A strange place with a strange person can certainly give you strange feelings and strange ideas. However, she is no stranger to the city. She has always wanted to be in Seoul and the city embraced her like it is where she is supposed to be. With a successful career as an engineer, Yerin has helped shape the city in more than 10 ways (with more than 10 buildings she helped construct).

To give back to the city’s love and generosity, she decided to pay it forward by helping anyone she can, ranging from housing stray animals (before putting them up for adoption) to now, housing stray individuals. Perhaps it was the universe, peeking into her heart and seeing just how much she wants to share her blessings, that steered SinB to come crashing on her construction site fence.

At first she thought the woman was drunk or maybe even innocently just lacking sleep, recalling the way the vehicle swerved and spun before coming to a full stop as it slammed onto the fence. After instructing her workers to clean up the mess caused by the accident, Yerin watched, followed, and waited for the perfect opportunity to lend a helping hand.

But the opportunity never came. So Yerin simply created the opportunity for herself – by tackling the stranger.

Their short conversation along with the constant stopping and staring made her conclude that SinB is a foreigner who is not only lost but has also lost her memory. Quite a challenge for Yerin, of course, but it is not something she will back out from.

***********************

She is now more than ready to throw the towel and kick SinB out of the house and out of her life.

It has already been two weeks and no one has still contacted her regarding SinB. She had ads placed on the papers and filed a missing person report to the police.

But how can anyone claim to be a relative or even a friend of someone who does not even know herself?

Yerin discovered that SinB has no identification card, no birthday, and no surname. Aside from that, she cannot also read or write properly, with her handwriting consisting of scribbles and doodles that make no sense. At times, she would catch SinB speaking to herself in a language she does not recognize. 

The stranger is an enigma herself.

What makes it even more frustrating for Yerin is SinB’s lack of knowledge about anything that can be categorized under “activities of daily living”.

Apart from not knowing anything about herself, like a child, Yerin had to teach SinB how to eat (“Why should I eat?” SinB frowned as Yerin placed a plate of pancakes on the table), bathe (the girl doesn’t stink, but it sure grossed her out being around someone who has not changed clothes for two days), sleep (it took her four days to realize that SinB has not slept, after noticing there was no crease on the bed she prepared for her guest), and perform household chores (she figured if SinB can’t have a job, she might as well do some house work for her). 

But she cannot simply teach SinB everything there is in the world.

She woke up one morning to find SinB in front of a mirror, poking it and making faces. When the girl heard her approach, SinB asked, “What is this and why does it keep mocking me?” All the while pointing to her own reflection.

(Okay, that one was frustratingly cute.)

There was one day she was supposed to buy groceries so she went to an ATM to withdraw some cash, only to find that she has no money left. Shocked and fearing she had been hacked, she immediately complained and reported it to the bank. She came home that day dejected, only to arrive to her living room filled with new gadgets, clothes, and furniture, with SinB standing in the middle of it, smiling like a kid on Christmas.

“What is all this?” Yerin tried to sound as calm as possible, although she knows she is close to wiping that (y) grin off SinB’s face.

“They finally delivered it! I bought it for you!”

“With what money?” SinB has no job and as far as Yerin knows, no bank account.

“What is money? I just took that little plastic thing you hide in your little bag and gave it to the guy in this store I went to, and I told him I want to get you everything that can make you happy!” SinB exclaimed with such childlike glee, beaming proudly about what she did.

“You bought me stuff I don’t even need or want with my own money using my debit card?! How did you even know my PIN?!” She was fuming, her patience wearing thin.

“I’m supposed to use those small pointy prickly things?”

“Not a safety pin! P-I-N! Personal identification number!”

“I don’t know what you are referring to. He just asked me when’s your birthday.”

Yerin slumped, defeated. She felt her knees wobble as she fell to the floor. Her