Day 12 (Saturday)

“Well, darn it.” Said a blonde head as she flipped through boring pages of a magazine. 

She had been in there for the whole afternoon, going through the same magazine out of frustration. One of the workers had been side watching her while he swept the floor in her row. She kind of did look suspicious, with her oversized sunglasses and her hoodie all over her head. She was murmuring some words and getting angry over it as she would start munching her left hand’s nails. The worker now had been curious, after three hours of watching her, so he decided to approach her.

“Excuse… me?”

Nana, out of frustration, closed suddenly the magazine “I don’t get it!”

“Umm…” the worker, startled by her outburst was now unsure.

“What?” She turned to face the worker. “Come on!”

The worker was getting nervous and gripping his broom. “It’s j-just you’ve b-been here for three hours and not buying a-anything, so I was wondering if something was wr-

“What, am I supposed to buy something to stay here?!” She was clenching her fists and her anger was flooding her brain.

“N-no-o…”

She was still furrowing her eyebrows when she noticed she was over reacting towards the poor worker. “I’m sorry, just thinking too hard about something.” She sighed.

“Can I help you?” He had finally stopped stuttering.

“Ah, no. Thanks anyway.” She flashed him a sweet smile before dashing out of the store.

He blushed as his eyes followed her.“P-please come again.” He shyly continued sweeping his floor.

It’s been a week and I still have no idea what to do. It’s Saturday today and people usually go do their errands, no? Hmmm, maybe I could spot her again. I had enough of spying and looking a creep, thought Nana as she walked on the thin layer of snow with her hands in her front pocket. Mom has been difficult to deal with on the other hand so I can’t risk blowing up my plans. She was walking down on the street all snuggled up in her hoodie and her scarf when she stopped in her tracks. She couldn’t help but smell the sweet warm odour coming from a shop behind her. She went back on her steps and she decided to get some sweets from that pastry shop.

“Oh dear… so gyoood.” She couldn’t help but talk with food in .

She continued walking along the road, passing two alleys and coming to a crosswalk. She still had some of her sweet red bean paste breads in her plastic bag hanging loosely on her fingers. The smell of it passed from nose to nose as she waited under a tree, watching people pass the crosswalk.

The woman was walking up the road with her four plastic bags full of ingredients for a great dinner. She was stopping every few steps to smooth her back. Is this the effects of being 30?, thought the woman. She couldn’t help but sigh every time she had to stop, why had she even bought so many things? Another problem of being a true shikshin since childhood. She saw a tree and decided to take a rest by its side for a few minutes.

As soon as she got on its sides and put her hand on her back, she felt a warm smell of something sweet. She couldn’t help but drool a little bit as she got hungrier by the second. Her stomach was doing rumbling sounds nonstop.

Nana heard some sounds behind her, and a tired voice calling out for food.

“Ahhh…. Sweet bread… Gaaaahhh”

She rummaged through her plastic bag and took out one of the breads and placed it in a napkin. She shoved the bread in front of the person who was holding on to the tree. Her face was down so her hair was hiding it too.

“Umm… Ma’am, are you by any chance hungry? Would you like this?”

The woman looked up to see the bread Nana was holding in front of her. “Yes, please!” She gladly took it and glomped on it cutely as her stomach stopped singing weird music.

Ah! Isn’t this Kim Jungah?!, thought Nana as she took a piece of her own half-finished bread. She chewed on it as she searched for a hint to get close to her for longer. She noticed the plastic bags at her feet.

“Do you need help to carry these bags? I can do it freely.” She pointed at it with her bread.

Jungah had finally looked at the young woman who had given her the bread. “This face… aren’t you the girl from the other day?”

“Err… yeah, exactly. I was just going the same way, I hope you wouldn’t mind? You look pretty tired.”

“If you don’t mind, fine. Thanks.” She giggled as Nana took most of her plastic bags and walked along her.

Why didn’t you change for a week? You’re still so dull… sighed Jooyeon as she put her head on her folded arms over the coffee table. Yujin was sitting diagonally from her on the ground with crossed legs. Her eyes were stuck to the static images on TV. Jooyeon looked outside the window over Yujin’s head and she noticed the sun shone brightly, the weather must be really nice, why waste it inside? It wasn’t really late anyway.

“Hey Yuyu…”

Yujin turned her head to her. “Hn?”

“I have a favor to ask you.” Yujin was still looking right through her. “Today, let’s have a walk outside and maybe buy some things, got my paycheck two days ago. But on one condition.”

“And that is… ?”

“Act human. You should know it by now, no? I mean you did tell me you did observations for years now. If you can’t do it naturally, at least act it, better than nothing” because I’m hella bored here.

Yujin stared at her for a few minutes. She parted her lips but no sound came. She was still thinking about something, it seemed. She finally pronounced some words. “You look really cute in mornings.”

Jooyeon’s jaw dropped as she blushed slightly. She ended up double facepalming when Yujin kept staring at her with a tilted head, blinking like a kid. Aaaaah you dumpling cheeked!

“Come on, let’s get you some clothes and brush that hair of yours.” Yujin got up and held Jooyeon’s arm to lift her up too. She guided her to the bathroom and placed her in front of the mirror.

Being tall by a few centimeters, her eyes were almost visible over Jooyeon’s reflection in the mirror. Behind her she stretched to the brush at the sink’s side and started brushing her hair. As she brushed, she noticed Jooyeon’s tattoo’s wings were both getting very detailed on more the third of it. She separated her hair in two by the middle and started braiding loosely the first half. She attached it with a cute ribbon and started doing the same thing for the left one. She arranged Jooyeon’s bangs so they were slightly separated by the left into two sides.

