Truly Yours • Kim Mingyu

[thirty-three]

"She doesn't hate you. She is just . . . not so friendly. I want to but I can't fire her. It's hard to find someone as skilled and accomplished as her in this field, and she yet hasn't done anything that gives me a reason to fire her. So just try to get along with her, don't be too bothered." Just try to get along with her, don't be bothered by her; easier said than done.

Her topic makes a flake of memory flash in my mind. Memory of the day when she asked me that bizarre question about my identity. I still can't wrap my head around it. Could she have possibly known or heard about me from somewhere aside than work?

"Can I ask you something about her?" I say.

"Lisa?" I nod. "Sure, go ahead."

"Do you know if she's someone I used to know back in the days? It sounds weird, but I don't really remember much about my early life. Almost nothing."

"One hundred and one percent no. I clearly recall it being written on her profile that although she worked with many foreign companies, she was born in Thailand and had lived there all her life." He says with utmost certainty. 

"Wait, she's not from here?"

"What part of Lisa Manoban sounds korean to you?"

I fall into silence. I never thought of it like that.

I wonder how dumb I really am.

"Well . . . " I trail off, unable to find any sensible words for counter attack. He shakes his head and tightens his grip around me. "Glad to know your level of stupidity is still the same." Resting his chin on top of my head, he remarks with a titter.

"You're not winning any prizes in the sector of smartness either, so stop mocking me." I retort.

"Get used to it babygirl."

"Mingyu I swear-" I pause as I hear abrupt footsteps approaching at our direction.

"YEONNIE IT'S 11, GET YOUR BUTT OFF OF YOUR BED RIGHT NOW."

Hoshit, it's Joshua. Trouble trouble trouble.

"We can't be seen together now." Both Mingyu and I say at the same time. Panic is all over his face and I'm no different.

We get up as fast as our body can move. "What do I do? Where do I go?" He rambles. Joshua's footsteps are coming more close to my room and I know for sure that he'll come inside. He does this every morning.

Mingyu needs to hide. Right now.

"You, you . . . Uhhh there! Hide behind the curtains. Oh no no not the curtains! Hide under the bed!"

"In case you haven't noticed yet, your bed has no space underneath it."

"Then what about that box over there? Hide inside that."

"I won't fit!"

"Cut off your legs then!"

"You're not helping."

"The bathroom! Hide there and do not come out until I tell you to, QUICK."

He jolts inside the bathroom in a wink of an eye. When I'm about to close the door, he suddenly shrieks, "There's blood on your sleeve! You can't explain that to him."

Good grief, it must've happened last night.

"What am I suppose to do?"

"Get inside dummy!" He swiftly pulls me inside before I can even say anything and locks the door. We hold our breath until we feel Joshua's presence inside the room.