Had he came upon her? Had he crossed the living room to get to the kitchen while she was supposedly watching TV? Had he opened and closed the refrigerator door without making any noise? Had he even came from the front door?

She didn't heard of his coming. All that she knew when she came back from cloud 9 was that he was standing there.

He stood in the threshold between the living room and the kitchen. Perhaps he called her several times, but she didn't not hear.

Because his voice was raised when she finally heard him, she was startled.

"Sojung, let's go to the night market," Kris said in a suggesting tone, "we're out of food."

His last sentence was rhetorical though.

He stood there with straight back, a handsome featured face, and crossed arms. In her eyes, he resembled an idol, an idol striking a pose.

Sojung glanced at the clock.

The clock in the wall ticked at fifteen past seven. Sojung shifted her attention back to him.

He came home late today.

"Come on, when is the last time you been outside the house with the exception of going to your classes?" Kris asked with a sense of victory written all over his face. He knew she would give in.

He always had replied so cleverly so she didn't see why she couldnt. With a half hearted smile, she retorted "I go to the bookstore everyday."

Kris breathed with a crooked smile, "Minus the bookstore." His arms uncrossed and he began heading for the front door. "I'll wait for you in the car," Kris announced as if she had told him that she agreed to go.

"It has been so long since we went out together," he added, "it'll be nice."

We.

Together.

Nice.

She heard.

 

"What is this?" She asked surprised.

"It is an open market," Kris remarked. He looked seemingly amused.

"You didnt mention that we're going to an opened market," Sojung told him.

"It's nice isnt it. To be able to breath the fresh air," Kris exaggerated. He closed his eyes and sniffed the air.

Sojung forgot how fun open night market were. She forgot how loud, ongoing and sociable it was. She forgot how sociable she was.

"We need to buy vegetable," Kris told as they walked along the small, crowded path in between the sides of the shops.

"We need carrots and bell peppers," Kris pointed out enthusiastically, "there!"

"You have to bargain," Kris requested behind her.

"Why me?" Sojung pouted. "If Im not mistaking, you were the one who begged me to go here with you."

Kris laughed amusingly, "You're cute and innocent," he praised, "that uncle will sell you with any price if you pout."

Sojung turned her body around facing him, her eyebrows frown, "Are you using me?"

Kris shrugged effortlessly. "No, not at all," he said in a amused and sarcastic tone. Sojung however didn't look very amused.

"Fine," Kris said in suddenly a more serious voice, "I'll bargain, you'll cook for dinner."

"Sojung can't cook," Sojung retorted with a nasty face. Kris could be so cunning when he wanted to. "Fine I'll do the bargain."

While Sojung was turning around she saw a grin came across his face.

"How do I do it?" Sojung asked breathlessly.

"You're Jessica sister, didnt you learn anything good from her?" Kris questioned casually.

"You call this 'good'? It is kind of low and cunning to me," Sojung murmured under her breath. "How do I bargain again?"

"Just smile and look at the uncle with puppy eyes," Kris advised. Sojung realized he was in the left side next to her instead of behind her like before. Sojung pouted heavily.

"Yeah, that's right," Kris nodded satisfyingly, he stared at her pout, "when they don't agree with your given price, just pout."

Sojung rolled her eyes. She took a big breath and let it out. "I guess there is a first time for everything."

Kris stood back in a good distance. He studied her. She pointed at the carrots and she lipped something. The uncle seller lipped something back.

With his hands in the pockets he remembered that he forget to give her money.

She turned around and momentarily he thought she needed money, until he saw the bag of product in her hands.

"The uncle was very nice," Sojung commented with a wide smile. She looked seemingly happy. "He gave me all of these for free."

With a quick laughter, Kris remarked, "Why am I not surprised?"

 

They parked a little far from the central open market. But it was nice, the long stroll under the darkest royal blue sky.

"I cook, you bargain, aren't we a perfect pair? We should go shopping for food more often."

That was an alliteration. An ambiguous alliteration.

Perfect. Pair.

What did he meant by that?

Sojung hated Kris. He tended to send her a wave of ambiguous signals every time she was with him.

Sojung helped Kris put the bags of products into the back truck in silence.

 

It was Kris who spoke up first on the road back home. "I went to a job interview today."

He paused for a long time as if that she almost took it as that was all he wanted to tell her.

But somewhere in the back of her mind was thinking that he wanted her to question him. She wanted to ask him quite a few things regarding his interview but she saw no clear perception in what she really wanted to ask.

So she said nothing.

"How is school? Do you have anyone you like yet?"

He was trying to make small talks with her. .

"Can we not talk about anything," Sojung muttered pleading. She felt stuffy and suffocated.

"You don't like talking in the car?" Kris asked glancing at her and then focused his attention to the dim road.

With a tired voice Sojung replied, "it just that Im right here talking to you and looking at you, but you're looking at the windshield. It meaningless," Sojung said brokenly, "you are not listening."

"But I am." Kris reassured her. “Try me.”

"You can't multitask. That why they say no text and drive at the same time because you can’t. You dont even listen when we talk directly, face to fac-"

"Jessica and I used to quarrel over this often," his voice was solemnity. His eyes twinkled wistfully. Slowly he said, "You're just like Jessica."