25th➳

Jisoo 

"Jisoo, come here." Jisoo heard someone call for him as he walked down the long hallway on the second floor of their mansion. He halted in his steps, wondering where that voice came from. Then he realized the slightly opened door to his noona's room, which only meant one thing—she was calling him. 

Jisoo wanted to ignore her ever since their argument from last week. Nari hasn't been doing so well because of the fine, and yet, Jiae showed no sign of stopping, which only made Jisoo hate her even more. It was never like this before. They were loving siblings, even if they didn't show their affections through kisses and hugs. 

Jisoo heaved a sigh before entering his noona's room, asking in an icy tone, "What is it you want?"

Jiae's head snapped at Jisoo's direction as she asked him, "Mwo? Did you just use a tone on me, Hong Jisoo?"

Jisoo tried to remain calm as he said instead, "Why did you call me in? I have to get to school or I'll be late."

Jiae looked at the table clock she had on her desk before giving Jisoo a confused look. "School doesn't start until an hour, Hong Jisoo. Why are you leaving home so early for? Seolma— You're not going to school early just to spend time with that beggar, are you?" 

Jisoo looked away, feeling like she had just offended him instead of Nari herself. "You don't need to know everything that happens in my life. We both have our own lives, why are you suddenly butting into mind? And don't call Nari a beggar. You're the one who's even worst than a beggar."

Jiae slammed her pencil furiously onto her book on her desk as she told him in a serious tone, "Hong Jisoo, I'm doing this for your sake! You might be an heir to Dad's company and we can't have some— some beggar like her sticking around you so much! We're classy people, Hong Jisoo. Act like—"

"Classy people," Jisoo repeated the word with a light scoff as he face his noona and stared into her eyes, "I don't like that title. Noona, you're going too far on some girl I love. Yeah, that's right, I love her, noona. I won't let you tear us apart because you're trying to 'protect' me. I think all you're really trying to protect is a pride you don't even have. I have learned that adults are horrible and you know what else? You're part of those type of adults."

Jiae let out a loud scoff before she screamed, "Unbelievable! My own brother is going to betray me just for that beggar? You're crazy, Hong Jisoo."

"Love can make you do the craziest things," Jisoo told her with a shrug before he left her room to leave for school.

Jiae

When Jisoo left, Jiae threw her pencil on the floor and let out a frustrated scream before messily messing up her hair. She dialed Lawyer Kim's number and asked if he had already changed the notice about the fine. 

"Nae, Ms. Kwon Nari is already informed, but I don't think she's doing anything about it. That will lead her to imprisonment and so forth," Lawyer Kim informed her. 

Suddenly, an idea popped in Jiae's mind as she let her lips curl into a wide grin. "Ah, nae. Thank you once again for that, Lawyer Kim. I'll call you again next time."

"Nae, good bye." Then the call ended.

Jiae's idea still hadn't left her mind as she went to her messaging app to send a message to Nari. 

Jiae: Let's meet up. We need to talk. You probably won't come, but it's very important. I expect to see you at Pit-a-pat cafe today, later, thirty minutes after school is over. Don't even tell Jisoo about this, I'm warning you. It doesn't matter if you don't come because then consequences will befall on you. 

Nari

"You came later today than usual," I teased Joshua lightly once I saw him walk into the classroom. 

Joshua took a seat next to me and nodded with his eye smile. "Yeah, I left home a little later than usual. As long as I'm here, you won't be sad, right?"

I lightly slapped his shoulder, giving him a weird stare. "What's with all the cheese lately? It's giving me so much goosebumps, don't you know?"

Joshua grinned and patted my head like the child I was as he said, "It's because Nari isn't doing too well these days because of all the things happening in her life. I must be there to protect her and help her and also love her."

I showed him my arm filled with goosebumps and cringed. "See? Look at all these goosebumps, Hong Jisoo. Also! Who said I'm not doing too well these days? I'm Kwon Nari, I can do anything and handle anything! I'm totally fine, Hong Jisoo."

Joshua frowned at that and shook his head. "I don't think so, Kwon Nari."

I tried not to look like I was really bothered by the fine Jiae had left on me and smiled a smile as bright as possible. "See? I'm smiling. I'm totally fine, Hong Jisoo. You're just a big worrier, that's all."

Joshua tilted his head to the side, as if not believing my lie, but I had to convince him so he wouldn't go spending all his money on me just to help me again. I didn't like that. I didn't want to be responsible, but sometimes, I wanted to be responsible, as well. It was a complicated idea coming from a complicated girl who was slowly growing out of her childhood. 

"I don't believe in your lie, but I'll believe in it just for you to calm down. Look at this face." Joshua pinched both my cheeks and stretched them out slightly. "You look like you're going to go to a forest and kill someone."

I gave him another weird look before threatening to bite his hands, and Joshua immediately retreated his hands because of that. I only had a smug grin in return.

"Yah! I'm not that tasty! Don't try to eat me!" Joshua complained, holding his hand close to him. He gave me a horrified look before he went back to sweetly smiling at me. 

Even if I tried to block it out as much, the thought of me struggling in money issues because of Jiae continued to tire me. It asphyxiated me and gave me a good slap, as if to wake me up from my childhood daydream to tell me that I was no longer at that age. That I was now an adult and I had to start acting like one, even if I hated the thought so much. 

