Shopping
Without a Trace
"Saejin, could you run to the store for me?" Mrs. Song asked one night. "I think I forgot the onions." She checked her ingredients once more. "I would ask your father, but he's at work right now."
Saejin shrugged. "Sure. Where is it again?"
"Three blocks away on the left. Call me if you need directions or anything." She replied, sending her daughter a smile as she walked out the door. "Thank you!"
"I'll be back!" Saejin called, closing the door behind her, jogging to the sidewalk and taking in the air. She breathed in and out, deciding the best route to take, since she didn't know where she was going. "Three blocks?" She said, smirking as she looked down an alleyway. "This'll probably take me there in one."
She nodded to herself and kept walking. Feeling inside her jacket pocket, she hung onto the money her mom gave her. It wasn't like anyone was gonna mug her right? In the middle of the day like this? "Nah. Not in broad daylight." She smiled and kept walking.
"Ya think?" A voice grunted behind her.
Saejin turned around, wide eyed. "Can I help you with something?" She questioned, not flinching.. Okay maybe a little, but then again he came out of nowhere.
"You sure can!" The man agreed. He wasn't very tall at all, and instead of having a six pack or something, he had more of a beer gut. Nonetheless, his clothes were torn like he'd been in a couple of fights, his short beard having a couple of food crumbs tangled in. "How's about you give me some money, and no one gets hurt?"
Saejin just stood there. "I don't have any money." She lied fluently.
He looked her up and down, brows raising. "That's fine I guess. I'll just take something else." He smirked dangerously.
Saejin stepped back, giving him a weird look like he had two heads. "Like what? I don't have anything!"
"Don't be so naive!" The man shrieked. "Your body, you ! Come on, even a grade schooler could figure that out!"
Of course Saejin knew, she grew up with a detective as a dad. She had to seem weaker than she really was. "Oh, come off it." She exasperated gazing to the right.
He his lips and cracked his neck. "All right, hard way it is." He grinned again, pulling a switchblade from his pocket, creeping towards Saejin as she looked away.
"Yeah yeah. I'll be right back." Byunghun ended the phone call. Ricky called because he wanted to get the guys together to go gaming at his house that night. But unlike Byunghun, his house didn't have enough food. So naturally, as it was on the way, Byunghun had to grab the snacks.
When Jongjun asked if he could accompany him or anything, Byunghun refused, saying he needed fresh air for once before being locked in a room with five other boys as they yelled continuously at the TV for being bombed in video games. And that's why he decided to walk to the store.
He checked his watch. It wasn't so late in the day. He could probably get to Ricky's while it was still daylight.
Until he heard a shriek coming from the alley right next to him. And it sounded like a girl's.
Without thinking, he stopped what he was doing at ran towards the sound, rounding a few corners until his eyes and mouth were open enough to let a few flies fly in. He looked down at the knife sliding across the ground at him fast enough to avoid it.
"You little!" Saejin yelled. "I could report you to the police for this!"
The so called mugger was trapped in a strong headlock after Saejin dodged his knife and hit his back with a wooden board. After a couple kicks and punches, Saejin ended up dominant, the man defenseless with a high school girl threatening him.
"Yah!" The man shrieked again. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please let me go!" He begged, sweat dropping off his face. He didn't even try to struggle anymore.
"Some thief you are." Saejin kneed him in the gut and pushed him away. "I see you again and you're dead meat!" She yelled with an accusing finger. The man backed away and ran without looking back at her.
Saejin grit her teeth. "Aish, people these days.." She scowled, picked up the board and threw it aside. "Can't even-" she stopped in her tracks and looked Byunghun in the face. "Yah.. How long have you been here?"
Byunghun didn't change expression, but flipped the knife back into its place. "I mean- I heard a s-scream and.." He blinked. "That wasn't you, was it?"
Saejin bit her lip and shook her head. "Sorry, you could've saved him if you wanted to, I mean."
"Oh, no, he looked terrified enough, I think." Byunghun tried to regain his composure by shaking his head a bit. "Where are you headed?"
