Chapter 10

Chaerin lays on her bed, going over what happened in the afternoon just now. It was filled with tension.

She sigh.

She remember the expression on both men when they encountered each other. Chaerin lift her handphone and try dialing Jiyong’s number again.

She have been trying to reach out to him since then but fail. Again, her call got cancelled.

Frustrated, she calls her father.

“Hello honey, what’s up? Are you home?”

“Hi dad, yeah I’m home, can I go to the restaurant?”

“It’s late now. We’ll be closing soon, so just wait for me at home yeah”

“But dad, I have something to do”

“What?”

Chaerin contemplates a while before proceeding.

“Umm, is Jiyong around? Have you seen him?”

“Hmm, not sure, I think I saw him at their restaurant just now. Why?”

“Oh okay, be there in a few. Bye!”

“Chae… hello? Yah! This kid, aigoo na chongmal”

Mr Lee shakes his head and continue with his work at the restaurant.

Chaerin quickly end their conversation and hop out of her bed to get ready. She reached the restaurant after riding the bus all feeling anxious on why Jiyong is ignoring her and why is he so troubled by Jihoon.

After a while, she reached the restaurant and immediately greet her father. After hearing him nagging at her for coming this late, she proceeds on making her way to the Kwon’s.

She bite her lips when she push the door and her eyes immediately met with Jiyong whom is sitting at one of the table, occupied with his phone.

Chaerin feel annoyed seeing him in a very comfortable state while she was worried of him due to being ignored for this long.

“Ah, Chaerinnie?”

Mr Kwon and his wife greets her with smiles seeing her and she forces a smile at them, greeting them politely. Jiyong lay his eyes on Chaerin and immediately feel her annoyance the moment they lock their eyes. But a rush of relief emerge as well upon realizing that her presence here is for him.

“Sorry for coming here at this hour”

Chaerin bow referring to the closing hour.

“It’s okay honey, you’re always welcome. Have you eaten?”

Mrs Kwon smile warmly at her and Chaerin felt flustered over the question. All this while she came to the restaurant to enjoy the good food but tonight it’s a different story.

“Ah… actually I’m here to meet with Jiyong”

Everyone’s eyes are on Jiyong and he glances over and be nonchalant about it making Chaerin be in a more awkward position as he seems uninterested at all.

“Oh okay, son?”

Mrs Kwon throws a questioning eyes at her son who is looking unfazed making Chaerin stand there awkwardly.

Chaerin smile briefly before making her dreadful way towards Jiyong.

“Wow”

Chaerin whisper annoyingly when she sit in front of him. Jiyong hides his amusement and proceed on taking a sip of his drink before focusing on Chaerin.

“Yes?”

“Yes?”
Chaerin repeat in annoyance when Jiyong pretended like nothing happened. She crosses her arm. Alarmed over the environment, Chaerin glance at his parents briefly whom are caught watching them together with few of the workers and they quickly turn away their eyes pretending not taking any interest of them.

This probably are making them confused because basically both of them are not in good terms at all and here she is sitting with him, talking.

Chaerin smile bitterly and focused her attention back at Jiyong all the while he is entertained by the whole antics. He smile inwardly and Chaerin notices.

“Having fun?”

Jiyong clear his throat.

“Can we talk?”

Jiyong raise his eyebrow at her.

“in private”

Chaerin sneered at the attention they are receiving and Jiyong just look at her quietly.

“Please”

Chaerin whisper softly with a hint of desperation on her face making him flustered. Jiyong stood up rapidly causing everyone in the restaurant to fix their attention at them. Chaerin was also startled at his behavior and even more when he suddenly grab her wrist and lead their way to the back door of the restaurant. Chaerin smile awkwardly as they pass the audience not able to convey any words as she was also taken aback by his behavior.

Mr Kwon exchange glances with his wife and both of them stay silent for a moment.

“Should we be worried?”

“I think we should just let them have their privacy”

Mr Kwon turn his back and stare at his workers who seems excited about the whole ordeal.

“Yah! Get back to cleaning!”

He instructs and all of them disappears to their station. Mrs Kwon chuckles at the commotion while also going back to the cash machine to count their sales for today.

