"All I asked from you is just to stay where you are."
Yuna < Stay Where You Are >
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The actual reason behind Yeseul's tardiness to the wedding rehearsal begins exactly the moment she steps into her humble abode.
Upon seeing the familiar landscape of Yeseul's apartment, Bomi glides her way out of the unzipped pet carrier, strolling through the wooden flooring with slow but fluffy steps. She places her front paws side-by-side, pulling her entire body backwards in a slow but comfortable stretch. Her eyes are shut tight as her tail sits upright against her ascended body line.
The dark-furred animal evidently misses home.
Yeseul crouches down on the ground, all the while making sure Bomi isn't hurting herself with the wound on her lower belly. She pats the spot gently, peeling Bomi's eyes up with keen attention.
The feline meows when a new toy block in the house catches her twinkling eyes.
Yeseul turns her head along toward the unfinished DIY cat tower. The ash brown, two-storey tower made out of wooden boards and plastic tubing is an evident work-in-progress, and by far and large, miles away from Yeseul's imaginative end product. With Bomi's short leave, she filled her up the little free time she had with researching, sourcing for recycled materials and assembling the cat tower.
Despite watching a clear, step-by-step Cat Tower for Dummies video on YouTube, she had underestimated the challenges that came with the assembly.
The welcome home surprise for Bomi falls through.
"I'm sorry, Bomi. The cat tower is not quite ready..."
Her furry friend's curiosity know no bounds, and she looks about ready to jump on the opportunity.
Sliding speedily towards Bomi, Yeseul pulls her body away to safety. In doing so, Yeseul's bended knee knocks against the unfastened plastic tube. A loud thump and a tumbling mess follow seconds later. Shielding the little one from the unforeseen mishap, Yeseul lets out a silent curse under her breath. While Bomi isn't hurt again, her clumsy negligence is indeed the cause behind Bomi's accidents.
She doesn't think she can ever forgive herself for endangering Bomi, again.
Yeseul's eyes moist even faster than the line of her forehead.
"Oh Bomi, I'm so sorry! Are you alright? That must have scared you so much!" Yeseul confesses tearfully. Her mind sprints towards the memory she'd try so hard at suppressing.
"I'm such a bad mommy for Bomi. I can't even take good care of myself, and here I am trying to take care of you... Maybe... Maybe mother was right after all."
Sitting comfortably in the crook of Yeseul's arms, Bomi licks her paws, seemingly unfazed by the turn of events.
"The countless days you've gone hungry waiting for me to get home... The lack of our play time whenever I get too occupied with work on the weekends... The thumb-drive that I left behind on the table... And now this..."
Yeseul questions her worth as Bomi's caregiver, letting her tears flow uninhibitedly. The thought of losing her one and only friend terrifies her.
Yeseul sniffs through her mucus-filled nose. "I need to do better, Bomi. But how... How do I do better..?"
Four hasty rings of her doorbell travel through Yeseul's apartment; and a rough, urgent-sounding knock on her main door doesn't give her the time to reflect.
Yeseul hears a muffled question from the corridor. "Is everything alright inside there??"
The unanticipated question drives Yeseul to blink her tears away. Groggily swallowing her fears, she brushes the wetness of her cheeks with the back of her palm. Straightening her back, Yeseul flexes her calves and stands right up, like a kid who doesn't want to be found out for her less-than-adult moments.
She takes a quick glance at the bathroom mirror, then takes her time towards the main door. Her right eye hovers above the vacant peep hole, and a young man with anxious brows stares right back at her.
Yeseul pulls back her steps. She was not expecting to see Jungkook outside her door, much less with worry written all over his face.
"Noonim?" Jungkook calls out again when his rings go unanswered.
Twisting the bolt of her door lock, Yeseul pushes her door lightly. The weight of the door tarries its own opening, leading Jungkook to pull it open quickly.
The force of the swiftly open door blows like an abrupt, enchanted breeze on Yeseul's face, and her neck-length bob hair swirls messily around the frame of her face.
Jungkook catches a pause in his breathing, admittedly guilty for his crime. Though he ought to lower his eyes, his brown orbs are involuntary distracted by Yeseul's make-up free, natural-looking face.
The state of his pulse worsens when Yeseul tidies her dark brown hair with the slurry comb of her fingers.
"Are you... going to keep standing there without saying anything, Jungkook-sshi?"
Yeseul hears herself say, then wishes the words she uttered hadn't been so forward and blunt.
"I'm sor--"
"Sorry--"
The two say simultaneously, tongues and brains sailing on the same frequency. It's not too different from the night they walked home together from the pork-cutlet house.
Only this time, Jungkook struggles to hide the crescent moon in his eyes.
He gathers himself and remembers his call of duty. "Hmm... Are you alright, Yeseul noonim? I heard a sound from your place, and it was loud."
