Let's Not Fall In Love

Chapter 22

Jiyong gently nudged Dara awake as the call for their train was announced. Dara drowsily took off the head wrap. Like a little kid she rubbed the sleep off her eyes. Then she stood up on her toes, stretched up towards the ceiling.

The act reminded  him of their shared childhood pet cat, Dadoong. The cat would stretch just like her everytime he wakes up from a nap. Jiyong smiled at her. She smiled back in automatic response but then she remembered how she lost precious hours of sleep because of him. Her smile swiftly morphed into a scowl. As most of her scowls, it was a fail. It was paired with her bed head and the slightly red sleep lines going down one cheek. She only succeeded in looking more adorkable in Jiyong’s eyes.

Jiyong chuckled at her causing her brows to furrow. She scowled at him more knowing without a doubt that she was the source of his amusement. He reached out and lightly combed his fingers through her silky hair. She squirmed and opened her mouth to protest but Jiyong’s words stopped her, “Remember what I said earlier about what I would do if you raise your voice? Don’t move. I’m just trying to make you look less crazy than usual.”

He smoothed the errant strands of hair on her head. “Your head looks like an empty bird’s nest after a storm.” She shut her mouth but her flared nostrils and the heightened color of her ears were proof of her irritation.

A few minutes later after they have boarded the train, Jiyong scratched his head in frustration. Dara refused to talk. So typical of her to go over the top with her reaction to his threat. He talked to her but she responded only with hand gestures, shrugs, nods and shakes of the head. After a few failed attempts at trying to make her talk he was starting to get frustrated.

‘Let’s see who’s going to last longer? If you think you can threaten me, Kwon Jiyong, then you can think again. I’m going to drown you in peace and quiet until you scream yourself. Mwahahaha.’ She laughed manically inside her head at Jiyong. The tables have turned in her favor and she was loving it as she smiled maddeningly at the telltale redness in his ears. The dragon is fuming. His ears were turning a darker red when he saw her smiling crazily at him. She stuck her tongue out at him.

“What are you four?” Jiyong sniped at her childish act. She only smiled at his frustration before tinkering with her phone. He also took his phone out and browsed through his IG account to let off some steam.

He looked at her. She raised her brows at his glance and gave him a seemingly innocent smile. “Until when are you going to keep this miming act?” he asked.

She just shrugged and continued smiling to his frustration. He was tempted to take back his threat earlier for peace’s sake but he refused to be the one to admit defeat. He took a deep breath and sat back for the rest of the train ride. He’d let her think he gave up but in truth he was only scheming. Dara looked suspiciously at his seemingly calm aura. He was plotting she was sure but she was not giving up without a fight either.

She found something online that made her smile. After a few seconds, she posted the picture with the #currentmood as its caption. It was a quote. “The most dangerous animal is a smiling woman sitting in silence.” Then she sat back and started counting backwards from ten. He did not disappoint.

She was counting down to number four when she heard Jiyong scoff at her side. She smirked. He saw it. She turned sideways and stared mockingly at the muttering Jiyong, “Pfft. Dangerous? Huh! She’s freaking delusional.” He spoke the last words a little louder, a deliberate ploy to try and get a rise out of her and then maybe she’d forget to keep her mouth shut.

But all she did was just shrug and gently grab his arm, arranged it on top of the armrest, patted it almost tenderly afterwards then settled her head on the curve of his shoulder. He stiffened, immediately going on full alert as figurative warning bells shrieked inside his head, ‘Why the hell is she so docile all of a sudden?!!?’

A short while later he felt the weight on his side getting heavier by the minute and her breathing became more even and deeper. She was probably just too tired, he thought. He relaxed and the gentle slight sway of the train lulled him to sleep. His head slowly angled towards her. Moments later he was snoring softly and his cheek was resting on top of Dara’s head. A faint trace of a smile showed on Dara’s face and her eyes opened into little slits, stealthily checking their current location. The spot she was waiting for was coming up just around the bend.

The train was plunged in total darkness as it entered the tunnel. The darkness combined with Dara suddenly jerking up and her chilly fingers convulsing onto his arm jumpstarted Jiyong’s brain from sleep to alarmed wakefulness in the short moment of time it took the train to exit to the other side of the mountain. He opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong but she slapped her clammy fingers over his lips. She was mouthing at him to keep silent and here eyes were rounded in fright like a deer caught in the headlights.

She shook her head vigorously at him. She took her phone and tapped a message. “Don’t make a sound or they’ll hear us.”

“They? Who are they?” He typed back at her.

She looked at him in surprise and worry. “They were all over the news this morning? How could you forget about them?”

“Huh?” He asked in utter confusion.

She made another furious gesture of shushing him. “Do you want to die?” She mouthed silently at him.

He shook his head, still confused as fuck.

“Then shut up!” She furiously but soundlessly mouthed at him once more.

He could almost swear his heart skipped a beat as the train lurched briefly as it turned a curve and then it went on hyperdrive in an instant after a grating, somewhat dragging sound could be heard from the hallway. It was getting louder and louder. Then it stopped. He stood up to investigate. He was about to slide the cabin door open when Dara frantically gripped his hand and shook her head fiercely at him. “No!!” She mouthed at him.

He paused and internally debated the pros and cons of staying inside their cabin or trying their luck outside. But then the dragging sound outside resumed. It sounded as if it was getting near them. Then it stopped and short raps at their door was heard. He watched with bated breath as the door moved slowly as it was pushed open by an outside force. He pushed Dara behind him and braced himself for whatever horror might be lurking behind the closed door.

Grayish green fingers with ragged black nails grasped the edge of the door. He heard Dara take a sharp intake of breath behind him. The door was now fully opened. Startled Jiyong jumped back and bumped into Dara’s trembling form behind him. Standing in the hallway was a smiling young man in what appears to be a Frankenstein inspired costume. “Good morning, sir! Your private cabin entitles you to a free breakfast. What would you and your companion like to have? Pancakes or a rice meal?” The train staff cheerily gestured to the “Hotel Transylvania 3” packaged meals on the pushcart in front of him. The man continued to smile and waited patiently for Jiyong to answer. It took him a few seconds to gather his scattered wits. He had to clear his throat before he was able to croak out a somewhat shaky one word answer, “Pancakes.”

The train attendant handed him their breakfast with their complimentary coffee. “Thank you.” He told the guy in a steadier voice.

Without looking at Dara he quietly laid the packs on the table and set the coffee cups in the holders on the armrests. He gritted his teeth and faced her. She was hunched over near the window and she was shaking. Her face was initially hidden behind a curtain of hair but then her knees gave out and she sank onto the seat behind her. She threw her head back. The crazy girl was shaking in silent laughter at him.

He scowled at her. In reaction, she crossed her eyes, stuck her tongue out at him and nonchalantly opened one breakfast pack. She started attacking the pancakes with gusto as if what just happened didn’t happen. After wolfing down a few bites, she looked up at his still standing figure.

She cheekily dragged him to his seat, opened his breakfast pancakes for him and gestured for him to eat. He was stupefied in a mixture of disbelief and fury at the silent injustice that he had just suffered from the shameless girl beside him. He doubted he could tolerate the food after the rollercoaster of emotions that he just went through but his stomach was a traitor and grumbled in protest as the scent of the coffee and the pancakes assaulted his senses.

Dara elbowed him after another audible growl from his tummy was heard. He sighed in defeat and started to eat. He decided he would need the calories to deal with his naughty bunny of a companion for the remaining hours of the day.