My Fake Wife? Chapter 31: Oppa

Kyuhyun stared at the wall clock for the umpteenth time. He was so bored listening to his teacher discuss. He could not understand anything his teacher discussed. Thirty more seconds and the bell would ring. Kyuhyun waited and counted in his mind the remaining seconds till school would be over.

‘5, 4, 3, 2, 1… School’s over!’ Kyuhyun counted in his mind.

The bell rang and everyone cheered. Students started leaving their classrooms to go home. Kyuhyun grabbed his bag and swung it on his back. He walked to the front of Seohyun’s room and waited for her. Kyuhyun smiled when he finally saw Seohyun.

“Seohyun-ah!” He called Seohyun.

Seohyun turned to him and smiled back. “Oh, Kyuhyun op-.. ssi”

“What are you doing here?” She asked.

“I was waiting for you.” Kyuhyun replied but his smile was no longer present on his face.

“What for?”

“Aren’t we going to go home together?” Kyuhyun asked.

Seohyun nodded her head as she remembered. “Ah that’s right.” Seohyun said.

“So let’s go?” Kyuhyun offered.

Seohyun shook her head and made an “x” with her arms. “No.” She said.

Kyuhyun looked at her clueless. He felt a little hurt (really hurt) when he heard her say no. “But why?”

“I am going to the market. I want to buy something.” Seohyun told him. She walked ahead him. Kyuhyun watched walk gracefully. ‘What does she need to buy in the market?’ Kyuhyun thought.

‘Everything’s in the house!’ He added. Kyuhyun ran to follow Seohyun who was already five meters away from him. He closed the distance between them. When he was already beside her, he walked normally, matching his pace with hers.

Seohyun turned her head to her right and she jerked back when she saw Kyuhyun walking beside her. “Hey, I thought you already went home?” She asked him.

“I was going to but I decided to come along with you.” Kyuhyun replied with a big smile.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to come with me.” Seohyun told him. “I’m just going to buy something and return home after.”

“I insist. And besides, it’s been awhile since I last visited the market.” Kyuhyun insisted.

Seohyun sighed as she surrendered. “Fine, you can come.”

Kyuhyun smiled in victory and looked ahead. “What will you buy in the market anyways?” He asked. He was really curious about what she wanted to buy.

“Goguma…” Seohyun grinned. “I want to buy sweet potato.” She repeated herself.

“Sweet potato?” He repeated. “Why do you want to buy one?”

“I really love sweet potatoes. It’s been a while since I last ate one. I miss eating it.” Seohyun replied.  “I can’t remember when I last ate sweet potatoes.”

“You’re really different.” Kyuhyun commented.

Seohyun looked at him in confusion. Her right eyebrow rose as she continued to stare at him with a confused look. “What do you mean by that?” She asked him.

“You know I met a lot of girls before.” Kyuhyun started.

“You mean dated?” Seohyun corrected with a little irritation hidden beneath her tone that she did not know. She realized that hidden irritation a little later and wondered why? Yes, she does have a little crush on him but she never got irritated, or a little irritated when she’s talking about the girls he dated.

Seohyun just shrugged the thought away and wished he didn’t notice it.

“Okay, dated or whatever relationship I had with those girls…” Kyuhyun corrected himself. “… but you’re really different from them.” He said.

“Whenever I go on dates with them, they would usually bring me to a cosmetic shop and beg for me to buy them make-ups.” Kyuhyun narrated.

Seohyun just looked at him while listening to his story about her being different from his dates. “Make-ups? I hate wearing make-ups.” She said as she compared herself.

“What else?” Seohyun asked, pertaining to the things his dates begged him to buy them.

“And you know those killer heels?” He asked.

“You mean those 3-inch and 4-inch heels?” Seohyun asked and Kyuhyun nodded. “Oh my! The first and last time I wore those shoes was at the party! And my feet hurt due to those!” She complained.

Kyuhyun chuckled at her complaints. “Not only those.” He said. “They wanted me to buy them cocktail dresses too.”

“And whenever we eat, it’ll be on a grand restaurant. Just passing here in the market would disgust them.” Kyuhyun added.

