Attachment. /Himchan/

Chapter 4

The subway was full as usual on typical Sunday night. People who just went back from their 2 days 1 night trips, groups of elderly women who just went back from hiking in the mountain, or just normal couples who went for a date. And there was Ayoung and Jungah, whose hands were full with stuffs for redecorating.

"Do you think he will come? What if he's younger?" Ayoung felt uneasy thinking about their new flatmate.

"So? It only makes us appear younger if we hang out with him."

"That's not my point."

They both finally arrived at their station after transferring four times with heavy loads. The two ended up dragging the shopping bag after few meters getting out of the station. They grunted that this was a bad idea and all.

Few buildings away to their flat, someone ran toward them and helped them with their shopping bags. His dark hair made his face brighter and both Jungah and Ayoung could see that he didn't look that bad. He lifted the bags at ease despite his skinny-looking body. "Here, let me help you two."

Jungah noticed his voice. "You're Seyong, right? Our flatmate candidate. I know your voice." She stared at him. "But don't find it creepy. I have keen ears, that's why."

"And keen eyes..." Ayoung added.

"I am. I asked the landlady and she said I could wait here. She hinted how you two look like."

"Ah, okay. I haven't introduced you two. Kim Seyong, Kim Ayoung. Kim Ayoung, Kim Seyong." Jungah introduced the two, the latter nodded at each other. She pressed the front door's passcode and let everyone in. The three walked upstairs with Seyong carrying their shopping bags.

"If it's too heavy you can share with me." Ayoung offered him.

"It's not that heavy." He smiled at her.

After arriving at the flat, Jungah turned on the lights and Ayoung quickly went to the kitchen to get drinks for everyone.

"Just leave it there. She will bring it to the shop tomorrow." Jungah instruted Seyong to put the shopping bag near the front door.

"The shop? But won't it be too heavy for you two to carry this?" He asked. Ayoung gave him a glass of cold water. "Thank you."

"I can take turns to bring them, I don't have to redecorate in one day anyway." She sat down while Jungah opened the documents.

"Come sit here. We need to discuss about your rent."

The night ended up with Seyong was accepted as their flatmate. He was a writer, so mostly he would be at home. He previously lived in Tokyo but his hometown was Busan. He moved his stuffs on Tuesday so the two girls decided to help him and marked their schedules.

--

The usual mornings started by Ayoung waking up first before Jungah so she took the bathroom first. She walked with half-closed eyes, lazying about as she needed to be in Namu as soon as possible, to start redecorating the store.

She bumped into something as clumsy as she was. But it wasn't a door, a wall, or a table. In front of her eyes was a human body. A bare chested man in a towel, leaning on the bathroom's door frame.

"Are you fully awake?" A guy voice snapped her while looking at his chest. She looked up and gasped. He chuckled.

"Who are you..." Ayoung immediately remembered that they had a new flatmate, Seyong. She was too embarrassed to look at his face, but she avoided his stares only to look at his chest, thus making her more embarrassed. She didn't know where to look.

"I'm your flatmate. Now if you excuse me, you've blocked the exit..." He pointed the way with his eyes.

Ayoung noticed that she was indeed in front of the door. She moved a bit, letting him out. She was still awkward, not knowing where to look while there was only bath towel hanging on his waist. He chuckled and walked toward the kitchen.

"Where are you going, so early?" He asked from the kitchen, getting some water.

"The...store...redecorating..." She didn't know why she stuttered. Seyong wuickly noticed the shopping bag he helped them last night.

"Want me to help you? It's heavy for you to bring, as I told you last night."

"No, it's fi-fine..." She went into the bathroom and locked the door, which was a thing she never did before.

Seyong chuckled again. "How cute."

--

Ayoung ended up going to Namu with Seyong's help bringing the stuffs for shop redecoration. He said he wanted to know where she worked as she was his flatmate. His manhwa face made him getting stares in the bus and streets, making Ayoung uncomfortable since he kept talking at her and strange glances were laid at her. Especially from high school girls. Or just girls in general.

They finally arrived at Namu.

"You can put them over there and your work is done here." Ayoung said to him. The shop staff for that day had not arrived yet so there were only the two of them in the shop.

"You're a potter? Wow." He looked around the shop after putting the bags down. "Can't I stay for awhile? Are you going to make something? Anything? I've never had a potter friend before, though I study fine arts."

"You study fine arts? That's unexpected of you."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Why? I don't look like an art student?"

"Not in the slightest." She went to the backyard to check the kiln. Seyong followed her in jolly.

"This kiln looks cool."

"I guess you are indeed an art student. Most people says this is a clay microwave or something like that." Ayoung then went back to unpack the stuffs. She looked around where to do first.

"The studio is upstairs, right? There must be a lot of cooler stuffs upstairs." He looked around and found a plate bisque. "Did you make this?"

She peeked from the display rack. "Yes, I did."

"Can you teach me?"

She sighed. "Don't you have anything to do?"

The shop staff for Monday shift arrived and greeted Ayoung. She greeted her back. Seyong's existence made the staff surprised.

"Good morning." He greeted her.

"Don't scare her." Ayoung said as she wiped the dust on the shelf. "Myungbin ssi, can you help me with these stuffs?"

Myungbin put down her bag after saying yes to Ayoung. But she noticed a note on the cashier desk, next to the monitor. It was meant for Ayoung, from Yeeun, Friday's shop staff. "Ayoung sunbae, there's a note here left for you." She walked toward her and handed the note.

Ayoung sunbae, someone asked the black mug with the square red.
He left his number. He wanted to buy it but it wasn't registered yet so I declined.
Kim Himchan
010-566-xxxx

She was surprised upon seeing the name. 'There could be dozens of people with the same name, right?' She shove the note into her jeans pocket. Seyong stared at her. "Myungbin-ah, can you stick these wall stickers? That will be all for this morning, you can open the shop afterwards."

"Okay."

Ayoung went upstairs, with Seyong following her. "You're really not going anywhere-" she turned back only to bump at his chest, making her reminded by what happened in the morning.

"I want to see the studio. Who knows it would help me with my writers block." He smiled as his head excitedly looked around to guess what was the second floor like.

"I have lots of work to be done and I need you to leave." She said, avoiding his eyes. Anymore minutes with him would only make her reminded by his bare chest. Not that it was disgusting, but toned abs were something she rarely saw up close.

"Okay then." He walked few steps back. "But I will pick you up for dinner. You can't say no. It's our first dinner as flatmates."

Seyong waved at her as he left the shop.