Seventeen, and the Accomplice (1)
Ajusshi devoured his meal like a man who'd starved all day, scraping the bowl clean without a single pause. Only after polishing off the very last spoonful did he finally speak.
"Phew..."
I handed him a glass of water as he let out a satisfied sigh.
"Thanks."
His eager gulps made me feel oddly pleased myself.
"I really enjoyed that. Way better than anything you can buy out there, right?"
No exaggeration—he showered it with praise.
"Even if you say that, nothing's gonna magically appear..."
I played it cool, but my ears were burning a little. My chest felt all fluttery too, for no good reason.
Anyway, I stood to clear the table, and right on cue, so did ajusshi.
"I'll do the dishes. Can't just eat and run, after all."
I stopped him with a light palm on his rolled-up sleeve.
"What kinda guest are you? Just relax. It'll be done in a sec."
I gathered the chopsticks and spoons into the empty bowls and carried them to the sink. But ajusshi kept hovering awkwardly nearby, like something was bugging him. I shot him a glare, and only then did he sit back down.
I finished the dishes, wiped down the counter, took off my apron, and returned to the table, plopping down next to him.
"So, shall we pick up where we left off?"
His briefly brightened face clouded over again. The guy's an open book—every thought shows on his face.
"Hey, no need for that look. I'm not scolding you."
I waved it off, and his expression softened a bit, though now he looked confused about what I meant.
Ajusshi asked cautiously,
"Then... what do you wanna talk about?"
I stretched my arms high with a big yawn.
"What else? Ugh—! I wanna hear what you plan to do from here on out."
And just like that, silence fell.
I waited without a word, and with a heavy sigh, he hung his head.
"I haven't thought that far ahead... I figured we'd just keep things as they are."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Just pretend to meet up with my sister every now and then?"
I emphasized the key words, and he nodded apologetically.
"...Yeah. Basically no plan at all."
I clicked my tongue.
"Tch. Lucky for you it was me who found out. If it had been anyone else? Total chaos. You know that, right?"
He nodded faintly.
"...Yeah."
What am I gonna do with these two? I tilted my head back and stared at the ceiling for a moment.
I have no intention of snitching, and I'm not even directly involved—getting tangled up in this headache isn't my style. But pretending I never noticed? I'm not exactly a total outsider either...
Ugh, overthinking it just annoys me.
I crossed my arms and leaned back in my chair.
"If you really have no plan... well, what can you do? Just take it slow and think it over."
Ajusshi stared at me wordlessly.
"Rushing to brainstorm won't magically solve it anyway, right?"
I twirled my water glass slowly, then glanced at his face again.
"Honestly, part of me wants to tell you to just come clean before it blows up bigger..."
I paused to check his reaction.
"...But you don't have the guts for that."
He gave an awkward smile—one where only his lips curved, eyes staying flat. I could kinda guess his feelings from the way he tapped the glass handle idly.
I uncrossed my arms and leaned forward a bit.
"I've thought about it a lot myself. In this day and age, the whole 'engagement' thing feels kinda ridiculous. And these matters are supposed to be sorted out slowly between the families, right?"
Ajusshi nodded silently.
I kept going.
"But if the parents suddenly decide on an engagement out of nowhere and tell you to meet... you'd both be stunned, no?"
Head still bowed, he confessed honestly.
"Truth is, the first time I came here was pretty much against my will."
"Knew it."
A hollow laugh escaped me.
"Your face that day screamed it. Even when my sister straight-up ignored you, you just accepted it like, 'Yeah, fair enough.'"
I said it casually, but inside, it stung a little. I still think my sister's going too far sometimes.
But what can I do about her personality? It's this weird mix of understanding and exasperation.
I've wanted to call her out more than once. But how could I say something harsh to her? Back when I first woke up in the hospital, she treated me like family even though I acted like a stranger. And with our busy parents, she was the one squeezing out time to look after me.
So now, I just wanna let her be free.
"Figure out a plan between the two of you—and don't get caught."
"That's it? You're just gonna let it slide?"
Ajusshi blinked.
"On one condition."
I flashed a grin, then held up a single finger.
"Every time you have a 'date' with my sister, come here instead—and hang out with me."
I tapped the table with my finger as I spoke, and his eyes widened even more.
"Hang out?"
"Exactly what it sounds like."
I shifted in my seat to get comfortable.
"Just kill time with me like this. Perfect timing too—Saturdays get boring anyway."
He tilted his head.
"If you're bored, just meet up with friends."
I shook my head right away.
"Kids these days aren't my vibe."
It's not just a generation gap. Our interests don't match, and whether boys or girls, I can't really click with either. Forcing it just wears me out, and after years of trying, I'm hitting my limit.
School friends are enough for surface-level stuff. Plus... there's that one awful guy I can't shake off even if I wanted to.
"Kids these days, huh..."
Ajusshi murmured, then chuckled softly.
"Well, at your age, that phase might hit. Usually around middle school, though."
He nodded meaningfully, looking at me with pity, like I was some poor thing.
What's with this ajusshi?
"But fair warning—hanging with a guy like me won't be fun at all."
His self-deprecating tone caught me off guard. I couldn't even grasp what he was worried about.
"Doesn't matter. After a few times together, I realized just having you around keeps things from getting boring."
He blinked in surprise.
"R-Really? Still feels kinda weird..."
This guy's self-esteem is rock bottom. What a tiring type.
"Think of it as paying for the meal."
I poked the table playfully.
"No need to overthink. If it bugs you that much, bring a game console next time or something."
I giggled, and the tension around his mouth finally eased into a small smile.
"Game console... It's been ages. Maybe I should dig it out."
His face brightened properly now—not that awkward grin, but a genuine, natural smile. Yeah, that's better. He looks good like this. Seeing him mope had been dragging my mood down too, so this was a relief.
"You should smile like that more often. Suits you."
"Huh...?"
Wait, did I say that out loud?
Too late to take it back. My face heated up in embarrassment. I cleared my throat awkwardly and looked away.
"Ahem, I mean... whatever. If there's nothing else, head on out."
"Oh, time flew..."
Ajusshi glanced at his phone clock, then pushed back his chair and stood.
"Nothing left behind?"
"Nah, all good."
"You sure?"
I scanned the table, then the entryway.
"Looks like it. If anything turns up, grab it next time."
"Sounds good."
I'd said it as a joke, but he took it seriously—what a natural.
"Next time, no sneaking off elsewhere. Text before you come. Got it?"
I hammered it home as we walked to the door together. With his weak spot in my hands, he won't try anything funny.
"Yeah, got it."
Unlike before, he looked a bit shy now. And every time our eyes met, his lips twitched like he was fighting a smile.
What's up with him?
I saw him off at the door—well, just to the entryway, really.
"Seojin."
Ajusshi, half out the door, turned back suddenly to call me.
"Yeah? What?"
He hesitated, then gave a short laugh.
"See you... next time."
Before the door shut, I swear his ears flushed pink through the crack.
I stood there listening to his footsteps fade.
He seemed off—maybe coming down with a cold? Now I'm worried for no reason.
With the entryway quiet, I flopped onto the sofa. Phone said it wasn't even four yet.
"Should've told him to stay longer..."
No use regretting it now, but still.
The house felt empty again, boredom creeping back in. Being together hadn't been bad at all.
Nah, it was pretty great.
Like I'd finally found someone I could talk to freely. Felt like making a real friend my age, and my lips curved up at the thought.
Next time, I'll keep him around longer.