I was all smiles as I settled myself down on the table. The pest warned me through his eyes, making me grin even wider. As the three of us were settled, I started serving myself. “Eww. Porridge. This kind of stuff is served on breakfast,” I said, wrinkling my nose.

 

“That’s rice, not porridge,” the pest corrected.

 

“Oh, really? Looks like porridge to me,” I shrugged. I secretly smiled as I saw the girl’s cheeks flushed. “And what’s this supposed to be?”

 

“That’s a lettuce, you dimwitted brat!” the girl hissed.

 

“Lettuce?” I asked, feigning a disbelief tone. “Looks like garbage to me. Ugh!”

 

“Dara,” the pest warned.

 

“What? I’m just telling the truth,” I said and brought the spoon to my mouth. Okay, so the food tasted good. Dang it!

 

“Hmm. This is good!” I heard the pest mumbled.

 

“Thanks,” the girl grinned. “But not as good as you are, of course.”

 

“Are you sick?!” I suddenly exclaimed, looking at the pest intently.

 

“No, why?” he asked.

 

“Well. . .” I hesitated, fixing my face in a worried look.

 

“Well?” he urged.

 

“Well. . . I thought you’re sick or something because you said the food tasted good. I think there’s something wrong with your taste buds. You should go see a doctor. I’m sorry to say but it doesn’t taste good, you’re hallucinating.”

 

The girl stood up, beating the table with her fists. “What the hell is your problem?!” she shrieked.

 

“What?” I asked, eyes wide with wonder. “What did I do?”

 

“Seohyun,” the pest cautioned.

 

“No, I had enough of this brat always criticizing everything!” she said, eyes on mine. “How dare you insult my cooking skills when you don’t even know how to cook yourself?”

 

“At least I’m being honest to myself, unlike you who pretend you’re good at everything!” I fired back, standing up, too.

 

“At least I know how to do THINGS, unlike you who don’t even know how to do anything beneficiary. All you do is pick a fight, insult everyone and everything, flirt and endanger everybody’s lives! Now, if my cooking skills or Jiyong’s not good enough for you, then don’t eat! Go ahead, starve yourself and die! It’ll be much better for everyone if that happens!” she finished and stormed away.

 

Okay, that was below the belt! How dare she wish for my death?

 

“I did warn you,” the pest quietly said.

 

“Huh! She insults me, too, all the time! But I never wished for her death!” stiffly said.

 

“She’s not usually like that.”

 

“Yeah, go on. Go ahead and side with her. Go ahead and defend her like you always do! I don’t give a damn, really! Right now, I’d rather be with those guys chasing me than be with you and your bestfriend! I’m freakingly sick and tired of everything!”

 

I stormed to my room. Gah! Everything I do always backfires. Why the hell is that? I was doing pretty well, about to rejoice when I saw the girl’s pissed. And then, she went onto that “death” speech again.

 

 

Later. . .

 

I groaned. Aigoo! I’m hungry. Argh! I just hope the BESTFRIENDS are sleeping already. I climbed out of bed, slipped on my slippers and went to the kitchen.

 

I grimaced. Looks like the girl threw the food in the bin. Aish! Grandma might have taught me some stuffs, but not cooking. How am I going to eat now? I’m really hungry. Well, I guess I can crack something up. I mean, it’s not that hard, right? But what am I going to cook? I thought for a while. Oh! I think a fried food would be easy. But that would be really greasy. Aish! I’ll just have to endure it, then.

 

I was about to go to the fridge and get a fish or a meat when my eyes caught something. I looked at it for a moment, wondering. Well, I think instant noodles would be a lot easier than frying. I tiptoed and tried to reach for one. When I grabbed one, I can’t help but grinned. “Oh yeah, oh yeah. I’m so good, I’m so great!” I chanted under my breath. I looked for the instructions at the side. Hot water. All I need is hot water. Ha haha ha.

 

I started boiling water, my fingers tapping impatiently against the counter. When I saw steams, I turned the stove off and poured the water on the cup.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

I jumped then froze as I quickly put the kettle down. Dang it!

 

“I’m. . . I . . . was just. . . the. . . uhm. . . well,” I stuttered. Stupid! I mentally scolded myself.

 

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. So much for being a pighead, huh?”

 

My eyes narrowed. “I’m just having a midnight snack!” I stiffly said.

 

He raised his brows. “Do you know that your ears turn red when you lie?”

 

“Mind you won business,” I mumbled and turned my back on him. I balled my fists as I felt him getting closer. Oh, puh-leeze, get a grip on yourself, Dara! Not again! Why is my body behaving like this whenever he’s near or just around? Dang it! I don’t want to be so. . . childishly needy and stupidly aware of him. I have a boyfriend, for Pete’s sake!

 

I froze as I felt his breath on my nape. My heart started hammering in my chest. My eyes grew wide as I felt my knees trembling. Oh no! I quickly took my noodles and sidestepped, barely breathing and sprinted to the table, with him chuckling behind me.

 

After consuming the cup of noodles, I wasn’t satisfied. I was still hungry. Dang it! Ugh! I don’t want to go back to my old body but I really am hungry. I bit my lower lip, wanting to eat again but not wanting the pest to know. But since he’s still in the kitchen, I’m afraid I have to wait. What he hell is he doing there, anyways?

