Lisa took a deep breath before catching herself in the mirror. Her cheeks and nose are slightly pink and her bangs parted unflatteringly across her forehead. She tried so hard to be optimistic and look on the bright side of things, but that news just brought a whole level of energy in her. Angry energy. 

No, no, Lisa's angry now but before she burst into tears in the public restroom at Daejeon train station, she was furious! How is she even connected to someone so mean in this world?! What was so wrong with her that she ended up being treated this way? Was she ever rude to them? Not that she could think of -

Her phone rang and she picked up upon seeing the caller. 

"Hi Chae,"

"Are you okay?? I've been calling you -" Chaeyoung's voice reflects that of concern and frustration.

"Sorry, I just read it,"

"Babe I'm so sorry! I wasn't sure if I should send it at first, but I don't want you to go there and ended up getting this shit thrown at your face - ohh I'm so mad right now, I could punch his face!!"

"Yeah...I mean...you did the right thing. Thanks,"

"What are you gonna do? How far are you now?"

"I don't know...I haven't -"

She halted her tracks when she locks eyes with the guy from the train, now standing up from the bench and walking towards her. He seems different now. When they were sitting side by side, Lisa thought he looked slumpy and young. She must admit that she tried hard not to stare at that handsome face spewing charming clapbacks at whatever she said! 

But now she could see how broad his shoulders are, and how tall he stood in front of her. That sexy, dangerous smirk is still there...

"Chae, I'll call you back," She hung up to the whining sound of her best friend. 

"Are you okay?" He dipped his head a little to her, looking like he's examining her face. "You cried?"

"Y-yeah," She cleared her throat a little...and her conscious. Stop looking at me like that! "What are you - where's the train?!" She gasped a little too loud at the empty tracks.

"It left,"

"Okay but then why are you here?!"

"Cus you left..." His hand reaches the back of his neck. She noticed now how he does that a lot. "I thought you'd wonder where the train is," Lisa gasped again, ready to smack the guy for thinking that she's a stupid bimbo who can't tell if the train had left when it's not there. "And also, cus you left this. I figured that it's important to you since you've been clinging onto it the whole way -"

Lisa grabs the package he had presented in one hand from his back. The package that had her anxious with mixed emotions for the past 2 days. The package that she convinced herself would be the start of better things, but now making her more angrier than ever. 

She stormed to the trash bin and wanted to throw it so hard to feel the satisfaction that at least she has this under control - but the bin's window is too small and it won't fit. Instead, it just fell on the ground. She picks it back again and tried shoving it in again, and again...and again...and -

"Okay, obviously it won't fit in there," His voice stopped her from the merciless stomping and grunting.

"Why are you still here?!"

He backs away a little and hold both palms up. "Okay...so I take it the link your friend gave was a bad one?"

"It's all your fault! You asked me to open it!"

"Hey, we made a deal. You'd have your win on it too,"

"Then why are you still talking?!"

"Wow you're quite a stomper there," 

Lisa looks down to her feet, planted firmly on the floor. Had she been stomping - whatever!

"That's not the point!"

"Why are you so angry at me?"

"You asked me to look at the message! You left the train for this stupid thing -" She threw the package again and it fell on the floor - again. Lisa huffed in annoyance. "And now I have to feel bad about it -"

"Hey, you didn't asked me to so you don't have to feel bad. And fine, I'm sorry I asked you to look at the message okay? I just thought - you looked so tensed and something's clearly bothering you - I thought I'd help, that's all,"

"I never asked for your help, you shouldn't have interfered - I don't even know you!"

"Well I'm sorry for trying to do the right thing! It was fine in my head but yeah, you're damn right! Everyone should just mind their own damn business and not care if someone left their things around right?!" 

He snapped back, shocking her a little with the high tone and the obvious suppressed anger. The guy then left and sat back at the bench he was earlier sitting at. Well that...that puts her back in reality. What has she done? It wasn't his fault that she's here, being upset and all. He had nothing to do with it.

Lisa sighed at her own ignorance. He was only trying to help and she had been a bitch about it. She looks back at the package on the ground and picks it up slowly. There's really no point trying to shove it into the bin. She'll just find another one...or bring it back to Seoul. 

"I'm sorry," She said softly when she reached the guy. "I shouldn't have shouted at you. You didn't do anything wrong, I was just...in the moment,"

The guy stares up to her in silence and expressionless, making her feel even worse by the second. After a while, his gaze shifts back to the empty train tracks. What should she do? He was trying to help, and had missed the train because of her. It's actually the nicest thing a stranger had ever done for her - even if she didn't need the package now...

Slowly, she made her way to sit beside him. Come to think of it, she had been more than a little rude to him since the beginning. He was being friendly, and she was being cold. Lisa was never like this. She was always cheerful, smiley and helpful to anyone. Even if she didn't receive the same treatment, she never asked for anything in return.

