CHAPTER III / Home

The man’s frustration suddenly turned to bliss as he heard what Jinri said. “J-J-Jinjja?” he confirmed with his eyes widened.

“Yes, yes,” Jinri said as she nodded her head with a smile on her face.

The man got too excited that he suddenly hugged Jinri as he grinned and jumped for joy. Jinri got shocked at first, but she joined him afterwards by jumping with him. He released his hug and looked at Jinri with his blissful eyes and a grin that shows his pearl teeth.

Jinri smiled with him but she suddenly felt her heart beating fast. “Is… my heart fluttering for him?” she thought. “Ani, ani. Jinri, your heart’s beating fast because you just felt happy.”

“Thank you so much, Jinri!” he shouted. He showed his umbrella to her and said, “I took care of your umbrella well. See?”

She laughed and said, “Ne, I can see that.”

They went to the bus stop afterwards as the man narrated what happened to him the past two days. In minutes, the bus arrived and they went inside. “You really don’t remember a single thing?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said smiled.

“Even your name?”

“Yes.”

“Hm… I need to get a name for you…” she said as she looked around. “Hm… what should I name you?”

The man looked around as well, looking for a possible name that would suit him. “What’s your last name?”

“Choi. Why?” she asked.

“Then, my name should be Choi, too,” he said as he smiled.

Jinri quickly faced the man in shock. Her cheeks slightly became pink and her heart started beating fast again. “Ch-Ch-Choi?”

“Yes,” he said. He raised his two thumbs and asked, “Good, right?”

“Yeah… sure,” she muttered as she continued looking around the bus for a possible name for the man. Suddenly, she remembered the TV series City Hunter and the face of the lead actor appeared on her mind. Secretly, she was a big fan and she has a huge crush on Lee Minho. She finds his smile too adorable to handle and his charm was irresistible for her. “Minho,” she muttered.

“Eh?” he clarified.

“As long as you don’t remember anything from your past, I’ll call you Minho,” she said proudly as she smiled at him.

“Hm,” he said as he looked up and thought of the name. “That’s a good name!”

Jinri laughed and said, “Okay, then! You’re now… Choi… Minho.”

Minho chortled and faced the seat in front of him as he smiled. After a minute, the bus played Love of My Life by Queen, an old song from the 1970s. Minho’s eyes widened and said, “This song…”

“You remember this?” she asked.

“Yes, yes!” he said with widened eyes. He started to hum the song as he closed his eyes. Seconds after, he sang some of its parts. “Love of my life, can’t you see? Bring it back, bring it back…” Even though his diction was inaccurate, he could follow the song. He opened his eyes and looked at Jinri, who was looking at him while he was singing the song.

“Wow…” she said. “Do you remember anything now?”

“I was only reminded of the song, its melody and its lyrics. But, I don’t remember anything that was associated from it…”

“It’s a song from the 70s… Did you come from the past?” she asked. “You know, like those in dramas where a royal king from the past came to the present to investigate a crime from his era,” she muttered.

“You think so?” he asked as he neared his face to her.

“I’m just joking,” she said as she awkwardly laughed. Though she only meant it as a joke, it didn’t seem like it because her face was serious and it looked like she was saying something that was factual and intellectual. “It’s not possible. Those only happen in dramas.”

“Yeah,” he said as he nodded. “I might have just heard it before…”

“But, it’s a good thing,” she praised. “It just means that you’re progressing… Oh! We’re here.”

The bus stopped and they both got off. They arrived in front of Jinri’s neighborhood. The houses were all close to each other, but the people weren’t. They all had their own businesses in mind.

“Let’s go,” she said as they walked forward. “Ahnyeong,” she warmly greeted her neighbor, but she didn’t greet her back.

Finally, they arrived in front of her house. The outside walls of the house were painted white and the gate was painted black. Around it was different green plants and sunflowers that looked healthy and luscious. It was a simple one-floor house that suits one or two persons.

“Here’s my house,” she said. “Let’s go inside.”

“Jinri… are you sure?” Minho asked.

“Yes, I’m sure. If you’re not staying here, then where are you going to stay?” Jinri asked. She opened the gate and said, “Let’s go.”

Minho shyly walked forward as Jinri lead him. They took the small cemented stairs that lead to the elevated white house. She picked the key from her bag and unlocked the front door afterwards. She walked inside and switched on the lights. She removed her shoes and placed it on the shoe rack. As she walked forward, she noticed that Minho was not following her. She turned back and saw that Minho was looking down while standing still outside the front door of her house. “Minho, what are you doing there?”

“Jinri…”

“Don’t be shy! Go inside,” she said.

“Jinri… are you really sure?” he asked as he slowly faced her.

“Yes, Minho,” she said. But still, Minho wasn’t moving from her position. “Minho, if you don’t come in at the count of three, forget the fact that I’ll help you.” Inside, Jinri was laughing because she seemed like she was scaring a student of hers.

Minho’s mind got confused as he was pressured to decide.

“Hana… dul…” she said flatly. Quickly, Minho stepped inside. “Good,” she said as she chortled.

Minho removed his shoes as he walked forward and looked around Jinri’s house. The walls were painted in an ivory color and the floor was wooden. The couches and sofa were white, while the plastic chairs for her desk and for the dinner table were of different bright colors ranging from blue-green to pink. On the walls were colorful and brilliant paintings that add up to the overall aesthetic of the house. “Are those paintings your creation?”

“Yes,” she said shyly. “Don’t judge them, please.”

“They’re… amazing,” he said as his eyes were stuck on the paintings.

“Thanks…” she said. She suddenly noticed what Minho was wearing and how he looked really messed up. “Minho… do you want to take a shower first?”

“Huh?” he said. “But… I don’t have any clothes or towel…”

“I have extra clothes and towel. You can take a shower on your room there,” she said as she pointed out the extra room of her house.

“T-Thank you, Jinri,” he shyly said.

“You’re welcome,” she said as she smiled.

“You don’t completely know me, but you let me stay at your house…” he said. “I promise… I’ll do anything to help you.”

“Geurae,” she said. “Take a bath first and I’ll discuss to you some rules in the house.”

Minho nodded as he walked towards his room and closed its door. Jinri suddenly remembered that she still hasn’t given him the towel and the clothes. She quickly picked the towel and some of her large clothes from her cabinet. She ran to Minho’s room and opened the door.

Her eyes widened as she saw Minho removing his polka-dot polo, revealing a part of his well-built body. He looked at her in surprise as his eyes widened. Jinri quickly slammed the door shut; as her eyes were still wide open and her heart was pounding. Her hands were sweating as she gripped the towel tighter and she placed it on her chest.

“Omo… what did I see?” she muttered. She blushed and was slightly open. “Jinri… you didn’t see anything. Jinri, you didn’t see anything,” she muttered as she closed her eyes tightly.

~

FROM: MAXSTEPP

Hello! Yes, an advanced update! :)

I really can't take it and I just had to write this. Haha. Before I do my assignments and plates tomorrow, I wrote this to release my stress. :) We only have a month 'til the term ends and it's SUMMER! Meaning, more time to update!! Haha.

Anyway, in this chapter, I want to kind of make it light. :) Hoping it was kind of effective.

Again... THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBING, COMMENTING AND UPVOTING! Keep them coming. :D

'Til the next update. :)