♪ stop it

“Okay, you have to eat before we go. It's going to be a long ride to Chonju.” Aejin prompted as she slid the bowl of cereal towards Minwoo. 

“I don't want to eat anything you make me.” He rebelled. 

“Oh please,” she scoffed. “This is only milk and cereal. It doesn’t require many skills unlike my mac and cheese.” She folded her arms onto the table and leaned towards the little boy who was seated across from her.

“Oh please,” he restated, his teeth. “Your halmeoni cooking is—eh.” He gave her a thumbs down and stuck his tongue out at her. She quirked her brows up at him knowing very well he was lying.

“Sure, if you want to starve on the bus ride there, be my guest. But don’t you ask me for any snacks.” Aejin advised, shrugging her shoulders.

Minwoo’s eyes rounded. He did not—under any sort of circumstances—want to starve. He didn’t like the feeling of having an empty stomach. The feeling he got that week while he and his mother were being nomads after his grandparents had kicked them out on their butts.

It has been nearly a week since Hyomin's visit and after that incident with that crude man Minwoo was calmer, never stepping foot outside the building unless Aejin was there with him.

He didn't even dare cross the street unless she held his hand.

He always tried to be tough nagging her about how annoying it was because she was always doing so. But Aejin saw right through his little facade. She knew that he felt safe and secure as she led them across onto the other sidewalk and that’s how she wanted him to feel.

Yet nonetheless Minwoo was still being hard-headed and stubborn when they were at home. Deliberately refusing to make things easy for his new guardian. Also known as Aejin. And easy was what she needed at the moment.

He fussed over food and washing up.

Aejin was seriously growing frustrated with him but as time went on, she began to notice the tiny changes.

She noticed how after she would give up trying to convince him to eat his meals, which only consisted of macaroni and cheese with the exception of breakfast since he didn’t want to tell her any of his other favorite foods, she would return back to the table no more than thirty minutes later and the dish would be empty.

Aejin had asked him where the food had gone and he would shrug it off.

Then one evening, when he threw a big fuss like he usually did, Aejin left or more like pretended to leave the vicinity. She was actually hiding behind a corner, presumably one that would allow her a good view of the meal and Minwoo.

It was silent for a moment until she heard soft little clinking of the fork against the ceramic plate. Covertly, she craned her neck out just a bit until she saw him stuffing his face. With the wide smile, she could see he was enjoying himself. However, she didn’t choose to interrupt him.

Instead she retreated to her room quietly feeling glad that at least he was eating and not starving himself. That’s when she figured that’s what he always did with all his meals. How cute of him to think that she wouldn’t be able to catch on. Did he think he could seriously outsmart an honor’s student like her?

And today, the Wednesday morning before thanksgiving break he was performing that same routine of his.

With showering and clothing, he seemed to cave in more easily. Minwoo couldn’t help not showering. It always made him feel in his own words, “icky” when he didn’t. One night he even told Aejin that he was doing it for himself and not because she asked him to and she didn’t complain.

She could only chuckle.

“I laid your clothes out in the bathroom, dress comfortably and warmly. It’s windy this time of year.” She told him before she got up and left him alone.

The day after he spoiled the only set of clothes he had, Aejin ran to the thrift shop and purchased him a couple of pants, shirts and a jacket. Sure they weren’t new or name-brand but it wasn’t like she was rich. She barely spent money on materialistic items anyways and she sure wasn’t going to start now.

Being alone with Minwoo with no one else to really rely on since she didn’t make many friends, there was no way Aejin was able to attend any of her classes. 

Luckily this was the first time any if this happened so her professors didn't question her much and boy was she glad