CHAPTER 20 - KRIS'S DAY

Kris drove his car to the Sinsa-dong where many restaurants locate. It’s ± 10 minutes drive from his condo. Along the ride, the music on the radio is the only voice that filled up the car. The only conversation between him and Jinah is when Kris asked where they should go which Jinah suggested here. After that, Jinah became autism toward her phone, sometimes smiling by herself while typing something on it. Kris slightly annoyed because he can’t grab Jinah’s attention at all and being ignored by her.

Kris parked his car at the parallel parking on the side road and glanced at Jinah who still busy with her phone. Kris cleared his throat. “We’re here,” he announced.

Jinah looked up from her phone and puzzled because Kris isn’t on the driver seat beside her anymore. Suddenly the door to her side opened as Kris standing and looking down at her, waiting for Jinah to get out of the car. Jinah went out from the car while mumbling a thank you to Kris.

“So, what should we buy for lunch?” Kris asked Jinah as they strolled around the pavement.

Jinah is taking a good look around as she tried to think. She is so distracted. Because from the moment they got out the car until now, Kris’s hand is locked to hers. His warmth calming yet gives goose bumps to her. “What would you like to eat? Asian food? Western?” Jinah asked back.

“I’ll have whatever you choose for us,” Kris said and glanced at Jinah.

“Hmmm... I’d like to have curry ramyeon as lunch actually. How about we have Korean food for our lunch?” Jinah suggested.

“Okay,” Kris agreed right away.

“You don’t mind, aren’t you? As far as I know, you haven’t adapt to Korean food yet,” Jinahasked to assure.

Kris narrowed his eyes. “I am now. Thanks to you,” he replied and winked playfully. Kris intended the dates he and Jinah went before when they have lunch or dinner in various Korean restaurant.

Jinah only shook her head in amusement. She met this playful side of Kris since they become close to each other. “Korean food, then,” Jinah concluded.

Right after she said that, Jinah sees a giant mark saying ‘School Food’ across the street.  “Let’s buy the foods there,” Jinah pointed to the restaurant building. Kris nodded approvingly.

Kris and Jinah crossed the street with their hands still locked to each other. There are many people going in or out from the restaurant. The restaurant is really busy when it comes to the lunch hours. The restaurant entrance is on the 2nd level, so they need to take the stairs first to reach the restaurant.

*The restaurant*

Kris opened the restaurant door and held it for Jinah. Jinah smiles by this sweet gesture of Kris. Inside the restaurant is busier than the outside. Waitress are walking around to serve the customers. The restaurant’s interior are so chic. Wooden tables dominated the place, some fancy sofas with a booth in cream color in the corner, parquetted flooring, neat kitchen island and food display racks completed the vibe. Give Love by Akdong Musician is currently playing as music background.

A waitress soon comes to their side, welcoming them, then asked them to follow her to one of vacant table. She obviously paid more attention to Kris. Jinah caught the waitress for several times tucked her hair behind her ear as she talked about the menu. Kris is just being Kris. He only nodded nonchalantly. The waitress finally excused herself and said that if they ready to order they can call her.

“Let’s order 2 or 3 different types of main dishes and some side dishes. So everyone can choose depends on their taste,” Kris suggested as he opened up the menus book and looked at Jinah who sit in front of them.

“Curry Ramyeon, please,” Jinah requested as she repeatedly pointed on curry ramyeon picture in the menu book held by Kris while gives her puppy eyes to him.

Kris chuckled by this cute gesture of Jinah. “Because there are 20 of us, how about we order 7 curry ramyeon, 7 jjamppong and 6 jjajangmyeon as main dishes?” Kris looked at Jinah, asking for approval.

“Okay, as long as curry ramyeon on the list,” Jinah approved. She looked at the menu again. “Let’s pick the side dishes,”

“Potato cheese sticks. Lay really likes them,” Kris said as he saw potato cheese stick in menu list.

“Buffalo chicken wings, too. Kai really likes them,” Jinah also suggested the side dish.

“Kai or you?” Kris lifted his eyebrow in question.

“Kai and me,” Jinah sheepishly smiled. Because Kris knew her obsession toward the buffalo chicken wings.

After they decided what they will order, Kris called the waitress who attended them before.

“What can I get you, sir?” the waitress asked and only looked at Kris as if Jinah don’t existed.

“We are having 7 curry ramyeon, 7 jjamppong, 6 jjajangmyeon, 1 servings of steamed mandoo and  fried mandoo, 1 servings of kimbab, 1 servings of potato cheese stick, 2 servings of buffalo chicken wings,” Kris mentioned all of their order without even glancing at the waitress. He then turned to Jinah. “Any desserts?”

