Minjeong decided to stayed for another hours, maybe keeping Karina company even though she knows that the other doesn't needs it. She took a sit on an old adirondack chair that Karina offered her. She sat down in front of the counter, facing the beauty and next to a shelf that are filled with tons of books & magazines.
She eyed the papers that are arranged in orders then choose an interesting looking magazine to read, where the covers shown a full picture of a girl that has an engaging pose. She looks really familiar to someone Minjeong used to saw somewhere before. Nonetheless, she shrugged it off instead of overthinking about it, and believed that its might be someone she saw on the streets.
Karina on the other hand, is back to reading her book. Minjeong stolen a glimpse of the book she is reading, it is the same one she saw her reading 3 days ago. And the silence between them is making Minjeong feeling a bit hot and she can tell that she, herself is starting to get sweaty.
So she coughed, which is her signature style of starting a conversation, "So, what is the book you're reading about?"
Karina didn't lift her head to peek at her but she answered courteously, "It's about a girl who spends her Christmas alone but met the love of her life at a bookstore."
Interesting. Minjeong thought, her lips formed an O and she reverted her gazed back to reading the magazine in her hands.
Not less than a minute later, the sound of the bell rang. And Minjeong immediately looks up, "Sweetheart, where did you put the love—", the familar voice started but then cuts off after seeing that Minjeong is also in here.
Minjeong's eyes widened, and her lips curled up into a smile "Good morning Mrs.Yoo!"
"My dear Minjeong!" She approached the snows, and Minjeong doesn't have to be answered about what she is about to do next. She opened her arms widely, ready to welcome the most heartwarming hug she's ever gotten since moving here.
Behind her, she can sense someone pretending to be disgusted.
She pulled back after the embrace, showing a big bright smile on her face. Today, Mrs.Yoo is wearing the red lipstick that she used to told Minjeong I always uses that one whenever I am going on a date. "Good morning lovely, what are you doing here?"
If Mrs.Yoo asked the question other than today, she wouldn't understand why she was asking her that, of course she is here to checks some stuffs as a regular costumers but today. Minjeong is looking for her, "I'm here to talks to you about something— somewhere private."
Mrs.Yoo looks taken back for a second, and Minjeong saw everything. The way her eyes flickered to Karina and back to her. As as she stared at Minjeong, she finally replied, "Follows me."
-
Mrs.Yoo guided her to the back of the store, where when she pushed through the soft curtains. Its revealed a whole new room with a table in the middle, and the shelves around them were packed with books. She told her to takes a seat, and Minjeong did. She sat in front of the lady who is still smiling brightly at her, "Go on,"
Minjeong took a deep breath before she starts, "It's about the scarf,"
"Oh god what is wrong with the scarf dear? Did it gives you rashes or something? You knows you can just return it back right—"
"No no noo, not the scarf I bought," Minjeong declared. And Mrs.Yoo, who was panicking earlier, sighed in relief. "Then, what scarf are you talking about?"
The picture of the scarf flashed into her head, and she tried to finds the words to described it, "The pattern scarf, it's hanging on the top wall..next to a picture of a cow eating it's own legs". The image of that one cow disturbed her and she doesn't wants it to stayed around in her mind for too long.
