Chapter 5 - Struck

"What's the matter?" Her savor said through the phone with a hint of impatience as she didn't answer. Although waiting for good second he didn't get any response, only her sniffing and refrained sobbing was heard.

"I have to go...we'll talk when I come home-"

"You'll be back?!" Jieun cut in, almost immediately.

"It's my house," he said and ended the call. No friendly tone, yet she felt comforted by his words that the tears stopped flowing. Wiping away her cheeks she tried to steady her breathing.

That was weird,  The two guys exchanged eyes, clueless from start to end they didn't even know what was going on. What did they just witness? She cried out of nowhere...

"Ehm... sorry if we made a mistake" the tall guy hesitantly patted her shoulder. Although he didn't know who she was, he wanted to treat her right. She was a friend of cousins, a cousin who was as close as his real brother. On the contrary, the short guy was still baffled. He wasn't as fast to admit his mistake but rather dumbfounded by the fact that they were to apologize to her. It's wasn't like they had done anything wrong.

What are we apologizing for?! The short guy raised a brow about to protest but was timed by the tall guy's reprimanding eyes.

"I'm Joon-ha" The tall guy said reaching out a hand.

The other guy, who pulled her hair, introduced himself as Baek-eun, even though he felt a little suspicious when Jieun didn't know who he was. He didn't get the title of a Hallyu star for nothing. Has she been living under a rock or what?

Honestly, both guys were pretty famous. Baekeun knew pride was just a useless thing and that it was acceptable that not anyone had to know who he was, but it was still hard to believe. He grabbed the remote and hold it to his mouth, started singing when no one asked him to.

Idols... Joonha rubbed his temples with a frown after rolling his eyes, feeling slightly embarrassed. He looked like he wanted to hide in a whole as Baekeun passionately sang a song.

"Sounds familiar?" Baekeun said looking at Jieun. She pondered for a second, thinking of what she should say. It sounded like he was very proud of his singing skills. Was he a performer? With his voice, he could probably perform for the emperor.

"Are you...." Jieun paused, trying to find the right words. "from a performing troupe?" she pulled her chin back, looking at him with a little admire. She wasn't artistic herself but had always enjoyed music and art.

"Not troupe but group," Baekeun corrected.

What in the world is he blabbering? She grimaced. What is ..gro..rop..aghrr! Whatever...

Joonha snapped the remote out of Baekeun's hand and turned on the TV. Shocked by the flashing tv-screen. Apparently he had seen more than enough of Baekeun's singing. Jieun's nerves were taken by surprise as the screen of the TV suddenly flashed bright, yet she didn't let it show on her facial expression.

Don't make a fool out of yourself again, Jieun reminded herself. It was just a couple of minutes ago that she cried as if the world would go under. She didn't want to make the same mistake twice and make a fool of herself. Things in this world were so different, that it was hard to adjust, everything was so new and strange.

Seeing the shining screen, that out of nowhere showed faces of people, it wasn't a lie to say she was stunned. Not even that, it could also make sounds like the tall guy's black mirror.

"...staring Star Actor Lee Jun, Kim Hana, Lee Minhyuk..." The narrator announced at the opening of the drama. Jieun saw the face of her savor flashing on the screen.

So his name is Lee Jun.

Jieun was captivated, eyes glued to the screen that played a drama with him starring as the male lead. It was the first time she heard his name, the name of her savior. Lee. Jun.

In the tv-drama, Jun was playing a well-off heir, who struggled to keep the company while his brothers and cousin fought to take his place.

Baekeun and Joonha watched in silence as well, admiring their cousin - Jun's - acting skills. The three sat at immersed around the tv, monitoring the screen as hardcore fans. A girl's back slowly appeared on the screen as a sweet melody was playing in the background.

The screen captured the male lead's eyes longing while only letting the audience get a glimpse of the female lead's back with her long black hair lifted by the whistle of the wind in slow motion.