But there's something about today...and there's definitely something about him. First, it was the phone call she overheard. Lisa now cursed at herself internally for being too judgmental on a person - something she doesn't normally do as well. But how could she not, the forced whispers of the guy dumping his girlfriend...or boyfriend...or just someone he had fun with was so hard to listen to! 

Not that she's judging his lifestyle choices - it's just that he sounded so cocky as he tried to dodge whatever question the person asked that Lisa couldn't help but felt sorry for the girl, whoever the 'cupcake' is! I mean...'cupcake' could be a guy but still - he could've at least sounded like he felt bad about it instead of talking as if he's above everything!

Of course Lisa's not that oblivious - she knew he was trying to chat her up. It was fun though, watching his confused states when she said something that caught him off-guard. It wasn't her intention to put him in his place or anything. No...she was too engrossed with her own issues to even plan it out. Her reactions to him were all purely coincidental and it surprised her too of how natural it felt to bicker around with him!

But now she felt like the worst person ever. He looked so mad back there and he wasn't saying anything up until now. It's not easy to meet people who's willing to drop a second to help you out when they hardly even know you, let alone miss a train for it! Since she's been in Seoul, she had only met 5 people that earned her utmost respect with their non-judgmental kindness.

The 5 that she keeps close until now. Chaeyoung, who welcomed her to share the apartment. She could barely speak any Korean when she first got here so they communicated in English instead. But the girl never once discriminated or undermined her. Instead, she had included Lisa in all her daily routines, gossips and news. She made her felt so comfortable since the very beginning that sometimes, Lisa forgot that she ever left home!

There's also Jisoo and Jennie, the sisters who owns the agency she's been working at. She still remembers how nervous she felt on the day of her interview with them. They seemed so serious and fierce - especially Jennie - when Lisa first walked into the boardroom. After probably 10 seconds in upon introducing herself however, the sisters started giggling and saying how cute Lisa sounded. It caught her off-guard, but she just laughed along. 

It's amazing how different they are but somehow the same. Lisa couldn't help but threw in lame jokes in between the interview but they somehow clicked with her so well! From then on, Lisa became their 'life of the party' at work. It's been a year since she started working with them, but Jisoo would still get her chicken wings out of the blue and Jennie would sometimes gift her cute things. Most weekends, they would ask her and Chaeyoung to hang out which is nice because it made Lisa feel like she has 3 sisters around.

She grew up being an only child so their presence has really been 'a dream came true'. Then there's Somi, a girl she knew at her dance class. Lisa was auditioning to qualify as a part time dance instructor 4 months ago and on the day itself, she got so nervous that she couldn't even move when they called her in.

Somi saw her stuttering state and she came forward to introduce herself. The girl gave her an assuring smile and kind, constructive words - saying however the outcome is, she'll be there to cheer for her at the end. It amazed Lisa, how the younger girl managed to build her confidence back up and really did cheer for her at the end! She's such a genuine and bubbly character that Lisa couldn't help but fell for.

Mr Sung on the other hand, looks as tough and strict as the way he trains at the kickboxing studio. He didn't talk much and had always kept his cool manner in check - even when Lisa tried to joke around with him. She didn't know much about him, except that he's in his 40's and has 3 children - the eldest just started working. He's divorced and the children are living with their mom. She heard about it from one of the trainers. 

Safe to say that her first impression of him wasn't great. He's always too serious that at times, it made her feel annoyed at how he kept taunting and pushing her to 'punch or kick harder because she was as weak as a 5-year-old'. Sometimes she wondered if he had it so rough and life had turned him into a bitter, unhappy man. She'd feel bad whenever she thought too hard about it.

One thing Lisa noticed was that he would always buy a bunch packed foods from the convenient store downstairs before he came to the studio, and would leave with it. At first she just thought that it's his dinner - the studio closes at 9pm so he probably packed the food in case there aren't any restaurants opened by then. Or maybe the packed food was just too good and if he didn't get them earlier, others might. The man works out a lot so he probably eats a lot too.

But one night, Lisa learned the reason behind it. She had a deadline to meet so she finished late, which in turned got her to the studio at the last hour. When she's done, she went into the store to get water. As she walked on her normal route back to her apartment, she noticed Mr Sung walking far ahead on the same route as her.

She wanted to approach and greet him, but stopped when he turned into a narrow, dark alley. When Lisa peeked, she found him distributing the food to 4 or 5 homeless persons there. It really warmed her heart and hit her so close to home. It's really true what they say. Never judge a book by its cover. He was whispering in a calm and nice manner to them and Lisa wanted to slap herself for thinking badly of the man. 

