CHAPTER-14

"She didn't tell you? I am Seul Hee's husband! My name is Choi Jin Seok. Nice meeting you." He said while grinning. "Ohhh, I'm sorry, I had no idea how you look. I'm Nam Bo Young." She said. They bowed. "I didn't know we would run into each other here." He said. "Yeah...me too." She said. Bo Young thought: "I'm not sure but something is weird." "How are you doing these days?" He asked. "I am doing fine I guess." She said. "Really? It shouldn't be like that." He said with a straight face. "Pardon?" She asked being confused. "I said that it shouldn't be just fine but great. After all, you are living because of us." He said with the same straight face. "I don't understand." She said. "After all you are taken care by Seul Hee. Ok I gotta go." He said. "Thank you. Be careful on your way." She said. He then went outside. "Wow, What did I just witness, he was acting all strange." She said and turned to look at the door. She noticed something strange. "Am I seeing this right? Is that a woman with him? No no, let's not make assumptions, it might be his sister." She said staring at the door. She then continued with the work. But there was one thing that made her late. Hyun Wook didn't come up to work at all. "10 mins passed and he is still not here." She said and was about to take her phone to text. *chime* the bell in the door rang. "Welcome!" She said. She didn't notice the customer and took out her phone. She texted: "Sunbae, 10 mins passed, you're gonna turn up late. The boss will get mad." She sent the text and kept on staring at the screen.

The customer came to the counter. "Oh? Nam Bo Young?" The customer asked. Bo Young got startled and look at them. "Oh It's you, Mr.Nothing." She said. "Hey! Stop calling me that. Why are you working in a part time job?" Seong Seop said. "Sorry, I forgot your name. I just like it. Is the agency you are training in is also in this neighbourhood?" She asked while scanning the stuff that he bought. "No, but I live around here. I usually don't come here often, I come here only to see Ha Sang and Yeon Joon and to this store only my sister comes here...!" He said and realised one thing. "Here it's 8,900 won." She said and looked at him being all stunned. "Hey! Whatcha lookin' at? Pay and leave." She said. "Hmm? Oh! Ok. So do you work at this time?" He asked. "Actually, no. I don't work here in this timing. I work the shift before this." She said. Seong Seop's eyes widened. "What?" She asked. "Nothing. Alright I will leave now." He said and waved. "Okay." She said. As soon as he left, another one came in. She thought: "How long should I wait?" The customer didn't go to buy things but came straight to the counter. "You are the part time worker who should have left before right?" The person asked. "Yeah and you are....?" She asked. "I was sent by Hyun Wook. He won't be able to come today. So I came to fill in. Sorry for running late." The person said. "Ohhh, it's okay. You can carry on. I will leave now." She said and took her stuff. The person nodded. She then started leaving.

While walking she had so many thoughts running in her mind. She was thinking: "Hyun Wook sunbae didn't even notify me that he won't come to work. Why didn't he come? Should I ask? No, he will think that I'm being nosy. But, either way I shouldn't care about it. Don't distract yourself Bo Young. We have a lot of things to do. There are so many things that are in my mind now. Who in the world gave me this ornament? Why did they give this? When did they give this? Why the heck don't I remember those things? And the very important one...." She reached her house. She went inside and jumped on the bed. "I'm soooooo tired. It's 7.30 already. Let's talk with the girls. No let's talk with Yu Ah alone, Ji Ae might be busy." She said and took out her phone to chat. She texted: "Heya!"

"Hey Bo Young, I am in the hospital with Ji Ae to see her father."

"Ohh, Alright. Where is Ji Ae?"

"She went to meet up with the doctor. I'm sitting outside. Did your part time job finish now?"

"Nah, it finished long time back, but the next shift employee didn't show up, so I had to wait for the substitute. I'm so tired now. Ok, how is Ji Ae now?"

"Sigh, she couldn't stop crying when she saw her dad. Her dad was sleeping when we came. She didn't want to wake him up, so she ran outside the room and continued crying. I wasn't able to see her crying, it's so heartbreaking to see her cry. I never saw her cry since the day we first met.....except for one day. But seeing her cry like this is so painful for me. Ji Ae is always cheerful and ecstatic. Sigh, why does this have to happen to her?"

