Jiyoon opened her eyes. She blinked slowly for a few times, regaining her consciousness. Her hand wandered on the nightstand, searching for her wristwatch. 9:00.

She sat up and glanced around. The other side of the bed was already empty and nothing could be heard from the bathroom. She decided to shrug it as she lazily walked to the bathroom.

Later she was refreshed by the shower she had. She was dressing herself up in front of the bedroom’s mirror when her gaze landed on the mini folder on the desk. Her curiosity made her flipped it open. It was filled by their breakfast coupons. She examined it one by one before taking out the ones written that day’s date.

She paused to scan the room. None of the things which indicated that Changjo went out for a long time was there. He had gone and would not come back in a short time. Her eyes were then looking at the coupons again. Changjo isn’t having his breakfast downstairs, exactly different from what she’s expecting. She took one of the coupon, tidying up the mini folder once again before she left.

******

Changjo clearly had no idea where he was. He just walked wherever his feet took him to. He didn’t even bother himself to have his breakfast first. It’s been a long time since the last time he did it, running away from the place he stayed at. Well, he had been used to it in the last few months though.

He was then worried whether Jiyoon got his implicit message or not. His implicit anger at her. Meanwhile for Jiyoon herself, it was more than implicit. She saw it crystal clear.

Changjo plumped himself onto the nearest bench in his sight. That’s when he felt his phone vibrated continuously. He clicked his tongue as he took his phone out of his pocket, already got the vision of whom calling.

His guess was precisely correct. It’s his dad again. He snorted at the screen as he rejected the call. Screw it.

******

Jiyoon practically spent her time at the library again. Her heart brought her to where she belongs to, with books. She didn’t realize she had been staring at the same word for minutes, like trying to dig its meaning from her memories. She actually knew the word’s meaning. Literally, just literally. It’s the word love.

Her perplexed mind made it unconducive for her to read the book. She grabbed some books and went to borrow them instead. She then stopped by a restaurant to have her lunch.

Funny how she wasn’t used to have her meals alone anymore. In the last days, she always had a person sitting across her. A person whose half was a statue made of marble. Cold and harsh, but there’s a way for it to look beautiful.

She mentally cursed on the thoughts she just had. Pissed off, she gulped down her drink in one shot before walking out the place, leaving half of her lunch uneaten.

She dropped the things she brought on the desk in one go when she arrived back in her room, causing a loud thud. She didn’t care and not wanting to care either. She was pressing the curtain button on hold, uninterestedly waiting for the light to brighten both the room and the mood of her as the curtain slided aside with the speed of an injured snail.

She plumped herself on the couch with a book in her hand. She tried her best to focus on reading, paying her lacks at the library that day. Soon, she felt tired for nothing. She shrugged it and continued reading.

The exhausted mind of her, worsened by her eagerness to read, undoubtedly made her tired enough and fell asleep on the couch again. The book was on her chest, being hugged tightly like it would be stolen by someone. Her brain was kinder not to project anything absurd that afternoon, leaving her nap dreamless.

It’s already dark outside when she woke up. The lights of downtown Tokyo could be seen clearly through her window. Little dots of lights were sparkling in every single inch of the town, dancing under the dark night sky. The busy streets were getting busier as the night was getting late.

She glanced around inside the room. No signs of anyone had come into the room during her sleep. Changjo hadn’t been back yet.

She wanted to take a relaxing bath in a sudden. Relaxing the tense she felt along her neck up to her strained head. She made her way to the bathroom, not bothering to close the room’s curtain first since she’s loving the nice night view of Tokyo outside.

She was thinking during her bath. Thinking about what she should do after. Changjo’s disappearance for the whole day had been bothering her after their not-so-good last talk. No, after his last quip on her. She knew he was mad, but she wasn’t sure for what. She thought it was all okay after the call, turned out it wasn’t.

If the boys were still with them, she wouldn’t bother it that much. The fact that it’s just the two of them had made the chance bigger that it somehow must have something to do with her. Recalling back on how his face and gestures expressed everything when she came, she’s positive that she had done something wrong.

But for what? For sneaking out? For not waking him up? He couldn’t be mad for me going out with Hiroshi, right? I didn’t plan it after all. And there’s no use for me to wake him up since what I wanted to do was to avoid him that moment.

She sighed as she stepped out the bathroom. Her gaze automatically scanned the room for the umpteenth time, wishing that Changjo would have been sleeping on the bed so that there would be no reason for her to be worried anymore. The disappointment she got after knowing that it’s all just her wish made her let out another sigh. She grabbed her purse and went out the room after changing her clothes.

She saw Hiroshi at the receptionist when the elevator opened. She hesitantly walked towards him, trying to earn any helpful information. “Jiyoon-san!” the boy noticed her faster. “Anything I can help?” he reflexively asked the question.

