Chapter 24

“Half excitement, and half fear; I still miss you; And I don't want you to notice that – I Smile”

She seriously could not sleep.

She had declined the boys’ offer to dinner earlier, feigning tiredness.

In truth, she needed time away from their curious faces or queries as to how she was hired and all.

More importantly, she needed to get away from Young K’s piercing eyes.

She did not know what was going through his head.

All she deduced was that the boys did not know who she was to Young K, and that he wanted it to remain that way.

Are you ashamed of me, Brian-san?

Is that why you didn’t introduce me as your friend?

It’s ok, I get you.

I saw the silent messages you sent me.

I’ll keep our acquaintance a secret as how you want.

And don’t worry, I won’t stay here for long.

Just long enough for me to earn my ticket home.

And with this new pay, it won’t take me long at all.

It was close to 1am and the apartment was quiet.

So, to heed her growling tummy, she left her safe confines for the kitchen.

And sat down to read through her contract over a glass of milk.

Half an hour later, she was still staring at the contract when Jae found her.

“Hey, what’s up?”

He came out in search of water when he found Momo staring blankly into the clipped papers at the kitchen table.

“Oh hello,” she answered him sheepishly. “Legal words are not the same with normal ones, are they not?”

Jae winced at her stilted yet very formal Korean.

But as someone who has just learnt the language recently himself, he empathised with her.

“You can go banmal with us, y’know. Or better yet, speak English, if it’s easier for you.”

He sat down with her after getting his water.

“Is that your contract? Here, let me see that.”

Despite his earlier misgivings towards her, he knew how she felt, being in an environment with a language so different from what one was used to.

He was there just 5 short years ago.

“How long have you learnt Hangul?”

“7 months.”

“7 months?” Jae balked.

Her Korean was not perfect, but it was easily understood.

Jae himself struggled getting his thoughts across from time to time.

“You speak it quite well.”

“I have been in the country for 2 months. I suppose being with the locals help.”

“Yeah,” he nodded. But also the willingness to assimilate and learn on your feet.

Jae never has problems learning as he went, but coming from the US, assimilating with other nationalities seemed beneath him in the beginning.

No one was better than the Americans, or so he thought.

Until he learnt he was no better than the guy next to him.

Each trainee, no matter where they came from, have their own strengths and weaknesses.

And that Jae himself needed to struggle the same if not more, to get to where he wanted to be.

So, to Jae, blending in and mastering the language in such a short time, showed mettle in the girl.

Either she was an extremely fast learner or desperate to fit in – or both.

Whatever the case, Jae decided to help her and he guided her through the contract, translating where necessary.

And it was close to an hour before they finished.

“Arigato,” Momo said gratefully.

“Yeah, no problem, man. So, just go through with Choi-hyung on those areas you’re not keen on, tomorrow. Now, I suggest you get some rest. We start early tomorrow.”

“Neh, kamsahamnida.”

***

“Where you been, man?” Young K asked sleepily as Jae slipped under his covers in the bed next to his.

“Was just helping the Cordi Noona with her contract.”

And that piece of information wiped any semblance of sleep from Young K’s eyes.

“What..? Momose?”

“Yeah.”

“She’s outside?”

“Uhuh,” Jae yawned, turning on his side under his covers.

“Ok.”

“Night, man.”

“Night.”

***

Once Jae was asleep, Young K quietly sneaked out of their room.

With Dowoon snoring away in the bunk above his.

It was already 2.30am, but as far as he could remember, Momo could really hold her candle.

True enough, she was quietly cleaning up their after-dinner mess.

He leaned against the kitchen door jam.

Observing her moves like he did at the book store.

But drinking the sight of her, despite the riots of questions in his head, he was just so happy to have her near him again.

He knew she was angry with him, though.

By the way she ignored him when he tried to communicate with her with his eyes earlier.

Yet, he could not really help but to smile, simply looking at her.

“You managed to go through the contract with Jae? You should have called me instead.”

Momo did not have to turn around to know who was behind her. Yet, she was really in no mood to talk to him.

At her blatant disregard to his conversation opening, Young K tried again.

“Thanks for coming along with Choi-hyung.”

Momo still kept her silence.

Once she finished, she wiped her hands with a napkin and walk towards him at the door.

Before she politely bowed and passed by him.

“Annyeonghi jumuseyo,” she said, leaving the kitchen and into her bedroom.

Like Jae before, Young K cringed at the extremely polite way of her bidding good night.

But unlike Jae who managed to have a proper conversation with her after, Young K could only watch helplessly as she disappeared into her room.

Foxi's Notes - If I'm not mistaken, Dowoon used to share a room with Junhyoek before the latter left. After the former keyboardist left the group, Dowoon joined YK and Jae in their room (the maknae was scared to sleep alone, perhaps :D) - hence, in my universe, Dowoon's old room is the room where Momo sleeps in now.

Another Day6 trivia is that Wonpil likes to stow away in Dowoon's bed, much to the drummer's exasperation & Jae's irritation. Awww... poor baby Wonpil :)

On Jae - Born in Sept 15, 1992 in Argentina, he & family then moved to Korea shortly before leaving for the States when Jae was 5 or so. He couldn't speak Hangul when he came to Seoul in 2012 to join K-Pop Star (1st Season). Due to his native tongue, Jae is now an MC at Arirang's english spoken After School Club as well as Music Access with Bernard Park (apart from being in Day6). He's pretty close with other English speaking k-pop idols like F(x)'s Amber, AFC's Jimin & Kevin, Bernard & newbie Mackay. Of course in Day6, he's very tight with Young K despite their initial teething problems where he gets very excited when YK guests MC with him on AFC (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3td1SfZH3b0) & that he fondly refers to YK as his favourite translater. (he also calls YK Mr Steal Your Fans tho :D - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfuC7dwVOss). Jae is wild on social media where he has the most hilarious Tweets, keeps track (& gives them shout outs) of Day6 Reaction YTers & has recently launched his new YT channel. Also, in case you don't already know, he's lovingly known as Chicken Little :)