The Man In The Hoodie
Let's Play With Fate
Chaerin went inside her apartment before proceeding to Jiyong’s. She needs to give his jacket back. Reminiscing on what happened last night, she becomes nervous to meet him today. There were moments where she felt that he was trying to kiss her but she keeps on brushing off the idea. Truth is, she’s insecure and afraid. Insecure of his past and afraid to jump in to an emotional relationship with Jiyong whom is more or less like her. Was broken and torn apart. The only difference between them is, she had her closure and he hasn’t.
“There you are~” Chaerin take his jacket from her bedroom. She’s been hanging it there because she like to see his item hanging around in her room, she feel ‘close’ to him. Yes, she really needs help.
Mid way of reaching the main door, she suddenly stops and rushes inside to her wardrobe. She took another jacket, the jacket she worn in her sleep while she was drunk in New York and places both of the jackets side by side. They’re identical, exactly the same. No wonder she felt familiar with the jacket. She hangs Jay’s jacket back and take Jiyong’s with her.
Punching in the codes, she steps into his apartment and act as usual.
“Hey~” she greet him casually whom is watching television comfortably on his couch.
“Oh, you came…” Jiyong replied without looking at her.
“Yeah, it’s cold outside~” she talks about the weather.
“Yeah…” she frowns at his behaviour towards her. Jiyong is acting indifferent towards her.
“Are you okay?”
“Perfectly fine….” He lied. Since last night, he had been plotting on how to make his move towards Chaerin. He doesn’t want to look too needy and desperate so he chose to be more subtle and relax which is what he’s doing right now. But, all Chaerin felt is lack of interest from his side.
Chaerin sigh “Okay.. Well, here’s your jacket…”
“My jacket?”
“Yeah, the one I wore when I was sick..”
“When?” he finally turns to look at her and pretend to not remember a thing. Yes, he needs help as well. His courting skill has downgraded.
“Are you kidding me?”
“Oh right~~~ that time~”
Chaerin is seriously turned off by his action. From anticipation, she’s now irritated by him.
“Whatever…” she throw his jacket at him and proceeded to the store room feeling a little bit bitter by his action.
“Yah!” he yelped and catches a glimpse of her behind before she disappears with her earphone in her ears to the store room.
He takes out his ipad and takes a look at the web he saved for tips on courting a girl. He surf into countless of information and tips last night and absorb everything.
‘Am I doing it right? Intro doesn’t look so good just now? What should I do next? Oh… and make her laugh? That’s easy…’
He scratch his head and start locating Chaerin, usually she would be at the guest room first as a starting point. He comes in and jumps on the bed that she just tidied.
“What the hell? Jiyong! I just did this bed….~” Chaerin pull out her earphone and discover a smirking Jiyong on the bed.
“Why are your eyes so puffy and your face so bloated? Had too much food last night?” he chuckles thinking that it was funny and will make her laugh. Already irritated with his nonchalant act earlier, usually she would respond at his remarks but now she’s just annoyed.
“What?” she said sternly and Jiyong’s chuckles died down. She puts on her earphone and start vacuuming the area ignoring his presence.
Jiyong scratch his head again and starting to feel that maybe he’s doing it wrong. Thinking to himself, he reminisce back to the time where they went on their perfect fake date, how did he manage to do that?
‘Right… Seungri’
He quickly rushes to his bedroom and locked the door behind him. Chaerin sneered at him and continue doing her work.
“GD~~~~ ssuupp…” Seungri yawn.
“Have you just woken up?”
“Wild night… don’t hate me bruh, I got so many love these days..” he chuckles.
“I wonder when you will get syphilis…”
“Never~ cause i'm a pro… if you’re calling to lecture me, then I don’t want to hear it… go and chase Chaerin or something…” Jiyong flustered when he says about Chaerin and clear his throat.
“Actually, that’s why I’m calling you…”
“Tsk tsk… Kwon Jiyong the Dragon is calling me about his love life?” he began to gloat.
"You know what… its fine…” his ego starts building up.
“Geez… calm down.. What do you want to know?”
“I uh… how uh….” Jiyong contemplates.
“Dude…” Seungri rolls his eyes “What??!” he yelped in annoyance waiting for Jiyong to say the words.
“How to court…” he mumbles quietly.
Seungri laugh out loud and Jiyong bite his lips and ended the conversation. After the third call from Seungri he answers his phone.
“ing ”
“Sorry…” Seungri snort.
“Stop.”
“Okay…okay… first of all, tell me how she’s like~” Seungri sounded more serious.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean… her personality… I know she’s got a y …”
“Stepping the line bro… you’re stepping the line…” Jiyong warn Seungri.
“Can't help it... Sorry, tell me what she’s like?”
“Oh… she’s very much like me…”
“You mean she’s a mean cold girl?” he chuckles.
“No, you ... She's independent, caring and sweet” Seungri laugh hearing that and Jiyong stay silent.
“That’s the total opposite of you bro…”
“Yeah yeah whatever, so? What do I do? I mean how?”
