Seriously Yours

Chapter 2 - The Unwelcome Owner

"Who are you?"

The woman who has just trespassed in my house just asked me who I am. WHO AM I?

"Excuse me, but I think I should be the one asking you that. Who are you?" I reply in my usual stoic manner. Shifting my weight on my other feet.

Her brows furrows and she crosses her arm in front of her intimidating me. She is around 5'5 in height, a considerable height for women. But for a 6'1 man like me, she looks like someone I can just scoop down in one move. But that fact doesn't seem to scare her.

"Me? Wait, you answer me first," she snaps at me. She's feisty.

"I'm the owner of the house," I replied cooly.

Her eyes widen in surprise, "What?! Ahjussi, I just bought this house! What are you talking about?"

What? Did she just call me an ahjussi (old man)?

And after that, she walks towards one of her trolleys and opens it while murmuring to herself, "Aish! I knew this would happen."

She brings out a laminated document and plasters it in front of my face, withdrawing it after a few seconds of me scanning it. It is a house title transfer. That's all I managed to see.

"I bought this house directly from the owner, Mr. Ri Mu Hyeok. The OWNER of the house. Now, who are you?"

I gasp after seeing the title. It was no doubt real. But there is something wrong here.

"Why can't you answer? Are you-" she glares at me.

"Wait. There's a misunderstanding here," I say.

"Misunderstanding? You said you are the owner but you are not. I will call the police," she takes a step away, wary of me and starts dialling on her phone while still keeping her eyes on me.

"1.1.7. Ah no, that's in the Philippines...." she murmurs.

I think murmuring to herself is one of her habits. She doesn't know the police hotline, I guess she's from overseas.

"112.... I mean, wait a minute. Calm down. Mu Hyeok is my brother."

She stops from dialling and lifts her head to look at me. Her eyes are full of distrust.

"You are brothers?"

"Yes."

Then she scans me from head to toe and lingers at my face, "Tch! He doesn't look like you at all!" She retorts and tries dialling again like a madwoman. This time, I think she dials the right number.

"We're half brothers!" I say in a slightly raised voice, trying to stop her. As far as possible I should stay out of the police. But in an instant, she is already connected.

"Good evening, this is the Jeju Central Police Station."

While she looks distracted from what I just said, I tip my chin to the right and she glances in that direction. The surprise is evident from her face after seeing the family picture frame resting on the cabinet. Though it was taken 15 years ago, it is no denying that I am in the picture.

"Hello?.... Anyone there?... If this is a prank call, your number will be blackli-"

She drops the call. That is a bad move. Her number will be surely blocked. She looks back at me confused.

"We both own this house," I clarify.

With that, she turns white and I know from my years of experience that she will faint soon, so I immediately stride over her side. She plops like a dead body in my arms right after. I shake her to get her consciousness back and I even lightly hit her cheeks but she doesn't respond. I lift her and put her down on the matted floor. Arranging the cushion as her pillow.

I sit on the corner and stare at her lifeless-like body and sigh. I bring out my phone from my pocket and called my brother. It seems that he was not in the country. He must be running away again.

"Hello, Jeong Hyeok. My brother," he greets cheerfully.

"Hyung. What is it again?" I ask, frowning.

"Huh? So you heard about me from your peers again. Don't worry, I'm okay."

"I did not call you to ask if you're okay. I'm in the house."

"I see."

"Our house in Jeju."

"I see.... wait, WHAT? What are you doing there?" He asks indignantly. I can imagine his shock.

"How could you do this? How could you sell the house without telling me?"

"Aish! What brings you there? Were you demoted or what? You haven't even visited there for 15 years, for goodness sake! Why this time?"

"Hyung, are you angry? I should be the one who's angry here," I snap at him.

He curses on the other line, "Don't worry. If I get my money doubled or tripled here, I'll give her money back."

I scoff. He fled out of the country because of his gambling problems, now he is at it again in another country.

"You talk as if it's easy peasy. It was not as if she could just go back to Seoul or what. From the looks of it, she came from overseas."

"The Philippines to be exact. Okay, listen. Just let her stay there, I can't accommodate more problems if she sues me. She'll soon realize that living there isn't easy as she thinks. She will leave on her own. I'll give her money back soon, give me a month."

"What about me?"

"You're a man for Pete's sake!"

Yes. I am a man. But I am not used to living with someone. For fifteen years, just like what my brother said, I have lived alone after graduating from the Academy. Now, out of a blue, I will be living with a woman I scarcely know under one roof? And this house isn't as roomy as other traditional houses here in Jeju. We will surely bump at each other unless we lock ourselves in our bedrooms. And speaking of the bedrooms? The bedrooms are facing each other.

"Ah, forget it! I don't care. I will chase her out of the house when she wakes up!" And I press the end call button.

Determined with my decision, I exhale sharply and look ahead. Then suddenly the woman lying on the floor abruptly rise to a seating position as if coming out of a bad dream. I am just right in her view so she sees me as soon as she opens her eyes. She stares at me quietly for a second then suddenly cries hysterically, thumping on the table with her fists and her head buried on it. I rise immediately from my seat and kneel beside her to stop her from crying.

"Stop crying." I take a tissue and give it to her.

She cries even louder, "What will I do? You will chase me out of the house now. But it's already dark and I have nowhere to go."

She says that between her sobs. My heart sinks with sympathy. Yes, I am thinking of that a while ago but how can I do that to a woman who is now crying non-stop in front of me.

"Stop crying. I will not chase you out of the house, ok. Don't worry."

She lifts her face to me with her doe-like eyes and confirms again what I just said, "Really?"

I nod to her but in response, she sobs again and buries her face on the tissue.

"Why? Why?" I ask, worried this time.

"My head is aching...."

Due to stress for sure. I nod sympathetically while reassuring her that I am listening.

"My eyes are blurry...."

She is crying of course. I nod again and reassure her again.

"And my stomach is growling...."

Hmmm. Well, that's... I am a bit stupefied so I scratch my cheek. She rises from her palm and stares at me due to my silence. If she is just trying to look pathetic to win me over, well, she succeeds.

"Do you have food?"