Morning arrived too brightly.
Sunlight pierced through the thin curtains of the inn room, falling directly onto Nara's face, forcing her to open her eyes sooner than she wanted. She woke up with a heavy chest, as if something from last night was still unsettling her mind.
For a few seconds, she just lay there, staring at the faded, cracked ceiling. Faint sounds of the city drifted in from outside—horns, footsteps, the chatter of people walking fast. The world was moving on as usual, as if indifferent to the fact that someone had just tried to start life from scratch.
Then, the memories of last night rushed back.
The paper bag in front of the door.
The neat handwriting.
And the man who appeared far too often at just the right moment.
Nara sat up slowly on the edge of the bed. Her hair was messy, her eyes still puffy. She stared at the paper bag now sitting on the small table. Half the bread was left inside. The water bottle was still cold.
She didn't know what she was supposed to feel.
Touched?
Watched?
Or… understood too deeply?
She exhaled slowly and ate the remaining bread. Every bite tasted bland despite her hunger. She tried to convince herself that this was just simple kindness. That not all attention was a threat.
But a small voice in her head kept whispering: too soon.
After a quick shower with nearly cold water, she stood in front of the small mirror. She stared at her face for a long time. Tired eyes. Pale skin. But something had changed—not stronger, nor more fragile. Just… more guarded.
Today, she had to find a job.
Without anyone's help.
She left the room with light steps. The inn hallway was quiet. As she passed the elderly receptionist, the man lowered his newspaper and smiled faintly.
"Your friend is nice," he said suddenly.
Nara stopped. "Friend?"
"The one who came yesterday. Tall, wearing a black shirt."
He shrugged casually. "Asked about you. Just ensuring you were safe, he said."
Nara's chest tightened without her realizing it. "He… came again?"
"Not for long. He was polite."
The receptionist went back to reading his paper as if nothing was strange.
Nara walked out without saying another word. The morning air felt too crisp. She walked fast, trying to ignore the strange feeling beginning to creep into her mind.
She visited a few more shops. The answer remained the same—no vacancies. Noon arrived faster than she realized. Her feet were beginning to ache. Her stomach was empty again.
As she stood on the sidewalk waiting for the green light, a soft horn sounded from the side.
The black car.
The window lowered slowly. Arsen stared at her from behind thin sunglasses. His smile was calm as usual, as if this meeting had already been planned by the universe.
"You look like someone who has walked too far," he said lightly.
Nara held her breath. "You appear in the same place as me far too often."
Arsen smiled faintly. "This city isn't as big as you think."
He unlocked the passenger door from the inside. "Get in. I just want to show you that bookstore I mentioned yesterday."
Nara hesitated for a few seconds. But her exhaustion was greater than her suspicion. She got in.
The car's interior felt warm and tidy. Soft instrumental music played. The scent of a gentle perfume filled the air. Everything felt too… controlled.
"Did you eat breakfast?" Arsen asked while driving.
Nara stared out the window. "That's none of your business."
Arsen nodded slowly. "True."
A few seconds of silence. Then he added, "I was just worried."
The word made Nara uncomfortable. She wasn't used to being someone's reason to worry.
The small bookstore turned out to be warm and full of light. Old wooden shelves were filled with old novels. The scent of paper made Nara feel a little calmer.
The owner, Rena, welcomed them with a wide smile. "So you're Nara. Arsen told me a little bit."
Nara turned quickly towards Arsen. She didn't remember giving permission to be spoken about.
The short interview went casually. Rena seemed to like the way Nara answered questions honestly, albeit briefly.
"If you want, you can start tomorrow," Rena said.
The words felt like fresh air. For the first time since arriving in this city, Nara felt she had something real.
As they left the shop, Arsen stood a little too close. "I knew you could," he said.
His tone was soft. But his gaze was too intense—as if Nara's small success also belonged to him.
On the way back, Arsen asked small things—favorite color, books she liked, bedtime, the route she chose when walking. The questions sounded light, but there were too many of them. Nara began to realize she had given more information than she planned to.
In front of the inn, she was about to get out. But Arsen said, "I can drive you to work every day. You don't know this city yet."
"I can do it myself," Nara replied.
Arsen didn't answer immediately. His smile remained, but his eyes changed slightly—deeper, darker.
"I just want to ensure you are safe," he finally said.
The sentence sounded sweet.
But for the first time, Nara felt as if a thin line had just been touched—the line between care and control.
She entered the room with her mind full of thoughts. She sat for a long time on the edge of the bed, staring at the door.
Arsen never forced.
Never got angry.
Never demanded.
Yet somehow, her life was beginning to move in the direction shown by that man.
And most terrifyingly—a part of her felt comfortable.
Night came slowly. The city began to quiet down. From the small window, streetlights looked like distant dots of light.
