You Remind Me of Her

Warmth Lies Within

After leaving the company. I was driving the car with Mina not knowing where should I go other than our house. 

Just as I was about to ask her she beat me and suddenly talked. "Ahmm... Chaeyoung, could you drop me at work? Because I have a shift in 15 min if you don't mind." She said it while looking down at her hand that she placed on her lap.

"Sure, I am in the right way to there. I didn't know that you had a shift today. Sorry for dragging you with me to the company."  Just as I finished my sentence, she lifts her head fast facing me while I am focusing on the road. I can say she got frustrated by my sentence. 

"Oh no please don't be sorry. I came with you willingly and my job really flexible and fun to do. Customers are really polite so when I am working I don't feel tired, to be honest. Are you going home after dropping me?" I didn't answer her and instead, I said, " there we go, we are here. That was quick. Good thing that the bookstore is near our house. I will be dropping you everytime you have a shift. Let's go." I took off my seat belt without waiting for her response and went out to the car. I looked and she was still not moving so I quickly went her way and opened the door. She flinched upon my action. "Come on, let's go before you be late for your shift." I wanted to offer my hand but I feel like it will be too much for her. She probably not accustomed to my actions yet. You can say I am more of a gentleman. Because of that a lot of girls tried to confess to me before in the US but I didn't give a chance to anyone to do so. I don't know how to deal with rejections and I don't like to break people hearts.

She went out and I lead the way inside. Then when we reached the cafe inside, she stopped walking and I can tell that she was looking at me from behind as I feel her stares. I turned around facing her and waiting to see what she's going to say.

"So... Ahmm... I will go to my shift now, it's only 4 hours so I should be fine" Even after saying that she stayed in her position staring at me as if waiting for me to say something. I guess she wants to know what am I going to do now that she will go to work her shift.

"Okay Minari, you go have fun and I will be hanging around the library until you finish your shift. You probably will find me somewhere sitting away from reality with a book lol. So I will leave, for now, see you later Minari ~."

I left her just like that and went to search around for a book to read. I glanced toward the cafe just to make sure she's there. And she's indeed moving around. That's good.

There was a lot of books to read. Honestly, even though I am not the romantic type of person, but I love romance stories but I it always cringes me though. Anyway, while I was walking I saw the Jitzu book on one of the shelves. Well, let's just say I want to discover more about this book. It gives me sad vibes and painful feeling. It doesn't seem that the author was able to accomplish anything regarding his/her love story. It's more like running toward a door that won't open to you, even though the author seems competitive enough. Two poems are more than enough for me to discover the upcoming poems as I have a wide experience with reading books. I am more like a detective, I like to dig information and analyze books a lot. 

I was about to take one, but my height betrayed me T.T and I can't seem to reach it. Then I tiptoe and tried to at least reach the corner of the book when suddenly a hand popped out of nowhere and snatched one of the books away from me. I turned around and saw the book in front of me being handled by a girl whose smiling warmly on my face. Then she spoke, "if I am not mistaken, you want this book right?" and she looked at the direction of the book in her hands. "There you go, I saw you struggling, that's why I decided to help you. My height is not better but I guess high-heels indeed are beneficial in something hehe."

The girl looked so uniquely different. He body shape is beautiful than those Barbie dolls. As I can see, all girls these days looks the same to me, it's almost impossible to me to tell some girls apart sometimes. She's not chubby and not that stick skinny as well. Her body is perfectly layout. 

I giggling upon hearing her talking about high-heels cause I indeed hate to wear it so much and she's the first one to make a use for it indeed, where I thought that I won't even understand the point of wearing it. I took the book quickly from her hand and smile. "Thank you, I was trying to get it but my height didn't help much." We both giggled a little when she said. "you're more than welcome." 

I thought that our conversation will end there but she starts talking again. "Have you read this book before or it's your first time?" I guess this will be a good way to pass time and make some friends maybe. So I decided to go with the flow. "It's actually not my first time. I start reading it yesterday. I only get to see two poems so far. What about you?"

The girl seems happy somehow. Then she surprised me with her answer. "I have read the whole book multiple time without getting bored. You can say the poems are graved within my soul." She chuckled on her own words.

Wow, she already read the whole thing. My face probably says it all. It's considered fairly a new book. I am surprised that she read it all. 

"How about we go and sit in the cafe there and continue our conversation if you don't mind." Well her invitation came on time. We can sit discuss the book as much as we want. It's the first time I find someone who has the same interests as me. I am not missing this chance. "Sure, let's go ahead there I don't have anything to do anyway for the next 4 hours."

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We sat down in the cafe somewhere away from the counter as it seems that there is a lot of people today for some reason. We were talking about the book for a while. She was listening carefully to my assumptions and it's not much cause I only read two poems so far.