Since then, Lisa would buy some food as well before her session starts and casually mentioned that those were extra foods from her office. Yes, he would look at her weirdly but he accepted it and never asked much! He shares with the less fortunate and Lisa's happy to have known such a person. She'd still throw in her weird jokes in between and now, he's started smiling a little. That's a bonus for her!

He didn't have to say anything. He's just a quiet man, living his quiet life...and he's probably happy with it. Speaking of quiet, the guy beside her is still staring far ahead - probably still mad at her. Maybe she should buy him a new ticket? Do they have more trains going to Busan? Would it bruise his ego if she pays for it? The thought of him, only trying to help her but instead being treated that way made her feel less of a person - even worse than reading that news just now!

"I um...I was supposed to send this to my boyfriend's mother," She looks down to the package on her lap. She's not sure why she's trying to explain it - maybe to give him a perspective of her unnecessary bitchy lashes or maybe she just wanted to talk about it - but now that she started, she wanted to say more.

"She never liked me. He brought me to meet her 3 times before - and in all those times, she made it clear that she doesn't want a 'Thai golddigger' to be with his son," She chuckled a little, recalling the old lady's voice in her head. 

"So when she suddenly called me - I never knew she had my number and address - asking for help to deliver an urgent package that was somehow sent to Seoul instead of Busan, I thought she wanted to start over...like make amends, you know?" She felt his gaze on her but she kept her head bowed and fidgets on the slightly torn tape at the edge of the brown box.

"It was so stupid - I didn't even ask what was in this thing, I just said yes to it. Today's weird. I haven't heard from my boyfriend for 9 days - today is the tenth. All the while...I was fine. Nothing weird crossed my mind - I just thought that he's busy with work and I didn't even mind. But this morning...somehow this morning I felt it. Like something's wrong. Not about him or anything in particular - just that something is off, you know?"

"I've been anxious since. I told my housemate bout it. Chae - Chaeyoung, my housemate - she said it's probably nothing. It's probably the nerves of meeting his mother alone. I've never traveled this far in Korea alone, so that's probably the reason too. It's stupid cus I've traveled to another country alone so why should I feel scared of this?"

"Chae sent me that link. She found it from one of the gossip blogs. I can't believe I kept telling her to stop reading all these gossips and now she found the exact news that's linked to me," She chuckled again, shaking her head. She knew that once she's back, Chaeyoung's gonna jump around her, shouting how useful those gossip blogs are and proving her point!

"He's getting married today," Lisa looks up to the farthest her eyes could see. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt to say it. "I was right and I was wrong. He's been busy, but not with work. His mother didn't ask me for help to make things right, she's simply doing it out of spite. It's all just a big joke,"

Briefly she wondered how she got in this situation. It felt like a very short recap, but it's been 2 years. She was young, and her decisions were based on other people's inputs. No wonder she felt empty sometimes when she looked at his face...

"12 minutes done," 

Lisa turns to the guy, confused at what he's talking about.

"Our 12 minutes deal...it's done," He smiled, cocking his head to a side. Wait, did he just - "The next train is in 3 hours, so we have some time to kill. What do you wanna do? Oh, should we grab lunch? I'm hungry - let's go!" He grabs her hand, pulls her up to a stand and starts walking.

...

"I thought you were mad - that's why you weren't talking -"

"I was...a bit. You can buy me lunch if it makes you feel better," He grins, showing  the rows of teeth that Lisa thinks makes him look like a bunny. Her heart flutters for some reason that she had to shake it off by forcing a frown. "No, really. You need to buy me lunch cus I um...this is embarrassing, but I'm sort of short of cash,"

Oh wow...he just said something that pushed that little soft spot in her chest! Could she feel any worse for the guy?!

"I mean...I have money! I just don't have it with me now -"

"It's okay. I'll buy you lunch. God forbids I let you starve after making you leave your train to pass me this stupid thing!" She rolls her eyes and starts walking again.

He chased after her and grabs her palm in his again. Lisa stops and frown at the guy.

"Just so I won't lose you. I've never been here...walking around I mean, and I don't have much cash so -"

...

"Are you sure a hotdog is enough? We can eat at a proper restaurant you know...I don't mind,"

"I love hotdogs. The best I've tried was in New York," He took another bite. Hmm...interesting. He could afford to travel the world, but he didn't have money. Lisa's sure they passed by a couple of ATMs along the way - "If you're uncomfortable, we can go to a restaurant and you can eat,"

"No, I'm used to this," She took a bite of the hotdog in her hand. This is so random. Her, eating a hotdog at the side of the road...in a city she's never been - and had only just got here! - with a stranger she doesn't even know! "Hey, what's your name?"

The guy paused his chewing - as if hesitating to answer her - but recovered almost immediately. "Kook. You can call me Kook. And you can buy me another one if it makes you feel better...I don't mind,"

...