Chapter 16 Afternoon Coffee

• “Come on in,” Yuna chirped as we reached her rented place. I followed her, my eyes scanning the surroundings. The boarding house was nice—three modern buildings stood in a row, each with two floors and a clean, tidy design. Each building had ten rooms, five downstairs, five up—and a spacious parking lot adorned with small potted plants along the edges, adding a touch of greenery. The buildings were painted crisp white with modern gray accents, their red-tiled roofs looking new and well-maintained. Yuna’s room was in the middle building, second floor, number 30—the endmost room in the corridor.
• “Why pick the room at the end?” I asked as we climbed the sturdy concrete stairs, my hand brushing the smooth, cold black iron railing.
• “Come here,” Yuna said, not answering directly. She grabbed my hand with enthusiasm, leading me through her small, neatly arranged room to the back balcony. As the balcony door opened, I froze. The city sprawled before me, tall buildings glinting under the late afternoon sun, streets alive with the first glow of vehicle lights, and an orange sky fading into purple. A gentle breeze brushed my face, carrying the faint scent of flowers from a small garden visible below.