Chance to Choose (Pt.2)

Gyuri continued to chow down the food, only taking a break to sip on water so that she could eat even more. She didn't know what came over her but it was like she had lost control of her body and the one pulling all the strings was her stomach, rather than her brain.

Gyuri chomped away at her fifth bowl of rice, grains flying everywhere. She reached out for the grilled mackerel and started picking at it so that she could chew bitesize portions of the meat before stuffing her face again with more rice and slurping at the chicken broth soup. She continued this cycle until she heard a light cough which made her look up.

Madam Zhou was staring at her with an unimpressed expression. Her lips were thinned into a narrow line, her eyes twitching ever so slightly at the sight of food all over Gyuri's face.

Gyuri, realising how she must appear to Madam Zhou, laughed lightly, embarrassed by her current appearance. "Er... it's really delicious" she stated awkwardly. "Compliments to the chef!"

Madam Zhou breathed in slowly but she refrained from berating her which Gyuri found odd. It was only when she realised that they were not alone, did she find out why. Gyuri looked behind Madam Zhou and saw that Namjoon was eyeing her from the back. He was grinning at her, a lot wider now, which revealed his unmistakable dimples.

Gyuri's jaw dropped open, causing the contents inside her mouth to spill down her chin. She cursed at herself once she realised what she's done. Damn it, Subin! Now's not the time to get distracted by that guy's killer smile! She rushed to wipe away the food that had dribbled down her chin with her sleeve. All the while feeling embarrassed that she had made a fool of herself to not only Madam Zhou but to Namjoon too. Gyuri heard Namjoon chuckle as he joined them on the table.

"I see that you have recovered" he commented as he pulled out a chair to sit next to Madam Zhou.

Madam Zhou was startled, "Please Master Namjoon, it is not appropriate that you-" she started getting up.

"It is alright, Madam Zhou. Please do not worry about formalities. I just simply wanted to talk to Gyuri." He turned to face her and then back to Madam Zhou again. "Do not worry. I will explain this to Junmyeon or to Uncle if they end up walking in on us. They are the only two who really care about stations."

Reluctantly, Madam Zhou sat down again. "As you wish, Master Namjoon."

Namjoon turned to face Gyuri again, "You scared me last night, Gyuri. Do you remember what happened?"

Gyuri tried to think back but her memory was a little fuzzy. All she could remember was buckets of water, chasing that cheeky brat and meeting the scary brother. Although, she did have a slight recollection of standing outside in the heat with four buckets of water instead of two.

"Not really" she answered.

Namjoon explained to her, "You fainted last night. You fainted from hunger."

Gyuri nodded in acknowledgement as if Namjoon had suddenly enlightened her. "Ohhh! Now, that explains why I'm still a little dizzy."

Namjoon watched her intently, "I hope you did not mind but I performed a basic check up on you while you were unconscious."

"A basic check-up?" she repeated. "What do you mean?"

Namjoon looked away awkwardly to the side and Madam Zhou took it as her cue to intervene. "What Master Namjoon meant by that is..." she cleared her throat, "he assessed your current health by examining your body."

A small tapping was heard as Gyuri dropped her oriental spoon.

"And he discovered that you are extremely malnourished and you need to eat more-"

"Bruv!" Gyuri suddenly exclaimed, startling both Madam Zhou and Namjoon. "You mean to say that you saw me naked?!" She crossed her arms over chest. "Bruv, that ain't cool."

Madam Zhou and Namjoon exchanged looks with each other, both baffled by Gyuri's diction.

"Gyuri, I understand why you may be upset," Namjoon explained, "but rest assured, I am a physician in training so I know what I am doing-"

"Bruv, that doesn't excuse the fact that you peeped at me while I was unconscious!" She turned her body to the side as if to further conceal herself. "You better not have done anything fishy..." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Gyuri!" Madam Zhou hissed. "That is not how you speak to Master Namjoon!"

"It is quite alright, Madam Zhou. Gyuri has every right to be upset." He stood up from his chair. "And since she is able to speak just fine, I am sure that she will recover quickly and start work soon." He paced towards the door where the huddle of maids quickly dispersed. Before leaving he turned to look at her, a small smile still playing on his lips. "Try not to get into any more trouble, Gyuri." And with that, he left.