TV at a Second-Hand Electronics Store
Your Words
Mina slowly made her way to the bus stop. She couldn't believe the nerve of that jerk. She was jobless and having a hard time making ends meet, so every cent really meant something to her. She couldn't believe that there were people in this world so willing to throw away money like that.
Whatever, she thought. I offered to pay him back, and he refused. There's nothing else I can do.
She strolled past a few run-down stores, gazing casually into their wide windows. An old laundromat. A small ramyun shop. And a second-hand electronics store.
She paused, looking at the TVs that shown through the window. It was set to the MNet channel, and the smiling hosts were interviewing an up-and-coming band.
One host asked a question, and when the camera zoomed in on the member who answered, Mina's jaw almost dropped.
It was that jerk she just talked to. Sunggyu. He looked a little different with eyeliner and curled hair, but there was no doubt about it.
He's a celebrity?, she wondered. It definitely would explain why he was so willing to throw away money on her. Before she could stop herself, curiosity won her over, and she quickly entered the store to listen to what he was saying.
"Annyeong haseyo!" an ahjussi working in the back called to her.
But she was focused on the wide screen before her. Sunggyu wrapped up his answer, something about an upcoming concert, and then the host asked another.
"Sunggyu, it's been said that you are never seen without a book. Is this true? Do you enjoy reading?"
This jerk can read?, Mina thought darkly to herself. The camera turned to him, and he was smiling charismatically.
"Neh, uh, I don't really like reading too much. But there is one author that I really like, and I carry his book around everywhere."
The other members nodded around him. The host, though, wanted more. "Who is the author?"
"It's the mysterious Ari."
All of a sudden, Mina felt winded, as if someone just punched her in the gut. She stared, wide-eyed, at Sunggyu's smiling face. Had he really said that? Had he really just identified Ari?
Her secret pen name?
He made to continue, but the boy next to him spoke up. She recognized his deep voice as the person she talked to on the phone. "This guy," he said, motioning to the chuckling leader. "He says that when he reads this book, he learns something new in life. It's really weird. I think he's obsessed."
The hosts laughed, and the camera turned to Sunggyu again. "Neh, neh. It's really insightful writing. I hope, in my lifetime, I get to meet this mysterious author. So I can thank him for all he's done for me."
Mina swallowed nervously, completely in shock. The ahjussi came up to her. "Oh, are you interested in this TV?"
She could only look weakly back at him. Then, she stumbled out of the shop. She needed some air to think.
*******
Chapter 3: People
It has been said that everyone on this planet knows something you don't. Be wary placing judgments on people. They may surprise you with where they've been and what they know.
*******
Sunggyu was surfing the Internet. He thought he'd revisit the blog that Ari kept up with. Even though no one knew the true identity of his favorite author, Ari was able to maintain that anonymity online while still posting updates and fresh pieces of insight.
Just as he arrived on the site page, his phone rang.
"Yoboseyo?"
There was a pause on the line. "Sunggyu?"
"Who's this?"
"Um...Mina."
His eyes bugged out. He had been so sure that he'd never see or talk to that girl again, after she stormed out of the dorm. "Mina?! What the... what do you want?"
There was another pause, and then she seemed to explode. "Do you know something about me??" He could hear slight anger in her voice, but it wasn't nearly as biting as before. There was a hint of wariness about it.
"What do you mean?"
"Do you know something about me?!" she repeated.
He frowned. "I don't know what you're talking about."
He listened, as she seemed to gauge whether or not he was telling the truth. Then, she spoke quickly. "Ok. That's all. Thank you." And before he could respond, she hung up.
That was weird, he thought to himself, lowering the phone and continuing his web searching. He scrolled through Ari's front page, and to his delight, he noticed a new post. He took a deep breath and rolled his neck, readying himself once again for Ari's insightful words.
Dreaming
Sometimes, it is a beautiful feeling to escape into our dreams. We can find the love that we lost in real life...
Sunggyu froze. Quickly, he scanned the rest of the post, and then he leaned back in his chair.
These words... I've read them before, he thought to himself. But as he recalled, they weren't typed out. They were handwritten.
On the paper's in Mina's hospital room.
He frowned hard. Was it possible that Mina was this mysterious Ari?
No way!, he argued with himself. Ari is an insightful, profound person, and Mina's a lunatic!
But, he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that, somehow, it could made sense. Why else would she be so secretive about her life? Why else would she have called just now?
After a while of digesting the idea, he smirked to himself. For once, he hoped he would bump into that crazy girl. Maybe then, he could coax some truth out of her.
---
For you readers, the secret is out! Mina is Ari!! And now that you know... let the drama begin >:)
P.S. Are these chapters too long? I could shave them down, or split them up, but I don't know if it's better to have a smaller amount of long chapters, or tons of short chapters. If you could let me know what you prefer in the comments, that'd be uber helpful!!
Stay tuned, my lovely readers! <3
WOOHH I never thought it would ever happen to me, but this story has reached 100 subscribers!! Thanks for the love everybody :) Mina and Sunggyu forever XD
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