CHAPTER 7: Should have / Shouldn’t have

Right after the bell ringing as a sign of the end of day class, Jinyoung directly collected Jihyo’s books and put it into a bag.

Looking at that, Bambam asked, “You’ll skip the class?”

“Where will you go?” Yugyeom added.

“Work..” Jinyoung answered shortly as he still felt angry over what had happened today.

But that made Bambam, Yugyeom, and Youngjae surprise. “Work??”

“Yeah, since My Dad, My Mom, and My Brother LEFT Me—“ Jinyoung obviously made his voice louder for the entire class to hear. “—I need to work to keep alive.. What? Do you want to skip the class too?” He asked YugBam. And then he turned to see the other people in the class who listened to him. “Do you want to be an orphan like me so you can skip the class, huh?? If you won’t, don’t be jealous!” Then he stopped his stare on Mina and said, “And be grateful that you’re all still have parents!” He took the bag and left the class in anger, leaving the class in confusion.

“Why is she saying that? That’s cruel...” Bambam commented.

“We’re too.. We’re too cruel with her..” Youngjae said softly as he looked at Jihyo’s empty seat.

-00-

Jinyoung ran to Il Mondo, he felt energized as he left the school. The school that felt like a hell for him, the hell that Jihyo has survived in the past two years.

Right after he went in the restaurant, he was surprised that all of the Chefs were all waiting for Jihyo.

“Omo! You’re all already here??”

“Yes! Just change your clothes in the locker room, Jihyo ya.. You can wear Junior’s uniform, it’s still in his locker..” Brian told Jihyo.

“Yes, hyung..” Jinyoung gave them Jihyo’s sweet smile as he went to the locker room, but that made Brian confused.

“Did she just call me Hyung??”

“She also call me Hyung, Brian Hyung...” Jaebum responded.

That made Brian, Jaebum, and Jackson were laughing, but Mark stayed silent.

After changing clothes, Jinyoung went to the kitchen, and stood next to Jaebum, the position when he belonged.

Then Chef Mark started to talk, “Okay Park Jihyo, since you will work in this kitchen, you should know your partner—“

Jinyoung cut Marks’ words with, “Chef JB, Chef Jackson, Chef Brian, and Chef Mark.. I already know you all, Chef..” He ended it with smile.

Mark seems surprised, but he tried to manage his facial expression. “Well, okay! Have you familiar with kitchen?”

“Store the clean knives in a wooden block based on the Chefs position. Don’t wear watch or any jewelry. Wipe up spills immediately. Separate raw meat and poultry from other items. And—“ Jinyoung answered fast.

“Okay, okay, I got it.. Jinyoung has told you everything, right?” Mark cut his words.

Jinyoung smiled proudly.

But then Mark walked closer to Jihyo and stopped right in front of her. “But he forget to tell you this..”

Since Jinyoung’s uniform was too big for Jihyo’s body, Mark rolled up her sleeves. “Don’t wear a loose clothes. And if you have a long hair, make sure to tie it.” He held Jihyo’s hand and gave her a hairgrip.

Jinyoung was nervous as Chef Mark was near him. He directly bowed and then tied Jihyo’s hair.

Mark changed his attention as he left Jihyo. “So, what’s today special, Brian?” He asked Brian.

“Tagliatelle with spinach and mascarpone, Chef..” Brian answered fast.

“Okay! Let’s start today! Fire!” Mark commanded.

“Fire!!!”

-00-

The restaurant was soon filled with customers, and the Chefs were all busy with the orders.

“Table 1, two special pastas. Table 2, one aglio. Table 3, two specials. Table 4, one steak pasta.” Chef Mark was commanding the brigade chefs as the order coming.

“Yes, Chef!”

“Brian, take the specials! Jackson, you steak! Jaebum, you take aglio..” He commanded the Chefs.

