Chapter 3

[Apartment, 8:00 p.m.]

The stars shone brightly in the moonlight on a breezy night in Seoul. Katsumi was getting ready to go for a jog to the Holic Café, where they had lunch. Because the croissants she had there were so good, she was craving more for supper.

She went to the café with her shoes on and the laces neatly tied. Despite receiving stares from other netizens, she disregarded them and continued on her way. Katsumi always takes advantage of the opportunity to jog when she wants to order her dinner in order to get some exercise.

She arrived at the café in 30 minutes, giving her enough time to exercise before eating her supper. She orders something different alongside the croissant and her normal cup of tea. It's simple, but Katsumi likes it.

She ordered something for herself to eat tomorrow before returning to her flat. The cold breeze brushed against her skin again, causing her to shiver. It's a good thing she brought a jacket; it wouldn't be great to catch a cold and miss her first day of classes.

Katsumi decided to take the shortcut back, which meant walking through a dark alleyway. There were several Korean-style house interiors, which she found fascinating. It looked archaic, and she felt like she was being drawn into a K-drama.

As she turned a corner, she noticed a bunch of high school students approaching her. Katsumi saw that they appeared to be having a good time. But as she approached closer, her gaze was drawn to one of the students.

This young man looked frail. Katsumi would have just ignored the student, but she had a feeling something was wrong. The look the boy gave her made him look so nervous. Like he was crying for help.

The more Katsumi investigated his circumstances, the more clues she discovered concerning a possible bullying case. The child appeared to be very uncomfortable with another student's arm wrapped around his shoulder.

There were three other students with him, and as much as she disliked stereotyping, they appeared to be mean.

She attempted to ignore the boy. But, once again, if she does nothing to ease her conscience, guilt will follow her at night, possibly resulting in insomnia. She sighed in annoyance and spoke out.

"Excuse me!" she exclaimed, capturing everyone's attention. Katsumi understood what she'd done, and she couldn't go back now.

With how close she was to the group, she could see the name written on the student's name tag. This was the only information she needed to fake a scenario.

"Kim Namgyu, your parents are looking for you."

What Katsumi said made the group chuckle, except for the guy she was talking to. Katsumi couldn't figure out what was hilarious about what she said and was perplexed by their reaction.

"Did I say something funny?"

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" inquired the student with the name tag, Kwon Jiwoon.

"I'm his friend, and I'd like to have him back because his parents are concerned about him."

Jiwoon stepped in front of Katsumi as she reached for Namgyu's wrist.

"Hold on there, Lady. What's the rush? We're friends of Namgyu, too," he replied dismissively.

"Are they?" Katsumi asked.

When everyone's attention was on Namgyu, he felt pressured. When the individuals pressuring him were in front of him, he couldn't speak truthfully, and you could see he was scared by his expression.

"Uhm..." his voice trembled. Namgyu looked up and attempted to be courageous for a change, but he couldn't look Jiwoon in the eyes and shifted his gaze to Katsumi.

Katsumi smiled and nodded, telling him that everything would be fine. Namgyu took a deep breath and apologized with a small bow.

"I'm truly sorry!"

His response astounded the students. They were not expecting him to "disobey" them. And before they could react, Namgyu ran away with Katsumi.

Katsumi felt a rush of excitement as they sprinted. It wasn't how she felt while she was playing games in her room or accomplishing something at home. It was such a nostalgic feeling, which she thought she'd lost.

They were out of breath after they got far enough away from those students. Katsumi couldn't stop smiling at what had just happened. She was proud not just of herself for assisting someone in need but also of the Namgyu who stood up to his bullies.

Namgyu smiled when he saw Katsumi smiling. It was his first time rejecting Jiwoon in this manner, and he felt terrific on the inside.

"Thank you for helping."

"It's nothing; anyone would have done the same."

"Not everyone," he murmured.

South Korea is well-known for its bullying techniques, in addition to its music and cuisine. Bullying is usually defined as discomfort or being mean to someone, but in the country Katsumi is in, they go beyond that when attempted murder and ruining someone's career are involved.

