I walk towards my house with steps as heavy as my heart. On top of that, I am drenched from head to toe with rain. The weather had decided to take a drastic turn, much like my mood, this afternoon. It's almost as if the heavens knew and wanted to literally rain on my sad parade.

I'm having a pity party for one as I enter through the doors of my home and realise no one is in apart from halmoni whose cooking I can smell from the living room. I make my way to the kitchen to tell her that I don’t have an appetite to eat dinner tonight. 

But when I get there, I see the back of someone that is not halmoni, holding a sharp cutting knife. My pulse quickens as I realise there is a stranger in my kitchen who seems to be cleaning the knife thoroughly in the sink. I feel a cold chill go through me.

As stealthily as I possibly can, I reach for the rolling pin on the counter whilst trying to steady myself. My head feels light and my body shivers involuntarily. Somehow, I manage to grab the rolling pin and with a rush of adrenaline, I throw myself to strike the intruder’s head but instead I slip and let out a squeak.

I feel my body give off backwards and land flat on my back. My head hits the hard kitchen tiles last and it feels like an electric current is going through my head. I hear ringing in my ears and my vision starts to blur. I can sort of make out the shape of the intruder’s face on top of me… screaming at me?

'YAH! Wake up! YAH!'

What’s this? I feel like I’m floating, not in air, but water? I don’t feel wet though… but this resistance against my body feels like it is water. Where am I? Some sort of ocean? What's that up there? I can see the sky. I'll just swim up till I reach the surface. Wait a second, I see someone else swimming above me, that hair... it's Aron oppa! OPPA! Wait for me! Oppa! Damn it, he can't hear me. Who's that next to him? She's wearing the dress my omma gave me. Raeyoung? What the hell, why am I not floating upwards? What's down there? Oh god, it-it's that person from earlier... the one from the kitchen. LET GO OFF MY FOOT! OPPA! HELP ME!

HELP!

I snap my eyes open and feel a sense of relief realising that it was just a nightmare. I sit up too fast and feel a sharp pain go across head. I reach up to my forehead to try and ease the headache when my fingers brush against what seems like a fever patch. I notice from my arm and upwards that I'm wearing my 8 years old Hello Kitty one piece pyjama.

Funny, I don't remember changing into these-

I hear footsteps approaching my room.

Oh my god! What if that intruder hasn't left?

I quickly grab my lamp from the bedside table and jump out of my bed.

‘Who are you? Don’t you dare try anything! I have a weapon!’ I shout out. Except, my voice comes out hoarse and squeaky rather than confident.

I back up against the wall as far as possible when I see the enemy standing at my doorway… holding a tray? It looks like it carries a bowl of something hot. I scan my opponent; combat boots, baggy black pants, loose gray hoodie, halmoni's white frilly apron, blond hair tied back in a pony tail and a pretty face.

Ah, it's a girl!

‘Wh-who are you?’ I ask feeling confused and a tad helpless.

The girl sighs and comes towards me whilst putting down the tray on the table. I feel alarmed and raise my hand that’s holding the lamp.

‘Stand back! I’m not afraid to use this!’ I attempt flailing the lamp around one more time but she is standing tall right in front of me. She grabs my wrist with just enough pressure to make me let go off the lamp.

‘Go back to your bed and sit down and then I’ll answer your questions’ The deep voice startles me.

I do exactly as I'm told because one, this person is taller than me and two, she was definitely stronger than me. I sit down on my bed and wait for something to happen.

‘My name is Ren. I’m the grandson of your housekeeper. She got ill during the afternoon today and asked me to cover for her until she feels better. Satisfied?’ 

Grandson... She's a guy!

‘Grandson? What? Why didn’t anyone contact me to tell me this earlier then?’ I ask doubtfully to which, Ren responds with his eyes rolling.

He grabs my phone off my dressing table and tosses it to me.

‘Check it.’

There are 5 missed calls from mother and a voicemail. I dial my inbox and hear my mother's voice.

'Ttal, why are you not answering your phone? Anyway, I was just calling to let you know that halmoni fell ill today so Ren is taking over! Be grateful he came within such short notice. I'm working overtime tonight so I probably won't see you till tomorrow. Be nice to him okay?'

‘Happy?’ He asks as I hang up. ‘Anyway, your mother should be home soon enough. You should drink that soup. You will feel a lot better.’

I contemplate the whole situation; realisation strikes me.

‘Wait, you changed me into this?!’ I ask, horrified.

‘So what? You wanted me to let you sleep in your wet clothes?’ His face is expressionless.

My mouth hangs open as I am too shocked to say anything. He starts to make his way out the door.

‘There wasn’t much to see anyway.’