A Wistful Summer's Night

Chapter 23: Cruel

Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt.

I pull my phone out of my pocket and answer it "Hello?"

"Are you sure you're not coming back to work?" Jin whines down the phone.

I laugh "Jin, I already went over this with you."

"But it's not the same without you...Jungkook is nowhere near as much fun."

I hear Jungkook shout 'What!?' in the background of the call and I laugh some more "Hey, don't be too mean."

"Alright, alright I'm teasing! Don't hit your elders."

"Any gossip from work?" I ask.

"Not really...Oh! There's a new coffee girl for Yoongi and let's just say he's most definitely missing you right now."

"Oh come on, she can't be that bad. It's just coffee!"

"She poured it all over him yesterday."

"Oh well...I guess that is pretty bad then."

"Yeah so I stand by what I said earlier, he's missing you."

"Yeah right, he probably thinks we are the same person."

"The next stop is Crescent Road." The bus announces.

"Where are you?" Jin asks.

"Oh, I'm on the bus, going into town for some shopping."

"Ah..."

There's a long pause. Typically this means Jin wants to ask me something.

"Jin?"

"Yes?"

"Did you want to ask me something?"

"Well..."

"Spit it out." I step off the bus and walk down the road.

"Well, what's the plan exactly? With you not working and everything? I meant to word that better." Jin says awkwardly.

I stop my feet and fiddle with my bag "I'm gonna wait."

"Wait?"

"To see if my script is accepted and if not then I'll start applying for jobs."

"As a runner?"

"No...probably office work."

"What? But Layla-"

"Look!" I push my hand through my hair and walk down the street "Please don't lecture me. I've made up my mind."

"...If you sure."

"I am, I promise." I look up "I'm at the supermarket, I'll talk to you soon okay?"

"Okay, bye."

I shake myself out of my thoughts and focus on my errand. I walk into the supermarket and pull out the shopping list I have "Hmm, okay so I need pork belly, shitake mushrooms, green onions and tofu."

I've been getting into cooking more recently, especially as I have more time in the day now I'm not working...

Anyway, I thought I'd try making a new dish for lunch today Kimchi Jjigae. Jimin constantly goes on about it so I want to give it a go and see if it's as good as he says.

Wait, do I need to buy kimchi? A memory flashes across my eyes. No, I should still have some left over from the jar Jimin brought over that his mum made.

I walk over to the fruit and veg. I wonder what my surprise from Jimin will be. I smile to myself. I can't wait!

I pick up the ingredients I need and head over to the meat counter. "Hiya, can I help?"