Indifference | MiShu

Part IV

Minutes have passed. I inhaled deeply. I can do this!

"Shuhua-ya. Do you hate unnie?" I asked her, pertaining to my self.

She didn't respond as fast as I would like her to, taking her precious time to chew the burger on her mouth.

She swallowed the food but didn't answer my question, instead, she gave me one back, "Why did you ask?"

"I-I don't know... The fact that you don't even look into my eyes whenever we talk, just like now? Isn't that what people do when they hate someone?"

"Do I have to look at you all the time?"

"No. N-Not really... What I mean is, can you be a little friendlier around me? You know, even just a little?"

"If I do that, then I wouldn't be myself. I would just be pretending." She reached for the remote and open the television.

"What do you mean..?"

"I'm known to be a cold person. Unnie. People would call me 'chic' when they first met me." Her eyes are on the bright screen of the LED, but I know she's not watching.

"But, are you really? A cold person, I mean?"

"You know there's a reason why they call me that, right? 'Cause I don't really care about the people around me, especially those that I barely know." She looks at me and for the first time, she did not look away.

"I'm still a stranger to you. Got it." I muttered sadly.

"No. I'm not gonna call you 'unnie' if you are. You're just somewhere in between."

"Then, c-can I do something to change that?"

"Just continue being who you are. I don't like artificial people."

I nodded at her, and she smiles a little.

Oh my God, she smiles.. At me! Oh gosh, my heart is melting, her smile is so cute.. She's cute. Okay, calm down, Miyeon.

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind then." I smiled at her as well.

Suddenly she became so serious, "And stay away from my Jin-Jin."

Oh. Right. Her Jin-Jin. The only person she can't share with anybody. She could share her pizza, sure. But Soojin? Nah. That girl belongs to her. I wonder how far back they came to be that close?

***

When we finished our pizza and burgers, we just browse through the television for anything to watch, anything that isn't about a boring documentary about some caves.

"I see that you still went with that instructor. Unnie." Shuhua blurted out of nowhere.

"Y-Yeah. He really helped me a lot today."

"Then, I guess you're ready with the possible consequences. Right?"

"Yaaa.. Don't scare me like that, Shuhua-ya."

I wished she was just joking but the expression on her face tells me otherwise.

"You don't know how scary the people can be."

Actually, I do. But I didn't say that out loud and let Shuhua continue what she's saying.

"And rumors travel faster than light here at this university. Especially with a new girl like you." Shuhua slid down from the sofa to the floor and stretched.

She's right. But I know I shouldn't worry, I'm not doing anything wrong. My conscience is clean. I'm not even attracted to Seo Ho-oppa like that. He's kind and sweet, and I'm not gonna assume he's got feelings for me until he said it himself.

But what if he really confess? What then? No, I shouldn't even think about it, my goal is to improve my skills and debut as an idol, I really should focus on that alone.

"Unnie. Your phone is ringing." Shuhua pointed out. I zoned out thinking of nonsense things. Geez.

"Ah.. Right. I'll be back."

I went outside to answer the call. It was chilly outside and I forgot to bring a coat. Man, I'm really distracted. I just hugged myself to give myself some heat. The call was from Mom, asking me how I'm doing. I gave her a quick update of my first day in school, and what happened today. Not too detailed, though, yet I mentioned about my free lessons from oppa, and the improvement of my relationship with the girls.

"That's very sweet of him, my dear. Can I meet him and thank him personally? Maybe I can cook something for him?"

"Mom, you don't have to do that. I'll just buy oppa a gift, don't worry."

"Are you guys dating?"

My face got too red due to embarrassment, luckily I went outside so no one could see me blushing.

"MOM! NO! Oppa's just an acquaintance, a friend. Nothing more."

"Hmm.. I see. Are you still afraid of getting in a relationship after what happened in YGU?"

"No, Mom... Okay, maybe. I don't know. I guess I'm not ready yet. It was pretty traumatizing, I admit."

"I understand. Take your time, dear. And oh, I want to meet the girls as well, if you guys are free this weekend." There's a pause on her line, "I want to meet that cold girl you kept on talking about.. Shuhua, right?"

I may have told my parents about Shuhua once or twice before, or maybe more than that. Mom doesn't want to believe my description of her, she even told me I was exaggerating things, so she wants to meet her and see for herself how Shuhua is.

"I'm not sure if they would want to go with me, Mom. We've only been living together for like a couple of days or so, I don't know if——"

"Oh come on, my dear daughter. If that's your reason, then we won't probably meet them until after ten years... Is that really what worries you?"

No, Mom. I just don't want you to embarrass me in front of these girls, especially to Shuhua since she already thinks lowly of me.

"Yes, Mom. That's what worries me." Of course, I lied. Typical Miyeon.

"Cho Miyeon-ssi, you would never know until you ask them. And don't you know that once you use the 'Parents Card', no one can resist you?"

Well, I should use it to Shuhua then, so that she can't resist me. I mean, she won't ignore me anymore.

It's already past eleven when I went back inside, and the girls are still not here. Our curfew's at ten-thirty, and the gate usually closes after that.

"Shuhua-ya. You're not gonna sleep yet? How would the girls enter now, by the way?"

"They're just gonna have to sleep somewhere else, then. It's their fault, they went past curfew. And left me here." She's still upset, after all. At least I know now that she doesn't hate being in the same room as me.

"Okay. I'm going to sleep now. You?"

"I'm not sleepy."

"I see. Goodnight, Shuhua-ya."

She just nodded without looking at me, and I left her in the living room to go to sleep.