“Morning Mr. Seol.” Sunye barged in. Her eyes were swollen due to her no-good sleep last night.

“Grab some breakfast.” The old man jutted his lips to the counter table. “My wife made us a loaf of raisin bread this morning.”

“Thank you. I’ve been famished. Didn’t even eat a thing last night.”  She came over and positioned herself at the end of the table, grabbing a chair and started fetching for a slice, sipping her milk tea once in a while. She found herself having a lesser taste for coffee in the morning.

“What’s wrong with you?” He glanced her way, chugging down his whisky.

“Nothing. New stock?”

“Next month. Now, don’t change the topic.”

She had a habit of losing appetite pretty easily when someone began to start a conversation in the middle of having some meals. “Later, shall we? I don’t feel like talking about it right now.”

She didn’t know a single what had happened with her life despite getting a new, comfortable job, and Minho, her family, and everyone she knew before were missing. In that state, she had even be embarrassed and talked about for fun. She hated the police – cursed them.

She really had taken her life for granted. Now, she didn’t care whether she was destined to die soon or died with a choke on food, or anything because she had lost everything she had. Even herself. She looked alright with Mr Seol, the neighbours and even the customers.

No one knew she started to develop insomnia. No one knew her depression worsened. No one knew how hard she tugged on her hairs every time she let herself calming down under the cold shower – how much strands had sliding down the drain till it grossed.

Her stress, pressured. How hard she restrained herself from getting a delicate cutting on her wrist. She loved the blood stream in those massive green veins. She wanted to let them out, and the feeling to lean on the bathroom tiled wall, she longed to feel them. She dreaded when days passed like a chill wind. She hated to see times.

She desired dying, but she won’t. For the rarest time in her life, she missed home, because no one understood her here.

Chanyeol stood there, gazing on the glass display of latest books in the shop, absentmindedly eyeing the yellow stain at the edge of the pillar. He didn’t mean to window-shop, but something else brought him here – his memories was enough to haunt him here. He still remembered becoming the kid that frequently messed everything and bugged his father out of it.

Just then, a flannel came into sight, wiping and wiping until the dirt vanished, not as clear as his old man had claimed the mortgage as his about ten years back, but clear enough for a better see through in case some best-sellers were seen on some great offers, 70 per cent off maybe.

Selling books had never taken place for his liking. His mind unconsciously zoomed backwards, where father was sending to the military school stones, stones away from his home because he flunked pretty badly at school. He just didn’t have the talent to fulfil what his parents wanted, until they separated.

A pair of chaste eyes came in connected with his own, before Sunye wiped the space in a blink. She realized his ears again, which is ill-mannered nevertheless, she chuckled. He too, broke into his perky grin.

Seconds later, she was outside after finishing her last duty to wipe the display window clean.

“Keep seeing you round here.” She accosted, didn’t know where to start. Her mind was mixed up.

“Hey.” He looked along the orange sky, golden hue streaking his hair, seen more dashing than he ever tried. Winter was practically stolen by the Grinch, not only the Christmas which he had made a big plan for. Now, it was almost spring – not almost, it was.

“Shall we start over?”

“I’m Sunye.” She didn’t tell him her last name. They weren’t close enough, maybe, Chanyeol thought so. “And you’re Chanyeol, right? I remembered you.”

“Park Chanyeol.” He broke the boundary as they shook hands, a little too slowly, yet gently. Sunye couldn’t help but to feel the warmth.

“So you love to read?” She ventured, dissipating solemn fear away. To her, it was a great achievement. At least, there was another person not to be called a stranger like her, or in other way, she had made some friends without Minho’s help which always positioned her lower than the early timid kid she met in the kindergarten back in Mokpo.

“Not as much as I was.” He silently replied. They were now facing the nature, both backs making faces at the sale display.

“So you’ve been before.”

“Oh, almost forgot.” For a moment, he pocketed his dark green jacket and she set a cautious gap between them. “This is yours?” He let the brown, made of wood hand accessory flailed to the air.

She checked both of her wrists in utter confusion. “Guess so.”

“Here you go.” She was about to lay her palm flat like a beggar begging coins for some bread when Chanyeol dwindled his in attention away. “Wait, let me put it on you since you’ve got a nice one.”

“Thank you.” It was her Grandmother’s. Despite the old school look, she thought it had treasured lot of her bittersweet memories, which also accompanied her to be even here – apart from never letting it off even for a shower.

“Don’t say it. It was coincidence to be here so I took the chance.”

From afar, Mr Seol faint voice calling after her was heard rather clearly. “I guess, my curfew calls.” She smiled, regretting to be out so long but she really had a good time for the late evening air with someone undoubtedly casual much to be with.

It didn’t dawn more to her realization that Chanyeol started to grow goose bumps. “Sunye listen, I don’t mean to pry but I think I can help looking for your cousin.”

“Really?!” He was amazed to witness her wide grin as her eyes twinkled, which only reminded himself that her cousin was really someone that had affected her so badly good that Minho could almost became a sensitive topic if he wanted to talk a about it so casually. He had planned for another meeting that he couldn’t help but to be looking forward for.

He carefully held her shoulders. “Do me a favour, please. There’s going to be a fair at the town square in a few says.” At least, he didn’t thought her as some craze like all of the police did to her.

“Sunye, you didn’t ditch work aren’t you?” The booming voice from the old man almost got nearer to the door. Both of their head swiped away from the source as they continued to focus on each other.

“Meet me there. Please?” She nodded, recruiting her broken pieces. To her, if Minho was found, he could bring her back.

“I need to go.” He left her with a gentle pat on her hair, with another part of his heart being stolen, with hope.

“Here you are.” She quickly joined her employer inside. Clock out was about the next half an hour.

Sunye felt like, tonight, she would sleep a little soundly, and to her, it was all that mattered.