Stuff toys

Chapter 13

You went downstairs and you saw your mom in the kitchen. “Hey mom” She titled her head and smiled at you. “Going out?” she asked as she put the second layer of graham in the container.

“Deh Umma,” you smiled at her and kiss her in the cheeks.

…

RING. Your phone rings when you go out of your house. You get your phone and press the message of Cindy.

Where r u?
                                                                                -Cindy

I’m on my way. See you:*
                                                                -Eunjin

With a shrug, you run to the bus stop at the corner of your street. Unfortunately, you bump into a guy when reach the bus stop, good thing you didn’t fall he automatically hold your hand to gain your balance. “Thanks,” you bowed and look up to him.

“Eunjin,” he said amusingly.

“Myungsoo?” you asked. “You kinda…look different,”

Myungsoo is one of your classmates. He is a gentleman and kind like the rest of your classmates. The only thing that is different about him is his way of fashion in school. He is the only in your school that wears big nerdy glasses and his hair stay in flatten mushroom hairstyle. You asked your classmates if he ever remove his eyeglasses but they said, ‘I guess but I didn’t see him without his eyeglasses’.

Myungsoo nods a little at you as you see him blush a little. “Yeah. You too, you kinda look different”

“Don’t change the topic Myungsoo, where are your glasses and your mushroom hair?”

“At home?” he laughs.

The bus came into view and stop at the destination. You enter the bus with Myungsoo and take the back seats while the rest of the passengers take the seats in the front and center. “Where are you going by the way?” you asked.

“Hmm, I’m going to the mall. You?”

“Same with you” you chuckled. “I wonder how your hair transformed into that messy set up.”

“Power of sleeping” he said coolly.

“I don’t believe. Are going on a date?”

“Huh?” he questioned. “Am not, I am going to meet my sister and her family today”

You nod at him like a child. “I see. Can I ask you again?”

“You never stop in asking, Eunjin”

“I know right?” you smiled at him. “Why do you need to style like a geek in school when you can go out of your house with that look?”

“I want to look different inside and outside the school. Is that prohibited?”

“Ani!” you waved your hands at him. “Is that, you look cool. Did you ever remove your glasses in school?”

“Deh. Once but no one saw it”

“Oohh” you said. “Did you ever change hairstyle in school?”

“Never”

The bus stops at your destination. You went out of the bus with Myungsoo and walk together inside the mall. The both of you keeps on talking random topics until he accompany you to the fast food where Cindy is. You easily saw her but she didn’t. Myungsoo refuse to get in and have drinks. He keeps on saying that he’s shy and his sister is waiting for him somewhere in the mall.

“Whatever Myungsoo! You owe me this day” You teased.

“How come?” he roared.

“You’ll know it someday,” you said softly and leave him outside the fast food.

Myungsoo start walking away from the fast food. Whatever Eunjin. You owe me one too. He grins to himself as he saw his sister waving at him with the cute girl running to him. He stops walking and sit down so he can welcome the kid with a hug.

“Oppa!” the girl said cutely and wrap her hands around his neck.

Hey” he replied and removes her hug. “Want to ride on your oppa’s shoulder, again?”

She nods at him, “alright,” he said. He stand up and carry the kid up and place her in his shoulders and he walks to her sister who is smiling at him.

“I saw you,”

She and her different greetings again, he thought. “With whom?”

“With a girl a while ago, who is she?”

“Eunjin,” he said. “My classmate.”

“I thought she’s you—“

“No,”

----

Cindy saw Eunjin and waved at her. “You act like a family of mine who is waving like hell at the airport,” Eunjin take her seat opposite to Cindy. Cindy, who was busy eating pizza just grin at Eunjin. “You want?”

Eunjin raised her eyebrows and said, “I thought we are going to buy a gift? Why are you just sitting and eating there?”

“I’m hungry,”

Eunjin stand up and pulled Cindy’s hand and her free hand snatching Cindy’s pizza. “Yah!” she pouted. “I have an appointment tonight…” I need to read the book girl. “Wait,” she said and bite the last part of her pizza and stand up. “Let’s go,”

Cindy and Eunjin walk out of the fast food. Walking around the stalls inside the mall is like walking in the moon. On the left side of the mall, fast foods line and opposite to it are different stalls of clothes, shoes, accessories…you named it.

“What kind of gift are we going to buy?” Eunjin asked.

“I dunno,” she said flatly.