She smiled at his bright greeting. “Did your shift just start?” the boy nodded vigorously at her in answer. “I’m just wondering whether Changjo and you went out somewhere this afternoon, did you?”

“No, I stayed at the hotel for the whole day, sleeping. I haven’t seen him either.” He shrugged cluelessly. “What’s wrong?” Jiyoon’s uneasy look successfully transmitted to him.

Jiyoon stayed silent for a moment. She couldn’t stop stealing glances at the entrance, again wishing that Changjo would appear so she could stop the whole worries thingy and she didn’t have to answer Hiroshi’s question either. “Just wondering, don’t mind it.” She tapped his arm with a fake smile plastered on her face since Changjo didn’t show up. “I’m getting my dinner first, okay? See you later.”

Hiroshi frowned a bit before waving back at the girl whom already went out by herself, walking through the night alone.

******

The worries started getting on her nerves when she found out that Changjo still hadn’t been back as she stepped into their room after dinner. The urge to call him kept enforcing her from the inside, but by that she really had to put her pride aside. That’s all before she cursed herself for giving it too much damn. The guilt made her to keep worrying about him. She decided—more like forcing herself—to shrug it off and went to bed instead.

Later that night, she was awaken by nothing. Fortunately it wasn’t because another bad dream again. She reflexively glanced to her side, relieved to see Changjo was sleeping on the other side of the bed. The relief she felt to see him back later turned into a pop of anger inside her. What she didn’t know that it’s actually the same exact feeling Changjo felt earlier that day when she stepped into the room.

******

Jiyoon cursed in the early morning, losing her chance to talk to Changjo since the guy had already vanished again before she woke up. The curses she threw were the main reason to her bad mood later for the whole day. She tucked herself back into the bed after having a quick shower and breakfast. She lazily stared at the TV, once in a while read some pages of the book she hadn’t finished.

“Good afternoon, Jiyoon-san!” Hiroshi was standing by her door that afternoon when she opened the door after noticing the bell sound.

Jiyoon paused for a moment. She couldn’t hide her disappointment since she really wished for Changjo whom would appear.

Hiroshi frowned. “You look… unhappy to see me. Do I disturb you?” he hesitantly asked, biting his lower lip in worries.

She changed her expression right away. “No, don’t worry. It’s not about you.” She forced a smile. “What brought you here by the way?”

“I just want to visit you and Changjo,” told him.

Her heart skipped a bit in the mention of his name. “Uh… but he’s not here. It’s just me here.”

“Is that the reason why you seemed disappointed to see me instead of him here?” he laughed while Jiyoon stared blankly at him, caught red-handed. “Where’s he?”

Jiyoon shrugged with a darkened expression. “I don’t know.”

“Does this have something to do with you asking me about him last night?” Hiroshi raised his eyebrow, sensing something strange.

She sighed, “Why don’t we just take a walk outside while we talk about this?” Hiroshi nodded as he gave an okay look. “Wait a minute.” She rushed inside to grab her bag.

“So, the answer is?” he reminded her about his previous question when they were inside the elevator.

Jiyoon seemed hesitating. She was avoiding his gaze all along. “Yeah, kind of,” she answered shortly which then she regretted since it would just make Hiroshi wanted to dig more.

Hiroshi sensed something was off between Changjo and her, but he decided not to interfere more as he saw her burdened face. “Ah,” he responded. A bit of shock came to Jiyoon. She really didn’t expect him to keep her privacy that much. Maybe he always did that, getting used to it through his work. “So, where do you wanna go to? Or what do you wanna do? Although I haven’t lived here for years, but don’t worry we won’t get lost.” He changed the topic, back into his bright self, trying to enlight the dark clouds which hanging beside him.

She smiled. “Hmm… lunch? You choose. Except ramen,” she chuckled.

“Why not?” he laughed at her answer. “I was just about to take you to the best ramen place here.”

“Don’t say that it’s the one on the hook three blocks away from here.” She anticipatingly waited for his response, walking backwards in front of him as they were walking on the sidewalk then.

“How do you know?” he asked in disbelief.

Jiyoon rolled her eyes. “Just please. I used to go there every damn night in a week last month. Enough.”

“Where are we going to then?” Hiroshi took them back to the matter as they were waiting for the sign to turn green for them to cross the street safely.

“You think. You choose. I’m okay with any food unless it’s ramen.” She emphasized the last word.

Hiroshi was looking around, searching for any food place nearby. “Pizza?” he suggested, asking for Jiyoon’s approval, his gaze was pinned on the Italian restaurant’s sign from afar. “It’s good and affordable. I’ve been there for times.”

“Are you paid by them? You sounded like their salesman.” She joked, pulling him by his sleeve to continue walking towards the restaurant. “Faster! I’m hungry."

