Author Note: I know it's been a long time since I've posted. Please forgive me and let me know you're still interested in this story, life's been crazy but my youngra love still burns strong lol.
Rachel managed to not call Young Do all night and for most of the morning but by the time her mother was inquiring if she had lunch plans her resolve weakened to critical levels.
She began checking her phone compulsively for the message that could only be inevitable announcing something incredibly stupid her "brother" had done.
Not that that was anything new.
She just wasn't used to the guilt that accompanied believing he had done it on her behalf.
After the tenth time she had glanced at her phone in less than half an hour, Rachel's mother had had enough.
"Put the phone away, Rachel," She snapped, her small lips pursing as though she had eaten something distastefully sour.
Rachel schooled her face into one of mock concern that hid the real impatience and deeper anxiety that lurked just beneath the surface.
"Kim Jung-Hwa is supposed to call me," She tried to imitate the whining tone Bo Na took on when her whipped excuse for a boyfriend didn't call preciously the second he had promised to.
At the mention of her possible future son-in-law Rachel's mother visibly relaxed.
"You'd better keep him interested, Rachel," She lectured, though a slight indulging smile graced her face. "I don't think you want to be the one waiting for phone calls again. We can't afford it."
Rachel felt an unwanted blush burning her cheeks, the heat almost painful as though it symbolized more than just embarrassment but physical punishment for her inadequacies as well.
She swallowed the spiteful remark that wanted to burst from her lips and accost her mother with the perfect collection of words that would destroy her mother's smug smile.
Instead she forced a stiff smile and stood as delicately as she could manage while practically vibrating with unvoiced rage.
"Of course, mother, I think I'll just go call him now,"
She turned on her heel and strode from the room before she said something she would regret.
Or worse something she wouldn't.
As soon as she reached the privacy of her room she did make a call but not the effortlessly likeable Kim Jung-Hwa but rather the infinitely frustrating Young-Do.
He didn't answer.
He didn't answer the next three times she called either.
So when Kim Jung-Hwa called later and suggested they go see a movie that night her first thought was that he was exceptionally unoriginal in his date planning to propose another trip to the cinema so soon, but her second thought was what a relief it would be to sit in a dark theater for two hours and not be expected to do or say or be anything.
So she agreed.
It wasn't until they had reached the theater and taken their seats that Rachel realized somewhere along the line in all of her distracted nodding she'd agreed to see a horror film, one about zombies no less.
Rachel hated zombies.
Soulless shells forced to amble on long after any purpose had left their life and try to leech off of others who hadn't succumbed to the inevitable yet.
There was probably another metaphor there.
She was also probably just scared by horror movies. Not that she was planning on admitting that to her date or anyone.
So Rachel burrowed farther into her seat as though the extra few inches between her and the screen could somehow steel her nerves and prepared for an absolutely miserable couple of hours.
She was so focused on not appearing terrified that she almost didn't notice the figure dropping heavily into the chair next to hers.
Almost.