“I’ll help with the specials..” Mark told Brian as he brought a spoon of salted water to the boil. Then he added the pasta and cooked it in proper time. Then he called, “Junior, bring the frying pan!”

“Yes, Chef!” Jinyoung directly answered and brought it to Mark.

“Here you go, Chef..”

Mark took it without looking at him and continued to cook. Jinyoung also went back to wash the dishes. They worked again like nothing was happened. But the other Chefs were looking at them in disbelieve. When Jackson wanted to give comment, Brian hushed him to keep quiet and continued to do his work.

Mark slipped words was happened again and again, but both Mark and Jihyo seems didn’t noticed. Until for the third time, Jackson couldn’t shut his mouth anymore. When Mark called Jinyoung again, Jackson called Mark. “Chef Mark..”

“Uhm?” Mark turned to see Jackson, but Jackson signed him to look at Jihyo who was coming to give him a clean frying pan.

“Here you go, Chef..”

That was when he realized that he slipped words this entire time.

Looking at Mark staring at Jihyo, Jinyoung asked, “What’s wrong, Chef? A-am I making mistake?”

Mark directly bent his head down and answered softly. “No, just go back to work..”

He continued to cook in silent. He couldn’t believe that he called Jihyo as Junior. He hated that he still didn’t used to Jinyoung’s gone, moreover as Jihyo worked in Il Mondo, he felt that Jinyoung was back.

-00-

As the restaurant closed, the Chefs were gathered in the locker room.

“How’s your first day, Jihyo?” Brian asked.

“Great!!” Jinyoung answered as he made a thumb up.

“You did really well, Sister! You know where the utensils’ position, where the ingredients are stored, you know everything about the kitchen.. It feels like you already work here before!” Jackson gave comment.

That made Jinyoung smile brightly.

“No wonder Chef Mark keep calling you Junior..” He added in relax, but Jaebum and Brian felt uncomfortable.

Brian coughed and then changed the conversation. “Let’s changed, guys.. It’s getting late now, let’s go home soon..”

“Yeah, Hyung.. You’re right..” Jaebum added.

They started to open their lockers and took their clothes, but then they realized that Jihyo was still there.

“Sister, will you keep standing there?” Jackson asked Jihyo.

“Oh! Yeah, I’m going to change to..” Jinyoung said in relax as he opened his locker, but then Jaebum got closer to him.

“Jihyo ya, you can change in the restroom..” He whispered to Jihyo.

“Why? I can change here..” Jinyoung said in relax, but that made Jackson screamed.

“Sisteeer, do you want to see us change?” Jackson asked in disbelieve.

That made Jinyoung realized, he forgot he’s in Jihyo’s body. “Ah! I know.. I know.. I’m sorry.. I’ll go to the restroom” He ended it with a grin.

But when he just wanted to come out from the locker room, Mark called Jihyo. “Park Jihyo, come see me..”

“Oh? Yes, Chef!” He directly followed Mark to his office.

Mark leaned on the table as he waited for Jihyo to come in. He called, “Come inside..”

Jinyoung walked in while bending Jihyo’s head down, he was scared that he would get scolded again. But what happened was...

“Here, take this..” Chef gave Jihyo a thick envelope.

Jinyoung took it and asked, “What’s this, Chef?”

“Just use that money for your living cost and school fees.. If you need money for college fees in the future, you can come to me again..”

Jinyoung directly opened that envelope and there he saw a bunch of money. “Chef, why do you give me this money?”

“You work here to get money, right? So that I have given you money, you can stop working here..”

“What are you saying, Chef?” Jinyoung was surprised. He put that money on the table next to Mark and said, “Here, I don’t want this money.. Why should I stop working here? What mistake that I’ve done to make you fire me like this? Tell me Chef..”

Mark was silent. It was hard for him to answer Jihyo’s question, but finally he could say, “You did nothing wrong.. It’s just..” He sighed before continued, “I don’t want you to work here..”

