Chapter 5

 I closed my eyes to rest, feeling safe on Myungsoo’s back. My tears slowed down as I listened to my brother’s calming hum as he walked home.

“Myungsoo.” I murmured.

“Mm.” He replied in response.

“How did you know what was going to happen?” I asked as I kept my eyes closed.

 “I overheard Chunji’s fan girls.” He admitted. It was quiet for a while as the air surrounding us was peaceful.

“Gomawo.” I thanked and drifted off into sleep.

***

“Oh honey!” Umma expressed as soon as I opened my eyes. I sat up in bed and received a hug from my Umma.

“I’m so sorry. Myungsoo told us what happened. He stayed up all night to watch over you.” She stated, as she gestured to him who sat sleeping soundly on my desk chair.

“You are so lucky your brother came on time before they took away your innocence. Your safe now, the culprits were caught.” She sobbed as she caressed my cheek. She kissed my forehead before exiting the room with Appa who stood by the door.  

I exhaled deeply and turned out of bed looking at my calendar. It was the weekend which meant that today I planned on going out to a fair with my minions. I stood up and slowly walked over to Myungsoo.

I bent over with my hands on my knees as I examined his features. My hands started to sweat and my heart and body started to tingle.  It’s unhealthy to feel this way about him. Stop it, you don’t love him. This is just a phase that will naturally pass by. I told myself.

He stirred in his sleep and I nervously looked away and stood up straight. I was frightened when in an instant; he bolted up and clasped my shoulders with his hands.

“Jinah. How are you feeling this morning?” He worriedly asked. I was taken aback with the amount of concern he was showing for me.

“I’m fine guess.” I replied with no emotion. A relieved smile spread on his face before he brought me to his chest and tightly wrapped his arms around me.

“Thank God. I had been stressing that you’d - ” He started before he stopped himself. He retreated from me and cleared his throat nervously as he began stuttering.

“Th-that you’d uh . . . um . . . Would you like something to drink?” He suddenly asked changing the subject. Things just got a little awkward.

“No its okay.” I replied before he awkwardly left my room. I huffed, sitting down on my bed. It’s just a phase, it’s just a phase. I reminded myself as I tried to calm my insides down.  

“Jinah, your friends are here.” Appa called from down stairs. I ran out telling them to wait while I was getting ready.

I ran down the stairs slinging my bag over my shoulder.

“Jinah where are you going?” Umma asked concerned. I ran up to her and kissed her cheek.

“Umma, I’ll be fine. What’s happened is in the past. I don’t want it to spoil my day. See you!” I said as I followed my friends out.  

The fair was like a mini version of Lotte world except it had a lot more stores. I had fun taking pictures, going on rides, participating in games, etc… At least it took my mind off my step-peasant, that is, until Hyorin dared me to go into a certain purple tent.

“What is it?” I asked curiously as I eyed the tent suspiciously.

“Some future lady I think. Just go.” She said as she nudged me foreword. 

I sighed and went in taking a seat on the pillow below me. I faced an aged woman who judged me with her eyes. I was surprised to see that she wasn’t dressed in fancy purple clothes with dangly gold jewelry. She wasn’t a gypsy, she looked like your everyday ajumma

I politely greeted and she did the same before she begun talking.

“I see you’re a very beautiful girl with a hard head on her.” She spoke slowly as if she was repeating the words off another person.

I didn’t reply and just unsurely looked back at her.

“Ease yourself. Right well let’s start.  .  . Right . . . okay . . . oh? . . . I sense a male cousin or possibly a sibling, which you are related to through marriage.” She said her words detached and slow.

“Is this correct?” She asked. I nodded in response freaking out how she knew.  

“Ah right, it’s clear now, a sibling. You see there was a reason for you two to cross paths. It was in your fate to meet him.”

I gulped afraid to hear what she would say next.

“There’s no point in hating someone you love.” She advised sternly.  

“I don’t love him.” I instantly responded.

“You can’t lie to me I know you do. “ She raised her voice.

“It’s just a phase.” I commented, my heart beating nervously in my chest. She chuckled and shook her head.

“No it’s not. The love you have is everlasting, it’s eternal. You can’t and you won’t escape from it.” 

I furrowed in my eyebrows and angrily stood up.

“You don’t know me it’s not like that. I can choose who I love and I don’t love him.” I argued back.

