Twenty minutes of near silence was enough time for Karina to study the mysterious girl washing her dress. It was enough to understand how Minjeong was such a patient person despite the stubborn clothing. How she slightly stuck out her tongue when she was thinking. Karina could watch the girl until the end of time since she made her heart flutter.
She hadn't noticed Minjeong was finished when the girl's voice peeped up,
"Done."
Out of her trance, Karina gave Minjeong a small smile,
"Already?"
The puppy nodded and handed over the lavish formal attire with a bow of the head. The cat took her property and aside the thanks, asked Minjeong a question to make her stay longer,
"How long are you supposed to serve me?"
Karina shuffled around with the dress, and with the feeling of Minjeong's stare upon her and tense state, she grew a lopsided grin,
"I asked you a question."
The waitress seemed to jump slightly at the girl's statement as she flew back into reality with a few blinks,
"I don't know. The entire trip?" She shrugged with eyes falling to the marble floor,
"So you're stationed here all day, every day?"
"Basically."
"Well, it's almost lunch. Do you mind making me something?"
Karina almost let out a laugh as Minjeong forced down a smile with a lip bite,
"Uhm, cooking isn't really my thing."
"I doubt it."
"I'm serious mi-er... Karina."
The way Minjeong said her name. God, it made her knees weak.
"So am I." Karina turned to the girl near the door and smiled,
"You can't be as bad as you think you are."
"Well I am."
"Stop doubting yourself.
"S-Sorry."
"And stop apologizing."
The last sentence made Minjeong grow quiet into an awkward silence but luckily Karina saved it with a transition into the kitchen,
"What are you feeling today?"
The assistant was taken back by the question with her lips parting and eyes widening. Karina let out a chuckle,
"What? You've never been asked what you want?"
Minjeong's breath hitched, "O-Of course I have."
"Okay, so what do you want?"
"Whatever you want, Karina."
The cat beamed a smile,
"Kimchi fried rice it is."
Rummaging through her untouched fridge, she was not expecting to find every necessary ingredient for the agreed meal but a proud smile cleansed her face as she placed the last ingredients, two eggs, on the counter top in satisfaction. That was Yu Jimin for you. Always got what she wanted.
"Here you go." Karina walked over to the kitchen island and left the nodding Minjeong to examine the products,
"O-Okay. If I burn the kitchen down, please don't kill me."
Karina cackled but immediately muted herself upon seeing Minjeong's serious expression.
"You're not going to burn anything. I'll promise you, okay?"
There goes her second pledge to the same person.
The observing cat-like girl leaned on an arm from support as she watched Minjeong begin with the cooking of the meat. The way her back moved so finely against the soft fabricated uniform. Her fingers creating art in the form of food. Karina wandered what else Minjeong's fingers could do.
"It doesn't say how long to warm the rice for."
The beauty snapped her attention to Minjeong's soft face and down to the blue package of cooked rice in her all too feminine hands.
"Let me see that baby."
"W-What?"
"I said, let me see that bag."
Karina couldn't believe how innocent Minjeong was as she obeyed without hesitation. It was adorable like her representation of a puppy.
"It says three minutes."
The girl handed it back to the cook's hands but felt her cheeks flame up in a rosy blush as she felt her long fingers on the back of her hand.
"Thank you."
Karina watched her little puppy servant continue with the meal preparation until she finally finished, without burning the kitchen down.
"See? The room is still intact." Karina smiled at the same time Minjeong placed a plate of the rice in front of her, proud and content smile on her face.
"You should smile more," The Yu stated without a moment to think with a fork in the searing meat,
"It's cute."
Minjeong couldn't contain her blush for the life of her because she turned away from Karina with shy embarrassment.
"Don't turn away. Eat with me."
With the vague command, Minjeong immediately obeyed and took the second meal which lightly startled Karina from the girl's quick non hesitant reaction. Next thing she knew, Minjeong was on the other side of the marble table, devouring the food she had created which set Karina off mildly,
"Wow, you're hungry." She paused a moment to look at the girl who was inhaling the rice,
"Do you eat well?"
