Jeongyeon looks at himself in front of the glass door once more, fixing his hair before going inside.

“So what kind of job are you applying for?” The manager asks.

“Um, I don’t know? Driver? Packer? Anything that pays?”

“Do you have any work experience?” The bald guy asks again.

“Yeah, sure. I’ve helped people move and stuffs but never worked at a moving company before.”

“Then there’d be ‘no experience’. Where do you live?” The guy speaks again, this time with a rather intimidating voice while jotting down something on his application form. Jeong would rather not be questioned so much and for a brief moment, he nearly loses his composure, I don’t need this , he thought to himself. But then he needs to make some money. So he snaps out of it.

“In Yokohama.” The manager looks up from his writing. It’s going take somewhere around 30 minutes to get here from Tokyo.

“Can you get here every day? I need you here by 7am,” there’s a pregnant pause. Jeong thinks about it. He needs to make money.

“Yeah, I’ll get here.”

-

“Okay, you ready bro?” Jackson asks again.

“As ready as I can ever be, just do it man.”

Jackson then put 3 boxes on Jeongyeon’s back. He balances the boxes on his back then heads to the stairs. He is doing fine on the first two flight of stairs, two more to go, I can do this, he said to himself. One more level to go through when he gets unbalance.

“Oh , oh , come on man!” He curse to himself as the highest box fell to the floor. Jackson was behind him, just like him, with three boxes on his back, laughing at him. Going through 4 flight of stairs with 30 pounds of boxes behind his back isn’t really something he’s used to do. He ends up spilling up the boxes and their contents all over the sidewalk. The manager looks pissed. Jeongyeon gets down on his hands and knees and packs up the boxes - quickly.

“Don’t worry about it, you ain’t a professional yet.” Jackson says, patting Jeong’s back as they were resting at the truck after doing 4 more rounds of boxes and stuffs to be moved. Jeongyeon looks up at Jackson with a lazy smile, as if thanking Jackson for the kind words.

-

Jeongyeon takes a pull from his cigarette. His body, sore from the manual labor. His mind, ripe. He just gets home from the whole day at work, and he needs some rest for work tomorrow but his mind is wide awake, so he writes is his journal.

I feel like men are more romantic than women. When we get married we marry one girl. Cause we’re resistant the whole way until we meet one girl and we think ‘I’d be an idiot if I didn’t marry this girl she’s so great’. But it seems like girls get to a place where they just kind of pick the best option or something. Some girls that are married are like, “Oh he’s got a good job.” I mean they spend their whole life looking for Prince Charming and then they marry the guy who’s got a good job and is going to stick around, and like they don’t even care if they’re in love with that guy. They’re like, ‘love will come around’ and they hope it does and even if it doesn’t they would still stay around. Because the guy’s got ‘a good job’ and they’re going to have food to eat and a place to live in no matter what.

He stop, stares at the words he just wrote. He takes a long pull from his long forgotten cigarettes, put the journal down on the table. He picks up his ukulele and plays Creep. His all time favorite song.

You float like a feather
In a beautiful world
And I wish I was special
You're so in' special

His voice raw, from the cigarettes and the alcohol. He hums some more.

Whatever makes you happy
Whatever you want
You're so in' special
I wish I was special

But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo,
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here.
I don't belong here.

He put down his ukulele, take another gulp from his beer can. He gets up from the couch, starts walking to his bedroom until he stops at a lone table in the living room, with a single frame on it.

“, I miss you pops.” He says before taking his father’s picture with to bed.

-

Jeongyeon slides open a box cutter. He hammers a nail in the wall. Places a framed picture up. Unpacks the old man’s clothes, folds them, puts them in drawers. He finds the man’s old army uniform. Hangs it with reverence on the wall. Along with a Japan flag. Replaces the light bulb on a burned out lamp. Wipes clean old pictures and knickknacks using toilet paper. Halfway through it, Jackson comes in, carrying a box of food - cans of soup, etc.

“Come on man, we gotta move now, it’s two hours ride back to the city.”

“Almost done,” Jeongyeon answer, showing Jackson five fingers, indicating for five more minutes.

“Okay bro, I’ll wait for you at the truck.” Jackson say before looking at the room once more for the last time.

Jeongyeon was about to take his leave when the nurse come to send the new owner of the room, Mr. Takahashi to his room. Jeongyeon looks out the door.

“Hey! Mr. Takahashi! Don’t be mad okay? I opened some of your stuff, I hope that’s okay. You wanna walk in here?” Jeongyeon nods at the nurse then holds the old man’s hand, helping him to get inside. He opens the door a little bit wider, his left hand showing the new room to the old man.

“This is your new home. I hung your uniform I hope that’s okay? And I noticed you had a lot of matches so I just hung them on the wall, if you don’t like it you can just rip them down, its tape.” It is hard to judge from Mr. Takahashi’s expression what his reaction is so Jeongyeon continues. He points to a framed wedding picture on Mr. Takahashi’s desk.

