Chapter 4: That man

Areum

Run. Run. Run.

“I’m dying right here. Can’t we just hide somewhere?” It was a total wrong move to talk because after that, I felt like I was about to passed out from the lack of air in my body.

He didn’t respond, except he glanced back on me once and tugged on my wrist tighter, to make me come to my senses right away. I couldn’t help but pay attention at his side profile, studying how his caramel brown hair blew with the wind and at how it was starting to exhaust him too at the amount of sweat forming, dripping at the side of his face.

But why? Why did he agree to help me?

I wasn’t supposed to question his kind deeds. I was supposed to thank him instead but I was expecting worst when I plead to him like a weird woman after running into him and ruined his groceries. He should have cursed me, so why?

“It would be a great help if you could run properly for a little bit more rather than making me dragging you around.”

That snapped me out of my trance. Of course, I seemed to only reply it in my head. “Woah –,” I cried in shock when he made a sharp turn at the narrow alley.

“Who are those person?” he asked, his hands rested on his hips while he was gasping for air. I was catching on my breath too, and I could feel heat creeping up at my face and my hair was all over the place as some of it stuck on my sweaty face, can’t compare to anything he looked at the moment.

“Are they trying to harm you?” he continued asking.

I shook my head tiringly in response.

“So, what are you running from? Loan sharks?”

I shook my head again. “They are the people who work for my father actually –,”

His face contorted into some kind of disbelief. Finally, there seemed to be an emotion showed and that thought made me realized how he had an unreadable look all this while. When I ran into him, when I crashed all his groceries to the side ways, maybe I saw a little bit of wincing when he thudded against the hard ground but that was it.

That was why I was wondering.

“What are you? A rebel who’s trying to run away from home?”

“I’m not.” I flailed my hands eagerly, to show that he completely misunderstood me. “It may seem like that but I have a really reasonable reason. I’m too old to run away from home anyway.” I clasped my hands together while my brain was trying to structure the pieces together for him to understand my situation. Oh, how I wish Sehun is here and help me out of this. “What I’m trying to say is – “

“Bae Areum-agasshi!”

My ears perked up at the faint sound of my name being called out and I turned around to check their presence. When I heard their voices getting clearer and clearer by any second passed – oh no – I pushed the man to the wall without second thoughts and open the metal door I saw before I fit us both inside.

I didn’t seem to know what space was this for, but it sure was too narrow for two persons and it was really dark. So dark that I couldn’t even see his face, except his hard breaths tickling my face. And when I felt something creeping down at my leg, I jumped and shrieked in disgust, which brought grunted from the man’s lips.

“I’m sorry!” I said regretfully. “It was so dark and –,”

Then suddenly, the dark space was lit up and I watched him boring me with his gaze. I saw the lights came from his phone and my gaze trailed from it, slowly made it pass to his eyes and it continued until I was met with another surprising figure that were giggling creepily at us leaning against the fire hydrant pipe and –

“AAAAAHHHHHHHH!”

Both of us pulled ourselves out of the cramp space and I hang onto him like my life depended on him as he stretched his arm to put a good distance between the weird guy and us.

How would I know there would be another person inside that small store room? I thought it was cramp enough for both of us when there were three of us inside it all this time. I was sure the man was out of his mind, obviously from all the dirt on him and how torn apart his clothes are. One step we backed away from him, he charged a step forward as he stared at us with that creepy smile.

“Food.”

What?

“Food.”

He took out his palm towards us, urging us to give him food. “You want food?”

The crazy guy nodded eagerly, eyes rounded and it looked even scarier so I unconsciously leaned more into him to which I felt his hand gently patting my head as if he was trying to calm me down. I looked up to him and watched him focusing on getting away from this situation.

“I don’t have food but I have money,” He hurriedly fished out a few bills in his back pocket and without even counting the bills, he handed out the money towards the man. “Take this money, and you can buy any type of food. Do you like chicken? You can buy with this.”

The crazy guy eyed him in amazement before looking back down at the money in his hand. Believing in the man’s words, the crazy guy snatched it out of his hand and I could see that he was somewhat a little intimidated by him because he flinched slightly when they made contact.

“Chicken.” The crazy guy said it once. When he started to chant the word over and over again, he slowly turned towards the way out of the alley, eyes on the cash as if it could turn into chicken at that right second while skipping his way out, forgetting us altogether.

We both released a sigh of relief at the retreating form. Meeting Jongin wouldn’t be as half bad as this is yet look where I am now.

“It’s okay. It’s o –,”

When his gaze came down to meet mine, we finally realized the position we were in and immediately pulled away from each other, acting like no such thing had happened. I looked down to my feet that was awkwardly scratching the rough pavement, expecting to hear a yell that sounded more like “THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT. DID YOU SEE WHAT YOU JUST GET US INTO?” .

I waited, but nothing came except silence enveloping both of us.

“I’m – “

He cut me off, with a slight nod. “You should go home. Running away is never a good alternative at solving problem. It only comes right back at you.” And then he just walked away like he had done what needs to be done. It indeed was true, I should have let him go and walk away, forgetting today because it was probably the worst day of his life but I just can’t.

Not without a proper apology. “I’M SORRY!” I shouted loudly as I bowed myself ninety degrees, seriously feeling apologetic to what I have caused him.

I stayed in that position for as long as I could, maybe until he really did forgive me while a small part of me expecting that he would leave. He could have been frustrated at everything going on right then and it was all my fault so, my heart skipped a beat when I saw his feet turned towards my way. I slowly brought my head up, just to sneak a glance at him and when he seemed like he could’ve spend a few more minutes to listen to me, I straightened myself up.

“I’m terribly sorry and of course, I can’t thank you enough too.”

“It doesn't matter.”

“It matters!” I exclaimed. “A lot! At least to me, since you said it doesn’t. Please let me repay you.”

“Oh no, no, you don’t have to.”

“I insist. I feel so bad that I ran into you and crashed all of your groceries to the ground. I even saw how that sad tomatoes you bought being stepped on into juice. Please, the least you could have let me do is let me get those things back.” I begged, making the saddest face I could muster so that he could see how tremendously sorry I am to him. “Okay, I admit that I just want to have this guilt feeling washing off me.”

“Okay.”

“And I have a really bad sense of direction. So, I admit I kind of need you to walk me out of here.”

“I said, okay.”

I widened my eyes when I heard his response. I jumped my way towards him. “Really? Great, I promise you right after this you won’t ever see me again, which you don't have to worry because it's 100% guaranteed. What are the odds anyway, right? Seoul is huge!” I heaved a sigh happily. “You’ve done me a great favour. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He said with a slight stretched on his lips.

♦ ♦ ♦

It wasn’t my first time doing grocery shopping, but it was sure the first time doing it with a stranger. Who does that anyway? You are, Areum. Only you are.

I pushed the shopping cart along every aisle as I tried to recall some stuff I saw in his grocery bag, murmuring to myself while scanning through the items on the racks. I was trying so hard to remember and threw everything in the cart while I was sure some of them were probably something I just thought he might need it without asking him.

The less we were trying to engage into a conversation, the faster I’d get this over with.

I grabbed a bottle of milk, scanning through yogurt drinks, then slowly, the choices of juices move into my sight. Orange juice? Maybe, apple? Were there any juices? “Do you need an orange juice?” I turned around, showing the carton within my hold.

“I don’t remember buying one.”

“Okay.” I replied shortly. “It was a good brand