Cursed | Yang Hongseok

•1

I was slowly starting to lose my patience.

To anyone who knew me, that would probably seem impossible, and I could understand why. There really weren't many things that could make me angry.

However, there were a few trivial things that made me really frustrated from time to time, and being late was one of them.

My brother An knew that very well, but still, it has already been half an hour since I entered this café where we were supposed to meet, and he was still no where to be seen.

I tapped my fingers on the surface of the table nervously, eyeing the entrance of the café, hoping that a tall, dark haired boy would finally arrive with a good excuse for being so late.

And just as I was getting ready to leave, disappointed in him, someone stormed in.

"Before you start attackig me, please, let me explain!" An said, breathing heavily as if he just finished a marathon.

"Oh, please do. And your excuse better be a damn good one." I said, lifting one eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, Xia, you know how it is in med school, we have to stay late all the time." He said, putting an innocent smile all over his face and scratching the back of his neck.

"Oh, come on, An, you know I'm weak for that smile, it's not fair!" I pretended to whine for a few seconds, but then I smiled back. "I was just about to leave, so consider yourself lucky. Come on, let's have a seat."

An was only one year younger than me, so we have always had a really strong sibling bond. He was a med school student, so I barely had a chance to spend time with him, but from time to time, we would meet and catch up on everything that would happen in our lives at that moment. Today was one of those days, and we were both excited to see each other, because we haven't done so in a few months, despite living in the same city.

"So, tell me, how are things going in med school? Are you still ambituous like you were when you first started attending the classes?" I asked, taking a sip of my coffee.

"Honestly, it's getting harder each year." An said, shrugging. "I barely get any sleep, because we have to stay late almost every day, and then we also have to wake up early the next morning. But, you know me. I'm not giving up so easily on the things I want."

"That's the spirit!" I smiled. An always wanted to be a doctor, and his determination was really impressive.

"What about you, though? Do you like your new job?" He asked.

Unlike An, I had already finished college and now I was a rookie journalist. I've only been hired for a few months, but I really liked it, and beside that, I also enjoyed being a writer from time to time.

"Oh, it's amazing." I said. "People are really nice to me, and I find the job really interesting. And I already got a few writing offers, actually."

"You did?!" An asked in shock. "Why didn't you tell me, Xia?"

"Well, you were kind of busy with school and everything..." I blushed. "Besides, by a few writing offers, I actually mean one. And I'm not even sure how and why I got it, I mean, with so many good and experienced writers in the city, why would anyone choose me?"

"One is still better that zero, right? Come on, tell me everything about it." An said.

"Okay. A couple of weeks ago, someone contacted me via e-mail, asking if I was interested in a business offer. I asked what the offer was, and they told me that they needed a good writer to write their biography. Can you believe it?"

"Oh, my god, that sounds so cool and mysterious! Is your client a man or a woman?" An wanted to know.

"Actually... he's a man." I said, blushing even more, which caused An to grin.

"Oh, I see... is Mr. Biography good looking, at least?"

"An, stop teasing me!" I whined. "I haven't met him yet, so I have no idea what he looks like. I only know his name – it's Yang Hongseok."

"Wow, even his name sounds so fancy." An joked.

"I know, right? Like, although I've never met him, that name still sounds familiar somehow and I don't even know why." I said, trying to remember if I ever heard that name before.

"Maybe he's an actor or something." An said.

"I'll find out soon." I said. "As a matter of fact, we're supposed to meet tomorrow. I must say I'm a bit nervous."

"Don't be." An said assuringly, taking my hand in his. "You're a great writer, Xia. I'm sure this Hongseok guy will think the same once he sees your writing ablities."

"Let's hope he does." I said, trying to boost my own confidence.

*

After about an hour of chatting with my brother, it was time for me to go home.

"I'm sorry I couldn't stay any longer, but I have to get up early tomorrow because of this meeting." I said, giving An a hug.

"It's okay, Xixi." He said, calling me by my childhood nickname. "And good luck tomorrow."

After we parted our ways, I went straight to my apartment. Since it wasn't so far away, I decided to go on foot.

I was never really afraid of going anywhere by myself despite living in a huge city. Even in the night, I knew that there was nothing to be afraid of.

However, as I was walking in a street that was already pretty empty, looking at the city lights that the colorful billboards were providing, I couldn't shake off this wierd feeling that someone was watching me.

A/N: So that was Chapter 1! I hope you liked it and please vote if you did, it would mean a lot to me! You can also leave a comment with your opinion on the story so far, I'd love to know what you think! :)