Adapting

[Kristine's POV]

Kristine woke up the next morning, almost regretting it when she noticed that the events from the day before really happened. She found herself wrapped up in a white comforter and in the same clothes as the night before.

She stiffly got up, walking to the kitchen to find L. Joe wide awake, making breakfast for the both of them. Kristine mustered up a soft, small smile to the older man before stepping beside him to see what he was making.

L. Joe looked beside him to find Kristine standing beside him, bedhead and everything, and he just smiled as he continued to flip the pancake in the pan he had securely in his hand.

"You like pancakes?" L. Joe said, attempting to create conversation with his new roommate. Kristine looked at him as if a little child, her lips rolled into cutely, eyes glistening with hunger and admiration.

L. Joe chuckled as he then placed the pancake on a plate, already piled with the flattened food. Kristine couldn't help but get jittery, she hadn't eaten since the morning the day before, and she didn't notice how her stomach ached for a solid substance to feed on. L. Joe took his time as he split the pile of pancakes evenly between two smaller plates, and then squirting whip cream on top of the pile, then neatly placing multiple slices of fresh strawberries and blueberries with the whip cream.

Kristine her lips in hunger as she gazed over L. Joe's shoulder, "You're a good cook," she commented before turning to shimmy out of the kitchen, L. Joe closely behind her balancing the two plates in each hand.

After eating the pile of pancakes and having small talk, L. Joe stood up from his seat, gathering the dishes and rinsing the dishes off and placing them in the dishwasher.

"What do you want to do today?" L. Joe spoke as he leaned against the counter, looking at the shorter girl in front of him. Kristine sat, a finger on her chin.

She wasn't fully accepting to the idea of living in Korea, but there was no way around it and would have to get used to it, whether she wanted to or not.

"Let's go to the market!" Kristine exclaimed happily, realizing she'd need some clothes and necessities for her perminent stay in Korea.

Within the next hour, L. Joe and Kristine were roaming the market aimlessly, looking through the articles of clothing that hung from a rack.

L. Joe became impatient as he roamed off to the electronics section of the store, leaving Kristine by herself in a store she didn't know very well and with people who barely understood English.

"What about this one?" Kristine turned around to find L. Joe not standing beside her. She blinked as she then went on her tiptoes, trying to located the slightly taller man.

Nothing.

Kristine hung the shirt back on the rack, ready to go on a mission to find her tour guide, only to find herself locked between bodies. It was as if a traffic of people surrounded her as she began to mix up her left and her right. She tried to navigate her way out of the crowd of people, only to be granted with running into the back of a tall man, falling backwards and onto the floor of rumbling feet like a stampeed.

Kristine, who was frightened at the change of atmosphere looked up to apologize to the person she ran into, only to meet eyes with a very handsome, young and kind face with a strand of worry cross through his features.

"Gwenchana?" He asked worriedly, offering a hand to the girl on the floor who was awe-strucked and still scared of the previous event.

She nodded her head, wrapping her hand around the man's warm one who hauled her up to her feet, making sure she was okay and unharmed. "Sorry, I'm new to the area..." She emberassily informed, rubbing the back of her neck.

The man only chuckled,"That would explain it. There was a sudden sale going on for cabbage, so everyone's rushing for it- you know us Koreans and our obsession of kimchi." A smile lit his features, a dimple hugged the sides of his smile cutely as Kristine laughed at his attemp of casual talk.

"I should introduce myself. I'm Lee Jeongmin," He said before bowing in front of the girl, making her blush at his formal use of words.

"I'm Kristine, Kristine Dafrine," She smiled sweetly, offering a handshake. As Jeongmin returned the smile and grasped onto Kristine's hand, the traffic jam of people around them funneled out, creating more walking space.

Kristine could feel a bolt of electricity go straight up her arm as their hands connected.

L. Joe walked by casually, his hands stuffed in his pocket as he eyed the man in front of the familiar girl. He decided to approach the couple and huffed out,"What's going on?"

Kristine turned around, and glared at L. Joe, "You left me alone, knowing I need help around, and Jeongmin here, just helped me up," she spoke bitterly as she dug her heel into the tile of the floor.

L. Joe blinked," I just went to electronics, it's just down this walkway," L. Joe pointed to the direction he just came from.

Kristine shook her head and returned a smile to Jeongmin,"Thank you for your help today, it taught me a little more about the Korean market and way of living in a weird, twisted way." Jeongmin flashed a smile and nodded.

"Anytime- are you free sometime this weekend? Maybe I can show you around Seoul so you're more familiar with the landscape?" Kristine nodded happily, glad to hear that she'd be spending more time with Jeongmin in the near future. To be honest, L. Joe wasn't all that into helping her that much, but she gave respect and honor to the person who was really helping her out of a tough situation.

"How about tomorrow? My schedule is clear and plus, I'm usually bored, laying in my room growing fat from McDonalds," L. Joe persuaded her, making her smile.

Kristine nodded in approval, "I'd love to! Can I have your number?"

While the two smiled at each other and exchanged numbers, L. Joe cringed at this so-called "Jeongmin." He didn't like him, he didn't like him one bit. He could feel his insides boiling as the guy infront of him attempted to swoop Kristine off her feet and onto cloud 9- all because he went to the electronics area.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Kristine," Jeongmin smiled and bowed slightly downward towards Kristine, making her blush again just before smirking and twirling around to leave the scene as silently as he came in.

"I can't believe you, psh," L. Joe grumbled to himself, only to find out Kristine heard his low mutter.

"What'd you say? Shut up, he's nice and actually helps me, unlike SOME people in this world," Kristine growled back, only to be shot with:

"Help? Ha, I laugh at that. I'M the one who's housing you since your misfortune and cooking you breakfast and providing you with the necessities of life and don't get nothing in return except for a headache, and he only helps you up from the ground once and you're all head-over-heels for him! Talking about 2-faced," L. Joe mumbled the last part, only making Kristine's eyes wide.

"If I was just going to be such a bother, why'd you even offer to take me in in the first place?!" Kristine yelled back, tears threatening to fall. It was an emberassing habbit of hers: she'd cry when she was angered and frustrated, and in this case, betrayed and slapped in the face.

L. Joe looked around, noticing people stopping to watch the two fighting, "Y-Yah, you're making a scene, people are watching!" L. Joe scolded. "We'll get through the rest of this when we go home."

Kristine chuckled to herself and looked up at L. Joe's face, tears briming the corner of her eyes as she began,"OUR home? I believe you mean your home. I'll be out within the next month since I'm such a bother to you."

With that, Kristine nudged passed L. Joe's tall frame, eyes filled with hurt and shock.

"Don't go, please don't go...." L. Joe thought as he pressed a hand at his own chest, feeling the burning and ache he was enduring for the time being so that he wouldn't break down in public. "Please... Just don't go, Kristine, I didn't mean it," He whispered as he fell to the floor as if he had just been dumped by the girl... he loved?