20 You saw something, didnt you? (1/2)

Oh Jaehyun woke up to the sound of a doorbell blasting through his house. Once, twice, three times... He finally shot up when he heard the fourth ring.

What the hell... he glanced at the clock and read 3:43 am. Who in their right mind would visit somebody's house this early...?

And then he remembered that he had somebody exactly like that.

He stood up lazily and went towards his front door, sans slippers and shirt.

”Yah...” Jaehyun scratched his head as he stared at the girl standing in front of his door. ”What are you doing here?”

Ji-Eun rubbed her hands together and smiled lightly at him. ”Please invite me in?”

Jaehyun finally noticed that the girl was shivering slightly and he immediately stepped aside to let her in. He closed the door behind her and observed as she struggled to remove her shoes and her coat, his sleepiness completely gone by the time she straightened up.

”Go on,” Jaehyun gestured for her to enter the living room as she looked back at him.

Ji-Eun frowned at him before turning away to claim his warm couch.

”Oh Jaehyun,” she smirked at him. ”Please put on a shirt or something. I'm still a girl, you know. I'm not completely immune to seeing you half-naked.”

Surprised, Jaehyun raced back to his room to put on a shirt and his sleeping robe.

”Of all the things to say to a man...” he whispered to himself, shaking his head.

On the way out, he grabbed a clean, thick blanket. He got back to the living room just in time to see her browsing through something on her phone.

”Ji-Eun,” he handed her the blanket. ”Did something happen?”

”I have some questions,” she said truthfully. ”That's all.”

”Okay,” he said. ”Stay there for a while. I'll get you something.”

She smiled at him and nodded. Then went back to scouring her phone. As he turned away, he vaguely registered the girl's expression as she resumed reading. It was something in between confusion and mild annoyance.

He headed for the kitchen and decided to heat up some soup.

It's really cold outside, he thought to himself. Did she drive over or... He spied out of his kitchen window and he only saw his car outside.

”Oh, don't tell she rode her bike again,” he sighed as he angled his head to see a certain custom-made Ninja obediently standing at the edge of his carport.

”Chung ji-Eun, you idiot,” he mused as he began to gather some ingredients to add to the soup.

Oh Jaehyun didn't have that many friends even though he was very popular. Maybe a few close ones from college, a handful from his old neighborhood, and some colleagues from work. Even so, his pantry was well-stocked with food and drinks that even he was surprised himself.

For one thing, the vegetables and side dishes present were the ones he kept for his maternal grandmother, who visits him from time to time. The sweets, noodles, beef, and soju, were for Ji-Eun, who for some reason has made herself a part of his household for the last three years.

In fact, the only thing that was truly his in that kitchen was the case of canned beer at the bottom shelf of the fridge.

He sighed.

At least, his grandmother had some sense not to visit him at odd times of the night or very early in the morning.

After preparing the soup and some warm soju, he brought them over to Ji-eun, who was still staring at her phone.

He sat at the couch opposite her and stretched.

”You rode Ninja all the way here?” He asked the obvious as he observed her hands.

She had always referred to her motorbike as Ninja.

Ji-Eun nodded. ”I needed to get here faster.”

Jaehyun clicked his tongue. ”Your villa is an hour away from here. Your hands and nose must be numb. Drink that now,” he pointed to the warm soju.

”Thank you,” Ji-Eun put her phone away and drank the soju gratefully.

Jaehyun made himself comfortable on the couch and waited until she's finished with the soup and drink.