**********************************

“Yah Kwon Jiyong, are you crazy?”

Chaerin pulls her hand back and that’s when Jiyong burst into laughter. Chaerin look so annoyed at him and hit his chest for a few times before he grab onto her wrist again to stop her.

“It hurts”

He replied as his laugh died down into a smile. Chaerin sigh and look away, unamused by all this. Jiyong release her hand and proceed to poke her cheeks.

“Smile, it was funny”

She glances over at him whom are still smilling and rolls her eyes.

“It’s not, they’ll talk”

She conveys her worry and Jiyong sigh. His smiles died down. He knows how sensitive she is with gossips, taking into consideration of what has been going on at campus these days.

“If they do, they will have to face me. No one dare to talk about me, so don’t worry”

Chaerin roll her eyes at his replies though it sends her immediately into comfort, she nod a little. Jiyong make his way to the bench and Chaerin follow as she sits next to him.

After a while being in silent, just watching the stars, Jiyong voices out.

“You here to see me?”

“Well, yeah, you ignore me the whole day”

She sounded sulky while Jiyong remembers immediately the thing that happened in the afternoon.

“Why did you ignore me?”

“Well, I’m busy”

“Liar”

She replied shortly.

“I am…”

“Did you not look at your phone even for 5 seconds?”

All this excuses sounds too familiar to Chaerin and it annoys her a little.

“I truly am busy.”

Chaerin scoff and Jiyong frowns, a little annoyed at her behavior. He is busy. He’s caught with lectures and practice and didn’t even have the time to check his phone. By the time he realized it, his phone was on ‘do not disturb’ mode the whole time. He was just checking his phone when Chaerin enters the restaurant just now.

“All guys are the same”

“What do you mean?”

His annoyance is convey through his reply.

“Jimin say the same thing all the time and now you.”

Chaerin knows she’s being petty but she does not care. Jiyong glare at her and she did the same.

“Don’t put me and that jerk in one sentence”

Chaerin kept quiet and her glare softens as she can see how her statement bothers him a lot.

“Sorry”

She blurt out quietly and fix her gaze on the road. Her feet is circling around to show her conscience. Jiyong sigh as he sees her softens out almost immediately. It made him feel warm because he is sure if this is a month ago, she would’ve snap back at him.

“Why are you looking for me?”

Jiyong reach into his pocket and takes out his ciggarate.

“Can you not smoke when we are together?”

“When we are together?”

Jiyong repeat her words. Somehow he feels content listening to it.

“Well, we are friends now right? So we are going to hang out a lot”

Jiyong smirk at her.

“Right?”

She frowns at his expression. Soon after a smile is form when she saw Jiyong keep his ciggarate back in his pocket.

“So? Why did you seek for me?”

“Why did you ignore my calls?”

“Huh?”

Jiyong took out his phone to check. He didn’t manage to do so when Chaerin came just now.

9 missed calls.

He flashes his phone at her and she sneered.

“You’re angry at me because I hang out with Jihoon, right?”

“I’m not angry at you”

“But you ignore me”

Chaerin glance at him with the corner of her eyes and Jiyong bite his lower lip unnoticed by her. This new side of her is amusing to him.

“Careful, you sounds like a clingy girlfriend”

Chaerin feels her cheeks flushed and widened her eyes at him. Jiyong smirk at her and she pursue on to smack his shoulder.

“I- I just thought that probably something happened. I’m just… a bit worried”

She says it reluctantly.

“What? You’re worried?”

“Shut up”

She cuts him off before he can continue on to . After a while, Jiyong turn to look at her and so is she.

“I didn’t. My phone was on ‘dnd’ mode the whole time. I just noticed it”

He look straight into her eyes and Chaerin knows he’s being honest but still aren’t satisfied.

“Really?”

Chaerin squints her eyes at him and he nod.

“Okay. Let’s say I believe you, why did you ignore me when I go after you. I’m sure you heard me calling you like a crazy person, right?”

“Well, just cause”

“Just cause?”

She sounded irritated. She crosses her arms and look at him with dissatisfaction. Jiyong chuckles at her behavior.

“Yah Kwon Jiyong. You can’t treat a friend like that okay”

“Really?”

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