“He’s in your destiny. There’s a strong fate tying you together, that even now you can’t break free from it. You can’t run away.” She said standing up to meet my eyes.

I furiously shook my head as my forehead creased.

“But, but. It’s not possible we’re siblings. It’s wrong, it’s unhealthy.” I pointed out confused.  

“And so it may be, but that doesn’t change the fact of the matter.” She stressed. I thought about what she told me and shook my head.

“I think this is rubbish. There’s no point in telling me that there is this magical fate that ties us together; after all I’ve put him through, he hates me.” I argued.

“Do you know that, or do you just assume that? Do you really know how he feels?” She asked rhetorically.  Well it made perfect sense to me that he would hate me.

 “I’ve heard enough… thank you for your time.” I said before I stormed out biting my fingernails.

“So how was it?” My minions nudged me.

“She’s nuts.”

***

“Oh Jinah your back.” Umma said between bites. I pecked her cheek and joined the family for dinner.

“So how was it?” Appa asked.

“Yeah it was good.” I replied as I served myself. I naturally looked up, only to see Myungsoo glance away.

I paused for a second before putting the food in my rice bowel. I remembered what the lady told me and thought to myself.

It’s not true. I convinced before stuffing a lot of rice in my mouth. 

Because I had returned late, everyone had finished their dinner so I was left by myself at the table. I wasn’t entirely alone though, Myungsoo was washing the dishes.  

The air around us was awkward and I couldn’t take it anymore so I decided to brighten up the atmosphere.

“So, you must like how you look now right?” I asked attempting to smile brightly.

“Do you?” He asked in return. I set down my chopsticks in my bowel when I remembered what I had heard him say that night. “Why can’t you see that I’m doing this for you?” His words replayed in my mind.

“I suppose . . . Myungsoo, why did you want to change your looks?” I asked. I heard the tap stop running so I turned in my seat to see him staring into the sink.

“I’ve already told you. I didn’t want be picked on by you.” He said.

“You mean by the three of us.” I absentmindedly corrected. Silence followed after and I squinted my eyes with curiosity. I had already finished dinner so I took my bowel up to the sink and stood beside him

“You mean that you didn’t want to be picked on . . . specifically by me?” I asked slowly. I saw his jaw twitch and he glanced nervously at me before looking away. I noticed him being uneasy and I was a little taken aback.

“Why?” I asked searching his face with my eyes. He wet his bottom lip and continued to run the tap.

“Myungsoo answer me.” I pleaded as I gripped his shoulder. He continued to scrub the pan.

“I was in pain.” He confessed in barely a whisper. My eyes widened and my mouth slightly opened. I slowly took back my hand looking from side to side confusedly with my eyes.

“W-why? How?” I asked trying to figure him out.  

“It doesn’t matter.” He said blandly, avoiding to look at me. I wanted to know the reason so much I didn’t want to be left confused.  

“You said you were in pain, of course it matters. Show me where you were it hurt, I’ll help you.” I eagerly offered. He sighed and shook his head.

“You can’t.” He replied harshly. I shook his shoulder whining for him to tell me. As soon as he bitterly shrugged me off I could tell that I had made him ticked off.

“Do you really want to know what it’s like to fall in love and the only thing you get in return is hate? Do know what it feels like to want something so bad but you can’t have it? So you stay in the corner in pain wanting to push that person off of a cliff, only to save her because you love her to the point where you fear you’ll lose your sanity? DO YOU?!” He yelled as tears formed in his eyes.  

I wanted to yell back that I understood but I couldn’t because no words could come out of my mouth. He sighed and turned back around to finish scrubbing the pan.  My mind was still processing what he said.

Possibly, just possibly, was that person he was talking about me? If it is everything from before just adds up. I looked at him with watery eyes, a lump forming in my throat.

He passed me the pot and I took the handle, our hands brushing past another. I thought he would retreat his hand but he did the opposite.

He slowly covered my hand with his, my body shaking with nerves under his soft fingertips.

“Saranghae.” He whispered I was frozen when he said he loved me. This was so much to take under. I thought he hated me. Then that lady at the fair . . . she was right?

I nervously took back my hand.  “It’s not right.” I replied in barely a whisper as a tear slid down my cheek.  

“Then I don’t want to be right if loving you is wrong.”

I hope you enjoyed the update! Its at a crucial moment that is the foundation of the aftermath! What will it be, you will see (Oh my gosh please excuse my cheesyness -_-=)