Chapter 4 (1/1)

"No, I'm not, Kwon Jiyong." I hissed angrily, "And let go of me."  "You have nowhere else to go to." He replied, glancing at me while freeing his hands to tuck them in his pockets.  "I'll sleep on the streets, then. And why would I go to your house to sleep."  "Because I'm your friend."   My eyes widened and I stared at Jiyong. He gave a small smile so that only one side of his lips is lifted up. No one had initiated to be my friend. They all thought I am too rough or thought of me as a freak. No one approaches me. Except him, Daesung and of course Taehee. All of a sudden I felt even worse for screaming at Jiyong. The feeling of regret and guilt mixed with untimely gratitude was unpleasant.   "Yah," I said, my voice softer now as I manage to squeeze a smile at Jiyong. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm not going. I'm going to school now."    They say the more you dread something, the faster it'll come. True enough, school  passed unexpectedly fast today and I sighed, sitting on the bench outside the office facing the gate as I watched students and schoolmates swarmed out of the school with their friends, laughing and discussing where to go for dinner or what to wear tomorrow. How I envy them. They will have a home to return to after all the fun and weariness and they had... Friends.  "Young lady?" I turned around and stood up as the Ahjumma who cleans and locks the school approached me, hobbling. "I'm locking the school now. And it looks like it's going to rain soon. Aren't you going home?"  "I'm going now." I answered, smiling a little at her. She nodded, looking rather pleased as she explained, "it's my grandson's birthday and I'm rushing to celebrate it with him."  "Neh." I bowed and made my way out of the school campus. Before the Ahjumma locked the gates, however, a voice rang out "WAIT! AHJUMMA WAIT!"   We both looked around and another girl is sprinting out of school before she ran straight into another woman's embrace. I cringed at the sight. Isn't this high school? Who still hugs their mother after school at this age?  The first drop of rain fell and I looked up at the sky, frowning. Does this really have to happen to me while I'm homeless?  "Lets go baby." The woman with the girl cooed as she opened up an umbrella. "Better not let you catch a cold, right? Eomma cooked your favourite Bimbimbap for dinner."  I stood, dazed, in the drizzle as I watched the departing mother and daughter, a sudden ache in my heart ringing. If my mum hadn't left, then probably I would be like that girl now, isn't it? I pushed it out of my mind, trying to convince myself that hugging your mum after school was too corny for me, but with a pang, I realised that not being able to have that made me think that out of jealousy and envy.  "Eomma.. Where are you?" I whispered to the falling raindrops, as if the mother that have not visited me once all these years was standing right there. "Eomma.. Eomma, I miss you!" I said, and there was no reply. "I missed you!" I cried a little louder at the empty street, warm tears spilling out of my eyes while my body shivered continuously in the cold. I wanted an answer, for her to answer me. But all I got was the splatter of raindrops against the hard, unfeeling concrete ground. I felt lost. I can't stay in the rain forever. Where do I go now? I have no where to go! i felt hurt and above all, cold. My sobs turned into full blown tears as the rain got louder, drowning out my cries.  The rain stopped.  Hiccoughing from the crying, I wiped my face from tears and the rain and saw him.  Jiyong, his uniform partially wet from the rain too and sticking to his skin, is standing infront of me, his hand clutching a navy blue colored umbrella, shielding me from the downpour, his fringe plastering his forehead. He's here for me? No one was ever here or anywhere for me. No one. Not when I'm sick, not when I went through my first period alone, not when I went to middle school. But there he is, unmistakably in this horrible weather, holding an umbrella over me while half of his body is exposed to the merciless beatings of the rain so that I won't have to stand in the rain anymore.  There he is, when my dad threw me out for not doing something I hated. There he is, when my mum is probably in somewhere warm, cuddled up with the rest of her children. There he is, saying that he's my friend when I lost my temper at him blindly in the morning.  This jerk is actually warm afterall.  I couldn't control my tears anymore, and the I couldn't even stop myself from from doing what I did next.   I threw my arms over his neck and buried my head in his shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.  He holds me while I cried, shivering and trembling all the while until I finally calmed down. Realising what I'm doing, I quickly backed away as my hiccoughs resumed.  "Sorry.."I mumbled, embarrased by me sudden action and also the weak crying. "I should get going now." I finished before another hiccough hit me.  "Yah, hold on." He said, a concerned look on his face as he grabbed my wrist again. This time I didn't flinch, for some reason. I looked down, surprised that I didn't cringed or anything and realised he looked astonished too. He quickly released my hand and coughed awkwardly. "Where're you going? You have no where to go."   "Err, I'll just go and find a place."   "Stay at my place." He said again, determinedly, "My mom is at home too. So I can't do anything to you if that's what you're worrying. I'm not a rapist." "I'm not worried about anything!" I said loudly, glowing red and he laughed, revealing his pink gums and pearly teeth. I didn't know Mr Irritating could smile so beautifully too. "Look who's got all shy shy here." He teased as usual, making me snarl, "Let's go," he said as he pulled me away, making sure that I was fully covered by the umbrella.    His mum was really warm and friendly, making sure I felt at home, although I am still feeling awkward. Jiyong said that his dad is away on a business trip so his house was only left with his mother, his sister and himself.  I was having a conversation with his mum in the living room after dinner when his sister came home, glanced at me, and back at Jiyong, before grinning playfully, "Look what our Yongie have here? Yah, why didn't you tell me you have a girlfriend?"  And if you ever feel like asking where Jiyong learnt his teasings from, don't even bother asking.  Jiyong's mum made me share the double bunk bed in Jiyong's room which his sister shared with him until she got her own room. "Yah, kwon Jiyong." She said warningly, "You better leave Kyungmi alone so that she can sleep. Get it? Uh? Kyungmi ah, if my son disturbs you or tries anything funny, yell for me and I'll finish him off." She said kindly, eyes twinkling as I nodded gratefully, sticking my tongue out at Jiyong while he rolled his eyes are us, protesting "Ah Eomma!"  She sent everyone to bed soon and I sat on the top bunk alone as Jiyong went off to shower. Surverying around, his room looked like how a normal 19 year old's room is- Textbooks stacked clumsily against the book racks, pieces of paper scrawled with lyrics and math sums sprawled across his desk messily and surprisingly, a few soft toys lying around the lower bunk, his bed. I chuckled to myself as he opened the door.  "What're you laughing at?"  "Nothing." I replied nonchalently and glanced at him. He looked... So different. His hair damp and plastered against his face. Without his usual glasses, I noticed his lashes are really long. Overall he looked refreshed. Handsome, even. For the first time, this guy who annoyed the crap out of me looked.. Good.  "I'm offing the lights." He yawned and clicked the switch closed before jumping onto his bed, flipping open his cell phone.  "This guy.." He mumbled to himself. "Daesungie... Sent me 12 messages and 8 missed calls to ask how you're doing."  "Oh." I replied from my bed, silently making a mental note to thank him tomorrow morning for the concern. "Oh, and.. Jiyong?'  "Hmm?"  "I... Thanks."  "Babo." He said and I heard a hint of a quiet laugh, "Sleep now. Goodnight." "Good..night." I whispered the word that sounded so unfamiliar to me before snuggling under the blankets, which smelled strongly of.. him. I suspected he must have sneaked up sometimes to sleep on the upper bunk. Smiling a little, I closed my eyes, feeling warmer in the heart than I have felt for years.