RING…! RING…!

Late at night, Nichkhun wasn’t home yet and the house phone was ringing. I was worried and I picked up the phone.

“Hello?”

“This is Jin-Young. Is Mr. Horvejkul home?”

“Mr. Park?”

The phone call was from this man.

“Is Nichkhun back yet?”

“Oh, he hasn’t come back yet.”

“I see.”

“Would you like to leave a message?”

“I haven’t received the report about the groping incident.”

“I see. I will have him call you as soon as he gets home.”

“No, it’s getting late. Please tell him to give us a report tomorrow.”

“Allright.”

I hung up the phone. About the same time, I heard the front door open. Oh, he’s home, Nichkhun entered the living room looking awfully tired.

“I’m home.”

“Welcome back.”

The words naturally flowed out of my mouth. We looked at each other rather embarrassed.

“This seems newlywed-like, doesn’t it?” Nichkhun spoke.

“Yeah…”

“Did you eat already?”

“No. Not yet.”

“What? Really?”

“I waited so I could eat with you.”

“I see.”

“Do you still want the Salisbury steak?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Then I’ll get it ready.”

“….”

“Anything wrong?” I asked.

“No, nothing. I’ll go change.”

Nichkhun headed towards his room, but paused for a moment. He turned towards me smiling.

“Thanks.”

Nichkhun patted my head and walked towards his room. Nichkhun had a sweet gentle smile. Is it because I waited for him to eat dinner? If that was true, it would make me really happy. I started humming as I got the Salisbury steak ready.

 

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“Bon apetit!”

Nichkhun took a bite. I anxiously watched his expression.

“How does it taste?” I asked him.

“It’s delicious.”

“Oh good! I thought it might have been too soft.” 

“No, this is really good.”

Nichkhun ate everything as if he enjoyed the food. It made me feel great seeing him eat like that. It does make you happy when someone says the food you make is delicious. Sheesh, I sound like a real housewife. I smiled to myself. Nichkhun looked at me with a strange look.

“Why are you grinning like that?”

“Was I grinning?”

“Yeah. You were grinning from ear to ear.”

“Stop teasing me! I don’t make faces like that.”

“I bet you’re happy I came home.”

“……..”

“Why are you quiet all of a sudden? You’re supposed to come back with a sharp retort!”

“I know, but…”

I was unable to snipe back at him like usual. I pretended everything was fine and changed the topic.

“Oh, Mr. Park called earlier.”

“What did he say?”

“He says if it’s okay if you can give him a report of the groping incident tomorrow.”

“I see.” Nichkhun just said plainly.

“I feel horrible for that girl. She must have been scared.”

“I guess. She was crying hysterically when I got there.”

“I see.”

I was feeling down thinking about the girl, when Nichkhun grinned at me.

“You’d beat up the ert, I bet.”

“Of course I would. I helped a friend who was d once.”

“You weren’t the one attacked?”

“Yeah. For some reason, I’ve never been targeted… Maybe they could sense who would retaliate.”

“Haha. Probably.”

“Am I too brash?”

“What do you mean?”

“Maybe I’d be more popular with guys if I were meek and reserved.”

“Who cares if you’re not popular with guys.”

“Huh?”

“You’re only gonna marry one guy. There’s no need to be liked by a bunch of them.”

“What if it’s not once?”

“You’re planning to get divorced already?”

“No, what if I don’t even get married once?”

“Haha. There’s a higher probability of that, huh?”

“I can’t find work. I can’t get married. Is there someone out there who needs me!?”

“Is that a rhetorical question?”

“Those are my true feelings.”

“When that happens… “

“What?” here’s comes he’s smart- talk back.

“I’ll marry you.”

“No thank you!”

“Duh! You better not take that seriously. Buy hey, how dare you reject my offer!”

“Well, if I don’t have any other choices, maybe I’ll come here.”

“What’s this… what will people think?”

Nichkhun looked appalled. 

“Like I told that guy at the market… I’m the only one who can handle you. If you’re release out there, you’ll cause all sorts of havoc!”

“Am I a dangerous animal!?”

“Then I’m an animal trainer. I must be the best animal trainer in the world!”

Nichkhun laughed happily. When I saw him laugh like that, it warmed my heart.  Maybe because I was home alone. Being able to eat dinner together while laughing makes me ‘happy’?  No, this is a fake marriage, this is a make-believe life. But I don’t know how else to describe this feeling. I surprised myself with my own thoughts. Nichkhun didn’t know what I was thinking and asked,

“So, did you stop by Taec’s bar?”

“Yes, I did. Junho and Chansung were there.”

