A Tangled Web

Chapter 3

JongSuk stared at the burnt mess in the pan on the stove, he was pretty certain he had turned the heat down before he went to get the rest of the ingredients. This wasn't the first time something he had cooked had been messed with, he wasn't one hundred percent certain, but he  had a suspicion it was one of his classmates. He had thought being in college meant that the other students would be a bit more mature and not resort to cheap tricks. He had overheard some of them talking about him, they knew he had a scholarship, so it was painfully obvious he wasn't well off like the other students. He dumped everything in the trash and started over again, there was no way to salvage the dish, it wasn't like the time someone had "accidentally dumped an entire jar of red pepper flakes into one of his dishes,he just added some milk . The teacher was walking around checking everyone's dish. He wasn't going to be finished anytime soon, he wasn't sure if burning a dish would count against his grade,he sincerely hoped not.

  "What happened here." Teacher DongMin asked , 

Out of the corner of his eye JongSuk could see the other students smirking and whispering,he ignored them.

"I think I turned the heat up too high," he said it was sort of the truth, it was just that he wasn't the one who had turned the heat up.

"You should check next time," Teacher DongMin said before moving onto the next student, JongSuk breathed a sigh of relief. He managed to finish the new dish just as the class finished. Luckily this was his last class , he had a few hours to spare before he had to get ready for work at the cafeteria. He decided to go back to the dorm and study which meant watching cooking videos on YouTube, though he wasn't sure if Woobin, his roommate would be there or if he was out, in the two weeks since school had started they had only exchanged a few words with each other. It wasn't like Woobin was mean and bullying it was just that they had nothing in common,Woobin came from a conglomerate family, he was studying business so he could start working at his family's company. He was an orphan who'd been abandoned by his mother. 

"I said stop!" A girl's angry voice jerked him out of his thoughts, JongSuk looked around for the source there were people all around, talking with friends, or on their cellphones. Then he spotted what looked like a couple, the boy was grabbing the girl by her arm to drag her with him, the girl kept trying to jerk her arm out the boy's grasp. It was clear she didn't want to go with him, but the young man just wasn't listening, to JongSuk's shock, he actually slapped the girl. JongSuk hurried over,he didn't have a plan he just knew he needed to get the girl away from that man before he hit her again, when he got closer, he realized he recognized the girl it had been fourteen years, she was older and taller of course, but he  still recognized his Noona from the orphanage, she had sent him a picture of her high school graduation a few years ago. She had been in Japan, but now she was here in Korea and going to the same university.

"Noona!" He ran over to her throwing his arms around her effectively separating her from the young man, "I've been waiting for you,you said to meet by the fountains." 

Jin Hee looked at him then realized what he was doing,she played along."Mianhe,I lost track of time" she apologized, she looked at the young man, JongSuk hoped he would get the hint and leave Jin Hee alone, he was about to say something when his cell went off, his expression changed and he scowled before storming off leaving the two of them alone. Jin Hee let out a breath, her knees nearly giving way, luckily JongSuk caught her and led her over to a bench.

Jin Hee turned to look at him, "You've grown." She said reaching for his hand," I got all your letters." He had written to her for years and she always wrote back sometimes she sent treats from Japan he shared with the other children.

"I didn't know you were back in Korea." He said.

"I moved back two years ago, Okasan(mom) got sick so Otasan(Dad) and I moved to Korea , because Otasan had a friend who was a doctor that practiced here in Korea, it was hectic" JinHee said. 

"That guy is he your boyfriend?" JongSuk asked half afraid of the answer. 

Jin Hee sighed looking down, "I told him I wasn't interested he wouldn't take no for an answer ." 

"I saw him slap you, Noona." JongSuk replied, "He shouldn't slap people,why don't you tell him you're not interested in him "

"I've tried he threatens to kill himself if I don't go out with him ." Jin Hee said.

"Call his bluff " JongSuk said.

"What?" Jin Hee stared at him,"What do you mean,what if he actually hurts himself."

JongSuk shook his head, "Guys like that are cowards, he's not going to kill himself,he's manipulating you."

"What's your major?" Jin Hee asked.

"Culinary arts, why?" JongSuk said

"I'm surprised it's not psychology "Jin Hee replied 

"One of the younger kids at the orphanage used to threaten to hurt himself if he didn't get his way ,he'd bully the other kids to give him their toys and snacks"JongSuk said. "The other kids fell for it at first. But it was easy to see what he was doing " 

"What should I do,if I could tell him I have a boyfriend that would be fine, but I can't pull a boyfriend out of thin air." Jin Hee said

"Why can't you?" JongSuk asked. "We could pretend to be dating."

Jin Hee looked at him,"You want us  to pretend to be dating, you're practically a little brother to me won't it seem weird " she said.

JongSuk shrugged." I don't know, but it won't be awkward, besides you always helped me at the orphanage when we were kids, when the older kids bullied me at school you always came to my defense even though sometimes you got in trouble because the other kids parents complained to the teachers. You protected me at the orphanage from the older kids. I'm helping you out this time."

Jin Hee hugged him."Thank you " she said 

JongSuk returned the hug, then looked at his watch, he stood up." I have to go." He said he waved before heading off he couldn't help the smile on his face. Even though it was fake he actually had a girlfriend.