“Hey, is this your wife?” Mr. Takahashi nods.

“She was a beautiful woman! Umm.. Okay, nice to meet you” Jeongyeon outstretches his hand to shake. Mr. Takahashi grabs his hand with two of his hands.

“Thank you.”

Jeongyeon nods at the old man, he backs out of the room and closes the door behind him. He was about to walk to the truck but he stops. Something across the hall has caught his eye.

They both stare at each other. He doesn’t know what to do with his hands, so he reaches for the wad of money on the dresser that his manager has put for him and puts it in his pocket. Mina sees this, finds it a bit strange, who is this person? Is he stealing that money? She decides that it is something that she shouldn’t see so she closes the door. Jeongyeon feels her suspicion and runs up to the door. He knocks the door.

“Excuse me can I talk to you for a second?” Jeongyeon asks, knocking. The door creeks open. Mina peeks through the small opening.

“Why?”

“You think I stole that money don’t you? Yeah you do. I have a job, okay, this is my job.” Jeongyeon’s blabbering, he knows it and he doesn’t even know why he is explaining himself to this person he just saw 5 seconds ago. He doesn’t know, but he feels like he needs to.

“I got it.” She tries, again, to close the door.

“I make money. Money I can take girls out on dates with. Just so you know.” Mina laughs. And Jeongyeon thought to himself, Okay, that’s something. Mina realizes she shouldn’t be doing this so she try to regain her composure.

“Good to know,”

“What’s your name?”

“Go away,” Mina say, this time trying harder to close the door, not caring if she’s hitting Jeongyeon’s head with the door. But Jeongyeon’s strong, and dedicated.

“Go away? That’s a weird name,” Mina laughs again. Jeongyeon grins. Mina’s grandmother couldn’t see the face of the gentleman trying to woo her Mina but she can tell he’s a nice guy. She looks at Mina’s back with a knowing smile on her face.

“Hold on, I wanna give you something,” He pulls out his business card and a pen then starts writing on the back of the card.

“Here,” he says, handing his card to her. Mina gives him a smile. He was putting the pen in his pocket when Mina closes the door on him. He is left alone, sighing. He hangs his head low, heading towards the truck.

Mina looks at the card before putting it inside her bag.

Give me a chance, Jeongyeon.

-

Mina was pushing her grandmother up the driveway when she saw Momo, standing on the porch holding a bunch of red roses. Mina ignores when he walks closer to her and tries to push him away.

“Hi, how are you?” Momo asks to her grandmother.

“Fine thank you,”

“It’s great to meet you. Mina please, could you talk to me for five minutes please?” Momo say again, giving her grandmother a smile before returning to Mina, begging her to give him just 5 minutes.

“I don’t want to talk to you anymore.” Mina answer, quickening her pace to the door. Momo has to jog to catch up to this girl wheeling her grandmother up the driveway.

“Mina, I got these for you. Will you take these please?” Mina doesn’t want the flower, but Momo forces her to take them. She has finally arrived at the door and is struggling to open the door, fumbling to navigate the wheelchair and the flowers.

“Can I please, have five minutes? This is ridiculous you’re not even going to talk to me? Come on Mina. I’m trying to say sorry and you’re acting like a total !” Momo raises his voice, he has grown impatient of how Mina’s acting. It was a mistake. It’s not like he wanted to come inside of Mina, he tried his very hardest to control himself. But Mina doesn’t care and she feels like Momo has disrespected her, so she gets inside and slam the door on him.

-

Jeongyeon take another long pull from his cigarette before putting it out. He then finishes his beer in one gulp, before looking again at his phone. Anyone would say Jeongyeon is stupid for something he wasn’t sure of. He had only met this girl once, didn’t even get her name, why was he still hoping for her to call him? Mina doesn’t call. A part of Jeongyeon knew she wouldn’t call. She probably has a whole good-looking boyfriend because how could she not? She’s the most beautiful girl Jeongyeon has ever laid his eyes on and he is just him. A college dropout, working in a moving company, what’s so good about that?

He takes his journal from the floor, before he begins writing on it.

I know I should stop thinking about it but I can’t. I think it’s because I’ve seen too many movies, love at first sight, they always say. Do you think it’s real? Do you think you can love someone just by looking at them? But the thing is, I feel like I knew her. Does that even make sense? Like I’ve seen her before and I know her. But I also know it’s just a feeling, I don’t know her. It just feels like I did. She just seems different, I just got a feeling about her. Like when a song comes on and you know you just have to dance to it. She gives me that feeling. Do you think I’m too much in my head? I hope it’s just that. That after some times I’d stop thinking about her. God I ing hope.

Jeongyeon put down his journal, take another cigarette from the box, the last one. He didn’t light it up, just let it dangle between his lips. He picks up his ukulele and starts strumming the first song that come up to his mind. It’s Chasing Cars this time.

