Put your head on my shoulder

Chapter 9: Spare change?

One Sunday morning, I was on my way to the nearby grocery shop in my neighborhood to buy some groceries with my elder brother when I saw a certain someone whose keyring I had yet to return.

To say that I was surprised to see her in my neighborhood would be an understatement-I couldn't think up one good reason why she was standing there in front of the shop's billing counter.

"Yah, what are you doing? Are you going to stand there all morning?" My hyung asked me irritably and I realized that I had stopped in my tracks and was staring at her through the glass window. My elder brother followed my gaze and whipped his head back to me with eyes wide as saucers,

"Don't tell me, by any chance...do you like her?"

When I didn't reply, he said,

"You do, don't you? She's the one you told me about!"

"Hyung, say that a little louder, the whole town didn't hear you yet." I scowled at my hyung who was now smirking,

"So, did you talk to her like I suggested? Did she turn you down? Is that why you are crabbier than usual lately little brother?"

"You are too nosy for your own good hyung." I sighed and brushed past him, stepping into the store just to block him out and stop his questioning.

The bell placed above the door jingled as I pushed the glass door open.

"Um, I'm sorry I don't have any spare change with me." I heard Se-ra say that to the old woman manning the counter. The lady frowned,

"I'm sorry too miss, but I don't have any change either. Do you have a credit card with you?" Se-ra nodded a 'no' grimly.

"Excuse me." I interrupted, the words coming out before I could stop myself, before my brain could even process what I was saying,

"How much is it? I'll pay."

"Huh? Oh no no, it's okay-" Se-ra turned towards me. Her brown eyes widened,

"Yoon gi-ssi?" I was surprised she remembered my name, as we didn't even talk much on the bus when I last saw her.

"Hello Se ra- Um, Se ra-ssi." I fumbled over the words but quickly tried to cover it up , hoping she didn't notice it, and added,

"It's okay Se ra-ssi. How much is it ajhumma?" I asked the lady who looked at us and gave me a knowing small smile,

"It's 20,000 won. You are such a well-mannered and handsome boy dear." she gushed and I'm sure my face turned red at her compliment.

"Ajhumma! Yoon gi-ssi, you don't need to-" Se-ra began to protest with a frown on her pretty face but I had already pulled out my wallet from my pocket and slid the bills to the counter lady.

"Now young lady," the ajhumma gave Se-ra a wry smile and shook her index finger at Se-ra, "when a handsome and sweet boy decides to be your knight in shining armour you don't refuse."

"But-" Se-ra started but the ajhumma shook her head at Se-ra who then sighed and gave in,

"Okay. Thank you Yoon gi-ssi, I'll pay you back."

"No it's okay, no need Se ra-ssi."

"It'll burden my conscience if you refuse." She insisted and a smiled a little at her persistence.

"It's just 20,000 won Se-ra-ssi."

Her phone pinged with a message and she took a look at the text. She looked torn for a moment and then, returning her gaze back to me she said,

"It's still money I borrowed. I should return it. Thanks a lot for today Yoon gi-ssi, I have to get going now, my friend who lives round the block is expecting me. I'll see you later then." She gave me a grateful grin and after bowing politely at both me and the ajhumma behind the counter she made her  exit through the door, the bells above it jingling as she opened and closed it.

"What was that?" my hyung questioned me as soon as she left.

During our whole conversation, I had completely forgotten why I was there in the first place and whom I was there with. Apparently, hyung had been standing right there behind me the whole time.

"What?" I avoided his inquisitive gaze and instead took out the shopping list mom had given me and started looking for the items on the list. Hyung followed behind me with a wire basket to put the items in; but he never once stopped with his twenty questions, he loves to stick his nose where it didn't belong but I still love him anyways.

I tuned him out and instead replayed our conversation today in my mind- not wanting to forget how beautiful she looked as usual, with her long hair in a loose ponytail, a few stubborn tendrils escaping it and framing her pretty face.

"Are you even hearing me right now? Pabo snap out of it!" my brother snapped his fingers in front of my face. Sometimes he really got on my nerves but I love him immensely.

"What now hyung?"

"She's the new girl in town everyone is talking about, right? That rich heiress? Mom mentioned something about it- apparently the word around the town is that she has moved here with her mother after her parents got divorced last month. Must be hard for her."

I stopped in my tracks and faced him,

"What are you talking about? I didn't hear anything like that, are you serious?"

Hyung chuckled and ruffled my hair,

"Maybe because you are always lost in your world of music and now Se-ra."

"Yah hyung!" Hyung just nudged me playfully and laughed out loud.

Kang Se-ra always had a smile on her face whenever I saw her. Could it be that she was suffering? That she was sad but hid it all behind that giddy grin of hers? Even the thought made my heart constrict.

At that  moment I realised that I practically knew nothing about the girl I loved.

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"You like that  pretty miss  who just left don't you?" was what the counter lady asked me while billing my items. 

"Um..." I scratched my neck nervously, unsure of what to say. I had never before been in the type of situation I suddenly found myself in. 

Besides, she was a total stranger; sure, I had seen her managing the shop many times over the years but still, I couldn't bring myself to confess to the girl I liked, how could I spill my guts to the old lady who I didn't really know?

"From the way you were talking to her, I doubt you have confessed your feelings. She really has no idea does she?" the lady arched her gray eyebrows curiously.

"Um ajhumma..." I looked anywhere but at her and shifted on my feet.

"My brother here is too chicken to do so ajhumma." My hyung interrupted us and chuckled, slinging an arm across my shoulders which I brushed off irately, still annoyed with his pestering and meddling even though I knew I'd forgive him at the drop of a hat; I could never stay mad at my brother for long who is also my closest friend on earth.

"You shouldn't be like that young boy, she would never turn such a handsome boy down." Ajhumma beamed at me and I gave her a polite yet awkward smile.

"Quick or else someone else will snag her and steal her away from you!" she winked at me to which I gave her a forced and awkward small smile while my brother had a hard time controlling his laughter.

"Um, ajhumma how much was it again?" I tried to change the topic, I just wanted to pay her the bill and get it over with; I didn't fancy myself getting relationship tips from an ajhumma who I barely knew.

"It'll be 45,000 won young boy." She said and hyung paid for it.

As we were about to leave, I heard ajhumma frown a bit and mutter to herself,

"How come that pretty girl has no idea he likes her? Its as obvious as the day."

'My thoughts exactly ajhumma." I mumbled back under my breath, too low for hyung or her to hear.