"Oh," Yeseul quips, the tip of her ears salmon-pink. The paper-thin partitioned walls are the reasons for gossiping ahjummas to spread news like a wildfire after all. "Something tipped over, but everything's fine really... I didn't mean to cause a disturba--"
A second wave of the tumbling block and a cat's surprised purr deters Yeseul's less-than-necessary clarification. She runs quickly towards Bomi and the source of the crash, giving Jungkook an extended view of her living space. Keeping his feet outside the door, he sticks out his long, sturdy neck, curiously peering over what seems to be a fallen, wooden construction.
He mumbles under his breath in comprehension.
"Would you please close the door for me, Jungkook-sshi? Now that you've seen it all, there's nothing for you to concern yourself with," Yeseul, weary with distress, turns her head toward the lone man at the door. Her shoulders droop when Bomi scurries into her bedroom, hiding below her bed.
"Sure," Jungkook gives an unthinking, immediate nod to her request. The truth is, he isn't so sure. Hand on the door knob, he is certain that Yeseul is facing difficulties with the cat tower construction. What he isn't sure is, why doesn't Yeseul ask for help?
With every inch of the door closing in, he squeezes his brain for a justifiable reason.
Unless...
An amusing giggle escapes him, the moment he realizes they have the same disorder.
The idea of relying on someone else.
Jungkook has relied on himself for as long as he can remember. Father and mother struggled to put food on the table as they saved and saved for hyung's university fees. Year after year, a burning determination settled within his heart. He wanted to make his parents proud, repay them tenfold. Knowing he wasn't someone who excelled at his studies, he left Busan for Seoul at a young age, dreaming to become the nation's best singer. When that didn't work out, he hit the military barracks, solely relying on his physical strength and endurance. While he was a disciplined and model soldier, his soul grew tired of the grim routine.
He is glad that he didn't turn down Namjoon's initial offer. He has been so close to closing a door which would give him a chance to prove his worth in the corporate world.
Jungkook wants Yeseul to benefit from a helping hand, just like he had. Seconds before the hinge of the door meets its frame, Jungkook pulls the door wide open. His right hand lightly stroking the back of his neck, he puts forth a candid and honest question, brightening Yeseul's eyes unknowingly.
"Noonim, I'm in need of some bills for this month's groceries since I spent quite a bit on my work wear. What would you suggest if I offered to fix the broken cat tower?"
»»————- ————-««
Trading the arduous woodwork for the much more enjoyable bathing time for Bomi, Yeseul keeps the door of the bathroom slightly open. Her foamy fingers rub against Bomi's fur coat, moving in a back and forth motion. Bomi's small and razor sharp teeth clench against her widely opened mouth, her lids shut tightly against her eyes; the combination of cold water and floating bubbles never failing to keep her on the edge.
Yeseul's own eyes, however, are wide and quietly set upon the back of a young man, who hammers a nail with precision into the tip of the wood. His right arm, though slim, is unquestionably steady, putting the iron in its place under three strikes. Suddenly remembering the image of popping veins on his hands and arms, Yeseul mentally chides her delirious thought.
Just be thankful there is someone here to finish up the job for you.
Jungkook's back, broad and sturdy, is an impressionable change of scenery, like finding a well in the middle of a desert plain. Young men around Jungkook's age walk around Yeseul's office in thin and scrawny shells; lacking nutrition, fitness and at times, manliness. His broad back, however, is decorated with muscles bulging through his grey rayon t-shirt like a camel's humps. Given his liking towards extra large clothing, the gravitational pull on his shirt faintly tints Yeseul's cheeks.
Bomi growls when the bubbles creep up to her nose.
"What am I doing right now...," Yeseul mumbles under her breath, flabbergasted.
Picking up the shower hose, Yeseul finishes Bomi's bath cleanly and quickly, saving the cat from further torture. Beaming her proud mom-smile, Yeseul sings her praises generously, wrapping Bomi up with a clean towel. She cuddles the feline cheek-to-cheek, the personification of a mother's love. "You're such a brave girl for enduring this, Bomi..."
"Yes, she is."
Yeseul's eyes have never been rounder, a work of art created by the element of surprise and a wave of heightened embarrassment. Priding on her mysterious aura, Yeseul has always kept her expressive side to a bare minimum, save for her private interactions with Bomi. To have this side of her unintentionally witnessed by Jungkook, is borderline mortification.
"How long... have you been standing there?" Yeseul asks, a crack evident in her voice.
Jungkook stands like a deer in the headlights, his bright and clear eyes depleting of life.
Rising to her feet, Yeseul's bewilderment turns into amusement at Jungkook's mannequin-like state.
She finds his behavior peculiar.
Peculiar, yet cute.
"I don't really, um, remember," Jungkook responds, tapping his index finger softly against his temple.
Jungkook's soft-spoken remark, coupled with a body language that shows his eagerness to think, hits all of Yeseul's buttons at the right time. Her bones tickle, her eyebrows tick, her breath hitches, and her lips twitch. Unable to hide the widening grin on her lips any longer, Yeseul fumbles out of sight into her bedroom, making a big fuss out of nothing at all.
Her back bends over the bed, plopping Bomi down on her all fours. When the curtain of her hair falls, shielding her face completely, Yeseul widens her uplifted mouth, giving access finally to her soundless giggle.
