“Hello?”

Minjung dabbed the towel that she was holding on her forehead and her neck, wiping the sweat away. She stepped away from the treadmill and walked towards her bag.

“Are you going to stop by here?” Sumin asked from the other line. “Jiyoung said that she’s going to bring us some cupcakes. She said her friend just opened a shop so she’s going to get some samples.”

“Yeah, I’ll be there.” Minjung drank from her tumbler before organizing her bag. “I’ll be bringing the boys for a check-up.”

“Okay, I’ll be waiting.” And with that, the call ended. Minjung hiked her bag on her shoulder and looked for the owner of the gym. She signaled the guy who was assisting another guy with an equipment that she’s living and the owner nodded in greeting.

It took her less than five minutes to get to her car. With music blasting, she drove her car through the highway. She couldn’t help but wince when her stomach started acting up again. The pain’s getting worse by the day. She already mentally noted that she needed to visit the hospital as soon as possible.

When she made it home, her two fluffy golden retrievers welcomed her happily. A smile instantly crept to her face as she ruffled their soft fur. She dropped her bag on the floor and checked the letters that she just received. She started sorting them out and stopped when she saw one without any return address.

Curious, she opened it and her face turned serious. The letter inside was signed ‘Yours Truly, M’ – the same ‘M’ who keeps on sending her packages to her office.

    Dear Minjung,

I hope you’re doing fine. I have never written a letter to you before so this is actually kind of weird. I just want to know if you have received the packages that I’ve been sending. I hope that you did. I’m not really good at choosing presents so I hope that they’re pretty acceptable.

I saw you once at the grocery store but I was just too shy to approach you. You’re just too pretty to be amongst people like me. Next time, I’ll make sure to approach you. I’m just a bit busy now with work. But rest assured, we’ll meet.

            Yours Truly,

            M

She couldn’t explain the fear rushing through her veins at the moment and every moment she would receive a package from ‘M’. It started 2 months ago. She thought it was from a friend but the packages contained weird stuff. The latest that she got from ‘M’ was a teddy bear. When she checked it, it had a hidden camera.

She reported it to the police not too long ago. She’s been sitting on the edge of her seat because of her creepy admirer. With stress coming from her work, she couldn’t afford to add another thing to think about. Preserving the evidence, she put the letter and the envelope in a ziplock.

When she noticed the boys running around her place, she smiled a bit. “Hunter. Happy. Come here,” she called out, clapping her hands. The two went running back to her, showering her with kisses.

She patted their heads, thinking that she’ll be just fine with them around.

Thirty minutes later, she was sitting inside a café near Sumin’s clinic. Hunter and Happy were in the clinic, being groomed by Sumin’s staff. The three of them were in the middle of enjoying some cupcakes and coffee.

“So how was that guy?” Sumin asked.

“What guy?” Minjung asked, sipping on his mug of coffee.

“Kim Jongin?” Jiyoung asked and Sumin nodded.

“Oh, he’s actually doing fine,” Minjung answered. “I can already tell that he’s a diligent person. He’s also organized. He actually made my schedule a bit livable. But why are you asking? Is he your type?”

“Yes, he’s my type,” Sumin replied right away, making Jiyoung choke on her drink. “He’s my type for you.”

Minjung rolled her eyes and sighed, putting down her fork. “Don’t start with that.”

“What? I’m just saying. And come on, I know he’s made an impression on you; a good one at that. I know you’re not the kind of person who hires someone impulsively without checking the person’s resume.”

Jiyoung then turned to Minjung. Sumin has a point there.

“Yes, he’s earned a good impression. Some things happened and I thought that he’s a good person. Besides, he’s in a dire situation where he needs financial help. And I just saw myself in him.” She said that last sentence with a softer voice. She lifted her mug and took a sip from it. “That’s just that and nothing more. So if you’re thinking of pushing it to something more than that, stop it.”

Sumin pursed her lips into a pout. “Okay, I get it. Nothing more than showing sympathy.” Sumin looked at Jiyoung and the latter noticed that playful glint in her eyes. Jiyoung’s sure that Sumin’s not going to give up that easily. “But then again, we don’t know what will happen. You know, I saw him closely before and I could tell that he’s cute.”

Minjung rolled her eyes at her friend. “Cute? What are you? A teenager?”

Jiyoung quietly stared at Minjung, thinking of how much she had changed. Minjung’s been building a wall around her heart through the years and she could understand why. It’s all because of him – the one who broke his promise and her heart.

Work’s actually getting enjoyable by the day. After the welcome party that the other employees threw, he could tell that he’s built a good connection with the othe