Chapter 10 – Sleep well
"Stop your drama and start working," she said as she took the blanket from me. I, who was laying on the futon, looked at her with my red eyes. "I am not pretending, I am actually ill" I defended and she passed me an unconvinced look. "Sure, sure, now get up. Do you think dinner will come flying here?"
"Yes," I said weakly and stood up. My tiny room didn't have a heater, making the room ice cold. Heck, it didn't even have a bed, I have to sleep on a futon every day. "Geez, you are such a pest. If it wasn't for the money, I never would have taken you in. I want to throw you out as soon as possible but the amount you receive from the government is just too much" she said harshly and I looked at her shocked. "W-What? Did you really mean that?" I asked. She didn't reply to me and walked away.
I should have known that. People are just greedy, doing things for their own advantages. I knew that she probably didn't take custody of me because she pitied me or that she had enough humanity not to see her relative on the street, but the reality still hurts.
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"Did I hear correctly?" he asked shocked. What am I even talking about? "What am I doing?" I asked myself as I rubbed my head. "I must be going crazy because of the fever" I murmured and he looked at me thoughtfully.
"I don't think that it's a bad idea. I want to hear about it in detail" he said. "Like I said, I spouted nonsense and I take my offer back," I said. "Come on" he pleaded with his puppy eyes and I couldn't help but stare at them. "No" I managed to say in this distraction. "For once you said something helpful but you took it back right after you said it"
"Maybe because it was a mistake" I explained and he just looked at me like a kid who didn't receive his candy. For some seconds, neither of us spoke, him giving me time to consider and I actually doing so.
"Well, you could use my uncle's room since he only comes back once in many months," I suggested. "But I would never allow that" I added. "And I could compensate you half of my pay from my part time job"
"And because you would pay me I wouldn't have to look for a part-time job," I said and he nodded while smiling. "Wait, why do you need a part-time job?" he asked. "I am a little short on money" I explained. "Anyway, that could be the solution to our problems," he said and I nodded. "But that will never happen"
"Seriously? Just give in now. It was your idea, to begin with"
"Don't you think it's a bit reckless to live with a boy?"
"But it's just me. You know me really well"
"It's you, that's exactly why I am against it"
"It's final now, I am living here from today on"
"I never agreed to!"
"Anyway, I have to go to school now. You better get ready too" he said and I tied my hair into a bun. "If I think about it, my clothes are still at Onew's house. I better pick them up" he added and rushed outside. With that, he left and I got myself ready for school while thinking if it was really a good idea to let a boy stay here. To add spice to the dish, it's not any usual boy, it's Kim Jonghyun we're talking about.
Strangely, Jonghyun, Jae Wan nor Daisy came to school, leaving me bored in class and lunch time. Jonghyun was probably busy with the moving matter but I wonder what the other two are doing. I sighed and took another spoonful of my spaghetti.
Right then my phone rang and I looked over at the caller ID to see that it was Minho. Since Jonghyun's friends were eager to get my number, I had no other choice than to trade it with them. "Yes?" I asked after picking up. "Mina, sorry to call you suddenly, but I have a favor to ask" I heard his husky voice on the other line. "Keep talking"
"Well, you are good in English, right?" I asked. "How do you know?" I wondered. "Jonghyun mentioned it back when he was studying for English" he explained and I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. "So you want me to help out?" I asked. "If you could"
"Sure," I said. "What? Really?" he asked shocked. "So you want me to decline?" I asked amused. "No, I just thought that you would never agree," he said happily. "Okay then, let me refuse," I said. "What? No! You can't change your answer now. See you after school at the coffee shop next to Jonghyun's house" he said and hung up before I could reply. This boy.
After school, I was sitting in front of Minho, quietly sipping on my drink. Somehow this situation reminded me of the first time I met Onew, just with Minho instead. The same coffee shop, the same seats and the same drinks. "I am thankful that you agreed to help me," he said and smiled. "No problem," I said and opened his books. "You know, you changed," he said.
"I remember when Jonghyun would come to Taemin's house every day and complain about you. He said that you never let anyone befriend you and we even advised him to let you be, but he would talk some nonsense, saying that it's just a matter of persistence and that someday you'll open up" I chuckled as I heard that, since I knew that I was the person who told him that.
"He sure shares a lot" I realized. "He does but he doesn't" Minho whispered. "What does that mean?" I curiously asked. "He talks a lot about his everyday life, but it's hard to find out what's going on inside of him" he explained and sighed. "You know, I was the last one to find out about Jonghyun's parents. It kind of upsets me"
"But you know, if there is a person out there, who knows my everyday life, it makes me really happy. Just when they remember that you had a doctor's appointment a few days ago and ask about it, it would make anybody happy, right?" I asked and took a bite of my cheesecake. "Indeed but he still hasn't changed. He still hasn't told us about his family. He knows that we have knowledge about it and that his sister has told us about it long ago, but he still never talks about it"
To be honest, I was kind of surprised. I thought that he talks about his problems with his friends frankly, but he may have difficulties with opening up. "Anyway, let's study," he said and I nodded.
Some hours later, when the sky was slowly losing its bright color, we bid our farewell and I took a walk towards my home. By now, my throat was itching because I had talked too much and was in desperate requirement of water. Ignoring my needs, I decided to rush home as soon as possible.
Right next to my apartment is a park, the same place where I had met Jonghyun for the first time. As I was walking through there, surprisingly I saw him sitting there. Funnily, he was even sitting on the same bench.
"What are you doing here?" I asked and he turned around. "I was waiting for you" he answered honestly. "You could have waited at home," I said as I sat on the swing. He looked on the ground, not uttering a word and I knew that something was off.
"Will you visit her tomorrow?" he asked. I knew that he meant Unni. "Yes, I will" I answered. "Don't forget that I am coming with you" he said, trying not to show any sadness, but it was still evident to me. "Sure, sure," I said trying to lighten up the mood. Well, I don't know what is going on, but I can wait. Wait until he is ready to tell me.
"Do you want pasta for dinner?" I asked as both of us started walking to the apartment. "I am sure that you also ate pasta at lunch break today." He claimed and I pouted. "What do you have against pasta?" I asked and he laughed. "I don't have anything against it, you are just to addicted to it"
An hour later, I was busy making dinner while Jonghyun just sat on the kitchen shelve and played around with the eating utensils. "Stop playing around. Anyway, it's finished" I proudly pronounced as I looked at the two appealing plates of pasta in front of us. Both of us grabbed our plates and walked to the living room where the television was located.
Jonghyun turned it on, while I went to my room to grab some blankets. Together, we sat on the ground, with blankets wrapped around us, our plates of food in our hands and with a movie running on the TV. Somehow, this situation reminds me back when I lived with Unni. Every Friday night, we would sit on the ground, and watch our favorite films while eating food.
Halfway through the movie, I felt my eyes getting heavier and heavier until they finally closed. "Sleep well" I heard as I felt Jonghyun's hands pat my head. After that, I fell into a deep sleep, not noticing anything that was happening around me.
The next day when I woke up, I saw that I had fallen asleep on Jonghyun's shoulder while his head was resting on mine.
End of Chapter 10