Wheein
… Yongsun-unnie?

Wheein
Are you asleep already?

Wheein
I think… I need to go somewhere.

Kim Yong Sun
I’m just done with the shift. What is it, Wheein-ah?
Where are you right now?

Wheein
I’m just rambling, unnie.

Wheein
I’m just… really tired.

Kim Yong Sun
This will be quick if you can just let me know where
are you right now, Wheein-ah.

Youngsun keeps stealing a look all over the screen of her phone, her face marred with apprehension. Even the dim lights in the convenience store didn’t do a good job in hiding how much she wanted to just dash from that place. Not far from the cashier counter is Moonbyul, busily racking each item in their respective corner.

They have met before through a mutual friend, or Moonbyul, to be exact. An introduction that started with an awkward Yongsun and a cheery Wheein. Well, who can blame her? It’s just the same feeling when you stumbled upon a dog at the park: nothing can express just how much you want to pet it but chickened out in the end due to blasphemous reasons of not wanting to harm the dog with your careless ruffling and another long list of excuses and in the end, walking away from the golden chance.

They have exchanged contacts, or more like, when Moonbyul, with her magnificent skills of leaving her stuff everywhere, causing Yongsun to lend her phone so that the younger woman can call Wheein to confirm whether the thing was in the cafe or not.

After that, sometimes they chat.

But not often, like, two times a week, or none at all. And it is usually more to exchanging courtesies, something like, ‘good morning, unnie.’ or ‘have a nice day.’, sentences that she is almost sure have been sent to every contact she had on her phone as well. Or at least she thinks so.

Until tonight.

The message this time is… too cryptid. Like she cannot make the head or tails of it. It strangely keeps her on her toes, carefully mincing her words. That is, if she gets any reply. Yongsun’s stare following Moonbyul back and forth across the dairy product corner, unsure on whether to tell her friend or not.

Until another ping jolts her.

Wheein
I’m not usually like this, unnie…

Wheein
It’s fine, it’s going to take longer than usual.

Wheein
After this, he’ll come around, and everything will be fine…

Kim Yong Sun
Who’s he?

Kim Yong Sun
I’m serious Wheein-ah. Where are you right now?

Kim Yong Sun
If you didn’t answer, I’ll just stop replying.

A cheap blow, she knows. But what can she do now when Wheein is just as tight as a clam?

Wheein
I don’t know unnie. To be honest…
I just keep walking.

Wheein
My feet are getting colder…

Kim Yong Sun
You’re outside? Now?

Kim Yong Sun
It’s 2 in the morning, what were you thinking?

Yongsun frowned. Cold feet? In this sweltering heat? She types again.

Kim Yong Sun
You don’t wear shoes?

There was a muted silence as Yongsun keep her eyes trained on the screen.

Wheein
There is no time, unnie. It happened so fast this time.
I don’t have much time to prepare.

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