And most of the time, nothing is done about it. Katsumi keeps forgetting that any country, even their dream country, has flaws. And the fact that she is unable to stop it stinks.

Looking up at Namgyu, she realizes that maybe there is a way she can help.

"Can I borrow your phone?"

Namgyu handed over his phone without hesitation. Katsumi grabbed it and added her phone number and name to his contacts. Then she calls her phone number with his phone and enters his number in her contact list.

"What are you doing?"

Katsumi handed him the phone back. "I put my phone number in your contacts; call me whenever they come to harass you again."

"Are you sure? I really don't want to be a bother."

"It was my decision, and you're not bothering me."

With all the cruel things that have happened to him these past few years, Namgyu wouldn't have expected to meet someone like Katsumi. That compassionate gesture alone helped him feel that there was still humanity in this brutal world. Katsumi is a living example of this.

Namgyu wanted to do the same for her after receiving something so meaningful to him. He didn't want to waste the opportunity to be friends with someone who was the polar opposite of Jiwoon, so he developed it even more.

"As a token of my appreciation, please let me walk you back home."

Namgyu's thoughtful act moved Katsumi. She was so used to having to live with a jerk like her sibling that seeing someone who was the opposite of him made her happy. And she was relieved that Namgyu had been the first person she had met in Seoul.

"It's just down the road at Euljiro Street. Let's go."

[Apartment Unit, 10:00 p.m.]

Katsumi walked into her flat while humming a song. It was obvious that she was happy. When she spotted her brother on the couch, stroking her cat, the joy on her face vanished.

"Bro! You're here!" she exclaimed nervously.

Kento was dissatisfied. His gaze turned upward, piercing Katsumi.

"What time do you think it is?" he inquired calmly, making Katsumi even more anxious. Kento's frustration was ticking like a time bomb, ready to explode at any moment, but he was holding back.

Katsumi looked up at the time, 10:15 a.m. She was having such a good time eating at the café and conversing with Namgyu on the way back that she didn't notice how quickly time passed.

This had never occurred to Katsumi before; generally, she'd go do what she had planned to do and return as soon as her plan was completed. Is this what they mean when they say you're enthralled by something or someone? She wondered.

Kento saw his sister smile in disbelief while looking at the clock. Has Katsumi lost her mind? He thought.

"It's past 10, where have you been?"

"I've brought back food!"

Kento was surprised.

"For me?"

"Yeah, I got a savory croissant, a slice of cookies, a chocolate crepe, and an iced green tea just for my twin."

Katsumi placed each item she mentioned on the table in front of him. Kento wasn't expecting her to bring back something from her jog. She had to lie in order to escape being reprimanded, even if it meant sacrificing her breakfast. But because of what she said, Kento's anger simmered.

He sighed, "You're really good at getting away with trouble."

"And I know you're glad I brought you something, despite your upset demeanor."

"Shut up."

"So you're saying you don't want it?"

Katsumi reached for the package, but Kento grabbed it before she could.

"Who says I don't want it? Ridiculous," he muttered softly.

How Kento was acting right now made Katsumi chuckle. To her, he was acting really cute with his grumpiness. And just like that, Kento leaves her alone with the food Katsumi "bought for him". Now she had to think of another breakfast for tomorrow before attending school.

Today was very pleasant, which she had not anticipated. Who thought she'd meet new people on her first day?

Although she can't be happy right now, who knows what Namgyu will do if he finds out about her family background? Despite the fact that Katsumi became used to being betrayed or abandoned, she had a hunch that if she lost another friend, she wouldn't be able to recover soon.

Gatekeeping oneself may be somewhat harsh, but who can blame Katsumi? She's been through a lot in the last several years, and it's all because of her one and only friend, who is now a foe.

Because of that ex-friend, she grew cruel, had significant trust issues, and began to gatekeeper herself more frequently. To make matters worse, she was never told what she had done wrong to deserve such a betrayal.

As a result, she won't expect much from her and Namgyu's friendship.