“I’m going to submit a book.”

Several heads turn at her declaration. Some have the expression of disbelief, some have confusion, and the rest are curious. She expected that, of course. And she expected Eunbi asking her to elaborate, too.

“A book?” Eunbi an eyebrow up, yet there is a kind smile on her face.

Chaewon nods energetically, her whole follows her head movement on bobbing up and down. There is a bright smile on her lips, a peculiar glint on her bright eyes that her friends have not seen for a long, long time. A sign that Chaewon is truly, finally, alive; after days, months, years—

“You’re back to writing?” Yena’s voice is small and filled with uncertainty. She was one of her friends who has disbelieving expression at her prior declaration. “The last time you wrote was when--”

“Because I finally found her,” she declares softly, the smile on her lips never dims as she interrupted Yena from talking further. Instead, it only lights up brighter.

“The perfect woman I’m looking for.”

They met by chance; a walk to the city’s public library after decades, her mind in tangled web.

She actually didn’t have anything in her mind, not really. Just… her head felt heavy and it was hard to think straight--as if her brain completely refused to think.

It was one of those days. One of those days.

One of those days too many.

But it led her to stumble upon a woman, sitting on a bench just outside the newly renovated public library, looking too lost on her thoughts.

Until now, Chaewon isn’t sure what led her to take a sharp turn to her left, forcing her tired legs to pace quicker to approach that woman; but she likes to think it as the Universe wanting to end Chaewon’s misery after long years.

She remembers it well; her heart pounded so hard in her chest that she was worried it might jump out of its cage. And its pace and strength only increased the moment this woman looked up to her, meeting her dark brown eyes with Chaewon’s bright own.

Chaewon could see stories flashed in that woman’s eyes. From tooth-rotting fluff to heartbreaking angst.

A smile curled on her lips, and that seemed to stop the stories on the stranger’s eyes--so she stopped smiling.

Chaewon frowned again; but the stories did not return.

Instead, she saw emotions. Mainly annoyance and confusion--and there was anger! Hellstorm! Raging fire of wrath, smoldering and deadly.

Chaewon, once again, anticipated what stories would be written as the sitting woman parted her lips, ready to roll out her voice for the first time.

But instead of harsh words, the words coming out from those thin lips was a polite phrase of--

“How may I help you?”

And a smile.

A genuine smile with a genuine curve on her eyes.

Hiding those fascinating negative emotions.

Chaewon laughed.

Interesting. Interesting. Interesting.

Very amusing. Amusing. Amusing. Amusing.

She simply must write her stories.

“When you said you have found a perfect woman,” Sakura an eyebrow up, her voice a drawl, “You mean you found the main character of your story?”

Chaewon giggles, but immediately stops.

She doesn’t want Sakura to think she was being rude. She doesn’t want to annoy her.

But unknown to her, no one on that table is annoyed. In fact, they are relieved and happy.

All of these years, Chaewon finally released that blessed sound.

It warmed up their heart more than it supposed to be, more than it should be.

“No,” Chaewon shakes her head. “I found a perfect woman that helped me write it.”