Ahjumma Next Door

Chapter 7: The Familiar Feeling

James lit a cigarette as he walked back to the building, his face still devoid of any emotion. After taking a walk to the conveniece store to buy a pack of cigarette, his mood hasn't change a bit.

He walked as his thought about his sister troubled him. Why is she always acting that way? He asked himself. He was thinkinf of going home to check on her sister in Busan but right now, he just can't. He was thinking of moving out of his Uncle Howard's house thinking that he has caused him so much and he can't take the feeling of being indebted to him. Apart from that, he still needs to cover for his Aunt's and Hailey's needs.

Maybe what the boys were suggesting weren't that bad after all. He thought. He doesn't want to be a burden to anyone anymore. He already owes a lot to his Uncle Howard ever since his dad died. But his Uncle's words troubled him too.

Does he have anything he wants to do aside from being a police officer? He asked himself.

He took a puff on his cigarette and looked at the smoke he blew as it faded slowly on thin air.

He walked further towards the gate and greeted the guard when he saw the foodstall at the right. He suddenly remebered the honey filled pancake this morning. A smile crept his face but when he realized it, he shook his head

"Why am I even remembering that weirdo?" He said as he touched his forehead and felt the bump Samantha has caused him.

He was about to head back inside the premises when he heard a few murmurs from the students hanging and eating around the stall. He stopped as his curiousity rose.

"Hey.. Look who's coming!"

"Wow! She went out!"

"It's daytime and she wen out. I wonder what the witch's business in broad daylight." A girl laughed.

"Yah! Don't talk like that! Haven't you heard about the curse?"

"What curse?"

"Anyone who rents an apartment on the second floor of that residential building gets a bad luck."

The other girl gasped. "I think that one of her neighbors died from heart attack. And another said a child got sick when she went near it."

James felt a pinch in his heart. The same way he got affected this morning when Sean looked down at the girl's peace offering.

What the hell are these people up to?

Without further thinking, he ran towards the stall and squeezed himself in the crowd and only stopped when he saw the girl they're talking about.

She looked scared, horrified... HURT.

He saw her struggled, as she tried go take a step after another, her head bowed down, her hair all over her face, hser hands clutching the almost crumpled pad of paper.

Then he saw her limp.

He immeadiately closed their gap as he ran towards her and enveloped her in his arms. She lost consciousness.

He took her in his arms and carried her with ease. He turned around and looked at the students.

"Do you know this girl personally?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"She's scary!" Someone shouted.

"How dare you judge someone you don't even know? Why? Just because of her looks?" He doesn't even understand but he's really pissed that moment.

"Didn't you realized you scared her too? Did she do anything wrong to you?"

Nobody answered.

"NO." James answered for them. He walked his way back to the residential building but stopped as if remembering something to say.