"Love Alarm" revolves around the story of a technology that enables users to discover love through an application that notifies whether someone within the vicinity of a 10-meter radius has romantic feelings for them.
𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞|⌫
As the bell rang, signalling the end of school, Jin-ae rushed out of her seat, quickly packing her bag with her materials.
"Let's go Jo-jo!" She called out to her sister as she watched her zip her bag up.
"Yeah, Yeah .." as Jo-jo approached Jin-ae , she was suddenly being dragged like a rag doll. "What the hell Jin-ae!" She complained.
"I have a shift at my new job, tonight."
𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘|⌫
Taking out her vest for her shift at the store as Jin-ae jogged back to the house. Once in her grasp, she quickly shoved the vest on as she neared the convenience store entrance. Seeing her sister pick up a crate filled with glass drinks, she quickened her pace.
"Jo-jo! I'm coming to your rescue!" She hollered in a deep voice, well tried to, it sounded more like a dying quokka.
"Rescue..? The hell she going on about." Jo-jo murmured to herself as Jin-ae approached her, " I don't need rescuing,Jin-ae." She chuckled with a shake to the head.
"I know.. your getting to be a big girl now!" Jin-ae gushed squeeze Jo-jo's cheeks despite her disapproval to the action. "Let's go in." Jin-ae motioned the door with a nod of the head, a smile etching on her face.
As they entered, their walked past their unmoving aunt that sat at the checkout. "Where's Gul-mi?" Sung-yeon, their aunt, questioned the younger sibling.
"She's sleeping." Was the short response she received from the younger girl. Unbothered, Sung-yeon opened the cash register, taking out the few won that were in it.
"We'll pay for our school lunch ourselves." Jin-ae told their mother' sister m, noticing the lunch announcement and bills for the school lunch.
Receiving nothing but a simple glance, Jin-ae shook her head and went in the back to collect the restock she had to shelve tonight.
"I'll be starting classes at an academy next month, so you'll have to hire my replacement." She heard her sister warn their aunt.
'She's going to it..Aish, good thing I picked up a third job.' Jin-ae mentally sighed. She was so tired, so so so tired but if this is what gets them out of their aunt house she'll push herself through.
𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚢|⌫
After her shift at the restaurant the next night, Jin-ae went to her third job, she was an art teacher at their local activity center. It payed really well too, even though it's only two nights a week, a pay of 52,200 won an hour. She loved the job. Working with kids and doing her passion was a win win for her.
Approaching the convenience store, Jin-ae lets out an exhausted sigh, it was currently 10 p.m and she now has a shift at the store. It may seem like a lot to outsiders, having three shifts from three different jobs all in the same night but Jin-ae was used to it. It was a constant daily thing and she learned to follow it. Once she gets enough money, she'll quit her job at the restaurant.
She currently has 10,443,673.35 won in her bank account so she's doing well. Walking up the store's steps, her phone goes off signalling a message.
Sae Bitt Hospital:
"Ms. Go Sun-I'd bill for 504,300 won is overdue"
'Buttercup! I knew I forgot a payement!" Jin-ae groaned as she entered the convenience store, alerting Jo-jo , who sat at the counter, that she had arrived.
"I'll put in the deposit in a minute so we can give it tomorrow. Let me sit down for a few seconds.." Jin-ae sighed entering the counter after she moved the door. "So put those money savings away and use them for their meaning. I'll take care of grandma's bills this time."
𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 |⌫
Jin-ae huffed as she stood up once again after being pulled down to the floor against her will, again. And why is that, well because her sister is avoiding her loving boyfriend that wants her attention.
"Jo-jo ! Kim Jo-jo!" Il-sik loud voice could be heard from behind the bush they were, well Jo-jo was hiding behind since Jin-ae is completely visible to the public at the moment.
"Your boyfriend is to loud. Tell him to be quiet." The male voice startled Jin-ae since she was facing the other was and didn't notice Sun-oh seated on the bench in front of them.
"Does it show that I'm hiding?" Jo-jo inquired still crouched behind the bushes,"Yes, you dipstick! Go tell your boyfriend that you don't like him like he likes you and stop leading him on!" Jin-ae barked out, give the back of her head a slap, feeling satisfied hearing her 'ow'.
"What your sister said."
Letting out a sigh, Jin-ae' long legs stepped over the bushes,to get to the bench Sun-oh sat on alone.
"Jo-jo! " The voice of her boyfriend could be heard once again as he came back from the other direction of the pathway.
