Vierzehn

“Oh!”

I was in the middle of eating a bowl of ramen at the convenience store when a strangely familiar hoarse voice greeted me. Blinking a little, I turned around from my seat facing the window and found myself looking at a middle-aged man wearing a green parka.

My eyes widened as I recognized him as the man who I gave money to two days ago, and I gave him a polite bow as I forced myself to smile despite the uneasiness appearing once again in my heart. Maybe it was because of the strong smell of cigarettes that emitted off him, maybe it was because of his messy and uncouth appearance, maybe I was being judgemental, but for some reason, I didn’t want to be near this guy for any second longer.

The greasy smile on his unshaved face, and the yellow, uncleaned teeth that was exposed as his cracked lips parted did not help me feel much better, yet on the outside, I tried my best to look as nice as possible.

“Are you eating lunch?” To my dismay, the man chose to make himself comfortable with sitting down on the spot next to me, and the smile never left his face as he leaned his elbows on the table top.

“Ah, neh.” I nodded my head, and I felt my palms sweating as I ducked my head and began finishing off the rest of the ramen as fast as I could. The man just stared at me as I ate, and by the time I had finished, I could feel cold sweat breaking out on the back of my neck.

“W-well,” I quickly stood up from the seat and gave him another bow, “I’ve finished my lunch, so I’ll be leaving now-“

“-Thank you for giving me money a few days ago.”

I was cut off my hurried speech, and I stood there dumbly as the uncanny smile fell from his face, and a sincere yet somewhat miserable expression replaced it.

“You see,” The man glanced away from me and stared outside the window, “I’m homeless right now, and I felt like I was on the verge of starving to death when you showed up and saved me.”

“Ah…is that so?” Suddenly, any prejudice I had against this man flew out of the window, and I sat back down on the seat gingerly as I gave him a smile, “Well, I’m glad I could be of help.”

“Yes,” The man nodded his head slightly, “It was touching to see that there was one warm person in this cold society we live in.”

I felt guilt prick me as I remembered how just a mere few moments ago, I was in a rush to leave him because of his outer appearance, and I found myself sinking back into the seat as my conscience forbade me to leave this man here alone.

“D-Do you need some more money?” I tried to make my tone sound as less condescending as possible, “I have some change here, do you want it-“

“-Oh, there’s no need.” The man waved his gloved hands at me, “I get money from begging on the streets. I have enough today to keep me alive.”

“Is that so?” I felt encouraged by how straightforward this man was with what otherwise would be seen as a ‘shame’ in this prejudiced society, and I shook my head as I pressed the change I had onto the table and slid it over to him. “But please take them, I insist.”

“You’re a lovely young lady,” The man smiled, and took the change wordlessly, “do you have a boyfriend?”

“Me?” I was surprised at the sudden turn of questions, and I paused for a second as I pondered over what to answer.

*Well, we’ll be officially dating this Saturday anyway, so might as well say I have one now,* I shrugged to myself before turning to give the man a smile.

 “Yes. I do.”

“Ah, having a boyfriend must be nice, eh?” The man laughed heartily, “Does the two of you go on dates?”

“Well, not yet.” I scratched the back of my head embarrassedly, “We will be going on our first official date this Saturday actually.”

“Is that so?” The man’s eyes darted over to the door of the convenience store, and he appeared like he was going to say something else when he stood up abruptly.

“What’s wrong-“

 “-I should be leaving now. It was great chatting with you. See ya.”

“E-eh?” Before I could even register what had happened, the man just suddenly left without saying anything else, and I frowned a little as I watched him run out of the convenience store, the feeling of suspicion returning. But quickly shaking any thoughts of suspicion and disgust away, I reprimanded myself for being judgemental as I stood up too, and left the convenience store.

Yet as I walked out of the store, I froze as I saw a familiar looking phone lying on the ground before me. Bending down to pick it up, I could feel my fingers tremble as I turned it on to confirm that the phone was mine.

The phone that Kim Jongin took from me.

So why did this phone just suddenly appear out of nowhere right outside the convenience store I was eating lunch at? How could it possibly just appear like that without Kim Jongin knowing where I was?

With the feeling of fear increasing in my mind, I glanced around myself vehemently as I tried to convince myself that it wasn’t Kim Jongin who placed the phone here before the convenience store, but suffocating logic overtook my wistful hope, and before I knew it, I was sprinting back to Sehun’s apartment, as if Jongin was chasing behind me.

By the time I locked myself in Sehun’s apartment, my heart was beating so furiously I thought I would die. Panting heavily, I pressed my back against the wall before sliding down to a collapsed mess on the floor as my phone slipped out of my hands.

Brr.

I flinched as I heard the phone vibrate with an incoming new message, and though my mind screamed for me not to open the message, my hands moved on my own.

Don’t you think it’s about time you come back?

Though the message was from an unknown sender, yet I didn’t have to guess to know who sent the message. The familiar feeling of nauseousness overtook me suddenly, and with trembling hands, I threw the phone away from me as if it was a bomb and bent forward whilst taking in sharp, hollow breaths. Fear had consumed my entire whole self, and I could feel tears sting my eyes as I tried to suppress the overwhelming emotion.

I finally thought I had gain peace.

I finally thought I had escaped out of Kim Jongin’s clutches.

I was finally, finally, finally able to smile with a touch of sincerity after who knew how long of lonely emptiness and suffering.

So why. Why does Jongin have to come back into my life?

My hands trembling, I reached out for my phone as I pressed the speed-dial number on my phone, #1. With my emotions in a mess, and my mind running wild inside, I could only think for one person to help me.

Oh Sehun.

“Yoo Nari! What happened!?”

My head snapped up from my crouched position, strands of my hair stuck to my tear-soaked face and the cold sweat that was breaking out all over my body as Sehun’s appearance snapped me out of my hysterical mindset.

“Nari…” Sehun looked shocked as he saw my timid position, and he rushed over as he cupped my face in his large, warm hands. “What’s wrong?”

“J-Jongin…” I tried hard to speak through the hiccups and sniffs I was making, “M-My presi-president, he…he knows where I a-am.”

Sehun frowned as his brows furrowed together. “That psychopath boss of yours?”

I nodded meekly as Sehun let out a worried sigh before bringing me into a hug.

“Don’t worry, Nari,” Sehun’s words were comforting, “Even if he does know, there is nothing he can do to you. Remember, I will pay off the suit, isn’t that right? Even if he comes barging in here, all I have to do is give him the money, and you