Then she starts talking when I mentioned Mina analysis. Of course, I didn't mention Mina name but I just said what she thought when we were in our room. And she seems to react well to it. "It seems that your friend is quite smart to catch such analysis. But what do you think yourself about what she said." This girl seems to know something. The way she's talking about the matter makes her seems as if she knows the exact answers to all our questions. I want to see where this is going.

"Well, I would be lying if I said that I am not interested in author gender.  But what I am more caring about is the author satisfaction. It seems so daring and aiming to catch the persona that been mentioned in the poems. I feel it's going to end up painfully as I feel it's all talking about a real story. Otherwise, we all could have known the author face by now. I don't mind either way, but I am aiming to continue reading until the end." Now I can tell that her eyes soften with a sad sense to it. I just noticed how big her eyes are. Her clothes seem neat and professionally well made. Maybe she's a friend in our industry. 

I think I should introduce myself. "By the way, I am Son Chaeyoung. I am really glad to meet you. I haven't had a chance to sit down with someone and discuss a shared interested before. So thank you for such an opportunity." I smiled warmly at her. I don't like the painful look in her eyes. 

"Nice to meet you too Ms. Son. You can call me Jihyo. I had fun talking to you as well. It's been a long time since I talked to someone. By the way, didn't your four hours finished?" Oh, shoot, I looked at my phone and it 15 min away from Mina ends shift.

"Oh yeah that's true, I am going to put this book back to its place." I stood up and she did the same say, " I am coming with you as well. "

I reached the shelves and tried to put it back, but guess what, I couldn't. Then Jihyo suddenly took away the book from my hands and put it back while saying, "you remind me of someone who used to help me as well. Now thinking of it, that girl used to be beside me whenever I needed some help regarding height issues." she giggled on mentioning that person.

"Anyway Mrs. Son.."  before she continues I cut her and said, "please call me Chaeyoung." She smiled and continued her talk, "Alright Chaeyoung, I will leave you to do your things. If you come here often, then I will get to meet you again and maybe we would become good friends in future. See you." I smiled at her, thanked her for helping me and said my goodbye as well.

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I went back to the cafe and saw Mina getting out without her uniform. I guess they should have a locker somewhere for a worker to change and hide their uniforms.

"Welcome back Minari ~~." I said excitedly smiling at her face. She did the same smiling warmly in my face. "Let's go eat something before going back home. I bet you are hungry." I walked first and she followed behind me. We rode the car 

and I decided to stop in any decent restaurant near us.

I found one and entered the parking lot with my car to find a good spot and I was lucky to find one near the entrance door. We went inside and the waiter got us a table for two people. We sat down looked at the menu and literally ordered whatever sounds delicious to us as I can see that neither of us has a food experience outside.  

While waiting for the food and while the silence was about to swallow us Mina spoke. "I saw you sitting down with someone in the cafe while I was working. Was that one of your friends?" I see that she's not very happy with her question, maybe she thinks that it's not her position to ask. But that's a good sign. I want you to ask Minari, let's become a family, get attached to me, please.

"Oh yeah, the girl helped me get a book from a shelf as my height wasn't helping my hungry soul for reading. And after that, we end up sitting down talking about the book that you read in my room last night. She actually said that your assumption was smart. I guess most people think your way may be as it seems that the author is a girl. I am saying it because the girl didn't deny it herself. But yeah, it was fun, I didn't even feel the hours flying while talking together." Mina made an 'O' face and simply nodded to my response as the food seems to come to our table. 

Silent filled the atmosphere as we start digging in the food. We finished and after a long way of debate to pay for food, I won and paid for everything. 

I was driving home when I noticed a car was following us for a while. I wouldn't have made it a big deal but I just tried taking random turns here and there on the road and it indeed was following every step we took. I wanted to lose them as it's getting dark and I don't want any tragics to occur, not today, and not now. I took the highway immediately away from the house direction and immediately Mina noticed something wrong. I was going fast and they were following perfectly but they don't know yet my skills. I spend a lot of time racing cars in the US as they have a lot of those plays for people who love racing with cars. As soon as I was far enough, I took my way out of the highway to private ways and directly going back home in different directions. I successfully reached home safely and parked the car. As I unlocked my seat belt, I faced Mina who is frozen in her position. "Mina" I called calmly with a low voice. But I didn't get any response from her. I called again with the same tone twice. Still no sign of her moving. I reached my hand to touch her shoulder and she snapped out to reality and jumped by the cause of my hands touching her. Her head was facing me with wide open eyes. "Are you okay?" I asked and her next words shocked me. "I I-I caantt mooove..." her words were shaking with fears. I was confused. Did I scare her with my speed? It was so inconsiderate of me not to inform a single thing about the situation. "Don't worry Mina, everything is okay, I am here, you are here and that's our house. Now let's go." I went out of the car and went her side and opened the door. I leaned closer to her and offered my hands for her to grab.

