Books And Blinds

A Question Only She Can Answer

Minho POV

I can't believe how this petite woman has such strong and heavy hands. She surely woke my soul up after hitting me.

"Goeun-ah. It hurts." I complain, still rubbing my arm. It hurts but it's bearable. I just want to see a glint of guilt on her face, but she shows none. She just scoffed and told me it is my fault so I surrender and pouted my lips.

"Well, we both have a single parent. You have your Appa, and I only have my Eomma."

"Where's your Appa?"

"They parted ways with my Eomma. He chose to have a single life than us." I casually said.

"I'm sorry." She shyly said. "I thought he passed away too."

"That's what I wished before. But as I grow older, I slowly understand how things happened and why it happened like that."

I turn to her and she just looks at me, waiting for the next words I'll say. "My parents had me accidentally. They are not young and they were at the right age to have a family, but my Appa wasn't ready to have a family then. He still marry Eomma but after a couple of years, they chose divorce. I don't understand. Does their love wasn't enough for them to stay with each other? Does their love isn't strong enough to fight for each other? Or their child, me, am I not enough for them to realize that I was made with their love and flesh? I don't understand my Appa." My lips were trembling while telling her the things I never open up to anyone, even to my friends. They only knew that my parents were separated but I never told them about the reasons behind it.

"When did the last time you saw him?" She asks, narrowing my look.

I brush back my damped hair and gulp. "Last month. I saw him walking outside our school with a little girl."

Her eyes got widen. "Oh. His child? Do you have other siblings then? How did you greet him?" She asks. Straightening her posture.

"I just look at them. He doesn't know me. He doesn't have any idea of how I turned up. He left us after I just turn 2 years old." I chuckled at the thought of it. How cruel is he? Leaving his child who just turn two. I would never do that if ever I have my own family. I will still support and show up for them. It is true, the phrase they say, that humans are scarier than ghosts. They can do things that are unimaginable and scarier than a ghost can do.

"You can cry though. I see that you also going through something unsaid." After she said those words I feel like I would cry anytime here but no, I don't want to.

"I don't want to cry. I can't." I said. And she looks confused.

"Wae?"

"I don't know. I can't cry when someone is looking." I said. It is true. My tears wouldn't come out when there are people surrounds me. Whenever I am in a hard situation and I am on the verge of breaking down, I just look for a close space like a comfort room and isolated myself to cry it all out.

"Really? Are you suppressing your tears? It's bad." She said worriedly.

"I guess that's how I used to do it since before. I never cried in front of anyone. Even in front of my friends and relatives. The closest people to me."

"Really?! How about in front of your Eomma? You sure did it." She mischievously smiles.

"No. I would never do that. I don't want her to see me in pain. I guess I never want people to see me crying. Not just my Eomma."

"Would it offend you if I say I find it weird?" She stands facing me while her arms are crossed against her chest. Giving me a questionable look. I lean to the window and slightly sit on the end of it to level her eye.

I chuckled before I answer her, "I think it's my defense mechanism. We all have our way of dealing with things that suffer us." She nodded and pursed her lips. "We are quite alike, don't you think? We have single parents, we have untold stories we keep within—"

"No. I think we are more different. Opposite in a lot of things."

"You think we are opposite? Well, okay I agree then." I said while copying the way she fold her arms against her chest.

"Why are smiling like that?" She asks slightly glaring at me. Am I smiling? Didn't realize that.

"What? I'm not smiling." I said shaking my head but I do feel how my smile gets wider now that she looks unconvinced.

"You just gave me a smug smile. Whatever you are thinking spill it or I rip your mouth." She glare. It's unexpected to witness this part of her. She is known to be shy and quite clumsy, but I guess this part of her only comes out with the people she's comfortable with. Is she comfortable with me now?

"Yah! Why are you smiling?!" She whacks my arm again. The one she whacked earlier.

"Ouch! Ah! It hurts!" I said hissing the pain. I rub my arm but the pain couldn't fade the smile on my face. Her eyes were murderously directed to me while her lips formed into a pout. She looks so cute, like a spoiled little girl who can't have what she wants. "I'm smiling because I want to. What's wrong with that?"

"You are not smiling because you wanted to, you are smiling because something is spinning on your mind that seems interesting. What is it?! Tell me!"

I chuckled again then clear my throat, I run my hand on my hair. "I just think of what you just said. That we are opposite." I stop for a while as I saw how her curious face turn to confusion.

"What's makes you smile with that?" She still doesn't understand it.

I don't want to share what I am thinking. I'm scared that she might turn back into the shy girl or worse distance herself from me. I like how she behaves right now, carefree. But I'm also scared that she huff on me from time to time if I refuse to say it.

"I just remember this famous quote 'opposites attract' I guess it's true because I'm starting to get attracted to you," I said, letting it out in one breathe looking through her eyes without blinking and pausing.

A silent moment eat us up as we stay stood face to face. I'm still leaning on her window and she was stuck standing in front of me.
She stared at me looking stunned. Her eyes shot open and her lips parted.

I just realized yesterday what I truly feel towards her and I am sure that I like her, that there was something inside of me that grew and continues to grow as I spent the days with her.

I don't have plans on confessing it but I will lay my fate with the quote 'it is now or never'. I already stunned her, and my next words might add up to her reaction. I don't care. I need to say it to her or else I don't know when I will be able to.

It's now or never.

"I'm a smart guy, I'm aware of that. But there's a question only you can give me an answer to. I know you have an answer with this, and.. and I hope you'll answer it honestly."

She gulps and blinks numerous times. I reach for her right hand and our eyes fall on it. I caressed the ring on her thumb, it's a gold one, I noticed it since the first time we met. The ring seems important to her.

From her hands, her eyes diverted to me, she look at me, waiting for my next words.

I smile and squeeze her hand, "I like you, Goeun. Do you think I have a chance to win your heart?"

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Author's Note:

Tomorrow will be the start of our OJT. 😣 I'll be busy again and don't know when to update again so I'll leave this chapter for now.

But don't rely on what I say 🤣 there are days where even I'm busy in my school, I still find myself writing here instead of doing my assignments.

Just don't mute your notif! Ciao ❤️