That evening, I ate dinner with my parents. The atmosphere was content until my phone rang. I immediately rejected the call, knowing all too well of the creepy atmosphere and strange voice that would greet me if I answered.

“Who was that?” My father questioned and I looked up at him as I tried to think of a lie.

“Oh, it was only Sunhwa.” I told him. “I’ll talk to her after dinner.” I excused and he dropped the subject as quickly as he had brought it up.

I excused myself from my parents’ presence a few hours later and made my way upstairs to my bedroom. I perched on the edge of my bed and sighed as I ran my fingers through my hair. My thoughts continued to focus on the stranger and the creepy phone calls and the stalking. Had I done something to this person? Were they obsessed? Was it someone I knew? Too many questions circled in my head and I couldn’t answer any of them; it felt like it was driving me mad.

I got undressed from my school clothes and grabbed my pyjamas before putting them on. I walked round my bed and towards my window to close my curtains; that’s when it felt like my heart stopped beating. Across the street, under the dull street lamp there stood a hooded figure, dressed all in black and looking up at my window. I quickly hid behind my curtain and poked my eye out from behind the curtain to look again at the person. Suddenly a thought popped into my head: it must have been Yongguk. He was probably mad that I got angry and told him not to come to my house. It must have been his form of revenge, scaring me. I sighed in relief and laughed at my slowness. I grabbed my phone and quickly dialled his number as I kept an eye on the person under the streetlight. I put the phone to my ear as it rang, but it didn’t take him long to answer.

“JiEun” he simply said my name, as if surprised that I phoned him. I poked my head out from behind the curtain once more, but the hooded figure was still stood the same as before; no phone in their hand.

“Where are you right now?” I questioned him as I frowned in confusion at the situation. Did he have a hands-free device?

“Why do you want to know? Are you missing me?” He spoke hopefully and I immediately sighed at his time-wasting words.

“Just answer me!” I raised my voice and he went quiet. “Are you outside my house?” I spoke straight out and he was quiet for a moment.

“No, I’m with Zelo, do you want to talk to him?” He told me with a sigh and my heart dropped. If it wasn’t Yongguk, then who was it? “Why is someone outside your house?” He questioned but I was quiet. My heart raced in fear as I thought about the situation. The stranger knew where I lived, they knew my phone number; how could I possibly escape them?

“JiEun, answer me!” Yongguk’s raised voice dragged me from my thoughts and back to reality. I bit my lip slightly as I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration.