𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐞

⊱𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟎⊰

Eun-Jae

I was awoken by the loud clattering of metal hitting the floor. What the hell was going on? I got up from my uncomfortable position on the bay window seat and stretched before leaving my room and heading to the kitchen. Immediately, I was hit with the smell of freshly cooked food. Once I got into the kitchen, I noticed that Nari wasn't there. I walked around the side of the kitchen island and saw her sitting on the floor, holding her non-injured foot.

"What happened? Why are you on the floor?" I questioned, picking up the pot she had dropped off the floor and placing it on the kitchen counter. 

"I dropped the pot on my foot so I shifted my weight to my sprained ankle, but that hurt as well so my first thought was to sit down instead." She explained, still massaging her foot. 

"Do you need help standing up?"

"No, I'll be fine." She said, using the island counter to pull herself up. She walked around it and sat down at one of the stools. 

"What did you make?" I asked.

"Kimchi jjigae*, with some rice." She replied, nodding towards the food container next to the microwave. I turned around and opened the container as steam rose from the stew.

"You can have some if you want." Eun-Jae pointed out.

"No it's okay, it's your food."

"Please have some, it's the last I could do, especially since you're letting me stay here." She said.

I smiled and nodded and began dishing out some food for myself. As I was warming up some of the rice I heard a phone ringing. I knew it wasn't mine since mine was in my room so it must've been Nari's. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed her move into the living room to take the call. I finished warming my food and sat down at the island table. I wasn't intentionally eavesdropping, but she wasn't that far away and she was getting kind of loud. I ate quietly as Nari began to get heated on the phone call.

"What do you mean she demands for me to come back?... She's the one who kicked me out and now she's mad I actually left and didn't beg for her forgiveness?! I did nothing wrong!" I heard her yell. "Look, Ha-rin I'm not apologizing to her she kicked me out. If she wants to talk to me about it she can call me... Yeah, whatever, I'll talk to you later." She said, hanging up the phone. She ran her hand through her hair and sighed in frustration, heading over to her room. I wondered if she was okay but thought it would be best to just leave her alone and give her space. 

I finished up my food, cleaned up, and went into the living room. I sat down on the sofa and picked up one of the Vivienne Westwood lookbooks off the coffee table. It was the 'Spring-Summer Made-to-Mear 2022 Bride Collection' and it was my favorite. My favorite dress in the collection definitely had to be either 'Grace' or 'Rhea'. The use of lace and the attention to detail on the embroidered 'Rhea' dress was amazing. Her silhouettes weren't as detailed as the previous year however I loved the simplicity of last year's dresses. I really loved Vivienne's designs, one of her dresses, 'Moonlight' from this year's collection inspired a few of my designs. I loved the way pearls were used to highlight the asymmetrical neckline and used a similar idea by dripping pearls down the back of a suit I designed.

As I continued to flip through the book I noticed Nari enter the room. She had changed into a hoodie and a pair of shorts, and her hair was dripping wet. 

"Do you have a hairdryer I could borrow? I left mine at home." She asked, using the towel that hung around her neck to dry some of the water dripping down her forehead. 

"Yeah, it's in my wardrobe on the top shelf." I said, looking back down at the lookbook.

She walked off towards my room when I quickly remembered something. That box was there. She couldn't see it. No one was allowed to.