Chapter 6 [Hot and Cold]

You're wrong when it's right

It's black and it's white

We fight, we break up

We kiss, we make up

[Gaho signed in]

Gah! Anyone miss me? I’m back in the game! Smooch to all! Have no fear, Gaho is here!

Wait, but… Chaerinnie is sad and afraaaid… nooo… I told you that Dara girl equals drama! I have never seen my Queen that sad, I feel like crying when she was wailing like there’s no tomorrow. Good thing Jiyong was there, oh oh oh… but princess Dara is not that bad, actually she’s kind enough! She even gave me food this morning! I mean, of course I know nobody can resist   my charm, she fed me herself, how cool that is? Hohoho…

Okay, back to the business… I think I gotta discuss with Jolie on what to do to make the Queen happy. Me no likey Queen frowning! RAWR~!

---

“Are you okay?” Dara asked Chaerin, in her hands were cups of hot cocoa, she put one in front of Chaerin. Jiyong had excused himself to take a bath after making sure Chaerin had stopped crying.

Chaerin stared at the cup intensely, almost like if she stares long enough the cup would shatter into pieces. “Honestly I’m not...” She answered, her voice bitter. “Why can’t I cook something decent? Or even close to decent?” She questioned, mostly like to herself, but Dara was there anyway.

“You know, practice makes perfect,” Dara said with a smile. Chaerin was still staring at her cup, she smiled too, a bitter smile, “I think I’ve just perfected my failures...” she said, her eyes watery. There was some silence between them before she spoke again, “you know... I am jealous of you...” and those sentences caught Dara off guard.

“You do?” Dara questioned, her eyes of disbelief.

Chaerin put the glass closer to her lips, blowing it lightly, “I do,” she nodded. “You can cook,” she added.

Dara couldn’t help but smile, “You can draw,” she replied.

“I know, but I want to be able to cook...” she whispered softly, sipping the hot cocoa slowly.

More silence fell between them until Chaerin finally excused herself.

“Thank you for this,” Chaerin smiled, putting the empty cup on the table. They could hear the sound of water running in the bathroom had stopped.

---

“Is cooking such a big thing for Chaerin?” Dara asked on their way to work the next day. Chaerin looked okay this morning although Jiyong had the hardest time to wake her up. And once she was up, despite the kisses they shared, she was so reluctant to get out of the bed, she was like glued to the bed they were in that he had to lift her off the bed and put her down the kitchen chair.

Jiyong raised an eyebrow, “Is it? Hmm... she had always wanted to cook, I think. Maybe because I’m a cook, you know how competitive she is,” Jiyong answered.

Dara looked out of the window, she knew there was something more about her breaking down last night, more than being competitive. But who was she to judge? She barely knew Chaerin, she had only lived with her for two days and she was confusing enough, Chaerin and her mood swings.

Her thoughts were thrown away instantly when she heard Jiyong sang to the song on the radio and cringed, “Seriously Jiyong, I didn’t know you can sound so bad...” she stated matter-of-factly.

Jiyong only laughed, “You don’t need to tell me that, Chaerin always  threaten me that she would jump off the car if I continue singing until the next verse.”

She stared at him, hard, as if she was observing him to the smallest details, “What is it? Are you adoring my face?” Jiyong asked cheekily, being his usual warm self.

“You know, actually you’re quite plain...” She answered, gaining a raised eyebrow from him, the gesture he always did when questioning something. “Apart from being too much in love with Chaerin, you’re a plain guy I can’t really figure out what you’re actually like exactly,” Dara continued.

“Well... is it one way to say that I am mysterious?” Jiyong asked again.

Dara thought hard, “No, not really... you’re not like those mysterious guys who keeps everything secret,” she answered.

He smiled upon hearing her answer, “Well then, to make it easier, I’m just a simple, pretty plain guy who doesn’t really keep a secret and too much in love with Chaerin,” he concluded.

“Are you really that much in love with her? Despite all her antics?” Dara asked, she couldn’t quite imagine how living with Lee Chaerin for five years would be like, let alone being in love with her all the time.

There it was again, the dreamy look Jiyong always had when he talked about Chaerin, “I’m pretty much dependent on her, you know,” he chuckled, couldn’t really believe his own words. “She taught me so much, her thoughts and acts are of impulse and randomness, which makes her always exciting to be with, she’s that perfect definition of unpredictable.” He finished off.

“I guess there’s no space for me in your heart, then?” She questioned, honestly surprised by her own bluntness.

He smiled wide, “I guess Chaerin’s honesty had spread to you, it’s contagious you know...” a smile was on his face, “of course there’ll always be space for you, as Dara, the girl who came declaring of being my fiancee. Not as a lover, though.” He answered. “I won’t stop you from loving me. It’s a matter of you and your heart, I am not one to interfere, I am just the object of your affection and that’s it,” he added.

“Ah... I see...” Dara mumbled, quite unsure of how to respond.

