Detour

41

Day 28, D-13.2

Jisoo

"Jia."

Her calm demeanor greeted me, though I heard a mixture of weak and sad tone on her voice. Another jolt of guilt rushed through to me for including her on our 'watch list'.

"Halmeoni." I replied back in a cheerful tone, trying to conceal my anguish. "Please come in."

I opened the door wide, my peripheral vision darted at the man who hastily threw his cigarette butt to the ground, smashing it with his sneakers, looking at us attentively. I shut the door, his lingering stares on us disappeared in my view.

Who is he exactly? 

I don't think the killer would expose himself in broad daylight like this.

"I won't stay too long. I've been interrupting you and Hanz for almost a week. How are you feeling today?"

Right. She's been consistently visiting and staying for two to three hours, "our cooking bonding" as her main goal. She's been teaching me quick to cook meals for my husband.

"Where is Hanz?" Halmeoni asked me when he didn't see him.

"At the store." I replied. "He had 15 additional subscribers of the meal plans and Chef Sam cannot do all the job alone. I told him I'm feeling better today so that he could resume back to work." 

I keenly observed her reaction with my I am alone statement.

 She looked nervous.

"Do you have plans today Halmeoni? Hanz could be out the entire day."

She gulped a few times before I got a reply from her, my intention of luring her was obviously working.

"I could stay a little bit longer and accompany you while Hanz is out." She offered. "Do you want to learn a new dish today? What's Hanz favorite food?"

I smiled.

***

The first two hours of us together, we spent it over the kitchen just how we did for the past whole week. She didn't talk to much about herself which she usually does, her stories were mostly about her and her husband, and few stories about her children. When Jung was here for that entire week, he was usually upstairs and let us spend our time together in the kitchen.

Today, she taught me how to cook the bulgogi beef I've been craving for the last time. Jung loves beef bulgogi too.

I wanted to enjoy our time as much as I can, but all my actions were laced with extra level of cautiousness. And just like my promise to Haein, I tried my best not to doze off, and my promise to Insub, I always sent a message in a gap of thirty minutes to let him know we were okay.

For now.

Our cooking sessions were briefly interrupted by Haein's every thirty minute call to check out on me, which give Halmeoni a hundred percent approval, me reasoning out he was keeping tabs on me if I am feeling well. Which is not exactly the case for us.

Lunch quickly passed by and still Halmeoni hasn't left which was unusual. We stayed inside our master bedroom which I preferred more because of the balcony. She picked up her tote bag and picked up something from it. I had my reflexes ready since the last time I saw her bag, there was a gun in it. But then I was just overthinking. It was a small pouch with yarn and knitting needles. She smiled at me as she handed me a pink and a blue yarn and an extra knitting needle.

"You always carry them?" Curiosity piqued me on why she had knitting materials in her bag. I tried to hold the knitting needles myself and tried making some random knits.