In this chapter:
They became quiet then, trying to look anywhere but at each other. When the food arrived, their eyes met and he smiled. He was gratified to see the answering, somewhat forced smile on her lips.
She was even more beautiful when she wasn't glaring, and before he realized what was happening, his heart was already skipping beats in his chest.
The windchime tinkles and the women beam at Baek Ah as he pushes open the door. He hasn't been in this restaurant in years - not since he graduated - a fact quickly pointed out by the people there.
As he looks around, he finds the place hasn't changed much… not the tables and chairs, not the flowering plants on the windowsills, not the staff, and not his paintings on their walls. He certainly hopes the menu hasn't changed either.
"Ahjumma, you're still here?" he teases an elderly woman as he's led to his usual spot by the corner of the room.
"Why, do I look like I'm old enough to retire?" she demands, wiping her hands on the apron she wears over her uniform.
Baek Ah immediately raises both hands in self-defense. "No, of course not. That's not what I meant-"
But she cuts him off with a stern look. "And what about you? Are you working now? Do they treat you well there?"
He smiles and nods. "Yes, I'm having a lot of fun. They treat me very well."
"Yah, it's been so long!" a younger waitress rushes over to chat. "We saw you on TV and in the newspapers. You used to be such a scrawny boy, and now look at you… all grown up and important. Oh, you've become so handsome!" she pinches his cheek with a squeal. "So tell me, are you really related to the Wangs? Are all those young masters really your cousins? You should have told us something before you left. We thought you'd never come back. We've been worried about you!"
He grins. "I didn't know if working there would work out for me. My cousins are all so rich. I thought I wouldn't fit in."
She tuts, "How can you not fit in when they're supposed to be your family?" Her scowl is quickly replaced with a smile when she adds, "Yah, do you have any handsome men for me?"
"Get back to work!" the older waitress orders in scandalized tones.
"Sunbae!" the younger one protests with a pout.
"He's here to eat." The older woman determinedly whips out a pad and pen. "Now stop pestering him."
"Aish, he's just going to order his usual favorites. Honey garlic fried chicken wings with ranch dip and soda. Am I right?"
"Bingo!" Baek Ah gives her a thumbs up.
"Shall I throw in some mushroom soup?" she smiles knowingly.
He laughs. "You know me so well."
"Our little artist hasn't changed at all." She swishes around, satisfied. "I'll go get your order."
"But this is my table! Yah-" the older woman sighs and shrugs. "Well, less work for me."
Baek Ah clears his throat. "Uhh… actually ahjumma… instead of a soda, could I have a bottle of soju and a beer?"
She's surprised, thinking it's a little early for him to be drinking, but then she notices something she hadn't noticed earlier… the rings around his eyes and the lines on his face. His bright words and quick smiles aren't enough to hide the sadness in his eyes.
She doesn't say anything but she smiles kindly in understanding. "Of course. You just sit here quietly and relax."
Everything Baek Ah sees and smells triggers some distant memory. Old memories. Absentmindedly, he touches the wall beside him, running a finger over the tiny written letters there, remembering the day they had been written…
He closes his eyes in surrender to the memories.
.
.
"Hey… hey wait!" called young Baek Ah as he chased after the girl in the stained pink and white dress down the school corridor. He saw her take a left turn and followed quickly, coming to an abrupt halt inches away from knocking her down for what would have been the second time in the last five minutes.
"What is it now?" she demanded, wiping the paint off her arms and face with a soaked handkerchief.
She wouldn't look at him, and he knew it was because she had tears in her eyes.
"Hey... I'm really sorry about the paint," he apologized again. He clenched his fist tightly around the little trinket she had dropped in their tumble earlier.
"Whatever. What do you want?"
Ignoring her glare, he grabbed her arm and led her towards the open field.
"Yah… yah! What do you think you're doing?" she shrieked, trying to fight him off. Who was this scrawny teenager?
Baek Ah brought her to a washing area lined with taps and took out his own handkerchief. Seeing him twist the nearest tap open, the girl knew what he was going to do and immediately turned, but he grabbed her before she could get away.
"I didn't see you, so I accidentally bumped into you," he said in a low voice, wiping the paint off of her arms.
Blushing, she grabbed his handkerchief and took over with pursed lips. She saw him smiling and glared at him. "Do you normally laugh at people you're apologizing to?"
"Who's laughing?" he grinned. "I'm smiling because now that I've had a good look at you..." He grabbed the paint-smeared handkerchief she had been using on herself and washed it before giving it back in exchange for his own soiled handkerchief. "You're quite pretty."
