I managed to prevent the World War Z from happening by dragging Joon Hyun away from Min Joon. Yet, I wasn’t that lucky as somehow I ended up on the bad side (again) of Sora unnie, who finds it humorous for her own entertainment. I got held an hour later after my shift ends (again), and I kept on being picked on by Sora unnie who was on her bullying spree today – all thanks to me being slightly late to my workstation earlier. However, somehow today, I don’t feel burden by the bullying at all. Maybe I’m just happy that I have Joon Hyun by my side every waking minute; and the extra hour of overtime is finally up.

Joon Hyun leans his body back against the counter and look at me casually. “Time to head home?” I nod. “Finally!” I answer. He smiles warmly and straightens his body back on his feet. “Then let’s go. Do you wanna grab your dinner on the way home?” he asks.

I purse my lips to think this through. If I’m gonna eat out with him, I would practically be eating by myself alone at the table, and that is not a happy sight for myself. If I order a takeaway, then it would be a hassle just to wait in line to buy my food and bring them home to find them cold. All in all, cooking and eating at my own home is the best answer to his question. So, I guess it’s a no.

“That settles then.” Joon Hyun’s voice breaks my trail of thoughts. “We are eating out!”

“MWO? Did you misread my mind or something? I clearly said no.”

“What? Only because you hate being seeing forever alone doesn’t mean I have to be cooped up in the house with you.” He gives the signature smirk and walks away. Bastard.

- - - - -

 

After following Joon Hyun by dragging my two heavy feet for half an hour, I found ourselves standing right outside a bibimbap restaurant. From outside the restaurant, I can already see how popular this restaurant is. I look at Joon Hyun with sad puppy eyes signaling “I wanna go home”. He glances at me over his shoulder, and he chuckles.

“Yah. This is probably the best spot for us to dine out: lots of people, loud atmosphere. So basically no one will give a damn about you being alone in there. Trust me.” He grins cockily before he enters the restaurant through the closed door.

Easy for you to say. No one sees you, but I can! What are we gonna do at the table? Silently throw each other stink eyes while I alone eat all the food?! I groan then slowly dragging my 10kg feet into the restaurant.

As I entered the premise, the noises each table makes in the restaurant greet me in the most unpleasant way (for me) possible. Everyone is chatting merrily to their partners and friends, and the sound of spoons and chopsticks clashing just add up the noise pollution within the small restaurant space. To be very honest, I don’t do well with crowds and noise, and the combo could actually kill me (and I’m not even making things up).

I close my eyes in order to gain my composure back. Once composed, I extend my neck to look for my imaginary partner around the busy premise; and not surprising, he is sitting at an empty table surrounded by other occupied tables. I grit my teeth tightly as I learn the reality that is laid before me. You’re the one who wants to test the water badly. Nappeun namja!

I quickly make my way to the empty seat opposite to Joon Hyun’s and I stare dagger at him for dragging me into this mess. Yet, he smiles happily back at me, as if there are no problems in the world at the moment. I wonder if I created you just to piss me off myself. If so, I need some good therapy.

“Stop speaking thru your mind. Just speak out loud. No one will notice,” he makes his remark.

I frown and take a good look around our table – he is actually telling the truth. Everyone is so engrossed with their own companies that they don’t even take a look at their neighboring tables.

“So, you’re trying to say that you’ve picked the best spot in the house? Is that it?”

He smiles and bows his head slight. “You are very welcome Gaeul agassi. So you were asking?”

“Nothing.” I glance around the restaurant again, and suddenly I feel a pang on my face, metaphorically. Everyone here is with someone, and here I am with my imaginary friend. That’s the main reason why I avoid eating out. The only reason that keeps me homebound no matter how big my craving is. Being alone in the big city is much more excruciating compared to my own hometown. My head gets lower till I can actually feel my chin on my chest.

“Yah. Geumanhae.” I tilt my head up to see Joon Hyun staring at me with an annoyed face.

“…waeyo?”

“You’re gonna get depressed all over aren’t you? As if I don’t know what’s on your mind.” He scoffs.

I lower my head again. Silence befalls between us.

He clicks his tongue and leans in towards me just so that I concentrate only at him at the moment (I think). “Listen here Gaeul-ah. Just because you’re with me right now doesn’t mean your life . Those people around us right now do have their own lonely time, just like you. So, stop believing yourself that you have a very sad life than the rest of them.” He nods and watches the smoking hot food on the neighboring table. After giving my order to the ahjumma, I turn to stare at Joon Hyun until he realizes this pair of eyes that are glued to him.

“What is it?” he casually asks; and that takes me by surprise till I knock over a few of the cutleries onto the floor. I quickly pick up the cutleries off the floor and apologize to those who are disturbed by the sudden noise.

“Please don’t do that again. Don’t suddenly speak up,” I whine under my breath, while Joon Hyun keep on looking without much expression, “That was embarrassing!” I quickly bring my head down to hide my flushed face.

“Mwo? You were the one who kept on staring at me.” He scoffs before he chuckles teasingly. “I know that I look like your favorite idol, but you don’t have to gawk at me like that. Even I will blush.” He turns to me with his cheeks cup in his hands. This bastard is teasing me real good now. Nappeun num!

All of a sudden, Joon Hyun bursts out laughing which sends me startled upon seeing his reaction. “What are you laughing about you jerk?” I frown angrily with both my arms folded across my chest, and that makes his laughter grows louder. It was really a peculiar sight to watch: someone’s laughing his off and yet no one hears him.

His laughter takes awhile to die down before he could begin speaking again. “Do you realize that you swear a lot more when you are with me?”

“That is because you are a jerk. Everyone who talks to you would be as mad as I am.” I exhale angrily to show my protest.

He chuckles as he shakes his head. “Doesn’t that alone answer your question for me?” Joon Hyun is now looking at me in the eyes with that warm smile of his. My question…?

“Weren’t you about to ask me why I can easily lose my cool within a short period of time?”

“So?” I ask back since I am still clueless in what he is trying to say here.

He lets out a small chuckle and the smile on his face grows bigger. “Don’t you see? You only let out your anger to me while you never get angry at anyone ever. The frustrations that you had for years are building slowly but steadily in your heart, and thanks to me being visible again, all those anger is flowing out right through me.” Without knowing, I am listening to him attentively while trying to self-reflect myself with those words he said.

Seeing me speechless in my seat, Joon Hyun leans in closer until his face is inches away from mine. “It is only logical Gaeul-ah. Don’t you feel much calmer since I became visible? You don’t feel much hatred inside of you anymore, do you?”

“Well, yeah…but that is all thanks to you, for always being by my side and protecting me from being hurt, isn’t it?”

Joon Hyun chuckles – his face radiates with happiness. “Thank you for such thoughtful compliment. I am flattered no doubt, but that isn’t the truth and you know it.” Suddenly he gives me a wink; my face blushes redder than ever.

Next, the food I ordered finally arrived at our table. While Joon Hyun is taking his sweet time to admire those food that he can’t ever taste, I, on the other hand, is wrecking my brain in digesting all the information that he just shared with me.

“Yah. Palli meogeo,” he orders me in frustration (since all he can do is to watch those delicious foods being devoured by someone else.)

“Yah. Joon Hyun-ah.”

“Mwo?”

“Gomawo yo…for always being by my side.”

He looks up and smiles broadly.