CHAPTER 1

Hilly mountains, clear sky, cold breeze, the clanking of the old metal wheels as it constricts with the metal rail blended with the peaceful environment a province can give. Opening the book she's been trying to finish since she left the crowded city, she found herself bedazzled by the simplicity of the open field. She stares in awe as it's been so long since she last saw the countryside. She closed her eyes for a while to smell the dewy grass coating the untouched field. It was mellow. 

She let out a long sigh as she stretched herself. She's been sitting since this morning. Still having a long time before she can reach the last station, she decided to take a nap and lean her head to the window. After a long time, she will finally come home. She closes her eyes and let the wind lulled her to sleep.

When she heard the announcement for the last station, she groans and opened her eyes. She's a light sleeper, she can easily wake up with minimal sounds which made it hard to take a nap. She's been waking up every station but she hears no steps tapping at the wooden floor of the train. It's understandable as this countryside is furthest from the city and doesn't have enough people to keep the railroad busy.

She gripped her luggage and hang her backpack behind her. It's already sundown when she arrived and her back needs stretching. She walks towards the door and waited for the train to stop. She was welcomed by an old lady as soon as she stepped out of the cart.

"Grandma." She called and grins as she embraces her. "I missed you."

Hearing her grandma chuckle made her excited and rock their body together with their reunion.

"I missed you too, sweety." Her grandma pushed her lightly, giving them distance, and patted her head. "You've grown so much."

She chuckles and anchors her arm around her grandma's shoulders as they made their way below the concrete station. An auto-rickshaw was seen, having a young woman with her mud-colored flannel, inside her denim jumper pants with her black plastic boots waiting for them. She caught the woman checking her out and bowed when their eyes meet.

"She's Yubin." Her grandma introduced which made her nod. "She's not a talker but she helps a lot. She likes to be called Dami. She will ignore you if you call her by her real name."

"Why?" Bora asked in curiosity as she pulled on her luggage that was lifted by Dami to place inside the vehicle.

"Father issues." She flinched when somehow the woman was the one to nonchalantly answer, she was quite shocked with her deep voice too.

She didn't ask any more as she felt embarrassed prying into other people's lives, her grandma just giggled as she places herself comfortably in the vehicle. She noticed how the engine whirrs, it sounded old as it hitches every couple of seconds but it was well-maintained by the looks on the outside. She shifted her attention to the vast open rice field and witnessed the sun as it slowly slumbers. It was stunning—a sight you can never see in a busy city.

It was a good minute before they finally arrived at the entrance of the little village, the next stop being the ranch a few minutes away from the municipality. The grey sky already took over by the time they arrived at the medium house fronting the vast ranch at the back, crickets already having their orchestra. She saw few people on the way—mainly elderly and some boys catching some frogs in a swamp,—saw a closed pub and a couple of houses beside the main building of the village. It was a wholesome sight as the freshness of the countryside appeal to her.

"Bora, your room is upstairs. Be careful at the third step, it was eaten by termites." Her grandmother warned as she sits in her rocking chair, obviously relieved that she's finally home. Her grandmother already closed her eyes but jolted awake when she remembered something. "Dami, call the terminator tomorrow. And accompany my granddaughter for a walk."

Dami—who was already halfway towards the second floor lifting Bora's luggage spoke in agreement and stagger towards the newly organized room. Bora just traces her steps and made sure to avoid the small pit of the third step. She aspirates in awe as she saw how simple the room is—from the half-white wallpaper above the varnished wood extending to the wooden floor, a painting of a lake hidden in the forest hanging on the wall, the single bed and the little round mat right beside it— she loves it and how she can decorate it more with her things.

"I'll prepare dinner. I'll call you when it's ready." Dami apprised and nodded before gently closing the door.

Bora throw herself in the bed and smelled the lavender scent coming from the white mattress. Such a soothing smell made her groan. She does think she doesn't want to get up now especially when her back laid perfectly on the bed and felt the relaxation of her muscles. She shut her eyes to the wooden ceiling and sigh before getting up again, unwillingly. Although she's in the countryside, it's not like she's here for a vacation.

She shuffles through her stuff, mainly in her backpack to get her phone and some files she needs to finish. Her things won't be here until two days so she needs to finished her queuing paperwork before a lot more come. Using her phone, she soon realized it was worthless as there is not a single bar from her connection. It was the countryside so what did she expect? But still, she did hope. She drowned herself in the folder she's holding, now sitting on her bed—legs crossed, spinning the pen in between her fingers. Minutes passed when she heard some bell ringing. She brushed it off but when she heard it a second time, she got up from her bed and go downstairs.

