Stranger From Hell

Chapter 12- One Of Them

I was standing on the terrace, watching the sun sink lower into the horizon. The sky was streaked with blazing orange. The sun looked fiery. It looked beautiful.

I stood on the terrace until it got dark.

When I turned around, ready to leave, I found Moonjo standing a few feet away, looking surprised. Maybe he hadn't expected me to turn around and see him. Had he been standing silently and watching me?

I should find it disturbing. But I only felt pleased.

Huh.

Was I so love and attention-deprived that I now was okay with this man watching me?

"Are you feeling better now?" The taller man asked me.

"Yes, thank you for last night. I really appreaciate it. I, I don't know how I can repay your kindness" Moon Jo took a few steps closer.

He put his hands behind his back and stopped, still a few feet away from me. "Easy, you just have to kiss me."

The streetlights cast a strange hue on my face. Almost bewitching. Almost. "What?"

"I'm just kidding, Jagiya." His porcelain skin, I wanted to touch it. I wanted to break that mask. What was the other man hiding behind the beautiful, polite disguise?

"Hyung," I said and licked my upper lip, watching the taller man's reaction carefully. "Or, hyung-nim, what should I call you?" I hated formality anyway. They should have stopped addressing each other with "-ssi" a long time back.

"Jagiya."

I sighed loudly. "Please, I have- Don't make this difficult for me. Everything is already so stressful that I - I like us talking. Don't make me avoid you."

Going back to the lonely days in Goshiwon without the Moon Jo pestering me had been an eye-opener. I realised that he was the only bit of sanity and company I enjoyed.

"I don't think I can do this further."

I felt like a rubber band stretched too far. I could snap any moment. It sounded like I was this close to begging. Maybe that was what this Moon-Jo wanted and enjoyed.

"Fine." Moon-Jo said. "But, you have to tell me everything about you."

"What?"

"I want to know everything about you."

******************************************

"So tell me" he crossed one leg over his other knee.

We are now sitting in the kitchen, apparently we had no other place to go and it's already getting late.

"You're really interested to know, huh?" I asked him, Moon Jo cocked his head to a side looking every bit interested as he most likely was. Nosy bastard.

"I'm twenty seven years old, I'm actually from Busan and I live with my mother and little brother. I am a hyung." I smiled in derision.

"The reason I came here is to work and to be closer with Jieun."

I didnt mentioned about escaping the trap my family was. I had escaped that cage only to realise that the cage wasn't limited to my house's doorstep.

My life was the entire caged.

If there was a higher life form, then it was out to get me.

I hated my father. I really hated him. He used to abused my mother and stole her money for his own personal used. He was never home, even if he's home, he would act like I'm invisible. Like I'm non-existent.

My brother and I would sit at one corner of the room, crying and hugged each other as we helplessly watched my mother getting beaten up by my father. We were kids. We didn't know what to do.

But one day as I get older, I snapped. I had enough of my father treated her like that so I stepped in, I beat him up the way he did to my mother. I didn't know what came into me, but the next thing I know I was beating the shit out of him. Luckily, my mother was there to stopped me, if not, I think he would have died.

"You find your work enjoyable?"

"Are you making fun of my job?" I asked amused.

"I was under the impression you didn't enjoy it."

I stared at Moonjo in surprise. "How much do I spill when I am drunk?" I asked rhetorically.

"Not as much as I'd like."

"You really don't hesitate, do you?"

"Why should I?"

"I don't mind." I shrugged. "I personally prefer it when people talk straight."

"Same here. We are totally alike, don't you think so?"

"Which part? the handsome part?" I teased him.

Moon-Jo chuckled, "So are you saying that I'm handsome?"

"...No."

"Don't lie."

What the hell. Why is he asking me if he already know the answer?

"Hold on." Moon-Jo said. He quickly stood up and took a small container from the fridge. He placed the container on the table and opened it up, it looks like a raw meat or something.

"You should try this, the landlady make it for us." he said, handling me the chopstick.

I picked up the meat using chopstick and quickly put it in my mouth. I immediately regretted the decision as the meat taste extremely weird and I feel like vomiting the food back. The meat has disgusting aftertaste.

"Why? You don't like it?"

"What kind of meat is this?" I asked curiously as I wiped off my mouth with a tissue paper.

"Human meat." Moonjo deadpanned. He looked serious. "Such a waste that you didn't like it. It's a high quality meat."

He then took a huge bite of it, eyes glued to mine as he eat the meat.

"Are you serious?" I stunned, searching his eyes as I was trying to figured out whether he is serious or was just messing around.

Moon Jo smiled when he saw the confusion formed in my face.

He cracked up. "I'm just kidding, you
should seen your face."

"No doubt," I wheezed "You belong in Eden Studio." Moonjo looked perplexed and I started laughing "Nuts. All of you." I stood up.

"You're one of us now, Yoon Jongwoo-ssi."

"You wish." I patted my stomach. "I am hungry." I opened the kitchen cabinet to check if there is anymore instant noodles. Then I asked over my shoulder, "Want some ramyeon, Moon Jo-ssi?"