"Hey, pretend you never saw me." Jo-jo shushed, finger resting on top of her lips making Jin-ae roll her eyes.
She was getting tired of her sister unknowingly play with Il-sick's heart and Jang-go's feelings. As Il-sik shouted her name once again, Jin-ae messaged her temples exasperated.
"She's here." Their voices laced together as they ratted out her sister' hiding spot, catching each other by surprise for a few seconds. Their head snapped to each other with wide eyes.
'Oh my skittles'
As they stared at each other Il-sik approached a disappointed Jo-jo that was still hidden behind the bushes. "What are you doing here?" He questioned his girlfriend that came out of her hiding spot glaring at her sister and the boy before walking away. And soon after her boyfriend followed in her steps.
"Gosh..why does she do that to him? Poor guy's gonna be heartbroken once he finds out she doesn't like him the same way. I really don't understand why she's doing it... Sorry I'm rambling." Jin-ae sheepishly smiled at the clearly amused Sun-oh.
"It's cute." Just those two words made butterflies erupt in her stomach.
"You're cuter."
"Thanks." He chuckled as he watched the girls eyes widen, "Did I say that out loud!?" She squeaked out, panicked internally, wishing for the gods to bring punishment upon her.
"Yes, you did." He laughed, smiling up at her from the bench then getting up.
"Wait.. why am I panicking? It's the truth..." Jin-ae stated with a shrug as she smiled back at him.
And just like that, he was gone once again.
' Oh my fish sticks.. I really just said that out loud. It's fine.. he probably likes me now cause I'm a bad bleep.. ok I'm the complete opposite of a 'female dog'.'
𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎|⌫
Seated on the bus bench alone since Jo-jo had a shift at the restaurant tonight, Jin-ae kicked the leaves beneath her feet humming a tune that came to mind.
After receiving texts from her cousin saying that her aunt wanted her to come in for a shift, Jin-ae could only let out a tired sigh, closing her eyes for a brief second. Oh how she just wanted a nice sleep but that was inevitable with her circumstances.
' I just want to disappear for a few hours and I'm just mentally tired with everything in life'
Standing up from the bench as the bus arrived Jin-ae took out her phone not boarding the bus and then shutting down her phone. And the bus left to the next stop.
Pocketing her phone, Jin-ae started walking the opposite way towards home, unaware of the eyes of Sun-oh that followed her every movement.
𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚟|⌫
Wandering around the makeup store, Jin-ae searched for a shade of lipstick for Jo-jo, remembering the look of envy when they were with their friends and they were talking about Gul-mi's lip shade.
'This is similar' She observed, taking a light blush shaded lip-tint in her hands. Grabbing the tester tube, she applied some to her lips testing out the shade on her since skin-tone is similar to her sister'.
'This will do!'. Letting a satisfied smile take over her neutral expression, Jin-ae grabbed the packaged lipstick and went to the checkout, asking for a gift bag to put in as she payed for the gift.
As she turned to leave she caught a glimpse of what she thought was Sun-oh before shrugging it off. Putting the gift in her backpack, Jin-ae shuffled out of the store towards her house.
𝙸 𝚕𝚘|⌫
As she turned the corner she had the feeling someone was following her steps. Taking a random turn towards a place opposite of her real house, Jin-ae continued to walk normally as if she knew where she was going when she was totally lost.
After a few minutes she started to get aggravated so confronting the suspect was the only option before she wounded up on the other side of the city.
Turning abruptly she came face with Sun-oh, " why are you following me? I know you're following me." She sighed extremely done with her life now.
"Who said I was following you? I'm heading this way too." He countered with a small smirk.
Jin-ae only hummed before turning around and continuing her rout down the unknown street until a street sign with the name was at least visible to know where she somehow ended up.
"Why are you going this way, though? Aren't you going home?" Sun-oh asked from behind the tall girl, shocked by his question she turned around confused.
"How do you know where I live? That's kinda creepy.." She frowned, not expecting him to know where she lives.
"Do you..perhaps not want to go home?" He quizzed the girl, " I don't want to go home, either." He admitted making Jin-ae's frown deep-in.
'Is something going on at home that makes him uncomfortable?' She questioned herself as he takes a step forward, phone in hand.
"That's strange.." He claimed as he activated his love alarm but received no notification that someone in the 10-meter radius loved him." Is your love alarm off?" He asked not believing that Jin-ae wouldn't ring his love alarm.
"No." She shook her head confused about his question.
"You're an odd one.." he trailed off as he scrutinized her. "Wow.. I'm "odd" because I didn't ring your love alarm?" Jin-ae scoffed in disbelief before turning around and getting ready to walk off, "And if you keep following me, I'll start to assume you're interested in me."
