<h4>Chapter 28</h4>
BOOK TWO
Na AhJung
JiKyungughed hysterically upon hearing that his brother had set me up on a blind date. After a long time, he was finally able to calm down enough to tell me that this must mean his brother did not have feelings for me.
He was probably right. What kind of person sets up a person they like on a blind date? It was as ridiculous as a brother and sister-inw falling for each other.
"But why did he act like that? He threw a ss of water onto my blind date’s face because he said some rude things to me."
[That’s because his main purpose was to have it work out with your blind date. He blew his top because it didn’t go as nned. "Na AhJung should be marrying you, not my brother. How dare you act contrary to my ns, I’ll never forgive you." That kind of mindset.]
Of course, Lee JiHan never liked me. I kept reminding myself of this fact as I ended the call with JiKyung. When I slipped out of my room, Lee JiHan was no longer in the living room.
I was still waiting to hear what was wrong about my reaction during the date. JiHan must have gone back to his room while I had been on the phone.
As if confirming my assumption, I could hear the sound of Beethoven filtering out through his door. Anyone would have recognized it as Beethoven, but I was especially familiar since JiHan yed it all the time.
There wasn’t any point in hearing his answer. It wasn’t as if he liked me. JiKyung was probably right.
I went back to my room pouting. Then feeling drained of all energy, I plopped onto my bed.
When I opened my eyes again, my body was shaking back and forth.
Is it an earthquake?! Suddenly wide awake, I heard Lee JiHan yelling at me.
"How can you sleep at a time like this?"
"What, I wasn’t asleep!" I answered clumsily as I shot upright.
I saw that Lee JiHan was sitting on the edge of the bed in front of me. The shaking I associated with an earthquake had stopped. It seemed as though it was not due to an earthquake Lee JiHan shaking me awake.
He looked irritable as he sat there with his arms crossed doing nothing but staring at me.
"Why aren’t you saying anything?" I asked, having assumed he would continue nagging.
But Lee JiHan didn’t reply and continued to just watch me.
Oh, is he ming me for messing up the blind date?
Feeling scared and insecure, I folded my hands together and hung my head. I twiddled my thumbs together nervously. JiHan let out an exasperated sigh.
"I can’t believe you look so pretty after just waking up," he mumbled to himself.
I overheard him and looked up in confusion.
"What? What did you say?"
"Eat first before you go to sleep," JiHan told me, totally ignoring my question. Then he got up from the bed. "Wipe up your drool ande to the kitchen." With those parting words, he stepped out of the room
Drool? Did I drool? I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. Lee JiHan wasn’t kidding. I felt the wetness along my mouth. Ah! I can’t believe he saw me like this! Embarrassed, I wiped vigorously with the end of my sleeve.
***
The moment I began to gnaw at the ribs JiHan had made, I forgot all about my drooling and resorted to spitting all over the ce.
"What in the world! These are not your normal galbi ribs. This isn’t gal-B, this is gal-A. No, this is gal-A-plus!"
I talked and ate maniacally. My mouth was so busy, I didn’t have a chance to spare a look at JiHan. Only once the ribs were all gone did I finally look up from my te. I rubbed my stomach in satisfaction and looked up him. He was staring at me intently with his arms crossed. I looked down at my te full of bones then looked at JiHan’s empty te across from mine. It looked like he didn’t even touch the food. If he wasn’t even going to eat, why was he sitting there without a single word? As I wondered this, he spoke.
"Have you been diligently carrying around that talisman you receivedst time from the fortune teller?"
"Talisman? Oh, that..."
It was supposed to bring me luck or whatever. The fortune-teller had given it to me for free. Where did I leave that? I’m pretty sure I didn’t take it out of my bag...that bag...
"Ah! It’s still in the bag. But I left the bag at the sauna when you dragged me out of there."
"I made sure to collect your bag then."
"Really?" I asked relieved.
JiHan, with eyes like a hawk, started interrogating me.
"I’m going to check. If the talisman is in that bag or not."
"Oh, go ahead, look. It’s definitely in there," I replied with confidence.
Lee JiHan got up from his seat and went to his room. A few momentster, he returned with my bag. He ced the bag on the table and pushed it toward me.
"Open it yourself and take it out. Searching through a girl’s bag is bad manners."
"Will do."
Without thinking much about it, I put my hand into the bag. Suddenly, JiHan grabbed the bag and pulled it to his side. With a disgusted face, he pointed to my hands.
"How could you touch your bag with the fingers you just ate ribs with? Are you even..."
