"Open this door Elaine!"

Elaine's mother, Shane shout while banging the door outside her room. Elaine didn't want to listen to her, she was upset with her mother's decision to send her away at another school in the city. She didn't want to leave her mother alone, she wants to take care of her.

Elaine's parent was divorce since she still young at the age of one-year old. Ever since their divorce, Elaine live with Shane in the village where she was born and she never meet her father even once.

While raising her, Elaine's mother does many kinds of works. Farming, sewing, cleaning and many more just to make sure they never short of the amount of food to be served on their table.

"Why are you not answering? I did this for your future Elaine, please understand." Shane's voice softened as to persuade her daughter to come out from the room and talk.

Feeling defeat by her mother's voice, Elaine walk slowly toward the door with her tears still running down her face.

"Elaine, you're not a little kid anymore. Soon you'll graduate from school and that is the beginning of your own life."

"But why do I have to transfer school to the city? I can finish my school here mom! I don't want to leave you alone, I want to take care of you." Protest Elaine.

"How could you send me away!" She continues her protest.

Shane sigh, she sits beside her daughter slowly stroking her back while talking to her.

"I don't want you to go through what I have been through. Its suffering. I love you very much Elaine, you are mom's only precious person in this world."

"Just promise me you will study hard AND smart, pursuit your dream career successfully. Once you achieve all that, take me to stay with you. That's the only way will let us live together like we live now." Shane continue explaining to Elaine.

"You'll do it won't you? Because I knew you love me the most." Shane looking at her lovely daughter with a gentle smile and wiping her tears.

Shane knows she made a right decision to let Elaine finish school in the city as it got more opportunity for her to pursuit her dream. Knowing that Elaine would never has the chance to get a better life being stuck in that village. She works even harder than before to gain money so she can let Elaine attending best school in the city. Not to mention that every day she will monitor Elaine's studies results and reminding her to always aim for a better score and thanks to that, she managed to get scholarship for Elaine's new school.

"Okay but only if you let me come back home once a month. It's a deal?" Finally agreed with her mother, Elaine hugs Shane as to comfort herself. She still sad though she will be leaving her mother soon.

"I love you mom. Very much." She continues.

"Okay sweetheart, it's a deal. Come back anytime you want mom's comfort. And mom loves you very much too."

Ding! Dong! Ding!

The bell ringing throughout the entire school building gives warning to every students that the rest period is over.

"Hey!!"

Elaine's friend, Winnie patting hard on her back as to get Elaine back to her sense. Ever since the morning Winnie noticed there is something that bother her friends' mind. She didn't even bother to have snacks with her.

"I don't know what's troubling you since this morning and will never be if you just continue to keep quiet and made me invisible this entire day." Winnie speaks with irritate in her voice not to make her friend feel offended but more like she was concerned toward Elaine's behavior.

Elaine knows that it is no good to leave Winnie's thought hanging. Sooner or later she will need to let her friend know about the school transferring. It is just that this morning when she arrived at the school, witnessing the schools every day environment, seeing the students and teachers greet each other and seeing her classmates laugh and smiles happily made her sad to leave them. She is not ready to adapt the new schools' environment yet. In fact, she does not want to but she cannot break her promised with her mother.

"I am sorry Winn, didn't meant to ignore you. Actually, I'm so sad thinking that I have to leave you, this school and the village soon. I'm transferring to a school in the city this weekend. And this will be my last week here." Elaine explained to Winnie with defeat expression clearly shown on her face.

Shocked with the news, Winnie can't help but almost yelling.

"WHAT! That was sudden, what happen? Did you do something bad or shamless?"

"NO! Of course not. I am the most good girl in this world you know. Where did that come from?" Elaine jokingly answers Winnie as she knows Winnie will never let her be sadder.

"But seriously babe, why do you need to transfer? There must be good reasons with that." Ask Winnie.

"My mom doesn't want me to live a suffering life like her. She wants me to achieve my dream and live accordingly."

"Well, if you think more about it, you'll get many opportunities in the city than here. Chances that you'll success in your career are high. I see it was for your own good you know."

Winnie's thinking are more mature than Elaine and always seeing things in a positive way. Her opinion never failed Elaine. Elaine would never be who herself now if she never met and become friend with Winnie. Winnie always make her choose the right things to do mostly in life.

"You're right Winn. But won't you feel sad that I'm leaving?" Elaine looking at Winnie with her puppy's face.

"Of course I'm sad, but I can be proud if I can see my best friend success in her life one day." Winnie smiles widely and pinching Elaine's both cheeks, stretching it try to make her smiles like her.