Jinyoung couldn’t believe what he heard. “But why, Chef??”

He stood up and massaged his temple. “Don’t you find it difficult to work here?”

“No, nothing at all, Chef!” Jinyoung answered fast.

“You should’ve find it difficult.. Your brother died on the way he go home from here.. After I overworked him here..” He walked back and front, tried to hold his emotion, but he kept remember about Jinyoung. “He worked here not as a Chef, Jihyo.. You found it right? You just washed the pans, prepared the ingredients.. You never use the knifes, never stand behind the stove.. You never cook.. HE never cooked..” Mark looked at Jihyo deeply and then said, “When he told me he wanted to work here to learn to cook, to make you a delicious meal.. But I never give him a chance..” He bent his head down, feeling guilty over Jinyoung.

Jinyoung was sad to see Mark, he never knew that the fierce Chef Mark could be melancholy like this. “So, you should give him a chance through me, Chef.. Let me work here..” Jinyoung begged, but that made Mark got angrier.

“Don’t you realize that I call you Junior back in the kitchen?? You should’ve tell me! You should’ve say I’m not Junior! I’m Jihyo! And don’t call my brother with that name, he has his own name! You should’ve mad at me, Park Jihyo!”

“Why should I mad at you, Chef? Oppa’s death is not because of you.. You are not overworking him.. He was just stupidly volunteering himself!” Jinyoung was carried away by the situation.

Hearing Jihyo’s words somehow made Chef become calmer. “Yeah, he’s so stupid.. He’s too kind.. Don’t be like him Park Jihyo.. Don’t be too kind..” He said softly while looking down.

“Don’t worry, Chef.. I won’t be like him.. So don’t feel guilty anymore..” Jinyoung said as he walked closer to Mark.

Mark looked up and stared at Jihyo deeply without saying anything. He remembered how depressed Jihyo at the funeral rites, and Brian words replayed in his mind, “It must be really hard for his sister.. She has no family left since Junior gone..”

Then he looked at another direction while saying, “You can go...”

“But can I go back here tomorrow?” Jinyoung asked.

Mark replied with a nod.

Jinyoung smiled and said, “Thank you, Chef.. Let’s work together again.. This time would be better..” He said that and then bowed, leaving Mark in confused.

Again? Better? He asked that question as he saw Jihyo went away.

-00-

In front of the restaurant, Jaebum was waiting for Jihyo.

“Oh, Jaebum hyung? You’re still here?”

“Yeah, I’m waiting for you..” Jaebum said and that made Jinyoung smiled. “Anyway, what you and Chef Mark talked about?” He asked in curious, but Jinyoung replied, with..

“That’s secret..” Jinyoung .

From inside the restaurant, Mark was looking at them.

“Heol, why’d you have to play secret with me?” Jaebum laughed, but then he noticed something. “Jihyo ya, why’d you wear that gym trouser? As I remember, you’re also wear that yesterday..”

“Oh, this? My skirt is torn, so I wear my old skirt.. But it’s too short.. So I wear this gym trouser..” Jinyoung grinned.

“You should buy the new one.. Let’s buy it tomorrow..” Jaebum told Jihyo.

“No! No need, hyung.. Come on, let’s go home!” Jinyoung said that as he led Jaebum to walk home.

“Yaa, Park Jihyo.. I’m your guardian, it’s okay..” Jaebum said as he followed Jihyo.

-00-

“How’s your first work?” Scheduler welcomed Jinyoung as he entered the house.

“Good..” He answered as he sat across the Scheduler. “Did you have no schedule?”

“Nope. No one die this night, so I have time to write a song..” Scheduler answered while playing his guitar.

“Write a song?” Jinyoung leaned closer.

“Uhum..” Scheduler nodded.

“Try to sing it, Hyungnim..”

Then Scheduler started to pluck the strings of his guitar and sing.

#np: Day6 -  Colors

I’m running out of breath
As I run to the d