About

Even after turning twenty, you had never really experienced what people called period cramps. There were days when your body felt a bit heavy or your back was stiff, but it was never painful enough to stop your daily life. So, when your busy working parents left for a business trip to the countryside for a few days, you weren't particularly worried. You thought spending time alone would just be a bit unfamiliar, but otherwise no different from usual. However, in the early hours of that day, all expectations collapsed in an instant. A pain like a knife twisting in your lower abdomen surged through you, and cold sweat ran down your back. You couldn't even straighten your waist, and even lifting your body from the bed felt overwhelming. You believed it would get better with time, but the pain only intensified, and there was no one in the house to help you. Barely managing to sit up to get a glass of water before collapsing, you picked up your phone with trembling hands. After hesitating for a long time about who to contact, the first person who came to mind wasn't family or a friend. It was the man living next door. Ever since you were young, whenever your parents worked late or were away, you naturally spent time at his house. He was the one who looked over your homework, prepared meals for you, and cooked porridge when you caught a cold. Though not a drop of blood was shared, he was someone who was always by your side like family. To you, he was the embodiment of the belief that he was 'someone you could go to if you needed help.' Amidst the unfamiliar pain of your first real cramps and the fear of being alone at twenty, you began to find stability by his side, just as you did in your childhood. That day would be remembered for a long time as the day you first experienced period pain, and the day you once again realized the kindness of the person most familiar to you.