"Hyun?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you hear what I have said?" I ask for her confirmation while studying her expression. 

The raven stared at me with a confused face. "Hmm— what are you talking about earlier?"

Yerim rolled her eyes while Sooyoung exhaled her breath. Meanwhile, Seung-wan, who looked at our interaction, only shook her head. "Aish this girl. Since then, we have talked about our plan for this weekend. Do you not hear that?"

"Oh, about that. I'm sorry I can't focus right now." She adjusted her glass with the hem of her clothes. 

I frowned upon hearing her statement. Her behavior was bizarre. "What's wrong with you, Hyun? Are you okay? Are you sick?"

Joohyun shook her head. "No, maybe I need sleep. These days I'm lacking it."

"What's make you have sleep deprivation? Anatomy assignment from Prof. Wilmer?" Sooyoung asked with concern. They always talk about how Mr. Wilmer's subject makes them frustrated. He would give the assignment with a close due. Meanwhile, he is a bit strict with rules and hard to be negotiated. No wonder why the veterinarian hates him. 

"No, I have finished that task already," Her statement made the tall girl beside her bug-out her eyes. 

"What? Thirteen chapters of paper? Really?" She was surprised. "And you don't tell me about that? What a good friend are you." 

The raven-haired girl shrugs her shoulder. "Why? There is no need to tell you that. And you didn't ask, so it's not my fault."

"Traitor! I thought you hadn't finished it!" Sooyoung whined non-stop. It was weird to see a freaking giant act like a kid before you, especially if the culprit was Sooyoung. I rolled my eyes in annoyance. 

"Soo, it's like you just met Jooyun. An ambitious like herself will finish her assignment long before the due date. Don't compare her with a lazy one like you!" Added Yerim for mocking Sooyoung. 

"Haha, I agree with Yerim." Seung-wan smiled mischievously.

"What did you say? Want to die early, huh?"

"What? I just told the truth." The short girl defended herself. 

When the daily quarrel began, I was shaking my head in wonder. Then someone caught my eyes. After studying her face for a few minutes, I realized something unusual about her. The dark circles under her eyes become more apparent. It looked like she hadn't gotten enough sleep for days. 

"Are you sure that you are okay?" I asked her again for confirmation. 

"I'm okay, don't worry, Seul." She smiled at me. However, I have known her for a long time. It was easy for me to figure out that she had been lying. 

"Okay, what are we talking about earlier? We will have a vacation at Seul's house, aren't we?." Seung-wan brought us back to the main topic. 

In my mind, I could not focus on this conversation between us. My mind was full of Joohyun. I am worried about her. Something was wrong; I was sure of it. I will find out soon. 
 

I have parked my car in Joohyun's apartment basement. After that, I turned the engine off and unfastened my seatbelt. "Are you sure that you are alright?" I asked her one more time. 

Joohyun unfastened her seatbelt quickly while staring at me weirdly. "What's wrong with you lately? I said that I was alright. You don't need to worry."

"I just want to make sure that you are alright, Hyun." Joohyun nodded at my explanation and proceeded to go in. 

We took a lift to Joohyun's floor in silence. We were not talking to each other along the way. When the lift opened, the raven-haired girl stared at me softly. "Don't worry; I'm okay."

 "How could I believe you, though?"

She raised her eyebrow, asking me with her gesture. "Excuse me?"

I stared at her for a while before I exhaled my breath. "How could I'm not worried about you when everything that you have done makes me worried even more."

Joohyun laughed at my remarks and shook her head. "You are ridiculous."

"You are peculiar." I put my hands over my neck and walked past her as if nothing had happened. I was accompanying her to her apartment door like we used to. Even I always sleepover at her place. Of course, if she doesn't kick me out. 

"Excuse me? Peculiar?" Her frowns get depended as if she was waiting for my explanation. 

I looked at her with no expression on my face. "Yes, peculiar. Plus, you always do unexpected things. No wonders why I feel concerned about you."

The raven-haired beauty puffed up her cheeks like Ms. Park from SpongeBob SquarePants. Then she folded her arms over her chest. "Huh, you said as if I'm still a kid."

"Precisely on point," I muttered slowly over my breath. 

"Hey!" She yelled at me. "KANG SEULGI!"

"What did you say—"

"Awww! Hey, what is wrong with you?!" 

"This is for your remarks earlier!"

I was widening my eyes when she kept hitting me on the shoulder. 

"HEY!" Damn it. 
 

The sound of tickling clocks could be heard clearly throughout the room. The tickling clock's sounds break the silence of the night. I stared at my ceiling, thinking about everything that has been going through in my life. Tonight was very chilly. Even with the thick blanket on me, I am still feeling cold. Heavy rain outside became the main reason for the cold weather tonight. This condition has already worsened by the broken heather in my apartment. Unfortunately, I could only call the technician to fix it the next day since I found out about this problem tonight. The only thing that I could do right now was warm myself with my thick blanket and a cup of hot chocolate. 

I glanced at the clock on my wall. 

03.00 am. 

Still too early to start my morning routine. However, with heavy rain outside that hasn't been stopped, I doubt I will be back to sleep because of the cold weather. Added to the thunder that boomed loudly made the atmosphere in my apartment feel tense. 

I am not afraid of the thunder. However, with this current condition, the loud sound of thunder striking at one another makes me uncomfortable. The weather forecast claimed that there would be a thunderstorm every day within this week. Damn it. If my heather were not broken, I would sleep without a care tonight. 

Wait. 

The thunder reminds me of something important. I think I missed something. 

"What's wrong with you, Hyun? Are you okay? Are you sick?"

Joohyun shook her head. "No, maybe I need sleep. These days I'm lacking it."

Thunder?

Oh, my God. Don't tell me that―

I quickly got out of my bed and grabbed my phone. I dialed the phone number until it was connected to someone on the other side. 

TUUUUT.... TUUUUUT.... TUUUUUT

"Come on, pick up my call," I whispered worriedly. 

TUUUUT.... TUUUUUT.... TUUUUUT

"Hello?" Someone with a hoarse voice answered my call. 

"Hyun?"

"―Seulgi?"

"Hyun, are you still awake?"

"I― I can't sleep, Seul." Her voice is a bit weak. I don't know if she is sick or if there is another reason. 

I swallowed quickly. My right hand squeezed the hem of my white shirt impatiently. "Are you okay?"

"..."

"Hyun?"

"... I am scared, Seul."

"I know, Hyun..." I exhaled my breath deeply. "Calm down. Now you are not alone anymore." I could understand her fears in heavy rains when thunder clashes with each other like this. 

"..."

"Hyun?"

"I can't sleep, Seul. I am afraid."

"Hey, it's okay. I'm with you now."

"...."

"Hyun?"

I couldn't hear her voice anymore, then suddenly I heard the sobs sound coming from the other side. 

"Joohyun?"

"This is stupid, is not it?" She asked suddenly. 

My frown gets deepened. "What do you mean by stupid?"