Context Clues | Completed

Chapter Six | Bullies and Bad Friends

Catherine Lee

Yun Goo is openly staring at two of my customers. She doesn't try and hide her stare in the slightest despite me having warned her she'd get thumped if she keeps it up.

I flick her ear and she glares at me.

"What?"

"Stop staring at my customers; it makes them uncomfortable."

"Cate, look at the pair," she nods to the duo facing each other in the manga section.

The woman is tall and slender, her long legs accented by studded heels that make her model height. She's wearing pink pants, a white t-shirt, and pastel blazer and is staring her exact opposite down. The man across from her is in all black: black boots, black jeans, and a plain black t-shirt. He's got his arms crossed as he glares at her.

"What is going on?"

"I don't know, but I'm afraid there's going to be a brawl."

"I'll handle it. Dial up security just in case."

Yun Goo nods and goes to the storage room that doubles as my office to make the call.

I steel myself to prepare to intercede on behalf of the woman as I walk up and stand next to her.

"Is there a problem over here?"

My voice is full of fake cheer as I carefully watch between the two strangers who are glaring at each other.

"Yes," she says firmly. She turns to me and the man simply drones, "No. We're fine."

"He's being—"

"If he's bullying you, Miss, I have security on their way. I will have him escorted out."

"Me bully her?" the man scoffs.

He puts his hands on his hips and cocks a brow at the woman. What looks like a thick cut in his brow stands out to me, but I ignore it and step between the two as he points a finger at her.

"Sir, if you can't—"

"It's alright, Miss... he's just grumpy that I'm making him bring home 10 new books for my godson and has been accused of being a bully to me when—"

I deflate as the man lets out a growl at the woman's giggle.

"You're the bully, Xiao Mei Cheng. Sj does not need 10 new books—"

"Didn't you hear Vivi talk about his new love interest? We need to make sure he's up to date on that series he's reading if he stands a chance!"

I look between the pair and realize that these two are, in fact, not a bully and a victim, but rather a teasing girlfriend and exasperated boyfriend. I prepare to back away awkwardly, but am stuck against a bookshelf and can't escape due to their hand gestures.

"He doesn't need—"

"It's my money, why argue?"

"Miss Jones will kill me if I bring more books to her house. She's running out of room!"

"It's in the name of love! Or future love!"

"You don't need to buy them, he can borrow them from the library. Why waste the money at all?"

"It's my money to waste. I have plenty of it, might as well fund a good cause."

I look back and forth between the duel they fight verbally as watch as the conversation spans from books to money to spending it on his brothers to where they should go for dinner.