Chapter 3

Chaerin sat in the back alley of the restaurant with her defeated face.

Her thoughts are clouded with Jimin’s behavior. There is something that is different about him and it bugs Chaerin. He have started to become more persuasive and indifferent. Out of his character as the gentle and caring Jimin that she adore most. Chaerin sigh.

‘Kreeekkk’

Chaerin, startled, look upon the door of the Kwon’s squeaky back door restaurant and quickly adjusted her posture and puts up a blank face. Jiyong notices Chaerin through the corner of his eyes and walk towards the garbage bin. Not acknowledging her presence. Same as him, she too pretends to be occupy with her phone.

“You’re not going over to his place?”

She turn her attention on him much to her surprise that he starts talking to her.

“Eavesdropping your hobby now?”

Jiyong scoff and move to sit next to her. Chaerin moves away, widening their gap. With a smirk, he lights a ciggarate and Chaerin coughs, irritated by his disrespectful act.

“Can you not?”

“Sue me.”

He pursue to blow the smoke upwards and Chaerin rolls her eyes at him.

“As an athlete, you know that this is not good for you”

“Just as an athlete? I think for human generally and worst for second hand smoker”

Both communicate but without looking at each other. Chaerin rolls her eyes and scorned.

“Thank god Jimin is not a smoker”

Jiyong turn to her and let out a big laugh while Chaerin frown at his irritating act.

“I hate smokers”

“Yeah well, doesn’t seem like it when you were with dad the other day”

“Yeah… well, not your dad obviously…”

Chaerin clears .

“What you mean is, you hate me right?”

“Yes”

Without hesitation, Chaerin quickly replied.

“Hypocrite”

“Yah!”

“You’re so full of Chaerin”

“What’s your problem? What gives you the right to speak to me that way?

Chaerin stood up while he lays his back on the wall comfortably watching her as if there is nothing going on. Every time he is present, she felt suffocated and annoyance to the level of wanting to strangle him. They stare deep into each other’s eyes. Chaerin is heaving in her position as Jiyong inhale deeply and exhale heavily at her.

“Urgh! Pig!”

She stomps inside leaving Jiyong alone with his cigarettes. A few moment after, he stare at cancer stick and smile inwardly as he lit it off.

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

“Unnie, I hate her~”

“What else did he do this time?”

Bom, whom is Chaerin step sister, listens attentively while Chaerin complain on the other end of the phone.

“Yah, since when does Jimin starts to smoke?”

“Not Jimin, Jiyong!”

“Since when do you guys hang? Weren’t you guys are like each other’s nemesis?”

“Urghh… unnie.. Have you been listening to me?!”

Bom scratches her head. This sister of hers is filled with rage. She hated Chaerin in the early marriage of Chaerin’s mother and her father. But over the years, the two bonded and have become inseparable although she is working in the states while Chaerin remains in Korea.

“Sometimes, to be honest, I don’t even know what you are saying”

“Unnieeeeee~~~~”

Mr Lee enters the living room area with both his hand occupied with a glass of coke and popcorn. He mouthed to Chaerin, asking who is on the phone.

“It’s Bommie unnie, hold on. Sis, dad wants to talk”

Mr Lee let Chaerin placed the phone to his ear while she did the same to hear what they are saying. He rolls his eyes at his daughter’s behavior.

”Hello my daughter from another mother and father”

“Hello my overly attached step dad”

“Yah!”

All three of them chuckles over Bom’s remarks.

“So? How are you? Have you forgotten your way to Korea? You know that your mom complains a lot about you only visiting home twice a year?”

“Who tells you?”

“Chaerin of course…”

Chaerin smiles. Sometime she wishes for all of them to just live together under one roof but that is highly unlikely to happen.

“I will dad, but not now, being a doctor is not easy. It is so hard to even take leave for my own self when I fall sick.”

“Yah, who told you to stay that far away from family.”

“Dadd~~ urgh.. can you put Chaerin back on the phone? She’s complaining about her boyfriend”

“What did that brat do to your sister?”

“Nothing. You enjoy your tv, I’ll be in the next room”

Chaerin quickly exit the room while her father faint ‘yah’ echoing in the back.

“Unnie!”

“Opps~ sorry”

“You know it’s hard enough for Jimin to win him over”

“He’s still doesn't like him huh?”

“Yeahhhhh”

Chaerin sigh.

“Aww, my poor baby…. Soon baby, soon”

“Urghh, he’s not like Seunghyun oppa, who manages to catch everyone’s heart in a blink”

“Yes. Only my love is able to be that”

“Eww, gross”

“Honey, you’re just jealous.”

“Omg, you are so annoying”

“That makes the two of us”

They chuckles and continue on to chit chat over so many other things before deciding to end the call. As soon as it ended, chaerin enters back to the living room and join Mr Lee who is watching his favorite sport, football.

“Urghh, why does everyone follows football like it is a religion?”

“Hmm?”

Obviously occupied with the tv, Mr Lee watch attentively as his team, Manchester United is leading the score. With boring eyes, Chaerin followed suit to watch it.

“Who’s the captain daddy?”

“Huh? It’s that guy, Michael Carrick”

“What’s his position?”

“Midfield”

“Hmm? But, Jiyong is midfield, why doesn’t he hold captain?”

“Umm… later honey, let me watch the game first”

Chaerin smile as she studies her dad behavior and wonder is her old man not keen on going to dates? almost every week he will stay home just to watch this confusing sport. It is only because Jimin play football does Chaerin go to his game as a supportive girlfriend.

“Omo! Kamchagiya!”

Chaerin shocked as her father suddenly leap forward celebrating an important win as he happily cheer.

“Dad!”

“Yessssss!!!!! We wonnnnnnn!”

“Is it the final?”

“No, honey, but it’s an i