For Love's Sake || Jeno

02: Bite the bullet

Naeun could hear an angry voice as she entered the apartment complex. The voice was carried down the staircases. It was the familiarity of the voice that made her run.

When she arrived at the third floor, breathless, she could hear the words clear as day. "But when? I'm asking you," the angry male voice shouted. Naeun walked closer to her apartment and just as she had expected, the two people were standing right at the door. "Two months you lived here without rent. You're not gonna pay up for the third month too, are you?" That was a shock. Naeun knew that they were short on money but she didn't know it was this bad.

"I'm very sorry, Mr. Choi," Naeun's sister, Seulgi, was saying. "I'll pay all of the dues, I promise. I just need a little time." It made Naeun angry to hear the pleading tone in Seulgi's words.

"You've been saying that for two months!" Mr. Choi shouted.

"Just give me some time, please. I'll surely pay this time."

He raised a finger and pointed at Seulgi's face, "if you don't pay up by the end of this month, I'll have you thrown out," he seethed, turned around, and stomped away. He glared at Naeun when walked past her in the hall.

When Seulgi's eyes fell on Naeun she replaced her worrisome expression with a smile for her little sister's sake. "Naeun," she called out. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough." Naeun walked towards the door. "What was that about last months' rents?" She demanded. "What's going on, Unnie?" She asked, more softly. "Is everything alright at work?"

"Everything is okay, Naeun," her sister said with so much conviction that Naeun almost believed her for a second. "It's not your job to worry about bills and rents. Your job is to study hard, alright? It's my job to look after you and make a living." No, it isn't. You're supposed to be a little more carefree. You should be dating around, having fun with your friends and shopping with the money you earn. The person who is supposed to be paying bills is...

"Is mom home?" She asked.

"Yes. Are you going to keep standing at the door? Come inside." Naeun moved past Seulgi. "And why are you so late from school, huh?" She asked, closing the front door.

"I was studying," the lie came to her easily. "Unnie, how are you going to pay three months' worth of rent?"

"I just told you to not worry about-"

"How am I not supposed to? You won't even let me do a part-time job."

Seulgi only smiled, gentle that she was. "This time I'm sure I'll be able to pay," she took Naeun's hands in hers. "The company is signing a new contract soon and my boss hinted at promotion if the project is successful." Soon. Hinted. If. So many uncertainties.

"Even with the promotion, how will you pay three months' rent? Then there's groceries, bills. Not to mention mom's going to take money from you for... you know."

Seulgi quickly shushed her and looked towards their mother's room, afraid that she might have heard Naeun. But how could she? She must surely be drunk and passed out by this time of the day. "Naeun, please. I have some money saved. Just trust your sister, alright?" Naeun nodded just to put Seulgi's concerns at rest.

When she set out for school the next morning all she could think about was getting a couple of part-time jobs, all the while keeping them a secret from Seulgi. She had been trying to find one yesterday too, leading to going home late. Presenting the money to Seulgi would be another problem but she could find out a way later.

Amidst her troubles, she had forgotten about her other problem that went by the name Lee Jeno. That was until she saw him entering school, zooming past her on his black motorbike. Naeun could have sworn a dozen people had slowed down or stopped completely to watch Jeno park his bike, take his helmet off and shake out his short blonde hair. It was all because of the damned sunlight making his stupid handsome face look even better but Naeun quickly turned away before he could see her.