The semester was dull. Now that I knew someone was there for me, I filled every time I had, texting him or sending him pictures. I know... I sounded like a loner. But I really like it when I have someone to talk to, all the time. When the night came, then I will call him, while walking away from the room alone, to avoid anyone from hearing the conversation.

Often the text and picture got his response as fast as I could think about him. But sometime, it will went unanswered until the moment I called him, and he will sound so exhausted that I could not be angry to him.

The last time we textedwas last week. And after that, he didn’t reply to my text. I tried to understand him, maybe he was working outstation or something, but sometimes when I called him, his phone will be off, and I can only leave voicemail for him.

Not only I was depressed with the study that I needed to do, but also his attitude of being missing for days.

“I am not being pushy or anything.” I said as he called me one night, on weekend. I walked out of the room, as my roommates kept craning their necks to hear the conversation.

“It’s just that…. I need you to stop disappearing on me” I came clean and I heard him sigh.

“Belle… Gosh, I don’t know that you felt like this.” He sounded anxious.

“But , I am really trying to keep up with this. I tried to reply your texts as soon as I have time to do it. I tried to call you every single time I am free.” He continued.

“You must be, really, really busy then.” I replied.

“Yes… I am… “ He said it with a hoarse voice. “I wanted to run away. I wanted to be with you. To be free, all the time.” He confessed and I shook my head.

“No.. I understand.” I answered back. “I mean…” I stopped for a while, as my anger dissipated.

“You were married to your work right?” I joked and he huffed.

“I thought the joke was too cruel.” He replied.

“Well, it WAS.”

“I don’t know how working life is. Heck, it’ll be long before I know” I admitted.

“But, after this, I’ll try not to disappear. Okay? If I went to outstation at some corner of the earth, I’ll tell you, so that you wouldn’t be worried about me.” He promised and I pouted my lips.

“Is that really necessary? I am not worrying anyway. Who will be?” I lied and he laughed.

“Oh, really?” He asked.

“Isshh…. “ I tsked at him and he laughed harder.

XIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

I’m going to Philippine for a week. Will contact you as soon as I landed back in Seoul, Okay? Don’t worry about me! 

I got the text early in the morning, yesterday. He should’ve told me sooner. I didn’t get the chance to wish him luck, for whatever he is doing.

Soon as the text arrived, all of my calls went into voicemail and venting out more anger is not useful at all, since he had done what he had promised, I just need to remind myself to tell him that he should inform me earlier.

“What are you smiling about?” One of my classmates asked me. I shook my head innocently and packed my bags, getting ready for the next class.

“You’re going to eat?” Another asked me and I shook my head.

“No… I’m going to my tutorial room a bit early.” I smiled and waved as they walked by.

Where are you?

A text came and I replied. It’s from my cousin, Julia. She too, is a student, but she was a year older than me and was in a different faculty.

I replied her text, saying that I am in my faculty and she replied back, saying that she wanted to fetch me this evening for a weekend hangout. I agreed to it.

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“I was thinking of booking a hotel room for both of us, since my dad had sent me money, to compensate for the vacation my family are on.” She said as she turned the wheels of her 4WD.

“aaah… they are on a cruise around Caribbean right now.” I remembered about that and laughed.

Julia is the eldest child of her family, where her father was one of the richest entrepreneurs in the state. I looked around as we stopped at a traffic light. Right now, everyone in front of me looked like Hyun. Everything I saw reminded me of him. I sighed deeply.

“What? What? Why the sighing?” Julia asked as the light turned green.

“Nothing…” I shook my head and blamed the radio instead.

“Gosh.. Really, Julia? This song is lame.” I commented and she turned her head to face me, offended.

“It has nothing to do with the radio, of course. Just the station.” I continued hastily, before she threatened to left me alone on the roadside.

She nodded, agreeing and pulled out a CD from the dashboard.

“This is good.” She stated and I fell back on the head rest.

She skipped the CD and stopped on the third track.

As the song played, his face was in my head. What now? I can't even hear a song in peace?

“Isn't it nice?” She asked and I nodded,

“Yeah.. What’s the title? I never heard this before.” I claimed and she smiled widely.

“It's Monster. Great isn't it?” She asked and I nodded.

“Not bad.. Not bad at all.” At first, I was just trying to avoid from annoying her, but now, it's sincere.

“You should watch the MV. It’s a killer.” She said excitedly and I nodded.

“Once we get in the hotel okay?” I agreed. The song kept playing and another song continued. I can't resist myself from pushing the previous button and ‘Monster’ starts again.

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“Hey, you go up first, okay? I’m going to settle some things here.” Julia told me and gave me the card key. I nodded and waited for the elevator while looking at the room number.

2133. Floor 21? I got into the elevator alone, and pushed the 21 button. Slowly, the elevator rises.

As I was waiting, I suddenly remembered the moment in the lift with Hyun. I imagined when the door opened and he was there, waiting for me before pulling me into his hold.

I felt my face burned up and the elevator arrived, so I walked out and followed the sign on the wall.

I inserted the key card and smiled, remembering the moment that he forgot to take out the key card from the room's wall, making me stranded out of the room as he ask for a spare one at the counter. Of course, that reminded me of the accident.

