invisible

Chapter Eight

“Just leave me alone. I just want to be alone.”

Hitomi sighed, “Why?”

“Why not? Why can’t you just leave me alone? I’m giving you what you want!” Chaewon shouted.

Hitomi gulped.

“So treat me like I’m invisible just like how everyone else does!”

The cat on Chaewon’s lap was startled by her shout and jumped off her lap.

Hitomi sighed, “Why are you being like this?”

“Why do you care? Just get the hell away from me!”

Hitomi couldn’t take it anymore. She scoffed, “I’m not going to ignore you just because you want me to!”

“You can’t keep telling me to leave then come back asking for my help! I don’t want to leave you! I’m going to help you because I want to and there’s nothing you can do to push me away!”

“Yah! Bread face-

“YOU ARE NOT THE BOSS OF ME, KIM CHAEWON!”

Chaewon gulped, speechless. And then they both looked at each other, not saying anything.

“HAVE YOU HAD YOUR BREAKFAST YET?!” asked Hitomi, still shouting.

Chaewon shook her head, “No-Not yet.”

“GET INSIDE AND SHOWER WHILE I PREPARE BREAKFAST FOR US!”

“O-Okay,” Chaewon scrambled to her feet and ran inside the guesthouse.

Once Hitomi went back inside, Yena was staring at her with a weird look on her face. She was sitting at the counter with an empty plate of her leftover sandwich.

“Yah Tomi,” she called.

“What’s up?”

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yes. I’m the one who should be asking that to you, unnie. That sandwich you ate was from 2 days ago!”

“Don’t change the topic! I saw you out there. Why were you talking to yourself?” she asked.

Hitomi sighed and knocked Yena’s head with her knuckles.

“Hey! Why you did that?”

“Try to remember that thing you forget! I don’t want to explain it to you again. It’s tiring!”

**

Hitomi brought two cups of coffee and four slices of freshly toasted bread in a tray. She opened the door of her room and found Chaewon sitting on the floor. She had already cleaned up and looked much better.

Hitomi opened the small folded table and put it in front of her. And then she put their tray of breakfast on the table.

“Here, coffee and toast,” said Hitomi, handing over her cup and toasts.

“I’m sorry for shouting at you this morning,” she added.

“Whatever,” said Chaewon before picking up the cup in front of her. She began sniffing at the aroma of the drink.

“What is this?” she asked.

“Instant coffee, why?”

“Eww, instant coffee? Eww.”

Hitomi raised an eyebrow, “What’s wrong with instant coffee?”

Chaewon put the cup back on the table and shook her head, “How can anyone drink instant coffee?”

“Umm, why not?”

“It’s instant. Coffee should be properly ground and brewed, not packed in plastic and mixed with sugar and stuff,” she added.

Hitomi took a sip from her cup and smiled.

“But it tastes great. So your argument doesn’t matter.”

“How can it taste good? You’re lying.”

“Really? Then you should try and see for yourself if I’m lying.”

“No way.”

“Have you even tasted instant coffee before?”

Chaewon shook her head, “No.”

“Then you should try it!” Hitomi persuaded and pushed the cup closer to her.

Chaewon looked at the cup in front of her, gulping. The aroma was inviting but she was holding back because of her pride.

Someone like her doesn’t simply drink instant coffee. She’s Kim Chaewon.

**

Chaewon put down her empty cup on the table. She noticed Hitomi was watching her with her teasing smirks but she ignored her. She never knew instant coffee tasted good.

“Why were you sitting alone at the front porch?” asked Hitomi suddenly.

“I was just sitting on the chair and petting the cat.”

“Cat huh?”

Then silence filled the atmosphere.

“It’s the drama script reading tomorrow,” said Chaewon, breaking the silence.

“If I didn’t turn up tomorrow, they will replace me with another actress. Maybe to some talentless idols who say their lines with only one expression through 16 episodes,” she added.

Hitomi glanced at her.

“I’m going to lose the role. They can’t cast someone who is invisible,” Chaewon continued with a laugh.

Hitomi cleared , “Hmm maybe Dr. Kang will give us a call today. She might be able to fix this…”

“Stop trying to make me feel better, bread face. We both know she’s a fraud.”

Hitomi kept mum.

Chaewon sighed, “Why am I invisible? Why? I don’t get it, why me?”

“I haven’t seen myself for a week! It’s already a torture that I’m invisible to others, but I’m invisible to myself too?! This is too cruel! What did I do to deserve this?!”

“I can’t see myself in the mirror… I forgot how I look like…”

“You’re beautiful,” said Hitomi all of the sudden.

Chaewon looked up and their eyes met.

“You look beautiful as always, so don’t worry,” repeated Hitomi with an awkward smile.

Chaewon didn’t say anything; she just stared at Hitomi with no expression. Suddenly, she pushed the small table aside and moved closer to Hitomi.

“What’s wrong?”

Chaewon grabbed Hitomi’s arms and she moved to her until their knees touched. Her eyes were still fixed on her.

“C-Chaewon, what are you doing?”

Chaewon didn’t say anything as she cupped Hitomi’s face. She firmly held her face as she inched her face closer to hers.