*~*Chapter 4*~*

My phone buzzed inside my backpack pocket. I pulled it out. Jung Kook.

With a sigh, I silenced it and stuck it back in the pocket. It was the third time he had called today. Each time, I ignored it. I wasn’t ready to face him again after seeing his friend last night.

The ragged man standing at the stop of the stairs, glaring down at me, and the sour scent that enveloped me returned to mind.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and tried to focus my attention on the professor again.

It was around 1 p.m. when class let out, and I was famished. My stomach growled as I hurried along my way to the university’s main gate. I should buy a sandwich at the convenience store and eat it on the bus ride home.

But do I even have enough change to buy a sandwich?

I stopped in my tracks and searched through my backpack for my wallet. All I needed was just $2.

“Kyungi!”

My stomach lurched into a knot. I froze. That voice…it sounds like…

“Kyungi-ya!”

I looked up. And there he was: Jung Kook, with his platinum blonde hair; dark brown eyes; and bright, shining smile. All of him beaming at me cheerfully, waving his arms excitedly at me to get my attention.

How the heck did he find me? Don’t tell me Jae Hyuk told him I was here!

A few girls squealed in delight and pointed in his direction.

I abruptly about-faced and pretended to be engrossed with finding something on the ground.

Footsteps pounded against the pavement as he jogged towards me.

I dropped to my knee and fussed with my shoelaces.

“There you are!” he exclaimed as he reached me. “I’ve been trying to reach you all day!”

“Huh?” I pretended to be nonchalant as I squinted up at him. The sun was directly overhead. “Jung Kook?”

“You haven’t been ignoring my calls, have you?” he teased.

I cleared my throat and stood up. “Sorry; I’ve been in class all day,” I lied.

“Well, why don’t we go get something to eat? You must be starving.”

“No, I’m not hungry.” But as soon as those words left my lips, my stomach growled. Loudly. My eyes grew wide as I felt my face burning hot.

“Not hungry, eh?” he teased, looking at me with his eyes sparkling playfully. “Let’s go get something good to eat.”

I followed Jung Kook as he led us into a quaint little Italian restaurant nestled in the back roads somewhere nearby the university. 

“I never even knew this place existed,” I muttered under my breath as the waiter seated us at our table.

“This is one of my favorite places to go,” Jung Kook answered as he picked up the menu and scanned the list.

I surveyed the small, quiet restaurant. Everything was decorated in a homey fashion, with wooden chairs and tables, cream tablecloths, and tea light candles in the center. The lighting was low, giving the place a romantic aurora in the dim orange glow.

“Order anything you want,” he said.

“I don’t even know where to start,” I mumbled as I picked up the menu. 

“Let’s start with the melanzane alla parmigiana.”

“What’s that?”

He smiled. “It’s an eggplant appetizer topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil.”

“Oh, that sounds good.”

“What about for the entrée?”

“Umm…” I scanned the list. There was an overwhelming amount of dishes to read. “Well, since you’ve been here before, I’ll trust whatever you order.”

He laughed. “Okay,” he said. “Let’s order one cream pasta and one tomato pasta.”

“Sure.”

So he called the waiter over and ordered a sedanini ala something and a fettuccine something with vodka. I couldn’t quite catch the Italian names, but Jung Kook reassured me they were good.

“I trust you,” I said, to which he laughed in response.

While we ate, we talked about random things: where we grew up, where we studied, our likes and dislikes, everything except anything about his friend.

As the waiter was clearing our dishes after we finished the pastas, Jung Kook asked, “So what would you like for dessert?”

“I’m good; I’m pretty full,” I replied.

“So then ready to go to my friend’s place?” he asked. He must’ve seen my body stiffen up because he continued, “You’ll still take the job, right?”

“I, um…”

“Kyungi.” With that, he reached forward and clasped my hand between his. 

I looked at him in surprise. His hands felt so warm against mine. My heart raced.

“I know my friend doesn’t make the best first impressions, but he’s a really nice guy underneath all of that.” His eyes bore into mine, pleading, drawing me into their warm, brown pool. “He has a heart condition, and I don’t know how much longer he can last like this. Please, Kyungi, just take care of him until he gets better.”

I tried to pull my hand back, but he just held on tighter.

“Please?”

My heart thudded in my chest. Oh, goddamnit, Kyungi! How can you say no when such a handsome guy is begging you like this? I mean, just look at his big, brown eyes and his soft, luscious lips!

My eyes trailed down to his lips. I gulped. My face flushed, and I quickly averted my eyes. My body grew hot, and I wanted nothing more than to be away from him, afraid that he would feel the heat on my skin.

“Fine,” I mumbled.

“Oh, thank you, Kyungi, thank you!” he exclaimed, practically jumping out of his seat as he reached across the table and threw his arms around me in a big bear hug. “You’re the best!”

No, you’re the best, I thought as my body practically melted into a big puddle under his warm embrace.

I watched as the house pulled into view. It didn’t look as dark and gloomy as it did yesterday. But then again, the sun was shining brightly, and puffs of fluffy, white clouds were dotting the blue sky today.

I admired the house as we got closer. It actually looked pretty with its light, natural stone walls, large sun windows, and white, window panes. Almost like a dream…

As Jung Kook pulled into the driveway, I noticed that the grass and trees were still wet from yesterday’s storm, although both were long overdue for maintenance. The grass was almost knee tall, and the hedges and bushes looked in desperate need of a trim.

