“Are these really necessa- Hey! Where are you going? You are going to come back here to carry all these or you’re out of my house, couch-surfer or not!” A loud voice echoed through the supermarket, causing everyone else to fall silent as their eyes start to search for the source of it, be it out of curiousity or for some, out of displeasure. A petite girl dressed in a winter coat of an unflattering red, black boots with an off-season cut and a generic, checkered scarf was the unexpected source of it all.

“She really shouldn’t be doing that”, “Gosh how unladylike”, “Is she cohabiting with that guy over there? Young people nowadays…”, “Do you think she is a lunatic?”…

While other shoppers mumbled their disapproval of her and doubts about her sanity, Geun Young quickly pulled up her hoodie to hide the cheeks that are now stained a red that even her coat cannot compete. She would have scurried away should she have the ability to lug these big bags of stuffs lying right there innocently by her feet.

Jogging towards her with his usual upbeat attitude was the root of her embarrassment.

“Are you upset? I just thought I should look around a bit more while you busy yourself. You should really learn to chill,” The lad in the his new coat and boots patted her shoulders and flaunted his boyish smile.

Shrugging his hands roughly off her shoulders, she mumbled just loud enough for him to hear through her gritted teeth, “Just get these bags back home and I’ll deal with you later.”

Geun Young’s POV

For some reason, he managed to guilt-trip me into bringing him along for my grocery shopping and in paying for his purchases, including the coat and boots, too. “Well you see, I lost my luggage on the way here, don’t know how I ended on your lawn and now I am injured (points to head) and have not a single cent on me. Life isn’t really going too well for me right not,” His well-enacted performance completed with a pair of puppy eyes that made me momentarily forget his past misdeeds was still fresh in my mind.

Now I can only silently curse myself for that moment of weakness.

“What did you think you were doing? Running off like that?”

“You could have carried those bags yourself,” The golden-haired guy said nonchalantly as he plopped down on the couch.

“Firstly, you had a share of those bags and in fact the majority of the stuffs in there are yours. Candies, cookies, soda and all that junkfood you bought. Don’t you feel responsible for at least carrying them?”

“But you looked like you can manage it,” He defended.

“Ugh! Look like- what? You- you-“, I was at a loss of words to deal with this inadequately socialized individual. In addition, such situation is not something I am used to. I am the kind that stayed out of trouble and has never been the one to start an argument. I am the kind of student that teachers write in their end-of-year reports as “nice”, “obedient” and “mild-tempered”. There was something about him that triggered the not-too-nice side of me and I hated him for being able to do. Needless to say, he is also frivolous, irresponsible and downright unpredictable which made me hate him more.

“All right. I get it that you’re upset. I’m sorry,” He apologized and attempted the puppy eyes strategy again. I looked away almost instinctively. “Well, I could-“

“Get a job”

“What?” He exclaimed. I admit I felt a rare sense of slight thrill in me for winning this childish fight. I had to bite my lower lip to hide the smile that was creeping up my lips.

“I said get a job. Well, a part-time job.  You can’t just live off me for twelve long days and it would be a good opportunity for you to learn responsibility. Before you get a job, all these are going to be out of your reach,” I said with a smirk while I locked away what he believed were his victory items in the kitchen cupboard. “And this time, you’re not getting the keys,” I added upon recollection of what happened earlier today before slipping the bunch of keys into my right pocket.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw him sink deeper into his seat and for the first time, I thought he looked a little defeated. Closing the bedroom door behind me, I finally gave in to the smile tugging at the corners of my lips despite the irrationality of me enjoying the scent of my immature victory.

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Till the next chapter then. (: