Ji Min's POV

 

As So Ra finally went inside her house with another loud slam of her wooden front door, I banged my head over the wheels. I was so stupid. I shouldn't have force her to tell me when she didn't want to. For the record, we've been together only for three months but I couldn't help myself.

 

Somehow, it hurts me seeing her like that.

 

It hurts me seeing someone who faked up so much it was impossible for everyone else to tell the difference. I would know. I've lost someone like that.

 

I knew I hit it right and if I managed to push it a little bit more, she'll eventually told me. She wanted to but she was trying hard to withhold herself. It was too obvious in her eyes that she was hiding something inside her; her life. I wanted her to give her something she's been craving for. It wasn't branded handbags or 300$ dollars manicure. I wanted to offer her an escape. An escape to the life she's been staging her whole life.

 

But she rejected it, saying that I was wrong. But the more she denied, the more palpable it became. The more she held herself back, the more evident in her eyes that she indeed, wanted it.

 

I don't even know how I could tell all that by only looking at her.

 

I was unable to save one person before and now I wanted to save her. Save her from pushing herself to the limit where she couldn't take it anymore. And if there wasn't something real between the both of us, that's the least I could do.

 

I started my engine back when I saw someone approaching my car. At first I thought she was going to the opposite direction but she stopped at my window and I slowly recognized her as the window rolled down.

 

"Hi, you're Park Ji Min, right? I'm Min Jung. You help me the other day."

 

*

 

"It was probably too late now but I want to say thank you for helping me." She smiled. "If it wasn't because of you, I think I am certainly lost by my own."

 

"No, it's fine." I said.

 

The first time I saw her when she pulled quite a stun with So Ra at the cafeteria. Since the scoop of she was So Ra's step sister spread around the school like a fatal virus, everyone pretty much knew her already. And the first time we spoke was when I found herself wandering at the corridor. She told me that So Ra was supposed to walk her around but she had something important to do and that's why she was left alone.

 

Since I'm the only one there, I decided to accompany her around the school because it would be no nice to left a girl alone.

 

And here we are, at McDonald, talking.

 

"Are you having a fight with my sister?" She asked after a while, obviously cautious with her words. It was like she was waiting for the right time to ask me.

 

"Um," I trailed off, not quite sure if I should tell her.

 

"You don't have to tell me. I just kinda saw her storming out of your car earlier so I just need to ask. But it's okay. It wasn't like I have any privilege to know either." She started rattling which accidentally brought me to spill the beans.

 

"No, no. It's okay. It just a small matter. I wanted to help her out but she just rejected me and I think she just got mad." I said.

 

"Well, So Ra have been through a lot in her life. Mom said that she used to be so different before but after the marriage she started to distance herself as if she wanted nothing to do with us. She rejected every attempt that I make to get closer to her."

 

I didn't know why she's telling me this but to snap her, saying that it got nothing to do with me at all seemed weird because we're currently talking about my girlfriend now.

 

"But I really hope that you don't push her too far. The last thing I wanted was my sister getting hurt because of boys. If you really wanted her, you should understand and please don't be like those other boys who wanted nothing but to get inside her pants."

 

I was suddenly nervous, like I was at a job interview and I was waiting for my boss to decide if she should hire me. She lowered her head before smiled.

 

"I don't mean to offend you. It's just So Ra is my sister and I don't want her to get hurt."

 

"It's okay. It's nice of you to look out for her." I said.

 

"Sorry to be nosy." Suddenly she was that shy girl that I met at the corridor again. "But what actually happened between you and So Ra?"

 

"I don't even know where to start." I replied.

 

On a spur of moment, I felt it was wrong with everything with our relationship. The only thing that kept me out of my anxious of the most risky accord was when we're kissing. That's all. Everything other than that was totally off-course. Her insane ideas on dates, her spoilage with her money, her short assiduity aeon, her exploding social hustles and her blistering phone line. All of it.

 

And a thought greeted my mind; Why did I even dated her in the first place?

 

"If you ever want to talk about it, I'm a good listener." Her eyes turned warmer, like a pond going through the winter and making into the spring.

 

I didn't really want to talk about it since she was So Ra's sister and she'll undoubtedly taking her sister's side after what she told me earlier but she kept her gaze steadily on me and I increasingly felt uncomfortable under those eyes. I decided to talk and stopped at that but once I started talking, the silence from her aroused me to keep going. She was the words out of me and I almost couldn't stop myself.