𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 | 𝐚 𝐭𝐱𝐭 × 𝐢𝐭𝐳𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

three - conversations with a stranger

conversations with a stranger

chores such as laundry, washing plates and cleaning your room on a beautiful saturday morning were what lia considered as 'mundane bliss'. it was the simple things in life that gave her joy, nothing of the sort like her tedious academic life.

well, it was all good until her mother decided to invite some friends over.

lia didn't mind mrs. shin and her lovely daughter, yuna, who was studying a year behind than her in ace. so imagine her disappointment when her mother told her they wouldn't be able to make it since mr. shin was at the hospital.

lia did have a short chat with yuna on the phone, but she had to cut it short because her mother wanted her to help with preparation.

you see, lia's mother owned a flower shop just right beside the richest neighbourhood in the district. she was well acquainted with everyone in the neighbourhood as she was most sociable and lovely. so you can imagine how esteemed, graceful, and extravagant her guests would be. however, mrs. choi is also a good judge of character hence, her esteemed guests would not only be of eloquence but of kind, humble spirits too.

regardless, lia never enjoyed her parties which often ranged from tea to bouquet lessons while they drabble in conversations about their children. she was a student of ace goddamn it! she's seen and known everything that these preppy mothers hadn't about their children. they were good people, yes, but their husbands could be obnoxious because why else would their children be so different from their mothers!?

to prove otherwise, was another mrs. choi. she was the daughter-in-law of a family of generational doctors and businessmen. her husband himself was the executive director and professor of seoul medical college. she was graceful, not the smartest but kind-hearted and gentle. one can only imagine how lovely and bright her children would be.

not really.

she had a son and his name was choi yeonjun.

"oi! pres, our mothers asked me to hang out with you so can you stop avoiding me?" choi yeonjun had found his way inside her garden, her escape.

lia remained unmoving on the swing, trying to arrange a bouquet of sunflowers, daisies and baby-breaths as she ignored the latter's plea.

the boy pressed his hands on his waist, staring from a safe distance as he waited for her consent.

she couldn't ignore him forever since if he was to report back to her mother she would only earn an earful. "take a seat," she motioned for a chair beside a dainty tea table. it was close to the swing but lia surmised was at safest distance. she wanted nothing to do with the boy.

yeonjun sat down. he bore his usual smirk, one that enchanted women and made him look amiable. but that would not work on lia.

"isn't the arrangement already perfect?" he enquired about the bouquet she busied herself with.

"no. you certainly don't know a thing about flower arrangement," she responded.

"can't say i do. but i watch my mother busy herself with her pots. which is why she cant wait to meet your mother on weekends." he raised  of of his leg above the other and crossed his arms, basking in the warm autumn sun.

winter was around the corner so autumn days were growing gloomier, and sunlight growing weaker.

"are those flowers real? they don't look so to me." he frowned.

"no. i'm...practicing."

upon hearing this, yeonjun grew more curious. "aren't you going to be a civil servant? or were you lying to the homeroom so he wouldn't belittle you? that bastard has a nasty attitude, saying mean things to young people and getting easily agitated at the slightest inconvenience. he's also fucking lazy."

yeonjun had ranted about his distaste towards their homeroom teacher. one who went by the honorific, mr. ko.

lia finally looked up from her bouquet. this has yeonjun grinning because she was acknowledging his annoying presence.

"you should know," she began, "i don't feel comfortable talking to you. in a sense, you can say it's because i hold a grudge against you."

the cool breeze blew her dark hair. she was a petite young girl, turning eighteen next year with a small frame and round brown eyes. choi yeonjun on the other hand, was tall, lean, muscular, and would pull off anything he wore or did.

the smile fell from his face. he scrunched his nose as he began to ponder, "hmm...is it because of what happened last year? i already said sorry and even tried to make it up to you," he argued.

"banana milk isn't going to fix anything," lia calmly stated. "and you only lasted for three days."

"hey." yeonjun brought down his leg and began to divulge into the conversation more seriously. "if i remember correctly, you weren't even going to succeed with whatever you were doing."

lia swallowed hard. "why? why not?"

the boy had sensed her emerging irritation. or was it despair?

still, he went on to state his point. "because that guy doesn't like that sort of atmosphere. he was visibly bothered, and you were gonna get hurt if you went on. so i interfered."

lia swallowed again, and this time it was for her to regain her senses and dissipate her disappointment.

she looked down at the bouquet of fake flowers on her lap. "i didn't expect him to return it. i just..."

the boy waited for her to continue but she didn't.

not until after a minute had passed. "i just wanted to put myself at ease. it was my first time admiring someone so...i wanted to erase the growing discomfort by honestly telling him."

lia grasped the bouquet tightly. the reality of her words and to whom she had told them to begin to sink in and now she wished the earth would swallow her whole.

i just confessed to choi yeonjun and now i wanna die!

she expected mockery, or a sniggering jeer from the boy but it never came.

"now that i think about it, i guess i really did badly by interrupting you that day. sorry, pres," was what he said instead.

lia looked up in surprise. she had to say something, anything because the boy sounded sincere with the apology. it was unlike anything she had expected out of him - a rich, pompous boy.

"i guess, i should forgive you," she managed to stammered out those few lines.

regardless, choi yeonjun smiled at her and said, "thanks, pres. but please don't tell anyone about what we did today. especially to the boys from school."

okay. maybe lia had gotten too ahead of herself. he was still, and would always be, a rich, pompous boy with a clever little tongue.

"i won't," regardless, she has to assure him.