"Me?" She asked. "I'm going to the store. My mom needs onions." She answered nonchalantly. "Uh, you?"
"Same." He responded immediately. Well this was awkward. What were they supposed to do now? That whole thing was shocking enough for him.
Saejin looked around and pursed her lips. "Then you wanna go together?"
Byunghun nodded his head. "I need protection." He blurted out his inner thoughts. His hand flew on his mouth, scared of what Saejin might think. What if she thought he meant that he thought she was manly or something? That wasn't it at all!
Closing her eyes, Saejin chuckled, stalking her way past him to the opening sidewalk. "You coming?"
"What? Yeah." He ran the remaining distance as Saejin kept walking ahead.
They walked through the sliding glass doors. "What do you need to get?"
He went through the list in his hand. "Chips, popcorn, ice cream, chicken wings, pizza, soda, and maybe cookies or cake." He shrugged.
"Guy's night?" Saejin guessed with an eyebrow raised.
Byunghun nodded. "Yup. Ri- I mean, Changhyun's getting the guys together for video games."
"Sounds fun." She commented. She grabbed a cart and started wheeling it around to the vegetable section. The onions caught her eye in seconds and she was done with her shopping.
She handed the cart to Byunghun. "I'm done." She explained holding up a bag of onions. "Unless you want me to help you. You seem like you gotta get a lot of things."
"Would you?" He looked at her through his bangs. "I don't think I can be too late."
"Here, give me half of the list." She took the paper in his hands and ripped it in half. "Let's meet back in five to ten minutes at the soda machine over there." She pointed to a vending machine right in front of the registers. "Last one has to buy the other an ice cream."
"Got it er!" Byunghun saluted and ran off, leaving Saejin in his trail.
The two went at it, running up and down aisles and throwing the food into their own carts. Of course, they wanted their ice cream.
Not even five minutes later, Saejin came out to the clearing, with a cart full of junk food. She wheeled her way to the meeting spot.
Byunghun waved at her. "Where've you been? I've been waiting for at least three minutes!" He shook his head.
"How did you get done so fast?!" She asked, sitting down on the bench.
"How did you get done so slow? Oh that's right. You gave me the half with the chips and dip and everything that was all in one aisle." Byunghun said as a matter of factly. "Thanks for that by the way."
Saejin groaned at her defeat. "Well dangit!" She mumbled. The two paid their way through the cash register separately and walked out the door with plastic bags.
They caught sight of the ice cream stand down the street and Saejin started to walk towards it.
"Wait!" Byunghun called out, setting his bags down.
"Hm?" Saejin went back.
He pulled something out of one of the bags and stood up, opening the package. "Let me see your hand."
Saejin's eyes widened as he grabbed her hand into his. "W-what? W-why?" She blinked frantically.
Silently, he put a bandaid on the middle of her back hand. "You had a cut."
She looked at it, confused. Maybe from the mugger? "Thanks." She swallowed turning around.
"Yep." Byunghun reached down and got his bags while they headed to the ice cream.
"What flavor?" Saejin got her money out.
Byunghun smugly smiled. "Birthday cake flavor." He pointed out over her shoulder at the stand.
"Thanks." Saejin paid and handed the cone to him. "Here you go."
He grabbed it and started eating it immediately. "Thank you." He said with blue and white ice cream all over his face.
Saejin took one look and laughed. "You're ridiculous."
"What?" He looked at her like he didn't hear.
She shook her head after a second. "Have fun with your friends." She smiled. "See you at school on Monday!" She waved, already halfway down the block.
"Thanks for the ice cream!" He yelled back.
"Thanks for the band aid!"
"Thanks for helping me shop!"
"Yah! Just go!" She yelled and ordered. Byunghun straightened up and ran away, obviously wanting to exaggerate. "That guy." She shook her head.
UPDATE FINALLY. geez, it's been a while.
Not what you expected huh?
admit it. You thought Saejin was the one who screamed right? SUPRISE.
Lol. I am craving ice cream right now:)
Comments