At that very moment, as if on cue, I received a text. When I checked who it was, the words speaking of the devil echoed in my mind. I read the message and did my best not to scoff, if not, Joshua will see the text. I quickly typed "okay...?" before returning back to the Home and screen locking my phone. What a great day to start the morning off with a text from Hong Jiae. 

♥

"Nari, where are you going this time?" Joshua asked when he noticed I was about to walk into the other direction of the school gate. "Are you not going to work today again? If you keep skipping this way, I don't know what will happen and I'm worried about you getting fired."

I had to think of an excuse believable enough for Joshua to believe so that I would be able to see what his noona wanted to talk about. He couldn't know about this or he would never let me go see her alone. As much as I wanted him to be there with me, I needed to face things on my own too. Like Peter Pan when he faces Captain Hook. 

I gave him a smile and told him, "I want to try going to the orphanage again. One last try and if they aren't going to do anything, I'm really going to call the cops, or whatever I decide to do. Don't come with me, Jisoo. I need to see them on my own."

Joshua wanted to protest but he paused for a second to rethink about it before he smiled back and nodded in agreement. "Fine, go ahead. I'll be missing you today as well."

"There you go again with all the cheesy lines or whatever people call them." I rubbed my arm where goosebumps had attacked on. 

Joshua laughed his lively laugh before he gently patted the top of my head and his playful eyes turned soft as the atmosphere around us silenced. "Nari, whatever happens in the future, you'll trust me, right?"

The atmosphere made me feel uncomfortable because I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. "Y-yes, of course! Without trust, how can Peter Pan fly?"

Joshua smiled and patted my head once again, now in an even slow manner as he looked deep into my eyes, even if I wasn't directly looking at his eyes. "Okay. That's what I wanted to hear. I'll see you tomorrow, Kwon Nari."

I waved him goodbye before I set off towards my destination, which was at Pit-a-pat cafe. I wondered what Jiae wanted to talk about with me, although there were so many obvious reasons why she'd want to talk to me. She could want to tell me to stop seeing Joshua, to stop being friends with him, to stop dating him and many other more I couldn't list down on my own. 

I halted in my tracks once I stood in front of the entrance of Pit-a-pat cafe. I was now reluctant on wanting to go inside to talk to her, afraid I might fall into a trap of hers. You'll never know what she could do or act in public. 

Then, my phone vibrated. I fished out my phone to see what was up and saw a message from Jiae. 

Jiae: I can see you from the insides. What are you doing standing out there? I told you to come meet me inside, didn't I? Am I your babysitter? Am I supposed to tell you where to walk and where to sit? Gosh, just come in already. Stop wasting my time. 

I took in a deep breath before I finally walked into the cafe. I spotted Jiae at the far back of the cafe, seated in where the lights were dimmer and headed there. I took a seat across her and waited for her to speak, since it didn't seem right if I started it first. I didn't even know why she wanted to see me. 

"Good, you're here." Jiae began our conversation without a greeting. Like one was needed when you were going to have a conversation with someone you weren't too fond over. "I have something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Go on," I urged, impatiently tapping a foot on the floor whilst I sat back in crossed arms. 

"You are aware of your fine, aren't you?" Jiae began. 

My ears tingled and my guts grumbled. I was right. She was the person who did that. I pretended to play clueless. "Yeah, so?"

Jiae looked like I just touched a nerve but kept calm about it. "I can help you, if you want. To pay off the fine. But, on one condition."

"Why would you do such a thing for me?" 

"I told you, I'll only do it on one condition. Do you want to hear what condition that is?"

I was hesitant at first but I wanted to know what was on the end of the bargain, so I nodded. 

"The condition I have in mind is..." Jiae paused once again, leaving me in a big suspense. She had a grin on her face and it was far from anything nice. "Well, someone's really curious to know."

"Aish, please just tell me before I storm out of this cafe! Kids don't like it when adults don't tell them what the surprise is because they're impatient," I suddenly shouted, attracting the eyes of people in the cafe. Well, Jiae wasn't the one who got their attention. Instead, it was me. I lowered my head to avoid all their eyes. 

"Aish?" Jiae repeated, slowly standing up from her seat. "Why I'd ought to—" Jiae looked like she was going to slap me but luckily she forced herself not to because she was going to tell me about the 'condition' she kept repeating about. "My condition is simple. In order to pay off the fine, you have to work as a maid from now on in my mansion. Sounds simple, right?"

~Author's Notes~

Sorry this took so long! I'm barely on my laptop these days because of school and time. Thank you for being so patient as well! :) 

I was supposed to post my "surprise story" this month but this story hasn't ended yet so I guess I'll have to push that back oops

Thanks for reading this update! If it's crappy, I apologize because I'm slowly reaching those parts of the book where ideas slowly dry up but I'm trying my best :)))

Oh, and see me roast myself (in typed words of course, not a video heh) on my latest chapter in my story on my profile titled 'Just Marshmallow Things'! :) HEH, KYUNGIE LOVES KIMICHIES ❤

xoxo

Byun Sang Kyung