Stranger

"Everyone's staring at me but I can't stop, why? Why? Why...?" These question continuously driven on her head. "Some people think maybe I robbed things, which is why they are after me, but I am not that sort of person", she breathe heavily; look so tired and the sun is too scorching.

"When I go for shopping, occasionally offers affixed, but I never ask for them until they offer it, because I am too timid. But robbery that doesn't make sense," she is rushing in the middle of the road when the traffic signal is still red.

Still, thoughts kept popping into her head, "After a few drinks, I lost track of time yesterday night and may have killed someone in that state. That's why the four men chasing me, no, no, no…." turn around look at their faces.

"They have messy hair, terrible looks and one of them has tattoos that don't look like cops, to my knowledge. Yes, they are not cops but why? Why? Why? They are after me," she comes to a standstill on a narrow street and turn around and see that nobody is behind her.

She's scared of height but there is a 6 feet wall in front of her. "If unexpected things happens in my life, I tell myself, it's okay, thank you for letting me experience these things too".

She didn't give it another thought, suddenly climbing to the top of the wall and ready to jump on the other side. "I should be alive because, Ahhhh..."

"Aera wake up, are you okay?" Aera overheard a heavy man's voice. Slowly opening her eyes, she noticed a white coated man who asked "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Aera answered, slowly looking around. "Why am I here?"

"You suddenly fainted, because you haven't eaten properly for a few days," the doctor replied, smilingly. "I give you some medicine, take it correctly."

"Yes, doctor," Aera said as she exited the college infirmary room, "Ahh… my head hurts." "Class is about to begin," she said as she glanced at her watch.

Aera walks into the classroom of 40 students, smiles at everyone, and begins class, but no one pays attention to her. She sighed as she observed, some of them on their phones, chattering, and some sleeping. Aera is a professor at top most University in Seoul.

She began writing on the blackboard and speaking to herself "In my life all I know was study, as my father always told me. If I want money I should study, if I want a peaceful life I should study, if I want the perfect life mate I should study. Study, study, study is all I know."

"All of a sudden, I look back and all I did was study. So I decide it's time to share what I've learned, which is why I chose this job." She exited the class and move toward cabin when she heard a voice calling her "Aera ma'am."

"Are you okay?" questioned by a young charming student.

She asked, "Why?"

"What why? I was the one who took you to the infirmary ma'am, since you fainted on campus."

"Ah, that's you, Shin," Aera thanked him.

Aera and Shin then go to the canteen to eat. "Why did the doctor said that you didn't eat properly?" Shin asked. She continued to eat without responding to him.

"First focus on your academics; if you fail again, I won't teach you," she replied angrily.

Shin sighed and continued eating, "When did you answer my question, now you're going to."

"Aera come here," Jenny said as she approached her friend Jenny's restaurant.

Aera sat in the chair and asked Jenny, "Still no Bo-ra?"

"I called her and she said she was on her way."

"Guys" Bo-ra exclaimed cheerfully, "Tomorrow, we have party in a Classic club, guess what?"

"Are you expecting a child? I know one day you'll end up like this," said Jenny.

"Aish… Are you insane? I got a job in a National media organization" Bo-ra exclaimed, her excitement palpable.

"Congratulations, Bo-ra," Aera exclaimed enthusiastically. "You got a job after a lot of struggle. Do well at work."

"Why are you so quiet, is something wrong?" Bo-ra wondered as she noticed Jenny's expression.

"Some high school students ate here this morning, when they paid they addressed me as auntie," Jenny groaned.

Bo-ra and Aera broke out laughing, "What, Aunty?" they yelled.

"Do you both have a death wish? Don't forget, we're all at the same age," Jenny stated in an intimidated voice.

Both stopped abruptly when they noticed Jenny. "We're just 29. How dare that kid say that," Bo-ra added. "However, that kid stated only you." Bo-ra and Aera were laughing again. Jenny becomes enraged, and they begin a fight.

Aera arrives at her residence around 11 p.m., takes the elevator, and enters her apartment, which is nicely decorated and smells pleasant. She takes a shower and opens his fridge but no food just empty boxes. She headed to the convenience store with some cash.

When she returns to her flat, she buys some groceries. She hears an unusual sound, looks around, and then continues walking while hearing the sound again. She takes a few steps further on the left side of her, where there is a small, dark street. Then she noticed a group of rogues assaulting a man.

