I have checked the address that I saved on my phone that Byul told me before I stared at the door in front of me. I have even asked people around when I got here to verify if I was in the right address. My eyebrows furrowed after several attempts of knocking and ringing the doorbell when I got no response somewhere from the other side of the door. I couldn't contact anyone for help since I couldn’t get a signal here.

I’ve been staring at my phone and at the door for a long time now. My only plan was to get here and talk to Yong, but now that that option is currently unavailable, I don’t know what to do anymore. I sighed and pocketed my phone before I took off my pumps and held them with me. I walked towards the wall beside the door and leaned my back on it as I stared at my bare feet. I sighed and started kicking the floor to pass the time.

If I’m not going to see Yong tonight, I’ll probably just have to go back home and give this another go some other time. I couldn’t leave work after my unprofessional behavior for the past couple of weeks. I only have this weekend to see Yong before I go back to work again. And since I only brought my phone, wallet, passport, and myself with me, I couldn’t stay here longer as well. I have to ask Irene or Chorong about Yong’s whereabouts and plan things thoroughly before my second attempt to see and talk to Yong.

I sighed and stopped my kicking on the floor. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back on the wall behind me, exhaustion catching up on me now.

“Wheein?”

I jumped, startled when I suddenly heard my name. I held my chest with my free hand while breathing heavily as I looked towards where I heard the voice was coming from. I slowly dropped my hand to my side and relaxed when I saw Chorong and Bomi walking towards me. I was slightly disappointed when it was just the two of them, but I thought at least I got the right address and I finally saw someone I know in here.

I pushed myself off the wall and faced them only to freeze midway when Yong suddenly emerged in the corridor. She was staring at her phone while carrying plastic bags with her other hand so she didn’t notice I was there. She also didn’t notice when she hit Bomi when Chorong and Bomi stood in the middle of the hallway when they saw me.

“Ow… Careful” Bomi whispered to Yong while Yong just mumbled, “Sorry”

“What’s wrong?” she asked Bomi and Chorong, still oblivious to the fact that I was here while I just gulped hard from nervousness.

My body was so tired a while ago from all the rushing, crying, emotional outbursts, vomiting and waiting I did for the whole day. But now that I saw Yong, my body and mind felt so awake. I’m awake yet barely functioning due to my nerves acting up right now.

“Wheein’s here,” Chorong said. She was the first one to move among all four of us as she narrowed the distance between us. Bomi followed her while Yong was momentarily surprised before she stepped closer to me as well.

“Uhmm… Hi” I said nervously, my eyes bouncing between a smiling Chorong and Bomi, and a surprised Yong. My left thumb automatically went to my left ring finger to fidget with my rings but when I felt my skin only, I just dropped my hands beside me and cleared my throat from nervousness.

“What are you doing here?” Yong whispered, running her eyes all over me as she stepped closer. I bent my head low, feeling suddenly conscious, and realized that I’m still on my bare feet.

“Oh, ” I whispered under my breath and hurriedly wore my shoes again, feeling myself blush from embarrassment.

When my feet were back inside my pumps again, I glanced at Yong and saw a small smile on her lips. I bit the inside of my cheek and run my fingers from my hair, not knowing where to put my hands. I closed my eyes and took a huge breath in before slowly releasing it. I ran my tongue on my lips, wetting it, then I took another gulp before I looked at Yong again, only to blush harder when she’s smiling so wide at me, her dimples appearing right below her lips.

This feels like the very first time we met. Back when Hyejin dragged me to their table so I could ask Yong out on a date.

“I… Uhmm…” I stuttered while Yong was just waiting patiently for me. I could also hear Bomi and Chorong snickering behind her. Just like that time I asked her out on a date. “I’ve read your letter” I whispered softly as I held her gaze while she just nodded her head at me, her smile never faltering. “I came to see you because I wanted to talk”

“You flew here in Japan after you’ve read my letter?” she asked and I nodded my head. “Did you bring anything with you?” I shook my head this time. “Did you fly here after you finished your shift or did you rush here and abandon work?”

My eyebrows furrowed this time as I said, “I didn’t work today”

“Really?” she asked as she raised her eyebrows, surprised at me. She pointed at me and asked, “Then why are you wearing your coat when you didn’t go to work?”

I looked at myself and my eyes went wide, surprised that I didn’t even notice that I was still wearing my coat. I closed my eyes and groaned from embarrassment as I timidly removed my coat off of me. I heard Yong chuckle softly, which I know just intensified the blushing state of my face.

“Keep it on, Wheein. You looked y with your coat on” Chorong suddenly said.

“You have your own wife, Chorong,” Yong said, which made me open my eyes when I heard her voice hardened. Her smile is gone now and I could feel the intensity of her eyes on me. It’s not the kind of intensity when she glared at me. It reminded me of those times she looked at me when I managed to capture her attention compared to the mesmerizing night sky or the warmth of the sunrise around us.

