Kyungsoo is preparing the food he ordered as I watch in front of him. We were just eating together a few hours ago… Now we’re here again. When he visited, he usually only stayed for 2-3 hours then he’d leave. “So you work from home now? What happened with your previous job?” I ask.

          “It’s still the same company. I got promoted and now have a more flexible schedule. I still go to the office once or twice every week.”

          “So you’ll spend more time here in your room?”

          “Yeah.”

          “Then why do you have to leave your house if you’re just locked up in your room all day?”

          “I’ll tell you later.”

          I roll my eyes.

          “Because I have a lot of devices, I’ll contribute to the electricity bill. As we’re on the topic, I’ll hear out your rules.” Kyungsoo offers.

          “About the bills, as it’s for a week I’m not really sure. I’ll see the average. The most basic rule is probably don’t ever set foot on the second floor.”

          Kyungsoo scoffs. “Your room.”

          “Exactly. As for other things, I believe you’re a fully functioning adult who knows boundaries and mannerisms in other people’s house, and will act like one.”

          Kyungsoo puts a rice bowl in front of me. “Got it.”

          “If you do anything suspicious, I’ll sue you.”

          Kyungsoo picks a piece of cabbage with his chopsticks and puts it right in front of my mouth. He nods a bit, and I look at him with half-closed eyes. I let him feed me, and he forms a satisfied smile. “You’re still interning?”

          “Yeah. I’m looking for a permanent job, though.”

          “Does the current company have no permanent employment offers?”

          “They have, but I have this company I really want to work at. This internship will end in the end of this season, and I’m going to prepare for the interview in winter.”

          “Don’t you want to follow your parents to Guam?”

          I chew slowly. “For now, no. I miss them sometimes, but I have my goals, and they have theirs. They will visit here sometimes, and I plan to vacation there next year.”

          Kyungsoo listens to me intently. He’s looking down at his bowl, and I unintentionally focus on the spiky edges of his hair on his forehead. “You have no intention to grow out your hair again?” I ask.

          “No. I realize how convenient short hair is during my service.”

          “You look like how you were twenty years ago.”

          He laughs, and chokes a little. I push his glass towards him, and he drinks impatiently.

          “Oh.” I get reminded of something. “An additional rule. You can’t bring your girlfriend here.”

          Kyungsoo coughs. “You won’t let me eat in peace, will you?”

          “Hey, it’s important.”

          “I don’t have one.”

          “What happened to that girl with short hair?”

          “It’s ended—wait how did you know?”

          I clink my chopsticks to the bowl lightly. “She went to the same university as me, stupid. We met when you were picking her up.”

          “Oh—oh.” Kyungsoo snickers. “Right. That was a long time ago. As for you, are you still dating that bank employee?”

          “Huh, that jerk? Nah, I dumped him. He was… Well…” Kyungsoo is looking at me, waiting. “Sometimes he got physical.”

          “What? What did he do? Did he hit you?”

          “A few times.” I say really slowly.

          “What?” Kyungsoo repeats with a higher tone. “Where is he now? What a bas—”

          “He’s relocated to a branch office far away, thankfully. He was a nightmare.”

          Kyungsoo’s stare lingers at me for awhile, then he gets back to eating. “Tell me if there’s someone similar to him later.”

          “Alright, alright.” I nonchalantly nod.

          “I’m being serious.”

          “I get it.” I firmly say. “I’m finished. Tomorrow’s Monday, I’m going to bed earlier.”

          Kyungsoo eyes the remaining food on my side. “Hey, you aren’t done.”

          I ignore him, and leave my seat. “So you won’t go anywhere tomorrow?”

          “I think so.”

          “All right then. Good night.”

          I climb the stairs slowly, thinking about the guy I just casually let in for a week. He’ll leave in no time.

*

          It was just another day in my internship—endless chores, variety of snide comments from seniors, stale lunch, and so on. I actually like it more when it goes nearing the night when they give me a load of task as they go home—at least I have the silent, peaceful office by myself.

          A few minutes past 10, my phone lights up and I furrow my brows to see Kyungsoo calling. “What?” I put the phone on speaker.

          “You aren’t home yet?”

          “I’m still at work.”

          “This is really late.”

          “I know. But work ain’t gonna finish itself.” I say as I keep typing.

          “Be careful.”

          “Okay.” I say as I hang up. He’s like a noisy parent.

