The bus was heading towards the village—an isolated place far from the town's dazzling lights and long nights. The road was bumpy, shadowed by overgrown bushes and huge trees that made it even darker. The streetlight was flickering.
The bus stopped at a station with a huge jerk that startled the only passenger. He hurriedly got down, looking around, trying to process everything.
He was a young boy, around 22, dressed like any ordinary guy—loose t-shirt, oversized pants, messy hair, and red eyes from lack of sleep. He was holding his backpack. His gaze landed on the signboard. The writing was faded, and he struggled to read it.
The surroundings were different from the usual. Instead of a steel bench, there was a wooden one. Instead of a shed, it was open to the night sky, allowing the moonlight to pour in. The atmosphere was enough to give him chills.
That's when he realized—he had accidentally gotten off at the wrong stop.
The boy hurriedly took out his phone. He checked the time. It was midnight. He opened an app, but it showed "You are offline."
There was no internet. No Wi-Fi.
"Shit. What kind of place has no internet?" he muttered and sighed.
"Guess I'll wait for the next bus..."
Indeed, he was no longer in the town. This was a village. And the government didn't care enough to provide decent signals here.
He waited half an hour. Still no trace of another bus.
His eyes were closed, head down. Poor guy hadn't gotten enough sleep.
He woke up with a jerk and looked around with tired eyes.
Not a single soul in sight.
A hint of tension hit him—he was completely alone.
"Huh, this is really terrifying... What did I even do to deserve this fate?" he mumbled to himself.
"No internet, no bus... I think I'm gonna die here alone."
Of course he was tense. He was just a young guy. A while ago, he was with his friends, hanging out. Now? He was alone at a bus stop in the middle of nowhere.
But with a firm heart, he made a decision.
"Let's walk. There's no other choice."
And just like that, he began his journey.
But instead of going back, he walked towards the village.
He wasn't sure why. It just felt right. It was too late to head back, and if he walked all the way home, it'd take 2 hours or more. Heck, he didn't even know how far he had come. The safest bet was to walk toward the village and hope for a ride or a place to rest.
He walked for half an hour, hoping someone would offer him a lift to the nearest hotel or rest stop. He was walking fast, the air around him making him shiver—even though it was the warmest month.
He walked down a muddy road, the scent of wet earth bringing back nostalgic memories—visits to his grandma's house in the village during childhood. He hadn't gone back there after she passed away.
From the road, he spotted a house-like structure.
At first, he felt scared. But he knew—this house might be his only hope.
Maybe an old, kind couple lived there and could offer him a place to stay.
Maybe he watched too many rom-coms... or maybe he was just a positive person, hoping for something good.
Gathering his courage, he rushed toward the house. The light was dim, but the signboard glowed just enough. Still unreadable. He turned on his phone flashlight.
It said: Guest House.
Heaven had finally answered.
Before knocking, he hesitated. What if the owners were asleep?
Still, he knocked a few times.
No response.
He was just about to leave, heart heavy, lips forming a pout—
When someone opened the door.
Their eyes met. For a moment, he forgot everything—his fear, his exhaustion. His heart warmed. His tired eyes focused on the figure at the door.
The person looked young, lively—about the same age as him. Messy hair. White shirt loosely tucked in. His collarbone slightly visible. Sleepy eyes locked onto the guest, waiting for him to speak.