Minjeong looked up from her plate, into Karina's mesmerizing eyes and back down at the dish that was almost empty. She quickly chewed and swallowed the kimchi and sighed,
"Not really."
"Why?"
The brown haired woman looked up once more at the curious cat eyes and with a bite of her lip responded to the girl's question,
"I just get placed on so many shifts. By the time I'm off, I pass out. I usually just eat scarps off people's plates for snacks."
Karina stared at her in shock. How a person was driven to so much exhaust where they had to eat like a hungry animal? It disgusted her. It angered her. She slammed the wooden chopsticks on the white rock a little too sharply which caused the hungry girl to flinch back.
"Do you mind telling me who's your boss?"
Minjeong swallowed, "I-I don't think that's a good idea... H-he's a busy a private m-man."
"Well, when a customer complains, he must listen, correct?"
The puppy nervously nodded but with quick hesitation,
"I still d-don't think it's a good idea Karina."
Karina stood up, her blood boiling with a walk to the door, "I don't care. I'll get my father then to speak to h-"
A sudden grip on her wrist made her stop and freeze. It made the world freeze despite the warm contact. She looked back with hitched breath and a curious glance to only meet Minjeong's pleading eyes,
"Karina. Please. I beg you, don't." The younger one implored with terrified eyes before letting her fingers release themselves from Karina's soft skin. Straightening her posture while eyes locked, she parted her lips,
"I'm pleading you."
The weak voice crack constructed a high suspicion in Karina towards Minjeong vulnerable tone.
"You're poorly fed by your own employer, and you're asking me not to do anything about it?"
Minjeong eagerly shook her head with a forced chuckle,
"I was just k-kidding about the hungry thing. It was a joke. I-I swear."
The frail attempt to cover up the confession made Karina even more pissed throwing a mental crude finger at the man who was in charge of Minjeong's being while she was here. Her fit of stutters only implying how fucking terrified she was of Karina reaction.
"Please."
That one fragile word that came from Minjeong's mouth destroyed Karina who let out a sigh,
"Alright. I won't say anything."
The defeated statement allowed Minjeong to exhale loudly in relief with a physical gesture of repeated bows,
"Thank you."
As if on cue, the door suddenly swung open and the two girls jumped back from the scare,
"Hey Karina, have you seen my-"
Two sets of eyes fell onto Karina's sister who decided on a unexpected visit at the wrong time, seeing the two girls very close to each other. They themselves hadn't noticed their distance until Isa mocked a smirk on her lips,
"Oh, am I interrupting something?"
Karina rolled her eyes at Isa,
"What do you want?"
"My phone charger, have you seen? Also, hello Minjeong." Isa beamed towards the shy girl who bowed,
"Hello miss."
Karina's eye twitched with a huff of air,
"I don't know where it is so therefore you need to leave."
Isa laughed at the deja vu due to the recent events of her sister pushing her out, "Why in such a rush? It's only morning. There's an entire day ahead of us. Just kidding, dad is bringing us to another colleague dinner."
Karina groaned with another push but Isa sickly slid out of her grip,
"He said it has something to do with your post secondary education."
"Tell him I'm not coming."
"Minjeong's friend said she was going to be stationed for their table."
Karina immediately stopped,
"What? After what happened? Wait, really?"
"Wow, someone's whipped."
"Bye satan."
Isa chuckled,
"I guess l'Il just steal mom's charger. Bye Karina. Bye Minjeong!"
Karina abruptly shoved Isa out of the room and made sure to lock the door once her laughing muffled itself in the hallway.
"Sorry." Karina forced a laugh at the girl's remaining stance.
"You two seem to sure love each other." Minjeong said with an accent of sarcasm,
The black cat shrugged, "It's a love hate relationship."
The puppy's eyes dropped to the ground,
"Love hate?"
Karina's expression turned confused to the girl's sudden dropped mood,
"Love hate as in I might call her satan but I still love her, you know?"
Minjeong nodded,
"I'd love to have a sister. Or maybe even a brother."
"You're an only child?"
Another nod proceeded with silence, the beauty hurriedly changing the subject,
"So I guess there's another dinner tonight," Karina paused giving a moment for Minjeong to react but continuous tranquility remained,
With a grown smirk, the girl continued, "Help me pick out something."
