Everything Seventeen

Mingyu Part 2

It was late at night. I had been too absorbed in my work that I did not check the time. I ended up finishing work an hour later than I promised myself. I just had to get my work done before the deadline hence I started on it tonight rather than the next day.

I gripped my sling bag and held it close to my chest in an attempt to warm myself up on this cold night. The streets I walked down were bursting with nightlife. Neon lights lit the streets up. Girls in skimpy dresses and heels walked past me with wide smiles. They headed for the pub up ahead. They swung the door open and music came blasting out followed by the pungent scent of alcohol. I held my breath and quickened my pace until I made it past the door.

"Hey, lady! Wanna pArtY? You mUsT be sooo exhAUSted fr0m w0rKing," a clearly drunken person called out.

Perhaps he was referring to someone else. I kept looking ahead and walked on. Barely a few steps later, I felt a hand grab my arm and roughly turn me around. I swung my arm out of his grasp and took steps backwards.

"Don't deny it. You want to relieve some stress. Maybe a few drinks can help you with that," he smirked, barely able to balance himself.

He eventually stumbled forward and grabbed ahold of my shoulders. He placed his weight on me and I shoved him away but he had quite a grip on me. I stumbled too and my back hit the shutters of a closed store. He started to lean on me and his face was dangerously close to mine. My heart palpitated. He was stronger than I was. His hand started trailing down my cheek and I shuddered.

I discreetly reached into my bag for something-anything that could save me. I faced away from him. All I could get was a pen. I flicked the cap off. Before he could make another move on me, I stabbed him in the arm with the pen with all my might. He screamed in agony and moved backwards. Score! I injured him!

He looked at me in disbelief and I quickly made for it. He shouted at me while chasing me pretty unstable. I darted straight past the row of shops until I saw one that was still open and was not a pub of any kind.

I ran up to the glass door and rushed in. I pushed the door close and leaned on it after I got in.

"Help me! A drunk man wants my virginity!" I shouted.

Someone poked his head out from the back. I could not see his face well.

"Is he armed?" he enquired.

"No. I don't think so but I stabbed him with a pen and he's really mad so I guess he is armed with rage," I quickly answered.

"Hide behind the counter and don't make a sound," he instructed me.

I did as he told me and dodged behind the counter just in time for him to burst through the cafe. I sat with my back to the counter and hugged my legs. Who knew what he could do? He asked the worker if I had been here.

"Huh? No. No one came here. I'm the only one here. Perhaps you can check somewhere else?" the mysterious worker suggested.

"Bullshit! I know she's here. COME OUT, WOMAN! I KNOW YOU'RE HERE!" his voice boomed.

I shook in fear. My heart still beating rapidly.

"Hey hey, I told you. Whoever you are talking about is not here. Please leave before I call the police," he calmly spoke to him.

The man argued back. Soon, he began overturning the place. The floor screeched as the chairs were roughly dragged across them. Instinctively, I looked around for anything in reach I could protect myself with. I stretched upwards and reached for a stack of trays.

Just as I was retrieving the tray on the top of the stack, I was unaware of the cutlery on top of it so when I pulled it from the stack, the cutlery clattered and hence attracted his attention. I held my breath and took a look at the tray I got. It had spoons. Just spoons. I expected knives or forks. Oh well, I would just have to make do. I inched to one side of the counter nearer to the door, betting he would not appear on that side.

Wrong choice.

I bumped into him and as he grabbed me by the collar, I threw the spoons in his face. I then swung my leg and kicked the back of his knees. His knees buckled and I took the opportunity to distance myself. I ran to the other end of the counter and used the tray as a shield.

"You. Are. Drunk. Leave me alone. I don't want to party. Go find someone else. I'll make you suffer worse! I have more than 1 pen!" I reasoned with him, gesturing to my bag.

"You are no fun. My arm is bleeding and my nose hurts. The next time I see you, WATCH OUT! I am not letting you off!" he warned me before storming out the door.