---

The canvas was still blank and Chaerin could feel the anger built in her. It’s been a day and no ideas coming out, other than worrying about the deadline, she started to worry about her ability to handle her own emotions. She gritted her teeth, finally deciding on what to do. She threw her brush away and walked out of her working room and started to rummage the refrigerator.

Jiyong bought quite more than necessary stuff yesterday and she had to thank him for that later. She saw potatoes, carrots, eggplants, bunch of spinach, sausages, ice creams, and more things she couldn’t really tell what.

Holding the potato in her hand, she contemplated. ‘It’s... potato, right?’ she asked herself, squinting her eyes a little bit more to make sure it was really a potato she was holding.

“Woof!” Jolie jumped to her lap, as if asking for attention.

“Hold on Jolie, I’m trying to cook here…” Chaerin mumbled. “Oh, Jolie, you’re a girl… right? You must know this… this is.. potato, right?” She asked the puppy as it stared at her with enthusiastic eyes, “it is, right? Hmm…what could be made of potatoes?” She asked herself, biting her lips while thinking hard. ‘Ah! Uncle google knows everything!’ she decided.

Off she went to the internet.

---

“Should I or shouldn’t I?” Dara thought out loud. Jiyong’s answer earlier that day had made her thought about it non-stop all day. The love between him and Chaerin was crystal clear, the way he took care of her the night before was still fresh in her mind. Should she meddle in? Chaerin declared she was cool about it on the very first day she arrived, and Jiyong had said he didn’t mind being the object of her affection, although he won’t do anything about it. All these free people thoughts and concepts were alien to her.

“What’s bothering you, my dear?” Mrs. Park came behind her, almost surprising despite her soft voice.

“Ah... Mrs. Park...” Dara shied away, she was caught off guard.

“You’ve been spacing out since you came this morning, is there any problem?” Mrs. Park questioned, her voice calm and patient, it reminded Dara of her grandmother’s.

Dara shook her head,  but she wasn’t a good liar, “Ah... yes, it’s... embarassing actually, I mean... it’s a common feeling problem...” she answered shyly.

“Then tell me, since it’s a common problem anyway, I should know the answer,” Mrs. Park winked.

---

“Uh... too salty, no taste at all, too spicy, and this one is sweet...” Chaerin stared at the bowls in front of her. Seriously, why couldn’t she make something right even once? She huffed and puffed. She was sure she had followed the recipe right, why wasn’t things go right?

She had labeled each and every jar according to its content. Jiyong surely didn’t have a problem identifying sugar and salt, but she did and these little labels helped her a lot.

“Let’s try again, there’s no way Chaerin is giving up!” She grabbed another potato and started to peel it.

---

“You know little girl, all you have to do is follow your heart. No matter what kind of new ideas thrown at you, it’s always back at that,” Mrs. Park smiled at Dara, patting her head.

Dara contemplated for a while, in the distance she could hear Jiyong told her they were going to go back soon. She stood up, thanking Mrs. Park for her suggestion. “And try putting yourself in their shoes,” Mrs. Park added.

---

“Jiyong yah! Look!” Chaerin greeted them happily once they stepped inside the apartment, she was literally running from the kitchen to the door upon hearing their sounds, their two pets were behind her, seemingly jumping happily. On her hand was a plate of mashed potato, looking a bit off but her smile showed that she was so proud about it. “Try it try it try it!” She nagged them, her other hand offering spoons, “You too, try it!” her eyes were bright as she gave the spoon to Dara.

Jiyong laughed out loud and spooned the mashed potato, “How was it? How was it?” Chaerin urged him, her voice impatient. “Yah, Dara, you try it too!” She said almost forcefully, and to her surprise Dara found it charming in a way.

“You actually put salt!” Jiyong grinned, and Chaerin nodded her head like crazy, “I did! And although this isn’t good as your version, it’s still good, right?” She asked, almost jumping on her every sentence. “Right? Right?”

Dara munched the mashed potato, some potatoes were still too hard, not well mashed but the taste was okay. Nothing really wrong. But really though, what could have gone wrong from a mashed potato? She could hear the room filled with laughter, beside her Jiyong was ruffling Chaerin’s hair as she was bouncing up ad down quite literally before finally throwing herself to him, “I did it you know!” She squealed  as Jiyong spun her around and kissed her, laughing along with her and Dara couldn’t help but smile at the warm scene before her.

Chaerin and her crazy mood swing indeed.

“But Ji,” Chaerin, still in his hug called out, seemingly remembering something.

“Hmm?”

“We’re running out of potatoes.”

---

She smiled! She succeeded! We succeded! Yay! High Paw! WOOF!

[Gaho and Jolie signing out]

Someone, call the doctor

Got a case of a love bi-polar

Stuck on a roller coaster

Can't get off this ride

(Hot N Cold - Katy Perry)

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hope you liked this chapter :) comments/reviews are much appreciated!