Siebenundzwanzig

Listened to Love Rain 사랑비 OST - Because It's You - Tiffany (SNSD) HD whilst writing this chapter.

The trip finally came to an end.

And I finally came to a bitter conclusion:

Paris wasn’t a romantic place.

It wasn’t a place for bittersweet romances, like the ones I’ve seen in black and white vintage movies. There’s no ‘sweet’ in it. It’s just bitter.

Bitterness that Sehun never showed up again after our last encounter. Yes, I’m selfish. I know I’m selfish, but despite constantly pushing him away again yet again, the tiniest part of my heart still wanted Sehun to come after me.

I still wanted to feel like I’m loved by him.

“Nari?”

Jolting away from the train of thoughts in my mind, I let out a small gasp as I felt like I had been away from the dark thoughts I was wallowing myself into. Trying hard to maintain my unsteady heartbeat from the jolt, I glanced sideways and remembered that Jongin was in fact driving beside me.

*That’s right…* I thought to myself and gave a concerned looking Jongin a smile, *We’re already back in Seoul.*

“Did you hear what I just said, Nari?” Jongin sounded a little tired, “I said we’re going to eat before heading back home.”

“H-Huh?” I knew my reply was dumb, but still feeling lost, I didn’t know how else to reply. “Uhm…It’s okay, I’m not hungry. Let’s just go back and rest.”

“You haven’t eaten anything all day, Nari.” Jongin disapproved my suggestion right away, “You refused to eat anything on the plane as well, heck Nari, do you even know how skinny you are right now?”

My smile was becoming more and more forced. I thought I had already mastered the act of smiling naturally, but I guess not yet.

“I’m not skinny.” My counterattack was pathetic. Even I know how frail I look right now.

There was a short break of silence as Jongin let out a sigh. Muttering something incoherent to himself, Jongin shook his head and spoke.

“We’re going.”

The sentence came out as a definite order, and dropping my smile as Jongin then reverted his attention back on the road, I kept silent and glanced outside the window.

Though I prefer not to eat right now, since almost anything I eat comes back out my throat again anyway, I decided vomiting would still be more preferable than getting Jongin suspicious of my symptoms. As much as seeing regret on his would bring great pleasure to me, I didn’t want him to find out that I probably have some kind of eating disorder.

Heck, I don’t want to know if I have an eating disorder or not.

By the time we arrived at the restaurant, it was already way past midnight. Surprisingly, the restaurant was still open – which was unusual since most high-classed restaurants closes before the clock strikes twelve.

“This restaurant is owned by a good friend of mine,” Jongin must’ve seen the surprise on my face, because he began explaining as we got out of the car and made our way to the entrance, “She made sure to keep the restaurant open for us just for tonight.”

She?

‘Ah, I see.” Though my response was light and my lips were smiling, I was flustered inside.

Why did the word ‘she’ jump out at me so much?

Why?

It can’t be that I-

“-Hey, Kai! You’re finally here!”

Kai?

As soon as we stepped inside, a young woman looking in her late twenties immediately greeted us and gave Jongin a big hug, leaving me standing awkwardly there as the two hugged for longer than what I would had expected from friends.

When they finally let go of each other, and I finally got a good look at her face, I felt even more uncomfortable and self-conscious than before.

This lady was gorgeous. Though she wasn’t wearing an elegant gown and neither did she have plenty of makeup on her face, but dressed in a black blouse and dark blue jeans, dyed brown hair falling down her back, she looked sophisticated; accomplished; smart.

The exact opposite of me.

As much as I noticed this lady, she seemed to have noticed me too.

“Oh?” Letting out a short laugh, she gestured to me, “I didn’t know you had a younger sister.”

I bit my lips and glanced down at my feet uncomfortably.

Younger Sister?

“Oh no, you’re wrong, Rachel.” Jongin shared her laugh, though I could tell it was forced, “She’s not my sister. She’s my fiancé.”

His stress on the word ‘fiancé’ was so strong I knew the lady named Rachel before me noticed, and her eyes seemed to twitch a little before she quickly covered it up with a heartier laugh.

“Well, well, Kai.” Once again, the unfamiliar name popped up, “I didn’t know you had a thing for…young girls. Just how old are you again? 28? Pscht, such a erted old man, aren’t ya?”

Though Rachel spoke in a joking tone, but it didn’t make the situation less awkward. I was ready to walk out the restaurant when Jongin suddenly grabbed my hand and gave Rachel a professional smile.

“Shall we begin dining, Rachel?”

Eyeing me once, Rachel then turned her attention back to Jongin and gestured towards what I would assume was the VIP table.

“Let’s start. You guys must be tired.”

Sitting down on the table, I shuffled uncomfortably as Jongin sat extremely close to me and placed his arm around my shoulders in an authoritative…and almost protective manner.

Smirking a little distastefully, Rachel seemed to have rolled her eyes a little before beckoning a waiter and gave orders to him to start serving food. When that’s done, she then turned her attention back on us. Clasping her hands together, Rachel leaned forward and flashed me a charming smile.

“What’s your name?”

I had the impression that she was talking to me as if to a child, but I ignored the feeling and bowed my head at her respectfully.

“It’s Yoo Nari.”

“That’s a cute name,” Rachel’s smile did not reach her eyes, “How did you meet Jongin?”

“Uhm...I…” Trailing off, I didn’t know what to say.

That I’m his employee at the hotel?

That I’m his housekeeper?

That I was forced into this relationship?

“Oh, shut up Rachel,” Noticing my hesitation, Jongin replied for me in a joking manner, “Get yourself a partner first before questioning mine, alright? You’re turning 28 soon, aren’t you?”

“Aw, you’re so mean.” Rachel flicked her hand and grinned at Jongin, “I’ll let you know that I’m still very popular, alright?”

“Were you ever?” Despite their easy going and playful conversation, I could feel Jongin’s arm enclosing itself further against my shoulders.

“Of course!” Rachel pretended to be shocked, then her expression melted into a reminiscent one, “Ah, the good times. I miss our university days, don’t you? Remember the short flings we used to have?”

I didn’t react a bit when Rachel mentioned their past relationship. I wasn’t stupid. I’ve already figured out that Rachel was trying to make me jealous. It was Jongin’s response that surprised me.

“Of course,” Jongin sounded surprisingly relaxed despite Rachel blatantly revealing their past relationship in front of me, “those were the fun times.”

The…fun times? Gulping a little bit, I once again felt that short jolt of irritation in my he