Jinah shakes her head. “Oh, all for take away,” Jinah reminded. “I want lemonade tea to accompany us while waiting,” Jinah adds their order.

Kris also asked the same drink for him. “Are you sure we don’t need any dessert?” Kris asked to assure.

“Yes, I’m sure. We ordered enough to feed 20 persons anyway,” Jinah nodded in reassurance.

“Okay then. That’ll be all,” Kris closed and gave back his menu book to the waitress.

“Alright,” The waitress scrubbed down their orders and rechecked the lists once more. After that she disappears immediately.

Jinah stared at Kris and smile in amusement. “What?” Kris asked.

“I guess someone is disappointed. Because you didn’t pay any attention to them. Not even a glance,” Jinah nodded her head to the direction where the waitress went.

“Don’t worry. I just have eyes for you. No need to be jealous,” Kris answered as he winked to Jinah.

“Jealous?” Jinah scoffed. “Whatever, Birthday Boy. I’ll let it slide only for today,” Jinah put her hands up in surrender.

“Hmm... interesting. Make me want everyday is my birthday. So what should we do while waiting for our foods?” Kris asked, as he reclined to his seat.

“Just waiting?” Jinah answered in question.

“That’s boring. Give me back my fun Jinah. Just now, on the way to here you were busy with your phone. You ignored me,” Kris sulked. His plump lips pouted lightly.

Jinah can’t help the urge to pinch him. Right now, Kris sulked like a kid who didn’t get invited to play together by his school friends. And that what Jinah does. She leaned to the front and lightly pinched Kris’s cheek. “I’m sorry. It’s Sehun reminding me to buy many many foods since the foods are on you. Luhan oppa also asked me to buy bubble tea for him,” Jinah explained. “So what do you think should we do while waiting now?” Jinah asked, trying to change the topic.

“Hmmm... let’s play ’20 questions’ games. We ask question alternately to each other, and must give an honest answer. If someone don’t want to answer, they have to do a punishment,” Kris suggested. His eyes gleamed in excitement. Like a kid who just got a new toy.

“What is the punishment?” Jinah narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

“Depends on the person who ask. For me, I’ll give you punishment to sing and dance to PSY Gangnam Style,” Kris also leaned his body to the front toward Jinah and put his head on his hand which rested on the table.

“Okay, I’m in. So who’s first?” Jinah asked in challenge.

“Ladies first,” Kris beckoned Jinah to be first.

“Okay... let’s start with easy question. What’s your worst habit?” Jinah asked.

“My worst habit might be skipping breakfast,” Kris easily answered.

“Please elaborate why you choose skipping breakfast as your worst habit,” Jinah demanded as she folded her arm.

Kris chuckled by this bossy Jinah. “My mom is really the best mother I could asked for. Even though she’s not a fulltime housewife and we have many helpers in the house, she always make time to handle and make meal for her family. But everyone in the house have different schedule. We ate breakfast in different time every day, even sometimes on weekends too. I don’t like eating alone. So I usually skipping breakfast if no one can accompany me. And I feel bad to her because she usually getting my breakfast untouched at the end of the day,” Kris elaborated in detail.

“Next time bring your breakfast to wherever your schedules are and share it with your colleagues. So your mother won’t feel disappointed and you don’t waste food,” Jinah suggested the solution.

“I’ll try next time. My turn! What did you first think of me?” Kris asked his first question.

“You are charming,” Jinah paused for a moment. “And cold. Just like what news I read in the internet tell about you or from Hyuna and Krystal’s description. For your information, they’re your fans before being your friends now. For reminder too, you barely talk 5 words to me before. You either said ‘Yes’, ‘Okay’, ‘No problem’ blablabla or only by gestures,” Jinah bluntly told Kris about her first impression of him.

Kris laughed by Jinah’s answer. He really likes this blunt side of her. She tells him what she need to tell without pretense. “You have said that before. Did I really annoyed you at first?”

“Well. Who wouldn’t when someone you talked to, only give you small respond,” Jinah shrugged her shoulder nonchalantly. “My turn asking you. What did you first think of me?” Jinah turned to ask the same question as Kris.

“Cute,” Kris shortly answered. “My first impression of you is you’re so cute. I haven’t meet any girl as cute as you. Not even my sister, Wendy, which I believed she was the cutest girl on the earth before I met you. Really, I swear,” Kris explained.

Jinah frowned in confusion. Their first encounter was on the student center lift when she asked him to make the lift on hold for a moment and waiting for her to get in too. ‘Well, it might be cute for some people if someone ask you to make the lift waiting for them. Especially someone as stiff as Kris,’ Jinah talked with herself in her mind.

