Unlonely

The Isolation

"I'm sorry! Come on! Talk to me!"

Jeong Hyeok followed Seri to her wing after they had eaten breakfast. She had not said a word to him for the 45 minutes that they had that meal today and he couldn't stand it. He didn't step into her room but stood by her threshold in hopes she would finally forgive him.

"You're mean!" she said loudly.

"I'm not. You said to be honest!"

"You could have lied!"

"YOU SAID BE HONEST!" he protested.

Huffing in disappointment, Jeong Hyeok slumped on the wall beside her door. He should have just kept his mouth shut. Is this the downside of not being in a relationship for a long time? he wondered.

The morning started like their normal mornings. They were lazy to workout so they slept in and headed to breakfast when they woke up. To his surprise, Seri was already there slicing a loaf of bread. "I made this!" she declared.

He found out that she woke up at an ungodly hour to make the bread and make sure it was ready for when they were going to eat. "Here! Tell me what you think! Be honest, okay?"

So, he was.

He bit into the  portion she had cut for him... and almost cut his teeth an gums. "It's a bit tough," Jeong Hyeok said, in a bit of understatement.

"Oh, sorry. I'll check on that. How about the taste?"

"It's... umm... salty? I'm sure this was how you intended it, right?"

Seri's eyes widened and she quickly got up from beside him. "Of course not! It's not supposed to be salty!" But when she tasted it, she found out what he was saying. Unwilling to give in, she sat with arms crossed and refused to speak to him.

Jeong Hyeok stood up straight again. "Look, I'm sorry. Your lasagna is amazing. You know I couldn't get enough of that. Maybe you just need more practice on bread making?"

Pouting and arms crossed, Seri appeared by her doorway to face him. "You really like my lasagna?"

"Yes! Let's make it again tonight. Should I get the ingredients?"

"Are you lying now?" she asked, suspiciously.

"We just established that I cannot lie," he reminded her.

She nodded. Stomping her foot, she pouted at him. "I wanted to make good bread for you."

"I appreciate it but you really don't need. If you want to, then let's practice more, okay? You don't need to wake up very early, too. You had a busy night. I'd rather that you get enough rest," he reminded.

"I know I don't NEED to. I want to. I wanted to do something nice."

Jeong Hyeok smiled. "And I appreciate that. Truce?" he asked, extending his hand.

Taking it, Seri shook it. "Truce. I'm sorry for feeding you poison."

"No. Not poison. Just really salty bread."

She chuckled. "Don't lie to me. Ever."

"Even if the taste is horrible?"

She swatted him, but nodded.

A few days later, she went down to the dining room looking pale and sniffling. "I'm sorry I missed swimming today."

"Don't worry about it. Are you alright?"