"I wong forgeh you Ywinn, now phwease yhett go of my fwace (I won't forget you Winn, now please let go of my face)." Elaine rubbing her face after Winnie let go of her hands off.

The conversation stops and students are back to their sits when the teacher are coming inside the class to continues lesson for that day.

It was a nice weather in the morning, Shane were sending Elaine off to the promising city. Winnie couldn't send her off because she'll be busy every weekend at her familiy's store. But Winnie happens to give Elaine her house contact number on the last day of school that week.

"You've got everything you need with you right?" Shane ask while did the final check on her daughter's belongings before the bus were coming.

"Yes mom. Don't worry, I got it all packed as you told me too." Elaine answered her mother to calm her.

"Okay sweetheart. Now, once you settle there, contact me as soon as possible."

"Okay mom. Will do. The bus is coming now. Take care and don't overwork yourself okay?" Elaine hugging her mother tightly and only let go when the bus stopped in front of them. She hops into the bus and wave her mother goodbye.

"Bye mom!" She said

"Bye Elaine, be good!" Shane wave to her daughter until the bus disappear from her sight. Her heart is full of wishes that Elaine will have a good happy life in the future.

Honk! Honk!

The abruptly stopped and the loud honked sound by the bus wakes Elaine from her sleep. She fell asleep in the bus after changing to the second bus with new route to the city.

Elaine look at her surroundings, she realizes that she had reached to a busy living city. The noisy sound around her kind of irritate her but like it or not she has to adapt to the situation.

From her seat, she can hear the bus driver was angrily shouting at someone outside the bus. Curiosity made Elaine stand up to see who was outside the bus that driver angry about. From there, she saw a guy with dark blue jeans, red color shirt and a bit messy black hair ignoring the driver bus with expressionless face and walk away without looking but in front of him.

'What a weird looking guy.'

Elaine thought to herself. But she was kind of interested to know what was the guy thinking about for ignoring the driver shouts.

'Nah! Forget about that. I need to find a place near school to stay. And I should get a part time job too, don't want to trouble mom with any extra payment later.'

She taught again while take off from the bus as it reached the last stop at the city bus terminal. From the terminal, she was riding another bus to another town around 20 minutes from the main city town.

Elaine walk pass through a few shops building and finally see her new schools building. She was fascinated by the school surrounding from outside to inside the school. It is an elite school as what her mother told her. Suddenly she felt weird in her stomach. She feel a little nervous when thinking the next two day she will start attending classes in this prestigious school. She hope everything will be fine.

"This is the only place we have according to your budget Miss Elaine. The building is a bit old but still in good condition, and its location are near to school and variation of shops." Mr Shin, the staff at the place renting company explain the details to Elaine.

"I'll take it." Elaine replying to the staff. She cannot be too demanding at the moment. Having a place with a strategic location is a must for her. And its only temporary living place for her anyway.

"Alright Miss Elaine. I'm going to need you to sign this few copies of documents and after settling deposit payment for renting then I will hand over the keys to you." Said Mr Shin.

"Okay, thank you very much Mr Shin." Elaine shakes his hand after receiving a copies of document and the keys to a small studio unit.

Elaine walking to her renting place, after 10 minutes walking she finally arrived at the 3-storeys old building by referring according to the address given by Mr Shin. It is quite old but look sturdy. Without wasting anymore time, Elaine climb up the stairs to a first floor and searching for unit number 105. Only four unit for each floor of the building.

"Cough! Cough!"

As soon as the door open, dust were spreading out. Elaine enters the unit looking around while putting her belongings on one spot.

'This will take a while to clean up'

Elaine thoughts come again. And she did not waste anymore of her time. She starting right away cleaning the whole unit. It is only around 200 square feet. So its only take her an hours to clean up every corner of the place.

After she finish cleaning the room and organizing her things, she got hungry and realized that she never eat anything after arriving at the city.

"Too tired to cook a perfect dish now. I'll just go to inconvenient stores and buy some instant noodles." She speaks to herself and quickly get up and walking toward the front door.

When she got out from her place, she see someone were just entering the unit beside her. And to her shock, that is the guy with a messy hair she saw when she still inside the bus before. Is this just coincidence?