“What’s so disgusting about a market?” She asked.

Kyuhyun shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know.”

“Does a market disgust you?” Seohyun questioned Kyuhyun.

Kyuhyun shook his head. “Nope. I was never disgusted about it.” He confessed honestly. Seohyun smiled admiringly at his honest confession.

“In fact, I used to sneak away from home to go here so that I could buy ddokbokki.” Kyuhyun told her in a matter-of-fact tone. He never told anyone about this except for her. He didn’t know why he couldn’t tell the others but to her, it felt like he can tell her anything.

“Jinjja?” Seohyun asked, amazed. She never thought a bad boy like him would actually sneak away just to buy ddokbokki made in streets.

Kyuhyun nodded his head. “But why? Don’t they serve you ddokbokki at home?” Seohyun asked.

“They do but I prefer the taste of the ddokbokki made here.” Kyuhyun admitted.

Seohyun grinned and nodded. “I never knew you had a side like this because you’re only known for one thing, and that is being a super playboy and a bad boy.” She said.

“And I like this side of yours.” She confessed. It’s true. Before, Seohyun admired his angelic handsome face only, but now, she admired him for this side of him. She thought it wasn’t worth admiring him for his personality but it was worth admiring him now.

“And one thing you’re different from the girls I dated is… they hate street foods.” Kyuhyun said.

“I guess I really am different from them.” Seohyun concluded.

Kyuhyun nodded to her conclusion. “You’re beautifully different.” He murmured.

“What?” Seohyun asked, trying to catch up some words he murmured that weren’t apprehensible.

“Nothing.” Kyuhyun lied.

Seohyun just nodded and ignored whatever he said.

“Oh right, Kyuhyun-ssi!”  Seohyun called out.

Kyuhyun winced when he heard the syllable “ssi” at the end of his name. She’s still formal to him. Why couldn’t she call her oppa like how she addressed the other boys?

“Yes?” He said, annoyed and pissed at her formality to him.

“Are you mad?” Seohyun asked.

“No!” Kyuhyun tried his best to sound like he was fine and he successfully did. “What made you think that I’m mad?”

Seohyun shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. You sounded mad to me just awhile.”

Kyuhyun chuckled. “I’m not mad.” He was but now, he wasn’t. “What were you going to tell me?”

“I just want to ask you. Can we bring sweet potatoes on the sleepover on Wednesday?” Seohyun eagerly asked.

“Yeah, sure! Maybe we can share it to the others…” Kyuhyun agreed.

Seohyun clasped her hands together excitedly as she cheered. “Yay!” He has witnessed her childish side once more which is very uncommon to see. He smiled to the thought he was one of the few people who was able to see this side of hers.

Kyuhyun stopped walking when he noticed Seohyun stopped in front of a stall full of sweet potatoes. He stood beside her as she greeted the vendor inside the stall brightly.

“Annyeong haseyo, Mi Ran ahjumma!” Seohyun greeted the familiar middle-aged woman who was inside the stall.

“Seohyun-ah, it’s been a while since I last saw you here in my stall.” The ahjumma said. “How many sweet potatoes will you buy this time?” She asked.

“I think one and a half kilograms would be enough.” Seohyun told the older woman.

Seohyun and Kyuhyun watched the ahjumma put sweet potatoes on a plastic and measure its weight on the weighing scale. When the sweet potatoes inside the plastic were enough, she happily handed the plastic of sweet potatoes to Seohyun. She noticed Kyuhyun standing beside her.

“Is he your boyfriend, Seohyun-ah?” The ahjumma asked as she looked at Kyuhyun. “He’s a very handsome young man.” She commented.

Seohyun shook her head. “No. He’s just my friend, ahjumma.” She denied.

“Oh too bad, you both look perfect together.” The ahjumma told them truthfully. Seohyun and Kyuhyun reddened at the woman’s statement about them and they looked away.

“What’s your name, son?” Mi Ran asked.

“My name’s Cho Kyuhyun, ma’am.” Kyuhyun introduced himself politely.

