I carefully squinted into the sharp rays of the sun, which burned me even through my closed eyelids.
My initial feeling of confusion evaporated as my gaze landed on the opposite side of the couch.
Su-Jin's body was literally collapsed wherever it reached, his right forearm slung loosely over his upper face and his left hand dangling down while his fingers held the fingerboard of his bass guitar.
Unlike him, I only took the corner from the couch, where I had my knees pressed against my chest and my head was resting on a pillow placed between the side and main backrests.
I got up slowly and with a slothful movement I stretched my neck muscles first and then my limbs.
As soon as I wanted to reach for my phone and check the time, I heard the sound again, which meant that someone was standing outside the apartment door.
I looked at Su-Jin, who just jerked his fingers slightly, but there were no further reactions.
So I took a few steps to the door and sighed as I reached for the handle.
In a few moments, I saw in front of me two guys and a wrinkle ran between their eyebrows as they noticed me.
,,Who are you?" One of them spoke rudely.
But before I could react, the same man interrupted me.
,,It doesn't really matter. Pack up and walk away."
Grasping the door, my fingers squeezed against the door's edge as it clung to my flesh.
However, this feeling disappeared as soon as the door opened a little more, so Su-Jin, who was standing close to me, replaced my contact with it.
But when I didn't hear anything from him for a while, I tilted my head slightly to see his face.
His expression didn't lack the typical frown, while his gaze said something that wasn't aimed at me.
,,I'll start talking even in front of her if she doesn't do what I said." He opened his mouth again and nothing pleasant came out of them again.
I glanced at the other guy, who was inches behind the first one.
Despite his frowning in a similar manner to Su-Jin's, he didn't perceive the feeling of comfort that was around me whenever I was near Su-Jin.
,,You should go."
I didn't look at him this time.
At that moment, those doubts came back. They told me that I had screw it only the second I entered the hotel grounds.
Without another word or glance, I turned, went deeper back into the apartment, where I began to put on my shoes. I couldn't look anywhere but in front of me.
Despite the situation, my memories, that remained in my head and were connected to what was around me didn't want to be damaged.
I just threw my jacket and bag over my elbow and was ready to leave the area as soon as I could.
As I walked past Su-Jin, whom I stubbornly refused to look in the face, I was sincerely surprised by his hand, which touched my forearm as his fingers wrapped around it.
And that's when I really looked him in the eye.
It was difficult for me to tell whether I wanted him to see everything... or nothing in my eyes.
However, when I noticed his unspoken emotion, the effect was the opposite.
Actually, what did he do?
He did nothing. Nothing wrong.
I gently pulled my hand out of his grip.
Then I gave him a little genuine smile, which was supposed to mean thanks for this morning. In spite of my current emotions, I was still dominated by the early ones I valued and didn't want to lose.
And I needed to leave.
Without thinking, I headed straight for the home.
I walked at a fast pace, so when a dark-haired guy stood in front of me with a precariously raised hand in a greeting gesture, I almost went around him unnoticed.
,,Hi. Millie, right?" He spoke as soon as I cast my doubtful gaze on him.
,,I just wanted to ask if you're okay?"
For a split moment, I was lost in my thoughts, which realized that this question had not affected me as much as the one before.
,,I am, thank you. So is Aurora." I answered with a slight smile when I recognized him.
,,What about your nose?" I was interested.
,,It's not broken." He replied with a short nod. ,,Well, I wanted to get you some coffee- or tea ... if you'll accept it." He offered and pointed with a short movement of his head towards one of the many cafes that was close to us.
,,As an apology, I wasn't able to keep him away from you both back then." He added.
Even though I knew absolutely nothing about him, except for the fact that he had done something ugly to the girl who poured her drink on him, he became one of the people I didn't feel the need to keep my distance from.
Therefore, I answered positively.
A few moments later, we were sitting opposite each other at a bar table.
