Chapter: 10

He took her hand in his; she looked up at him. His eyes fixed in front. She sniffed.

"Walk fast, else you'll be late."

Her glistened eyes kept looking at him as they both walked. Somewhere in that moment, she forgot how much she hated him. For a moment she let him take her hand and let him walk her. The cold wind was blowing freezing her hands, but surprisingly his hands were warm. Park Ye Jun, the guy who she ignored the whole day. He was the one with her when she was all alone. 

'Should I keep hating you?' 

Once this thought crossed her mind. Her eyes were still fixated on his face. Her lips shuddered. Many things were running through her mind. She knew when she reached home, her father would ask why she had puffy eyes or why her nose was runny. She didn't want to face him. She couldn't let the school incident out. She was scared once again.

They walked through the streets without uttering a single word. Ye Jun didn't let her hand go even for once, and neither did she protest. Once again, she found herself in a situation where the guy she hated the most was comforting her. 

Now they stood in front of her house. Ye Jun looked at the gate for a second and then looked at her. He took in a deep breath and said, "Go." 

She looked down quickly and wiped her tears. She stepped ahead a little when he kept his hand on her shoulder and she stopped.

She looked at him.

"Why...are you scared of your own family?" 

She looked down again, breathing heavily. Without uttering a single word she went inside, leaving Ye Jun all alone. Park Ye Jun kept his hands in his pocket and kept looking as long as she could be seen. 

'This girl has many secrets.' He wondered. 

'Yah Park Ye Jun, are you different?' 

His inner voice spoke, and he scoffed. It was true she was no different in this. He then turned around to leave.

~~~~~

Nari quietly went inside her room without letting anyone know. Her father wasn't home yet and grandma was in the kitchen preparing dinner. She sat on the bed and took in a deep breath. She felt at ease in her room. Sitting there, her eyes travelled outside the window of her room. The road was lit up with streetlights, and on the empty road, only one person was walking, Park Ye Jun. 

"You really came here to drop me? Why?" she mumbled, confused by his behaviour.

Looking outside, a sudden knock on her room's door made her startled. She went to open it and found grandma standing there. 

"Help me with setting the table. Your dad has come." 

Nari nodded, "Let me change." 

She came out and set the table. Her dad came out of his room and smiled at his daughter. She knew that even though he was too tired of working hard all day, he still smiled at her. She was scared that if her dad found her on the verge of suspension he might not let her go anywhere. She was scared that grandma might create a fuss over the situation and make dad believe that she is better at home, helping her. 

She smiled back at her dad and sat beside him. They all eat quietly and Nari doesn't dare to look up. Her eyes were puffy and she did her best not to show them to her dad.

"How is school going, Nari-yah?" He asked and looked at her.

Eating rice she nodded and looking down she added, "Uh- going good."

He nodded.

"Good, work hard! I am also working hard to make you go to your favourite college." 

Nari nodded and a lump started to develop in her throat. What was the worth of all the hard work when she might get suspended soon? The dinner ended and Nari laid herself on the bed. Lying supine, she stared at the ceiling.

"Mom, what to do? Whom should I ask for help? Park Ye Jun, wants to. But I don't trust him. Should I take his help?" she mumbled.

Sighing she closed her eyes and went to sleep.

~~~~~

Here Ye Jun reached his house and unlocked the door. As soon as the door opened, a mouthwatering smell filled his nose.

"Dad, what are you making today?" He asked, jerking his shoes out of his feet. He threw his bag on the sofa and gushed inside the kitchen. His father stood near the stove wearing an apron and cutting vegetables. Ye Jun leaned his back on the countertop and looked at his dad from the corner of his eyes.

"What are you up to?" His dad asked him when he felt his stare on him.

"No." He approached him.

"I am just curious, why are you so happy today?" 

He stood just beside him, his eyes piercingly staring. His dad looked at him from the corner of his eyes.

"Happy? I am?" he replied and added the vegetables to the pan on the stove. 

"Yeah, you are. Don't deny." 

Pointing to all the dishes he was making he added, "What is all this? We usually eat ramen, you know."

His dad remained calm even after a serious allegation and it bugged Ye Jun. He then turned around to use the washbasin and Ye Jun picked up a spatula and went near him again. Putting the other end of the spatula near his Dad's neck he squinted.

"Ah! Tell me." He was growing restless.

His dad scoffed as he washed a radish.

"Just..." 

"Just what?!"

He again approached the stove with Ye Jun stuck beside him.

"Just...I saw my son with a girl for the first time."

Ye Jun froze at his place and blinked twice. He looked in front and again back at his dad.

"Me?" He questioned.

His dad glared at him and raised his hand jokingly.

"YAH! WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?"

Ye Jun stepped back ten steps away and laughed out loud. His father shook his head and went back to cooking. Stopping his laugh somehow he approached his dad again.

"But, dad. Why were you stalking me?" 

And he earned a glare again.

"Your dad is a busy man, I saw you accidentally while going home. And Thanks to her I got all my doubts cleared. Else I was sure you wanted to settle with your best friend. And it scared me inside." 

"Best friend? Who?" He asked genuinely.

"Aish! idiot! Kim Eunji!"

"Ah! He?..."

He kept the spatula aside and shook his head.

"He isn't my best friend."

His dad looked up at his son.

"Then why do you always hang out with him?"

"Just, he was the one who approached me and talked to me more than anyone else." 

"But, you have to talk to people to make friends. Friends don't root out, out of nowhere."

"But, why should I, when I have Eunji?"

"Tch! You don't even consider him as a friend."

"Then what? At least I don't go alone to the canteen because of him."

Keeping the lid over the pan his dad wiped his hands in the apron and walked towards the fridge.

"But, does he know you don't consider him the best?" 

"No, isn't that given? He is happy with the way it is now. And...I don't mind either." 

"Yeah, okay. It's fine as long as you don't date him." 

"WHAT?!" He yelled, his eyes widened and face full of disgust.

His dad scoffed at his joke.

"No, as a parent I'm just concerned about you." 

He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Oh, and...who was that girl by the way?" His dad asked and Ye Jun looked at him.

"Your girlfriend?" He was way too curious.

"No. What a girlfriend. You're acting like a gossip lady."

"I am. If the topic is Park Ye Jun." He grinned.

"Don't do that, please! She is just- just, someone I need to help."

"Help?" His dad asked and got busy stirring his masterpiece in the pan.

Ye Jun stared at the wall, nodded slightly and mumbled.

"Yeah, at least this is what I think."