Two ice creams please." Junhee exclaimed at the old man behind the counter. The old man eyed her before jumping to his seat. He tried to talk for a few times while Zelo looked at him with a confused expression.
Junhee laughed and started making strange hand signals as the old man nodded and signaled back. Zelo watched her face and smiled a little.Junhee turned to him and blinked. "What flavor do you want?"
"Tomato."
Junhee's eye twitched. But nonetheless signaled back to the old man. "I guess you don't have to bother me after this?"
"I'm Zelo." he said suddenly, picking out his readied ice cream. He looked at Junhee and sighed. "I don't like chocolates." But Junhee ignored him and picked up her ice cream. "I want that one."
"Then you should've ordered one." she replied. "Junhee." she muttered, cringing as she bit the ice cream.
Zelo nodded. "I still want that flavor."
"Go get one." Junhee said in irritation. Zelo nodded once more before he leaned closer to her. He stared at her eyes and smirked, he leaned closer, only inches separating their faces, Junhee gulped and tied to talk but she could only gasp after what Zelo did.
He smiled and bit her ice cream once more. He looked at her and laughed. "Look at your face, Junnie."
"Junnie, you only knew my name for a minute. Don't act as if you really know me." she laughed, then it hit her. Stop talking to me as if you know me She gulped and stood up to pay for the ice cream and left running.
Zelo stood up and watched her leave. Did he do something wrong? Was it too much? The old man behind him rang the bell twice and caught his attention. He stood up and bowed at the old man. "Ah, excuse me, but what did you talk about? You and Junhee?" he asked.
The old man smiled and scrambled on a paper. He handed it to Zelo and read: I asked if her father is okay.
Zelo tilted his head, and took a deep breath. "Wae? What happened to his father?" The old man scrambled once more: Comatose.
"Ah, thank you very much."
Morning came and Junhee dragged herself out of bed, placing her palm on her head, she brushed her teeth and walked out of her room. Seeing that the coast was clear, she tip-toed as she descended on the kitchen.
"Junnie-ah?" a soft voice called, she cringed at that sound but nevertheless faked a smile in front f her broken mother. "Are you going to visit your father?"
Junhee bit her lip and shook her head. "I'm going to work." she replied shortly, refusing to look at her mother who is now stumbling her way to her whilst she drown herself on a wine bottle.
"You have to earn or your father's going to be bed ridden in this house and he won't survive!" her mother exclaimed gleefully. Junhee grunted in frustration and ran her fingers on her hair.
"What about you? You left work to take care of him but you do nothing but drink!" she exclaimed before slamming the door shut behind her.
She didn't stop to look around for she was too busy wiping her tears away from her eyes. They kept on falling and falling as if she has no control over her own body. She rang on Youngjae's house and entered, signing in for her work, bowing 90 degrees as she passed on anyone. Then she sighed before opening the door to his room, face him with a smile, be professional, she told herself.
"Annyeo--" she trailed off when gravity got the best of her. She slumped on the floor with a loud thud and pain shot through her back. Groaning, she pulled herself up and looked for signs of a missing Youngjae when she heard a stifled laugh. Her head snapped to it's direction.
"You tripped, didn't you?" Youngjae said cheekily, grasping the furnitures to be able to walk to her. Junhee walked over to him cautiously and grabbed his hand to guide him. Naturally, he would grab his hand back and snap at her but he didn't. Instead, he looked at her with glossy eyes and smiled. "I always wonder what you look like."
Junhee smiled a little at his words. She thought about asking him about his sudden change of tone or attitude or way of life or something that's been with him before but gone now, but she bit her tongue and kept herself quiet.
"Omo, are you okay? Why did you trip?" he asked in full concern though he's looking past through her. Junhee wondered what it felt like, being curious, but not being able to see it.
"I tripped over...." she trailed off.
Youngjae tilted his head. "Over?"
"My own feet?" she suggested before walking back to her original place to pick up her things, pencils, papers and a lot of useless stuff she drags around for her entertainment. She stood up and walked to pick up the small piece of yellow paper. She remembered writing the date of her first day in this job and as of this day, it's been 4 months. She went to Youngjae's house every after school to work and like she's doing now, she continues to work for winter and summer breaks.
"Y-yah. Are you alive? Why are you not talking?" Youngjae whined behind her, looking around as if he's looking for her.
She looked at him and smiled before putting the papers in front of him. "Aish, just because you're being happy like this mean you're not going to take the exam, Yoo Youngjae. Now less talking and start working."
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