joohyun should’ve figured it out sooner rather than later.

ever since a kid, she has always had a knack for finding and figuring things out; looking for coins around the house to buy candies for yerim, answering that crossword puzzles on her late father’s newspaper, helping her mother find that specific brand of oyster sauce in their grocery trips.

it has always been in her, even when their newly-found-friend-yet-unwelcomed-guest sooyoung tried to smuggle vodka in their dorm back in college by putting it in a tumbler, and claimed it as just some plain water, joohyun knew it wasn’t.

joohyun will always know.

in between smooth english breakfasts, well-rounded vegetables, and different choices of proteins for lunch (chicken exempted, her landlord-nim figured it out when she left a drumstick marinated in sake, soy sauce and honey. joohyun could only stare at in regret.) to something nice and light for dinner, there’s always a plate of decadent dessert in her tray.

although it did cross her mind, if her landlord has their food ordered from outside, because joohyun is painstakingly aware how much amount of time and effort it takes to have a table, (and her tray) covered in food. furthermore, having a wide variation of dishes and side dishes for every meal is really impressing.

or they have a helper within the household, a middle-age woman who has a huge range in cooking vegetables from wild greens to the leaves of flower. but joohyun never sees anyone leaving or entering the house from her window since her stay here. except for that truck of butter that parked in front yesterday morning, joohyun supposes it’s all her landlord’s work.  

she basks in the soft pitter-pattering noise hitting the window as she enjoys her hot chocolate. the morning news on television is running on the background, but the sudden rain envelopes the news anchor’s report.

she feels like this is the most noise she can get. compare to her previous place, her neighboring apartments were often so loud and bustling that thinking became an impossible afterthought. with the house so massive and far-removed from the mess of the big cities that lets in absolutely no noise, it gives joohyun a chance to think.

no screeching vehicles, no foul-mouthed pedestrians, no brats running by or bikes ducking through the street.

just the distant sound of clatter of pans and pot in the kitchen at night.

and so, joohyun should’ve figured it out sooner rather than later.

when her phone buzzes and startles her out of her trance-like state, she sees sooyoung’s message asking if she wants anything on that instagram shop seulgi had linked to her. she types a quick no, i’m good but thank you because she’s actually looking forward to her lunch.

that, aside from the meal, joohyun is also looking forward for the handwritten notes that comes along with it.

there’s a faint knock on her door that makes her look up from her laptop.

“joohyun-ssi?”

joohyun blinks slowly, and then hesitantly glances at the door behind her. did she hear that right?

she waits for a few more seconds to make sure she’s not hearing things, before she lets out the breath she unconsciously held and leans back in her chair. i just need a few minutes to calm do-

“joohyun-ssi, are you in there?” the woman trails off, and joohyun is fast as a whip when she turns, again, and stares at the door, wide-eyed, “i’m sorry, i’m in a hurry and couldn’t afford to write this down, but do you know a person named park sooyoung?”

it’s obvious now, looking back. it shouldn’t have been a surprise anymore. and yet something in joohyun stumbles, as though an uneven part of the carpet has tripped her in her room. it only takes a moment to right herself, to see the full picture and abandons her previous business completely.

“yes, friend!” joohyun winces at her own eagerness, “i mean- park sooyoung is my friend.” she immediately corrects, after she wrangles her words into something vaguely resembling words.

there’s a faint chuckle that cou