Sun-oh let out a chuckle and continued to follow her with a smile plastered on his face.
𝙸 𝚕|⌫
After a couple turn and pathways, Jin-ae finally figured out where she was so that was one less worry.
"Wait. I've got something to say." Sun-oh admitted as they came to an alley. As she turned around Sun-oh pointed in the direction of the alley, "Let's talk over there."
"Okay, sure." The girl agreed and followed his lead towards the alley, " Go ahead. What do you want to say?" Jin-ae ordered facing his back before he turned around.
"Do you want to kiss?"
"Are you sick? Are you okay? Blink twice if you're in pain!" Jin-ae worried for his health, "You're joking,right?" She laughed out with a awkward smile.
"I'm not joking."
Jin-ae stammered a bit once he said he wasn't joking. ' This hunk wants to kiss me.. I know I'm pretty but...wait is it normal now a days to ask that openly?'
"Well if that's all then I'm off." She dismissed his proposal getting reading to march off in the distance," where are you going?" His voice raised an octave in worry.
" I have work." She simply admitted, turning back around since he pulled on her blazer, "Why do you have to work?" He interrogated, confused.
"Cause there's no one else to do it.." She muttered sadly after a few pregnant seconds." I don't like to make assumptions about people but it's obvious you don't have it like me, you have a 'mansion' and you're well off but I'm not saying you are happy with that life. You know as they say "money doesn't mean happiness." She rambled not trying to sound rude.
"We are, but my family is embarrassing. I don't want to talk about them." He sighed, a frown taking over his face, "What about you?"
"I- no.. we, Jo-jo and I don't have parents. So we have to work to support ourselves since our aunt only cares about the debt we have to pay off from our mother." She said, answering the question honestly.
"You don't have parents?" He asked once again, "mhmm, not everyone does." Jin-ae mumbled looking into his eyes, "then don't talk about your family." He simply requested, looking away, "No one will know."
"You're the only one that actually really knows about my family.. even my best friend thinks my parent are alive and healthy at Jeju Island." The girl admitted with a small amused chuckle.
Both of their heads slowly turned towards each other and their gaze locked on each other's eyes. Leaning off the wall, Sun-oh drew closer to Jin-ae, who for once in her tall height felt small in someone else's presence.
"You like me, don't you?" He started off, " then why do you act like you don't?" He pressed on the matter, making the girl nervous, "Yes, you do. Otherwise, why did you follow me here without even knowing what I'd do?"
"Well you said you had something to say to me..." Jin-ae trailed off as she locked eyes with him again making her heartbeat increase even more then it already was.
"Can I kiss you?"
"You didn't listen to me, didn't you?" She sighed frustrated, " You're right, I didn't listen." He admitted with a small nod.
As she leaned off the wall to face Sun-oh, she was at lost of words when his right hand came up to tenderly caresse her left cheek. His smooth, yet slightly rough, thumb slowly and gently glided a cross her soft cheeks.
Their eyes swirled with an unknown fondness and passion as they gazed into each other's eyes for the hundredth time this week.
"You have really nice lips.." he inaudibly muttered under his breath.
As each counter part slowly leans in, one hand made its way behind her neck slowly as his other hand made its way to her right shoulder. Her hands finding comfort on the hem of his navy blazer. As their mouths approach the other's, before he completely meets her lips, he grazes his over her slightly chapped and parted lips, teasing the girl slightly. When a slight whine emits from her mouth, Sun-oh finally met the awaiting lips of Jin-ae's strawberry flavoured lips.
𝙸 |⌫
Slowly they pull away from each others lips, eyes closed, both absorbing their first kiss. As they opened their eyes, they meet each others gaze as their exhausted breathing mixed with one another.
Wrapping their arms more securely around each other, they let their lips meet once again but in a quicker pace then their first one. His hand found its perfect match in the crease of her neck as he deepened the kiss.
As they went in for another, lightning brought the two to back away from each other in surprise. They both glanced around the sky as it filed with flashes of lightning before locking eyes with each other once again,but this time their eyes held a new emotion they both found in one another. And that emotion was the undying love they now held for one another.
|⌫
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉
"It was not my lips you kissed but my soul."
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉
➪52,200 won = $60.00 in Canadian dollar
➪10,443,673.35 won = $10,000 in Canadian dollars
➪504,300 won = $579.81 in Canadian dollars
𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝: 𝟸𝟽𝟹𝟻