"Areum!"
"Areum!"
Mrs Kim walked around her house frantically, searching for her youngest daughter. When she had heard the door slam during the night, she had thought that Areum had just gone for a walk to cool down like she usually did after an argument. However, when she saw that her daughter had not returned in the morning, she began to panic.
"Areum!" she called out to her one more time, moving from the bathroom towards the basement. But she couldn't go down the stairs before her husband grabbed a hold of her.
"Why are you yelling so early in the morning?" he asked her.
"It's Areum. S-she's not here," she told him, panicking. But unlike her, he continued to remain calm.
"I'm sure you don't need to worry about anything. She probably just went over to a friend's house," he told her. She looked at him, feeling tears start to surround her eyes.
"Maybe you're right honey," she said, wiping away the few tears, "she wouldn't leave without saying anything right?"
"Of course not."
He hugged her as he looked at the front door, hoping to himself that their daughter was alright. Although he had said such comforting words to his wife, a small part of him felt as if something could have happened to his little girl.
---
Joon stared out of the plane window, thinking back to what had happened not too long ago in the airport. And what hurt him the most was the fact that Jin had been so blunt about breaking his heart. Hearing her say those five words had done more than break his heart; he felt as if she had ripped it out of him and stabbed it several times before messily placing it back in his body.
Well people can change Joon.
He felt his eyes watering and he used the back of his hand to wipe the tears away before they fell onto his face. And it was at that moment that Areum turned to face him.
"You probably don't want to share any personal information since you don't know me that well but is everything alright?" she asked him. He turned to face her slightly and offered a forced smile. And she didn't have to be told to notice that his smile was not genuine.
"I'm fine," was all he said before looking back out of the window.
She looked at the back of his head for several moments before turning to the monitor in front of her which was playing a chick-flick she had chosen randomly. It hadn't been long since the plane took off but it felt as if it had already been an eternity. She shifted in her seat before adjusting her blanket and paying more attention to the movie while in the back of her mind, she wondered if he would be like this for the whole trip.
Joon sighed as he looked at the darkness outside of the plane, feeling as if it reflected how he was feeling. He didn't know how long he had been looking at the window when he fell asleep.
Noticing that Joon had fallen asleep, Areum smiled to herself and removed his blanket from where he had placed it between them and wrapped it around him before returning to her movie.
* *
Buenos Aires, Argentina
"I told you to sleep in the plane didn't I?" Joon asked her once he noticed her head sagging slightly after they had sat in a taxi shortly after exiting the airport. But she was too sleepy to even bother replying to him. Instead, she allowed her head to drop until it was resting on his shoulder. He turned his head to look at her slightly awkwardly, unsure of whether he should push her head away or not since they were still strangers, having met just hours before. He lifted his finger and moved it towards her head but stopped midway when he heard her soft snoring.
A small smile took over his face as he listened to the sound, so quiet that it could easily be missed.
"Your girlfriend seems very tired," the taxi driver told him in broken English. Joon's smile disappeared as he looked at the driver.
"She's not my girlfriend sir," he told him politely. The driver looked at him through the rear-view mirror, a small teasing smile on his lips as he nodded. And for the rest of the drive, there was an awkward silence which surrounded them.
When they got to the hotel, he paid the driver and lifted Areum out of the car. He breathed heavily as he felt how heavy she truly was and wondered if he would be able to carry her to their room. He struggled to carry her to the entrance but thankfully a bellboy came to his assistance.
"May I help you with your luggage sir?" he asked him. Joon smiled gratefully and nodded. He watched as the bellboy placed their luggage on his cart before walking to the entrance and opening the door for him.
"Thank you," he told the guy as he entered and the guy smiled.
They walked to the front desk where the receptionist couldn't help but to smile slightly at Joon as he held Areum. However, he didn't notice and went directly to tell her their reservation details. Shortly after, he received the key and along with the bellboy, he walked to the elevator and entered once it arrived.
They had been standing in the elevator for only a few seconds when Areum started to stir in Joon's arms. He looked down curiously and was surprised when his eyes met with hers.
Areum, startled to see Joon and different surroundings, began to thrash, ignoring the countless times that Joon told her to relax. They continued to go back and forth until a loud ding interrupted them as the door opened to reveal some strangers waiting for the elevator. She looked back at Joon who finally allowed her to stand on the ground before walking past the strangers with the bellboy in tow. Not knowing what else to do, she offered an awkward smile before following them towards their room.
When they got to their room, the bellboy took their luggage off the cart and placed them in the middle of the room before turning to face Joon with a smile. Joon smiled back as he reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet. However, as soon as he saw the currency from his country, his smile disappeared.
"I don't have any pesos right now but─are you working tomorrow?" he asked the bellboy who simply nodded.
"Great, I'll exchange currency and pay you tomorrow, I promise."
"No problem, sir. Have a good night," he told Joon before leaving with his cart.
As soon as the door closed, Joon turned to find Areum sitting on the bed.
"Why were you carrying me?" she asked.
"Because you fell asleep in the taxi," he replied, walking over to his luggage and putting it against the carpeted floor.
"You could have woken me up."
"But you looked comfortable and really tired," he said with a small smile, recalling how peaceful she had looked as she slept with her head on his shoulder. She didn't say anything for a few moments and allowed herself to fall onto the bed.
"This bed feels great after flying for over fifteen hours," she said to no one in particular as she adjusted herself.
"So you'll be sleeping on the couch right?" she asked him. He stopped midway as he was unzipping his bag to look at her.
"Why would I sleep on the couch when I paid for this room?"
"Because," she simply replied.
"Because what?"
"Because you're the guy and it's your job to give it to me."
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