*~*Chapter 2*~*

Another day, another week without customers.

I sighed as I surveyed the empty restaurant. How are we ever going to survive if this continues?

My eyes trailed to the dark clouds hanging low outside. It was going to start raining any minute now, and Jae Hyuk still hasn’t come back home yet. Where the heck is he, anyways? I have an interview to get to.

My eyes fell upon the Pikachu bathroom key. My heart skipped a beat upon remembering Jung Kook talking to me at the counter. I remembered the way he smiled, the way his soothing voice enveloped me, the way his eyes twinkled as he spoke. He was beautiful, perfect. 

I gulped and averted my eyes. I never did call him. He probably gave me his business card as a joke. I mean, come on, what handsome guy in his right mind will be interested in a girl like me?

I glanced at the handkerchief, freshly laundered and folded neatly next to the bathroom key, as if waiting for its rightful owner to return.

The bell over the door dinged, and Jae Hyuk finally strolled in.

“There you are!” I scolded as I jumped to my feet. “You’re late! You said you’ll be here by 4:30!”

“So what if I’m late?” Jae Hyuk retorted. “It’s not like we ever have customers here anyways.”

“Do I need to remind you of the day Yubi came?”

“Blah blah blah. Just go.”

I glared at him before stepping out from behind the counter. “Tell Mom and Dad I’ll be back right after my interview!”

Jae Hyuk waved to signal he heard me before I dashed out the door.

It was around 6pm when I arrived back at the restaurant.

I stopped short when I walked in through the doors and saw a customer eating at a table near the register. His back was towards me, but I instantly recognized the platinum blonde hair. My heart leapt into my throat.

Jung Kook! What’s he doing here?!

When he heard the bell over the door, he looked over his shoulder, and a smile split across his face the moment he saw me. “Ah, Kyungi!” he exclaimed and got to his feet.

Where the heck is my family?

I fell back a step, glancing towards the kitchen. Three pairs of eyes peeked out from behind the kitchen door, watching us in silence.

What the heck are they doing?!

I looked back at Jung Kook right as he pulled me into a tight hug, rooting me to the spot. My heart raced. Why is he acting as if we’re on friendly terms?

“I’m so glad that you’re here; your family said you stepped out for a moment,” he said as he pulled back, his eyes studying my face. I couldn’t help but notice how they sparkled in the light.

I stared blankly at him, unable to find my voice.

He continued smiling at me. “I came for my handkerchief; I waited all week for you to call, but you never did,” he explained.

“Oh…” I croaked.

‘Oh?’ Is that all you can say right now?!

“There you are!” my dad’s voice split through the air as he pretended to stroll out of the kitchen nonchalantly, quickly followed by my mom and brother, like they all hadn’t been watching from behind the kitchen door this whole time. “He came in here asking for you. Do you know him, Kyungi?”

Jung Kook smiled and bowed to them before introducing himself. “I’m Jun Jung Kook; I ate here last week with the crew.”

“Ah! I remember now!” my mom exclaimed. “You were with Park Yubi’s group!”

He flashed his dazzling smile. “Yes, I was, ma’am.”

I could practically see my mom swooning under his smile.

“So, are you an actor?” Jae Hyuk asked, eyeing him suspiciously “…Because I’ve never seen you on TV before.”

I gasped and slapped his arm. “I can’t believe you just said that to him!” I scolded him under my breath.

Jung Kook only laughed in response.

“So what brought you here?” my dad cut in. He was always the type to get straight to the point.

“Ah, well, I noticed that Kyungi was looking for a job that night…”

What? He noticed?!

I looked at him in surprise.

His eyes sparkled as he steadied his gaze on me. He was enjoying my surprise.

“Well, in case you haven’t noticed, she’s too short and ugly to be an actress,” Jae Hyuk butted in, “so she can’t help you there.”

I glared at him. My mom pinched him on the arm. Hard.

“OW! What are you pinching me for? It’s the truth!” he whined as he rubbed the spot where she had pinched him.

God, why is this happening right now with my family? 

Jung Kook chuckled.

“Don’t listen to him,” my mom apologized. She threw an arm around my shoulder and grinned at him. “My daughter here, she may look like this now, but she’s a really beautiful girl once you clean her up!”

“Mom,” I muttered under my breath.

Jung Kook’s smile widened. “I’m sure she is.”

“If you’re interested, she’s single too!”

“Mom!”

“Honey,” my dad said in a deep, warning voice.

She ignored him and continued on. “If you want, you can take her out for a date tonight. Just promise to have her back before 12. And don’t do anything…unwanted towards her.”