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

Let's waste time
Chasing cars
Around our heads

I need your grace
To remind me
To find my own

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

He doesn’t sing along this time, just hum along the strums of the ukulele. Maybe he’s tired from whole day of hefting big boxes or maybe he is just tired of feelings and a certain unknown girl who has been messing with his head. He puts his ukulele on the couch, gets up and went to shower.

-

Jeongyeon was sweeping the bed of the truck when he found it- a locket. He holds the locket, stares at it, twirling before opening the latch and he sees a picture of an old man and his wife, old photo, probably not less than 50 years ago. He knew her, he’s seen her before somewhere. Mr. Takahashi’s wife! he exclaimed to himself when he remembered. He knew he has to go and return it to Mr. Takahashi. Doesn’t matter if the old guy didn’t remember it but he just know he needs to give it back.

Still in his work clothes, after telling the manager about the locket and getting to finish early today, he rides the train out of the city. He pulls out the locket again. There’s an inscription on the back of the locket, barely visible when he first found the locket. You are my sunshine. And Jeongyeon’s mind runs wild again.

He knew he has always been a hopeless romantic, just like his deceased father. And just like his dead father, he could play music. A little bit of everything, he could play. Just like his hopeless romantic father, he knew he was going to love one woman for the rest of his life. He’s going to find a girl and everything changes. Everything about the way he thinks about life would change. And this girl, the most amazing girl in his life is going to give the best time in his life. Just like his father, and just like sweet old Mr. Takahashi.

Jeongyeon walks to the old man’s room. The door is open, lights are off, room is empty. All the furniture, pictures are gone, only an empty bed remains. He hears the TV from across the hall. He knocks, waits, then opens Mina’s grandmother’s door just a little, talking through the opening.

“Hi. Do you know what happened to my friend Mr. Takahashi?” He asks, politely, not wanting to rudely disturb the old lady’s evening.

“Who?”

“Mr. Takahashi, he’s the gentleman that just moved in across the hall about a month ago?”

“Oh, I don’t know anything about anyone named Takahashi.” The old lady answer again, this time feeling intimidated at how Jeongyeon is still bugging her. There’s a pregnant pause, Jeongyeon seems to be thinking of something. He looks at Mina’s grandmother.

“Hey, can I ask you something else? What’s the story with that girl that was in here like a month ago. I gave her my card but she never called. What’s her name?”

“Mina,” she answers with a smile, before closing the door on him.

-

Jeongyeon is feeling a little down because he don’t know what happens to Mr. Takahashi. Maybe he did know but a part of him doesn’t want to believe it. His head hangs low, staring at the locket, Mr. Takahashi’s wife and him. He sits with his ukulele in the bus not believing his luck. He didn’t get to see Mr. Takahashi and Mina didn’t visit her sweet grandmother that day.

The bus stops, A few passengers get on and one of them is Mina. Jeongyeon watches her pay her fare and walk to the back of the bus, not noticing him. He holds his ukulele and the locket in his palms, not believing his luck. He put the locket inside his pocket before gathering the courage to walk to her.

The moving bus throws his balance. He stands over her for a moment. Mina senses somebody in her space so she looks up, she recognizes him, but can’t place it.

“Do you think I could sit down because all these other seats are taken?” He doesn’t know how she’d react. The bus is empty. But Mina moves her bag from the seat next to her, so Jeongyeon takes that as a yes.

“You know I just talked to your grandmother,” Jeongyeon speaks again and Mina looks taken aback, so he continues.

“Okay let me put it into context. I went out there to see Mr. Takahashi who’s not there anymore. That’s why I talked to her. You know what happened to that guy, Mr. Takahashi?” Jeongyeon asks her, somehow hoping she’d know.

“Yeah, you know what happened to that guy Mr. Takahashi?” Mina repeats after her, chuckling along and rolling her eyes. She doesn’t mean to be sarcastic. An old guy just died, she knows it’s not appropriate to act like that but sarcasm has always been her defense mechanism. The thought of her grandmother ending up just like Mr. Takahashi scares the out of her.

“No really, what happened to Mr. Takahashi?” Jeongyeon asks again, his face serious.

“He’s gone.” Mina answer, seriously this time.

“What do you mean?”

“They’re old, what do you expect? Do you want to live like that?” Mina asks, this time facing Jeongyeon.

“In that home?” Mina nods. He continues. “No, I don’t. But I’m not getting old and he’s a dummy for dying.” If sarcasm is Mina’s defense mechanism, then being cynic is Jeong’s. Mr. Takahashi is dead. Just like his sweet old father. And just like his sweet old father, he didn’t get the chance to say his goodbye.

“He’s a dummy for dying? Then what are you going to do ‘wise guy’?” Mina rolls her eyes, doing air quotation marks with her fingers at Jeongyeon.

“Not do it. Are you going to die?” Mina looks at Jeongyeon in confusion, as if he’s mad, maybe