Chapter 24
I sat on the hospital bed in the school clinic, the sterile environment fading into the background as Jo stood beside me, our conversation weaving a cocoon of intimacy around us. We were lost in our own little world, the sound of our laughter and whispers mingling in a sweet harmony. But the tranquility was shattered when the door burst open, and a girl strode in, her confidence and poise radiating like a palpable aura.
Two of her friends trailed behind her, their faces expressionless, like shadows cast by her vibrant presence. "Oh no, not again," I whispered to myself, my eyes rolling in exasperation. I recognized the girl immediately– it was the girl who claimed to be the girlfriend of the Piano guy. Rumors swirled around her like a vortex, and I had heard enough to know that she was trouble with a capital T.
As she entered, Jo's head turned, his eyes locking onto hers with a flicker of recognition. "Chuchu," he said, his voice neutral, a mask that betrayed nothing.
Oh! Her damn name is chu chu!..wait Jo knows her???
Chu chu looked shocked as she called out, "Oppa!" The word hung in the air like a challenge, leaving me bewildered. Wait, what? I thought she was dating the piano guy as she claimed, not Jo. Why was she calling him "Oppa"? A pang of confusion struck me, my mind racing with questions like a runaway train.
As I studied Chuchu, I couldn't help but think that she was the type of girl who thrived on drama and attention, a master puppeteer pulling the strings of those around her. If she was dating Jo too, I wouldn't be surprised – she seemed like someone who could juggle multiple relationships with ease, her charm and charisma disarming even the most skeptical of onlookers.
As Chu Chu approached Jo, her gaze darted towards me.
" what!" I mouthed.
Jo's eyes never left hers as he asked, "What are you doing here?" His tone was casual, but I sensed a hint of tension beneath the surface.
Chu Chu's response was immediate. "Seolma yeojachingu ni??" (Don't tell me she is your girlfriend) she shot back, her voice laced with a hint of defiance. With a string of Korean words, leaving me bewildered. What did she say?
I found myself blurting out, "Hey, don't you dare talk bad about me!" My voice was sharper than I intended, and Jo's eyes met mine, his expression softening.
"Calm down." he whispered, his breath a gentle caress against my ear. "I can handle this."
I leaned in closer, my voice barely audible. "Look, if she's asking you out or trying to force herself on you, don't agree. I don't think she's recommendable at all."
But Jo's response was not what I expected. "She's my kid sister, the one I told you about," he whispered back, his eyes crinkling at the corners. I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, my mind reeling with surprise.
Jo's lips curled into a sly smile as he winked at me. "I gat this," he whispered, his breath tickling my ear.
I turned back to Chu Chu, my curiosity getting the better of me. Jo's voice was light and casual as he asked, "Chu Chu, what are you doing here?" But I couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to this situation than met the eye.
As Chuchu's gaze darted between Jo and me, a spark of irritation ignited within me. "Stop looking at me that way," I snapped, my voice tinged with annoyance, like a warning bell tolling in the silence. Chuchu's eyes locked onto Jo's, and she began to speak in a tone that was both dramatic and accusing, her voice trembling like a leaf in the wind.
"Oppa, do you know what this girl did to me?" she said, her words dripping with indignation. "Like she hit me and ran away. Do you know what that means?" The question hung in the air, a challenge and an accusation all at once.
I stood up immediately, my temper flaring like a wildfire. "Hit you indeed! Well, the truth is that she started it first," I retorted, my voice rising like a stormy sea. Jo's calm gaze met mine, his eyes a soothing balm to my frazzled nerves. "Calm down," he said, his voice a gentle whisper.
But I couldn't calm down. The injustice of Chuchu's accusations boiled over, and I glared at her, my anger simmering like a pot about to overflow. "How can I calm down when she is here to saying rubbish against me?" I demanded, my voice laced with indignation.
Chuchu took a step forward, her eyes flashing with anger, and I thought she might attack me. But Jo swiftly intervened, positioning himself between us like a shield. "Chuchu, for the last time, I asked what are you doing here?" he demanded, his voice firm and authoritative.
Chuchu's response was laced with venom, her words dripping with malice. "I am here to repay her debt. I am here to give her back what she gave me. She hit me, and I am here to do the same to her. And besides, don't think because you are my brother you can stop me." Her words hung in the air, a challenge to Jo's authority and a declaration of her intent to settle the score. The tension between us was palpable, the air thick with unspoken threats and unresolved conflicts.
"Chuchu, Chuchu," Jo called out, his voice a low, measured warning.
There was a subtle edge to his tone, like the quiet before a storm, and I could sense the unspoken threat beneath his calm words. "Chuchu, leave this place now," he repeated, his voice firm but controlled, like a gentle breeze that belied the turmoil brewing beneath.
"Besides, I know Sarah isn't someone to start up a fight," Jo continued, his voice unwavering, a steady anchor in the turbulent sea of emotions that threatened to engulf us. Chuchu's eyes flashed with anger, but I nodded in agreement, a small smile playing on my lips like a whispered secret. "Exactly," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, a gentle breeze that carried the weight of my conviction.
"Shut up," Chuchu snapped at me, her anger boiling over like a pot left unattended, the lid rattling with the force of her emotions. "Why don't you just use a glue to glue my mouth?" I shot back, my words laced with sarcasm, a shield to deflect the venom in her voice. Chuchu's face twisted in rage, her eyes blazing with fury like a wildfire consuming everything in its path.
"Leave, just leave," Jo interjected, his voice firm, a calm authority that brooked no argument. "We've agreed not to...we have agreed to pretend not to know each other till we graduate, so kindly leave," he repeated, his words a clear dismissal, a door slammed shut on the drama that had unfolded.
Chuchu's gaze locked onto mine, her eyes flashing with malevolence, a cold, calculating glint. "Thank your stars, just thank your stars," she hissed, her voice venomous, a snake spitting its poison. I laughed, a cold, mirthless sound, a reflection of the darkness that lurked beneath her words. "No, you should thank your stars," I retorted, my voice dripping with sarcasm, a shield to deflect the malice in her tone. "Because even if your brother wasn't here, I would have dealt with you, and maybe by now you would have been missing some teeth."
With a final, furious glance, Chuchu stormed out of the room, her friends trailing behind her like obedient minions, the tension dissipating like a departing storm, leaving behind an uneasy silence that hung in the air like a challenge.