Broken Deal | Choi Jiung

22

surprisingly, after the day they embraced each other’s feelings, things were not awkward as they thought it will. both of them were more comfortable and it seemed like they can be more of themselves when they are together. not gonna talk about all the PDA they did at school that is day by day more concerning, especially to the one and only gu nil.

when ba ram and ji ung were on their way to the cafeteria, hand in hand of course, another hand decided to sneak in between to break their grasps. it was none other than gu nil who’s happily walking with his arms around their shoulders.

“i wonder what’s the menu today.” gu nil wondered.

“I heard it’s kimchi jjigae?” ba ram said, shrugging her shoulders. gu nil and ji ung frowned as gu nil lets down his arms, his hands in his pocket.

“kimchi jjigae here is bad.” ji ung nodded, agreeing and took out his phone to check on the food delivery app. “ji ung, you know the usual.” just as he was about to place an order, ba ram voiced.

“but I kinda crave for kimchi jjigae though.”

“no-“

“kimchi jjigae it is then.” Ji ung shoved gu nil to the side and wrapped her hand in his again. "my ba ram wants kimchi jjigae, gu nil." ba ram blushed and ji ung giggled couldn’t handle her cuteness meanwhile gu nil was left disgusted at the scene in front of him.

"i really want to kill you guys." gu nil laughed intentionally loud as he passed the two who seems to be in their own world.

-

it’s been the same for them at school and ji ung never missed on walking her home. the two were inseparable and it has been that way until their final exam ended.

ba ram, ji ung and gu nil would be together to study and helped each other. ba ram could not be more grateful to have gu nil who has never doubted her and it was unexpected that he is the most talkative out of the three and everything seemed to always be fun when he was storytelling whatever that was happening in his life. their days were never boring but filled with laughter instead.

and for ji ung, he was the best thing to ever happened in ba ram’s life. even while talking to him, she would sometimes zone out thinking how the man in front of her is real and that they are together. it took a kiss on the cheek from ji ung to finally calls her out from her daydream.

“It’s been more than I could count, ba ram.” ji ung caressed her hair when the wind would blow her hair making it a bit messy. “is there something you need to say to me, hm?”

ba ram smiled shyly. “nothing, it's just- I never really know how to properly behave around you yet, ji ung. it feels unreal still. but not in a bad way! and i'm sorry if it seems like i’m not focused when you are talking.”

the two of them were sitting at a bench under a cherry blossom tree. since the final exam ended, they have been going out on a date every weekend to keep them sane from missing each other too much. ji ung held onto the both of her hands, looking at her face. his eyes would slowly softens whenever their eyes locked, something that ba ram never failed to be mesmerized about.

“you did the thing with your eyes again. how can I be calm?”

“doesn’t compare what you did to me since the first day we met. my heart always feels like it’s exploding. I will never forgive myself if I didn’t help you that day, you know? and now that I can hold you like this, I’m not letting go.”

“i will always forever be thankful to you, ji ung. if it was not for you, I won’t be sitting here today. and I don’t want to imagine how mom will feel.” Her eyes slightly teared up thinking about the time where she thought ending her life would be the most rational thing to do.

ji ung immediately pulled her in his embrace, her face on his chest as he rested his chin on top of her head.

“I’m sorry for bringing that up, love. that was very insensitive of me. I’m sorry.”

“it’s nothing to be sorry about, it’s nice that we can talk about it now. I feel more at ease.” ji ung looked down at her.

“thank you for everything, ji ung.”

“do you think our kid will look cute?” ba ram looked at him weirdly and pulled away from the hug slowly and nudged at his chest.

“you do know how weird it is whenever you are changing topics, right?”

“I don’t really know how to take compliments.”

“you are different when I call you handsome though, just act like how you would usually do.”

“whatever. i will never accept your thanks because I am the one who is more thankful for everything. and I know we will fight over who’s more thankful later. but for today, please let me win. thank you for giving me a chance to smile again, my love.” ji ung sighed thinking about the day ba ram approached her.

“you know, I was so happy that day and secretly thanked my thug life because that’s the first reason why you approached me, because I know how to fight. and do you know how cute you looked like when you talked to me? And then all of the sudden, ‘protect me from them’-“

“I don’t sound like that at all!”

ji ung grinned and pinched her cheeks. “alright, alright. I will never forget that moment until the day I die. gonna share the story to our children in the future and to our grandchildren too that their mom and grandma was the cutest woman I have ever encountered.” ba ram stayed silent, but smiled listening to him.

“I love you, ba ram.”

the three words were not unfamiliar but whenever it came out from ji ung, she would always stop and think for a while if what he said was true. the love the two of them shared are genuine and ba ram believed that the man in front of her was her soulmate.

the first meet, the approach, the deal they made, the time they shared. Everything was fate and the broken deal that lead them to be in each other’s embrace was never something ba ram wished and hoped for. however, there’s a reason and a will for her to live her life to the fullest now.

“I love you, choi ji ung.”

fin.