It was a fine evening.
The sky was painted with a bright shade of orange.
Manmayi looked at the window again and watched how the winds played with her wind chimes.
She found her perfect peace.
After living in that moment, she turned to her book.
She sat on her beanbag with one leg in the air, she read.
But suddenly her peace was disrupted by some news on her TV.
She focused.
The reporter excessively explained how the victim was abused to death.
A tint of fear crept in her.
She looked around.
She wasn't afraid of being alone but what if she wasn't alone in that apartment.
She gulped.
"Krishnaa! Please look after me." She suddenly embraced her favorite god.
She went back to her book.
Focusing completely.
A sudden powerful knock on her door made her jump off her skin.
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"I got you something." Mr. Choi entered YongEul's cabin.
Mr. Choi carried a file with him.
"What is it?" YongEul didn't even care to look up.
"Here's the details about the lady you asked me." Mr. Choi threw the file on to his desk.
YongEul's eyes shot upwards to meet Mr. Choi's face.
His eyes depicted hope.
"Oh yeah!" YongEul started opening up her file with the speed of lightning.
"Well, her name is Manmayi." Mr. Choi started summarizing. "She was there at our museum for an interview. And she lives here at Gyeongsangnamdo. There's her address too." Mr. Choi explained as YongEul nodded as he quickly grabbed all the information.
"Thank you so much" YongEul coughed.
Mr. Choi gave him a teasing smile and left the room.
YongEul scrolled through her bio data.
His eyes and brain stopped at her address.
His conscience told him to go to her.
What's stopping him?
He has her address.
He has the resources to reach that place.
But should he?
Isn't that bad?
Randomly showing up at people's houses?
He fought a war with himself.
But unfortunately his weird side of his brain won.
He ran with his car keys.
His adrenaline was rushing.
He yearned.
As each moment passed he could imagine how his inner self would feel satisfied when he meets her.
He raced his car.
Parking his car somewhere recklessly he rushed into the apartment buildings.
According to the address, she lived on the 18th floor.
He found the lifts but unfortunately 5 seconds in front of that lift felt so long.
He cursed under his breath and ran to the stairs.
As he climbed up to the 18th floor, his breaths were unstable.
He panted.
He ran all the way up.
He dragged himself to her door.
Knocking, he called her name.
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After the knock, that made Manmayi jump.
It followed a deep voice, calling her name.
She was terrified.
Her soul wanted to leave.
She ran to the door.
Making sure it was locked.
It was not enough she kept a broom on the door to prevent someone from breaking in.
"Heyy! Does Manmayi live here?" The voice enquired.
She peeped through the peephole.
She saw a man.
A man panting.
Sweat on his forehead.
His eyes suddenly looked up.
She flinched at his eyes.
She clenched her heart.
Her breath got heavier every millisecond.
"WHO ARE YOU?!" She yelled at the man.
He banged again as he heard her voice.
"PLEASE OPEN UP!I JUST WANNA SEE YOU!"
"WHO ARE YOU?!"
Tears started forming in her eyes.
She was scared.
Scared for her life.
Scared that her life might end before it could even start.
She imagined all the possible outcomes this situation might lead.
"MANMAYI PLEASE OPEN THE DOOR!"
At this point, both were yelling their hearts out.
Luckily, most of her neighboring apartments were vacant and the only neighbor she had, had hearing issues.
"HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME!" She cried.
"Please!" He, on the other hand, begged.
"I am not taking any risks!" She said before running to the bedroom.
She took her phone and dialed the cops.
"There's an intruder at my door. He's banging on my door, demanding to open up! Please I am scared!" She cried her heart out.
Her mind replayed the news she saw earlier.
She remembered her family, the people and everything she loved.
She prepared for anything that can come through that door.
"I WON'T HURT YOU!" She heard the man yell.
"I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU!" She yelled back showing the man she isn't scared but in reality, her knees were floppy.
"I AM CALLING THE COPS!" She informed the man outside which she already did.
"Manmayi, I am not going to hurt you!" He reassured.
He realized what he was doing.
And how this might affect the creature inside.
"Manm-" His speech was interrupted by the police siren.
"NO! You actually called the police? You're unbelievable!" He frowned in disbelief.
"I DON'T KNOW YOU" She kept yelling the same thing over and over again!
The policemen were welcomed by YongEul at her door.
YongEul scoffed.
"I know her!" YongEul spoke.
"Then why would she call us?" The cop raised his eyebrows, mocking him.
They cuffed him.
"Aren't you that business man?" One of the men questioned.
"Well whatever he is, he's coming with us!" The chief signaled his men to bring him.
"I wasn't going to harm her" YongEul pleaded.
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Word count: 893