"Oh, I get it," she said with a sarcastic little laugh, "you want my name? My number? Is that it?"
"Well," he lifted his shoulder in a half shrug, "I won't say no."
"You couldn't have just asked? Why ruin my perfectly good dress with paint?" she demanded.
"Yah, I told you, I didn't do it on purpose," he protested. "And I told you I was sorry. It was an accident. I didn't see you."
She scoffed. "Whatever." Shaking her arms, she grabbed her things and glared at him. "Just leave me alone."
He didn't stop her this time as she stalked away, but he took the little silver cow out of his pocket and studied it. "It looks like something you can buy from a souvenir shop." He eyed the girl's retreating back and smiled. "I'll just have to clean this then return it to you."
.
.
He gasped loudly the next day upon entering art class. Heads all around turned to see what he was staring at and, feeling the weight of so many eyes on her, the new girl looked up and saw him. Her own eyes widened in disbelief before she turned away, grimacing.
"Yah, I had no idea we would be classmates!" he said, gleefully trotting up to her. "You must be new. It's no wonder I'd never seen you around school before."
"Go away," she hissed, glaring at him when she saw that he had taken the empty seat beside her. "There are so many empty seats in the room. Go sit somewhere else."
"Which school did you transfer from? Is it because of your parents' work that you've moved here?"
"You seem to have a death wish."
He grinned. "Why? It's not like you're an assassin or a spy on a mission. We're just two students who happen to be in the same class, so there's no reason for you to be so secretive. Now that we're classmates, you'll have to tell me your name. I'm Kim Baek Ah… and you are?"
"Bok Soon," she snapped.
"Bok Soon…?" he repeated the name suspiciously.
The door opened then, prompting everyone to stand and greet their teacher, who had walked in consulting a piece of paper in her notebook. "Woohee?" she called, glancing around the room. "Where is Kim Woohee?"
From beside him, Baek Ah heard the girl sigh. He watched her reluctantly raise her hand. "Here, seonsang-nim… I'm Woohee."
"You're who, Bok Soonie?" Baek Ah teased, giving her good reason to kick his shin. He grunted in pain and bit his tongue to keep from crying out.
"Ah, yes. Everyone, please help me welcome our new student," their teacher smiled, setting her things down on the table. "I hear you arrived only yesterday?"
"Ye, seonsang-nim."
"I shall give you a list of everything you'll need for school… in the meantime," their teacher looked at Baek Ah, "Baek Ah is my best pupil. Baek Ah, I will put you in charge of her. Make sure she has notes and materials so she doesn't fall too far behind. Exams are only a month away."
Baek Ah flashed Woohee an impish smile. "Ye, seonsang-nim. Let's work together from now on, eh, Woohee?"
Her smile was strained, but in front of everyone, she dared not protest.
.
.
"Watch the movement of your wrist," Baek Ah murmured from behind. "Keep it steady… don't be so stiff, let your movements flow… ahhh, you see… what did I tell you? Even the tiniest of movements can ruin everything. You'll have to start over."
"We've been doing this for hours. I'm tired!"
"Our practical exam is two days from now and you can't even do the basics. How do you expect to pass if you keep giving up after just a few tries?"
"A few tries?" she scoffed in disbelief, gesturing towards the crumpled pieces of paper littering the floor. "You know what? Whatever. Can we continue this tomorrow? It's getting late."
"Tomorrow again? You've put this off for so long, now even I have to do overtime! I'm putting off studying for our other exams just for this, and you want to just quit?"
"Look here… I never asked for your help. Stop bothering me and just think about yourself."
He couldn't believe his ears. "Seonsang-nim asked me to help you, so you are my responsibility. What about instead of complaining all the time, you make things easier for the both of us and just do what you're told? I've been trying my best, but you're always distracted and don't listen!"
Frustrated, she slammed her things onto the table and removed her apron. "I need a drink."
He watched her go with a sigh. They'd been partners in art class for almost a month now. At first, her glares and fiery nature intrigued him, but now, much as he tried to be understanding, his patience was running thin.
They'd been fighting nonstop for three hours and he was tired. He thought about just leaving and was stuffing his sketchbook in his bag when he considered what his teacher might say to him should Woohee fail. He scratched his head in frustration.
"You be grateful I respect our teacher so much or I wouldn't be doing this for you!" he yelled towards the open door, through which she had left. He kicked the nearest table and ended up hopping on one foot, cursing at nothing and everything for the situation he was in. "Aish! It's no wonder you don't have any friends…" he grumbled, sitting down.
