In Which I Doubted Her

Yoon Bomi

“They are my sunbae from high school.”  I kept cajoling while Chorong unnie was driving us home.

“And they really adore you.”  She said coldly, looking ahead the road.

“Yeah, because I am absolutely adorable.  No one can resist me.”  I said jokingly.

“Yoon Bomi!”  She snapped, and I realized that my joke was not amused at all.

“I got it…  Don’t angry, Unnie…  They are really just my senior, we just barely know each other.”  I said persuasively.

“And you used to play guitar in front of them?”  She muttered annoyingly.

“I was part of school performers.”  I defended.

“I believe you were the part of their personal performer.”  She growled.

“It was in the past, Unnie...”  I said tenderly.

“You have a lot of fangirls…”  She murmured.  And I could notice the somber tone from her utterance.

“And you have a lot of fanboys…”  I let out bitter smile.

“But girls are more dangerous than boys…  They’re really passionate to get something, and furious when they are upset.”  She glanced at me before backed to look ahead.

“I know it very well.  I learned a lot from you…”  She replied in sarcasm.

“I am not talking about me…”  She snarled.

“Hahaha—but, you are the one in my thought.”  I smirked.

“But you seem to enjoy the fame, while I am not.”  She backed to serious look.

“I love being people’s attention, and my dream is being a performer.  I should enjoy the fame…”  I said easily.

“I hope you’ll get used of it…”  I added.

“I don’t know if I can…”  She said wistfully.

“Come on…  we should treat people who adore us in good manner…  I know I love to socialize with people, but I also love you…  and you’re different and special, no one can compare to you…”  I reached her hand and squeezed it gently.

“But still…  You treat them a bit…  too much…”

“Trust me, Unnie…  I will not go out of the line…  I know what I am doing…”

“I got it.”

***

We finally settled down and backed to normal.  Just like any other days, I was busy with my college life which slightly getting crazier, doing my jobs which increasing my bank account, and still spending sweet time with Chorong unnie at my day off.  We rarely had a quarrel nowadays, and she was more composed and quieter these days.  She barely shouted at me except when she finding stacked dishes in the sink, seeing spoiled leftover on island, or tripping into dirty laundry which laying on the living room.  And she never talked about my fangirls nor my friends.  She was fine and sweet recently.

Since I was busy with school and jobs, I rarely met and hung out with my friends.  I had packed schedule from Monday to Friday, and on Saturday I mostly went somewhere with Chorong unnie, and on Sunday I preferred at home to sleep all day or maybe just had a little chat with Chorong unnie.

As I rarely hung out, and really missed my friends, I directly met my friends right after I finished my job, rendering me to come home late.  And it had been happened for two weeks straight.  I could meet them on weekend as it was the day for my dating, so even with tired soul I would go straight to my friends after working.  It was only the possible hour for me to have some fun with them.

At first, Chorong unnie always waiting for me to come home, and asking why I came home really late, but now she was getting used to it.  She did not wait for me to come home, and I was relieved because I did not need to find any excuse.  I could imagine that she would rage and scold me for days if she found out my doings.

That night, it was almost midnight when I came home and she was eating in the dining room.  I was a bit shocked when I saw her.

“You’re home?”  She smiled warmly.

“Midnight snack—or midnight dinner?”  I peeped at the food on the island.

“I had cooking class today, and had early dinner.  I felt hungry now.”  She answered softly.

She was getting prettier and prettier day by day, but I noticed something wrong with her.  She looked a bit pale and slimmer.  I could only see her at weekend as our schedule getting complicated.  She left early in the morning, and already slept when I arrived home.  And sometimes I was the one who depart earlier, and backed home really late.  I used to miss her crazily even only a second apart, but nowadays, I did not understand why I felt nothing.

“Do you want some?”  She asked when I stood still watching her somberly.

“Sure…”  I pulled the barstool beside her seat and picked the chopsticks.

I stopped to look at her who did not yell at me to wash up first.