 

My heart skipped a beat, and then doubled over. I closed my eyes out of frustration. He’s coming. I knew he’s coming. Soon after, he did emerge from the kitchen, with a tray. He put it in front of me, smirking. “What’s this?” I asked.

 

“Food, obviously,” he smirked.

 

“I know it’s food!” I hissed.

 

“Why ask if you already know?” he returned as he sat across me. Grr! He’s back! The stupid pest is back in annoying me again.

 

“Are you really that stupid?”

 

“No,” he shrugged. “Maybe.”

 

My eyes narrowed. What is he up to now? “What’s the food for?” I asked.

 

“For eating, of course,” he smirked again.

 

Gaaah! I hate him! I really hate him! I stood up angrily, planning to walk out but he reached across the table to stop me. “Let go!” I snapped.

 

“Sit first,” he said.

 

“What now?!”

 

He inclined his head to the side looking like he’s in deep thought. “Sit,” he said again. Despite everything, I sat down again, grumbling. “Now eat,” he added.

 

“Why?” I asked, suspicious.

 

“Because you’re hungry?”

 

“Why are you doing this?” I elaborated. “Why act so kind all of a sudden? Why act like you care?”

 

He didn’t answer but just looked at me. Then, slowly, he answered, “It’s my job. I’m being paid for it.”

 

For some reasons I can’t explain, my heart squeezed painfully. I took an unsteady breath, confused. What’s happening? Am I having heart complications?

 

“Well,” I croaked, “you’re not really doing a good job.”

 

So, it’s really all out in the open, huh? He can be so vocal about HIS JOB now that I know about it. And I’m not that dumb not to understand what he’s trying to say. Clearly, he doesn’t give a damn about me. If it weren’t for his job, he probably abandoned me already. Out of frustration, I vented my anger on the food he prepared.

 

“Hey, hey take it easy,” he cautioned.

 

“Shut up!” I gritted.

 

When I was finished, I stood up and walked away, mumbling darkly under my breath the words “stupid pest”.

 

That night, I dreamt again. I jerked awake and realized that I was biting on my lip hard. Subconsciously, I stopped myself from screaming. Huh! That girl should be happy.

 

~o~

 

I crossed my arms across my chest. Okay, so I’ve been successfully avoiding the pest by keeping myself in my room. I don’t go out anymore, except when it’s time to eat. But as the days dragged on, I can’t keep my mouth shut anymore. So I decided to go out. The BESTFRIENDS were doing some practice shooting again.

 

I glared at the pest’s back. Obviously, he’s not making much effort to talk to me, too. As for the girl, well, same old same old. We still get on each other’s nerves during mealtime, but aside form that. We don’t interact that much.

 

Hmph! I started feeling rebellious. I should be the one ignoring them, not the way around. I stomped off to the forest; I want to go to the river again. I bet they wouldn’t even notice I’m gone seeing HOW BUSY THEY WERE WITH EACH OTHER. So much for being my bodyguards.

 

I was already deep in the forest when I felt his presence and heard his voice. “Where do you think are you going?”

 

I didn’t answer. Instead, I quickened my pace. But he was of course, faster than me. He quickly grabbed me by the shoulder and wheeled me around. “Don’t touch me!” I hissed.

 

“Fine!” he said, pulling his hand back. “Now, where do you think are you going?”

 

“Oh, so now you noticed me!” I sarcastically said.

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“Don’t play dumb, you pest! You know very well what I’m talking about! Huh! Some bodyguard you are! You don’t even notice your client disappearing. But how would you notice when you don’t pay attention anyways? Ignoring me, actually.”

 

“Ignoring you?” he asked, aghast. “If I was ignoring you, I wouldn’t be here. And you’re the one who’s been ignoring everyone. You stay in your room the whole day, you don’t talk back when-”

 

“Oh, so now you’re saying it’s my fault that you ALWAYS talk to your BESTFRIEND? Always practice with her?”

 

“We’re doing what we can so-”

 

“Oh, puh-leeze. Don’t tell me it’s for my protection!”

 

“But it is,” he said.

 

“Huh! Yeah, right! If it’s really for my protection, why don’t you teach me how to fight, too? Or use a gun? I-“

 

“NO!” he thundered, making me winced.

 

“Why?”

 

He exhaled, trying to calm himself. “You’re a girl,” he said.

 

“Wow! That’s like the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard. Seohyun is a girl, too, in case you forgot. But she knows how to use a gun, how to fight.”

 

He looked at me like he just realized something. “You don’t have to compete with her.”

 

“I’m not competing! I just want to learn how to protect myself.”

 

“You ears are red,” he noticed.

 

I fumed. Dang it! “Out of my way!” I snapped a while later.

 

“Where are you-?”

 

“Away from you! Away from you and your bestfriend!” I turned around and started walking again when his laughter stopped me. I turned back to him, glaring. “What’s so funny?!?”

 

“I can’t believe you’re jealous of Seohyun when clearly, there’s nothing to compete with.”

 

My blood boiled, my vision darkened. I ran back to him and started attacking him: scratching, kicking, and pulling his hair.

 

“That’s the wild cat I know,” he chuckled, eyes becoming soft. My arms fell weakly beside me, my body trembling from anticipation. He’s going to kiss me. I know he will.