stranger ‣ y.jw

009

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"Jungwon, why do you keep spacing out? Eat your breakfast." His grandmother scolds him.

Jungwon smiled and nods before eating his breakfast. Truthfully, he was spacing out because he was thinking of what he should do for the day aside from laze around. There wasn't much to do, he could ask Sunoo to hang out with him but his best friend was always busy. It felt as if he was friends with a celebrity every time he talks to the latter.

Byeol, he was too shy to ask her to hang out, especially since he found out about her and Sunghoon. Although they were on a break, he found it really inappropriate to ask her to hang out.

Then there was Jihee who he was very much sure is out to go do something interesting. It's been three weeks since he met her. His grandmother has gone to his family house twice since she stayed there and never once had his grandmother talked to him about Jihee. Meaning to say, she has yet to find out about the person secretly staying in the house.

Jungwon wondered how none of the neighbors talked to his grandmother about it. Could Jihee have casted a spell regarding that issue?

"I'm going to your family house to clean so--"

"Can I go with you?" He asked, even using his cute tone to increase the likeliness of his grandmother agreeing to him.

His grandmother raised her eyebrow a bit but unable to resist her only grandchild, she sighed as she nods. Jungwon did a little cheer that made her smile. "But you should help me with cleaning! Your parents would be angry if they came home in a filthy house and a lazy son."

He laughed. "Of course, I don't want to tire you." She chuckled and pinched his cheeks until he lets out a little scream because of the pain. "Ouch grandma, it hurts!" He pouts.

When breakfast was done, Jungwon immediately gets ready to go to their family house as if he doesn't go there in the weekdays to remind Jihee she needed to attend her classes. The trip to the house wasn't that fun but he did enjoy having to talk to his grandmother after days of only speaking to her during dinner.

"Did you hear anything from your parents, Jungwon?" She asked.

He replied with a nod. "They sent me a picture yesterday. They're currently in Maldives."

She couldn't help but smile. "Ah your parents really are the most adventurous people I know." Arriving at the house, just as when he was about to walk inside and open the gate for her, she stopped him and gave him one of the lunch box she was holding. "Give this to Sunoo first, it's been a while since you've brought him home so bring that food to his family."

He hums in agreement before making his way to the house next door and knocking softly. It took Sunoo quite a while to open the door, his eyes still kind of drowsy as if he had just woken up.

"Jungwon? You're early." Sunoo smiled, opening the gate for his friend. "Are you here to visit Jihee? Mom said she saw her leave early in the morning."

I wonder what she's up to.

"Oh no grandma is here to check on the house. She asked me to bring this food to you." He said, handing him the lunch box. He stifled a smile when he saw how Sunoo's eyes brightened at the mere mention of food from Jungwon's grandmother.

"Thank you! I really love your grandma's cooking! Tell her my gratitude." Sunoo gleams. "

"Of course. You can go back to sleep now, your eyes are about to fall." Jungwon teases him, pushing him inside the gate.

Sunoo pouts. "It's early in the morning, what do you expect? See you then." He waved at his friend one last time before heading inside.

Jungwon now headed back to his house where his grandmother was currently cleaning. The house didn't look very different, it almost seemed like no one was living there. The only trace of Jihee in that house was the candle that was placed at the top of the white drawer, just by their family portrait.

The wax was nowhere near finished. In fact, if it hadn't been for the melted wax slowly dripping in the side, he would've believed it wasn't melting.

"What are you staring at?" His grandmother suddenly appeared behind him. "Are you staring at your family portrait?"

The candle must be invisible.

"Y-Yeah." He lied.

"I left a lunch box by the kitchen table, give it to the next door neighbor okay?" She tells him.

An idea suddenly appeared in Jungwon's head and when his grandmother had finally left, he took one last look at the lunch box before putting it inside the refrigerator. He grabbed a post-it note from his parents old room and a pen to leave a note for Jihee.

Attaching the note to the refrigerator, he finally left the house, hoping that she would see the note and food he left for her.

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The stranger walked to back to the house, massaging her eyes after a long day.

The night has fallen and she was returning to the house after spending the whole day, looking for something interesting to do. While she was busily walking around, invisible, she caught sight of an interesting fate.

Since Byeol and Sunghoon's fate was now jeopardized because of her interference, the least she could do to kill some time is find someone with an interesting fate and try her best not to jeopardize that person's fate.

Opening the door to the house, she falls to the couch after opening the lights. Since it was a Saturday, she was sure Jungwon's grandmother had cleaned the place like she always did.

She turned her head to the kitchen's direction and a yellow post-it note grabbed her attention. She stood up and started to read the words written on it.

Jihee

I left you food inside the refrigerator. I know you don't need to eat but you should try my grandmother's cooking, I know you would love it.

Also, can you clone this and give it to the person next door? ( not Sunoo, he already has his own lunch box ) My grandmother asked me to give that to her but I lied and gave it to you instead.

See you in class.

Jungwon

She smiled.

Pulling the refrigerator door open, she grabbed the lunch box and pulled it out. She opened the lunch box and her eyes softened upon seeing korean dishes. A mix of unfamiliar emotions surrounded her supposedly dense heart.

This unfamiliar longing and this need to reminisce on a past she didn't have.

Nostalgia.

She wasn't familiar to the feeling simply because a stranger wasn't supposed to feel it.

A stranger should not remember her past life, let alone miss it.

Nine months, stranger. Nine more months until you can get out of here.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE :

was gonna post this earlier but our router decided to give up on me