Chapter nine:

Yoseob’s POV:

I couldn’t sleep that night. My head was filled with thoughts about what happened yesterday.

Who was that girl? How did she know me? Where did I get that hat? When did I get that hat?

It all seemed so weird. I didn’t know that girl, but at the same time I felt that I’ve seen her before.

When I woke up the next morning, I heard my mother talking on the phone in the next room.

“Omma?” I walked into her room sleepily.

“Yes, yes…next month sounds perfect!” My mother chirped. “Can’t wait! Buh-bye!”

“Who were you talking to?”

“Oh! Yoseob ah! I’ve got great news!” My mother twinkled excitedly. “I called Lucica’s mom, and we both agree that next month would be perfect for you and Lucica’s marriage!”

I rolled my eyes. “Mom. Did you ever consider that I may not actually LIKE Lucica?”

My mom looked surprised. “Why not? She’s such a dear! So polite! So smart! And so talented!”

Yeah, and so modest.

I sighed. “But Mom, I really don’t like her. It’ll not work out between us!”

“Come on darling! I’m sure it will! You’ll see that marrying her will be the best choice in your entire life!” My Mom smiled sweetly. “Okay. I’ve got to head overseas for a business meeting. We’ll settle your wedding when I get back!”

She closed the door.

The best choice in my entire life?

Please, it isn’t even a choice for me.

Life was so unfair. Why couldn’t I have normal parents who truly loved me? Not those who would sell me off for money?

I didn’t want to marry a girl I didn’t love, much less marry a girl I utterly disliked.

Ugh!
I was so angry. So angry, in fact, I got into my car and sped off.

I didn’t know where I wanted to go.

All I knew was that I couldn’t stay at home for another minute.

I drove all the way to the food street, cursing my life the whole time. I got off.

I needed food. I needed lots and lots of food really badly.

I walked up to the kimchi fried rice stall.

“Give me five bowls of kimchi fried rice. Now!” I snapped, still in a bad mood.

The girl turned around. It was that same girl from yesterday, the one who probably mistook me for the wrong person.

The one with the strangely familiar, huge, chocolate brown eyes.

“Kikwang oppa!” She squealed again. Not again.

“I told you yesterday,” I snapped. “I’m not Kikwang oppa or whatever. I’m Yang Yoseob. I don’t know you. So just give me the kimchi fried rice already!”

“Yah!” She narrowed her eyes, looking pissed. “What’s the matter with you? Is this how you normally order food?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“If you don’t say please I won’t give you any kimchi fried rice~” She sang. If I wasn’t so furious now, I would have found that incredibly cute.

“Don’t play with me,” I growled at her. “Give me the rice now!”

“Not unless you say-“

I couldn’t help it. I was so angry with everyone and everything. I was sick and tired of not having things my way.

I didn’t mean it. I really didn’t.

But I just gave her a tight slap.

She stumbled, backwards, obviously shocked.

She wasn’t the only one. I was horrified.

What’s the matter with me? I’ve never slapped a girl before.

Her voice was shaking. “W..what happened?” She was desperately trying to hold back tears.

“W…why are you being like this? Y…you’re not like that…”

“You don’t know anything about me.”

Her hurt expression suddenly turned into fury.

“I don’t know anything about you? Well, you’re right actually. I used to get you. You were kind and sweet. And cute too. You loved aegyo, especially pouting. You’d do that whenever you didn’t get things your own way. You’re terrified of loneliness, and you’re afraid of having no one to depend on. You love to cook, but love to eat even more.” She laughed, momentarily forgetting about her anger. “You’re the funniest when you sleep. You’d whimper, like a little puppy. And when you wake up, you’d yawn like a baby. When you eat, you have this habit of eating all the ingredients first, because you’re scared of people snatching them away. When you get excited, your face just lights up, like a little child. You’re just like a little child.” She smiled again.

Then her face hardened. “But from what I can see now, you’ve apparently changed. Whatever. I’ve given up on you, Yang Yoseob, or whoever you are. I couldn’t be bothered to care about you, anymore. Now get lost.”

She looked so angry, yet so sad at the same time. When she was talking about me, she looked so wistful, like she missed me so much. I didn’t know why, but looking at her pained expression made my heart ache.

I wanted to apologize so badly, to turn around and comfort her.

I wanted to. I really wanted to. I didn’t want her to cry.

But I just turned around and left.

I could hear her sobbing silently as I left.

At home, I couldn’t stop thinking about her words.

You’re terrified of loneliness, and you’re afraid of having no one to depend on.

It was true. Ever since I was young, my parents had no time for me. I was always alone, despite having servants and nannies by my side. I always felt that no one really cared for me. I hated the feeling of being alone. Being alone scares me. It makes me feel so vulnerable.

But how did she know that? I never told anyone about how lonely I was, and how I desperately wanted someone by my side.

When you eat, you have this habit of eating all the ingredients first, because you’re scared of people snatching them away

Okay, this had been a habit that stuck to me ever since I was young. Whenever I ate, I was always afraid that my ingredients would be taken away from me before I could finish eating them, and so I would always eat them all up first before eating my rice. It was an embarrassing habit, so I never told anyone. How did she know? I had never eaten in front of her before?

Or had I?

You love to cook

I loved to cook? I didn’t even know how to cook. My parents never bothered to teach me, because they thought that cooking was useless when I had many cooks providing meals for me.

But all her other predictions were so accurate, it was scary.

So for the first time in my life, I stepped into the kitchen.

What should I make?

The answer was obvious.

Kimchi fried rice.

I quickly checked the internet to find its recipe. I got the ingredients needed and laid them on the table.

I didn’t know how to cook, but my hands did.

It was so automatic, like I had been doing it forever.

I could cook! She was right!
She knew something about me that even I didn’t know myself.

This was strange.

There was something about that girl, something had happened.

Something I couldn’t remember.

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Sorry for the really boring chapter >< aisshhh I didn't know how to continue on so I had to include this part. But don't worry, things get really exciting in the next chapter (which I'll be posting tomorrow) so do read on :D

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