The subject changed and we went back to our usual conversation. Being confused over my sudden change of heart, I continued to eat dinner with Nichkhun.

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“Wow, it’s so late.” Nichkhun said as we finished eating dinner.

“I’ll wash these dishes quickly.” I said.

“No. I’ll help too.”

After dinner, we cleared the table together. I went to the sink to wash the dishes.

“Oh, wait a sec.” Nichkhun said suddenly. “I don’t want your clothes to get wet.”

Nichkhun handed me an apron. I thought he only had one, but he had a pink and a blue apron. Nichkhun wore the blue apron on himself.

“They’re matching.” I said looking at the aprons.

“I had them around the house.”

“But it looks new.”

“Huh?”

“Ahhh…”

I looked at the sash of the apron and saw a price tag.

“Did you go out and buy them?”

“No… Of course not!”

“But…”

“Shut up and just put it on.”

“Ack!”

Nichkhun opened up the apron and tossed it over my head.

“Turn around.”

He said and twirled my body around and tied the apron on my back. My heart fluttered hearing the swooshing of the sash and every time his fingers brushed against my back. No one’s done something like this before. I wonder what kind of expression Nichkhun has right now.

“There.”

We looked at each other. Because we were wearing matching aprons, it made me blush a little.

“We have to look like a married couple, right?” he said to me.

“Right…”

“Hey…”

“Yeah?”

“You’re finally opening up to me, aren’t you? I’m glad.”

He said it so earnestly, it embarrassed me. So I responded,

“Because we’re married, right?”

“See, you’re finally getting into it.”

“It’s not hard when we’re wearing matching aprons!”

“Then it was well worth it.”

Nichkhun snickered. we washed the dishes side by side wearing matching aprons.

“Did you wash those already?”

“Oh, not yet.”

“Give them to me. I’ll wash them.”

Nichkhun took the dishes from my hands. He got us aprons, and he helped wash the dishes. These simple acts of kindness made me happy.

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Next morning, we had our usual rice and bread breakfast.

“Man, what a pain. It’d be easier if we ate the same breakfast.” Nichkhun started while he eats his sunny-side-up.

“I told you I’ll eat what you’re having.”

“It’s okay. Just shut up and eat.”

Nichkhun complained, but continued making two types of breakfast each morning.

“You’re croissant looks delicious.”

“It is! It’s crunchy but fluffy on the inside.”

“Let me have a bite.”

“Hey!”

Nichkhun grabbed my hand and bit into the croissant I was holding.

“You ate it! You ate my bread!”

“You make it sound like it’s the end of the world. I only took one bite.”

But I already bit into it! And I was going to eat where Nichkhun bit into. It was like an indirect kiss. I guess we’re adults so an indirect kiss shouldn’t be a big deal. But Nichkhun does these unexpected things sometimes.

“I’m gonna head out.”

Nichkhun finished first and gathered his plates to clean up.

“I can wash them together, so leave them here.”

“You sure? Thanks.”

Nichkhun got ready to leave for work. He makes breakfast, so the least I could do is clean up.

“I’m leaving.”

“Have a good day.”

Nichkhun left the apartment as usual. What should I do after breakfast? I’ll wash dishes and… Oh, the weather is good, so I should air dry the comforters today. I took the comforters from the bedroom to the balcony.

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“Here we go.”

I hung the comforters from the clothesline. I looked down and saw Nichkhun walking outside down below.

“Oh.”

I waved a little. Nichkhun waved back. Wow, that was really newlywed-like. I think we’re starting to act more like newlyweds every day. And we weren’t even in from of the co-CEO. We naturally waved to each other.

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“Whew, I’ve finished a lot of chores today. I have nothing else to do. Maybe I should go visit Uncle’s bar.”

I got ready to go out and header to Uncle’s bar.

 

 

“Hello!”

“Oh. Hey, Victoria.”

I arrived at Long Island. Because it was lunchtime, there were no other customers.

“You don’t serve lunch here Uncle Taec?”

“I do when I feel like it. Well, I can get more work done when no one’s here.”

Whenever business was slow at the bar, Uncle used his laptop and cellphone to get his work done.

“I go to the office whenever there’s an important negotiation or meeting. Other than that, as long as I have an internet connection, I can work anywhere.”

“Uncle, you’re amazing. I want to be able to work like you.”

“I’m sure you’ll be able to soon. Want anything to drink?”

“Sure. Can I have ginger ale?”

“All right.”

Uncle put a glass of ginger ale in front of me. He peered closely at my face.

“Did something good happen?”

“Huh?”

