Chapter 10
He had been standing outside her door for nearly 15 minutes. It had been so long since Jin Rak had talked to the old, secluded Dok Mi that he wasn't entirely sure if he could even do it anymore. In an attempt to help Enrique, he might actually make things worse. For the tenth time, Jin Rak held his hand up in front of the door and for the tenth time he put in it back at his side without knocking.
Why is this so difficult? He thought, why can't you just talk to her?
The answer was simple. This was the Dok Mi that Jin Rak had fallen in love with. It was easy to put aside his feelings when he knew that she loved Enrique. But now… he was afraid his selfishness would get the better of him and he'd go after her again. But Jin Rak saw how much this situation hurt Enrique. For him to pursue Dok Mi again… it might just push Enrique over the edge.
As much as he believed having Enrique in Korea would help Dok Mi, he also persuaded Enrique do stay to keep himself in check. With Enrique only a phone call away, Jin Rak wouldn't be tempted to go after Dok Mi again. Well, he wouldn't be as tempted.
Jin Rak had pretty much resigned himself to the fact that Dok Mi would be his one and only love. Though his feelings for her had faded significantly, Jin Rak had never loved anyone like he'd loved her. He'd gone out with other girls, but he always compared them to Dok Mi and they'd never measured up.
He'd gone out with a quiet webtoon writer for a time, but she had broken up with him months ago to work somewhere else. He thought that he'd loved her, but looking back on it now, he had only been trying to fill the void that Go Dok Mi had left.
He raised his hand yet again and this time forced himself to knock. For a few minutes, no one answered. He knocked again. This Dok Mi would take some time and persuasion to open the door. He rang the bell and said, "Go Dok Mi, I need to talk to you. It's urgent"
A few moments later, she opened the door a fraction of an inch, "Jin Rak?" she said. She knew his name at least. That was a good start.
"Good morning, Dok Mi," he said
"Is there something you need?" she replied.
Jin Rak struggled to come with an excuse for her to come outside, "Some of your mail got delivered to my house," he said. No wait, he could just bring that over, he realized too late.
"Just slip it under the door," she said before shutting him out.
That went worse than I thought it was going to, Jin Rak thought as he went back to his own apartment. At the very least, he needed to find a letter so he wouldn't be caught in a lie. He wouldn't be able to explain that one. He could fabricate a letter himself, he supposed. In the end, he decided to give her an old magazine.
Even if his plan had worked, what would he have said to her? Hey, Go Dok Mi, I used to be in love with you then you fell in love with this guy and now I'm helping him get you back because you have amnesia and can't even remember him. It sounded ridiculous. This whole situation was ridiculous. Just when everything seemed calm and settled, this happened and ruined everyone's peace of mind. There must be a curse on this building. Anyone who had ever set foot inside of it was doomed to live confusing, absurd lives.
Jin Rak walked back over and knocked on Dok Mi's door, "Hey, I brought the mail over". She somehow managed to open the door even less than before.
"Thank you" she said as she took the magazine before shutting the door again. Jin Rak clenched his fists. She'd probably realize it wasn't hers and he'd be caught.
But to be fair, Enrique hadn't given him any tips on how to get close to her again. He was pretty much making this up as he went along.
With nothing else to do for the time being, he went back to his apartment and tried to work on his webtoon. Since he'd decided to stop "Flower Boy Next Door" Jin Rak had been pretty void of inspiration. He'd published a one shot here and there, but no ideas came to him for a long term series. He was barely able to pay his rent anymore. And Editor was obviously unhappy with him. More than once, he thought about finishing Flower Boy Next Door. He hated leaving a story unfinished, especially one that had gotten as much publicity as Flower Boy Next Door. But he owed it to Dok Mi and Enrique to leave it alone.
The webtoon… he thought. Dok Mi had been so upset when she'd found out about it. Jin Rak had been afraid it would even end their friendship. If she was to discover it again…
But right now, she and Enrique's reconciliation had never been written. It had gone on hiatus with them in a fight.
Jin Rak opened a folder that he had not written in in a very long time and typed in the first dialogue of the new chapter.
A.N: So some chapters will focus on Jin Rak, and I know they're not my favorite ones to write, so I'm sorry if they're not my best. I'm going out of town, so don't expect a new chapter until Sunday. I appreciate each and every review I get, so thank you