"Who is he?"

As Ananya walked up the stairs to her apartment door, her mind swirling with thoughts, she heaved a sigh and dialled a familiar number. 

"Hello, Ananya? Oh my, long time!"

It was Mrs. Saini, Ananya's neighbour from back when she used to stay with her parents and Yuvi at their ancestral home. Mrs. Saini was best friends with Ananya's mother, and Ananya had several fond memories of the two families, their various outings and celebrations together. After their parents' demise, Mrs. Saini had been like a guardian for them – which she was forever grateful for.

"Good evening Auntie, how have you been? I hope I'm not disturbing you." 

"Of course not, dear! We're all doing great, but we miss you a lot. How's everything going over there? When are you coming back next?"

"I've been perfectly alright, and I miss you too Auntie. I'm not quite sure when I will be back in India next, so I needed your help with something."

"Anything for you, Ananya. What is it?"

"Will it be possible for you to check on Yuvi once? We recently had a few petty arguments over money, so I just wanted to make sure that he's been doing okay."

"Oh, don't you worry about that. These boys, I tell you! My younger one has been going through this rebellious stage too recently. Relax, I'll go to his school tomorrow."

"Thank you so much, Auntie. It means a lot to me." 

"Pfft! Don't worry, Ananya. He's a good boy, he probably just misses you and needs time to adjust."

"I really hope so." Ananya smiled meekly.

A slight sense of relief washed over her after ending the call, but the weight of the day's events still carried through. She changed into her pyjamas and retired to bed without a meal, hoping that some sleep would offer her respite from the racing thoughts.

However, as she lay in bed, Jung-wook's strange reaction to Ji-yeon and Ji-yeon's confession about Dae-jung played over and over in her mind. She sighed, rolling over to bury her face in the pillow. The confusion was gnawing at her, but even more pressing was the fact that she now had to stop seeing Dae-jung in any romantic light at all. Ji-yeon liked him, and has liked him for a long while now. 

While she wasn't aware of Ji-yeon's feelings before, Ananya felt obligated to step back now, out of respect for her friend. Her heart and mind seemed to be at odds, but she valued her friendship with Ji-yeon too much to let her own feelings get in the way. Eventually, she drifted into an uneasy sleep, hoping for nothing more for that night. If only that was possible.

She found herself hanging off the edge of the cliff again, her fingers digging into the cold, rough rock as she struggled to hold on. The wind whipped around her, howling like a banshee, making it harder for her to maintain her hold. Her heart pounded in her chest, and fear coursed through her veins like ice. "It's okay, it's just a nightmare." She tried reminding herself with a bated breath.

A familiar laugh echoed through. It wasn't loud, it wasn't sinister – but it sent chills down her spine nonetheless, making her grip falter for a moment. She tried to look up, but the angle made it impossible to see who it was. The dreadful wound in her abdomen made it hard to stretch any further, much to her dismay. 

Then, she heard an unfamiliar whisper, cold and detached, "Let's go." Panic surged through her as she heard footsteps scurrying away, realising that she was alone and helpless. Her fingers began to slip even though she was trying to summon the strength to hold on, and she could feel herself losing the battle.

"No, no, no," she whispered to herself, "Wake up, wake up, wake up." But it all seemed futile. Not knowing what to do or how to end it, she slowly let go – plummeting into the darkness below, being swallowed by the abyss.

Ananya sat up with a jerk; her heart hammering in her chest, beads of sweat clinging to her skin. She clutched onto her shirt over the chest, gasping for breath, her mind reeling from the vivid nightmare. The familiar laugh lingered in her mind, adding to the confusion and fear that had already taken root a while ago.

She had so much that she needed answers for, but where should she even start? Yuvi's erratic behaviour, Jung-wook's refusal to divulge anything further, Ji-yeon's cryptic confession, and now this recurring nightmare. Why were all these strange things happening all of a sudden, when everything had been completely fine till just a few days ago? Why did some of it feel oddly interconnected, even though she couldn't see the whole picture yet?