The sound of kids laughing happily awake Elaine that morning. There are few childrens playing together down the street near their renting place. The ray of sun could be seen passing through her room's window. Elaine stretching her body and blink her eyes a few times to help her fully awake. She reminiscing last night scene where she's about to go to convenience store. She still cannnot believe that the weird guy she saw at the bus incident were her neighbors. Of course that guy would never had the same thought as her because he didn't know she saw him before. Its just made Elaine think that this coincidence were little exciting for her.

But Elaine did not let her time waste just thinking about the exciting coincidence, she get up from her bed and getting ready to accomplish her task for that day before starting class tomorrow. First, she need to survey any part time job near her place, then she needs to find her necessity things throughout her study and life there.

After having her simple breakfast, Elaine walk out from her studio units and locking the door before going down the street. While locking the door she catch a glimpse to the unit beside her, number 106 with a name plate written 'Lee'.

'It must be his family surname. Nice.' She tought to herself.

Elaine smiles when she read the name plate. She walk to a couple of shops building, for a half of that day she's been going in and out from a few shops that has a vacancy flyer posted at their door and window. And she feel grateful that after so many shops rejecting her application, finally she got a part time job at a casual reading theme cafe which where their customer can enjoyed light snacks while reading their favorite books.

"Hello mom! Sorry for not calling you yesterday. I was so focusing on cleaning and organizing stuffs that it make me so tired and fell asleep before contacting you." Elaine speak through her new affordable mobile phone. She try to explain nicely to her mother.

"Hello, oh thank God you made it safely there. I was worried thinking something bad happen to you." Shane answer. She feel relief after hearing her daughter's voice.

"So, how is everything there? Is the new school amazing as people talks? Is it to your liking? Oh, is this your own contact number?" Shane asking questions continuously without giving Elaine time to speak.

"Mom slow down. Ask me one of a time will you? Hehe. And yes, I'm fine here. The school was spectacular as people are saying, of course I would love it. And mom, this is my new contact number here. And I will always contact you before you can call me. Hehe" Elaine answering all the questions Shane ask her with delightful felling. She missed Shane's voice so much. It calming her.

Elaine talking to her mother little bit more then she hang up the phone with fulfilled smile. After getting all things that she need for home and school, Elaine walks back to her place. She's humming to herself while getting in her rooms, putting her things beside her bed and remembered she has not contacting her bestfriend yet. She take out her phone again and dialing a number.

"Hello, good evening Jack. Is your sister there? This is Elaine speaking." Elaine speaks to Winnie's little brother as he happens to pick up the phone.

"Hold on a minute. I'll go get her answer the phone." Jack said then putting down the phone receiver on the table while shouting to his sister upstairs.

"Sis!! A call for you, its from sis Elaine!"

Hearing that, Winnie runs fast downstairs to get the phone receiver.

"Hello Elaine! My God are you okay there? So how was it? Do you having fun there?" Winnie ask excitedly.

"Winn!! I miss you. I'm fine here, just settled in. And no babe, I'm not having fun without you. I am nervous for tomorrow." Elaine explaining her situation there. She wish that Winnie were there together with her tomorrow so she won't feel alone in new school and new classroom with new faces.

"Oooh. My poor friend. Don't worry Elaine, you'll be fine. Trust me! There must be many girls want to be your friend there and maybe BOYS. Who knew. Haha" Winnie tease Elaine just to help her push away a bit off her nervousness for tomorrow.

"Haha, no way. You're ridiculous. I won't have time to get woo by the boys here. I have to maintain my good results in studies and earning money at the same time." Elaine answer to her best friend.

"What do you mean by earning money at the same time?" Winnie confused.

"I'm working part time at the cafe here. Don't tell my mom okay, I don't want her to worry about me. I just don't want to put more burden to her than what she has now." Elaine explained.

"Oh Elaine. Okay I won't tell anyone about this. But don't work too hard on yourself, try to have fun sometimes so you'll not get too stress." Said Winnie.

"Okay Winn. Thanks for understanding me. And this is my new contact number, please memories it. Hehe"

After talking a bit more with Winnie, Elaine hang up the phone and starting cooking dinner like her mother always do. She been thinking of offering home cooked dish to her neighbors to greet them. So she cooked enough for 4 studio units.

Elaine were giving the dish that she cooked to her neighbors at the opposite of her unit. Then she give the last one to the guy who stay beside her unit. She knock the door a few time, she greets from outside and told her purpose with a bit loud voices. She waits around 5 minutes and there was no sound coming from the unit. Elaine decided to knock again and she will leave if no one opening the door. Before she could finish her 3rd knock on the door theres a loud bang on the door. Elaine got shocked hearing the bang make her almost drop the dish. What had happen inside the room?