Manual Of The Forbidden - Ryeji

Chapter 7

I lifted my gaze and encountered a beautiful, immaculately flawless face. Her smooth, pale skin made her eyes stand out, possessing a beautiful dark brown color, and her eyelashes fanned firmly upwards. Her cap, poorly placed, caused several brown strands to fall over her forehead, making the act of doing so beautiful on her face. Her plump, pink lips stretched into a lovely curious smile.

—Bonjour— she pronounced, and I remained static because I didn't know if she was saying goodbye or greeting me. The smile wavered on her lips, and she blinked. —Hello?

—Hi— I said, half-dazed by the beautiful youthful face right in front of me.

—Forgive me, I'm a bit distracted— she murmured, slightly flushed.

—No, no, I'm the distracted one— I said, then laughed.

—I'm Lee Chaeryeong, but you can call me Chaeryeong— she shook my hand.

—Yeji— I introduced myself.

—Are you Korean?— she asked.

—Yes, from Seoul, so I don't understand much French.

—Really? I was born in Gyeonggi, but I studied in Seoul for a while, and now I live here— she explained.

Now I understood why she had spoken to me in English from the beginning, but then I glanced at the door of the apartment she was about to unlock before I bumped into her.

—Do you live here?— I blurted out, catching the trio of numbers forming three hundred and eight.

—Yes, with my aunt.

The grumpy old lady who Lia had left the key to her apartment with was the aunt of the pretty girl smiling at me right now. I opened my eyes in surprise.

—Are you Mrs. Kang's niece?— I inquired.

—Yes, do you know her?

—Yes, well, not really— I said, and her expression turned into a look of confusion. —My friend left me the key to her apartment here, and I just came to pick it up, that's how I know your aunt— I explained.

—Oh! Are you the pretty girl who moved in with Lia?

— she asked as if she had completed a puzzle in her memory.

—Yes, and... thank you for the compliment.

—Oh, well, you are pretty— she murmured, shrugging. —Are you going somewhere?

—Yes, to a photography lab. Do you know where Flood St is? —I asked, looking at the crumpled piece of paper in my hand and stumbling over the street name.

—Yes, it's near one of the canals to the north.

—Is it far?

—No, you can walk there. It's about five blocks from here.

—Oh, thank you.

—I can take you if you want, I have a car— she offered.

—No, thank you, I'll walk today, I have plenty of time

— I said confidently.

—Oh, okay, can I invite you for coffee later? To get to know each other, I mean, we're going to be neighbors— she shrugged, somewhat embarrassed and slightly flushed.

—Sure, I'd love to.

—See you later then.

—See you later— I said. —Oh, and Merci— I murmured what I had learned from Ryujin yesterday when she thanked the waiter.