The temperature was getting colder. The sky began to turn to bright pink color as the sun was going down.

     Key kicked the small rock underneath his shoes. "Aish." He whined. "Where is she?"

     He'd been waiting at the school gate for almost an hour now. The school was getting emptied. Students rushed out, and even teachers had already left the building. Until now, there's no sign of HyoJin.

     Did SooHee try to pull a prank on me? He questioned himself. 

     "Well if she did, this is crossing the line." Key grumbled and stormed off from there.

 

*****

SooHee and her uncle were at the store since early this morning. It was Sunday so Soohee didn't have school. Whenever she had time, she'll come to the store to help her uncle. There were times when ChanJae told her not to come to the store too often. He wanted her to concentrate more on her studies, but SooHee still showed up.  She was not planning on being stubborn by not listening to her uncle. She felt happy if she can lend him a hand. ChanJae had reached his 50's. He's getting frail. SooHee can't imagine how to let him manage the store the whole day by himself. 

     "Appaa... help me." she pushed the vegetables away. "Eww..." she shivered.

     "What is it?" ChanJae dropped the bucket he held to the floor.

     She remained silent. She pointed her index finger to the vegetables on the table beside her.

     ChanJae raise one of his eyebrows unconsciously. He examined the vegetables. A worm came crawling out from under the vegetables. He grabbed the worms with his finger. "This?" he shoved it to her.

     "No..." She shifted from her spot. ChanJae laughed and kept on teasing her. He knew that worm is one of the animals that she hates the most.

     "Geumanhae." SooHee pushed his hand away. She did it so hard, the worm slipped from ChanJae's hand.

     Huh! Flying worm!   

     The worm eventually landed on a customer's face. He threw the worm aside and glared at SooHee.

     Oh no! Why does it have to be him?

     "You go." ChanJae left her there and walked to the back of the store.

     She sighed. "Yes can I help you?" SooHee forced a smile.

     JongHyun ignored her and peered around to find something or someone. When he saw ChanJae he moved to him.  He talked to him, more like discussing. ChanJae seemed excited.

     ChanJae left JongHyun to choosed what he wanted to buy. While waiting, her uncle prepared two boxes. He packed all the vegetables that had been chosen in the boxes. Soohee stared in confusion.

     Is he gonna buy all of that? It's almost half of what's left.

     "SooHee, help him carry those boxes to his house okay?" he asked, more like an ordered.

     "Can't he do it himself?" she whispered to her uncle.

      He responded with a smile. "He's a customer SooHee."

     "Okay." She lifted one box. "I'll be back soon." she waved to her uncle.

     "Gamsahamnida. Please come again." ChunJae politely thanked JongHyun.

     JongHyun picked up another box fill with vegetables and supported it with his chest.

     After they were a bit far from her uncle's store, JongHyun broke the silence. "See, you even have the blood of a servant in you."

     "Huh?" she frowned. "I don't understand."

     "Tell me," he paused. "What are you doing right now?"

     "Carried this box to your-" Before she finished her sentences, she realized what JongHyun was trying to say. "house." she said in her lowest tone.

     Then it was back to the moment where nobody talked.

     When are we going to reach his house?

     SooHee looked around to find some topics to talk to him.

     Vegetables.

     Whatever. She thought. At least I tried.

     "Why did you buy all of these?" she inquired him.

     "Why do you care?" he responded with a poker faced.

     Okay... that is not what i expected. SooHee disappointed.

     "My mother is making vegetable soup tonight." He blurted out. It caught SooHee's attention. "We're having a feast. Today is her birthday."

     "Only vegetables?" It slipped out from . "Oops." she bit her lower lips. Why did she ask that stupid question?

     He gave a sidelong look to her. "No." He denied it straightforwardly. "We have other dishes too."

     "But isn't two boxes is kind of... too much?" Up to now, her curiosity hasn't been answered yet.

     "We're giving it half to our neighbors."

     "Oh..." she understood.

    They've been walking for more than 12 minutes now but still no sign of his house. SooHee's arms started to feel numb. She re-positioned the box several times.

