You're My Friend

Back to the group, the lone blonde fried off  batch of meat which she had been brough back from her apartment by ChanWoo. In her own world as her phone blasted obscure tunes, the woman picked up a bottle of beer from the counter.

A few yards behind her ChanWoo and JinHwan sat in the living room. ChanWoo organized what had been in the bag left behind as JinHwan pretended to flick though a motorbike magazine. Peeking up from his task and then instantly looking back down, the youngest cleared his throat. Glad that he wasn’t heard upon that instant, the tall brunet rearranged his words as he fiddled with tattered baby-grows and booties. his lips, he dared to glance up. “Hyung?” He whispered, as not to notify the others, or irritate his senior sat across from him, glowering into the pages in his grasp. “Hyung?” He called again, this time with a tap to the outside of JinHwan’s ankle. Receiving acknowledgment, the youngest started off.  “I don’t want to over-step the line, but what happened back there?”

“Just asking what happened between your seniors is over-stepping the line.” Tone uncharacteristically sharp, JinHwan went right back to reading the rag he had no interest in.

Returning from the bathroom, YunHyeong rolled his sleeves up. Shuffling into the kitchen, he bent his body to take a look at the bundle. Happy with what he saw, he returned to his designated task. Turning the hot tap on, he pushed two pumps of antibacterial hand wash into his palms and cleaned himself. Catching the woman beside him still chopping vegetables with murderous intent, the slim male inched in more than he knew the woman enjoyed.

Inclining his head to the side as he wrapped his hand around the handle of the knife she was using, the smiley brunet used just enough strength to stop her without coming across as confrontational. “This is hard enough for us; I can only imagine h-"

Pulling her hand free from under the hold, the knife dropped to chopping board. “Yeah, you can only imagine.” Pushing herself back, the blonde stared at the blue flames of the hob.

“Noona,” He gave her quick glance before shutting off all of gas. Spinning back around, he grabbed the older woman by her forearm. Without saying anything else, he gave her a gentle tug. Drunkenly complying, she followed the lead. Directed down the corridor, she was led into the bathroom as the other two stopped to stare at the oddity.

Huddled under a single umbrella - thanks to DongHyuk using his head – the group of four ran for the marketplace beginning to close up shop. Catching rows of package pacifiers and boxes of diapers, HanBin ran out from under his shelter. Coming to a skidding halt, he wafted the list he’d been given. “We need this.” He handed over the list.

“I’m closing.”

Catching up, the redhead scrummaged through her own wallet. “For everything you can cross off that list, I will give you an extra ₩10,000.” Waving a wad of paper cash becoming damp  by the sleet, the old man gave in and started packing stuff into plastic bags.

“Noona, why are you paying more than usual?”

Without even turning around, the redhead pulled back the payment from the store owner's hand. “If this gentleman gives me some discount, I will rave about him with my new friends at my new-mother meet-ups.”

“What are yo-” HanBin was cut off by a stiletto squeezing his toe.

Clenching his jaw, the store owner spoke up. “I can a discount of 5%.”

“Chain stores give more than 40%.”

“Chain stores are more expensive.”

“Yes, that is true. But the more the price is divided by, the bigger the discount. It would still work out cheaper getting a card with a store down the road. I know family business fall short due to chain stores. If we can come to an agreement, then you can go home with more cash, and I can feed my new born.”

Panicking upon seeing the young face and hearing of a new born, the store owner filled another two giant bags. “This is all I have here. I have a friend two stalls down.” Geturing for his assistant to close up, he staggered behind the decking. Emerging and meeting the group in the narrow street dowsed with rain, the Uncle called on his friend. “ JangYeon-Shi, call this in for me.”

Looking at the list which was partially scribbled off, the addressed nodded to his senior as he handed off the paper to his colleague. “Your daughter is very lucky.”

“I’m-"

“She is.” The first store owner wafted his arm behind his back – in view only to the group of youngsters.

Catching the gesture, KiSe made a ninety degree bow. Returning upright, she smacked the boy beside her on the back of the head.

Forehead connecting with a thud on the flimsy, emptying wooden display table, JiWon’s eyes rolled around in his head. “He says thank you, too.” Collecting the bags, the group began walking away hurriedly. Small talk was cut short by the woman’s gasp. Grip around her upper arm, the redhead remained planted. “You’re not a mother.” The man which had sold them their goods originally hissed. “But there is a bab-”

Turning back when he realized the empty spot beside him, JunHoe instantly caught the scene and lurched. Striking, he snatched the vice hold on his friend’s arm. Peeling the fingers away with force, and nudging the redhead behind him, his grip constricted on the older man as the redhead staggered back into the comfort of her friends. In those couple of second, the tallest showed a side few others got to see.

Teeth bared and back up, the boy forgot himself.  “Keep your discount.” He smacked the hand away. Pointing aggressively and shouting obnoxiously, the tall brunet lost his temper. “It’s a good job she’s not the mother of my child, because you wouldn’t have a head right now.”

“Junnie,” Taken aback by the fearsome defence, KiSe pulled the younger boy back by his t-shirt. “come on. Let it go; it’s done.” Practically having her arms around the front of his ribs, the redhead yanked him back in a stagger.

Once out of sight and sound of the closing market, HanBin spoke up. “What was that about?” Shifting a bag from one hand to the other, the brunet spun around to question. “What’s wrong with you?”

Eyes focused ahead, JunHoe snapped back. “The more serious question is why didn’t you say anything?”

“You didn’t give me a chance.”

“I’m sick of waiting for other people to make the first move.”

“You’re just an angr-” Cut off  by the redhead’s upheld gesture, the other boys were shooed away. Keeping pace with the one who had ‘saved’ her, KiSe linked her arm with the boy had known for years.

Already gauging the root of the problem, she waved ahead the umbrella group. Strolling slowing yards behind the group, she kept a hold of the tallest. “Both you and I know I don’t need a bodyguard. Unlike the others, I know what this is about.” Dragging the boy back from his attempted storming, she pulled him under the cover of a park tree. “Spit it out.”

“She thinks I don’t kno-"

“And that’s how it should be kept.”

“Am I supposed to act surprised? I am I supposed to pretend I know nothing about her when she makes the argument that we shouldn’t be together? I can’t do that any more.” Turning around in a tangent, the youngest rambled. “I’m sick of doing that.”

“That’s not what I stopped you for.”

“Then what?”

“You have to leave her to calm down. You can't go around blowing up at people – that’s what she does.” Heaving in a breath, the redhead felt the top of her head, paranoid about the weather messing up her hair. “And you haven’t even seen here on whiskey yet.” She gave a forced grin.

“I’ve always been good to her; I can pay for her drinks, her cabs, her clothes, but she always turns sour at the end of the night.”

“She does it on purpose. I’ve known her for over fifteen years.” Examining her company's presence, the redhead hoped she was getting through the same kind of hot-headed stubborness he was complaining about. “She is allergic to help. But please, at this time of year, try not to mention two thigs.”

“What?

“The amount she drinks, and children; any kind of motherhood,” Sad smile meeting reaching her heavily lined eyes, KiSe patted the boy on top of his shoulder. “just don’t bring it up.”

“This once, I’m going to trust you.”

“Yeah, that’s the exact same thing she said to me when we first met.”

Making it back to the apartment, the group joked as the last pair rejoined them after their secret talk. Music on a medium volume, YunHyeong glanced up from setting the table. "You took long enough."

"Yeah, well, somebody had a meltdo-" JiWon was kicked in the back of the knee, causing him to jolt forward and ultimately stop talking.
 

Updated:14th October 2015 - 20:35

Updated: 25th March 2019 - 18:18