Getting ready for another onught I cringed, but Lee JiHan’s scolding suddenly stopped. Wondering what happened, I looked up to find him with his eyes closed and taking a deep breath to pray for patience. A few momentster, JiHan opened his eyes and looked at me.
"Let’s wash your hands and then touch the bag."
I nodded and headed to the sink. So he could see, I washed my hands thoroughly with soap. Like a baby getting checked to make sure her hands were washed before a meal. JiHan continued to nag from behind me.
"You should wash your hands before and after a meal. And when you’ve been out, you should wash your hands and feet right afterward."
Must I, at this age, be treated like a little kid by a guy that is five years younger than me? Even my mother was not like this!
Muttering to myself, I turned off the faucet. Finally, I was able to go back to the table and open my bag. I didn’t even have to dig through it, I saw the talisman the moment I opened the bag. I took out the talisman and showed it to JiHan proudly. Seeing this, he frowned.
"You’re not supposed to just throw this around however you like. You should fold it up nicely and keep it in your wallet." He stole the talisman from my hand and folded it neatly. "Don’t lose it anywhere and make sure you keep it with you at all times." He handed it back.
I couldn’t understand his obsession with the thing. I refused to receive it from him.
"Are you sure this is for good luck?" I asked skeptically. "It’s not something that will make me fall out of love with the man I’m going to marry, is it?"
"It’s the opposite of that."
"What?"
JiHan grabbed my wrist and pulled it towards him. Then he flipped my palm so it faced the sky. He ced the talisman into my hands.
"I promise you. This will ensure the best of luck in your life." JiHan ced his palm over mine and folded each finger until I held it in my fist. "This is, in fact, the lucky talisman. If this works, I’m going to go back to that fortune-teller and genuflect."
"If I end up getting lucky, you’re going to go and genuflect? To the fortune teller?" I asked doubtfully.
"If it’s the luck I am hoping for," JiHan said adding a condition.
"What are you hoping for?"
"It doesn’t make sense now."
"What?"
"Once it makes sense, I will tell you." JiHan smiled mysteriously as if he held a deep secret and didn’t say another word.
His hands were still wrapped around my fist. I wasn’t sure if it was just the warmth from his hand, but his expression, which had always been so cold, suddenly felt warm also. I wasn’t scared, but my heart started to beat faster.
"The luck you are hoping for...is it something that’s good for you? If it’s worth bowing to someone over..."
"It’s much better for you," JiHan emphasized. "But I want it for you."
Still holding my hand, he lifted his other hand and ced it on top of my head.
"I want to see you happy," he said as if pledging on a Bible.
Then he petted my head. My heart was beating as if someone was following me. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do at this moment, and meanwhile, my face started burning red again. I slipped my hands out of JiHan’s and yelled.
"Bathroom, bathroom!"
Extremely urgent for apletely different reason, I ran to the bathroom.
***
Nobody was watching me, but I still hid behind the toilet as I took out my phone. Afraid my voice would echo, I decided to text instead. I sent JiKyung a message about the current situation and asked for an exnation.
Now what is this? He’s wishing me luck? He wants to see me be happy. What is this? What does this mean?
JiKyung answered back almost immediately.
[He’s just really hoping that you will find someone else other than me and he wants you to be happy with that person. You went on a blind date for goodness sake and you still don’t get it?]
"Ohh!" As if struck by an epiphany I eximed out loud.
[I told you already. My brother has high standards. So quit misunderstanding the situation.]
Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?
[Stop thinking that he’s doing this because he likes you.]
I didn’t think that.
[Good. Don’t think it in the future either.]
This sounded like he was telling me to quit dreaming, JiHan would never fall for me...
"What, I’m not even allowed to misunderstand?" I mumbled disgruntled at the screen. "I can’t even make assumptions without your permission?"
Feeling disheartened, I pouted in dismay as I replied.
I’m not going to. Never!
I then shoved the phone back in my pocket and stood in front of the sink. My face was still blushing furiously. To cool down my cheeks, I turned on the cold water and filled my hands.
***
I sshed cold water onto my face several times and decided to wash my makeup off entirely while I was at it. Once clean, I quietly slipped out of the bathroom. I shuffled past the hallway and stood at the door of my room as I heard soft music filtering out of JiHan’s.
I put my ear against his door and noticed that it was different from the one before. It was lyrical ssical music this time. Unlike the dramatic and dynamic Beethoven Symphony, this was the opposite, soft and romantic.
What is this called...I’m sure it’s Vivaldi...
I concentrated my attention more intently, pushing my ear up close against the door, the name of the song was at the tip of my tongue. Suddenly, from beside me, JiHan’s voice interrupted me.