I watched as he left. I lowered the tray and sighed in relief. My heart was still beating rapidly but I was slightly relieved. The worker who had been stoning for whatever reason finally moved. I took a proper look at him this time.

Crap. This was the one my friend was fawning over the other day only to almost get heart-broken. He came up to me, asking if I was ok. He told me that the police was on the way too.

"Get away from me. You barely did anything. You just stood there like an idiot," I spoke to him harshly.

"I tried to talk to him and called the police tho-"

"But he still came in and found me and the police did not even arrive in time to catch him. If it weren't for his change of mind, I would have been toast. You probably can't even fight. WIMP," I slammed him.

I hated good-looking males but I particularly disliked this boy. He snapped and came and stood right in front of me.

"I could have beat him up and thrown him out the store but no. I let him do all that because of that CCTV right there. If I had done violence to him without proof of him harassing us in the first place, you think our explanation would be valid to the police? They need evidence and this is the best since the witnesses you have were all too drunk to even know you were harassed!" he made a point.

I fell silent and speechless. He was right. But I hated him SOOO MUCH!

He stayed in place. If he was not going to move then I would. I walked to another part of the cafe. I needed to get away from him. I was disgusted by him. Not just people like him but him. That boy. Mingyu? I think that was his name.

"Why are you so cold? I just did something good for you a few minutes ago. I could have chased you out and left you to manage on your own," he mentioned.

"You don't have feelings, do you? I hate boys like you! Girls are not meant to be played with. We have feelings too! You think oh-just because you are handsome, you can use it to attract girls only to end up throwing them aside? What you did to my friend was not cool. Not at all. So screw you," I blasted at him, completely ignoring the fact he helped me.

My judgement was clouded by hatred. Anything he did was wrong. Anything he did made me want to punch him in his beautiful face. His mouth formed an 'o', realising what I was talking about.

"So you are that girl from the other day? I gave my number to you but you threw it away," he asked.

"Yes so get away from me," I answered.

"Firstly, thank you for saying I'm handsome though I don't think I am that visually attractive. Secondly, I'm sorry I had to reject your friend. I had to let her know I was not interested. I was working and she was holding up the line. If she wanted to flirt, she should have chosen to do it while I was not working. I have money to make," he explained calmly.

"Ok but it still does not explain you giving your number to me while you were working too. Hypocrite," I added.

His cheeks were dusted pink and looked away for a short while. I was confused. He sat at a table and tapped the table, telling me to sit opposite him. I sat there anyway. What more nonsense did he have to offer?

"So... Ah, this is so weird to say. I don't know but when I first saw you, my heart just had this weird feeling. My eyes were like glued to you. It was as if my heart told me you were the one. I know you think this is bullshit but that was really what I felt. AND technically, you aren't a customer because you didn't buy anything so I am not a hypocrite," he explained again.

I rolled my eyes.

"So what? You want to listen to that 'heart' of yours?"

"Yup!"

"Hell no! I'm not falling into this trap of yours. I'm no easy girl."

"And my heart ain't no easy heart either. I've never felt this way for anyone else."

"What other tricks you got? Oh, FATE BROUGHT US TOGETHER AND LED ME TO THE CAFE COINCIDENTALLY AS YOU WERE WORKING LATE. It's called a coincidence, buddy," I said with obvious sass in my tone.

"It's not a trick but that! It's fate too!" he pointed out.

"Drop the act!"

"You just won't believe me now, will you? Fine, date me and you'll see I'm not like other 'handsome' guys," he challenged me.

"FINE! I am watching you, though! Prepare to be embarrassed," I took up his challenge spontaneously.

"Embarrassed by how much love you'll shower me with? I am well-prepared," he smirked.

We heard sirens and a police car pulled up in front of the cafe. Mingyu got up to attend to the police officers. I remained sitting in utter regret. What had I just gotten myself into?