“Are you always being this mad when you’re hungry?!” the boy protested. He jogged wobbly as he tried to catch up her steps.

“Can’t people stop telling me that kind of thing?! You’re just another Changjo! No wonder you two befriend each other easily!” Jiyoon spluttered before realizing something. Changjo.

Her talk with Hiroshi in the past minutes had completely distracted her from him. Her expression changed in a flash.

“Jiyoon-san?” he waved his hand a few centimetres in front of her face. The boy was flustered by her sudden change. “Everything’s alright?” he frowned.

Jiyoon shook her head, focusing her own self. “Uh, yeah. Everything’s cool,” she replied.

“It’s about Changjo, isn’t it?” Later at the restaurant, Hiroshi shot his guess right away, breaking the ice as they were waiting for their order to come.

Jiyoon wasn’t taken aback by it. She already expected him to ask it somehow. She already got the feeling.

“What’s wrong? You can share it with me, if you want. But if you don’t, it’s okay. I’m not telling him anything after all.” He shrugged.

“It’s too obvious, huh? I can’t hide it well,” she bitterly laughed. “Yeah, there must be something wrong between us which I don’t know what. I haven’t got the time to talk to him. He keeps vanishing for the whole days,” she sighed.

“That’s why you asked me about him last night.” Hiroshi made his own conclusion, getting an affirmative nod from Jiyoon. Their talk was paused as they were having their lunch.

“By the way, how old are you?” Jiyoon asked, stirring her drink using the straw. “You… somehow look younger than us.” She used another term instead of mentioning Changjo again.

Hiroshi laughed. “I think so. I’m 19.”

“Woah, really?! I thought it’s just your baby face. Turns out you’re really younger,” she chuckled along. “We’re 20, but don’t worry, you don’t have to use formalities to me. We’re friends!”

“Okay, Noo…na? It’s right, isn’t it?” he giggled, worrying to make mistakes on his tease.

Jiyoon smacked his arm. “You make me feel years way older than you! Stop using it!”

“Then can I use uhm… ‘hyung’ to Changjo?” Hiroshi bit his lip, worried if he accidentally offensed her by bringing Changjo up on their talk again.

Jiyoon paused for a moment before letting out a little laugh. “Use it as you want. He looks older than his real age anyway. Even I think it’s fine to call him ahjussi.”

“I will try it next time!” Hiroshi giggled again.

Jiyoon smiled at her cute friend. “Just get ready to be scolded.”

“Ah, Noona!” Hiroshi whined. Jiyoon pinched him, causing the boy to squeal. “Okay, okay! I won’t call you noona!” Hiroshi was panting after the stinging pain on his arm which already been smacked before.

Jiyoon was then his arm to ease the pain. “Don’t you dare!” the two continued joking and teasing each other. To Jiyoon, she enjoyed her time, forgetting her problem for a while before forcing herself to think about how she’s going to solve it later. “So, why do you work in such a young age? Aren’t you supposed to be studying by now?” asked her. The jokes were already gone, turned into a serious talk.

Hiroshi slightly smiled. “I only live with my grandma in the countryside. She owns a shop there, but yeah it doesn’t make much. I don’t want to burden her so I’d rather make money and help her than to study although I really want to. I’ve been saving a part of my salary, maybe I’d continue my study later.” He shrugged.

Jiyoon was observing the boy across her who was then busy looking around. They just knew each other for a few days but she already had that connected feeling between them. There's an urge to treat him like her own younger brother. “When will your shift start?” she checked her wristwatch. It’s 2 pm.

“It will start around 8 or 9 tonight,” Hiroshi answered.

“Let’s go back now so you can have some sleep first,” she advised. The boy nodded at her. “It would be unhealthy for you if you don’t have enough sleep since you work in the night shift.”

The two then got up and went to the cashier to pay. “Don’t,” she told him as he was about to take his money out of his wallet. Hiroshi looked at her, confused.

“What?” he still took out his money and handed it to her.

Jiyoon rolled her eyes as she shoved the money back to him. “No, Hiroshi. It’s my treat.” She flashed a smile.

“Really?!” the younger boy couldn’t hide his happiness when he finally realized what she just meant. “Thank you, Noona!” he half squealed.

Jiyoon shot a glare at him. “Screw you! Don’t make me take this treat as your last!”

Hiroshi replied with a childish grin. “It was my reflex! I promise I won’t do it again… Jiyoon?” he hesitated.

She patted his shoulder. “Cool. That’s my boy.”

Later they separated at the hotel lobby. They quarreled a bit since the boy insisted to accompany her back to her room first before going to his place. In the end, Jiyoon won. Hiroshi walked straight to his place in defeat. Jiyoon waved at him with a winning smirk as she walked into the elevator. Spending her time with the cute Hiroshi successfully fixed her mood. It effectively made her forgot her problems as well. For a while.