As her breath gathers, a strange but sweet sense of relief washes over her. The tightness of her chest dissipates gently to the rhythm of her quiet chuckle. She blinks, hard, at the new language of her body.
What am I...
The corner of her eyes drift towards the vague shadow standing outside the bedroom door. Jungkook's hands are now tucked into his pockets, nervously awaiting his fate.
Straightening her back into an upright position, Yeseul clenches the ball of her fists and locks the joints of her shoulders. Her silky cheeks crumple into a slippery slope, and her summer eyes turn wintry. With her desensitized shell paving way for her counterfeit confidence, Yeseul turns her back, daring to look into Jungkook's round, unassuming eyes.
"Never mind the answer to my question," Yeseul clears her throat before changing the subject urgently, "Is the cat tower finished, Jungkook-sshi?"
Jungkook offers a passionate nod. Bringing his hands together behind his back, he can only hope for her smile to return, stamping her seal of approval.
Closing the bedroom door behind her, Yeseul turns her attention towards the medium-height cat tower. The wooden boards and the plastic tubes, both ordinary on their own, have now come into life in this worthwhile composition. The recycled materials are cleverly transformed into a purposeful work of art, making it a pleasant architecture despite Yeseul's tight living quarters. The two-storey, muted tone of the tower especially draws attention to the aqua blue ball of yarn hanging from the first-floor. Yeseul can already sense that it'll be Bomi's favorite hangout spot in no-time. But most of all, vintage ropes circle the vertical plastic tubes, just like the front cover of the DIY guide book, making this the perfect cat scratching accessory.
Yeseul could hardly take her eyes off of the sight before her.
"Do you... like it, noonim?"
Yeseul is confused by the wavering tone of Jungkook's voice. This can't be the work of an amateur. "You seem to have assembled this before, haven't you?"
Both of Jungkook's hands go up to his ears, hiding them briefly from Yeseul's view. Shoving his hands into into his pockets once more, he lowers his chin. A slight twinkle dances in his eyes. "Not before today, no..."
"You seem to have an exceptional talent in this, Jungkook-sshi," Yeseul conveys her feedback as a matter-of-fact. Her words, while lacking the punch of excitement, are threaded with simple truth and sincerity.
Jungkook's chin is about to touch the ground. His apple cheeks are about to numb from the grueling endeavor of resisting a smile. Finding it difficult to look at Yeseul, he dials down the compliment, bringing up a valid concern.
"Uh... Can this tower handle Bomi's weight? I mean... I hope she doesn't get hurt by it," Jungkook states his mind pensively.
Yeseul steps away wordlessly, but returns no sooner than Jungkook can flex his worn-out arms. Bomi in her arms, the feline's drowsy eyes have never looked more alive. Her silver whiskers slant forward, and her limbs will not stay still.
The cat lets out a mesmerized meow.
When Bomi's paws first descend on her new cat tower, it is like the man's first walk on the moon. Her footsteps are wary yet curious. Her tail swishes to the left and then the right, before rising up completely with playful exuberance. She stretches her paws forward, slowly scratching it against the vintage ropes. As seconds pass, she turns her body toward the ball of yarn, attempting to grasp it in her tiny paws, but to no avail. The aqua blue sphere moves back and forth like a pendulum, circling endlessly; capturing Bomi's eyes wildly. Deciding to settle the score another time, Bomi glides her body upwards with ease, eager to explore the second floor.
All the while, Yeseul's upright hands are drawn together nervously before the tip of her nose. Like a doting parent, her eyes follow even the slightest of Bomi's movements, holding her breath with it.
Jungkook, equally still and a little anxious, steals a glance or two at Yeseul's expressions. Bomi's increasing fascination with her new playhouse raises the arch of Yeseul's eyebrow, bends her torso forward, and defines the pinnacle of her cheekbones.
His eyes dilate in oblivious adoration.
A rooster's ill-timed, cracking, and annoying crow jolts the two individuals out of their charmed preoccupation, marking Yeseul's dash into her bedroom.
She comes back with a phone in her grip, silencing the digital alarm clock. Jungkook reads the time on his watch, and it is well over one and half hours since he's stepped into her home. Not planning to overstay his welcome, he scrambles to grab his own keys, phone and wallet, "I should get going now, noonim."
"Wait," Yeseul calls out with an earthy breath, adamant to stop Jungkook in his tracks. "I um... I really appreciate your help, Jungkook-sshi."
Jungkook breaks out into a sheepish grin. "It's no problem at all, noonim."
"Well, we made a deal for a fair compensation, didn't we? Just let me grab my purse..."
Jungkook's round eyes widen before chewing nervously on his lower lip, "Uhh... No, that's fine, noonim. It's not the payment that I'm really after..."
"It's the groceries right?"
Jungkook's teeth stops agitating his lower lips.
Yeseul verbalizes the words she never thought she'll say. "I need to make a move now... I'll pay for your upcoming trip to the groceries. How about shopping together some time next week?"