Black on Yellow, Peasant on Princess

Chapter 2

Jihye couldn't believe her situation. The kid earlier had asked to be invited into her house. She understandably declined. No matter how she looked at him, he was still a boy, a male. It would be inappropriate of her to bring him along. Lucas suggested that she should lie and claim him as her distant relative. She then refused even harder, going as far as to run away from him after locking the restaurant door. Lucas easily caught up to her, unwavering. She wondered aloud what was wrong with him.

"Like I said," Lucas said nonchalantly, "I will live with you from now on."

From the beginning, was this even a request? A statement?!

"It has been my utmost courtesy not to hurt someone's feelings, so forgive me, but did you hit your head somewhere?"

Lucas chuckled as he twirled her black hair. Her rough, straight hair, however, was weird to him so he stopped twirling it and instead swayed his palm across the edge. "No, and stop fucking hitting me." He said that because Jihye had been slapping away his hand that touched her hair repeatedly. He gave up for now after a short slapping contest. He huffed, "I wonder how long it will take to get used to this."

"Me too." Jihye nodded, gazing absentmindedly towards the alleyways.

They were walking towards her house now. Jihye had explained before about her house, it was more like a room with an attached toilet. She had explicitly said that she was poor, in an attempt to discourage Lucas from coming with her. It was futile as he even promised to work for her. "Then I just get money," he had said. She suspected that this boy might be homeless or didn't have a family, but for him to offer such lovely words. It would be a deal well dealt. Lucas would have a place to stay and Jihye could press her outcome if she split the household bill with him. After constant nagging from her conscience, Jihye agreed to let Lucas live with her. With one condition. No touching no matter what happened.

Initially, Lucas growled in annoyance, but Jihye was strict about this one and only rule. The boy though found a way to make the condition slightly better. Now the condition was: 'No touching without the other's consent.'

Jihye and Lucas sealed the contract by shaking hands. Both felt proud of this deal.

"Can I touch you?" He questioned suddenly.

"No. And you're too young for romance. If I had the means, I'd enrol you to school."

The boy scoffed. 'Young' she said. "You'd be surprised."

She responded by holding her bag close and have her pepper spray ready. At home, she almost made Lucas sleep in the bathroom, but he fought hard for his human rights, so they slept each in the farthest corners. Lucas, however, didn't avert his red eyes from the snoring girl until morning.

''

After that, their neighbours started to ask who the handsome boy was. Lucas almost answered that "That girl is min-" before Jihye harshly stepped on his foot and explained that they were distant cousins. The neighbours believed, seeing their black hair and age gap. Jihye still worked in the game center, while Lucas had miraculously joined Seoul's Ministry of Science. Jihye was disappointed at him for lying, but soon came to giving him her favourite jam bread when he showed the Certificate of Appreciation from the Minister himself. She heard Lucas mentioning that it was nothing since he studied many subjects when he was alone. Jihye then concluded that Lucas must really like studying.

It took him two months to stop using foul language. He still scowled whenever Jihye told him to wash the dishes or take out the trash. Nonetheless, his personality was more tolerable now.