diff --git a/encode-and-decode-strings/TonyKim9401.java b/encode-and-decode-strings/TonyKim9401.java
index 4d0d0073e..4c18141d3 100644
--- a/encode-and-decode-strings/TonyKim9401.java
+++ b/encode-and-decode-strings/TonyKim9401.java
@@ -1,16 +1,15 @@
 public class Solution {
-    // time complexity: O(n)
-    // space complexity: O(n)
-    Map<Integer, String> encode = new HashMap<>();
+    // Time complexity: O(n)
+    // Space complexity: O(n)
     /*
      * @param strs: a list of strings
      * @return: encodes a list of strings to a single string.
      */
     public String encode(List<String> strs) {
         // write your code here
-        int key = 0;
-        for (String str : strs) encode.put(key++, str);
-        return String.valueOf(key);
+        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
+        for (String str : strs) sb.append(str).append(" ");
+        return sb.toString();
     }
 
     /*
@@ -19,9 +18,9 @@ public String encode(List<String> strs) {
      */
     public List<String> decode(String str) {
         // write your code here
+        String[] split = str.split(" ");
         List<String> output = new ArrayList<>();
-        int decode = 0;
-        while (decode < Integer.valueOf(str)) output.add(encode.get(decode++));
+        for (String s : split) output.add(s);
         return output;
     }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file