Her eyes suddenly softened as she took a step closer to me and wiped the sweat off my face. “Have you eaten already?” she whispered softly, her eyes focused on my forehead while wiping the sweat off there with the back of her hand.

My stomach chose to ask for attention at that moment and grumble loudly. I closed my eyes and groaned while Yong chuckled as she cupped my cheek and caressed her thumb on my cheek. I leaned on her palm, missing the feeling of her gentle and accurate touch.

“I’ll take that as a no” she said amusingly.

I looked at her again, shook my head and pouted at her. Her eyes went down to my lips, staring at it for a second, before she turned to face the door.

“Better feed you then. Let’s get you inside” Yong said. She turned to Chorong and pointed at the door before she said, “Open the door”

“You really have the guts to ask me around in my own house?” Chorong said as she walked towards the door and grabbed the keys from her pocket.

“Please…” Yong said, smiling cheekily at Chorong.

Chorong playfully narrowed her eyes at Yong and said, “I’m doing this for Wheein since I still owe her after she saved my father”

“I helped her save your father too,” Yong argued.

“You barely did anything at that time,” Chorong said as she unlocked the door and pushed it open.

“It’s not like I’m not helping you now” Yong grumbled.

They continued to bicker and forgot about me and Bomi in the hallway when they went inside the house without sparing a glance at us. I smiled at them before I turned to Bomi when she approached me.

“It’s good to see you, Wheein” Bomi said, leaning forward to kiss my cheek.

“It’s good to see you too.” I grabbed one of the plastic bags that she was carrying and followed her as we went inside the house. I closed the door behind me then removed my pumps once again and wore the slippers that Bomi offered.

“Chorong’s a bit all over the place right now so just don’t mind her” Bomi said and motioned for me to follow her.

“It’s okay. I don’t mind it at all. I’m used to them bantering around. I find it quite entertaining as well” I said to Bomi, chuckling softly while Bomi laughed with me as she nodded her head in agreement.

Yong said that I could shower first before we’ll eat dinner so that’s what I did. I did it as fast as I could because of how hungry I am already. I only ate lunch earlier and didn’t eat that much after the vomiting incident. I promised Dr. Song that I’ll be eating more later once I would be able to recover from the hangover, but forgot to do that after everything that transpired earlier.

A towel was already wrapped around my body and hair after I was done showering. I was about to go out of the bathroom when I realized that I don’t have extra clothes. I didn’t even bring clothes with me.

“Uhmm… Yong?” I called out from inside the bathroom.

“Yes?”

“Can I borrow your clothes?”

She suddenly opened the door, which startled me and almost slipped the towel around my body while I held my breath. I wrapped my arms around me to hold the towel while I eyed her from inside the bathroom.

“You startled me” I whispered to her as I slowly breathed out.

“I’m sorry” she said while chuckling but immediately stopped when she scanned her eyes all over me. I grew nervous and conscious once again while she furrowed her eyebrows and stared at me intently. “You looked thinner, Whee” she whispered, stepping forward to grab my wrist and slowly lifted it towards her. “Haven’t you been eating?”

“I have” I whispered.

“Hmm…” She grabbed my right arm and stared at the tattoos I have in there. She ran her hand from my wrist up to my bicep, stopping at every tattoo she passed by to trace it. She caressed her thumb on the colored tattoo of her face on my right bicep as she whispered worriedly, “Why do you look so thin if you’ve been eating?”

I bent my head low and mumbled, “Ever since you moved out, I ended up vomiting them all out from drinking too much”

“Is that the reason why you sent Nabi to Ma?” she asked and I could only nod my head.

She cupped my cheeks, feeling the metal band of her rings, and lifted my head to face her, her eyes filled with worry. I averted her gaze again because I knew that she would be disappointed at me after hearing that. I sighed, thinking that might’ve lost my chance of getting us together again. She doesn’t like drunkards. She especially hates it when I drink without any occasion to celebrate.

She dropped her hands from my cheeks and held my hand. She pulled me out of the bathroom and said, “You better change then so you could eat right away. I have your clothes here with me and some spare underwear”

“I didn’t drink today, Yong. I also promised not to drink anymore” I mumbled, my head still bent low as I followed her out.

“I know. I couldn’t smell any beer from you even before you took a shower.” We stopped in the middle of the spare bedroom that was still filled with boxes. She picked up the clothes she prepared and handed it to me. “We’ll wait for you before we start eating, okay?”

“Are these my clothes?” I asked curiously as I saw a familiar shirt and cargo pants.

“Yeah…” she whispered shyly. I smiled when I saw her face slowly turned red. “I stole some of your clothes when I moved out” she said before s