The moment he said it, he felt terrible. Though he thinks a month should be more than enough time for someone to get used to a new school, he also acknowledges that Woohee may be different, and maybe her family was struggling.
He fished the little elephant out from his pocket and rolled it between his fingers. He had cleaned it up nicely weeks ago, but hadn't been able to return it to her yet. He had hoped to become her friend first.
He sighed and rubbed his face. "Alright fine, I'll help you! Even if you keep yelling at me!" He glared at the door and crossed his arms. She'd been gone for over ten minutes now. "Where are you getting your drink from, anyway? The supermarket two blocks away? There's a perfectly good dispenser at the ground floor…" he grumbled.
But when twenty minutes had passed and she still hadn't returned, he couldn't sit still any longer. He got up, fuming. "If you left without telling me, you're dead!"
Grabbing his things, he ran the length of the corridor, peering into the rooms for any sign of her. He searched the floor beneath, then the floor beneath that, then the gym, then the canteen, and couldn't think of any other place within the school campus where she could possibly have gotten herself a drink.
He looked up at the dark sky and growled, "Tomorrow… I'm going to give you a piece of my mind."
It was as he was passing the school gate that he heard it… the sound of a girl sobbing quietly.
It can't be, he thought with surprise. He rounded the corner and could barely make out her lone figure squatting on the ground next to the wall. Though it was dark, he knew it was her. She was wearing the same dress, for one, and with his eyes having adjusted to the dark, he could see that she had paint smears all over her arms.
For a short time, he felt lost and confused, then his good nature got the better of him and made him sit down beside her. She jerked when he did, and stared with wide eyes before she realized who he was.
"You're glaring at me even though you're crying?" he said. He wanted to be severe with her, but he couldn't do it, not after seeing her in this state. Could she be crying because of me? Feeling terrible at the thought, he gave her his handkerchief, but she ignored it.
"Just take it," he tutted impatiently, forcing it into her unresisting fist. He had expected her to yell and hit him, but to his surprise, she merely stared blankly ahead of her at nothing.
They were silent for a few minutes before he suddenly tutted again and got up. She thought he'd finally left her for good, but to her surprise, he returned sometime later with drinks in his hands. "Here. I didn't know what you wanted so I decided to get you water," he said gruffly, holding out a bottle.
"No, thank you."
"Just take it," he ordered with a sigh. "You said you'd get a drink, and yet here you are, drink-less and doing nothing. Do you know how long I waited for you?"
She cut him off before he could continue, "I appreciate the drink… but you should go. It's dark and your parents will be looking for you."
"And you?" he scoffed, taking a sip of his own water. "You're a girl, you shouldn't be out alone on the streets in the dark. What'll your parents think?"
She was silent for the longest time, and he thought perhaps he had offended her again in some way, but then in a soft voice, she said, "They won't care. They stopped caring a long time ago."
He studied her faraway expression… Marriage problems? Money problems? He really couldn't figure her out, but seeing the fresh tears leaking out of her eyes made him forget his anger. Whatever she was dealing with, it was obvious she was struggling. And it was equally obvious that she had no one to talk to.
Coming to an abrupt decision, he stood up and smiled. "Well, since it's dinner time, we might as well eat. Here, it'll be my treat." He held his palm open for her, but she looked away.
"I think we should just go home."
"Yah, don't be like that. I've been in this school longer and I'm helping you with your studies. I'm your sunbae. Don't you think you're being disrespectful right now? On top of that, I'm a man. Are you going to hurt my manly pride? After working and fighting for 3 hours straight, you should be hungry. You can't tell me you're not."
"I'm not," she snapped, irritated by his nagging.
At that moment, her stomach grumbled loudly enough for Baek Ah to hear. She looked up in surprise and blushed scarlet when she saw the amused grin on his face.
"Oh? Is our Woohee hungry after all?"
Embarrassed, she struggled to her feet. "Thanks for the water, but I'll be fine on my own. Then…" she nodded stiffly and turned to leave, but he grabbed her in a headlock and led her down the street. "Yah… yah! Let me go! Now!"
"Stop being so stubborn, I told you I would treat you to dinner," he said. "The restaurant is not far from here and it's the best chicken and beer place near campus. Tada!" He gestured happily at the store, with its warm art decor and murals. "It's nice, isn't it?"
"I told you I would be going home," she gritted her teeth. "Let me go."
"No."
She looked up at him in surprise. "No?"