She turned around and ran away, panting heavily. "No, no, no," she paused. "What should I do?" They're thrashing a man brutally. She closed her ears as she heard a man screaming in anguish.

"I may fail at anything, but I never fail with my fear; because it'll take away everything from me." She rushed down the dark street, where a man had been beaten and fell in front of them.

The thugs, who were assaulting a man stopped and looked at her. She shouts "Cops are there," as they hear a police car's horn from far.

After a few moments, the thugs fled away.

She approached the stranger, couldn't able to see his face fully, which was drenched in blood and bruises. Long messy hair has obscured one eye. Although the injured man is conscious, he could not opened his eyes and has only heard the girl's voice.

"Excuse me," Aera says to him. "Can you hear me, open your eyes?" She took a peek around, grabbed his one hand, and placed it on her shoulder. She stepped out of the street. She took her phone, which made a cop siren sound, and she turned it off. She returned to her residence entrance and placed him on the stone bench.

"What am I supposed to do now?" She wondered, her face flushed with perspiration. She looks around, but there is no one in her vicinity. "There isn't a hospital near here," moaned. She takes his hand again placed on her shoulder and slowly moving towards the elevator. She then went into her flat.

Because the living room was so large, she decided to put him there. She hurriedly grabs some medication. She begins by wiping of all of the blood and applying ointment.

After treating him, she seems to be exhausted, "I'm hungry; where is my food?" She wondered, then she remembered that she had forgotten food, when she helped the injured man. "Ahh… I am so hungry," She fell asleep on the sofa next to the injured person who was lying on the floor.

Where the balcony meets the living room, sunlight shines on Aera's face. She gazed at the man with her eyes gently opened. She changed her clothes and went grocery shopping. Aera tries to rouse the man.

When he opens his eyes, saw her face, he abruptly got up. "Don't worry, you're in my house," Aera whispered softly. "Is your injury okay? Or it is still hurting?"

He gave her a strange look and didn't respond. "Say anything…, Ohh… you forgot me, I helped you and treated you last night," Aera remarked.

She rubbed her head, "Why didn't he answer my questions, maybe he doesn't understand my language?" "Eat this, you had a fever last night," she said as she pushed the bowl of porridge and looked at him. He has yet to respond.

Now she show some action, how to eat with his hand, and he begins to eat slowly. She grinned and ate alongside him. When he stood up after eating, there was blood on the floor, which Aera saw and exclaimed, "Blood, blood, how did that come?"

She saw the blood coming on his knees, "Come, we should go to the hospital until it gets infected," she said.

He suddenly shouted, "No!"

"Yo… you talk…!" Aera shockingly saw him. "Until a short while, you acted like a dumb-deaf person. Now you talk…? Ahh… forget it… Why no? We need to see a doctor because it appears to be a serious injury," Aera added.

He sat on the floor and cleaned his blood, saying, "I'll treat my injuries on my own and it doesn't hurt a lot."

Aera sighed and grabbed the towel after looking at him. "You don't even know how to treat yourself," she murmured as she cleaned his wounds and applied a bandage.

She lifts his back bag and stares at him, saying, "I have to go to college. You must rest here, its fine and no one will come. Don't move anywhere, the food is nearby on the table; just eat, and rest. You may leave whenever you are comfortable, and I will return by the evening." He looked at her strangely.

She took the bus to college. "Stupidly, I didn't even ask about his name. Ahh… I'm not sure why I helped him and let him stay in my place. What if he's a bad guy?" She pondered.

He searched for his jacket because he wanted to get out of there; and he couldn't able to walk well due to pain; he stumbled on the sofa, where the remote turned on the TV automatically. He got intrigued and took the remote to change the channel. When he saw some news on television, he was astounded.

"Things are heating up." He spoke to himself.

"What I am gonna do now? This is driving me crazy" she moaned. "Take a look at him Aera, he didn't appear to be a bad person in my eyes. He seems so pathetic and abandoned. For the time being, he can stay."

He took a look around Aera's home and saw graduation portraits and prizes. There isn't a single snapshot of Aera with her father or mother. Aera was the only one in the picture even at her graduation.

Aera returned to her flat after finishing her work. When Aera's phone rang, she took it out and was shocked. She picked up the phone.

On the other side of call, "Hey, it's nine o'clock. What exactly are you up to? Don't tell me that you're not coming?" Bo-ra yelled loudly.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry… I have an important urgent work in college that popped up at the last minute. You two have fun and I'll join you next time," replied Aera.

