11

"Unnie!!" Hera and Sweet reach me in tears. They hug me so tight. I feel relieved when I see their faces.

The scenery is not pleasant to see. There are cops in and out. After I regained some energy, Jun asked me to change clothes and he called the cops. The culprit had been tied up temporarily before the cops arrived.

"Who is it, unnie?" asks Hera.

"The guy that asked for my number..."

"I knew he was a red flag!!" Hera crumbles her fist.

"Calm down, Hera..." Sweet rubs her back softly. I smile, watching the sweet gesture between them.

"It's fine. I'm saved," I say.

"Did Jun save you, unnie? Aigo, what a hero!" Sweet shrieks.

I watch Jun from afar. He was busy giving statements to the cop. My heart is at ease when I look at his face.

I knew I could fight anything, but he came with open arms to me was the best aftermath I ever felt. If it wasn't for his gesture, I don't know if I could stand on my own. My mind drifted when the incident happened. It's like an open wound. Although it's just a nightmare. But I knew the scar was deep.

"Oh... Where is...?" Sweet stretches her neck, looking for something.

"What?" Hera asks.

"What? Did you forget to do groceries?" I almost jumped from my seat.

"No! We finished shopping. Oh, we met Khittan-ssi at the hypermarket parking lot. He helped us load some stuff," says Sweet.

Hearing that name, my heart sank.

"When we got the call from Jun oppa, he was there. He said he wanted to follow us back to the cafe. Just in case," says Hera.

I dare not to look for Khittan. That will make things worse, I think. The image of him, in my nightmare, rummaging over me, that's not something that I want after the incident.

My heart is too weak for that.

"Everything's settled. Thank God you're fine..." Those girls scoot over when they see Jun coming towards us. He looks at them and sighs.

"Now, I'm relieved..." he then takes a seat next to me. Tuck me properly with his jacket.

"Do you need something?" he asks.

"Nothing, I guess. I'm fine now..." I give him a plain smile.

"Oh, maybe oppa can help us load the groceries. Just now, Khittan-ssi is the one who helps us load those boxes... I thought he wanted to stay, but looks like he probably leaving already..."

"Sweet... You talk too much..."

Jun glares at me before stretching his neck and, looking around. Then, he looks at me, rubbing my palm.

"It's cold. You should go inside. Let me help them with the groceries," I held his hand tight. Refuse to let him go, even for a second.

"I won't be long. I promise..."

"No... I..."

"I know you need me now. But, I need to help them so you can start working later..."

"Who said I need you? I was gonna ask if you could lift those boxes by yourself. The last time you helped us, you almost cracked your back while lifting the flour boxes. You're weakling, let me come as well," I stand on my feet and leave Jun to sit still on the bench, mouth gaps.

"When did that happen?! I can't even remember it!"

"Are you having short-term memory loss or what?" I ask him while grinning wide.

"I am not! And I am not weakling, noona!" he whines as he jumps from the bench, ready to throw a cat fist.

"Aw.. Cute catto, throwing beany beany pawnie fist..."

"Yarh, noona... I'm not a kid!" I laugh when I see Jun's face. He looks cute and ridiculous at the same time.

"Jun..."

"Hmph?"

I give him a pat on his head. "Thank you..." I give him a meaningful look. He stuns a bit. But, later he smiles, stretching out his hand. I put my palm on his.

"Just lean on me, noona..."

:::

I can feel my face flustered. Standing in front of my dessert booth, with hundreds of people coming and going is not something that I expected from this event.

They told us only for the order part, skipping the part that I needed to serve my dessert by myself. And here I am, wearing a white T-shirt and jeans. Too casual for something like this. I glare at the refreshment booth next to mine. Even the busboy wears a pair of nice waiter suits with a bow.

I look like an ahjumma who sells oemuk on the street. I bet she's even more beautiful than me right now!

"Who made this?" a man approaches me. He takes a fruity pie from the tray. He sniffs first before putting everything in his mouth in one go.

"I made it myself," I answer him earnestly.

"Hm.. K Group indulges us with nice food this year. Even the dessert tastes good!" he says. Another man approaches the table. He looks surprised to see my blueberry muffin.

"This looks familiar!" he takes a piece and bites them. "The same!" he looks at me with a smile.