     "Can we stop for a while?" SooHee pleaded.

     "Sure." he said.

     SooHee put down her box that she carried from the store and stretched out her arms. She sat on the nearest rock-big rock of course.

     "How much further is your house anyway?" she looked up to JongHyun who we're standing up at that time.

     "About 4 to 5 minutes." He placed his box on the ground for a while. "Let's get moving."

     "Hmmm..." SooHee obeyed. She got up sluggishly. When she was about to picked up her box, JongHyun lifted the box and put it on top of his.

     SooHee became faltering. She supposed to carry it since JongHyun is her customer. She needed to give him a good service. In fact if her uncle knows about this, he'll be so mad. "It's fine, I can carry it myself." she tried to reached the box but JongHyun shifted away. "Give it to me." she insisted.

     "I won't" he said.

     "But-"

     "Don't say a word." he warned. "Just walk. We're almost there."

     SooHee did as she was told.

     The fact that no matter how sarcastic and how bad JongHyun acted towards her, the feeling of hatred never existed in SooHee, was really weird. She was unsure with her mind, her thoughts and even her own feelings. Looking at him in the eyes caused her heart to skip a beat.

     Was she attracted to him? Then, what about her feelings towards Key? No. It’s impossible. She just met him. In point of fact, JongHyun never treat her nicely and Key was her friend-good friend.

     He pressed the bell and the wide front gate gaped automatically. "Come on in."

     "This is your house?" she said in unbelievable tone.

     The multicolored flowers greeted her. A garden fountain was placed at the center of the lawn accompanied by palm trees and shrubs.

     There were big wooden windows in the white wall. The roof is steep and brown in color.

     This is not a house, this is a mansion!

     "I wouldn't invite you in if this is not my house." He caustically answered.

     Shouldn't have asked him that question. She grouched.

     He walked to the back of his house. "Sorry, we have to enter through the back door." he apologized. "We're going to the kitchen straight away."

     He opened the 6-foot height door. "Eomma." he called. "I'm home." He placed those boxes on the counter.

     SooHee jaws dropped a little. His kitchen was huge.

     The arrangement of the kitchen cabinets, refrigerator and cookers were splendid. Even the color combination was undoubtedly perfect.

     "What are you staring at?" he stopped SooHee from her astonishment. "Help me unpack these."

     SooHee got back to reality. She ambled next to where JongHyun was. She took out the vegetables that were tied together, one by one.

     "JongHyun, why are you so harsh to other people?" A middle age woman came into the kitchen.

     He turned around and startled. "Oh, eomma."

     When she heard that JongHyun addressed that middle age woman, ‘mother’, she bowed. "Annyeonghaseyo, SooHee-imnida."

     His mother curved a smile on her face. She looked so motherly. She wore a long dress and with her long bob cut hairstyle made her seem sweeter.

     She called out one of her maid.

     "Yes, madam?" A young girl, almost SooHee's age showed her face in the kitchen.

     "Clean up those vegetables, please." She commanded her maid genially.

     Her maid nodded and quickly began washing the vegetables.

     "I'm MinHyo." she reached out her hand to SooHee.

     Suddenly a loud booming sound was heard.

     Thunder.

     "Seems like it's going to rain soon." JongHyun concluded.

     "I better get going." SooHee said. She bowed again and ambled to the door.

     "Wait." MinHyo pulled her arms. "Here, take this with you. You might get wet." She passed an umbrella to her.

     SooHee felt grateful. "Thank you." she peeked at JongHyun. He leaned to one of the counter, stared only to the apples in his hand. She walked out of the house feeling quite dismayed.

     The sky was getting darker. 

     A thunder struck again. She walked as fast as she can. 

     The wind was getting stronger. Somehow the scared feeling became a friend of her at that time.

     Luckily she found Key. He was about a meter from her with his bicycle. She ran to him. SooHee was thinking if he could give him a ride. But then, her thoughts flew away when she reached nearer to him.

     He glared at her with a serious looking face. Another thunder struck.

     "Key?" SooHee called, eyeing him inquisitively.