From: unknown
A friend is someone you can trust.
12:00 am

From: unknown
Are you sure he's a real friend?
12:01 am
seen 4:09 am

PARK SEOYEON always gets random text messages every midnight, but not everyday, the sender has no patterned schedule. It started few months ago and were sent by the same number for unknown reasons. Such messages aren't alarming though. There must had been a glitch, and for that reason, she only shrugs it off.

It was four o'clock in the morning when the constellations begun to lose its light. It was quite chilling like every other night. It was the perfect time to embrace one's sleepiness whilst body is fully covered with blanket and soft pillow placed between legs.

Notwithstanding, Seoyeon is sitting on her bed with one leg crossed over the other and talking in front of her laptop, wide awake.

"By the way, haven't I told you about the Korean doctor I met here at work?" Yeonseo brought their ninth topic for today.

"Oh, not yet . . . Does he have the face? The hair, you know?" Seoyeon felt enthusiastic for the ninth time. She shifted her body's position from cross-legged to lying her tummy flat on the bed surface. She then pulled her laptop closer to her face. It's now clearer to see that the sun hasn't shined for her, but the sun is already blaming hot for the other. That's how distant they are.

She then checked the time by averting her gaze shortly at the lower right corner of the screen. She must get ready for work soon. The twin sisters are communicating through video chat and they've been talking for a half an hour already. They don't regret any bit of it nevertheless.

"How did you know the doctor is a he?"

"Your eyes don't excite like that for girls."

Yeonseo covered her mouth and laughed. Her sister still knows her well despite of being unable to see each other personally for about two years. It doubles her happiness. "Yeah, he got the looks, and I think . . . we have mutual understanding." Her voice gradually became sheepish while pointing the tips of her index fingers to one another.

"Aigoo. Aigoo. Look at you." Seoyeon couldn't hide the cringe she felt in her laughter, yet she is excited to meet the guy.

Yeonseo can be hoity-doity individual but she really is a dainty when it comes to men. It has to be a really good looking guy to be her liking. Seoyeon on the other hand wasn't the type of a girl who fangirls about pretty men. She wanted to focus on her career and avoid commitments that will cause her distractions, but she herself feels like she's changing as she gets older. It does not scare her, however. The thought of turning into one of those grumpy old maiden in orphanages is scarier for her, and she can actually see it in herself which is the scariest.

A joke suddenly slipped in her mind.

"You've replaced Jeongguk, I see."

"Hey! It was only a crush, and it's been ages!" Yeonseo had to defend herself. Seoyeon is surely better in making her blush than most of the boys.

"What if you're only using the new guy to forget him?"

"Yah!"

"I need to talk to mother. Where is she?"

"Yah!" Yeonseo shot her an angry glance, looking slightly embarrassed. It only took seconds before their mother appeared next to her on the screen. She bends down on her knees to match the height of her daughter's sitting position. A sweet smile crept on her wrinkled yet beautiful face. The conversation bounds to be longer.

"Your sister is too busy with her love life that she would sometimes forget I exist." Kidded the mother, giving a soft pat on her daughter's head.

"That's not true!"

Seoyeon smiled at the sight of her family. Everything felt so warm even without being with them in person.

Then it hits her.

If it wasn't for her father's incident, she would have felt better.

Seoyeon might be laughing that time, but she secretly envies her sister for being lucky in both love and work.

Love?

There's time for that.

Work?

It's pretty shit.

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It's not easy to reach one's dream.

It's not easy for Seoyeon to become a professional screenwriter. It is bittersweet. It is comparable to a rollercoaster ride. It gives you sensational feelings that you might never forget, but it can also give you regrets in one wrong move.

That's why she became a business analyst.

Funny.

Back in college, she thought she would be able to save money if she works in a firm and she would use her savings in publishing her book. Then she dreamed of having herself recognized that will led someone to offer her a screenwriter position. However, reality never works that way. She is now stuck in this wormhole, or she'd call workhole. She can't even finish a single chapter due to lack of time, but mainly because of procrastination. If she finds strong motivation, however, then she might be able to keep some time and start.

It was lunch when they've been dismissed, following the usual timeline. She went to the restroom to wash her hands right after the meeting. Not that she got dirty, she only wanted to be alone and keep herself from bumping into some particular, unneeded people.

And of course, it has to be an unlucky day.

She tried her best, but the annoyance is inevitable as one of the particular people joined her. Ah. This girl. Seoyeon refused to roll her eyes, despite the huge urge she had, for she doesn't want to show an act of immaturity. She then flicked her hands to dry and grabbed some tissue from the dispenser on the wall.

Mara displayed a glorious smirk on her face, maybe to brag how plump her lips are. A sudden pop sound was heard when she opened her lipstick abruptly, gently applying it on her lips afterwards. Everyone thinks she's a birth of beauty, but Seoyeon thinks the opposite. She finds her sister more beautiful than her.

"You have been working here for two years, right?" Seoyeon knows that Mara is talking to her, even though her eyes are completely glued on the mirror. Only the two of them are currently in the restroom anyway. "I guess you have nowhere to go." Mara murmured but loud enough for her to hear.

Then Seoyeon let out a fake laughter.

"Oh!" She looked surprised, acting like she just recognized the young woman beside her when they have been standing there for minutes already. "Aren't you the daughter of the wealthiest investor?" She asked with mocked excitement, admiring the latter's smugly image on the mirror.

"I am." The smirk stays firm on Mara's face.

Mimicking her actions earlier, Seoyeon took out her red lipstick from her handbag and applied it with caution. She pursed her lips together to make the pigments even. After popping a light sound with her lips, she finally returned the smirk.

"Listen, sweetie. Maybe you're working here for fun, but without him, you could be nothing." She can hear the latter snicker while she puts the lipstick back in her handbag. "Being his daughter doesn't mean you can always get what you want. You still have loads of processes to undergo."

It wasn't a comeback to shut her up, it was a friendly reminder instead.

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Jia sighed.

With the guitar case in her hands, thinking she has to walk miles again already got her exhausted. Yet she can't stop, otherwise she wouldn't be able to find another gig, or for the worst, pay rent. It's always after school day and hopefully today she doesn't end up playing her guitar on pavements, waiting for people to drop coins. God knows how thankful she is to be a scholar, or else life could have been worse.

Perks of being alone in life.

Anon, she found herself staring at the street outside the school gate. Taking a deep breath, she prays to survive another day. She was thinking about sleep, but she knows that she wouldn't able to do it just yet.

Then a male of her age stopped his motorcycle and stayed still in front of her. He dressed like some sort of a student gangster, if that's how you call it. He looks pretty older than his age and his sudden appearance is really questioning.

"I can give you a ride." The lad whom she classified as disgusting has winked. The motorcycle looks expensive, but still why on Earth will she ride that?

"No, thank you."

"Come on, I'm not dangerous."

Jia rolled her eyes and shies away. She's too tired to waste her time for a person like him. Having his presence in school is too much already. Get away from me, you jerk. She wanted to cursed him out loud, but she didn't want to come off as rude as him.

"Playing hard-to-get?" Laughing makes his face wrinkle. He quickly turned his engine off and took his keys with him. He then got off from his motorcycle. "Hey . . . hey." He once thought that pouting could make him look cute but it doesn't suit him at all. He then let out soft chuckles. Moreover, he was about to hold her hand, but someone has to interrupt their moment.

It was Jeongguk who has arrived and grabbed Jia's arm, pulling her closer to him then behind his back. "Back . . . off." Said he, eyes are burning at the latter.