Block A 「Nishimura Riki」

13

Eiko was unsure what she liked more about her regular job. The pay or the fact that she got to work with Yunseo. Well realistically speaking, it's definitely the pay, but she's glad to be working with Yunseo too.

She had a lot to tell her. Some things to tell her. There were a lot of events that changed the trajectory of her life in the span of a few weeks.

Yunseo wouldn't be here until later, so Eiko had enough time to structure their conversation.

"Yunseo you're back." A voice welcomes her when she enters the room. Already settled at the computer, Jihoon energetically waves her hand. There's a dimple poking into her left cheek that complemented her smile. At that her coworkers faced the doorway and some told her welcome back.

"Yup." She stepped toward the-somewhat-cubicle beside Jihoon. Her desk had been abandoned for two months. "I'm done with my time at the cafe for the rest of the year."

"Good. I thought I was going to have to go up there and steal you back. You're a really efficient worker, we can't lose you just yet," Jihoon spoke.

"What about me?"

Jihoon didn't bother looking over. She rolled her eyes and signaled Eiko to open her browser. "You can quit right now for all I care, Roeun," of course it was meant as a playful jibe. Maybe.

Jihoon suddenly slid open her drawer to fish through the inside of it. "By the way, Eiko, did you lose a book recently?"

Eiko's eyebrows frowned. "No? All of my books are still packed in the moving boxes. Why do you ask?"

Jihoon shook her head to not answer the question just yet. "Well then your surname is Rin, right?"

Eiko Rin, that's correct. But even so Eiko didn't know what Jihoon was going to say next. She neared Jihoon's chair and peered over her shoulder. Jihoong set the book on her lap. "It has your name on the front," she informed Eiko as she trailed the letters inscribed into the front of the book. "I mean it can be common names but what's the probability of it having your name and your surname?"

Eiko took the book from Jihoon when she handed it to her. It's- strange. It really does have her name on it. And at the sides of both the front and back cover lay metal rings for the lock to click onto. It's a book with her name on it, and it's locked.

"Huh?" Eiko checked the back of it, the spine and then finally the front again. It was just that. A book, black in its color, covered with leather and her name formed from the valleys of lines on the front. Eiko Rin.

"No, it's not my book. But I'm a bit curious now. My names can be common, but I don't know if they're that common to be put together often." She handed the book back to Jihoon, contemplative. "The lock doesn't even have a keyhole, how are you supposed to read it?"

Jihoon shrugged. She looked at it for a bit then back at Eiko. "Do you want it? I don't want to keep a stranger's book in my drawer."

"Try to make a note about it. See if anybody tries to claim it."

Jihoon seemed a bit unsure about the suggestion. "But it was in your chair Eiko. It can't be anybody else's." She made the comment that made Eiko confused.

"But I've never seen a book like that in my life," Eiko told her and Jihoon was even more inquisitive. They looked at each other in perplexity. Eiko sighed and outstretched her hand. "I'll take it. I'll find out what to do with it later."