They say, "Keep your friends close but your enemies closer."
But,
I hate him so much I can't even stand to be with him in the same room! Probably some of you will ask me,
"Omg! Why do you hate him?" ~
"He's so handsome and so talented; who can ever hate him?"
Well, I am! I hate Jae Hyunho Kang! Hearing his annoying voice makes my blood boil. Why? Well, let me tell you this:
Jae Hyunho has been my classmate ever since we were in elementary; even my parents know him and LIKE him more than me.
He is so good at being a goody-two-shoes when elders and even my parents are around, but when we're alone? He is the type of demon who eats the emotion of hate and turns it into his power!
Okay, it's exaggerated. But you know what I'm trying to say here, right?!
Hyunho also always hides my bag every time before dismissal; I had to tie my bag so it wouldn't get lost!
Now that we're in college, I thought I could breathe without him since he chooses law and I choose a business course. But I guess not.
My business professor told us to do group business inside the school premises. Our group rented the little room for storage near Hyunho's class building.
Our group decided to do a maid cafe.
"Yo, ugly, I'll order here." Hyunho went to our maid cafe almost every day.
I nudge my group mate to service him. Anna, my good friend, nods and walks towards Hyunho. "Hyunho! Our avid customer~ Come here and sit." Anna tries to be as cute as possible to approach him.
"Hey Anna, you're cute as always." Hyunho smiles and sits, then suddenly glances at me with a wicked demon smile.
"Since I'm the avid customer here, I deserve to ask my own maid, right?" For some reason I felt chills down my spine hearing what he said.
"Then, I'll have that ugly girl Suzi as my maid," Hyunho grins wide.
In the end I was forced to be his maid, though I can't really kick him out because he draws customers to us. I started to see some girls who like Hyunho sitting in the front row seats, and some other Hyunho's friends also visit the cafe.
"Whats' your order?" I forced a smile, but it looks so weird, making Hyunho laugh so loud.
"I'm buying the cat edition here, so I deserve what other customers get. Where's my 'nyaa' here?"
Apparently, to gain more costumers we have a little gig. If any costumers buys Cat edition, we will put cat ears and speaks like cat while their order is also aesthetic cat paw shape pancake. Tho its the most expensive product in our cafe.
"Nya, can I get your order?" I said in the most depressing way; there's no way I'll give that cute nya to him.
"Biscoff milk tea and cat edition pancake," he orders. I write it on the paper.
Suddenly, a guy from the back waves his hand to me. "Hey, ugly, can I also order a cinnamon pancake?" I force myself to smile and nod.
Hyunho, on the other hand, stands and walks towards the guy. "Hey, don't call that to her, you hear me?" Hyunho's voice suddenly felt so cold.
"Oh, I just thought everyone could call her that..." The guy got scared.
"Are you blind? She has a name tag. Her name is Suzi." Hyunho rests his hand on the guy's arm with a little pressure.
"But I heard you said it to her—"
"So if I said your mom's ugly, will you say that to your mom? Mhh?" Hyunho taps the guy's shoulder as he hears silence.
"Yup, I don't think so." Hyunho left the guy and held my wrist towards his seat.
"I change my order, Suzi..." Hyunho suddenly calls my name now.
"I want some 2-cat edition pancakes in takeout and a Venti-size Biscoff milk tea," he pauses, holding my wrist a little tighter. "And... I'm sorry."
I shove his hands away and put his order on the counter.
He has been calling me ugly when we were kids up until now, and now that people are calling me that... He just realized it's bad? Too little, too late for that.
After doing my job, it was already 6 pm, so my group decided to leave. I was the one closing the store when it started raining.
I don't have my umbrella.
So I had no choice but to walk through the rain, soaking.
"Suzi! Hey!” I heard someone call my name, so I looked where it was.
It was Hyunho; he has an umbrella and his cat edition pancake that he ordered last lunch.
"Here... Let's share," Hyunho said.
Oh hell no, analyzing that situation, him asking me to share... My stomach flips upside down with disgust. There's no way I will share with him. I'd rather soak in the rain than be grateful to him.
"I don't need it," I said as a girlie who doesn't need a man in my life.
Hyunho walks faster and shades me with his umbrella without saying anything, but I have chills in disgust. So I walk faster.
Hyunho holds my wrist, stopping me. "Here, you can have my umbrella... Suzi, I don't need it," Hyunho offers.
"Are you deaf? I don't need your umbrella!” I said, shouting, but seeing his sad face made me feel guilty.
"You hate me that much, Suzi?” Hyunho asks me with hurt eyes, still holding my wrist.
"Get a clue, Hyunho," I said. I feel his grip on my wrist loosen; by that time, I start running away, soaking from the rain.
The next morning I have a damn fever.
Its's kind of sad because my parents had a business trip, so no one will take care of me. It's also my weakness getting a fever because I'm getting emotional.
All the feelings that I have been trying to compress always resurfaced whenever I had a fever.
I feel so sad feeling so alone.
Looking at my empty house, there is no mom that will cook hot soup for my fever or dad tucking me in to sleep. I just miss the way it was back when I was a kid.
I start crying.
I feel so lonely...I want someone with me when I have this fever.
Suddenly, I heard the doorbell. I feel happy it might be my parents. But I stopped opening the door when I realized my parents would go inside instead of ringing the doorbell.
Being so emotional... I start crying again, opening the door.
My eyes were blurry from crying. But this guy suddenly hugs me for some reason. So I cried again because I felt happy someone hugged me.
I felt my feet float. I didn't realize I was being carried towards my couch.
I felt a cold press of his hand on my forehead. It's so cool; it's calming. Suddenly my smile fades when I see the guy. It was Hyunho.
He feels that I am now aware, so he puts his cold hand on my eyes. "You can close your eyes... If you don't want to see me," he said with a sad tone.
"I'm sorry, but I can't leave you alone with that fever..." he added. I tried to open my eyes through the gap of his hand.
Hyunho is worried, crying.
Is he really crying?
Is it really...? For me?
Does that mean... Does he care for me?
"Hey, Hyunho?" I tug his shirt.
"Mhh?” He lowers his hands, removing them from my eyes.
"Can... I get a cuddle?" I asked him.
Without second thought, he cuddled me on the couch, and he placed some cold compress on my head.
Jae Hyunho Kang,
I used to hate that guy for everything. But maybe it will change it today.
----------
Let me know what you guys think? 🥹❤️