Snow Prince [Mature]

#4

For the past one month, Jaejoong's parents were very nice to Jaein and they treated her like she was their own daughter. In contrast, Jaejoong seemed to be getting less attention from them than she did. Jaein felt at ease in the household, as there was only one bad apple in the basket. And that was Jaejoong.

He did not improve at all in his attitude towards Jaein, even though his parents welcomed her wholeheartedly, showering her with all the love and attention that she used to have when her parents were still alive. To Jaein, they were like her substitute parents. But Jaein felt like she was taking Jaejoong's parents away from him, as he seemed to have alienated himself more and more from his parents. She felt more and more indebted and sorry towards Jaejoong by the day.

And so she found herself taking on the household chore duties when Jaejoong's parents finally had to leave for business overseas, as a way to make up for her feelings of debt towards Jaejoong. She would make breakfast and dinner for him and herself, and do the laundry and simple cleaning around the house, whenever the hired maid who came once a week wasn't around.

But even though she made the meals for both of them, she never ate with him. Not even once. He would always come down so late for breakfast that Jaein would had already left to go to school. And for dinner, he would be back so late that Jaein had already retreated to her room to do her homework. But everytime, Jaein would find that the dishes were left in the sink for her to wash. So she was glad that at least he was allowing her to do something for him by eating the food that she cooked for him.

As Jaejoong's parents were gone for a long period of time, this kind of arrangement went on for some time. And one night when Jaein was studying late for a test, she came down to get some coffee from the kitchen and she saw Jaejoong pouring away the food that she had prepared for him. She was too shocked for words. Jaejoong just poured all the food that she had painstakingly prepared and saved for him into the chute, left the dishes in the sink and walked right past Jaein, and out of the kitchen as if nothing happened. After Jaejoong left the kitchen, Jaein took a deep breath, and walked over to the sink and washed the dishes.

Jaein's thoughts (sadly): Do you really hate me so much that you are throwing all the food I prepared for you away everyday? If it's really so hard for you to live with me... Maybe I should just leave...

A tear escaped Jaein's eye and fell down her face, dropping onto the plate she was soaping.

Jaein's thoughts: I'll start looking for an apartment tomorrow... And tell Uncle and Auntie when they are back... Then I'll leave for good... And never bother you ever again...

Jaein finished washing the dishes and made herself a cup of coffee, before taking the newspaper classified section and walking back to her room.

From that day onwards, Jaein never made another meal for Jaejoong. She would be gone earlier than him in the morning and back much later than him at night, as she wanted to used the extra time to take on a few more part-time jobs to earn enough money to pay for the first three months' rental for the apartment.

The first time Jaejoong came down from his room to find nothing on the table for him for breakfast, he felt puzzled, but didn't really think too much into it. But when he didn't see food for him for the next few days he wondered if it was because Jaein saw him pouring away the food that night in the kitchen.

Jaejoong's thoughts: Maybe I really went too far... She was just being nice making food for me... Why did I have to be so rude to go throw it all away? And the truth is... I don't dislike her so much... Why am I making things difficult for her to fit in? She must have been really disappointed when she saw me that night... But the harm's already done... What can I do now?