CHAPTER 24

"Would you like something?" Ji Sung asked

"What do you have?" I asked

He stood up from the counter

Since there was nobody else in the house, we decided to do it here; there was no point going to his room. But he gave me a tour of his house, and believe me, I wished I could live here. It's a wonderful place to live with your family, not by yourself. I smiled sadly at Ji Sung, well his back. This was all vanity, since he didn't feel happy

He turned at me, as if waiting for me to reply

"Huh?" I asked

"I said, do you mind if we talk about which project to do while I make us something?" he asked aagin

"Sure. Why not?"

"Good" he said and turned back

"So," I started, "we first of all have to choose which unit to do. Either Genetics Unit, Heredity Unit, Evolution Unit, or Biodiversity Unit. We haven't done anything major in Biodiversity, so that unit is out We have three left" I said

"Which unit are you most confident with? I'm confident in every one" he said

I winkled my nose

He sure was smart, but I was nowhere near admitting it

"Such a show off" I said silently, but enough to reach his eyes

He chucked

I contemplated for a while before choosing

"I'll go with Genetics Unit" I decided

"Sounds good to me" Ji Sung said

I crossed off all other projects that had to do with the three other units

"Now, the next thing is to choose is which topic" I said

"What are the options?"

I jumped as he asked

I looked at where he was standing and where he was at now, behind me

"How and when did you get here?" I asked, steading my heart beat

He just gave me a smile and focused back on the handouts on the counter

I glared at him

He looked up at me, then dragged me down to his level, signaling to the handout

I glared at him some more before joining him to decide which topic to do

"How about we go with the Karyotypes Lab?" he asked after a while

I thought for a while

"I don't see why not. I have you, after all" I said with a smile

"Didn't you just call me a show off?" he teased

"Nega? Eonje?" me? when? I asked innocently

He scoffed his head, and shook his head

"So, Karyotype Lab it is" I said

"When do we start?" Ji Sung asked

"Well, we can start... What in the world is that smell?" I asked

I looked towards where the smell came from, which was the stove

"What does it smell like?" Ji Sung asked, also standing to his height

"In two words, food and wonderful" I summarize

"Is that by chance, the food you're making?" I asked, astonished

"Yup" he said with a puff chest

"What are you making?" I asked

I went towards the oven, and leaned over trying to look at what was inside. But, I couldn't because of the tinted cover. I made to open it, but Ji Sung stopped me

"Then, where goes the element of surprise?" he asked, leading back to our work place

"I really don't like you" I said

"I know, and I feel the same" he said

I huffed as he sat me down

"So, when do we start?" he asked again

"We have till next Friday, so I say Thursday"

"Thursday?"

"Biology isn't the only course we have. Let's finish up anything we need to do in order courses before Thursday. That way, I can be fully concentrated" I explained

"Okay. Thursday it is, then" he said

"So, can I sew it now?" I asked as I packed the last material back into my bag

"When it's ready" he said

"What's the point? I'm going to be here, anyway, while you cook" I said

"No, you aren't" he said

I raised my eyebrows

"You want me to leave? Without eating?" I asked

There was no way I was going without seeing and tasting what he was cooking

"Yes, to the sitting room" he said

I looked behind me and back at him

I pointed to the leaving room, and he nodded

"And to what?"

"Watch something, or anything you want to do. Just leave this area"

"Wow. I never knew you had this side to you. Is it generated when you cook, or what?" I asked

"Something like that. Now, go" he replied

He gently pushed me to the living room, once again making me sit down. Then, he went back to the kitchen

I just sat there for a while, before deciding to watch something. But before that

"I need the password for the WIFI!" I called out to him

I couldn't use my mobile data when I could use free WIFI

"It's on the TV stand" he shouted back

After connecting to the internet, I played a Nigerian movie '30 Days in Atlanta'. It's one of the few movies I watched, and it's one of the best I binge watch

"Food's ready" Ji Sung announced

"Oh" I said

"Oh? That's all?"

"I kind of forgot you were cooking" I admitted

I got carried away with the movie

"Wow, I better up my game. To the extent that you won't forgot" he said

I smiled and paused the movie

He came and placed the food down, after placing something on the table

"This is your Kimchi jjigae and Saeng Sun Jun which is know as Pan-Fried fish" kimchi stew he said

Image

Image

"I don't think you need to up your game" I said, my mouth watering

Ji Sung chuckled

I went to the floor about to start digging

"Wait" he said

I groaned

He reappeared with a bottle of wine and two wine cups. I gave him a look

"It's non-alcoholic" he said

We eat and watched the movie

^^^^^

"Do you know the way home? Or should I lead you?"

"Nah, it's okay. I also have my google map" I said

"Okay. See you, tomorrow"

"Bye"

I waved at Ji Sung, entered my car, and drove off

The moment I looked at my front door was the moment I could no longer hold off the memory of what happened this morning, I had been trying to make nothing of it. But, it was easier said than done. There's only one person I know by that name, and the face that I saw it again on my mom's phone could be anything but good. And the possibility of it being someone else was undeniably low

I took a deep breathe as I entered the house

"I'm back" I announced

My mom turned to look at me from the sofa. The tv was one, but I knew she wasn't watching what was being displayed, because she doesn't watch wildlife animals

"You're a bit late" she said

She was trying to behave as if everything was normal this morning, but her plan failed. There was no reason to tell her that

Because it's nothing, I said to myself, and told myself to believe it

"I was at Ji Sung's house. We are partners for a Biology project" I said

She gave a small smile which was clearly forced

"Is that so? That's good" she said

"I'm tired, so I go up first" I said

"Soo Joon-ah" she called

"Good night, mom" I said with a smile

The moment I turned around, the smile vanished and my face portrayed exactly what I was feeling