I reluctantly picked the sweet and spicy shrimp, and entered it inside my mouth.  Her cuisine never failed to please my tongue despite of my full stomach.  I had had grilled pork belly before going home, but I still had many room for her cook.

“There’s nothing you can cook…  and it’s always delicious.”  I said brightly, munching another shrimp.

“It’s been a while since I saw you eating my food…”  She chuckled.

“I am sorry…  I guess I am too busy…”  I gave her a guilty look.

“It’s okay, you look enjoying and loving your job.”  She said gently.

I looked at her carefully, and sensed that she slightly upset despite of her gently utterance, but I let it slide as I did not want to get into argument.

“Yeah, I am.”  I said quietly.

We back into silence.  And it was an awkward silence.  It was odder than the silence we had when we were having a big fight.

“Bbom-ah…”  Her sweet voice broke the silence.

“Yes?”  I looked up.

“I’ll go somewhere with Naeun, Hayoung, and Changsub tomorrow…”  She said.

“Where?  You’re not going with me?”  I frowned.

“I haven’t met them for a while, I miss them…”  She replied warily.

“Oh…  You can’t meet another day?”  I asked.

“It will be hard to meet at weekdays.”  She answered softly.

“I know it right.  I’ll have a long sleep tomorrow, since I will not go anywhere.”  I got up and stretched my body.

“You may come too if you want.”  She said hopefully.

“I am okay.  I prefer to take a rest tomorrow.”  I smiled slowly.

“Yeah, you better take a rest.  You work really hard, and always come home late.”  She said, and cleaned up the table.

I insisted to help her but she refused.  I watched her from where I stood as I sensed that there was something wrong.

“I’ll help you…”  I approached her.

“No, you must be tired.  Just go to sleep.”  She said in stern tone.

“Okay…”  I gave up and turned my heel, entering my room in a bit puzzled.

The next day, I woke up when Chorong unnie had already left, and it already passed lunch time.  She cooked me vegetable omelet, tofu with soy sauce, and rice cooked with red and black beans.  It was already cold, but still delicious to me.  I checked my phone and opened the message from her.

From:  Rong Unnie

I’ll be home around dinner.  Rest well.

She would be out for long hours, and I suddenly getting bored as I usually went somewhere with her at my day off.  I put back my phone and finished my food quickly, and headed to living room to cuddle with my favorite couch.

I was about to fall asleep when I got a call from Namjoo.  I slide the answer button and answered sleepily.

“Hello?”

“Bomi unnie?”

“Why?”

“Do you have a time today?”

“Why?”

“I miss you…  It’s been a while since we had hung out.”

“Indeed.  Where do you want to go?”

“Treat me sweet crispy chicken.  Will you?”

“What?  You’re the one who ask me to go out, and you dare to ask me to treat you?”

“Come on…  You must earn a lot from your part-time jobs.”

“But it’s not a wise choice to treat you for food.”

“Come on…  We’ll go to karaoke room too…”

“Arasseo!  Come to my place at three!”

“Great.”

I hung up the call, and reluctantly got up from the couch, heading back to my room.  I almost could not resist the temptation of my bed’s seduction when I strode past it into my bathroom, asking me to lie there.

I was ready an hour later, and I was waiting for Namjoo in the living room, changing the channel randomly.  After twenty minutes, Namjoo finally came and we directly headed to destination.

We went to karaoke room, and Namjoo had called her friends to come over.  It was not difficult for me to get along with her friends as I was really easy-going.  I was sure that they were become my friends too.  We had blast there, singing and dancing crazily to release our stress.

It was almost dinner time when we left the karaoke room.  Namjoo’s friends were leaving first, and Namjoo and I headed to sweet crispy chicken restaurant for dinner.  I noted to myself not to treat Namjoo anymore since she ate a lot, as well as me.  I spent enormous cash for only two people.  We were absolutely gluttonous.

“Thanks for treat me, Unnie…”  Namjoo said before going home.

“I’ve learned a lesson not to treat you again.”  I scoffed.

“Hahaha…  You must spend a lot money…”  She giggled.

“I’ve treated you many times, and this is the worst