Once he parked the car, the two of us got out. The sound of birds chirping from the nearby trees greeted us while the sun toasted our skin lightly. It doesn’t look so scary now...

I followed Jung Kook as he led the way to the porch. As we approached, I looked up at the second-floor window where I had seen the shadow yesterday night. Only the dark burgundy curtain greeted me this time.

Jung Kook unlocked the front door and pushed it open. It creaked as it opened, just like last night. But this time, sunlight poured in through the doorway, causing the dust to dance like sparkles in the air. I noticed the floor was still wet from where I fell yesterday.

“Come upstairs with me,” Jung Kook directed.

I gulped and followed him without a word. As we made our way up the stairs, the angry voice from yesterday drifted through my mind. ‘I never asked for you to bring her here! Take her and LEAVE!’

Our footsteps echoed up the stairs. It sounded too loud compared to the quiet and calmness of the house. At last, we reached the top step.

“In here,” Jung Kook directed. He pushed open the first door on the right. The strange stench from yesterday overpowered me. This time it was stronger, more putrid. 

I tried to limit my breathing by taking light breaths. I was afraid I would gag if I breathed normally.

The room laid shrouded in darkness. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I noticed a large mahogany closet to the right of the door. On the right wall and directly across from the door were windows, both covered with the same dark burgundy curtain I had seen from outside. Between the two windows was a single chair, piled thick with dust. And to the left side of the room was a large, king-size canopy bed.

There on the bed was the disheveled man I had seen yesterday. I could hardly make him out among the rumpled sheets.

“You have a guest,” Jung Kook announced.

His foot twitched, but he didn’t move.

“She’s here to help you.”

“There’s nothing for her to do,” the man spoke, his voice surprisingly deep. His words were muffled partly by the sheets his face was buried in.

“Get up, RM. She’s here to take care of you.”

“I don’t need anyone to take care of me!” he snapped.

“Maybe we should leave,” I said, taking a step back.

“No,” Jung Kook said. “Just go downstairs.”

“O—okay.” I turned away and hurried towards the steps, glad to get away from the overpowering stench. What is that smell anyway?

The man’s wild, tangled hair; untamed beard and mustache; and tattered clothing came to mind.

I gasped, covering my mouth with both hands, as the realization hit me. I looked back at the bedroom door, my stomach lurching into my throat. It’s his body odor!

I groaned, suddenly feeling sick to my stomach. How long has it been since he last showered?

I stumbled down the steps, my hands still cupped over my mouth. Nausea overwhelmed me. I burst through the front door and gasped for fresh air. How can anyone let himself fall so low?

I gulped down big breaths of air, eager to let the freshness clean out my nose and lungs. My eyes fell upon the overgrown grass and bushes. I looked back into the house: at the dust, at the dead bouquet, at the cobwebs.

How did it all get like this? How did he become like this, not giving a damn about the world or himself?

After a few more minutes, Jung Kook finally came downstairs. He saw me sitting outside.

“Are you okay?” he asked as he took a seat beside me.

I looked at him. “How can you stand it?” I asked.

“Stand what?”

“The smell!”

Jung Kook looked insulted, but he quickly wiped the look off his face. “I got used to it.”

I looked at him, wanting to say something, ANYTHING, but nothing came out.

“Kyungi…” he said. 

I looked at him. 

He sighed and looked away. “RM, he’s been through a lot. You know, he was never like this before. He had always been so happy and full of life.”

“So what happened?” 

Jung Kook’s eyes darkened. His tone of voice suddenly changed. “She left him. She left him just two days before their wedding.”

I looked back towards the house, my mind returning to the tattered man lying face down on the bed. The man who didn’t even bother to move when we entered his room.

“It broke him… While everything in the world moved on, he’s just stuck in the past. Just reliving the day she left him, over and over again.”

I looked back at Jung Kook, my heart aching at his words. I could see how much it pained him to see his friend like this. “So this…this heart ailment you mentioned before…you meant that he was heartbroken?” I asked.

He nodded. “I just want my friend back, Kyungi. I don’t want this…this thing living in his place!”

He looks so helpless, so lost…

Without thinking, I reached out and took his hand into mine. 

He looked at me in surprise. 

“I don’t like seeing you like this,” I said, giving his hand a light squeeze. “I prefer your smile.”

He smiled slightly, the pain still in his eyes. “You can help me, right, Kyungi?” he pleaded. “I only need you to care for him, to take care of his place until he can find himself again.”

“How can I do that?” 

“When he sees that life still goes on, he might want to change himself. He might become himself again.”

I bit my bottom lip. “I don’t know…I’m just a normal girl…”

“Please, Kyungi. I just need you to clean his place and care for him for the time being; he just needs to see that life goes on. And I’ll double your pay for it if you want me to! No questions asked!”

“You don’t need to—”

“Kyungi.” Jung Kook turned and faced me full on. “The moment I saw you in that restaurant, I couldn’t help but think to myself that this might be the girl to save RM. So please…” His eyes pleaded me, staring into mine, as if the answer laid in there somewhere. “If not for him, then for me?”

I gulped. Please don’t look at me like that! You don’t know what a hold you have on me!, my mind screamed.

At last, I sighed. “Fine. For your friend,” I said even though I had no idea how I was even going to be of help.

“Thank you, Kyungi! Thank you!” he exclaimed, throwing his arms around me and hugging me tight. “You’re a lifesaver!”

My heart melted into his arms again. “Sure, no problem,” I mumbled.

Boy, doesn’t feel familiar? I’m going to be in trouble if I keep getting easily swayed like this.