Part of the Living

"Oh Oppa, I’m so glad you decided to open shop here."

The ahjumma leaned against his work table, enticing him with a generous view of her ample .

Making So-Mi involuntarily look down at hers.

Like apples to winter melons.

Ani, she protested silently.

More like fuji apples to watermelons.

“Your plants are truly exotic ... and the way you prune, aahhh… " she preened. “And you pretty daughter is just an added attraction for the shop. I have a cousin who would be perfect for her.”

If anybody could hear So-Mi’s inner voice that moment, their ears would be burnt with her expletives.

I’m not his daughter, halmoeni, she screamed internally. And get your filthy hands off my Ahjussi.

Her jelousy did not go unnoticed by Tae-sik.

The anger that bristled in her eyes was apparent only to him, as she herself attended to a customer who wanted a picture to be photoshopped.

She was behaving more and more like a woman and a very territorial one that.

Instead of an affectionate little girl.

How did the behaviour change?

He did not know.

Perhaps, it was because they were not living in their own quiet world anymore.

Where it was just the two of them.

Now, they deal with other people, especially seeing how popular their little shop was.

Tae-sik himself felt uneasy when the neighbourhood boys drop in with the silliest excuse or the littlest errand.

From buying flower pots from him, to getting their passport photo taken for the 5th time in the week.

Just so they can chat with her.

So-Mi was oblivious to the fact, instead she was more wary of the women who dropped by to look at him.

And he seriously did not know how to react to that.

Instead, he just quietly contained his amusement.

“Tae-shik-ssi, I’m gonna prepare dinner, ok.”

Tae-sik-ssi? He thought, bubbling with laughter on the inside. Chincha, she is too cute, he thought.

“Your favourite beef stew, Japanese style. Don’t be late, ya.”

She called out to him while shooting sweet daggers into the back of the ahjumma’s head.

And she ran upstairs where he knew she will jump in anger till the parquet break.