Just A Few Numbers Away

Chapter 45

Beyond the Limit

The next day, Aen surprised Yoongi with tickets to a movie he had been eager to watch.

"You don't have to do this, Jagi." Yoongi said, though his eyes betrayed his excitement.

"But I want to."

"But—"

"No buts, Yoon. Didn't we agree? You treat me, I treat you. We're equals in this."

Yoongi looked away, scratching the back of his neck, a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks.

"I know. It's just... I’m not used to being the one getting spoiled. I feel like I’m going to get greedy and start expecting this all the time."

Aen laughed, her eyes crinkling.

"Don't worry about that. I've already planned tons of surprise dates for the future, so just be prepared."

​"Are you trying to spoil me?"

​"Yes. I'm going to indulge you as long as I can... well, afford to," she added sheepishly.

​Yoongi reached out and patted her head affectionately.

"Then I’ll just have to step up my game. I can’t have my Jagiya doing all the heavy lifting."

***

Days passed, and Aen felt a sense of relief.

No one had bothered her on her routes, and she began to think the storm had finally passed.

She was feeling excited today; her shift was almost over, and her last stop was Yoongi’s office.

After work, they were meeting the rest of the boys for a celebration dinner at Jin’s restaurant.

​As she was about to cross the street, a group of four young women suddenly surrounded her yogurt mobile.

​"Hey, Ahjumma," one girl said, a lollipop tucked in the corner of her smirk.

She emphasized the word with a condescending tilt of her head, clearly using the term as a weapon to mock Aen’s uniform and delivery job.

"How much for four bottles of Yakult?"
​Aen blinked, caught off guard.

"It’s ₩780 per bottle, so ₩3,120 total."

​"Give us four," another snapped, not looking up from her phone.

​Aen opened her cooling compartment and handed them the drinks.

One of the girls pulled out four ₩1,000 bills, but as Aen reached for them, the girl deliberately opened her fingers, letting the money flutter to the dirty pavement.

​The group erupted into giggles.

Aen’s heart began to thud.

'They know,' she realized.

She must have been recognized when she lowered her mask for a drink of water earlier.

​Sighing, Aen knelt to pick up the cash.

Suddenly, she felt something cold and wet pour over the top of her head.

One of the girls had opened a Yakult and emptied it onto her hair.

​"Oops," they snickered.

"Our bad."

​Aen stood up, her expression neutral despite the sticky liquid dripping down her neck.