She barely moved her right hand to grab mine. I pulled her slowly toward me and I was able to make her move. She grabbed my hand tightly and woke heavily with each step. I closed my car while walking with her carefully. I made her sit in the living room to take her breath. I ran to the kitchen and took a glass of water for her and ran back. I handed the cup to her. She took it and drank it with her unstable hands. I am so concerned right now. It's not like she doesn't like cars in general. because she would have reacted like that before. I can't tell what's going on right now. I took the cup from her hand and placed it on the table. After that, I sat beside her while patting her back gently for her to calm down. 

We stayed like that for a while until I felt her body relaxing again which made me sign in relief. "Are you okay now?" She nodded with no sound. I want to ask more, but I don't know why I can't let myself do so. "Sorry Mina for what happened. There were people following us for a while and I was trying to lose them as you know it was already dark and I had to make a good decision for both of our safety." It seems that I was able to snap her to reality as she turns in surprise facing me. "There were people following us?" She asked with shocked and concern look. "Yeah Minari~~, I had to lose them, we are two girls in this house and I don't want anything bad to happens whatsoever. That's why I did what I did without saying a word. So are your really okay now?"

I saw Mina body soften a little. "I am okay now, sorry to make you worry. I just don't like speed car. Actually, I am not good with cars at all. But when it comes to speed I can't control myself." She said those words with a big pain in her eyes. I can see those watery eyes of yours Minari. I won't push you yet. I will wait until you tell me yourself what's happening in your mind. "I am glad to hear you are okay. Do you need me to help you go to your room?." She shook her head and stood up and I did the same standing on my feet facing her. "No, thank you Chaengie, I will get going to take a shower and relax in bed probably." I smiled while nodding slowly to her statement. She headed toward her room and I went to face the window that shows the main road. The house windows are all shaded and no one can see what's inside unless you look the opposite way facing the outside. That's a big advantage to us and a good safety plan. I love my parent's detective mind. It didn't take me long to notice the car that was standing near our home. And I can tell that it is the same car that was following us. This is not good at all. I have to do something. My detective mind telling me that there is a big deal behind this. I need to dig some answers and do my moves before it's too late. 

I remained in my position watching the car. When the outside becomes dark, the car left slowly fading away from my sight. I signed in relief and decided to go check on Mina. 

I went upstairs and knocked softly on the door, but I got no response from her. I decided to enter the room and check for myself. By taking gentle steps inside the room, I looked around and saw a body laying on the bed. I went near her and saw her exhausted body sleeping deeply. I decided to stay in the room with her. I went out the room to my parents one and grabbed a blanket with a pillow. I went back to Mina room and placed the big blanket on ground half of it to lay on and the other half to cover myself with. I put the pillow on it and lay down carefully with no sounds. My body is still tired and need sleeps. I fought with my weak body that was trying to stay alarmed for anything but I failed as I was gone after that to dreamland. I should be good because I am not a heavy sleeper, I would be able to wake up if I heard the slightest move. Tomorrow is coming, and I am ready to do some actions to figure what's going on. My Mina is a priority, I won't allow anything to happen to either of us, especially her. 

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Author Note:

Finally I finished my finals. I am so tired from all classes I had. I manged to write this chapter. While I was studying I was able to develop most of the character stories. So expect to see more characters poping out in the next chapters. Hope you enjoy. 

Thank you all for the comments and votes I really appreciate it. 

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So_Dry
Do you guys prefer me putting who's point of view I am talking about each block?

Comments

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jeybeee
1521 streak #1
Chapter 30: TZUYU! U SNEAKY GIIIIRL WAAAAH dinner date, huh??
324Tzusha_taiyu423
#2
<33
jeybeee
1521 streak #3
Chapter 29: Ow, what happens to nabongs now?
jeybeee
1521 streak #4
Maybe I'm missing this story so I commented...
jeybeee
1521 streak #5
Maybe I'm missing this story so I commented...
jeybeee
1521 streak #6
Chapter 28: Oof. High school lovers❤️ ehe
Luxzie
#7
Chapter 27: Yay Jitzu finally makes an appearance :o
jeybeee
1521 streak #8
Chapter 27: You could've gave us a more JiTzu moment if Tzuyu would've been upfront but heh, I love the chase
neccar 146 streak #9
Chapter 27: JiTzu was... weird. But I'm interested what is going to happen next. Glad that you aren't dead!
jeybeee
1521 streak #10
When's the JiTzu? Asgsgahah