The DollMaker ❥

chapter23

Time seemed to slow down. the days turned into months and moments felt like eternity. she used to hate that. for the pains to stay longer, her wounds stay untreated and hurtful. but now it was different. she was seen to smile more often, to speak less and feel more. and all is because of him. the guy she never thought would make everything so beautiful.

she was sat by the fireplace, waiting for the water to boil however her focus was off to him. taehyung, whom dared to mess up with her usual, that taehyung. that same guy she used to argue with over the silliest things. he just arrived back from the forest bringing a pile of chopped woods for their cooking. she thought he should be worn out by now, but he was still as refreshed as this morning when their paths crossed at home.

he rushed to help the slave man that ahjumma brought to help her with transporting the goods to the storage room, he bowed when the old man praised him but yet jennie was the one to blush. she looked at him hugging her legs to her chest, admiring him as if he was the most mysterious being to walk on earth.

"...do you hear me?" ahjumma snapped, but jennie's mind thought watching him shine under the sunlight wearing a sleeveless top was better than anything else.

"aaah! this girl drives me crazy.. ya! jennie-ah!" the older grasped on her loosened arm rocking her body back and forth "the rice is overcooked," she yelled. 'he is handsome just like the very well cooked rice.. the cooked rice!..' she frowned "what rice?" "my rice you rascal" ahjumma spanked the back of her head.

only then she was back to her sense, smelling the burned food worried her. she stood up quickly looking at her failed task before shifting her eyes to the angry ahjumma who stood holding an empty bowl of water that turned the fire off with. she seemed to have a problem with jennie dozing off almost all day.

"what is wrong with you?" Ahjumma scolded her, mourning over her precious burned rice. Jennie chuckled awkwardly caressing her nape in shame she couldn't look at the older in the eyes.. "I'm sorry!"

"what happened?" taehyung asked who saw the smoke from far. just with hearing his voice, her heartbeat increased abnormally. never she was so nervous until saw his shadow getting close. she gulped and quickly turned to leave but somehow she couldn't take any steps away. she turned and saw him grabbing her collar from back, "y-ya!.. let me go" she protested but then he grasped her wrists paralyzing her with his beaming grin.

"ahh this lovebirds stop being so obvious in my eatery... and work!" ahjumma yelled before leaving them to get herself busy with something else if not she would be scolding them for the next two hours.

"why are you running away from me?" he frowned. she gulped audibly and it made him chuckle "why are you so nervous?" he tilted his head. she looked away from his eyes cursing at herself, squeezing her fists wanting to punch herself for being so strange. she shouldn't be like that, so transparent and fragile. a man shouldn't leave impressions on her so easily.. "should i kiss you again?"

she gasped and somehow managed to free herself before he does it again. everything changed since that day in the woods resulted from one unintentional kiss, then what if it was repeated?.. what if there was more?.. she was scared. "s-stop taehyung.. i told you it was a mistake and should never happen again-" "but it calmed you down that day, now you're anxious again," he muttered.

she uplifts her head meeting with his doe eyes. a second passed, two,.. five,.. a minute and only then she was able to look away. "don't ever mention that again, or you will be sleeping outside," she declared before walking to the huge pot to try and figure out how to clean it and start over.

"what is lovebirds?" she heard him ask. her head turned in puzzlement, "what?".

he shrugged and walked to help her emptying it "ahjumma said lovebirds when referring to us," he explained only to hear her chuckle and soon laugh a bit. he followed her, despite his confusion and halted when she gazed upon him, "it's a term people use" she shook her head in disbelieve.