Out of the blue, Jieun suddenly lost her interest in the drama, her finger twirled a lock of hair around while her mind seemed absent. She had no idea this was a drama or role-play, his acting was just so realistic that she kind of felt hurt. The guys beside her noticed that, so for a change of mood they started to talk to her and turned off the tv.

They began talking, or actually they just answered her questions, mostly Joonha as Baekeun was at a loss of words by her jaw-dropping questions. It was weird how those strangers weren't awkward around her. It wasn't that had to speak to them at all.

Time flew away as they chit-chatted but eventually the guys had to leave. To prevent her from dying out of boredom, they let the tv turned on and kindly showed her how to use the remote.

Watching the tv taught her a lot of things and in no time it was past midday.

The sudden ringing of the doorbell interrupted the long undisturbed moment. Jieun somehow felt excited as she rushed to the door to open it. There was someone she had been waiting for.

[30 min. Later]

Jun hesitatingly grabbed the doorknob. His lips tightened into a line as he swung opened the door. His eyes glared down at the pair of shoes of black leather that didn't belong to him. The urge to just throw it out the door or in the trash can was strong, but he was too rushed to enter the house to even do it.

With firm steps Jun walked into the living room, hoping that Jieun wouldn't be there. That she would be fast asleep in her room with it locked, but of course that was far from reality. Jun bats the corner of his lips while glaring at the guy sitting across her on the couch.

"Who the hell let the dog into the house?!!..." Jun yelled frustrated, with no effort to hide his furry.

Look who's talking?  The guy on the couch scoffed.

Jieun turned seeing Jun. The other guy sitting with widespread arms just nodded, acknowledging Jun's presence, showing no emotion to the rage of the welcome he got from Jun.

"I've called a taxi," Jun said looking in the direction of the door.

"Why?" the guy almost sounded a bit surprised.

"I crashed your car. My mistake." Jun said, crinkled his nose. The other guy rolled his eyes and stood up to the honking sound from the arriving taxi.

"Let's not meet again" he raised his hand waving at Jieun before leaving, not even sparing a glance at Jun as he walked out. Jieun's empty eyes followed the guy in suit until he was out of view. What he said was stuck in every corner of her mind.

Jieun didn't know what to do about and what would happen to her afterward. She couldn't get a hold of herself nor could she adjust to the situation. What in the world did he tell me?

"Why did you let that dog into the house!" Jun yelled, snapping her out of her thoughts. He knew too well that the bastard didn't know his address let alone the password to enter the house unless she had opened it.

"I thought that dog was you!!!" Jieun blankly stared at him as the word without thinking already escaped.

"I'm the house owner why would I ring the bell?!?" Jun asked, not fully digesting the offensive words.

"Well...ehm... " she looked around avoiding his gaze knowing she was at blame.

"I've learned how to use the tv!" Jieun mentally face palmed herself for being so tactless in the attempt to divert his attention. He rolled his eyes while heading to the kitchen, already as he has given up in fighting with her. She was hopeless in diverting the subject, but somehow he found himself playing along.

"Using the remote isn't quite a great achievement" Jun took a bottle of water out of the fridge.

"Does he has a knife in his mouth or what?...." Jieun murmured.

"What else did you learn?" he said after secretly glancing, seeing her disappointed expression.

"That it might rain tomorrow"

"What else?" he took a sip of water, hiding his smile.

That...Goryeo is gone.

The world that I came from was under the dust of time and was now history.

That the world had changed. 

That I in this world is...

She wasn't able to finish the sentence, even though it just was in her thoughts. The guy she just met earlier, the one with a sharp glare with phoenix eyes and a smirk as arrogant as his attitude did tell her so much, yet Jieun couldn't comprehend his words. His dominating posture and the belittling tone that came with the calm expression every time he opened his mouth, the scene was on an endless loop replying in front of her eyes.

Lifting her gaze from the ground their eyes meet. Jun lifted a brow as if telling her that he was awaiting a reply. Swallowing the bottle of water he then gave her the look of impatience.

"You really don't know me?" Jieun eventually asked.

He choked at her comment and took his hands to his mouth, the continuously coughing made him tear up.

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