"And what do you think you’re doing?"
I turned around frightened and found Lee JiHan standing next to me.
"Ah, why are you here?!" I asked as I jumped back.
"Am I not allowed to be here? It’s my room," JiHan retorted back incredulously.
"Uh, no you shouldn’t. You left the music on that loud inside when you’re out here? That’s wasting electricity."
I babbled on until JiHan shoved the teacup in his hand into my face.
"I wanted a cup of tea while I enjoyed the music so I went to the kitchen for a minute. I don’t think I should have to listen to what I should or shouldn’t be doing from you. You’re not even my wife yet."
"Oh...that’s true. It’s not something I should get involved with." I nodded, not having much else to fight back with.
True. It’s not like I’m his wife yet...huh? Yet? Why is "yet" in that sentence? I blinked rapidly at the strange addition of the word as JiHan questioned me.
"And why are you standing like this in front of my room?"
"Oh, I was curious about the musicing from inside."
I was telling the truth but for some reason, I was stuttering. And there goes my face again. Like someone who was lying, I couldn’t look straight into JiHan’s eyes and instead stared at the floor.
"It’s Johann Pachelbel’s Canon."
I was sure it had been Vivaldi.
I stood there bitterly at myck of musical knowledge when JiHan asked me another question.
"Do you like this music? So much so that it warranted you sticking to my door?"
I again nodded truthfully. I liked it so much that I had been immensely curious about its title, to the point where I was okay being one with the door.
"Then let’s go inside and hear the rest of it."
"What?"
My head shot up and I stared at JiHan. He turned his doorknob, opened the door, and lead me inside. Not quite realizing what was happening, my legs seemed to follow him on their own.
JiHan put down his teacup on the table and sat me in the chair next to it.
"I realize that your room doesn’t have an audio set. I’ll buy you one tomorrow. So until then, you can listen to it here today."
"No, it’s alright. I don’t need an audio set. You don’t have to."
"I’m buying it with my own money. I’ll decide if I have to or not," JiHan cut me off coldly. Then he pushed the cup of tea in front of me. "Drink this while you enjoy the music. I chose it especially because itplemented the music well."
"No, I’m okay. You brought it so you can drink it."
"If you don’t take what someone gives you, it’s disrespectful," He said as he narrowed his eyes.
Without another word, I took the cup of tea and ced it to my lips. The moment I finished swallowing the tea, I suddenly understood the meaning of what JiHan had said.
"Wow, this tea is perfect, it’s just like the music!" Fascinated, I took another sip of tea. "Wow, are you Dae JangGeum? Ah, this insane sense of taste. Wow! I don’t know anything about ssical music or tea but I know one thing for certain. This tea tastes like this music."
At my mboyant musings, JiHan looked at me with a satisfied grin on his face, his chin supported by his hand. After my third sip of tea, he spoke.
"I think Canon expresses first love. I anticipated that this tea would give off a simr feeling."
First love? On the fence about whether I understood him or not, I cocked my head in contemtion. At this, Lee JiHan looked towards the audio and spoke serenely.
"It’s like the soft winter sun slowly melting the first snow of December, then as it all melts away, the warmth transpires to burning summer heat. First love is like that. At first, you don’t know if this is love or not, then the moment you realize it is, the feelings explode within you like a heatwave."
I nodded as I listened to the soft melody of the Canon’s beginning to the quickening drama of its climax.
"If that’s what you believe first love is, then this music and tea, both give off that feeling."
Although to know if it was true, I would have had to experience first love. I thought to myself as I drank another sip of tea. But Lee JiHan shook his head.
"That’s not what I think first love is like."
"What?"
"It’s how I feel about my first love."
I froze at his unexpected response. Is he saying that he’s having feelings of first love right now? For whom?
Unable to say a word, all I did was continue staring at Lee Jihan. All of a sudden, his phone started to ring. He took out the phone from his pocket, checked the caller ID and picked up the call.
"Yes. Is it ready?"
He listened to the caller’s response. I sat there sipping my tea, unable to hear who was on the other side of the line. JiHan nced over then held his gaze as he answered.
"Then we’ll leave right now. I’m in somewhat of a hurry."
JiHan hung up the phone suddenly and stood up.
"You’ve eaten dinner and had your tea, so let’s change into your pajamas, hug your teddy bear and go lie down in your bed," hemanded.
"Already?"
"I need to go out and I’ll be backte. So don’t go wandering off again and just go to sleep," he warned me strictly then pet my head again as if to confirm that I must.