          I arrive home at midnight, and hear faint TV sound as I open the door. Kyungsoo is sitting in dark living room, looking at my direction through his black-rimmed glasses. The lights from the screen reveals his sleeping gear, and I exhale deeply. “You’re not sleeping?”

          I walk to the sofa, and sit beside him as I look at the ceiling. I can see him looking at me, and I sway my hand to lightly hit his arm. “What?”

          “Tired?” he asks.

          “I experience this daily.”

          “You come home this late every day?”

          “Mostly, yeah.”

          “Do you take care of your meals?”

          “I do. Goodness, you’re like a nagging mother.”

          He stands up, and I thought he was going to go to his room but I hear him walking to the kitchen and pouring some water. He comes back and holds the glass above my head. “Drink some.”

          “What are you doing?”

          He moves the glass a bit to the side, and I flinch. “Ah! Alright, alright.” I sit down straight and take the glass. The water is warm. I finish half of it, and glare at him. “Are we done?”

          Kyungsoo has one side of his mouth go up, and nod. “Let’s sleep.”

          “Yeah. Good night.”

          “Aren’t you going to your room?”

          “Later. I like to sit here for awhile after going home.” I say.

          “Do you want me to stay too?”

          “If you want. I’m not going to do anything, maybe fall asleep here.”

          Kyungsoo ends up sitting again, and he takes the same position as me to see the ceiling. We’re staying silent, and the TV is still on low volume.

          “Kyungsoo.”

          “Yeah?”

          “You asked me if I’m tired… But I think you have it harder.”

          He doesn’t respond.

          “I’ve been pestering you to tell me what happened, but if you don’t want to… It’s okay.”

          More silence. I close my eyes, and clear my mind. I can’t do much for him at the moment, and if a place to stay is the only thing he currently needs, then just let it be.

          “I’ll tell you on Saturday.” Kyungsoo suddenly says.

          I open my eyes. “Why Saturday?”

          “Just because.”

          I shrug. “Well then.”

*

          Days go by without anything much happening. When I come home, Kyungsoo is always there in the living room except for that one time on Wednesday.

          I have to admit that I like it. I don’t know if he’s waiting for me on purpose or just can’t sleep, but having someone else in the house makes me feel more secure.

          On Friday, I’m wearing my shoes in front of the door in the morning when Kyungsoo is getting upstairs, getting ready to leave too. I never see him in the morning before. “You’re leaving?”

          “Yeah.” I say. “Where are you going?”

          “I’m going to the company.”

          “How nice, not going every day.” I murmur.

          We walk together to the bus stop and separate there as Kyungsoo is taking the subway. I’m excited for this Friday because my favorite manager, Mr. Kim, is bringing the interns for a site visit in the other part of the city after lunch and usually when he does, he’ll let us go home early. What should I do later? Should I ask Kyungsoo to have dinner together outside?

          We’re going to an area in Nonhyun and I recognize the district as Kyungsoo’s neighborhood. Mr. Kim dismisses us after checking the site, and I see that the building I’m visiting is only a few turns away from Kyungsoo’s house.

          Should I go there? But what am I going to do? It’s not like I can greet his parents and say that his son is staying at my house. Well I don’t have to enter… I’ll just pass by… I like sightseeing, it’s still to early to go home anyway. The sky’s still bright. Alright, let’s go.

          I have only been to his house less than five times, when we were little and twice when we had a group project in high school during our time as classmates in our junior year. It was summer, and I remember eating cold peaches that his mother cut for us.

          I arrive in front of a small coin laundry place, and Kyungsoo’s house is the third one on the left side after turning right on this section. I spot the house with closed light brown gate but my tiny excitement grows faint when I see a big sale sign hanging on the knob.

          My steps go slower, and I stop in front of the gate. I tap my foot to the stone road as I stare at the sign. Did they move? Kyungsoo never mentioned that, though. Or do they have financial problems? Well, it’s not like I know everything—

          “What are you looking for, young lady? Are you interested in the house?”

          I turn around, and a grandmother with silver hair and slouched back walks slowly towards me. Her voice is very loud for someone this tiny. She’s wrapped in thick furry coat, and has her hands on his back as she approaches me.

          “Oh—no, I think I went to the wrong house.”

          “Who are you looking for?”

          “Um, I’m looking for someone’s house—the head of the family’s name is Do. They have a son.”

          “Oh, that family? You’re in the right house, but Mr. Do and his wife have passed away.”