Nara turned off the room light. She lay down, staring into the darkness. She tried to convince herself that everything was fine. That she was just being too sensitive.
But before falling asleep, one thought emerged and refused to leave:
If someone always knows what you need…
does that mean they care?
Or does it mean they have been watching for too long?
And out there, without her realizing it, someone was beginning to understand the rhythm of her life—when she left, the route she walked, even the way she looked at the world.
The boundary was still invisible.
But slowly… it was beginning to be crossed.
Evening came slowly, like a shadow creeping without a sound.
Nara sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her phone. The screen was empty. No new messages. No calls. For the first time since arriving in this city, the silence felt too loud—like a space intentionally emptied.
She tried to read a book borrowed from the lobby, but her mind kept returning to the same thing: Arsen knew too much.
He knew she was hungry.
He knew she hadn't left the room.
He knew she needed a job.
Coincidence after coincidence was beginning to feel like a pattern.
Nara got up and paced back and forth in the narrow room. Her steps were light but restless. She tried to convince herself she was just being too guarded. That not everyone had bad intentions. That maybe… just maybe… there was someone who really wanted to help without hidden reasons.
But the feeling wouldn't go away.
As the sun was almost setting, she decided to go out and buy dinner herself—without anyone's help, without the black car, without that overly observant gaze.
The streets began to get busy with shop lights turning on one by one. She walked fast, trying to enjoy that small freedom. The evening wind swept through her hair. For a few minutes, she felt light.
She bought packed rice from a small stall at the end of the street. The seller was friendly, too chatty, but it actually made her feel normal. She sat on a plastic stool, eating slowly while observing the people around her.
A little child ran chasing a balloon. A young couple laughed too loudly. An old man read a newspaper with a blank face.
The world kept moving.
And for a moment, Nara felt she might be able to be a part of it without anyone's shadow.
She walked home with casual steps. But when she turned into the inn alley, her steps slowed down.
The black car was parked across the street.
Engine off. Lights out. But she knew.
Arsen stood beside the car, as if he had been waiting for a long time. His hands were in his trouser pockets. His expression was calm as usual.
"You were long," he said softly.
Nara's heart beat faster. "You waited here?"
Arsen nodded lightly. "I just wanted to ensure you were okay."
His tone was not accusing. Nor openly possessive. But the sentence felt too close to something she was not ready to face.
"I went out to eat," Nara answered curtly.
"I know."
Arsen paused for a moment, then added, "That stall at the end of the street is pretty good."
Nara tensed up. "You… saw me?"
Arsen seemed to notice the change in her expression. He raised his hand slightly, as if to reassure her. "I was passing by. Coincidence."
The word coincidence sounded… thin again.
They walked side by side towards the inn door. The distance between them was not too close, but Arsen's presence felt like it filled the space.
"You don't have to watch over me," Nara said quietly.
"I'm not watching over you."
Arsen stopped in front of the door. "I'm just worried."
That word again.
Nara turned the room key faster than usual. She stood in the doorway, hesitant. There was something in her eyes that made Arsen go silent—a mixture of gratitude and discomfort she couldn't yet explain.
"I'm fine," she finally said.
Arsen nodded slowly. "Good."
But before leaving, he said, "If you need anything tonight, just call."
Nara closed the door without answering.
Inside the room, she leaned against the back of the door with rapid breathing. Her hands were cold. She didn't know why that brief meeting made her so restless.
She walked to the window and peeked slightly. Arsen was still outside, standing for a few seconds before getting into the car. He didn't leave immediately. He just sat in the car with the engine off… like someone not ready to leave that place.
A feeling of warmth and fear mixed into one.
Nara sat on the floor, hugging her knees. She tried to understand herself. Why did small acts of attention feel like a burden? Why did someone's presence make her feel seen… but also slowly enclosed?
The night grew later. She tried to sleep, but her mind wouldn't stop spinning. Every detail of that day replayed—Arsen's questions, the way he watched her, how he always knew where Nara was.
She finally fell asleep near midnight.
But she woke up again when a faint notification sound was heard.
A message from a new number.
"I've reached home. Get enough sleep. Tomorrow is your first day of work."
Nara stared at the screen for a long time.
She had never given Arsen her new number.
Her heart beat harder.
She typed a reply, then deleted it. Typed again. Deleted again.
Finally, she just turned off the phone.
Outside the window, the city seemed calm. But inside her head, something was beginning to change. She no longer just felt watched. She was beginning to feel… studied.
And although a part of her wanted to stay away, another part strangely felt safe because someone always knew where she was.
She closed her eyes, forcing herself to sleep.
Tomorrow was her first day of work.
A day where her life would start feeling more stable.
But without her realizing it…
that day would also be the beginning of a slowly growing dependency—like roots creeping secretly underground.
Roots that were invisible.
But one day… would be too strong to pull out.