"No," he repeated. "I don't know what's wrong, but I think it's a family issue. If I'm right, then why would you be so eager to go back home? If you're just going to be miserable there, why not spend an enjoyable evening with me instead? I'm hungry and lonely, we might as well enjoy each others' company."
She sighed. "Since when have we ever enjoyed each others' company?"
"We have to start somewhere," he pointed out, pushing the door open and dragging her in.
"Baek Ah-yah, we thought you'd drop by! Exams soon, right? We've prepared your absolute favorite: honey garlic frie-" one of the waitresses greeted with a bright smile. "Oh? Who is this? A girlfriend?"
He laughed. "This is Woohee, a classmate. Noona, we're starving."
"Of course," the woman said brightly and led them to a far corner. "Will she be having the same as you, Baek Ah-yah?"
"Yes, and she'll have the same." He watched the woman go with a smile before turning to Woohee. "I painted this whole place."
Shocked, Woohee looked around her and saw that every wall was, indeed, painted uniquely by hand. "You mean just you? No one helped you?"
He shook his head. "Just me. I was bored last summer and needed the money… they saw my sketches and commissioned me to redecorate the whole place. Even the tables and chairs, the plants on the windowsill, the utensils they're using… I suggested them all."
"You want to be an interior designer? An architect?"
"I'm not entirely sure yet," he shrugged. "But this place couldn't afford a professional designer, so they paid me half of what they would have paid a professional, and promised me a lifetime discount on their chicken."
She couldn't not be impressed: the paintings all around the walls were so beautifully, meticulously done. "And here I thought your only talent was annoying people."
Baek Ah stared at her for a moment before bursting out laughing, "So you do have a sense of humor!"
"What? How was that funny?" she asked, confused.
"You were teasing me!"
She blushed. "So? Is that so strange?"
The last thing he wanted was to make her feel more awkward around him, so he just nodded. "You're right. I overreacted."
They became quiet then, trying to look anywhere but at each other. When the food arrived, their eyes met and he smiled. He was gratified to see the answering, somewhat forced smile on her lips. She was even more beautiful when she wasn't glaring, and before he realized what was happening, his heart was already skipping beats in his chest.
.
.
The first time he saw her dance was the moment he realized he loved her.
He watched, mesmerized, as she spun and moved through the air - with movements as graceful as silk, freer than the fluttering ribbon in her hand, lighter than the sunshine on her hair.
And when she sang her first note, that's when he knew… he had to have her. His best friend.
The next chapter will be a continuation of Baek Ah and Woohee's history :D Can you guess what happened between them? And if you think Woohee is hiding some deep, dark secret, then ding! You're right! But I won't be revealing what it is yet... not for a couple more chapters. Because the suspense. :P
ryokana26: Oh! I recently let my mother watch SHR too (hah!) and she loved it, even though it left her sad and depressed. She wants to watch it all over again hahaha Idk if I can write for forever, but I'll try to prolong the fic so it doesn't end so soon :P thanks for coming out of the shadows to comment!
myrka1296g: Thank you! I read your review on my Christmas fic. It was so sweet :D I definitely have not forgotten Wook and Yeonhwa haha I have not forgotten Queen Yoo and Hajin's ex either. I just have to weave all the other side stories into the story first so we can have a complete resolution at the end :D
maraudergurl2010: I agree about those stories where the main problem revolves around miscommunication, or lack of communication! With SHR, I sort of understood the silences, but it's still so frustrating to know that something so simple could wreak so much havoc in even the most solid of relationships .-. In terms of the villains, yeah, they've been caught so the story isn't as suspenseful anymore haha now we just need to make them suffer. Yes, Yeonhwa, that snake. In the drama, even after saying to Wook that she would "repay him with the throne" and making all those promises, she threw him away and wouldn't even lift a finger to save his life. All for a chance to sleep with Gwangjong (I mean, ok, I admit... I want to sleep with him, too LOL *wink2*). There are other ways to force him into doing that. They were already married, after all, he would have had to sleep with her one of those days *shudder*
OUTLANDER! Ikr, Jamie and Claire are like Gwangjong and Soo. Take one away and you have a sad, sad world. I'm all stoked for the next season!
.richmond : You're very welcome ^^
Star-of-Chaos : Even though I hated Wook's guts, I did feel sorry for him in the drama. Yeonhwa and Queen Yoo are the roots of all evil in my mind haha
Daoine : Never, indeed. Always blaming other people for her problems. Tsk!
Parts of the next chapter have already been written. Will just need to edit and check with some facts, then I'll post it. 'til then... have fun reading! :P