“Man… don’t think too deep… just be yourself, everything will fall into place..”
“I wish it’s this easy… I’m not as confident as before…” he sigh.
“Ji.. You just have to treat them right… that’s all.. Treat them like a queen…”
Jiyong listen and digest everything Seungri said just now.
“Okay, thanks… oh, by the way.. if you tell a single soul about what we discussed, I’m going to fire your …”
“Wow… you’re welcome…”
“See you in the office…” Jiyong ended the conversation and smile.
He steps out of his room to locate Chaerin and saw she is scrubbing something from the floor facing her back towards him.
‘This is not what a queen does’
“Chae…” he calls out but no response. He glances at her side and saw the earphone hanging in her ears. He move closer and kneel behind her.
Chaerin felt a presence behind her and slowly turn around and discover Jiyong is smiling behind her. Startled, she stumbles on the floor. Jiyong quickly grab her arm to steady her but she pull her hand roughly.
“Stop acting so weird!”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to… I just… we need to talk~”
Jiyong stand up and offer his hand to Chaerin which she reluctantly grab it. Jiyong help her to get on her feet and without releasing her hand, he led her to sit on the couch at the living room.
“Why so serious?” Chaerin said nervously when she see notice Jiyong serious expression.
“I’m letting you go…”
“What?” confused, Chaerin frowns.
“I no longer need you to come here and clean for me every weekend…”
Chaerin doesn’t know how to react. She always asks to be released by Jiyong but now that he asked her to, she doesn’t want to. Already sad over the fact that they won’t be able to meet every weekend, Chaerin just bow her head down. Jiyong noticed her sad expression and he’s happy with it. It means that Chaerin doesn’t hate seeing him every weekend.
“Instead…. I’ll changed it to teaching me how to cook… so, basically, no more cleaning..”
“What?” Chaerin lift her head slowly.
“No more cleaning and so on… I’ll find other people to do it for me during the weekdays, I just need you to teach me how to cook…”
“But we still meet every weekend?” there’s a hint of excitement in her voice but she’s able to control it.
“Yes… because I can’t bare the sight of seeing you disappointed and sad over the fact of not seeing me every weekend….” He teases her and Chaerin clear .
“I’m not sad! I’m happy not having to clean your mess every weekend!” she folds her arms.
“And to see my handsome face as well~” he winks.
Chaerin throw the rug at Jiyong where he successfully dodges it.
“Jerk~” she stood up and smile happily towards the vacuum in the living room.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Jiyong follows from behind and Chaerin hide her smile.
“Finishing~”
“No, you’re not.. It’s effective right away~” Jiyong grab her.
“Well, somebody still got to clean this up right? And I’m not used to leaving things without completing my task~” she switch on the vacuum only to be switched back off by Jiyong.
“That somebody is me… you, sit” he commands and Chaerin pouts.
“You.. weird.” She rolls her eyes and makes her way to the couch. Jiyong chuckles and settle the stuff Chaerin was doing.
He continue to clean up the area with Chaerin watching amusingly at Jiyong who is continuing her job.
‘This is what it feels like watching people cleaning~’ she chuckles quietly and rest her head on the arm rest. She is a bit tired after the occasion at her house last night and she woke up early this morning to clean up her house.
Jiyong is fixated at completing Chaerin’s work and finally, after he’s done arranging his wardrobe and dries his clothes, he makes his way back to the living room. Jiyong smile dearly when he found Chaerin napping soundly on the couch and sit carefully beside her not wanting to wake her up. Her black hair is covering her face and Jiyong is tempted to remove it from her face. Just when he is about to fix her hair, Chaerin move.
“Omo… I fell asleep~” she yawn and stretches. She rubs her eyes and Jiyong just watch her behaviour.
“It’s okay… you just rest~”
“It’s almost dinner…” she glances at the clock.
“I’ll make dinner~~”
“No… I’m not going to wait two hours and end up eating ramen again” she snorts.
Jiyong rolls his eyes “I’ve been practicing~”
“Let’s make dinner together… how’s that sounds?”
“Sounds good…” Jiyong smile and Chaerin smile back.
They make their way to the kitchen and Chaerin starts picking out ingredients for dinner. Jiyong is following Chaerin everywhere she goes.
“Why are you following me?” she chuckles.
“I’m learning~”
“You’re in my personal space”
“No… this is what invading your personal space looks like…” Jiyong turn Chaerin to face him and pinned her on the fridge, inches away from her face. Chaerin widened her eyes and flustered.
“Jiyong~” she pushes him and Jiyong laugh, enjoying every moment.
“So, what are you cooking for dinner?”
“Why are you changing the contract?” Chaerin avoid his question while cutting the vegetables.
“Just… cause~”
“Why are you treating me this way? You’re being kind and it’s making me…. Nervous…” She stops and turns to her side, focused on the man in front of her.
“Why? You don’t like it?” Jiyong move closer to her and Chaerin put up an act, not wanting to look affected at everything he does.
“Not that I don’t like it…
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