It was near peak of dawn. Outside was still pitched black as the sun had started to rise a little later due to the gradual shift from summer to fall. Chae Won’s eyes gave a slight twitch and she gained awareness.

With her lids still shut, she relaxed and felt for her surroundings. Strangely it seemed as though she was home, in a bed. Though it didn’t particularly feel like her bed, it was close enough. Perhaps she was imagining stuff. Having been away for an entire month, it was inevitable that she’d miss home.

She let her mind roam and soon enough she was wide awake, in all respects. Every noise that could be heard from where she was, she heard them. She opened her eyes and strikingly she was home, in Geun Young’s room. That explains the early traffic buzz. Their apartment building was located near a huge manufacturing company who sent out their delivery around this time of day. How she got there? She couldn’t recall. She could have sworn she was still on the plane on her way back to Seoul.

Checking her side, Geun Young wasn’t there, just what she expected since she was still stuck working the overnight shift at her job. Like usual, she left the hallway light on. Looking to the nightstand, the clock read 4:13. Chae Won felt around the bed in search for her phone, desperate for an explanation from her friend as to how she got home.

Alarmed, she heard the knob of the bathroom door turn. She was startled and immediately clenched the covers and pulled them over her nose, not covering her eyes so she could peek to see who it was as she laid still like a mummy.

A silhouette appeared within view against the casted city lights from outside and it was a man. Chae Won’s eyes widened and her heart palpitated in fear. Suddenly silence filled the room and all she could hear were his daunting footsteps making its way from the bathroom toward the door.
Chae Won shut her eyes and bit her tongue, unwilling to allow her alertness to be discovered as he walked pass the bed. Before he disappeared into the hallway, she stole a glance and saw the back of an unfamiliar topless man, towel drying his soaked hair.

Oh no, he had been showering. Was this one of those moments like the movies where she wakes up and doesn’t remember anything she did last night? No, it couldn’t be! She quickly shook the bad thoughts out of her head and tried to keep her cool. She listened closely and his footsteps continued the direction of the kitchen.  

After a series of battling with herself, she worked up the courage to get up to confront him. On her feet, she felt a slight dizziness but it wasn’t the kind of dizziness you’d have due to a hangover so she was relieved. She wrapped the blanket around her body and tiptoed her way to the kitchen. Hiding behind the wall, she peeked out her head and saw the stranger standing faced the opened refrigerator. It looked like he was going to fix himself a meal.
He was about the same built but his hair was black and not red so he wasn’t Geun Young’s boyfriend Bum. He didn’t look like anyone Chae Won knew either.

Intruder.

She pulled her head back behind the wall. Her heart was beginning to pound heavily again. A million things ran through her mind. She frowned at the thought of dying in this stranger’s hands. What if he skinned her alive?

No matter what happens, she knew she had to fight for her life. She realized that with his back to her, she had an advantage. Taking steps back, she opened the closet door in the hallway hoping to find something she could use to defend herself, anything. She was ecstatic to find a tall black umbrella.

“This is it!” she told herself confidently. “You’re going down. No one messes with Moon Chae Won.”

Deciding that it was either do or die, she grasped the handle tightly and walked back toward the kitchen. Luckily he still had his back turned. Rushing to him, she closed her eyes tight and let out a loud scream as she attempted to strike a blow at his back.

“Woah, what’s going on?” the man asked in a hoarse voice as he dodged her hit.

Chae Won opened her eyes when she realized she had missed. Turning around, she lifted the umbrella and rushed toward him again. “Who the hell are you?! How did you get into my house?!” she shouted as she swung the umbrella.

The stranger caught it right in time, “Calm down. Let me explain!  I live here!”