Chapter 7

“It is not your fault, you have done nothing but love and care for him, he’s just too blind to see it”

“I love him”

Jiyong felt a stinging pain through his heart but he shrugs it off.

“Loving someone like that will only hurt you further”

“I don’t know if I am able to love someone again”

“You will, you just need to love yourself first. No matter how much you cry, remember that, JImin and Minah are somewhere having the time of their life.”

Chaerin sniffs. Jiyong is right, her senses starts kicking in. Chaerin already prepared to break off with Jimin but the way it happened is not something that she was expecting. She imagined to have yell at him and probably throw a slap or two at Jimin together with the homewrecker, but intead, she is the one feeling devastated right now. It’s so pathetic.

“You are right. I am one pathetic human being.”

Chaerin finally stops. She sniffs and wipes her tears on his shirt only to realize their position right now.

“I-I’m sorry”

“It’s okay”

Jiyong pretend to fix his jacket while Chaerin pretended to find a tissue in her bag which is drenched.

“”

She utters in her coarse voice.

“I think we can get out from here since the rain has died down”

“Mmmm”

They exited the phone booth and Chaerin quickly reached the hem of his shirt.

“Umm, thanks”

Jiyong just look at Chaerin in her puffy eyes and soaking wet. When Jiyong doesn’t say anything, she turned around to make way to the bus stand.

“Where are you going?”

“The bus stand”

“You’re coming with me, I’ll drop you off”

Jiyong grab her wrist once more and again, Chaerin didn’t resist.

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

Jiyong was only going to drop her off, but she insisted for him to enter their premise. Chaerin feel the need to attend to him for what he has done this evening. It suddenly rain heavily again and Jiyong thinks that he would wait for the rain to subside in a bit.

“There, make yourself comfortable”

Chaerin points at the living room. Jiyong just nod. He followed her figure until she went upstairs before he takes off his wet jacket. He don’t want to sit down as it would stain the sofa, so he pace around looking at the surrounding and notice a picture of Chaerin when she was little, smiling beside her dad.

“Jiyong, I’ve informed dad about you being here. Take off your clothes”

Jiyong’s eyes widen.

“Yah, I mean, go and take a shower, here. Use it, dad asked me to. Don’t worry”

Chaerin passes him the clothing attire.

“Here, use this guest room, it has its own bathroom and just leave your clothes in the basket okay?”

Chaerin walk away from him after talking to Jiyong normally like nothing happened before.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Hmmm”

Chaerin turn to face him back.

“You look…. Okay”

Chaerin smile with bitterness.

“I can’t keep crying right? Hurry up and take a shower before you catch a cold”

“You too. You look much worst then me”

“Yah!”

Jiyong smile before he closes the guest room door. Chaerin rolls her eyes and make her way upstairs to her room.

After a while, Chaerin make her way downstairs and try to locate Jiyong. When she can’t find him anywhere, she proceeds to knock on the guest room door. After not getting any reply, she conveys a warning before opening the guest room carefully. Not wanting to have any incident of Jiyong being or anything. She opens up and sees Jiyong lying on the bed, curling as he sleeps.

Slowly, Chaerin reaches for the basket and bring his clothes to the laundry room, washing it. Then she continues going to the kitchen, taking out several ingredients from the fridge to prepare for dinner. She makes stew so that the cold won’t catch them and while she was in the middle of cooking, she remembers that Jiyong was sleeping without any blankets on. Chaerin conscience is kicking in, so she lowers down the fire to simmer her stew.

 Chaerin twist the doorknob carefully not wanting to disturb Jiyong who is asleep. She takes out the blanket and covers him with while she increases the air conditioner’s temperature to 25. She shakes her head, they were just drenched in rain just now and here lays Jiyong in this icy cold room. As she glances at him, Chaerin have the urge to feel his forehead, just to confirm that his temperature is stable. So she moves to his side and kneel on the floor.

“What are you doing?”

“Kamchagiya!”

Jiyong rubs his eyes and look over the startled Chaerin.

“Were you trying to take advantage of me?”

His husky voice is heard.

“Hell no, I want to feel…”

“You want to feel me? Damn lady”

He cuts her off and sits up on the bed.

“Urghh! Just sleep!”

“Wait”

Jiyong grab her wrist.

“How long was I asleep”

“Not too long, about 40ish minutes”

“Oh”

He scratches his head. Chaerin went back to the kitchen because the longer she stays in the room, the more awkward she feels.

Not long after that, Jiyong join her in the kitchen while yawning as he makes his way in.

“What are you doing?”

“Painting”

She replied sarcastically. Jiyong scoff and went to the kitchen counter and sit on it, he monitor Chaerin cooking silently next to him.

“Can you move? Sit properly at the living room”

Chaerin is actually nervous having him in the kitchen, she’s suddenly feel clueless on what she has to do next.

“It’s quiet there”

“Just turn the tv on..”

She replied without looking at him while Jiyong continue to watch her attentively.

“What?”

Chaerin start to feel uneasy having him stare at her like that.

‘What?”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Your eyes swell like crazy”

“Yeah whatever”

“I can’t see your eyeballs”

“Urghhh”

She frowns and Jiyong smile inwardly.

“Is your cooking edible?”

He continues to .

“Yah, if you think you’re better, than you do it”

She shoves the ladle to his face with much annoyance.

“Jesus Chaerin, what a mood”

He takes the ladle and begins to stir the stew. Jiyong took a sip. Chaerin nervously waits for his reaction. Jiyong shows a blank face.

“Hmm”

He gesture his hand indicating her cooking is just so-so.

“Seriously?”

“Did you forget that this is what our restaurant specialized in? You left out couple of ingredients. Here put this in a little bit and have a taste after”

Jiyong pass her few ingredients and Chaerin reluctantly follow. She does exactly what he asked her.

“So?”

“You’re right”

Chaerin replied in awe. She smile at him and he smile back. Then they fell into silence again.

“Umm, about just now, thank you”

“Hmm”

He nod and continue watching her stir the stew.

“It’s embarrassing”

“What is?”

“Me.. crying in the rain like a pathetic being, just as what you’ve said. You’re right. I am a pathetic girl who often dreams of a happy ending when I should be in the know that happy ending exist in fairy tales.”

“Now you just wanting sympathy”

“I am not!”

“Yes, that’s exactly what you are doing. happens, so get over it”

Chaerin rolls her eyes and place the ladle harshly inside a bowl next to the stove.

“You know what’s your problem Jiyong?”