"Have you tasted it before?"

"Yes. Almost every time I had a meeting with the president," he answers.

"He surely loves the muffin..."

"He said, it's the bestselling. Is it true?" asks the man to me.

"Yes. I need to make 3 batches every day. One for breakfast, two for 10 pm run and tea time," I reply.

"No wonder he insisted on catering from this place! This is splendid!" he takes another one.

"She's the one who baked this..." The man who came first introduced the latter to me.

"Oh..." the latter smiles. He stares at me, which makes me uncomfortable.

"Now I know why this muffin tastes sweet... It has a flowery touch..."

"Too much sugar can kill you in silence..."

Another man approaches us. I turn my head to see the owner of the voice.

"You sure love to tease me, President Houlsey!"

My mouth gaps.

"You should consider joining the Polo game this evening, Mr. Wer. You too, Mr. Puth!" Khittan casually grabs a muffin from the tray. He did not even notice my presence. At least, just pretend that I am here, you merong!

"You know we're not that athletic like you, Mr. President!" now I realize they call him Mr. President.

Something hits home.

"Fine then. Don't blame the muffin later," he finally glares at me. I stand behind the booth, giving him a deathly stare of my century.

The men laugh a bit before asking permission to leave. Khittan nods in little before he turns around and faces me.

"I hate you," I didn't even hesitate to express how devastated I am now.

"Why?" he asks. His voice is quite different from what I heard. He sounds more monotone and plain.

"You purposedly hire me, isn't it? You give me this job so you can show me that you can buy me?" I couldn't hold my anger anymore. Still, I'm able to keep my voice low.

"What's wrong with giving my fiancee a business deal?"

"Shhhh... Why are you addressing me like that?!"

"Hm. Yeah. Why... I should just straight away call you my wife. Why stop on the engagement stage, right? I did marry you thrice," his right eyebrow crooks up.

"That's even worse!" I swear, I really wanna kill this man! At least, hit his head with anything that I have. But right now, all I have are trays of dessert, my purse, my keys, and my phone.

"Say yes. I promise it won't get destructive this time,"

"Thanks, but no. I learned something from all these," I say. Khittan sighs, as he stares deeply into my eyes.

"And what's the lesson, Lady Kiran?"

"I should have just killed you when we first met,"

I laugh inside. I mean, ridiculously say, even I don't know how we met. I never had that dream at all! But, here I am daringly saying I will stab this man to death on the first encounter!

I think he sort of a mind reader. Even he chuckles a bit! Amuses by my words.

"Seems like the destiny skipped that part. I never saw the scene at all..." he stops there. Holding his words.

Wait...

"You had the nightmare too??"

Now, I just realized how he knew that he married me thrice!

"So, you trust those dreams?"

"I don't know. Are you?"

The smile faded from his face.

"At first I don't. But, when I first saw you, I slowly realized that they might be true. When you fell and cried when I touched you, I started to believe that it was true," his sights get glimmer.

I refuse to tell him more about my dream. I choose not to because I think it's unnecessary anymore. Judging by his reaction, I knew that he knew what happened in that dream. But, one thing that I'm confused about.

Is he feeling regret about it?

"Karin..." his voice wakes me up from the deep thoughts. I just lift my chin briefly and in tiny, unable to utter any word.

"What if I change? Will you accept me?"

"I might have been your wife in the past, but not in the present. Probably, even in the future!" I tilt my head and smirks at Kitthan. The guy watches me, still keeping his calmness intact.

"People changed, Karin..."

"That's why I did. I'm changing,"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm changing into a better and wiser person. As you can see now," I say.

Khittan approaches me, closing the gap between us.

"I know. That's why I ask, will you accept me?"

"Khit, it's not that easy..."

"Give me another chance," he tucks my hair at the back of my ear. "I'll be a good man for you, and you'll fall for me again," he says. My eyes waver a bit.

Sounds like he challenges me!

"What a determination!" I smirk.

"I just claim what's mine. Yes, I fall first..." he leans even closer to me. "But I promise you, you'll fall harder..."

"Like I will!" I scoff.

"Well, you will. Because I won't stop flirting and courting you. Never,"

He bobs my nose a bit, giving me a seductive look, and leaves the booth.

Okay, why am I shivering now???