1865 ; jungwon

CHAPTER 11

"Isn't she supposed to stay at home? "

Jungwon looked at his friend, shrugging his shoulders before looking back at the familiar woman who's walking across the street.

"We literally see her everyday here in this city, I wonder if her family knows she wanders around everyday. "

Jungwon sips at his coffee. "Sunoo said she's the daughter of Mister Min. "

"Yeah, I know that. " Jake agreed. "But isn't the Min family strict? They're known for that. "

The younger shrugged. "Maybe they aren't with their daughter. "

That's true. Jungwon thinks that way since the day he met the daughter of the Min couple. From how the way she acts, the way she talks and the way she approaches the girl she is always with which he assume is her servant.

Because there is no way an upper class would treat a servant the way Jiyeon does. There is no way a lady from upper class acts that way, hold someone's hand, a stranger to be exact, just like what she did when they first encountered each other.

And the way she acts.... God, Jungwon couldn't help but to laugh at how clumsy she was. She doesn't even act like a lady, a proper lady. And it amuses him.

She amuses him.

Jungwon emptied his cup and rises to his feet. He took his boater hat on the table and then looked at his friend.

"Where you going? " Jake asked while setting his unfinished coffee on the table.

Jungwon scrunched then let out a deeper sigh. "Just going to pay my rent, it's overdue actually. "

"That sucks, man. "

He nodded in agreement. "Indeed, it is."

Jungwon bid his goodbye to his friend and walked towards a certain direction where the landlord of the tenement he's living currently lives.

He is already overdue and he needed to pay his rent today or he will be homeless tomorrow. That's why despite not receiving his salary yet, he needed to use his savings to pay for his rent.

Jungwon turned to the side and in the corner of the alleyway. He keeps on walking until he arrived at his destination.

A sound of a ringing bell was heard when he entered the cramped room.

"Yang, you finally showed up. " the landlord spoke, peeking through his specs as he looked at the new arrival who is now walking towards the desk.

"My schedule is quite packed, didn't have enough time to drop by. " Jungwon reasoned, not really lying but not telling the whole truth either.

The old man huffed. "Yeah yeah, whatever. "

Jungwon chuckled, shaking his head. "How much was it again? "

After the old man answered him, Jungwon paid his rent with heavy heart. He wanted to ask for more days but he held himself, assuring himself that it is alright. He will just ask his friends if they can lend him some coins for the mean time.

"Have you had your lunch? "

Jungwon nodded, considering the bread he ate with Jake earlier as a proper lunch. "Yes, sir. "

The old man looked at him then nodded. Jungwon then bid his goodbye to the man before exiting the room.

He heaved a sigh as he buried his hands into the pocket of his coat while walking down the alleyway. He doesn't have anything to do this afternoon as his job for today ended earlier. So he is free for the whole afternoon and he is planning to spend it sleeping in his tenement.

Jungwon's forehead creased as he heard something. It's a voice of a female mixed with laughters.

Something in him wanted to go and find where the noise is coming from but a part of him wanted to not be nosy and just leave the place already.

And Jungwon being Jungwon, he chose the latter. Because first, he's not nosy and he doesn't care in other's business. Especially if it won't benefit him. Second, he just doesn't care.

That was Jungwon's plan. To ignore the noise and leave the place. That was until he heard what the voice had said.

"I swear to fucking God if you bunches of ugly stinky people dared to take another step, I'll chop your dick off and throw them to the lion's lair! "

Now that is unusual. Very unusual considering that it's a voice of a woman. And this fact is enough to convince Jungwon to look who has a brave soul to speak in that way.

So with that being said, he followed where the sound is coming from. And right there he saw a girl holding a stick with her ungloved hands while pointing it to the numbers of men.

Jungwon squint his eyes, finding the girl's figure a bit familiar. His eyes widened upon realizing who it was.

What is she doing here?!

Jungwon immediately walked towards where Jiyeon is and stopped right in front of her. His back against her as he faced those ugly and stinky men.

Jungwon wanted to laugh at the thought but he held himself instead.

"I'm sorry but I'm kinda new here, do you know where is the office of the landlord, Han Myungsoo? " he asked them while his hands are on his back, gesturing for Jiyeon to leave the place.

But instead of doing what the man is trying to tell her with his hand, Jiyeon was busy admiring his back. She's way too busy admiring him to notice his hands that's telling her to leave the place already.

"Ahh, that mumbling cove? " the one holding a bottle of liquor asked, making Jungwon pursed his lips in annoyance.

Because first, mister Han is not a mumbling cove. Second, they stink to the point Jungwon can feel his nose being itchy.

"Just walk straight here " the other man tried to explain. "And turn to the left side then to the right and you'll see there. "

Bullshit.

Jungwon knows where's the landlord's office and the instruction the man gave him won't lead him there.

But still, he nodded his head, secretly glancing to the lady behind him. He internally facepalm himself upon seeing the girl just standing there while staring at him.

"Ah really, thanks man. We'll get going then. "

Jungwon turned his back against the group of men and faced Jiyeon instead.

"Let's go. " he whispered and was about to grab Jiyeon's hand. Though he immediately stopped before he could even touch her skin.

"What do you mean we? Aren't you alone, young man? " the jollocks was the one who spoke.

Jungwon let out a stressful sigh before taking off his coat.

"I'm not, I'm with her. "

And with that, Jungwon uses his coat to cover Jiyeon's hand as he grabbed her arm and told her to run.

And she did. They ran out of the area with Jungwon holding her hand that is now covered with his coat.

For Jungwon, the action was nothing. They are just running to save their lives from those drunkards men but for Jiyeon? It's a whole lot different and the smile in her lips, the sparks in her eyes and the rhythm of her heartbeat explains it all.

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A/n:
In case some of y'all are not aware, what happened to Jiyeon and Jungwon (from their first encounter up to now) isn't included and never mentioned in the 'history'. It's not written in Jiyeon and Jungwon's story in textbooks. So basically, Jiyeon or Minjoo wasn't aware or she's clueless with these interactions Jiyeon had with Jungwon in the past. That's all, thank u for reading! <33