Bo Young closed her eyes and took a deep breath. *Sigh* She then replied, "I know right. I will visit someday in the weekend. Is that alright?"

"I don't know, we will ask Ji Ae tomorrow. Ok now, Ji Ae is back. I will let you know the other details later. Bye!"

"Ok, make sure you guys head home safely and take care. Bye!"

She kept her phone aside and lied down on her back after replying to Yu Ah while lying on her stomach. "Yu Ah already once told me that Ji Ae hates it when people hide things from her, especially people who are CLOSE to her. I don't want to tell nor don't want to hide it from them. I don't exactly know what to do. One day, for sure, I know, they are going to find that I am hiding things from them and gonna hate me. Oh! I almost forgot. Let's text Hee unnie." She took her phone and texted: "Hee unnie!! Are you busy?"

Seul Hee replied 5 mins later.

"Nah, how was school?"

"It's going as usual. And, I met your husband today!"

"Oh really? Where?"

"When I was working in the store. He came and introduced himself. Did he tell you?"

"He didn't come yet. He told he had some work to do today so would come late."

"Is his office near my neighbourhood?"

"No it's totally far, I'm not sure why he would come there."

"Ohhh, Ok. Oh, right, does your husband have a sister?"

"Not at all, he is the only child in his family. Ok he is back, I will speak to you later."

"Alright, bye."

She kept it aside. "He said he had work to do but came to the store which is really far from his office and He doesn't have a sister. It might be his cousin though. Let's not make any assumptions now. I have exams next week. But I don't have the books they have here. I guess the portions will be the same. I'm hungry, what to eat today? I see some cup noodles, let's just eat them and go to sleep." She said. She ate her heart out and then went to bed. Just when she was about to turn her lights off, someone ringed the bell of her door.

"It's 10am now, who is it at this hour??" She said and went to check the monitor. "Am I seeing right? Why is Yeon Joon here?" She went to her door and opened it. "What are you doing here?" She asked him. But something was wrong, he wasn't looking like his normal self, smiling and speaking cheerfully. He looked worried and gloomy. Noticing that, Bo Young changed her question. "What's wrong?" She asked. "Can I come inside?" He asked looking down. "What are you talking about!? I can't let you in. But why are you here?" She asked. "I had an emergency so I had to come back to the apartment." He said and crouched down. "Wh- What are you doing? Stand up. What's wrong?" She said getting flustered. He shook his head. "What are you, a 5 year old child? Stop doing that and stand up!"She whisper-shouted. "Then let me in." He said while looking up at her. She thought: "Tch, What do I do with him? Should I let him in? Wait....." After a long thought, she sat down with him. "I won't let you in now. Should I get you something to drink?" She asked. "I want a water bottle. Not for just now but for some days. And...I'm not comfortable sitting here, please let me in. I won't do anything that might scare you." He assured. "Alright, come in." She said being fed up. They both went inside. "So, you do live alone." He said. "Yeah." She said. "Why? Where are your parents? Are they living somewhere else?" He asked. "Why would I tell you? Forget it. But, why are you here at this hour?" She asked back. "Ummm....I don't know whether I should tell you. But I can tell one for sure, this one was a really great emergency so I had to come back to see my relative." He said. Bo Young nodded. "So, when will you leave? It's getting late." She said. "I might stay here at my relative's house or will leave now. But most probably, I will stay here." Yeon Joon said. "So, ur relatives are here?" Bo Young asked. "Yeah, So....can I get the water bottle now?" He asked. "Yeah sure." She said and got up from the couch. She went and took bottle to fill. She filled and came back. "Here." She said while holding out the bottle. He got it in his hand and thanked. "When will get my water bottle back?" Bo Young asked. "It will be with my relatives for a while, so i dont know when to give. Then see you tomorrow. Bye." He said and left. Bo Young waved. Bo Young didn't forget to apply the medicine before going to sleep. She applied and went to bed. "Sigh, surprisingly I feel sleepy."

The next morning.

