The Elephant Between Us || SKZ

chapter eight

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THE LIES WE TELL COME BACK TO HAUNT US

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The next few days went on peacefully for Jeongin and her sister.

He was doing well in the job he had found and, although he was spending the whole day sitting on a chair with his nose sticking to a desktop screen, he enjoyed it. Jeongin knew he'd be a great programmer in the future, he just needed patience.

On the other hand, Jeongmin was so successful smiling at customers and tourists at the café, that she had even been promoted - whatever it meant - in the first two weeks, which enabled her to take much more money into their house, as well as some payment in advance.

Jeongin didn't believe it at first, yet the fact was that she really was getting more money than they had planned. As much as she could criticize her boss, that man was definitely a sweetheart.

And Jeongmin was a good actress.

"Should we go to the cinema this weekend?" He asked, sitting on the couch with his knees against his chest as he watched TV.

It felt so great to be connected to the rest of the world through a TV again. They felt less alone and the silence seemed way lighter.

"Is there any movie you want to watch there?" Jeongmin asked, her eyes glued to the window as she stood by it, her body leaning against the wall.

"Well... No, I don't think so." He looked at her, pouting as he thought. "I guess I just miss popcorn." He chuckled. "And not those I bet were made of styrofoam."

"I don't know. I'm tired."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm tired."

"I mean beyond that. You haven't taken your eyes out of that window for the last two weeks, sis." He adjusted his body on the couch as she finally looked at him. "Is there anything bothering you?"

"No, not at all." Jeongmin denied it with her head as she walked over to him with her arms crossed, sitting by his side. "Actually..." She looked at him, resting her cheek on the arm he had behind her neck. "...I'm pretty happy that we got this."

"All thanks to you." Kissing her forehead, Jeongin smiled. "Thank you."

"Geez! Stop that..." She automatically blushed, of course.

It was not every day Jeongin thanked her for doing something for them. In fact, he barely had reasons for that in the past.

She was always the one messing up first. And then it was Jeongin messing up, but only because she lost control in the first place.

Things were going to change, though. They were already changing, and that was what caused Jeongmin to smile while watching TV with her brother, just like in the old times.

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"If your diamond necklace was missing, how much time would you take to report it?" Jeongmin asked Hyunjin, leaning over the counter as she used her break.

"It really depends." He answered as he cleaned the counter, not noticing the surprise on Jeongmin's face.

"But like, what if you suspect it was stolen and it was really dear for you?"

"How dear?"

"I don't know, just imagine it was really precious. How long?"

"Maybe a few hours. Days, maybe? I'd have to turn my house upside down before calling the police. Those people are too crazy to be called for no reason." He chuckled, yet she didn't.

"How about two weeks?"

"Can you even report an object missing for two weeks?"

"Probably?"

He shrugged and took two cups of coffee to a table, coming back six seconds later.

"Yeah, you probably can, but if you don't report it after the first week, do you even still remember what you missed?"

Could that be? Could Changbin have forgotten he ever had a watch worth all that amount around his wrist?

She didn't regret what she did. Thanks to the money she had got selling the watch, they were able to buy a television and clothes for the next season, as well as basic things such as lamps, pans and decent cutlery. Now that they had curtains, they no longer had the sun burning their eyes every morning. After weeks of using a single flip phone for essential communications only, they were finally able to connect to the world through a smartphone. Finally.

So no, she definitely didn't regret stealing the hell of that watch. Jeongmin just hated the fact that she had to lie to her brother every time. She hated that he thought all the money she had been seemingly receiving was due to her hard work when, in reality, it was just her injecting a little bit of all that money into their wallet every day. She couldn't sleep thinking that, one day, Changbin could come to their house with two policemen behind his back. That possibility was consuming her to the point she couldn't leave the window of their apartment.

She could lie to the whole world. She could lie to anyone, but not to her brother.

"Let's be rational, Jeongmin," Hyunjin said, sighing as his shift was over, coming to her side behind the counter. "Nobody forgets a diamond necklace."

She raised her eyebrows, her heartbeat fighting for first place in a race.

"So there are only two options." Hyunjin tilted his head to the side, showing her two of his fingers.

"Tell me," Jeongmin said, looking at him.

"You either still believe that it's hidden somewhere behind a wardrobe in your house..." He glanced at his fingers before continuing. "...or you don't want it back at all."

"No way. Not wanting a diamond necklace?" Jeongmin laughed but didn't take long to stop, noticing his serious face. "Nobody's that stupid."

"Just imagine it wasn't yours in the first place."

"What?"

"Everybody wants that unless it carries a problem bigger than all the money you can get from it."

At that moment, Jeongmin looked at the clients in front of them, eating, drinking and chatting.

And that was when she realised the reason why Changbin's wallet was empty, as well as why he hadn't come after her.

That watch was not his.

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