Episode 18: Calm before the storm -1-

 

“I have a question for you” I tried to sound cool, and prevent her from sensing my anxiety.

 

“What?” she retorted

 

“Why… did you follow after me?”

 

She blinked then started to scratch the back of her head:

 

“Wait… after all of this…” she hummed in wonder “Hmm… seriously I forgot!”

 

“What?” now for Goodness’ sake… “Hey! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

 

“Huh? Me?” she asked in denial “Aren’t you the one who almost made my heart stop earlier?!” she got worked up.

 

“Wha...?”

 

“To tell you the truth…”

 

She turned and started to walk backward “I…” she dropped her head and started to fidget “Please! Don’t ever startle me like you did earlier!!”

 

“Startle you?” I was caught in bewilderment.

 

She nodded.

 

Did she possibly mean that… *I recalled the kiss*.

 

“Wait.” I stopped dead in my track. “Then did you cry… because I kissed you?”

 

I clenched my fists, realizing how important her answer could be for me.

 

“E-EH?” she jerked as she stopped walking and looked at me.

 

“If so… then I promise you that” I put my palm on my chest.

 

“W-What are you talking about?” she snorted “If that was the case, I would’ve immediately beat the out of you and made you kneel before me and apologize”

 

I tilted my head and she folded her arms and shrugged.

 

“Seriously now, sometimes I think your brain stops working or something like that…I mean, if I wanted to, I would’ve even hit you right now since you’re in a state like this” she laughed.

 

I stared at her in distrust, how can she have such an odd way of thinking?

 

“So stop feeling sorry at yourself” she carried on walking.

 

Is she really saying the truth, or is this just an act to make me feel better?

 

“But despite it all…thank you” she muttered.

 

I blinked.

 

Thank you?

 

Why is she thanking me?

 

I was lost in my thoughts but then my phone rang and pulled me back to reality.

 

I looked at the caller ID, immediately stiffened:

 

“Yes sir?”

 

‘You thoughtless fool!’ I jerked, never in my whole life that my father sounded this mad.

 

‘Come to my office, quickly!’

 

“Y-Yes, right away” I hung up, looking around, I saw no trace of Jin.

 

I wonder what happened for him to call me like this.

________________________________

 

(Her POV)

 

“We’re here” I glanced back, but somehow, Jin wasn’t nowhere to be found.

 

Huh? When did he…? Then was I talking to myself all this time?

 

I facepalmed.

 

Oh… how embarrassing would it be if anyone actually saw me like that!

 

I went inside the room, quickly hurried to take a warm shower in order not to catch a cold.

 

***

 

I looked at my reflection on the mirror, my hair was messed and then my eyes went to look at my neck, to remember Minho’s kiss.

 

“Agh!” I gripped my head in frustration “How can I be kissed twice in the same day… and…” my lips felt hot. “Ahhh!” I jumped around, blushing so hard.

 

I need to sort out my feelings so I can make it to graduation year without losing my sanity…

 

I wrapped the towel around my wet body.

 

“Huuh” I sighed.

 

How can I be stupid and forget that I didn’t have so many clothes to change into. Although Mr. Shin told me that I needed to go shopping…

 

I opened my closet, to stare wide-eyed:

 

“H-Huh?! What the…?” I gaped “My clothes?!”

 

I looked through the garments I found there, and which were definitely not mine. I pulled all of them out, but found nothing that looked like my own:

 

“Ah!! How is this possible?!” I squatted on the ground and started to look again, but all of them were… so pink and feminine!

 

“This is driving me crazier!” I stood up and started to turn around “What will I do? I can’t wear these!”

 

I heard the doorbell just then.

 

“Oh ! Why now of all times?!”

 

I glanced left and right,

 

Wait, I can ignore it, why should I answer it?

What a genius.

Haha right! Finally you…

 

“OH! IT’S OPENED”

 

I stumbled, hearing the voice of that person, cold sweat started to roll down my forehead.

 

“W-Wait! How could they enter someone else’s room like that?”

 

I was freaking out,

 

“Hello? Jin are you in here?”

 

I quickly shut the room’s door close, but something solid hindered it and stopped it from closing:

 

“Jin?”

 

I made sure I was completely hidden behind the door’s frame, because if Minho was going to see me like this, I might just die!

 

“Hey, is that you?” he was pushing the door and I did the same thing.

 

What should I do? What should I do?

 

“Wait… maybe it’s not Jin!” he suddenly yelled. “Since the door was unlocked it could mean that…”

 

“W-Wait! It’s really me!” I had no other choice.

 

“Jin?” he stopped pushing and that relieved me so I closed the door and locked it.

 

I exhaled in relief.

 

“But wait, why didn’t you answer the door?” he asked.