Ananya dragged herself to the university, her mind still clouded with more questions than ever. She found Ji-yeon at their usual spot near the entrance, sipping on a soda next to the vending machine. Ji-yeon looked up and smiled, but there was that edge to her expression from yesterday, one that Ananya had never seen on her before.

"Good morning," Ananya greeted with a smile, trying to sound as casual as possible.

"Good morning, Annie! You look tired. Everything okay?" Ji-yeon chirped, just like she usually did – as though nothing happened the evening prior.

"Of course, don't worry." Ananya took a deep breath, deciding to get straight to the point. "Ji-yeon, do you know the guy I work with? The one you met yesterday at the store?"

"What was his name, again? Jung… Jung-wook, right?" Ji-yeon wondered, "No, I don't think I know him from anywhere. Why?"

If Ji-yeon genuinely didn't know Jung-wook, then what was he hiding? The mystery deepened, leaving Ananya more puzzled than ever. Now only one person had the answer to that, and she had to find out from him anyhow. Ananya shook her head to break the chain of thoughts, "Nothing. I just thought you might, it's a small world after all."

Ji-yeon smirked. "He was cute though. Is something brewing between you two?"

"What's brewing between who?" Dae-jung suddenly appeared from behind Ananya, giving her his trademarked cheesy smile before pushing a couple coins in the vending machine to get two cans of cold coffee. He passed one to Ananya, whose gaze shifted onto Ji-yeon for a brief second as she hesitantly accepted it with a soft thanks.

Ji-yeon's smile didn't falter, but only grew bigger as she chimed in. "Annie was just telling me about her cute male coworker. Jung-wook, was it?"

Dae-jung's brows shot up, and he turned to Ananya with a playful pout. "You have a male coworker? And you didn't tell me? Who is he?"

Ananya chuckled. "It didn't seem that important a topic to me."

He kept pouting, his arms crossed. "I see how it is. Keeping secrets from me already."

"Oh, please. It's really just work." Ananya rolled her eyes. 

But Dae-jung didn't seem to be in the mood to let go. "So, what's he like? Should I be worried?"

"Worried? About what?"

He leaned in closer, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "You know, about him stealing you away from me."

Ananya felt a flutter in her chest at his words, but she quickly reminded herself of Ji-yeon's feelings, and her presence. She instantly stepped back, her eyes momentarily shifting to Ji-yeon who just stood there with a smile strangely plastered on her face. She heaved a sigh, "Trust me, there really is nothing for you to worry about."

Dae-jung's playful demeanour shifted slightly, his eyes filled with genuine curiosity and a slight concern. "So, what's the deal with this guy? Is he troubling you?"

Ananya shook her head. "Not really. He's a little… eccentric. That's all."

"Yep, he did seem a bit odd yesterday." Ji-yeon nodded, stepping in, "Which is why I think he'd be perfect for our oddball Annie. Right, Dae?"

Dae-jung ignored Ji-yeon's joke, continuing to lean further in towards Ananya. "Well, if he gives you any trouble, you let me know. Okay? I'll set him straight."

Ananya laughed nervously, the tension in the air making her feel stuffy. "Thanks, Dae. But I can handle him pretty well by myself."

He didn't seem all too satisfied with her response, but the conversation thankfully shifted to lighter topics. However, Ananya couldn't shake the feeling of tension lingering between them. Ji-yeon's jealousy was palpable, and she couldn't help but feel guilty.

As they sat together for lunch, Ananya observed Ji-yeon's subtle glances at Dae-jung. It was clear that Ji-yeon was more affected by his playful flirting than she let on. Ananya's heart ached with the weight of her conflicting emotions. She knew she had to tread carefully. The web of emotions and secrets was becoming more tangled, and she couldn't afford to make any more missteps. 

"What are your plans for the rest of today, Annie?" Ji-yeon broke the silence.

"Nothing, really. I'll probably just go rest for a bit before my shift."

"Why don't we go for a girls' day out today? I want you to meet my childhood friend Sun-hee."

"Oh, that sounds fun, I'm in." Ananya smiled, hoping this little outing would help mend the little cracks that have recently emerged in their friendship. If only she knew that that day probably marked the gradual beginning of its unfortunate end.