Ananya slowly walked back to the store, trying to make sense of the entire situation. Firstly, Jung-wook's strange reaction upon seeing Ji-yeon. And then, her confession… which almost came across as a threat. A lot just happened within 15 minutes, and she was having a hard time wrapping her head around it.
"Welcome back." Jung-wook gave her a hesitant smile.
"What was that about?"
"Is she a close friend?" Jung-wook leaned on the counter, cupping his face with his hands.
"You can say she is one of my only 2 friends out here." Ananya replied, more as a reminder to herself than to him.
"So your only friend apart from me? That sucks." He pouted teasingly. She rolled her eyes, "Bold of you to assume we're friends."
"Ouch." He clutched his chest, stepping back dramatically.
"Okay, Drama Queen." She shook her head with a soft chuckle.
"Although I'd suggest you make more friends, maybe not just rely on her friendship." He added, the sudden shift in his tone making her raise a brow. "What do you mean?"
"I mean… you are in a new country, mingling with a new culture. Shouldn't waste such an opportunity by limiting yourself to a couple of friends, right?"
"While that makes sense," Ananya paused, her gaze fixated on his face, "The intent feels different to me. The look you had on earlier gave it away, and I'm curious to know why."
"I don't know what you are talking about." He feigned a confused look, his eyes flickering away to avoid hers. His luck briefly did its charm, as three old ladies just walked in. Ananya scowled, narrowing her eyes at him before walking away as the customers buzzed around the store.
Jung-wook looked down, his hand holding onto one of his pockets. Now's not the time. He had barely gotten friendly with Ananya, let alone gain even a sliver of her trust. There was no way she would believe what he had to say. At least not yet.
He heaved a long sigh, putting on his charming smile as the ladies walked up to the counter. "That will be 12500 won, thank you."
Darting back the moment the women left the store, Ananya placed a firm hand on the counter. "So?"
"Mhm?" He hummed, pretending to be busy sorting the cigarette boxes behind the counter, his back turned towards Ananya.
"Why did you have that look on you when you saw Ji-yeon?"
His shoulders tensed slightly, but he continued arranging the boxes as if he hadn't really heard her. She crossed her arms. "Really, now?"
He looked over without turning around, his tone a bit reluctant. "It's…complicated."
She scowled, "Everything with you is. You show up out of nowhere, make ridiculous claims, and now you're telling me who to be friends with – while being an absolute stranger yourself!"
This lash-out was supposed to be for Ji-yeon, and her hurtful remarks earlier. Unfortunately, Jung-wook had to bear the brunt of it. He looked away, chewing on his lip. "Can you please trust me this time?"
"Trust you?" Ananya retorted. "Why should I trust you when you won't even give me a straight answer?"
"Just know that it's for your own good," He insisted, his voice low and urgent.
"That's just not good enough," She snapped. "I don't need someone to tell me what to do. Especially not someone who cannot even tell me their own real intentions."
His eyes flashed with frustration, but he chose to remain silent. Ananya felt a pang of guilt for the sudden outburst so she added, a little gentler, "I deserve to know what's happening. If you cannot be honest with me, don't expect me to blindly take your word for it."
Jung-wook turned completely to face her, peering into her eyes with concern. "I'm not trying to control you, Ananya. I'm just trying to protect you."
"From what? Who? Ji-yeon? One of the only people I know and trust here? You cannot expect me to cut her off without any explanation."
He held her hand. "I'm having a hard time figuring everything out myself. It's not that simple. Trust me, you'd have known already, if it was."
Ananya's patience was wearing thin. "Then make it simple, Jung-wook. Because right now, you are coming off as nothing more than an invasive stranger who thinks he knows what's best for me."
Jung-wook winced at her words but remained quiet, slowly letting go of her hand. Ananya heaved a deep sigh, a mix of confusion and frustration bubbling within. "You know what? Just let it be."
She walked away, her movements brisk as she resumed her tasks. The remaining shift passed in strained silence, with neither of them willing to break the tension. Ananya's mind was a whirlwind of emotions. Firstly, her pointless argument with Yuvi. Then Ji-yeon's confession came about. And then, there was Jung-wook's adamancy to remain tight-lipped about everything. What was even happening?
As the store's closing time approached, Ananya quickly grabbed her things to avoid any interaction with Jung-wook, heading for the door before he could even wave bye.
"Ananya, wait," He called out, but she didn't stop. It may have been an overreaction, but her emotions were in turmoil and she couldn't really think straight. There was so much that had happened within a single day that it weighed heavily on her mind, leaving her more bewildered and drained than ever.
The cool evening air brushed against her face as she walked home, but it sadly couldn't help shake off that heavy feeling. Jung-wook's warning echoed in her mind, mingling with Ji-yeon's cryptic confession. The secrets and puzzles surrounding her life in this unfamiliar country were becoming more tangled, and she just didn't know how to unravel them and set herself free.
But one thing was certain: she couldn't just ignore her instincts. If Jung-wook wouldn't be honest with her, she would have to find her own way to get the answers she seeks. Whatever was going on, she was determined to find out anyhow.