Meeting
Alpha Dog
“You’re going to love the place we rented. It’s pretty good for a studio apartment, plus it’s directly connected to the rooftop!”
I walked behind Solji noona as she continued bragging about the place she got for me. I just continued nodding, grinning at her. I couldn’t care less about the place to be honest, but seeing her so excited, it got me excited too. I slung my bag behind me and looked up at the building. It was a typical apartment block, new and cold. Better than what I had before. Much better actually. There was a bar just opposite the apartment, and a convenience store right beside. Such convenience.
“Oi, Dan! You gonna come in or what?”
I didn’t realise I was just standing there staring at the building. I started jogging in, only now realising how cold it was outside. We got in the elevator and Solji noona pressed the last floor.
“Is that all you brought to live here?”
She looked at the gym bag I had around my shoulders. I could feel the blood rush to my ears, turning it red.
“Uhhhhh….. I didn’t really have much in the first place”
I let out a sheepish laugh, scratching the back of my head. I felt embarrassed by my own…. Poverty. I’m a simple man but even simplicity has its limits. I only had a handful of clothes for the few years, not counting the ones torn and ripped apart.
“Well, you could always take me shopping?”
I gave her a slight grin, trying to move things along. We finally reached the apartment unit and I noticed Solji noona texting someone. As I stood in front of the door trying to take off my shoes, I could hear feet shuffling and urgent muffled voices. Before Solji noona could stop me, I swung the door open widely, shouting at the top of my lungs.
“WASSUUUUUUUP”
The sight in front of me was hilarious. LE noona was in the centre of the room holding a pot of stew, Hani was balancing on top of the couch, streamers and balloons in hand. A guy was standing near the dining table with cookies in his hand and mouth and a girl on the floor, a balloon slowly deflating in her hands. I couldn’t help laughing out loud, my guts hurting from too much laughter.
“YA! YOU WEREN’T SUPPOSE TO COME IN YET! WE’RE NOT DONE GETTING DONE!”
LE noona started nagging at me the moment she put the pot down. Despite her nagging, she still walked to me, her arms wide open inviting me in for a hug. I quickly embraced her, still smiling like an idiot. I was so ecstatic to be see LE again I picked her up off the ground and spun around with her. It felt good to be in my ‘family’s’ embrace again.
“Wow! You grew up well! You turned into quite the man ya know that?”
The moment we separated, she started marvelling over my image. I merely smiled, slightly embarrassed by the comment. The guy with cookies in his mouth approached LE and wrapped his arm around her waist. He extended his arm for a handshake, cookie crumbs all over his fingers.
“Sup, I’m Kyung. Park Kyung. I’m LE’s boyfriend.”
I politely pushed his hand away, patting his shoulder instead.
“Hi, I’m Dan, LE’s brother.”
I’m sure he knew I wasn’t her biological brother. LE noona would’ve told him who I was and our relationship. Another girl approached me, the one on the floor. She practically bounced towards me, offering me a cookie and balloon.
“So you’re Dan. Hi, I’m Hyerin. I live together with the girls. I’ve heard a lot about you from Hani.”
I gladly accepted the cookie while giving her a smile. She seemed like a nice girl. She had a contagious smile. Yet the moment I heard Hani’s name, my eyes started wandering, looking for her. They finally focused on her, standing behind Hyerin. She stood there, her arms behind her back. She was smiling from ear to ear, her cheeks rising. She was shining brightly, beautiful as I remembered her. I couldn’t move, my eyes attracted to hers. Those large brown eyes that held the world’s beauty.
“Hey….”
Before I could say anything else, she jumped towards me, wrapping her arms around me. She hugged me tightly, burying her head into my chest. I could hear her sobbing quietly. I slowly her hair and back, trying to console her.
“I know, I know, I missed you too, Hani-ya.”
I walked behind Solji noona as she continued bragging about the place she got for me. I just continued nodding, grinning at her. I couldn’t care less about the place to be honest, but seeing her so excited, it got me excited too. I slung my bag behind me and looked up at the building. It was a typical apartment block, new and cold. Better than what I had before. Much better actually. There was a bar just opposite the apartment, and a convenience store right beside. Such convenience.
“Oi, Dan! You gonna come in or what?”
I didn’t realise I was just standing there staring at the building. I started jogging in, only now realising how cold it was outside. We got in the elevator and Solji noona pressed the last floor.
“Is that all you brought to live here?”
She looked at the gym bag I had around my shoulders. I could feel the blood rush to my ears, turning it red.
“Uhhhhh….. I didn’t really have much in the first place”
I let out a sheepish laugh, scratching the back of my head. I felt embarrassed by my own…. Poverty. I’m a simple man but even simplicity has its limits. I only had a handful of clothes for the few years, not counting the ones torn and ripped apart.
“Well, you could always take me shopping?”
I gave her a slight grin, trying to move things along. We finally reached the apartment unit and I noticed Solji noona texting someone. As I stood in front of the door trying to take off my shoes, I could hear feet shuffling and urgent muffled voices. Before Solji noona could stop me, I swung the door open widely, shouting at the top of my lungs.
“WASSUUUUUUUP”
The sight in front of me was hilarious. LE noona was in the centre of the room holding a pot of stew, Hani was balancing on top of the couch, streamers and balloons in hand. A guy was standing near the dining table with cookies in his hand and mouth and a girl on the floor, a balloon slowly deflating in her hands. I couldn’t help laughing out loud, my guts hurting from too much laughter.
“YA! YOU WEREN’T SUPPOSE TO COME IN YET! WE’RE NOT DONE GETTING DONE!”
LE noona started nagging at me the moment she put the pot down. Despite her nagging, she still walked to me, her arms wide open inviting me in for a hug. I quickly embraced her, still smiling like an idiot. I was so ecstatic to be see LE again I picked her up off the ground and spun around with her. It felt good to be in my ‘family’s’ embrace again.
“Wow! You grew up well! You turned into quite the man ya know that?”
The moment we separated, she started marvelling over my image. I merely smiled, slightly embarrassed by the comment. The guy with cookies in his mouth approached LE and wrapped his arm around her waist. He extended his arm for a handshake, cookie crumbs all over his fingers.
“Sup, I’m Kyung. Park Kyung. I’m LE’s boyfriend.”
I politely pushed his hand away, patting his shoulder instead.
“Hi, I’m Dan, LE’s brother.”
I’m sure he knew I wasn’t her biological brother. LE noona would’ve told him who I was and our relationship. Another girl approached me, the one on the floor. She practically bounced towards me, offering me a cookie and balloon.
“So you’re Dan. Hi, I’m Hyerin. I live together with the girls. I’ve heard a lot about you from Hani.”
I gladly accepted the cookie while giving her a smile. She seemed like a nice girl. She had a contagious smile. Yet the moment I heard Hani’s name, my eyes started wandering, looking for her. They finally focused on her, standing behind Hyerin. She stood there, her arms behind her back. She was smiling from ear to ear, her cheeks rising. She was shining brightly, beautiful as I remembered her. I couldn’t move, my eyes attracted to hers. Those large brown eyes that held the world’s beauty.
“Hey….”
Before I could say anything else, she jumped towards me, wrapping her arms around me. She hugged me tightly, burying her head into my chest. I could hear her sobbing quietly. I slowly her hair and back, trying to console her.
“I know, I know, I missed you too, Hani-ya.”
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