22/5

3.45 p.m.

Ten shoot some more hoops at the park basketball court near his apartment. The park only had few people in it from children to adults doing their various activities since it was a bit early but later on was going to be filled.

He was already sweating bullet under the blazing hot sun but he didn’t mind. It’s been a while since he played basketball. He was waiting for Jaehyun and Taeil whom he had called earlier to invite them to play with him which they accepted.

He bounced the ball and threw it right at the net pleased that he still got it. He used to play for his high school team until the national. Ever since entering university however he found it hard to find the time. On the rare occasion he did have the time, it’s during the night with a couple of colleagues in class.

Thirsty, he picked up his water bottle and drank nearly half of it. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw her again. That stopped him from drinking and he just watched her. It’s been the third time this month he encounter her with the first time he was having his jog and she ran past him.

As usual she had on her earphone and her hair tied in a ponytail again. He’s curious though how she looked like with her hair down. This time she wore a loose white shirt with grey sweatpants. Ten noted that she was fit and even though she was a bit short than him, her legs were well toned.

She started stretching her body, unaware that someone was looking at her. After a few minutes of warming up and stretched, she broke off into a run.

Ten continued to watch her until she disappeared out of sight. He became really curious about her ever since he first saw her. She had that confident aura about her which he really liked in a woman as if she didn’t care what others thought about her.

“Yo Ten!” someone shouted his name and turned to see only Taeil who waved at him.

“Hey glad you came. Jaehyun is not even here yet.” Ten greeted.

“Who were you looking at just now Ten? You were going at it for some time.” Taeil asked as he put down his bag.

Stunned that he got caught, Ten just laughed it off nervously. “Nothing hyung. I thought I saw my classmate but turns out it’s not him.” He lied. He’s not going to tell Taeil that he’s interested in someone he just saw for the third time but haven’t even know her name.

“Ah I see.” Taeil said and started warming up his body. Ten sighed in relief that his hyung is really a gullible person.

“Hyung?Wanna bet?” Ten suggested to Taeil as to kill time while waiting for Jaehyun to come.

***

Jaehyun walked to the park with his head down seemingly as if in deep thought. He wasn’t even looking where he was going but his feet automatically carried him to the park basketball court.

His head was filled with the conversations he had with someone he never thought he would hear on the other side of the line. An unknown number had called him just as he was about to hurriedly run out of the door. He glanced at the clock then at the phone considering on rejecting it. He was running late as it is but at the last minute decided to answer it not wanting to be rude or anything if it’s a person calling the wrong number.

After he said his hello to the person, a voice greeted him back sweetly. A voice he instantly recognised. It’s only been a day since he last seen her. Thinking back on how he left yesterday, even he himself admitted it was cowardly of him to just bail out on her. When he realised that her interview was nearly done, he grown more anxious to say the least because he had concluded that she had made the connection that the two accessories were from him. Something he’s not ready to confess to her yet.

Recalling the conversation he had on the phone with her, he pursed his lips.

“How did you know my number?” As soon as he asked that, he face palmed himself. Stupid question. The only person where she could have his number was from Irene.

“Irene unnie and for your information I asked from her.” She replied.

She went quiet after that as if anticipating for him to say something and Jaehyun knew what it was.

“Look if it’s about yesterday, I’m sorry for leaving earlier.” Even that sound lame to his ear but he went through with it.

“It’s alright. We can postpone that talk if you really don’t want to hear what I’m going to say. I’m calling you because you owed me something and I’m taking you on that offer of yours.” She told him.

Did he hear her right? Owed her something? Offer? “What are you talking about?”

He heard her puffs. “Have you really forgotten?” She then recited back the exact same words he had said. Jaehyun grimaced as he clearly remembered that he did indeed say those words but at that time he was clearly apologetic to her that he just blurted it out. He didn’t think she would take it seriously with the way she dismissed him coldly after that.

“Because of you I have to walk slowly to and from my class to my apartment. Do you know how hard it was for me to do my day to day activities? Just be glad that the injury wasn’t that serious and someone kindly gave me a really useful gift.” She added the last part on purpose.

Jaehyun knew she was baiting him on that.

Not knowing exactly what to say next, he only said “Okay. What do you want me to do?”

“I have to ask you this first. Will you accept what I’ll impose on you?” she asked in return.

Feeling wary from the tone of her voice, he carefully thought for his answer. On one hand he didn’t want to do it but on the other hand, he was the one responsible for her injury. Just as she had said, when he looked at it her way, well he did owe her.

In the end, he replied. “Okay. What is it?”

“Be my servant for a week.”

There was a moment silence before Jaehyun could find his voice. “Huh? What?”

“Meet me at the cafeteria tomorrow at 11 a.m.” With that she ended the call leaving Jaehyun stared in confusion at his phone.

The conversation still left him a bit daze and somehow had a bad feeling about it. He wondered why she suddenly brought this up with him. By now he started questioning himself whether he should have agreed to her proposition in the first place. What does she had planned for him? Different scenarios played in his head.

The sound of a ball bouncing made him up glanced up to see he had arrived at the basketball park unknowingly. He stared at both of his friend playing lamenting whether to tell them his situation or not. Taeil noticed Jaehyun first and greeted him followed by Ten.

He shook his head and decided not to. His problem isn’t that really troublesome however Jaehyun can’t say the same thing to his heart.

***

8 p.m.

“You found him already?” Chungha’s eyes widened as she looked at Chaeyeon who had a smirk on her face. “Why didn’t you tell me this last night? What’s his name?” They were eating their dinner and invited Nayoung over who just listened quietly.

“Sorry unnie but you were so busy with your work I didn’t want to interrupt. Plus now I know his name and his number to be exact.” She showed Chungha her phone. “In fact I just had an interesting talk with him this afternoon.”

Chaeyeon told them both everything right from the start and when she started talking about what happened during the photo shoot yesterday, Nayoung and Chungha shared wicked smiles. The memory of his body and the payback he gave her for her teasing him, Chaeyeon felt her cheeks flushed.

She continued telling them on what she talked about with him that afternoon.

“Interesting.” Nayoung muttered.

“He’s probably still guilty about it and I can guarantee that Chaeyeon guilt trip him.” Chungha pointedly gave a look at her roommate who pretended to look innocently.

“I hope you know what you’re doing Chaeyeon-ah.” Nayoung only said as she cleaned up the table. Chaeyeon had a feeling that there’s a double entendre to those words and was about to ask her when Chungha beat her to it.

“What do you mean unnie?” Chungha asked.

“Just be careful Chaeyeon ah. You don’t know what will happen during that time.” Nayoung advised and gave her a wistful smile. Again she hinted another double meaning.

The girl only looked at her in confusion.

For Nayoung she had a feeling on why her friend did what she did to Jaehyun even though she’s not aware of it herself based on her clueless expression. That’s why she purposely gave that ambiguous advice.

Nayoung’s words still rang in Chaeyeon’s mind when she’s in bed. What did she mean by that?

“You don’t know what will happen during that time”

In one week something will happen. It took her some time before a thought cross her mind right then.

“Did she mean I’ll fall in love with him?” she muttered to herself before she snorted in disbelief.

Impossible, she thought. Chaeyeon was only doing this because it’s a punishment for him leaving her with a really lame excuse he could come up with.

Really impossible

Those were her last thought before she fell asleep.