 

“I-It’s just that…” I rolled my eyes around “Hehe…I,”

 

“Hey, did Hyun Jin do something to you?!” his tone suddenly changed as he banged on the door with his fist.

 

“N-No!” I retorted “I’m ok, I’m just… cha…changing!”

 

There, I said it! Are you happy now?

 

I swear, I was dying from embarrassment.

 

“O-Oh… is that so?” his voice trailed “S-Sorry”

 

I hurried toward the closet, picked up some pieces of clothing.

 

“I’m really sorry! I didn’t know!” he repeated with a slightly louder voice.

 

No, I just can’t dress like this…

 

“Y-You shouldn’t have left your door open!” he clicked his tongue.

 

Wait, how can I forget about…

 

I looked at Jin’s closet.

 

He said it himself, it’s a boyfriend’s duty to help his girlfriend.

 

“Hey, are you listening?”

 

I put my hands on the handles but then I recalled how scary Jin looked when he asked me not to touch his things.

 

“This is an emergency right?” I gulped. “So he shouldn’t be that angry…”

 

I opened the closet, getting myself ready to see his fluffy plushies and promised myself that I won’t laugh no matter what.

 

 But the first thing I saw was a paper that said: ‘Didn’t I tell you not to touch my things?’

 

I backed off, that really scared me.

 

No, no, he must’ve put it there before we became this close and then forgot about it!

 

I approached the closet again carefully, and then I looked inside.

 

“Wow, I’m really surprised that he managed to get rid of his embarrassing toys”

 

I really wished I could find a thing or two so I would use it to but well…

 

I picked a white blouse that he never seemed to wear, and then looked for pants.

 

Still, who could’ve had the guts to switch my things like that?

 

I put on the blouse but then the pants… and no matter how hard I tried to keep them on, they were too large for me.

 

Argh! How annoying! And to think that Jin was fit!

 

I threw the pants aside and decided to look for some pants among the clothes I now had.

 

***

 

“As expected… whoever did this, he must be some kind of ert” I couldn’t find a single piece of trousers, only skirts and mini-shorts.

 

How am I supposed to put these on?!

 

I glanced at the clock.

 

“Oh it’s already 5” I just remembered about Minho who came earlier.

 

He should’ve left by now right? It’s already been an hour.

 

In that case, I’ll just wear anything and start to clean up.

 

***

 

“Phew” I wiped my forehead as I left the room.

 

I’ll go and prepare something for dinner…

 

But just as I entered the living room area, I saw Minho sitting on the floor with a sandwich in his mouth, headphones on his head and a sheet of paper in his hand.

 

I gasped as I quickly covered my mouth and he glanced my way, to wear a shocked expression.

 

“J-Jin you…” he got up but I hurried to hide behind a sofa and kneel down, I was completely taken aback because I forgot that he was there!

 

“P-Pretend you saw nothing!!” I waved my hands in the air shaking my head. “A-And stay right there! Don’t come any closer!! P-Please!”

 

However, his eyes kept following my moves and he never blinked, I got very anxious.

 

Ah! What an idiot! How can I just forget…?

 

“But why are you this upset?” he suddenly laughed “I mean, I never imagined that you had a good fashion sense” he held his sides and nodded at me.

 

“W-What?” I slowly got up to my feet. Then looked down at the pink short that I wore together with Jin’s white blouse.

 

“Whoa.. you really look like a model” he clapped his hands and laughed, still astonished.

 

“M-Model?”

 

Wait, is he making fun of me? He can’t be serious now can he?

 

“Hey, Park Min ho!” I yelled at him “There’s no need for you to lie about it!”

 

I walked over at him and punched his arm “And how could you just get in someone else’s room like that? Are you that shameless?” I kept bumping his arm and he shook and laughed like a retard.

 

“Oh hahaha, you’re so funny!”

 

“Why are you laughing?! Ah! How annoying!” I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

 

“It’s the first time you call my full name by the way!” he pointed out his index finger and nodded, still grinning. “It’s just so cute!”

 

I backed off, just in case because he didn’t seem to be in his right mind. He kept talking:

 

“… Wow, I never imagined that our Jin would come out this pretty, you know? If only you could get some makeup and your hair done… I wonder how-“

 

But I quickly threw the cushion over at him, and it hit him in the face:

 

“D-Don’t just start saying weird because I’m not talking back!”

 

“Oh my, but still, your way of talking is really…” he gripped the back of his neck and sighed.

 

“I’m not waiting for you to judge me! Just put up with it or go home!"

 

"Fine, fine, I give up" he raised his palms in defeat apparently.

 

"Anyway... ahem" I cleared my throat "W-What brought you here?" I folded my arms, looking at him in suspicion.

 

“Ah! Now I remember!” he plopped down on the sofa with the cushion in his embrace, “We need to start the project together"

 

****To be continued.