Serendipity

Chapter 6: Ahjussi or Samchun?

"Hey! Stop it, you're grabbing me too tightly!" I tried breaking away from him but his grip on me was too strong.

"This is my punishment to you for not recognising me at the bar." He laughs.

I moved myself so that we are face to face.

"Serious question, should I call you samchun or ahjussi? I know hierarchy is important in Korean culture?" I laughed at him.

His grip on me tightened. "Yah! You are killing me. You should pick your own size!" I teased him.

"I'm only 28 years old! He said confidently.

I laughed. "So ahjussi, then? I'm younger than you by five years."

"You're only 23 years old! I thought we're the same age!" He teased me back.

"Yah! I was haggard yesterday so it does not count! How about now? Do I look younger now?" He looked at me intently. I teased him by making funny faces. Our faces are only a few inches apart so I didn't think he's going to find me pretty so I decided to be funny.

"You look like a halmeoni." There goes that puppy smile again. He then hugged me.

I tried breaking away from his hug but I'm too weak so I just hugged him back. "Yah! I should report you to Dispatch! That will teach you a lesson? I laughed.

"You're funny!"

"Try me." I tickled him and his grip loosened. I then took his pillow and started hitting him with it.

"Stop it! Hey! I surrender! I stopped hitting him. He immediately tickled me.

"Yah! If you don't stop then I'll post your location on the internet then you'll have all the crazy fans, I mean friends you need."

My phone rang.

"Stop it! I need to answer my phone! That must be Ruth. He stopped and I ran to the living room. He followed me.

"Hello?"

"When are you coming? Do you still have a hangover? Also, you slept inside a guy's house, really!" She sure can be naggy.

"I'm on my way, no and yes, I slept in a man's house to survive. Talk to you later, bye! I quickly hang up.

He was beside me.

I looked at him and said, "I need to go. Ruth is going to kill me!"

"You want me to drive you?"

"No, it's fine! People might recognise you and besides my phone is fully charged now so I think I can manage. It was an honor meeting you. I won't forget this for the rest of my life. If I lived here, we could have been great friends despite you being an ahjussi." I smiled then hugged him tightly.

He didn't hug me back. He was frozen again and silent.

"I hate cheesy conversations and this makes me cringe." I laughed and looked at him for one last time. He didn't say anything. Why is he not saying anything? I thought to myself.

"I'm going now?" I waited for him to reply but he just looked at me. I don't understand his expression. Why does he look heartbroken? Is it because I teased him too much? These are the questions that circled in my mind.

I walked closer to him, we were only a few inches apart. I tiptoed and tapped him on his shoulder like what friends do. I smiled at him then left. Weirdly, I felt my heart sink. It was as if he was someone special, someone I've known for a long time. I brushed those feelings away and thought it was absurd.