"Important work…? I am too happy so I wanted to share my happiness with you..." "It's okay. I'll excuse you just this once. Bye," Bo-ra says as she hangs up the phone.

Aera arrived at her apartment. He wasn't there when she opened the door. After she searched for him, he emerged from the restroom. When she looked at him, she noticed his clothing were filthy and covered with blood. She goes into her room and gets some clothes. "Put this dress on, this is my father's dress" she hands him a T-shirt and pants. He changed his attire.

"Come and eat," Aera says. She opened the package of Japchae, Bolgogi, and Kimchi while both eating in the dining room.

She asks the question curiously, "What's your name…? Where did you come from…? Why did they beat you so badly…? What happened…?" He stares at her. "Ahh… I asked too many questions. First, say your name" said Aera.

"Jimin."

"Jimin…!" she said with a smile.

"However, your slang does not appear to be from Seoul. Where are you from?" Aera asked.

"I'm from overseas."

"Oh, overseas. So, why did they beat you badly?"

"They're creditors," Jimin answered quietly.

"Now I see how big your debt was. So you've decided to work for debt in overseas. Right?" She then goes on, "But why—"

"Food is getting cold, eat fist," Jimin says.

"OK," Aera replied quietly as she continues to eating. Jimin looks at her and asks, "Do you eat restaurant food rarely or…?"

Aera interrupts him, "I usually ate at a restaurant,"

"Why?" He questioned her.

She replied casually, "I don't know how to cook," while she was eating.

"Get some groceries tomorrow. I'll cook for you."

She shockingly saw him. "You helped me and treated me a lot. So, I'll cook some food for you."

She oddly nodded her head in approval.

"You sleep on my bed," she said as she placed her sleeping mattress on the living room floor.

"It's fine. I sleep on here," he said.

"Since I frequently experience terrible nightmares in my bedroom, I usually sleep here. That's why you should go to the bed room and sleep." Explained Aera. He scratched his head.

"Then why don't we sleep here since the living room is so large?" "I sleep on this side, while you sleep on the other," said Jimin.

After give some thought she said, "Okay". He was sleeping next to her after that, and she smiled as she remembered what he had said to her, 'I'll cook for you.'

Jimin wakes up and checks his surroundings, but she isn't there. She leaves a letter beside him, "I have a class; left some food," he observes the food on the table and continues reading, "I left some money, and if you need anything nearby, go to a convenience store. Door pin 8493."

Aera is conversing with co-workers in the college staff room. "Aera, principal sir called out to you," Professor Choi mentioned.

She answered, "Yes, sir," and walked out of the room.

To the principal's office she headed. "Aera, please sit," the principal urged as she walks into the room. "How are your father and mother?" The principal asked her with a big smile as Aera sat on the sofa.

Aera replied, "Both are fine, sir."

The principal replied, "OK, you know, we're going to organize a sport festival."

"Yes, sir."

The principal recommended, "You should take care of the sports activities with Eugene."

She flabbergasted herself for a moment and said, "Okay, sir" halfheartedly. She leaves the room.

"Why did he choose me with Eugene?" She worried as she sat on the football stadium eating a burger. "Ahh… She scares me to hell. This is driving me crazy."

"What scares you?" Shin stood close to Aera and whispered quietly.

Aera was stunned, "You startled me!!! What are you doing here?"

"I am the one who asks the question. What are you doing here, mam?"

She looked around and sighed "Oh, this is a football field."

"What happened? You look terrified…!"

"Nothing," Aera smiled, "You didn't know the thing, I'm one of the organizers of the sports festival."

"Really…!" Shin exclaimed.

"This time, our college must win, okay?" She said with a smile.

"OK," Shin responded energetically.

She was on her way home from work when she caught a glimpse of a Mercedes-Benz through an automobile store's glass window. "Don't desire for it Aera. It is really expensive. But... I think I've crossed everything off my bucket list, so it's time to buy this car now." She continued to move while speaking herself.

She enters her apartment but Jimin is not there, despite her searching. "Perhaps he's in the restroom."

She slowly opens the restroom door, but he isn't there. "He's bored, so he goes for a walk. He'll show up." Aera said this while lying on the sofa.

Jimin takes the bus using the cash Aera had given him. The bus has started to move, and Jimin is holding the cash in his palm and looking it.