Another ring was heard, making her hurry her steps to see the person rushing her. She clicked her tongue when she nearly stepped on the small pit but managed to jump to the ground wooden floor unscathed. Her grandma was not in the rocking chair anymore, maybe already retired for the day nor Dami were in there, it was only her who heard the bell. She gently twists the knob and saw a moss green sweater before finally managing to look up at the person who's in front of the house at this hour.

The woman—wearing a matte cowboy hat, has a small hairless gap on her right eyebrow, concerned hazelnut eyes, pointed nose, and plump lips—greeted her. She bowed her head slightly before removing her hat, placing it to her stomach with her left hand as a sign of respect. Bora—by that time—was staring in curiosity.

"Umm... Hello..." The woman greeted, her husk tone echoing inside Bora's ears. "Is Dami there?"

Bora snapped out of her world when the woman fidgety waved her hand in front of her face, earning a chuckle from her also. She must have been in dazed for too long or the woman just played a prank on her.

"Y-yes, she's just..." She forgot what Dami's doing the time she witnessed the woman but the timing is great when Dami suddenly approached from the doorway parallel to the stairs.

"Siyeon?" Dami called, wiping her hands with a cloth as she curiously looked at the woman named Siyeon.

Siyeon smiled and steal a glance at Bora whose still fixated on her. She waved her hand and gestured some hand moves familiar to Dami. Siyeon smirk when she saw Dami's brows furrowing, she likes this little ungrateful lad.

"One condition. No skirt." Dami argued which made Siyeon whine. "No."

The woman in between companions was stirred and decided to watch as they converse with gestures. It was weird for her and asked herself if other village folks are like them. She watched as the woman with her moss green sweater, black pants partnered with worn-out sneakers shrug the woman in her flannel looking at her with disgust as she whines.

"But the customers love it. I love it. We all love it." Siyeon insisted but Dami's expression can be simply translated to no.

"I don't love it." Dami spitted and swipe the woman's hands away from her shoulders.

Just like that, the woman named Siyeon admitted defeat. It was all amusing and entertaining for the woman who made herself comfortable leaning to the wall. She remains demure amidst so many questions circling her mind. She keenly watched the woman as she shakes her body like a child waiting for her parents to say yes even if they already said no. It made her snort, just silent enough to not be noticed. She found Siyeon peculiar yet has a distinct charm surrounding her. She was too absorbed by her thoughts that she didn't notice that the woman matched her face and stare at her.

"Pretty," Siyeon uttered and smile. "You're pretty."

It made Bora blushed, her eyes shaking as she looked for something for her to relax. Siyeon was not that close but her admiring eyes took a toll from the unguarded Bora. She covered as she plaint in embarrassment. It felt like an eternity as Bora became conscious of her stares but was torn off by Dami. She gives her full thanks to her mentally.

"Don't drag her in there." Dami hissed which made the woman pout. "She just arrived."

"Oh?!" Siyeon's flabbergasted reaction and crept away from her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, I was naive! I'm sorry! I-I'll be going now."

And the wind sweeps together with Siyeon whose already gone. She sprinted as fast as she can, her feet stomped so hard on the floor that it created some vibration leading to her. If Bora will define what Siyeon just did, it was rude like she was suddenly afraid of her at the same time questionable because of her guilty expression which radiates from her words. She glanced at Dami who just turn as soon as their eyes met. It was very weird, Bora thought.

"Dinner is ready. I'll call grandma. The kitchen is there." Dami pointed out the room she left when she greeted Siyeon and get to the room just beside the stairs, it was her grandma's room.

She nodded and head towards the kitchen where a small dining table, presented by three meals were present. She sat where she found it comfortable and waited for her grandma and Dami to come. A minute passed and Dami entered the room, her grandma's silhouette is not in sight.

"She's asleep. Doesn't want to be disturb." Dami thriftily informed and sit parallel to her.

Bora was convinced and decided to eat. They are in silence. Every passing second, the awkwardness inside Bora starts to eat her out. She's used to eating with some buzzing and honks of the car outside her condo but none of that is present right now. All they have is an awkward silence and she's bothered by the unbothered expression of the woman in front of her.

"Bad?" Dami asked, Bora was unsure of what she's talking about. "Does it taste bad? You have a funny expression."

Bora her lips before she shakes her head, she didn't expect Dami to be concerned with her reaction nor aware that the latter is observing her. She looks at Dami whose busy munching her food, half her dinner already eaten. She pays no mind to the awkwardness now and is much troubled by Dami's fast eating. She's chugging on the supposed to chew food and get up as soon as she drank her water, wiping with her sleeves.

