The rain had been non-stop since early morning.

Sana sat on the windowsill, a cup of cold coffee in her hand, eyes blinked for no more than three times for the past hour.

So this is really decided.

“You should have seen this day coming when you signed.” A woman in her 40s murmured after puffing the smoke out. “You are one of the slowest ones. See Sakura and Chika? They already earned enough to buy luxury bag and jewelry. And those men are running after them, offering money just to have them stay for 10 more minutes.”

Sana bit her lip. She hated to hear this.

“Who is he?” She asked. If she couldn’t escape, at least she deserved to know who she was about to face.

“I never said it’s a he.”

The woman chuckled when seeing Sana’s expression. “What? Women can pleasure women as well! As long as...” She pointed at her laptop. “She paid on time. And extra. For asking someone inexperienced. I have to be honest, I laughed when she was being euphemistic. Just say you want a !”

Coffee mug collided with the windowsill, luckily it did not cracked. Sana clenched her fist, she could not listen to these words anymore.

“What is the agreed time?”

“6:30. You got an hour and half.”

She left the office, passed the dining, went up the stairs to the third floor and straight into her room. She stumbled in front of the washbasin, the only thing that could calm her was cold water.

She splashed water on her face again and again. Her hair was damp, the collar of her shirt turned from light blue to dark blue. Finally, she stopped. And she did not want to see herself in the mirror.

“If you feel sick,” A soft voice appeared behind her. “Here, have some mints. If you still feel sick…remember to vomit things out before your work.”

“Is this the best advice you can offer, Dahyun?” Sana murmured, but took the mints from the girl’s hand.

“I wish it wasn’t.”

This place, this mansion, was the shelter they were given. The dozen girls who lived in here were like a big, messy family-- some of them hadn’t talked once to others, some of them had zero information about their past and even real name. But they shared one destiny--away from where they were born and grew up, had nothing, needed money and a life. It was their choices to work as an to repay what they were given.

“You should start dressing up.” Dahyun said, voice still soft. “Most clients don’t like waiting.”

“Will she...” Sana gulped. Perhaps she really needed to vomit. “Women...are better, right? They are gentle than men...aren’t they?”

Dahyun could only give her a sad smile.

***

Tzuyu knew someone was by her door 20 minutes ago. And she knew it was the girl she paid for the night.

She did not open the door. She stood beside the bookshelves and waited. She did not care how long she would have to stand there, she just waited, no anger, no impatience, no rush.

Eventually, the doorbell rang. Tzuyu opened the door slowly, the girl in front of her winced, her head was low but Tzuyu did not have to see her face to feel her tension. She nodded to the man who sent the girl here, he nodded back, murmured “11pm” and left.

“Come in.”

Closing the door, they were alone. Tzuyu noticed the water drops on the girl’s forehead, her clothes were also moist.

“You didn’t come by car?”

“I...I did.”

So she probably stood in the rain, tried to wash away her fear. Tzuyu stepped closer, she winced backward.

“Did you eat?”

“W-What?”

“You came on a empty stomach?”

Before getting any replies, Tzuyu grabbed a towel hanging on the chair and handed to the girl.

“You ok with cup noodles?”

The girl looked up at her, her eyes still contained dread, but with more doubts now.

She is pretty. Very pretty.

“You do everything clients asked in the paid hours, right?”

Tzuyu saw her swallow movement for the nth time. She might choke herself in any minute.

“If this makes you feel more comfortable,” She reached out her hand. “I’m Tzuyu. Chou Tzuyu.”

It took the girl a few seconds to hold her hand. One warm, one cold. She talked, in a shaky tone.

“S-Sana. Minatosaki...”

“Have a seat. Make yourself and home.”

Of course Sana could not make herself at home. But at least she got some time to breathe in.

Tzuyu left her in the living room, didn’t seem to care much about if she might steal her stuff. Sana looked around for the first time after entering-- this was a very clean apartment. Clean, neat, quiet, and lonely. No signs of a second person, every housewares appeared to be one person’s use. Sana knew this was not a place only for escorts (most of their clients booked hotel rooms, or owned a place where their wives had no idea about). This was a home.

She has lots of books. Sana’s sight locked on the big and overfull bookshelves, and she noticed that half of them were not written in Korean.

