half the universe away.
Deep night arrived at where Wonwoo walked home, but he couldn’t see the familiar dim light
above. He guessed the moon wouldn’t accompany him this time. The night wind blew his
thick black hair softly, sending chilly feelings that made his lanky body shivered. That night
was just like any other night, he came back from work as a gelato shop waiter, another tiring
night that had his mind wandering to his warm small bed with a book on his hand and jazz
music blasting over his room, sending him to sleep. The alley was quiet as usual. So quiet that
Wonwoo could hear his own breath.
He almost tripped when suddenly his phone rang like crazy. Even without fishing his phone
out of his pocket, he could tell right away who it was, it must be one of his best friends.
Wonwoo lazily took out his phone and touched the green button.
He immediately talked before the other person could. “I told you I’m not going to that party.”
He said it with a flat tone. He could hear a loud puppy-like laugh from the other side. “No,
you have to go with us. I’m not going to babysit this big kid alone.”
Wonwoo knew that Jihoon, the babysitter, wasn’t even close to being a party person, but he
couldn’t reject the invitation when Mingyu, the big baby, whining and clinging to him for 24
hours straight, asking Jihoon to accompany him. He couldn’t help but to laugh at how cute
(but gross, most of the time) this couple was. With his long leg, he kicked the pebbles in front
of him and answered, “Okay, but I won’t stay past 12, I have to work on my presentation. Oh,
and no costume.” He could hear Jihoon sighed in relief. “Got it, Cinderella, don’t forget your
glass shoes. We’re on our way to pick you up.”
The latter couldn’t catch what Jihoon said because he got his attention distracted by the
flickering street lights above him, and somewhat a soft whisper passed his ears along with the
cold breeze, too cold that made the hairs on the back of his neck raised. It was too sudden that
Wonwoo couldn’t make out what the whisper said. He froze for a while and looked around,
didn’t really know what he was actually looking for. Nothing, just him and the empty alley
with flickering street lights. Jihoon’s “Won? Are you still there?” brought Wonwoo back to
his senses.
“Yeah, sorry, what did you say?”