KRIS   I lay awake in the middle of the night, too aware of the unfamiliar presence in the room. Even though the whole room was enveloped in total darkness, I knew exactly where she was; her presence so apparent it was as if a homing device was attached to her, sending me a signal. It was a distraction, something that clearly didn't belong in the premises. It was also a reminder, a reminder of how low I had let my guard down today.   Frustrated, I sat up and contemplated what I would do next. Would I seem cruel if I kick her out now in the middle of the night?   Geez, Kris, my mind immediately chided, cruel is what you're aiming for. She had already gotten closer than what was necessary. You have to push her back.   "I know," I muttered, immediately feeling stupid for talking with myself.    At that, a certain memory of her suddenly played itself in my head.   "The truth?" She echoed, sighing. "The truth is, I'm not Lee Eunae."   Huh. "Then who are you?"   "No one," she confessed.   "I said I want nothing but the –"   "Truth," she finished her eyes full of sadness. "And that's the bloody truth. I have no name, no background, no nothing. Honest."   My brows creased before I could stop them. "How is that possible?"   I mentally slapped myself, shaking off the memory. What has that got to do with anything?   Sighing, I sauntered toward the couch, firm on kicking her out.   I couldn't really see her face, just the outline of her figure. Her body was slightly bent over her folded knees, her arms tucked in her chest.   I took a deep breath and raised my right foot, ready to kick the couch. But then I heard a whimper, just the slightest of a sound. Suddenly curious, I put my foot down and leaned forward to see her better.   Her brows were furrowed and her eyes were shut tight. Her lips were moving rapidly as if she was saying something. My brows creased especially when a second later, her hands flew toward her ears as if to clamp it down. It wasn't long before she was thrashing in the couch.   Just walk away, Kris, my mind thought, ever so rational. Let her be for now. Walk away.   But then I remembered how her eyes looked and how her voice sounded when she told me her story. I remembered how my dislike for her vanished, pity taking its place. I remembered why I let her stay. I felt sorry for her. And the stupid emotion was acting up again now.   Kris, my head warned again. Don't do it. Walk away.   "She wouldn't know," I muttered, surprising myself. I could return her display of care today (I was already feeling better thanks to her) and the best part was that she wouldn't know. Before I even knew what I was doing, I was lying on the couch beside her, my arms wrapping themselves around her shoulders, drawing her close.   "I'm here," I whispered, gently patting her back.   And just like that, her breath steadied, her body relaxed against my embrace.   You're a fool, Kris, my mind said.   I could only sigh as I continued patting her back, a part of me already regretting my decision.     GIRL   The sunlight bathed my face with its warmness and I was forced to open my eyes.    I sat up and the first thing that I immediately noticed was the change in my condition; my runny nose was gone and so was my headache.   Huh, I was freezing just last night and I was pretty sure my fever was high, how come I was suddenly well? Hmmm.   The next thing that came to my notice was the empty bed. Kris was nowhere to be seen. I immediately glanced up the wall clock. It was only 7:30 am, where could Kris be?   Deciding that it was none of my business and that I had probably overstayed my welcome, I grabbed my backpack and headed out.   The hallway was still empty, though I thought I saw a shadow moved into Kris' room the moment I was out. It was probably my imagination.   I went to my room straightaway and decided to sleep some more since it was still early. It was only when I was pulling the covers on me and was drifting off to dreamland when I realized that I had been covered with a blanket on Kris' couch.     Hours later, a shook on my shoulders awakened me from slumber. Before I opened my eyes, a memory of a dream from the last night suddenly replayed over my head.   "Eunae," a voice said, and the shaking continued. "I'm here." I couldn't tell which one was reality.   "Eunae," it went on. I opened my eyes, finding a worried looking Lu Han kn