NOVEL NEXT Chapter 18: I will make it real
She is gone. He tries calling her, but her phone is unreachable. He can't go to her dormitory. Not knowing what to do, he calls Manager Jeong who scolds him for letting her go. Then, she calls him back saying that she will handle it.
He goes back to his apartment and prepares for his meeting with the director. He rereads the script.
He is startled when the doorbell rings suddenly. He opens the door and finds the store girl. She is wearing a black knee-length dress that hugs her body at the right curves. Her hair is neatly combed and braided. He frowns when she smiles at him.
"Why are you here?" He asks her slowly.
She stands up on her toes and pecks his lips. "Why would a girlfriend visit her boyfriend at night?"
He steps away and wipes his lips in disgust. "Are you bipolar? Don't just kiss me whenever you want. Our relationship is fake."
"I will make it real, Si An." She closes the door behind her. She stands close to him, looking at him with a sly look in her eyes. "What do you want to have for dinner? Me or ... ?"
***
Oh my god! They are cutting humans like vegetables. I feel the urge to throw up. The scent of blood and screams feel too real. My legs feel weak, but I keep running. I stumble and fall on my face. I turn around to look. The battle is over. The white ground is soaked with blood. I feel sick. The soldiers are looking at me, but they don't make any attempt to capture me.
I look ahead. An armored man is standing in front of me. The sword is pointed at my throat. I am not dumb enough to make a move now. I just pray. Silently. To go back in my time.
***
"Thanks for the food." She presses her palms together and bows her head. She picks up the chopsticks. He looks down at the meal, wondering if she mixed something in them. It looks delicious, but he doesn't trust her. She starts eating without any hesitation.
"Why are you here?" Kang Si An stares at her. "Are you playing hot and cold with me? I have zero interest in you."
"Yum!" She licks her lips. "It was so worth it."
"What was worth it?" Kang Si An is curious. She is trying to play him around. All of her actions are shady. Coming to his house and taking over his kitchen as if she owns it, she has some guts. Why can't he kick her out?
Whenever he tries to get close to her, she does a sneak attack. She would wink seductively or try to kiss him. Other time, she would tickle him. Tickles are his weaknesses, alright. He can't go close to this tickle monster.
Manager Jeong hung up after telling him to suffer.
"The food will get cold." She points at his plate with the chopstick. "It won't taste good. I will make something sweet for you later. Do you want to drink a chocolate shake or do you want to play in the bed?"
"I abhor your touch," He tells her the exact words that she said to him in the afternoon. She just smiles and says nothing. Reluctantly, he picks up the chopsticks and digs in the meal. It's delicious. He scowls at her and continues to eat.
***
I can't stop my body shake. I can't tell whether I am shaking because of cold or fear. The edge of the sword touches the side of my neck. I wince when it pierces my skin. I am dead. My parents won't even know about it. Please, god, I don't want to die. Not like this. I don't deserve to die like this.
I open my mouth, but no word would come out. He raises the sword. I close my eyes. There it is, my end. Dad, I am going to end up like my aunt. Please don't cry for long.
"Li Jun."
I open my one eye to peek. The sword is frozen in the air. I turn my head to see what he is looking at. It's another soldier on the back of the black horse. The new soldier shakes his head slowly. Li Jun lowers the sword. Though I can't see his eyes behind the mask, I can feel his bloodthirst.
The new soldier climbs off the horse. I crawl backward when I see him walking toward me. Why the hell I am not back in time yet? I don't stay anywhere for this long. What's going on here?
He bends down on one knee in front of me. I don't have any weapon. My phone and wallet are gone. I am only holding my aunt's notebook. I point the notebook at him as if it is a dagger. Foolish, yes!
He removes the mask right away. His face is oval with a tiny scar on his cheekbone. His eyes are exotic and intense. His lips are a soft shade of pink.
I hear a few complaints from other soldiers who have just reached. I can't understand the language completely. Bits and pieces. I realize that it's the ancient language of the C country. Shit! How far did I travel back this time?
That's why my father wanted me to learn the languages. I should have listened to him. Now, I regret deeply for not working hard when he wanted me to learn some ancient languages. I didn't think that I would need it like this. Argh!
"Calm down." She tells me in a low voice. I realize that she is speaking the fluent language of my country. "One mistake and you could die."
"Aunt Yoori!" I exclaim. I have seen her pictures at home. I would never mistake it. This person is Kwon Yoori, my aunt who disappeared before I was born.
She covers my mouth with her palm. I hear her yell in the foreign language. I only understand one word - Kill.