Immediate obedience already in her blood, Minjeong scurried after Karina into her bedroom, quite astonished at the fine embilishment of the large modern room. She sat down on the cushioned bed and viewed Karina's practice. However, going through the closet, the wealthy woman only had 'ew' and 'no' in response to her clothing in which the sitting waitress let out a small chuckle,
"Hm?" Karina spun to Minjeong with a giddy smile at the grinning woman,
"N-Nothing."
"Tell me." The older one laughed,
"It's nothing."
"Tell me Minjeong."
She sighed,
"I just find it funny how you've went through half of your options and you haven't selected anything yet."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying, you'd look good in everything."
Minjeong's eyes widened at her explanation. Did she just say that aloud? She peeped up at Karina who had her trademarked cocky smirk with a raised eyebrow,
"I-I didn't mean it I-like that. I meant-"
"Then pick something out for me if you're so sure."
Minjeong blinked a few times and hastily stood up once Karina's words got into her slow mind,
"O-Okay."
She paced towards Karina who moved aside and revealed the large closet that glistened with luxurious designer brands that Minjeong had only seen in photographs. If she was even lucky to see photograph of such opulent clothing.
Only three articles in, Minjeong pulled out a simple off shoulder black dress with a light smile,
"How about this?"
Karina took a few moments to examine it, noting it was definitely a little revealing, but she'd wear it for Minjeong.
"Perfect." She smiled and took the designer fabric, placing it on the bed with a content sigh,
"You'll help me with it later, right?"
The puppy swallowed, remerbering exactly what happened last time, last night to be precise.
"I-If you want."
Karina warmly smiled to the anxious girl only until another loud knock emerged from the main door, the two jumping once more.
"Again?" Karina moaned in annoyance,
The two shuffled to the door as Karina prepared her fit while she swung it open,
"Isa, I told you already, I don't have your charger!"
The beauty was a little startled to see a girl she's never seen before standing before her,
"Hello." The girl smiled and bowed in welcoming.
"Ryujin?" Minjeong chuckled with confusion as she neared the shortie but Karina stopped her with a hand,
"Who is she?"
"I'm Minjeong's friend." Ryujin answered,
"I didn't ask you."
Minjeong immediately spoke up,
"She's my bunk buddy. Roommate."
"Roommate?" Karina gritted her teeth,
Ryujin hummed.
"Okay, why are you here?" The mood shifted girl said sharply in sudden annoyance,
"Well it's noon meaning it's Minjeong's break. I didn't want her to forget since she seems to be pretty clumsy and dumb about it." Ryujin jokingly chuckled however Karina had a contrasting reaction,
"Minjeong is not dumb nor clumsy."
An awkward tension brimmed the atmosphere, forcing Minjeong to clear her throat,
"Uh, yea, I remember Ryujin." The nervous puppy lied and turned to Karina, "I'll return."
"But you just had lunch with me."
"I-I know but usually the captain has something to say to us."
Karina's heart dropped at the mention of her captain,
"Your boss?"
Minjeong remembered the girl's threat towards him which made nauseated her however spoke the truth in realization,
"No, no. Two different people."
"Are you sure?"
Minjeong weakly smiled at the worried taller girl,
"Yes, Karina."
Ryujin's eyes almost fell out her sockets beside Minjeong once the girl mentioned her name. She was standing at the very well known Yu Jimin's room? Ryujin suddenly felt intimidated of the girl's presence.
"C'mon Minjeong." Ryujin linked her arm through Minjeong's but with the gesture came consequences because she knew if looks could kill, she'd be dead from Karina's vexed glare.
Minjeong shakily smiled one last time towards Karina who seemed to be fuming transparent smoke out of her ears.
The new pair bowed but in response received a door slam to the face.
The two jumped from the wealthy woman's reaction but replied with with hushed sighs,
"She's kinda scary." Ryujin whispered once the two transitioned from the shock to a walk down the corridor. Minjeong agreed in a different view. The amount of beauty Karina had was very scary.
However, to Minjeong, the thought of admitting Karina's visuals were even more scary.
Very scary.
———
I love jealous Karina.