“Wrap this please” a girl said,as she gave a wristwatch to the cashier

“Certainly...a gift?” Yes...for myself. “Yes” the girl with black deep eye said. As she walked out from the watch store,a notification ring sounded from her phone.

Happy birthday Kim Hyunjin! ~Aeong~ It read.

A sad smile thus painted in her lip. As she walked briskly in the night street of Seoul,Hyunjin is halfway done with her birthday tradition. Gift,check...all that’s left is jajangmyeon. The usual shopkeeper usually greeted her warmly,but this one must be a new guy,looking as if he wished to be somewhere else. No bonus side dish for me this year then...again.

As Hyunjin was halfway done with her food, a girl near her age dressed in light brown trench coat and gaudy colored pink hair entered the shop. With cold and near robotic? gaze she looked around the premises before decidedly sit right in front of her...much to Hyunjin’s surprise. Not one to forgot her manner,Hyunjin gave a friendly yet awkward nod with sheepish smile to the stranger.

“You’re not expecting someone...i hope?” the stranger ask,with monotonic tone in her voice. Hyunjin never knew anyone else beside herself that came equipped with that kind of monotone figure of speech.

“No.” The dark haired girl answer,trying her hardest to conceal her awkwardness

“Good.”

the girls attention then momentarily distracted when loud singing of Happy Birthday was heard from the other side of the shop,a rowdy group of collegiate soccer club it seems,judging from their varsity jacket. The birthday boy in question was surrounded by his peers who came armed with confetti and soda cans,thoroughly shaken,pops and its contents come poured down the head of the birthyday boy,soaked and now faced down unto a cake by his other colleague

“Actually...today’s my birthday too” Hyunjin blurted out her thoughts out loud.

Hearing that,the stranger then automatically sing Happy Birthday too,but before she can reach the second verse,she got silenced by Hyunjin’s palm. Muffled,the stranger carried on singing. This small commotion drew eyes from other nearby customer,some looked longingly,Hyunjin could sense their inner mind,saying  Aww in their head...it left her cheek red blush with secondhand embarrasment. Others not so much. Finished with the congratulatory song and no longer muffled,the stranger beckon nearby waiter and ask for menu,much to Hyunjin’s amazement,the stranger apparently ordered almost half of the food in that menu. As the food arrives,the table nearly had no space left to place the food,the stranger thus ate them systematically.

“You could have some...since it’s your birthday...my treat.” she said as she paused from devouring her meal to which Hyunjin refuse. Hyunjin in her awkwardness couldn’t left the table either and sat there frozen as if she’s watching some mukbang broadcast. As the stranger finished with the food,she beckons the waiter once again,asked for a bill. “Wait outside” the stranger said “I’ll pay for your jajangmyeon too.”

“Well...we should split it,I-“

“I insist”

Assa~ free food Hyunjin happily thought to herself as she took her belonging and do as the stranger told her to,now standing outside the eatery I feel guilty though...Should I...

“Run” the stranger said while darting past the befuddled Hyunjin from behind.

!

Being a former member of athletic club in her high school days,Hyunjin easily catch up with the stranger and soon left the angry shopkeeper in the dust as they both safely concealed in the shadow of narrow alley. Great...now i can’t show my face around that restaurant again...Ah....i like their jajangmyeon.Hyunjin thought to herself while huffing and puffing,trying to pace her breath to normal rate. The same couldn’t be said of the stranger,oddly calm after her committed crime and after a quick sprint,like nothing happened.

“Yah!..are you mad?!” Hyunjin said in frustration.

“I need sustenance...but i failed to carry the sufficient currency.”

“Wh-..What?” aside from her odd choice of word,a pang of pity sprang up in her mind. is she lost? A runaway?...a stray?. Hyunjin’s mind came to be reminded of the dogs and cats,especially cats, she took care in the animal shelter where she worked. In Hyunjin’s eyes,this stranger is no more than a stray cat with pink fur,hungry,homeless...alone. “Tell me,honestly. Who the hell are you?” the stranger hesitated for a moment before she answer.

“I’m Vivi..an Wong. I’m not from around here...i need to find someone”

Figures...that’s why she speak funny. “well...good luck on your search,Vivian? Vivi. good night...careful on your way home” Hyunjin said while walking away from the pink haired girl.

“....I need shelter” the words stopped Hyunjin in her track. Ah...shi-...really now?! was her thoughts but after a long heavy sigh and a long hard look on Vivi to decide whether she’s harmful or not “...fine. follow me then. Oh and by the way,my name’s Hyunjin.”

The two acquaintances thus traversed in the maze-like dim streets and narrow alleys of outskirt Seoul before arriving in front of a worn down old movie theater Hyunjin and half a dozen of her cats called home. “Admiring the view?,Careful..you might got lost” Hyunjin said upon seeing Vivi looked around the brightly lit auditorium

She guided Vivi to a formerly projector room turned bedroom beside her own other similar room nearby. “Kin of yours?” Vivi asked upon seeing a framed picture of two smiling young man flanking a girl with a shy smile at the bedside table.

“older brothers. Late older brothers” Hyunjin answered. Come to think about it..this is the first time i ever step into their rooms again...since that day. She brushed aside the sorrowful thoughts and letting Vivi know where to find her if she needed something else and retreat to her room for the night.