,,By the way, I'm Sang-Hoon." He introduced himself and, out of habit, I tilted my head slightly forward and back.
,,It's nice meeting you."
,,So, you and Aurora became friends or ...?" I brought up topic that interested me quite a bit.
He laughed at my question, but was interrupted by a tall boy with a notebook in his hands.
,,Hello, what can I get you?"
,,For me, it'll be black coffee and ...?" Sang-Hoon looked at me with a question in his eyes.
,,I'd like herbal tea, please."
After writing my order, the waiter left and let us continue the conversation.
,,I asked her out, but her answer was no. That's the relationship between us." He resumed after seeing my defiant look.
That made me laugh. It wasn't a long-lasting laugh, but it was heartfelt.
,,I don't wanna feel offended you know..." He looked me straight in the eye.
,,I'm sorry." I reacted quickly, but a grin remained on my face.
,, Aurora has many friends and loved ones, but she didn't accept any of them after just one day of getting to know each other." I told him my point of view.
,,So it is patience, right?" It was possible to hear the gladness in his voice. But somehow self-confidence also found its place there.
I nodded my head. Then I could smell the herbs that pleasantly surrounded my senses.
After our drinks were placed on our table, I immediately grabbed the hot cup between my palms.
,,Let me not get wrong, but your pace in "socializing" is too rapid, isn't it?" I didn't mean for it to appear to be a judging. Rather than my personal thought.
Yet he smiled. ,,Not at all. Why do you think so?"
,,Just a feeling."
,,Many people squander their chances. There is no need for me to join them." A glimpse into his perspective was given to me.
,,Maybe those chances shouldn't have been taken." I told him back without much qualm.
,,Maybe you're right. So where would the fun be then?" He laid his elbows on the table and leaned forward a little.
,,In a flash, Aurora's answer makes sense." I teased him with a childish smirk and pointed out his impulsiveness, which was something that turned out to be such a refreshment of my day.
,,You seem different than last time." He spoke in a relaxed tone of voice.
My face was in his gaze.
,,I had barely caught the emotion on your face back then." He kept on. ,,But now you're readable like a book to me."
,,It's a natural human characteristic, I believe." I responded after a few seconds.
,,This one applies to bipolars or chameleons... don´t you think?."
I understood that he was confused.
,,You can't give the same piece of yourself to everyone. It is intrinsic that varied people receive different parts of you. Well, it's up to you which piece to give to whom." I explained my previous words to him.
Then Sang-Hoon leaned his back against the backrest and crossed his arms over his chest.
,,You got a point." It came after a few seconds.
A satisfied expression settled on my face after his answer, and while I grabbed the cup handle with my fingers again, I turned my head to the window, which had a direct view of the busy street.
Right opposite the café was a branch of the bank, where very well-dressed people who had a stable life entered and left.
My gaze strained so long there that it seemed as if I saw a familiar face flashed before my eyes.
,,Is that-" I didn't hold back a spontaneous murmur.
He wasn't wearing what I expected, but his white hair and shorter beard betrayed him.
,,Who's there?" I heard Sang-Hoon's voice, but I had already gotten up from the table.
,,Wait up a second." In a hurry, I told him and then ran out of the café.
I headed straight to the left, where Mr. Jee had been swallowed up by a crowd of people a few seconds ago. I glanced from one person to the next, looking for those familiar features.
People passed by me, but none of them were one that would relieve my conscience.
I didn't want to take the fact that it was just an illusion of my imagination as the true option that would be the solution to this situation.
My body was in paralysis because I couldn't decide whether to trust my judgment or vice versa.
But with my next steps, nothing has changed in my search.
After a few moments of nurturing my hope, I went back to Sang-Hoon, who had his phone pulled out and was comfortably leaning back in a chair, waited patiently.
Maybe I was expecting some questions, comments or just strange glances from him.
Well, what I didn't expect was his smile.
,,So where were we?"