Eunjin’s expression fell at the Cindy’s response as they enter the department store. “Boy or girl?” she asked as she looks through the hanging clothes in the racks. “Boy” she answered and browse at the other side of the rack. You wander around and look at the other clothes at the brand names. “Describe him,”

Cindy stop browsing some clothes and start describing her cousin. “…he came back from London two weeks ago; he’s single but already engaged. He has an average height, has a milky white skin. He is doesn’t look like he is in his thirties but at his early twenties. He used to be popular but he is humble. He is not the materialistic type of person but he appreciates stuffs given by everyone. He is not the choosy type of person but he has his preferences”

Eunjin and Cindy stop at the stuffs where you can really buy gifts. Eunjin roamed around as she scanned each item. “Why not give him a personalized gift?”

“I don’t have time to do such things. We are graduating soon.”

“I forgot!” you roared. “Why not give him a necklace?”

“He has lots” she said. “Socks?”

Cindy’s eyes widened at Eunjin’s suggestion and slap her forehead hardly. “Ouch!”

“Are you insane?”

“I am. As of the moment,” Eunjin grin at her and roam around the place once again. “Eh why not give him a book then?”

“He is not the bookworm type of person”

Eunjin’s shoulder deflated. All of the gifts that she is suggested is being rejected. “This is hard,” she said. Eunjin start walking again, Cindy at her back. Eunjin just walk all over the clothes line for men and women but she didn’t find anything that could serve as a gift. She also look at the accessories, shoes and bags but didn’t find any. Eunjin didn’t stop walking until the both of them reach the children’s line.

“Seriously, are we going to give him a toy?” Cindy asked

“Why not?” Eunjin fired back saying dare-to-say-i-don’t-like.

“This is joke. This is for kids not for someone whose age is thirty and above”

“Toys are not always meant for kids and even though we are thirty or fifty years old the childhood character inside us don’t age and will never age. And Cindy, even though we are in our senior year we still like to play toys, isn’t?”

Cindy didn’t reply at Eunjin. She is just staring at her. “Hey?” Eunjin snapped.

“Yes. Yes,” Cindy nods as she shakes head and smile. “Are you doing some valedictorian speech?”

“That’s what you call joke.” Eunjin smiled at her and she pulled Cindy by the arm. “C’mon! I want to find something here!”

Not less than ten minutes they already find a gift for Cindy’s cousin. They bought a cute animal stuff toy. “I want that chuzzle toy”

“Who told you it’s a chuzzle?” Cindy put her tongue out. “It is a porcupine,”

“How come that circle with big eyes is a porcupine? That’s a chuzzle!” Eunjin insist.

Eunjin and Cindy bicker all the way out of the department store. People looked at them oddly but they don’t care. “I told you it’s a chu─”

Eunjin and Myungsoo bump once again. They hold their contact for seconds until Cindy make a fake coungh and the little girl hold Myungsoo’s hand.

“Oppa”  she said cutely.

“Mian.” Eunjin and Myungsoo said at the same time.

The both of them chuckle a little. “Cindy, you don’t recognize him?”

“Aniyo” she answered casually.

Myungsoo smirked and Eunjin giggled. “Okay. So Cindy, this is Myungsoo and Myungsoo, this is Cindy. Shake hands and meet each other once again”

Myungsoo let out a hand to handshake smiling widely while Cindy stares at him and not blinking at Myungsoo.

“What kind of spell or sorcery is this?” Cindy asked unbelievably. “Omo! This is a joke!”

Eunjin rolled her eyes and Myungsoo laugh at Cindy. “Again, this is not joke and spells and sorcery don’t exist today. Myungsoo just messed his hair and remove his eyeglasses. Where can you see sorcery there?”

“Ani. He is just…WOW” Cindy emphasizes the last word.

A girl who is older by Myungsoo came over and Eunjin guess it is Myungsoo’s noona. Eunjin bowed and smiled afterwards.

“Noona, this is Eunjin and Cindy, my classmates.” He said.

“Annyeong haseyo” Eunjin and Cindy bowed.

“Nice to meet the both of you especially Eunjin since Myungsoo here is telling stories about you,” noona said.

Eunjin blush a little and Cindy just glare at Eunjin secretly but in a teasing way. Myungsoo too, blush a little and scratch his nape. “I guess we should go. See you Eunjin and Cindy!”

The four of them separate ways. Myungsoo carried his niece. As the two went out, Cindy’s driver is waiting at the parking lot. “I’ll take you home”

“I can commute,” Eunjin said.

“You want to commute or you want to have the same bus with Myungsoo?” Cindy teased Eunjin.

Eunjin blush once again and Cindy just laugh at her. “Since when did you tease me to Myungsoo?”

“Today and until he courts you and you know what’s next”

“That will never happen”

“Let’s see. You can never hide the fact that he has a crush on you”

“Shut up girl”