Seriously Yours

Chapter 9 - Petty Fight

"No. I couldn't let a woman do grocery shopping alone," I say in my usual stoic tone.

I believe I could have sounded pensive and upset more if only I wasn't talking to Yoon Se Ri. These words bit me back as a painful memory came to my mind like a flash.

Se Ri watches me curiously as my expression became stiffer from my thoughts. I grow self-conscious.

"Wait here, I forgot to get something," I say to her and leaves her the cart. Suddenly, I need space to breathe.

When I come back, Se Ri is no longer on the spot where I left her. I glance around me and finally see her at the end of the aisle, standing in front of a free taste stall. She is munching happily while holding another toothpick of free sausage in her hand.

I find myself half-laughing half-scoffing when she shoves another sausage into her mouth although her mouth is still half full. She nods approvingly and I think she is telling the merchandiser that it tastes good, while she takes another one again.

I am watching her intently, amazed by her bold and animated reactions, when she suddenly glances in my direction and waves at me. Like a young boy caught staring at his crush for who knew how long, my face flush a little. But I manage to pull off a serious expression when I reach her side.

"Jeong Hyeok-ah, taste this. This is delicious," she says. She picks one and reaches out to me. But she has raised it so close to my face that I wonder if I have to take it from her hand or open my mouth. I do the latter.

"What? Is it delicious?" she asks.

I can only nod as a response and before I can recover from the embarrassment of being fed, she moves closer to me and tip-toed, then whispers something in my ear.

"It's more delicious because it's free, we don't need to buy it," she says in a hushed tone. Her breath brings a tingling sensation to my neck as she couldn't reach my ears. I almost jumped from my place to my surprise.

After giving me another stick of sausage, she smiles sweetly at the merchandiser, and then she stirs the cart for us to leave. As we reach another free taste stall, she takes two cups, gives me one, and drinks hers in one shot. She burps and then exhales soundly, looking like a fully satisfied customer coming out from a restaurant.

'This woman can survive whatever, whenever, wherever,' I thought, while I put the cup in my mouth to drink. My eyes grow big and I glance at Se Ri immediately after tasting it. It's an alcoholic drink!

Upon reaching the counter, Se Ri's peaceful expression changes. I notice her fidget anxiously beside me while focusing on the POS machine in front of us. Her eyelids get heavier and heavier as the cost of our items increases. When there are a few items left, I bring out something from my pocket and give it to her.

"We are entitled to a raffle draw, fill out what's needed there on the information counter," I tell her.

"Oh! I thought you threw it away when the staff gave it to you at the entrance," she says while smiling at the ticket. Well, I really could have thrown it away if I have seen a trash can a while ago.

Before leaving, she glances anxiously at the POS one last time then she goes to the information just in front of us. When the cashier finally scans the last item, I take out my card from my wallet. I don't really mind paying for the grocery alone. Since I have a huge appetite, I usually buy food and things that are good for two or three people.

I am already outside, leaning on the car, waiting for her when she comes out of the supermarket. I did not have the slightest idea that it would take her long to fill out that thing.