I walked in and placed the card key in a holder, which connects the power source for the room. The lights and I walked to the bed, before falling on it, feeling relaxed.

The room was not like the one in Phuket, with kitchen and all.  A single room, where all is in one place.

I felt sleepy at once and decided to walk around, observing things. The bathroom was decent, but the tub was very big. I should take a bubble bath there tonight. As I was checking the mini fridge under the telly, Julia walked in, and like me, she drop herself on the bed.

“I hate living in college.” She said and I nodded slightly.

“So… What are we going to do today?” I asked and she looked outside the window. Orange line started to emerge across the horizon. It’s going to be dark soon.

“Dinner in bed?” She asked and I nodded eagerly,  passing the menu from the console table to her.

I looked outside the window and stared at the busy road below.

“Who are you?” I asked slowly and looked at him. “ Why did you help me?”

He looked at me and nodded.  His face looked like he was thinking hard, before he sighed.

“I mean, we didn’t even know each other. You don’t even know my name. I don’t even remember yours.” I admitted.

“Do you want… I mean.. Do you want to start all over? To be friend with me?” He asked, as if it was the first time somebody wanted to know him.

I frowned and bit my lips. “Yeah. Sort of. Friends. I mean.. Why shouldn’t we be? You saved my life, and I am indebted to you.” I stopped, before continuing, “It's not like I didn’t want to pay the reward or something..” My words trailed off as I saw his eyes lighten up and he started to laugh.

“What?” I asked, irritated. He laughed so hard that he can't even stood up straight.

The sound of his laughter echoed in my ears, and I was pulled back into reality.

“Here, choose yours.” Julia pokes me with the menu and walked to the bathroom. “And order it too..” She called out before closing the door.

I looked at the menu and lifted the room’s phone, ordering for both mine and Julia’s.

As we ate, she was busying herself with her laptop and we didn’t converse much. I sat on a wing chair, at the corner of the room and flicked through the screen of my phone.

It had been days since he went to Philippine. Had he finished his work? I wanted to text him but I don’t think there’s a need in always being the first one to initiate the conversation. Maybe he was really tired.

I typed in some numbers and called it.

“Hello.” My mother answered.

“Hey mum! I am with Julia, okay?” I told her, just in case she was wondering.

“Oh.. I see.. Where are you?” She asked, and I heard my siblings talking behind her.

“In a hotel. Julia treated me a night to stay. Tomorrow we’re going shopping.” I continued.

“Okay… Don’t spend too much.” She advised and I hummed in reply.

“Take care.” She ended the call and again, I stared at the phone screen.

After a while,  my food finished and I put the tray outside the room.

I just started to pull the hair band from my hair and sat on the bed, before Julia started talking.

“Hey, I’m sorry we can't go out tonight.” She uttered and I smiled.

“Aww.. It’s okay.. I mean, I’m not the type who likes going out anyway.” I replied and she turned to face her laptop .

“Suddenly there’s an urgent work that I need to settle…”

“Yes.. It's okay, Julia.” I cut her words and she smiled apologetically.

“But tomorrow we’ll go shopping, okay? I promise.” She said and I nodded slightly, before putting my head on the pillow.

“It's still early to sleep. It’s only 9” She continued and I hummed.

Even if it is, I didn’t have anything to do. Plus, I don’t want to wait and put my hopes up high for his call. I put the phone next to the bedside table and dimmed the head lamp.

XIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

I woke up, earlier than I should and I almost shivered due to the cold air. I reached for my phone from the table, and it shows 4.00 am. I lie down again,  not able to close my eyes.

No miscalls, no texts. Maybe he hasn’t arrived yet.  After a few minutes bundling myself in the cover, I couldn’t stand the cold air anymore and I stood up, light up a lamp at the corner of the room, seeing Julia sleeping soundly.

The thing I learned, when staying in a hotel room is that, if you have no balcony to escape the deadly coldness, hid in the bathroom.

Sure enough, the bathroom was warmer than the room, and I took the opportunity to fill up the bathtub with bubble bath and hot water.

In no time, I was in the tub, with the phone on the counter and I sat there, thinking. Thinking of my future, my studies, and my life.

Its been a long time since I get to be alone, warm and comfy like this, since I left home for university. I wadded the water slowly, and rest my head on the edge of the tub, closing my eyes. The small wave of the water hit the edge of the tub.

He  reached out and held my hand. I stopped, shocked.

He smiled and innocently asked, “What?”

I shook my head and continued walking, this time, closer to him, and held my hand tightly. I felt my cheek warmed up and he peeked at me from the corner of his eyes, and I saw his cheek moving, smiling.

I opened my eyes and sighed, clearly stressing out. Why do I have to think of him, every single time I am alone? Geez this feeling. I cursed myself and walked out of the tub, pulling the plug.

With the bathrobe, I sat on the toilet seat, scared to go out in the cold room. I decided to call him, since I can't get him out of my mind.

After a few ring tones, he picked up the phone, and before I could say anything, I heard a woman’s voice greeted me.

“Hello, Seung Hyun’s phone, what do you want?” The woman’s voice made my blood boil.

“Who is this?” I heard Hyun’s voice on the other side, talking to the girl.

“Um… this is a friend of Seung Hyun’s.”. I