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Oppa, I'm sorry, but can you come over and pick me up at school? I don't feel too good. I'll be at the bus stop.
His partner at the firm was slightly astonished at his request to leave early from work since Minseok was known to be working all the time. It was rare that he took a leave and because it wasn't such a hectic day, he was free to go.
Driving his Mercedes Benz, his saliva never failed to turn sour at the sight of his own car. When he left the building, a new sensation crept up his spine. A restless feeling emerged slowly but prominently as he got closer and closer to the bus stop.
I'm needed...
It was eye-opening. It wasn't about work or duty calls. Somebody just needed him to be there.
His skin tingled, and his body jerked slightly when she opened the car door and closed it a bit too loud. The man didn't dare to lock his eyes with the girl as she rested her head comfortably on the headrest and turned away, holding a distant gaze at whatever was outside the window.
The ride home was tense this time. Jayoung hadn't said a word, and if she wasn't constantly wiping her tears away with her the cuff of her bright turquoise shirt, he would have tried something. Her chestnut hair was wavy and gave off a distinct fragrance, reminding him of her sister. Of course, that alone was the problem.
At home, he just sat on the couch silently while the girl was sleeping upstairs. Well, hopefully, she was sleeping.
He didn't know why, but he was drawn to downing a glass of stiff whiskey. His silver jacket felt stuffy, and his blue skinny crochet tie was suffocating. He stumbled toward the kitchen table and got a hold of himself.
Her dark raven hair was flowing in the wind – so beautiful, it was almost bending the gravity. The pull was there dragging him closer, but when he was near, venomous eyes cast their hate unto him. He couldn't move. He was still like a man who was turned into stone.
In his whole life, he knew he had done nothing but good, yet this person hated him. He knew then he had never met anyone who despised him this much. It couldn't be blamed on anyone, however. As much as he understood that he may have deserved it in a way, he still couldn't believe the grim disappointment in her eyes every time he approached her.
When the whiskey glass slipped through his fingers and landed safely on the glass table, making a searing clink, he was snapped out of his daylight trance. 03:47 pm. He could go back to work obviously, but for once he felt emotionally tired. An excuse he never thought he'd be the one to use.
Minutes later, he was standing in front of Jayoung's room, idly walking back and forth. Once his courage was mustered, he softly knocked a gray door which slowly swung open on the first tap. There was she was laying on the bed looking particularly frail. So, she was sleeping. He tightened his lips and bit the inside of his cheeks at the thought of her sister.
There was a seaweed soup pack he'd insisted they should buy in the fridge in case she couldn't cook, or there was no takeout, but of course, he didn't tell her the reason why when he put it in the cart. All he had to do was wait for the water to boil and put all the ingredients in.
He figured that she might wake up in the middle of the night, so a little cooking wouldn't hurt. However, he doubted that she would actually come down and eat, but that was her sister.
Shaking his head furiously, he reminded himself. They're not the same person.
The Cha family and their three kids were peculiar people amongst the many prestigious names. However big the age gap was, Soyoung and Jayoung were always close, hanging out with each other whenever possible. It was hard to imagine Soyoung being fun, but he could tell from the picture he saw in Jayoung's room.
Doyoung, however, was the only one he hadn't met. No one in their family seemed to mention the second son – not even the two sisters. Well, his father did say that the kid was studying abroad, but that was too weak as an excuse to not come to the wedding. Maybe, the kid hated him, too. That made sense.
9:12 pm, the girl walked down the stairs slowly – hands on railings for support.
His feet wanted so bad to jerk forward and get closer to help her out, but his mind held them firmly on the cold white floor.
"Ow."
Of course, that was enough to push him forward, ridding his head of hesitations.
"We got seaweed soup," her small shoulders were in his hands as he guided her down the rest of the steps. The girl probably hadn't even had any lunch at all. "And some omelet rice."
She didn't seem to mind when he kept his eyes on her as she leisurely ate dinner. Then again, the blankness in her small swollen eyes may not have noticed. Her pale face gradually gained color the more she ate. Her hair was a little messy and tangled, making her constantly push the strands out of the way. He toyed with the idea of tying her hair up for her.
All day, he'd been wondering exactly what had happened at school that shocked her this much. Of course, it was her sister that brought her down this much, but how did it go down? Did somebody insult her sister? Did somebody do something that degraded her? Or did she just break down herself? If it were the last one, then it was good that she did. She looked too normal and happy; it had made him curious about how she dealt with the loss.
As she walked upstairs with her brooding eyes staring ahead at nothing, he called in busy looking after a family member for the first time in his entire career.