"Yay! It's Friday. We can rest for the next two days. I hope today ends soon." She said and went out of the house getting fully dressed. She was walking normally downstairs. "Oh? I'm not limping? That's great-!" She said to herself and got startled. When she turned to the left, she saw Yeon Joon standing, leaning on the wall. "Oh My! You scared me!" She said. Yeon Joon giggled. "So, you didn't go home yesterday. And why were you standing there?" She said. "Yeah..I dint go home. I was waiting for you, Let's go." He said and started walking. It was so silent. "Why aren't you talking? Talk about-" He said and turned to his side to find no one beside him.  He then saw that Bo Young was standing there, alone, looking at the opposite direction. He ran upto her. "What are you doing? I started walking thinking you were coming with me." He said. "Tsk, you can leave if you want to." She said. "Hmph, Alright! I was waiting for you like a gentleman and you treat me like this? How rude!"  He said and started walking away. "I never asked you to wait." She said. She thought: "Why is he acting like that? And where is Hyun Wook sunbae? He didn't show up to work yesterday and today he isn't here too. Should I text? No, he will think I'm being a bother." She kept looking at the empty distance. She could hear hurried footsteps from behind. She thought: "Who is running like this?" She turned to see, it was Yeon Joon. He then slowed down, when he came closer. He then stood before her panting while bending and holding his knees. "Did you give up?" She bent to his height and said. "Hmph, I guess so, it's really boring going alone." He said. "You always go to school alone right?" She asked. "I do! But having a company and going alone is different." He said. "Ohh, you think of me as a company? You think I talk much?" She asked.

"I think so, you talk when you think you want to. And do you know one thing?" He asked. "What?" She asked. "We are going to be 5 mins late." He said. "Oh, Oh? WHAT?! Damn!" She said and started running. Yeon Joon didn't notice that, he was closing his eyes and speaking. "If we don't start now, they will reduce so much-!" He finally opened his eyes and saw she wasn't there. "Where is she?" He said and looked at the direction where they should go. She ran a little bit far. "Crap!" He said and started running behind her. "Bo Young!! Wait!" He yelled. "Hurry up! You told we don't have time!" She yelled back. "Alright alright! I lied! I lied to you!" He shouted. Bo Young slowed down and finally stopped running. She turned back at him panting. "What?" She asked. "Yeah I lied so you could walk to school soon. But how did you run that fast with that condition of your leg?" He asked. "Yeeahhh, you're right, it might have healed. I should see Ms.Kang today." She said. "And Who were you waiting for?" He asked. "Hyun Wook sunbae. He comes mostly at this time but today he didn't." She said. "Ohhh, let's go." He said. "But what about Hyun Wook sunbae?" She asked. "He does know how and when to come to school. So stop wondering. Let's go." He said. Bo Young nodded.

They talked for a while but Yeon Joon only kept asking questions. Bo Young kept answering them. She answered some when it was something that she wasn't uncomfortable in answering, while didn't answer those she didn't want to. She got annoyed at some point. "Arghh! Why do you keep asking questions? And why am I answering those pointless questions?" She yelled. "Woah there, I was just curious." He said with a pout.

"Don't even think of asking meaningless questions next time. You keep asking 'What is your hobby? What do you do in free time? When did you buy your phone? Why do you want to become an idol? That, this'. Argh, really frustrating." She said. "Alright, but when I ask some meaningful questions also you don't answer." He said. They reached the school. They weren't late anyways. "You are telling me to answer every kind of question that's already personal. Forget it." She said. "Look, is asking where did you study previous years and why do you live alone is personal?" Yeon Joon asked. "It is personal, for me." She said while about throw hands at him. "Why would it be-?" He stopped talking and looked at the direction of the garden. "What?" She also looked at the same direction. Students crowded the area. "Let's go check." Yeon Joon said. "Not interested." She said. "Just come with me, I see something interesting is happening." He said and grabbed her hand and started running towards the garden. "I told I'm not interested! Stop pulling me!" She said. But he didn't listen to a word. Once they got there, it was so crowded. As soon as they saw Yeon Joon they left way. Bo Young thought: "The power that he holds though." When they came to the entrance, someone shouted. "KANG JI AE!" Someone shouted from the inside of the garden. Bo Young was startled. She thought: "Ji Ae? What's wrong? Where is she? Who is with her?" Bo Young pulled out her hand from Yeon Joon and ran inside. Yeon Joon followed her back. Bo Young's eyes widened. She saw....

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CHAPTER - 14 END

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