Chapter 11 - Nappeun Yeoja? (Bad Woman?)

[Third person POV]

Mi Na stared at the grains of sand at her feet, her eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. The swing swayed lightly from the unconscious effort.

‘He has no right to call me that. Mworago? Naega pabo?!’ Mi Na fumed silently. “I mean... I know Jaejin’s all that smart, being a top scholar and all, he’s also good looking and cook really well too since he cooked all our meals...” her voice trailed. As if a moment of realisation, she hit her own head repeatedly.

“Yah! Babo Kim Mi Na! Are you praising him or ticked off at him? Why are you saying good stuff about him?” she sighed.

“What’s the long sigh for?”

Mi Na looked up to see a figure silhouetted by the bright setting sun. She squint her eyes and recognised who it was. Mina nodded in greeting, surprised and embarrassed that someone heard her rant.

“You’re Jooyeon’s chingu right? I’m Kim Jaejoong by the way,” he sat on the swing next to hers and held out his hand.

“Ahh.. Kim Mi Na” she shook hands with him, puzzled.

“Kim Mi Na... Choi Mi Na... Shim Mi Na... or is it supposed to be Lee Mi Na?” Jaejoong grinned.

“Ahh... It’s Lee Mi Na. I’m still not used to... what do you mean by that?” Mi Na eyes went as wide as saucepans.

“You know... you don’t have to change your surname after marriage.”

“Really? Anyway, you still haven’t answered my question,” her eyes remain surprised.

“Yeh... you’ve been talking to yourself so loud that you don’t need any megaphone. I heard you mentioned Jaejin’s name so I just connected the dots,” Jaejoong chuckled. Mi Na covered with her palm; she need to fix this habit of hers.

“What made you so pissed off at Jaejin?” Jaejoong started to sway the swing, making it a little bit faster. He would fold his legs as his is longer than a child’s but that made him look more innocent than a child.

Mina mumbled some incoherent words; her anger had not yet dissipated completely. Jaejoong replied the same way too. Soon both of them were babbling alien language like a gaggle of geese.

“Stop mimicking me!” Mi Na laughed.

“Deh... cooking.”

Jaejoong looked at Mi Na and raised an eyebrow, a silent question mark.

“Cooking. Catastrophe. First time. Me. Terrible,” Mi Na pointed at herself.

“Terrible. Sentence. Making. You. Are,”

“Yah...” she pouted. Jaejoong stood up and ruffled her hair, “you’re in luck. This pulchritudinous person standing before you is a master chef and if you’re willing, he’ll teach you everything, andwae, half of his skills.”

Jaejoong stood up and walked away. Mi Na stared at his back, trying to process his words. He halted and turned to her, “well? Aren’t you going home? It’s getting late.”

“Deh~” Mi Na skipped after him. I wish I have a brother like him, she thought.

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Even though it was a petty fight, Mi Na and Jaejin were giving each other the cold shoulder.

After Mi Na finished off work, she and Jaejin would take the bus together. As they wait and dropping passengers on their way, silent camaraderie form slowly between them. But Jaejin fetched her using the car. Tension hung in the air and as soon as they arrive home, each of them minded their own business. Problems can’t be solved without communication but communication is what they lacked.

While Mi Na was in her room listening to FT Island’s Bad Woman, Inseok stopped by their house. “Aishh... what nappeun yeoja? That guy is the nappeun namja!” she muttered to herself, obviously referring to something non-related to song.

“Hyung! Why are you here?” Jaejin asked Inseok as he sat down on the couch, treating himself as if he’s at home.

“Visiting my dongsaeng of course! Yah... even though you already have a wife you shouldn’t forget your hyung. You didn’t even stay for a while just now. Honggi miss you, ya know” Inseok teased.

“If you’re coming by you should have followed us hyung” Jaejin went into the kitchen to give Inseok a drink. “and save me from the edgy ride home” he muttered under his breath.

“Hmm... Mi Na isn’t cooking today?” Inseok followed Jaejin into the kitchen.

“Wae?”

“ahh... I thought I’d drop by to taste her cooking. She didn’t say anything about yesterday; I guess she changed her mind. Eotteoke? I really want to taste it! I even shopped groceries with her yesterday” Inseok plodded back to the couch.

“Cheongmalyo? You’d die if you did. She even almost burned the whole place,” Jaejin flumped onto the green bean bag. He sipped his own drink nonchalantly until Inseok hit him on the head, making Jaejin spurt the juice he’s drinking.

He wiped his mouth using his sleeves and stared at Inseok, “Hyung!”

“Yah! She was looking forward to make you dinner as thanks. I bet you said stuff that made her upset.”

“I was simply telling her the truth.”

“You... aishh...” Inseok threw one of the cushions at Jaejin.

‘Am I wrong?’ Jaejin thought silently.

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[Mi Na’s POV]

It’s a sunny Sunday afternoon and since its Sunday, I don’t have to go to work. Yay! But I’m stuck here home alone, Boo!

So, here I am stuffing myself with potato chips and a glass of orange juice while watching drama. “Aigoo, that ChungAe girl should have dumped her two-timing namchin and date that cute JaeHwa. Is she blind or what? Can’t she see that he’s madly in love with her? Such a waste,” I babbled ceaselessly in the empty living room.

Groooowwlll...

Huh? I looked around to see what had made that noise. Strange, I don’t think Jaejin was keeping a dog in here.

Grooowwll....

It sounded so near but... omo! It’s inside me. More precisely, it’s my tummy. Still hungry apparently. I rubbed my stomach in embarrassment, glad that no one was around to hear it. I should have followed Jaejin to breakfast but apparently my pride wouldn’t let me. I supposed I could have food delivery but I don’t have enough money T~T I would cook but I don’t want Jaejin to yell at me for flooding the apartment this time =.=

♪♫Girl, you’re my lollipop, oh girl, you’re my lolli lolli~ ♪♫

I scrambled to search for my phone. Chips flew around and I stood up to clean myself. I heard a thud.

-‘Annyeong! Are you hungry? I went to a grocery shop nearby your place. Do you want to have your first cooking lesson? Kim Jaejoong’-

Hmmm? Cooking lesson? I get to eat after lesson right? Assa!

I changed into a new set of fresh clothes and made sure I locked all the windows and doors before going down.

I strode outside to see Jaejoong waiting for me with two plastic bags in each of his hands. I nodded at him in greeting and helped him carry one of his bags. We then walked and chatted towards his house.

When we arrived at a petite looking house, Jaejoong rang the doorbell several times. I looked at him, puzzled. Who in the world rings the doorbell before entering his own house?

My thoughts were interrupted when the door opened and revealed a girl around my age.

“Oppa! You’re here!” she greeted Jaejoong excitedly. When her gaze was averted to me, her eyes went wide. I’m sure I mirrored her expression too because I knew that girl. She was the one, who haunts me ever since my wedding, Han Gajin.