“Arrange your makeup while I choose you something to wear.” She went out of the bathroom while Jooyeon was still stunned in front of the sink.

“Hmm, you definitely look better now.” She stepped a few steps backward and looked over her from head to toe. A loose light pink heart-dotted sweater of wool with a white shirt under, a dark blue knee torn jeans decorated with a brown belt and a pair of brown army ankle boots. “This misses something…” She went back into the closet and brought back a white beanie which she put on Jooyeon’s head. “There, perfect.” She nodded to herself and went for the door.

“Wait, I’ll get my bag.” She went back and walked through the door to lately lock her door. “There, now we can go.”

Yujin was walking side by side with Jooyeon as they went down the street to later join the main street. Of course, Yujin could talk to Jooyeon since she was invisible to both eyes and ears but Jooyeon could rarely go and whisper to her since people would look weirdly at her.

“Jupaaal.” Jooyeon turned her head to her right to look at Yujin with an arched eyebrow since she sould only speak with actions. “I’m getting hungry.”

Jooyeon smiled and mouthed “Me too.”

Yujin approached her closer, really close so she could sneak and hold Jooyeon’s hand. Jooyeon caught by surprise, flinched a bit. Of course Yujin had to be so close to her so Jooyeon wouldn’t look like she’s holding air. “What? I’m just being human. Nice and stuff. Do you want me to stop?”

Jooyeon shook her head as a response. She continued until she came in front of a small restaurant she often came. She entered inside and held the door a little bit longer so Yujin could sidle in even though she just looked like she was being polite and holding doors. She went to the farthest corner and wited for the waitress to come.

“What are you going to take?” Jooyeon whispered to Yujin on her left side with her hand over mouth and her elbow under.

“Anything you take, just make your order double so you don’t look weird.”

“You’re right. I’ll put my bag over your legs so there isn’t space to my left for nothing.”

“Sure, the waitress is coming anyway.”

The young girl came by her and held out a notepad. “Hey Jooyeon, what are you taking for today? I’ll tell Grandpa you’re here.”

“Thanks, I’ll take a double bulgogi and give me two cups of poricha too.”

“You’re doubling up today? Want me to bring two bowls of rice too?”

“Yeah, if you don’t mind. I feel quite gluttonous today.”

The waitress chuckled. “Now that’s the Jooyeon I know. Be right back.”

With her chopsticks in hand and her rice bowl in the other, Jooyeon had already started eating as if she had starved for days. She noticed Yujin hadn’t started yet.

“What are you waiting for, the meat’s going to get cold.”

“I wonder how I can eat without bringing attention to you…”

“There’s a wall to your side, it’s open for my side, we’re at a corner, far from most of the customers, which is like three.” Jooyeon looked around her and checked over shoulder to be sure no one was looking here.

“Aaaaaah”

“What are you do-

Yujin had put her head on the table and turned it as much as she could upward, opening . “Feed me, by dropping food in here.” She pointed at her parted lips with her skeletal hand.

Jooyeon couldn’t help but facepalm once again. She picked up a piece of beef meat, well cooked in the dark sauce, and dropped it just above Yujin’s mouth. The other munched and still continued the human act. “Mmm, tastes better when it comes from you.”

“I didn’t tell you to tell me cheesy stuff.”

“That’s what you guys do.”

She’s either acting like a boyfriend or a baby, oh geez, thought Jooyeon as she continued dropping food. “Hey, how about we go to a coffee shop next?” She whispered.

“It’s already four. The afternoon can pass so quickly.” Jooyeon looked like she was talking to herself when she entered by the glass doors of the café. She went to sit once again in a corner, away from eyes, so she could talk comfortably.

“What are you taking today, Miss?”

“I want a… Frappuccino and…” She glance over to Yujin, who was sitting in opposite of her.

“I won’t take anything.”

“… some choco sprinkled honey cookies, please.”

“Coming right up.” The man went away. He soon came back with the order and left once again.

Jooyeon took one of her cookies and started munching. Yujin, on the other side of the table facing her, was staring at her with her palm under her chin. There wasn’t much they could do since Jooyeon was sitting alone according to the entourage’s point of view and they didn’t have anything to talk about. Even for normal human duos, there could be these awkward moments when any of the parties would have something to say. Jooyeon sipped calmly her drink, letting the whipped cream touch her upper lip. Her back was facing the café’s inside so no one could see the embarrassing face she had. Yujin was wondering what a human could do in these kinds of situations. Take pictures? She didn’t have this object called a cellphone. Talk about jobs and stuff? Jooyeon was always tired and complaining about it. Anything else coming in mind? Nope. In all of these three choices, Yujin still decided to pick one of them and listen to the usual answer.

“Sooo, how is your job going on?”

“I’m too tired. Nothing new, except stupid rumors and gossips about the newest employees. They have been here for two month and some of the old employees say they’re dating or something. Meh, boring stories.”

“Hmm, interesting.”

“Yeah, interesting my eye. You know what?”

“What?”

“I’m going to quit my job. I have enough money, I’m going to die anyway, so why bother continue. I should live my life to the fullest.”

“I think you did the best. I mean, oh but wait. Didn’t you tell me to stop talking about dying?” She side-eyed her.

“Uhhh… yeaaah… but I am the one imposing that, so I can change it whenever I want.” She crossed her arms and puffed her bangs away.

“Hmmm… fine. Your drink is getting cold.”

Jooyeon still with closed eyes and furrowed eyebrows, held out one of her crossed arms and took out her drink. She sipped it bit by bit as her brain was functioning about what she could do when she was going to give her withdrawal letter two days later, on Monday.