“What’s your ideal type?” Kris bluntly asked. It’s his 2nd turn to ask right now.

Jinah went silent for awhile. She was shocked by this blunt question of Kris. “Rather than the outer appearance, personality is more important to me. I like someone who are like mother, someone who takes care of me well. But for appearance, I like someone with bright and wide smile. Whenever he’s smiling, my world will instantly being revolved around him,” Jinah explained her ideal type with dreamy look. Imagining her ideal type.

Kris suddenly smiling to her. His eyes crinkled. “How?” He asked as he put his two hands under his chin.

*Kris posed like this*

“Not bright enough,” Jinah shortly answered. But deep inside her, she’s melting by his smile.

Kris stopped smiling and glared his eyes pretending to be sulky.

Jinah chuckled as she’s looking at him. “My turn to ask, how about you? What’s your ideal type?” Jinah asked back the question to Kris.

“I like the kind of girl who’s pure, innocent like an angel. And just like you, I will pay more attention to the inner heart. The girls who are kind-hearted, considerate and filial. The one who love me for who I am, not what I have,” Kris answered as he’s staring at Jinah intently.

Jinah nodded as response. Feeling satisfied with his answer. Kris doesn’t really mind about outer appearance. ‘That mean I still have chance with him,’ Jinah thought in her mind. ‘Oh, what are you thinking, Im Jinah?’ right after she thought about her chance with Kris, Jinah mentally scolded herself.

Their game interrupted for a while as the waitress delivers their drink to the table.

“How many times you date before? Or how many ex you have?” Kris once again asked a shocking question after the waitress left.

Jinah contemplated to not answer the question. But she chooses to answer Kris in the end. “Only once,” Jinah replied shortly. Don’t want to elaborate her answer.

“How long?” Kris unconsciously asked.

“Hey, it’s my turn to ask you,” Jinah protested. Kris smiled sheepishly and let Jinah to ask him. “How would you describe yourself in 3 words?”

“Charismatic, Passionate and Attractive,” Kris said confidently. “If you only dated once, how long it was?” Kris asked the question from before.

“It’s been a year since then,” Jinah answered in short.

“No, I mean how long you and your ex had been together before the break up,” Kris cleared his question.

“OH I’m sorry. We’ve been dating for 3 years. We broke up a month right after our anniversary,” Jinah paused for a moment. “Sorry I get carried away. Okay, now how would you describe me in 3 words” She quickly composed herself and asked her next question.

“One of kind,” Kris replied without hesitation. He looked at her deeply as he answered. “How can you broke up with him?” Kris bombarded Jinah with his other question about her ex.

Jinah fidgeted in her seat. She’s still uncomfortable to talk about her ex. “Do I have to answer this? I’m still uncomfortable to talk about this matter,” Jinah said in quiet voice. Not daring to look at Kris in the eye.

“Why? Still hasn’t move on yet? Well if you don’t want to answer you should take the punishment. Singing and dancing to PSY Gangnam style in there,” Kris pointed to the mini stage on the front.

Jinah sighed. She thought for awhile to share her past relationship to Kris or not. But the punishment if she don’t is really embarrassing. She doesn’t want to embarrass herself. ‘Well, here’s for nothing,’ Jinah talked to herself in her mind. “He moved to live abroad,”

“Seriously? Just because of that?” Kris asked in disbelief to make sure.

“One day after we broke up, Myungsoo invited to his engagement party. Without my knowledge, he actually two-timing me with his arranges fiancée. He had been in arrange marriage since we dated for two year. So in other word, I’m being cheated for one year by him,” Jinah spilled her biggest secret. “No one know about this except me and Myungsoo. Now it’s adding you. Because if the girls and my eonnie know. They will hate and resent him,” Jinah finally let out her past relationship secret to Kris as she played with her drink straw.

Kris and Jinah are silent for a moment. No one make sound. Jinah still don’t want to make eye contact with Kris. They busy with their own drink.

Jinah finally composed herself. “Now, I’ll ask you the same question. How many ex do you have?”

“None,” Kris replied. Jinah lifted her head and narrowed her eyes in disbelief to Kris. “I swear. I’ve never been in any relationship. No one interest me enough. So no ex,” Kris convinced in assurance. His face slightly flustered after being asked about his romance life.

“Really? With that look?” Jinah still don’t believe in Kris words. ‘How someone like him is single all this time and never do romance’ She thought.

Kris chuckled. “What do you mean with that look?”

“You’re hot, attractive and charming,” Jinah bluntly said. But she immediately shut up after she realized she has compliment Kris. So she pretended to sip on her drink again.

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