The Wind Loop

10 | eonian

"I'm a salesman." Ju Ho twirled around to shake the frills of his shirt. Like a toddler, his face brimmed with enthusiasm.

"You're Han Ju Ho from downstairs and you own a bakery." Ye Bin shook her head with a straight face, still unable to process why he was decked up like a clown and behaving oddly.

"No, I'm a salesman. Wouldn't you ask me what I am trying to sell to you?" he insisted.

"Okay." she sighed, giving in to his request. "What do you have that I can buy? Reminding you again that I'm penniless right now."

"I don't need money from you now. We are working together to get you the life you want to live. You won't get an offer like this. I am open to monthly and yearly installments." Ju Ho pushed his sunglasses towards the tip of his nose with his index finger, his eyes dancing playfully. He almost looked like a con artist straight out of a soap opera.

"Have you gone barmy?" Ye Bin suppressed the fit of giggles that were threatening to leave her lips. Her lips still formed a crescent, unable to hide the amusement.

"No, sadly. You seemed to be a bit uncomfortable about using my help so I decided to put on a show to relay my message that it's completely fine to ask for help."

"Well," Ye Bin pressed her lips together. "I don't think my main concern is that right now. I am more worried about how to get my life started. Your show went in vain."

"I made you laugh, atleast. Even if it's almost negligible, it's still worth something. I was afraid that you would shoo me off." Ju Ho offered her a toothy grin and pointed towards a couple of tiffin boxes arranged on the floor. "Let me in. I got you, your lunch. Stomach it before it gets cold."

Ye Bin opened the door fully to allow the width of Ju Ho's body completely. He seemed to be in a jolly mood considering how he was acting a bit out of character. He had looked pretty down days back. Then again, he was a golden retriever person who seemed to squeeze out whatever good things life had to offer.

She watched from behind how the roots of his bleached hair was fading into a light shade of purple. It suited him, oddly. A mop of thick hair coated by that magnificent shade was hard to miss even in a crowd. He definitely stood out whether it was his front or back view.

Ju Ho spotted an earthen pot filled with mud that was kept near a cupboard. It was the home of a withering plant which seemed to be asking for care from the owner. It took him barely a second to recognise that it was the same one he had offered to Ye Bin.

"Isn't this the plant I gave to you?" he turned around to ask Ye Bin who seemed a bit startled at the sudden question.

"It is. Now that I look at it, it's in a pretty bad condition. I'm sorry. I haven't been paying proper attention to it lately." she explained furtively, staring at the pot. Its existence had totally slipped out of her mind.

"Just water in everyday. It will grow into something beautiful. It just needs the right amount of care and time. The new leaves would replace the dried ones. It isn't in that bad of a shape right now."

"I'll take care of it. I promise. I had too much on mind and -"

"I understand." he nodded understandingly.

"Sit down. I'll return your tiffin boxes after transferring the food into my bowls." she took the yellow boxes from his hands.

He pulled a chair towards the window and sat on it. The room barely had anything striking. It was full of boxes, a couple of chairs and a cupboard. Ye Bin had not bothered to arrange them decently.

"The landlord, Mr. Hwang was here on the day you got discharged." Ju Ho saw how the information affected Ye Bin's body language. She was on her way to the kitchen but turned around to look at him. Her mouth opened to say something but the words sank back, before flowing out.