“You look like you’re bursting to tell me something.”

“Really?”

“Tell me anything! I’ll listen.”

“Well…”

I told Uncle what happened this morning.

“Even though we’re a fake couple, we’re starting to act like we’re married.”

 “Well, your situation isn’t any different from a normal couple. The only difference is your emotions.”

“If we continue to live together, I wonder what will happen to us?”

“You want me to take a look?”

“Huh?”

“I can see your future by fortune-telling!”

Uncle pulled out various fortune-telling objects from under the counter. Tarot cards, crystal balls, a strange mirror that I wasn’t sure what it was used for.

“They sell mirrors like this?”

“I bought them all online. I went overboard with my hobby. The one I’m into right now is tarot cards.”

Uncle Taec sure has weird hobbies.

“Let’s see your future.”

Uncle lined up the cards. After flipping over the cards and shuffling them around the table, he frowned.

“Hmm, this is…”

“Is something wrong Uncle?”

“A storm is brewing tonight.”

“A storm?”

“A big storm at that. Something that will cause turmoil to both of your lives.”

“What should I do?”

“I don’t know?”

“What!?”

“I don’t know that far. I only know that you will be encountering a storm.”

“…….”

I didn’t know what the storm could be. But all we knew was something was going to happen.

“Then… I’ll go home and prepare for the storm.”

“Good luck. Don’t let it blow you away.”

I swiftly headed home.

 

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“I’ve been holed up at home all this time, but nothing’s happened!”

That evening, I was preparing dinner as I braced for something to happen.

“I guess fortunes don’t come true. I’m gonna have to confront Uncle about this.”

RING……! RING……!

“!”

The house phone rang. If it was Nichkhun, he would call my cellphone. Which meant… Mr. Park? I wonder if something happened again. I nervously answered the phone.

“Hello, this is the Horvejkul residence.”

“You’re Victoria, right?” a voice I couldn’t recognize said on the other line.

“Who is this?”

The voice on the other side wasn’t that of a man, but of a girl and she knew my name.

“This is Krystal. Krystal Jung.”

“Krystal…”

“We met at the office. Don’t you remember?”

“Oh…”

The girl who was waiting for me at the rear gate, the one who yelled, ‘I don’t believe you two are married!’ and stormed off.

“Do you remember now?”

“My husband isn’t home right now. Would you like to leave a message?”

“I didn’t call for Nichkhun. I wanted to talk to you.”

 “Me?”

“You’re not really his wife, are you?”

“Huh?”

“I know you guys are faking your marriage.”

“…!”

I was speechless, but she continued talking.

“Have you seen Nichkhun’s back before?”

“Huh?”

“Do you know where the mole on his back is located?”

Why is this girl bringing this up all of a sudden!?

“You don’t know, right? Of course not. You’re really not married.”

“…….” What is she talking about!?

“But I know. To the left of his spine, next to his shoulder blade. I hope you understand my relationship with Nichkhun.”

“…….”

“He came for me immediately when I was d and he held me gently.”

She’s the one who was d…

“Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t make up being d. I’m not lying like you guys. Anyway, don’t get in our way. I want you to break it off with him. Or I’m going to tell everyone your marriage is a lie.”

“…….”

BEEP…. BEEP….

Krystal hung up on me. I stood there speechless holding the receiver. Nichkhun and this girl!? It can’t be true! Nichkhun wouldn’t get involved with an intern.

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“I’m home.”

Nichkhun came home from work. He greeted both me and the Roomba as usual.

“What’s dinner for tonight?”

“Broiled meat and potatoes.”

“Oh, great! That’s my favorite! I’m gonna go change.”

Nichkhun disappeared into his room. I headed towards the kitchen when I stopped short. I wonder if I should ask Nichkhun about Krystal. He wouldn’t want to talk about it over dinner. I followed Nichkhun’s footsteps towards his room.

KNOCK. KNOCK.

“Hey, Nichkhun.”

I opened the door to Nichkhun’s room. Nichkhun had his back turned towards the door, changing his clothes.

“Hey, are you a peeping tom or did you come to seduce me?”

“…”

“Pouty?”

Nichkhun’s back…

Do you know where the mole on his back is located? To the left of his spine, next to his shoulder blade.

“What’s up? Are you admiring my back?”

Nichkhun teased me as he turned his back towards me. To the left of his spine, next to his shoulder blade… was a mole.

 

 

 

 

 

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Sorry to keep you guys waiting, life caught up on me these past few days.

No worries though, this story is still going to be more interesting. Patience my friends! ☻☻

Thank you for still reading ke ke ♥