be alone in this house for almost a year. Kyungsoo appears and lands on the space next to me.

          “What do you want to eat?”

          I take a look at him. It’s strange… I’m not by myself in this house.