She studies foreign cultures? No...she is a foreigner?

No wonder her name sounded alien...

“I’m from Taiwan.” Sana almost jumped when Tzuyu showed up ghostly. She doesn’t make a sound when walking?

“You thirsty?” Tzuyu raised both her hands, a bottled water was in her left and a can of soda was in her right. “Pick one. Or you want both.”

If Tzuyu didn’t look serious and sound serious, Sana almost thought she was teasing her.

“W-Water...water is fine...”

Sana took a sip from the bottle when Tzuyu left again. She realized how thirsty she was, so she drank again.

Oh crap...What if she drugged this?

Am I gonna pass out?

10 minutes later, Tzuyu came back with two cup noodles and two pairs of chopsticks. Sana blinked, she was standing still. She could see and hear things clearly. Her conscious was just fine.

“Have a seat. You won’t like eating with a standing position.”

So she’s the type that…get everything ready before the…real thing, starts? Save that part to the last?

“I heard your stomach grumble. Just eat.”

Sana blushed, cursed herself for not able to control that, but sat down eventually. The cup noodles smell good though…She noticed an egg on top of the soup, Tzuyu even putted extra ingredient. Sana was still nervous, but her guard lowered a little.

Don’t know if she’s weird…at least she’s not violent…right?

The TV was , maybe Tzuyu had the habit to watch TV when eating, or maybe she thought some background sounds could reduce the awkwardness. Either way, they were both eating quietly, the atmosphere somehow had turned peaceful.

No one interrupted the silence. They were like two strangers having dinner in the same place. But after the meal, they probably would not just go on separate ways. One was the client, and the other had to serve.

Almost an hour had passed, her main job hadn’t even done for a bit. Sana’s throat twitched when thinking of what might happen next. She started to regret that she should not fill her stomach.

“If you finish,” Sana was startled again when Tzuyu spoke. “Just leave the empty container and chopsticks in the sink.”

Tzuyu stood up, eyed the clock on the wall. “3 hours and 7 minutes before you go. You can watch the TV or read any books on the shelves. Or you want to take a nap, the couch’s yours. I’m going back to my room.”

Before Sana’s brain could process what was actually happening, the door—the door of the room furthest from the living room,  closed. It was not locked, but definitely closed—leaving Sana surprised and clueless.

So…no serving part? She let me be here alone?

The answer emerged in Sana’s heart, but her mind still tried to comprehend.

Tzuyu never mentioned about that thing, not even showed any interests from the moment Sana came.

So…why would she pay for an on the outset?

Sana heard rustling sounds from Tzuyu’s room, she listened, and not long after, it quieted down.

Ok.

What now?

It was impossible for Sana to sleep at a stranger’s apartment. She could not focus on the TV either, not to mention books. Then, she thought of her friend Dahyun, she fished her phone out from her purse hastily.

For the next 3 hours, Sana’s phone battery turned from 65% to 18%. She told Dahyun what happened, asking questions about this mysterious client, and Dahyun kept sending her information that she found on the internet.

She is a caricaturist. Sana was surprised when she learned this. But that explained the rustling sounds I heard, it did sound like papers.

--Her picture book last year was one of the best selling!

--Really?

No wonder she could afford an ...

--So you are safe in there?

Good question. Sana looked at the closed door.

--Yeah...I think I am.

--Is she pretty?

--What kind of question is that?

--I can’t find a single photo of her, I’m curious! She never accepted any media’s interview either!

--...She is. I think she is.

Talking to someone made the time go faster. When the guard came and knocked on the door, Sana looked at that room again. No sign of her coming out. It was obvious that Tzuyu was telling her she could leave by herself.

Things tonight were just weird. Sana didn’t expect that her first work would end up like this, but on the other hand, she was glad it ended up like this. No harm, no pain, no tears. Only questions.

***

The second time was a Thursday night. Sana arrived at around 7pm, like the last time, but Tzuyu did not come to answer the door.

“It’s not locked.”

Sana opened the door and got inside the apartment. Tzuyu was no where to be seen. And, she showed up from the kitchen, with a laundry basket in her hands.

“Um...” Tzuyu looked a little embarrassed, “You know how to use the washing machine? I just bo