"I'll be going." She announced then, she's gone.

She was now well aware that she's the only awake person in the house as soon as she heard the front door clicking and followed by the whirring engine of the vehicle they've used. She sighs and caught her chin, and sighs in disappointment. She feels lonely as the silence remained her companion. It must be because she's used to being surrounded by the city noise that she found the solitude melancholic.

Putting the dishes in the sink and washing it, she realized why she even approved of being placed here by her father who's also in the same field as her. She was a veterinarian and somehow, her father that she doesn't saw for months contacted her saying she should work on her grandmother's ranch. It was all for investment. Discussing how the old lady already nearing her death made her guilty of neglecting her duty as a granddaughter. But she's glad the Dami is there for her already weak grandma and is helping a lot on the ranch.

She used the cloth hanging from the refrigerator's arm as soon as she finished and get upstairs. The reclaimed wooden flooring creaked with her steps, the varnished stair guides muttered little sweeps as her hand glides to it, and the click of the knob echoed in her still bland room. It all sounded so lonely which made her mood solemn.

Decided to open the little window parallel to her, she heard the wind whisper cold greetings as it whooshes to her room. The night was still young yet so dark, the sky being pitch black helped the moon to shine its utmost beauty thru the fields. Then, a depiction of the wolf howling—acknowledging the ethereal beauty of the moon—came to mind. Her lips curved to a smile at the thought of a free wolf admiring the one who gave it strength.

Thoroughly spectating the open fields and the dirt road made her wonder what kind of animals are lurking out in the dark. The thought somehow made her curious and made sure to remember to inspect if she has the time which surely shouldn't be a problem when she's here. She took a deep sigh, shutting the window back to its rightful place. Once again finding herself atop of her bed, pondering about nothings, she reached for her phone. Looking at the screen, there's still no signal.

She unlocked her phone and swiped towards the gallery. Swiping to the furthest date there is and finding an old photo of the portrait of her family, she clicked on it with little to no hesitation. Her little self together with her father at her left and standing on her right was her late mother. She caresses the screen depicting her mother's face and lets out a pained smile.

"I'm home, mom."

It was a few minutes of reminiscing until she decided to cut her solemn mood and put her phone at rest. She wiped the built-up tear at her left eye that refused to flow and sit up, getting the papers that she decided to mourn for the night. She was too immersed and restless that she forgot the flow of time and jolted when she heard a little clank from downstairs. Then, happy squealing outside the house.

It might be Dami who already got home, she thought as she looked at the time from her phone and saw that it's already two in the morning. She poked her head to the closed clear window and saw three women having fun and merrily joking around. The one with the moss-green sweater caught her attention. It was Siyeon who's letting out a handful of laughs together with two unfamiliar women. Bora watched them goof around and unconsciously let out a smile as she found it fun to watch as they have a drunk dance battle in the middle of the dirt road.

Somehow, Siyeon started singing as the two dance and followed her lead. It surely caught her attention because of the melody and feelings she's putting on the song even if they're only playing around. It made her mesmerized as she opened the window again to hear it more clearly. And there it was. Like a beautiful howling from a wolf is Siyeon singing her hearts out as she pointed at the moon which made the other two looked at the sky. She looks so free and joyous that Bora found herself giggling at her silly actions.

She gets her luggage to be sat upon as she genuinely watched the three women enjoying themselves in the night. It was a new sight and she adores every second of it not until Siyeon accidentally slipped and fell, hips first.

"Are you okay?!" The woman in her knee-height floral red dress shouted and attended to her but when she heard Siyeon's heartwarming laugh, she shrugs the slumped woman's shoulders.

Siyeon might be okay but Bora's not. She hit her head with the window door she pulled up when she suddenly stood when Siyeon slipped. It made her scratch her head because of the itchiness of her bump, not knowing that she already caught the attention of the very person she's gazing upon. Bora met Siyeon's eyes which made her froze but that didn't last because the latter removed her stare at the woman watching from the window. Once again, it made Bora confused.

She noticed the stiffed actions of Siyeon now, unlike before their eyes meet. She also stopped singing and joking around, guiding the two women out of her sight. She thought of it as retiring for a long night, and she did too after she soothed her injured head.

Before she finally fell to slumber, the ceiling accompanied her with her thoughts until her eyes cannot hold on. Her only thought that night was, she hopes to do her best amidst the growing anxiety of tomorrow.