Anyone But Him | JJK ✔️ (Completed)

Chapter 15

The mall was still packed with peak hour shoppers despite the time being well past the peak hour.

Kyung Ah had dragged me to the mall near our neighborhood just for this new corn dog store after school. I'd protested a lot and told her I needed to study for my exams in a month and insisted that she do the same too, but I didn't manage to fully convince her.

"C'mon, Chaewon, you gotta chill once in a while, you know? You shouldn't stress yourself out," Kyung Ah said, steering me into the mall's south entrance through the glass automatic sliding doors. The air-conditioning wasn't turned on to such extreme temperatures unlike during summer time.

I noticed nothing special about the shops, or where the corn dog shop was. Grumbling to myself, I trailed behind Kyung Ah as she bounded excitedly, looking left and right at the shops lining the perimeter like a curious newborn puppy.

Level 1 was mostly clothing shops, like ZARA, Cotton On, et cetera, et cetera. When I needed some new clothes for a change, Level 1 was the usual place where I could be seen.

The shops that I enjoyed browsing in were at Level 3. They sold those cute little confectionary and plushies that every teenage girl might've once liked. Whenever I was there, hugging a cute teddy bear plushie or squeezing those stress balls with Kawaii designs on them, those other teenage girls could be seen in twos or threes, also eyeing the products with glittering eyes.

Level 4 consisted of a food court, and that was all. The whole level is set aside for a food court. Quite a waste, if you ask me. Maybe they could add a claw machine shop, or an arcade, or- Forget it, that wasn't important.

Pulling me after her, Kyung Ah led me to the escalator. "It's in Basement 1, like how all those foods are in typical malls."

I allowed Kyung Ah to guide me along, though somewhat unwillingly. Frankly, there wasn't anything to dread about going shopping (or window shopping) with a friend. Anyways, studies mustn't be the only thing a student needed to worry about, right? Friendship was important too, especially for me, who was considered a nerd in my class. Perhaps I should learn to take a break, like how Kyung Ah said.

***

Twenty minutes later, the both of us were munching on a corn dog. The queue in front of the shop stretched from the shop to the escalator, which was a few meters away from the shop. Kyung Ah looked lovestruck, and I know very well why. She had a liking for corn dogs and all sorts of Korean snacks, which might explain why she was gaining weight gradually.

I pinched a chunk of fat on her arm, shaking it to show her how much weight she'd put on. "You know, I think you should also exercise too, Kyung Ah. Look at how heavy you are now," I said, shaking my head and making "tsk tsk" sounds.

Kyung Ah hit my back gently, taking a bite of the corn dog but saying nothing.

"Mmm, daebak!" Kyung Ah said, savoring the taste with her eyes closed. I nodded too. It was pretty good.

I took a glance at her wristwatch. Three thirty-five. I didn't figure my mother would be very happy if I went home late, because she was consistently fussing about my safety.

So I tapped Kyung Ah, who was finishing up her corn dog, on the shoulder. "Kyung Ah, I have to go. My omma wouldn't like me going home later than usual," I explained.

I thought I saw a flicker of disappointment on her face, but it disappeared as fast as it came. Putting on a cheerful smile, Kyung Ah nodded with her mouth full. "Okay, let's go home."

We took the escalator to Level 1 of the mall. The basement was normally more crowded because of all the food there (People simply enjoy food).

The escalator was located at the right-hand side of the mall (if you entered from the south side), and it was quite obvious. Otherwise, it would be blocked by a coffee shop.