For You

Chapter 9

It was nearly sunset when Youra got off from the bus. She walked to the grocery store near her house before making her way home. The short trip to the town ended up to be a long trip when she bumped into her best friend, Sumi at a café. With the backpack that she carried filled with her students' work, they went around window shopping after she ordered for her prescription glasses. It felt like she was carrying bricks and her shoulder started to get stiff.

Youra was approaching her house in the evening when she saw an all too familiar car parked in front of her house building. When she looked up to her balcony, she saw he ex, Nam Ji Hoon was waving to her with a big bouquet of flower. If only the person was as beautiful as his name, she sighed.

Youra quickly turned back to the direction she walked from.

She was not in the mood to face him that day. She knew it was a stupid move since she was carrying two bags of vegetables that she planned to make kimchi with, but she just couldn't take it. Forcing himself on her was one thing. Ditching her off was another. Definitely not a future partner material.

She heard him calling her name behind her.

"Youra, wait!" he panted behind her.

She couldn't move too fast because of the heavy load she was carrying but heck if she let him near and see him face to face. She stopped mid stride. She was out of breath anyway.

"What do you want?"

"I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry," he apologized earnestly.

"Thank you for apologizing. I haven't forgiven you. We're through," she replied.

"I was out of control last night. You were so beautiful and I..."

Youra wanted to throw up. From the clichéd messages, the cheesy poem to the flaky compliments... she was glad the relationship was still recent.

"Stop right there, mister. You were so enamoured by my beauty in the car that you wanted to have sex with me that much?" she started. She put her groceries down and started to fold her sleeves up.

"First, I said no. Did you stop? No. If I didn't do what I did last night, you wouldn't stop at all! And what would happen then? Thank you, goodbye?! For God's sake Ji Hoon, have some respect," if she was an anime character, she would be flaming up right then and there.

Without realizing, she attracted some audience who were passing by. Some of them were her neighbours who peeked their head out from their balcony. Having a loud voice could be a hazard sometimes. It was great when she was teaching but at a time like this and at the risk of someone recording the spectacle and sharing it online in seconds – it was not good at all.

Her ex looked at her uncomfortably. He couldn't say anything without making himself looking worse than he already was. He just left. Just as he did the night before.

It was then when Youra realized she had her neighbours as audience. The small crowd dispersed, and the peeking heads who was openly watching went back inside after Ji Hoon went. Two very familiar faces went closer to her.

"Good for you. We women need to be strong and stand our ground," said Mrs Park, clapping Youra's back. She was a nice old lady who lived 2 buildings away from her.

"Aigoo, young men these days. They don't know how to respect women," said her best friend, another Mrs Park. Youra called the first Mrs Park, Mrs Park K, and the second Mrs Park N.

Youra smiled and picked her groceries up. "I'm sorry for causing trouble," she bowed to the women.

"Oh no, not at all," waved Mrs Park N.

"It was entertaining and I don't have to turn on the TV for that," replied Mrs Park K. Youra wanted to find a hole to put her head in at that very moment.

"You're making kimchi again?" asked Mrs Park K as she was looking at her load.

"Yes, I am. I am going to give you some when I'm done. You too Mrs Park N," she said.

Both Mrs Parks smiled, "You make the best kimchi. Even I can't make it as good as that," Mrs Park K shook her head.

"My son loves your kimchi so much. Maybe you can meet him one day. He's a manager at a big company in Gangnam," said Mrs Park N.

One thing that Youra can't handle were the good natured matchmaking by those two women. Their intentions are good, but she would prefer looking for a mate herself. Mrs Park N had been dropping hints about getting her and her son together. She stopped when she saw Youra went out with Ji Hoon. Since she openly saw the drama that just happened, she went on it again.

"I have to go now. Have a good day Mrs Parks," Youra smiled half-heartedly, bowed and walked back to her house.

It was definitely going to be a kimchi night, all right.