“Come on, show them to me.” Chaerin wiggles her eyebrows at me like she’s asking me to show her my goodies. And I don’t mean the last batch of baked goods I just pulled out of the oven.

“No, they’re private.” I can feel my face warming just talking about the letters.

“Oh, my God. Are they dirty?!” Her face lights up like she just struck gold.

“No, not really.” They really aren’t dirty at all. Maybe a few innuendoes here and there. One time I did admit to never having been with a man. I seem to be willing to tell him everything about myself, no matter how embarrassing it might be.

“Then what’s with the blush?” She grabs her wine off the coffee table and takes a sip, leaning back on the sofa.

Chaerin, as usual, kind of popped up on me. I usually keep all of Jiyong’s letters in box in the living room, but I had them all splayed out on the coffee table as I reread each one while drinking a glass of wine. It’s something I find myself doing more and more often these days. My Kindle hasn’t been switched on in weeks.

I’d hurriedly gathered them up, putting them back safely into the box while she eyed me, helping herself to her own glass of wine.

Now we’re both sitting on the sofa as she tries to pry about Jiyong. I share everything with Chaerin, but for some reason the letters are now off-limits. They’re mine, and I don’t want to share. I’ve never been jealous over a man before. The feeling is strange and oddly enough, I like it.

“I think I’m in love with him,” I admit, feeling a little silly. I’ve never even met the man.

“You think?” She says it with a teasing laugh, but I can’t seem to join in.

I just bite my lip, not sure what to do at this point.

“You don’t think it’s silly I’m in love with a man I’ve never met?”

Her eyes soften at my question. Placing her glass back down on the table, she turns to look at me.

“No, it’s not silly. It’s sweet. I don’t know what he’s writing in those letters, but it’s...” she pauses, looking for the right words, “changed you.”

“Changed me?” I repeat, not sure what she means.

“In a good way. You’ve been happier and you’ve come out of your shell. Whatever he’s doin