A Day in Another World: Book Three

Luna

I go into the small store In-hye works at. I'll start looking for a job there. If I want money to pay for rent and for treatment, I need to start now.

I walk in and take off my sunglasses. Cheong-san is the first to see me and he drops the broom to raise his hands in surrender. "I swear I didn't tell anyone!"

"Relax, kid. If I wanted to beat you up, I would've done so already." My eyes land on In-hye that's busy talking with an older woman. She catches my eyes and then respectfully excuses herself.

"Hello, unnie. What are you doing here?"

Unnie? I give In-hye a warm smile and say, "I'm not In-joo."

"I know," she says.

I can't help but do a nervous scoff. "Oh...Well...You called me unnie, that's why..."

"You don't want me to call you that yet? I just thought that since you're my older sister, too--"

"It's okay!" I say with a nervous chuckle. "You can call me whatever you want."

"Can I call you whatever I want?" Cheong-san passes by with a teasing smile and the broom in his hands. Before I can shoot something back at him, In-hye kicks him behind his knee just like the other night and he nearly falls over with a painful groan.

I keep liking this girl more and more. I don't even realize that I've run a hand down her head as if I've done this all my life. And she only does a playful chuckle as if I've let my heart melt for her all her life.

Her eyes shine with a pretty sparkle as she says, "Did you go visit the doctor yet?"

"I did," I say as I put my hands in my pockets. "I have an appointment next week so they can run some tests."

She does her sweet smile and I no longer regret going to the clinic. Suddenly, I remember why I'm here and I say, "Do you know of any places that are hiring, kiddo?"

In-hye looks at Cheong-san that's still rubbing his leg. He shrugs with an annoyed frown at her. She clicks her tongue at him and says, "I know you know some places, oppa."

He rolls his eyes and says, "Almost every place is hiring."

"That's not true," In-hye says. "I went to a lot of places and they all rejected me."

"Maybe because they saw that you were an annoying little girl," Cheong-san says with tease and she sticks out her tongue at him.

She turns back to me and says, "Don't worry. I'll look around."

"It's okay, kiddo. Focus on your job. I'll just ask around today."

She nods at my plan and then her eyes grow wide with a happy shine. "Oh! Unnie!"

I turn around and see In-joo walk in. Like last time, she seems to freeze when she sees me. I understand. I still can't get used to the fact that there's someone else with my face in this world.

She's quick to shrug off her surprise and says to me, "I was just going to ask In-hye where you live so I could talk to you. I'm glad I found you here instead."

In-hye seems to back off a little as she goes behind the cash register and quietly watches our interaction from afar. I stay quiet and wait for In-joo to give me the reason why she wanted to see me. But she only gestures at me to follow her and I stay still. She opens the door of the store for me and waits for me to find the strength to possibly get interrogated again.

Once we're outside, she gives In-hye a sweet wink before starting down the sidewalk. "Where are we going?" I say.

"Have you eaten yet?"