Semaphorism » Park Woojin

6장

"Eomma? That dress looks kinda weird." Minjae spoke, sitting cross-legged on her mother's bed, watching her Mum putting on a variety of dresses. "It's too short!" Minjae let out and formed a big circle with her hands. "Your butt is too small for this kind of dress," Minjae said and nodded when her mother shot her a shocked expression.

"Gong Minjae!" She gasped. "How are you even talking!" Gong Jinhye crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked at her daughter. Minjae's hair was messy as always and she still had some chocolate crumbs from her muffin on her cheek. "I'm talking like a teenage girl should talk. Park Woojin told me to speak more casually and even taught me some Satoori!" She chuckled and Jinhye looked at her.

"You've been talking about this Park Woojin kid a lot lately," Jinhye announced and tried not to smile. 'Could it be that my lovely daughter finally found a boyfriend?' Gong Jinhye thought.

"What's with that face, Eomma?" Minjae asked when her phone in her pocket rang. "Oh, it's Woojin!" Minjae said and her Mother looked up. She was watching Minjae intensely. 

"Woojin-ah, hello!" Minjae smiled when she picked up the call. But something about Woojin seemed weird. "Minjae" he huffed and Minjae looked past her mother, concentrating on Woojin's voice. "Minjae, I could use your help." He huffed once more and Minjae looked at her mother. "What's up, chingu?" She asked, her voice strained and Jinhye sensed something going on.

"Meet me in front of the school in fifteen minutes. Please-" Woojin started coughing on the other side of the line and Minjae blinked twice. "I'll be there as fast as possible!" She shrieked and hung up. "Eomma, I can't help you get ready for the night. I need to help my friend!" Minjae gasped and wiped the chocolate crumb out of her face before leaving her mothers room.

"A friend?" Jinhye asked and cocked an eyebrow. "Would she leave like that if it was for Choa as well?" She asked herself and looked at herself in the mirror once more. "Minjae is right. My butt is too small for this dress."

Ever since Minjae had officially befriended Woojin, she had been less lonely with Choa being busy in the Drama Club. Woojin always had time to eat lunch with Minjae and his two best friends, Jihoon and Jinyoung never minded having Minjae around. Not even Hyeongseop, who became Woojin's friend as well, minded Minjae's presence.

So when Woojin called with a voice full of terror, Minjae was shocked. She never had someone call her at nine in the evening to ask her to go somewhere because they needed help. Minjae's help.

Once Minjae reached the school she jumped off her bike and ran through the school gardens until she found Woojin sitting on the stairs to the main entrance. A sigh left her lips when she saw him sitting there. His hair was messy and he wore a baggy white shirt under a red zipper hoodie. 

His face was hidden behind his hands and Minjae gulped when she knelt down beside him. "Woojin-ah," she gasped when she saw his bruised face. "Did you fight with someone?" She asked and took Woojin's hands away from his face. Woojin shook his head. "Did you fall?" Minjae asked and looked at the bruises and cuts carefully. Woojin shook his head once more.

"My-" He started but didn't finish. He looked at his hands; too embarrassed to talk about anything at all. He couldn't tell Jihoon or Jinyoung. He didn't want to tell Hyeongseop but for some reason, he thought Minjae would understand. He looked at her, a tear escaping his eyes. "It was my mum." He confessed and Minjae gasped. "Your mother?" She asked and Woojin nodded.

"She was angry at me for coming home late. I was out with Hyeongseop. We went to an Internetbang and played LoL. And when I came home she said I was with my father and that I smelled like him." Woojin started, still looking at his hands. Minjae sat down next to him, a hand on his thigh, listening to what he was saying. "I told her I was playing with my friends but she didn't listen to me. She was stubborn once again and hit me with her purse." He gulped. "I tried to defend myself by shielding my face but then she continued to hit me. She didn't stop until I managed to run away from the flat." He sighed. "My first thought was coming here and then I called you." 

"It's pathetic-"

"Come home with me," Minjae said and Woojin widened his eyes. "Pardon?" He asked and Minjae repeated. "Sleep at my place tonight. My mum will give you something to eat and tomorrow we'll drive you to your mum and let the women talk about it." Minjae said and gently rubbed Woojin's thigh.

His eyes fell on her hand, rubbing his thigh up and down and he blushed slightly. Was she even aware of what she was doing? He gulped. "I really don't want to be alone tonight," Woojin whispered and Minjae smiled. "That's why I offered you to come home with me." She smiled and continued rubbing his leg. 

"M-Minjae-" He started and the girl looked up with a wonderful smile that almost knocked Woojin over. 'Jesus Christ', he thought, rubbing his temples, 'what is this girl doing with me?'

Ever since Woojin had officially befriended Minjae he had spent more time with the chaotic girl. And with each day they spent together, he learned more about her. He already knew she was more of a touchy-feely kind of girl. But her hand on his thigh wasn't really helping with his racing mind.

Jinyoung had told him that thinking about girls too much could make one fall in love with them. And Woojin was thinking about Minjae a lot... He wasn't a beginner in this dating thing as Jihoon or Jinyoung were but his first relationship only lasted fifty days or something because the girl was getting tired of him and wanted to study rather than going on a date.

But Minjae was so different. She didn't even seem to be a girl that was that interested in love.

"Woojin? I've been talking to you." Minjae said with a smile. "Eh, sorry," Woojin said. "I got a little distracted." He stuttered and looked away from Minjae's hand. "Shall we go?" Minjae asked and Woojin nodded.