“MOOOMMMM~~~” Oh, my God. I can’t believe she just said that. I seriously wish I wasn’t here right now!

She laughed and let me out of her grip. “Okay, okay. I’ll let you handle your own affairs.”

Jung Kook chuckled. I could tell he was enjoying my family’s embarrassing theatrics. “Actually, I was just asking her if she’ll like a job,” he explained.

“A job?!” my family and I exclaimed together.

“What kind of job?” my dad demanded, his eyebrow rising in suspicion. “It’s not some kind of illegal, underground job, is it?”

Oh, God. Why does my family always have to think those kinds of thoughts?

“Dad,” I muttered under my breath.

Jung Kook only smiled. “Don’t worry,” he said. “It’s more of a hospice care job.”

“Hospice care?!” we all echoed.

“No,” my dad cut in abruptly. “Kyungi is not trained for that kind of job, and besides, we need her here.”

“It’ll pay $3,000 a month,” Jung Kook continued.

My mom gasped and grabbed my arm. She fell back a step and leaned on me for support.

“You’re not gonna secretly pimp her out, are you?” Jae Hyuk butted in. “I mean, she’s kinda ugly for that.”

“Jae Hyuk!” my dad snapped.

“Sorry,” he muttered.

Dad looked Jung Kook squarely in the eyes. “No, you will not take my only daughter for a job that we don’t even know if it’s real or not,” he said firmly. “And besides, you’re better off getting a professionally trained person for that kind of job.”

“Well…the thing is…my friend’s heart ailment is pretty serious, and he has turned away every professional nurse I’ve tried to hire.”

“I need my daughter here with me.”

“She won’t even have to personally take care of him. It’s mostly just cooking and cleaning.”

“Then get a maid!”

Jung Kook’s eyes grew wide with surprise at my father’s curt response.

I looked back and forth between the two of them, trying to comprehend the situation. Why was my dad so against me leaving, and why was Jung Kook so intent on having me for that job?

“Honey,” my mother said and grabbed my father by the arm to try to calm him down.

“If you can’t see, my daughter is the only one I have helping out here. I can’t let her go work anywhere else!” he exclaimed.

“I’ll find someone else to come take her place then,” Jung Kook responded.

“She’s irreplaceable!”

“Dad,” I piped up, touching his arm gently. “It pays $3,000 a month.”

My father shot me a look.

“We’re struggling here, and this kind of money will go a long way to paying off our tuition bills. Besides, you two still have Jae Hyuk to look after. I promise I won’t let anything bad happen to me,” I reassured.

My father looked at me then at Jung Kook.

“Honey, he’s with Park Yubi,” my mother coaxed. “You know, Yubi, the actress. If he’s with her, he should at least be trustworthy.”

My father looked back at me. “Do you really want this job?”

“We need the money,” I explained.

He glanced at Jong Kook then back at me. “It’s your choice,” he said gruffly and walked away.

“Honey!” my mother called and followed him into the kitchen.

I looked back at Jung Kook. “I’ll take it. When can I start?”

A grin split across his pretty face. “Great! You can start tomorrow! Just call me when you’re ready, and I’ll come pick you up!”

“Let’s hope you don’t get pimped out,” Jae Hyuk muttered under his breath.

“Get lost, Jae Hyuk!” I snapped and pushed him towards the kitchen. “Go with Mom and Dad.”

Jung Kook looked at him as he laughed. “Don’t worry about your sister; I won’t let anything bad happen to her,” he said with a reassuring smile. He then turned to me and clasped my hands in his. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Jae Hyuk making a face and cringing in disgust. “Thank you so much for taking this job, Kyungi!” he exclaimed. “You don’t know how much this means to me! You have my number, right?”

“Yes, I do.” 

He grinned. “Great! So I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“Okay…”

With that, he turned his attention to Jae Hyuk and proceeded to pay for his meal. As Jae Hyuk went to ring it up at the register, Jung Kook turned back to me. “I’ll see you tomorrow then,” he said with a soft smile.

“Ah! What about your handkerchief?” I blurted out, suddenly remembering the reason why he said he had come here in the first place.

He grinned, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “Keep it so I can have an excuse to come find you again.”

My heart skipped a beat. I blushed.

With another smile, he bid us both farewell. I watched as he made his way to a black BMW parked outside. He looked over his shoulder, smiled when he saw me watching, and waved goodbye.

I waved back feebly, still in shock about everything that had happened tonight. Did Jung Kook really come back to the restaurant to offer me a job?

I watched as he pulled out of the parking lot and disappeared into traffic. 

Everything had happened so fast tonight, but I couldn’t help but feel excited. It was like a new chapter in my life was opening.