The ahjumma smiled at him and nodded, taking note of his name in her mind.

“We will be going now ahjumma.” Seohyun bid. “I’ll see you soon.”

“If you’re coming back, make sure to bring Kyuhyun with you!” Mi Ran teased the younger girl.

“Aigoo, ahjumma! See you!” Seohyun waved her hand at the ahjumma and she and Kyuhyun left.

Kyuhyun snatched the plastic of sweet potatoes from Seohyun’s grasp and smiled at her. “Let me carry this for you.”

“No, I’ll carry it.” Seohyun tried to snatch the plastic back but Kyuhyun held it away.

“No, I’ll carry it.” Kyuhyun stressed each word. Seohyun pouted as Kyuhyun won against her again.

“Seohyun-ah, out of all foods, why sweet potato?” He asked.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“Why do you love them?” He asked. “There are a lot of fruits and vegetables but why goguma?”

“I don’t know. I just… love them!” She replied. “I love sweet potatoes so much that I would choose them over boys.” Seohyun revealed.

Kyuhyun’s eyes widen and his jaw dropped. He was really shocked about her revelation. “Are you serious? Sweet potatoes over boys?”

Seohyun nodded. “It’s not that I detest boys or something, but I am afraid of being hurt. I know sweet potatoes won’t hurt me.”

“Boys will just hurt me.” She continued.

Kyuhyun understood her.

“Maybe… it’s because of my mom.” He heard her say. He looked at her, touching the diamond pendant of her necklace that was hanging around her neck.

“Your mom?” He asked.

Seohyun nodded. “When I and Yoona unnie were kids, our mom used to plant sweet potatoes in our backyard and would always feed us with sweet potatoes. Aside from this necklace, sweet potato reminds me of my mom.” She removed the necklace from her nape and showed it to Kyuhyun.

“It’s really beautiful.” Kyuhyun complimented her necklace.

Suddenly, a man, wearing a black leather jacket and torn plants, passed and snatched the necklace from Seohyun’s hands. He ran away with it. Seohyun without second thoughts ran after the thief but the thief was faster than her.

Kyuhyun decided to follow. He handed the plastic of sweet potatoes to Seohyun. “Hold this.” Seohyun got the plastic from Kyuhyun and saw him ran fast. She was panting so she stopped and let Kyuhyun chase after the thief.

“Please…” Seohyun prayed. “Please retrieve it, Kyuhyun-ssi…”

Seohyun was on the verge of tears. She didn’t know what she would do if her necklace would be lost. Her necklace doesn’t only remind her of her mom but both her mother and father.

When her breathing was fine again, she ran straight to search for Kyuhyun. Then, she saw a silhouette of a familiar man running towards her. Seohyun stopped and realized it was Kyuhyun.

“K-Kyuhyun-ssi… Did you get it back?” She asked worriedly.

Kyuhyun’s body was bent in an angle. He was touching his knees with his hands as he tried to catch up with his breath. When he was fine, he stood up straight and placed the necklace on Seohyun’s palm. Seohyun’s face beamed when he saw her placed her necklace. She took one step forward and hugged Kyuhyun tightly.

“Thank you so much, Kyuhyun-ssi.” Seohyun whispered to his ears. She pulled back and smiled at him.

“I don’t know what I’d do if I lose this.” She told him. “Tell me, how can I repay you? I’ll do anything.”

Kyuhyun thought deeply. “Call me oppa.”

Seohyun tilted her head to side in confusion. “Huh?”

“You always call me ‘Kyuhyun-ssi’. I want you to call me oppa.” He said. “Besides, you call Donghae hyung ‘oppa’!”

“That’s all?” Seohyun asked and he nodded in reply. “Fine. Oppa. Thanks again, Kyuhyun oppa.” She said comfortably.

“No problem, Seohyunnie…” Kyuhyun smiled.

“Let’s go home, oppa?” Seohyun offered and Kyuhyun said yes. They went together to the bus stop with a big grin painted on Kyuhyun’s face and light pink blush on Seohyun’s cheeks. Kyuhyun was satisfied.