Love Bites and Letters Chapter 2

[merki589]

Chapter 2

Love Bites and Letters

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After her new sister left to find solace in the front porch, Sooyoung continues to munch happily on her cookies. She prides herself that she’s good in baking the sweet food she’s eating right now. In fact, she always has these baking sessions with her daddy ever weekend. Being a big eater himself, Choi Byunghee would indulge his daughter’s plea of baking together. He doesn’t mind if his hair is powdered with flour or Sooyoung would decide to decorate his face with icing. Unknown to his daughter, baking with her is Choi Byunghee’s way of lessening the guilt he will always be feeling. He knows behind his daughter’s loudness and boisterous personality is a kid with a deep and massive well of insecurities.

“Choi Sooyoung, you’re putting fats inside your body!”

As if she got electrocuted, Sooyoung immediately drops the half eaten cookie on the floor. She begins to look around the kitchen frantically for the source of the voice. She stares at the cookie jar in guilt, looking as if eating them earlier was a big mistake. She hurriedly closes the container and closes her eyes. She continues to stand in the middle of the kitchen trembling when Seo Ri In’s and her daddy’s sounds of laughter brings to a halt her sudden panicking.

“Aigoo…..you’re just hallucinating Choi Sooyoung.” She scolds herself.

Taking a deep breath, Sooyoung closes her eyes again in order to stop the tears that are forming from falling. No, that woman is gone. She can now eat whatever that she craves for. So what if she gets fat? She’s still ten years old and is still growing. Plus, she’s a shik-shin. No one can stop her, the goddess of food in eating. Nodding to herself, she grabs the big jar of cookies and runs to her room to continue eating.

As she passes by her daddy’s room, she can still hear her dad and new mommy laughing. She sticks out her too at their door while mumbling that she wants to play with them too. She grumpily trudges towards her room and plops her body on the bed while still hugging the cookie jar. She plops the container beside her then proceeds to roll her body on the bed for a few minutes. She decides to stop the dizzying act and was about to lie again when she notices the weighing scale near her closet. She abruptly sits on the bed as she stares contemplatively at the measuring tool.

She promised to herself three years ago after that woman died that she’ll never take it to her heart what the weighing scale will show to her whenever she steps on it. But most of the time, the results still bother her. And now, she’s tempted again to look at how much she weighs.

With hesitant steps, she dreadfully walks towards the weighing scale; her public enemy number one after that woman died. She pushes the bangs away from her eyes and proceeds to smoothen her short, almost boyish hair before stepping on to the scale.

She immediately closes her eyes tightly once she steps on it. If only she can will herself to not look at it then she’ll gladly do so. But she’s always eaten with her curiosity on how much she weighs and the memory of that woman of always scolding her to check her weight everyday still haunts her. So with anxiety, she opens her eyes to look at the results.

Only to have her shoulders drop in dismay.

“One hundred and fifteen pounds…………..” She whispers disgustingly.

She steps down from the scale, gives it a kick before running back on her bed. She shoves her head under the pillows while chanting herself not to cry. She’s not fat. She’s just…….a little too healthy for a ten year old. Stupid girl. Why does she have to look at the scale? Why? Such a stupid stupid girl.

“Jo shim seu ruhb ge…….yae gi hal lae yo……………….”*

Her eyes immediately snap open when those words suddenly pop inside her mind. She slowly removes her head under the pile of pillows and looks around as she wipes her tears. She slightly smiles as she remembers that song. That song will be forever memorable and special to her.

She slides her body towards the left side of the bed. She opens the drawer that is attached to her bedside table and grabs the black cassette player with its matching headphones. She is about to close the drawer when she notices the picture frame. She stares at it for a moment before picking it up with her trembling hand. She turns the picture around and once again, she’s looking at the person that up until now she still fears.

“Choi Sooyoung, stop eating that food!”

“You’re too tall! You’re too fat! I don’t want you!”

“I don’t have an ugly fat girl for a daughter!”

Sooyoung throws the picture frame harshly inside the drawer and closes it angrily. She can’t cry again because of that woman. That person is gone. She can eat whatever she wants now. She will never hear that woman’s insults again. She furiously wipes her tears as she picks the headphones. She hastily puts it on and quickly plays the tape to let her self be drowned by the soothing melody of the song.

This particular song never fails to cheer her up.

“Jo shim seu ruhb ge yae gi hal lae yo

Yong gi nae bool lae yo

Na o neul boo tuh geu dae reul

Sa rang hae do dwel gga yo?

Chuh eum in guhl yo.

Boon myuhng han neu ggim

Noh chi goh ship ji anh jyo

Sa rang i o ryuh na bwah yo.

Keu dae e ge neul choh eun guht man jool gge yo ”*

“Woah….such a really nice song.” Sooyoung gushes softly after the song ended. She flips the portable player and traces tenderly the initials that were written on the bottom right corner of it: “L.J.H.”

“Lee.Jong.Hyun.” Soooyung whispers before smiling widely.

Who is Lee Jonghyun? For the ten year old Choi Soooyung, he is her one true love, the boy that she will marry in the future. Why did she say that? Because unknown to Lee Jonghyun, he saved her from one of the saddest moments of her life.

# --- #

Choi Sooyoung was seven then, a week after that woman died. Her classmates were relentless as ever, consistently and mercilessly teasing her; calling her fat and a giant pig. And now, they added a new one; Fat Soooyung with no Mommy. Sooyoung had too much of the teasing so before regretting what she will do, she already landed a punch on her boy classmate’s face. That boxing stint of hers earned her a good slap on the butt from her teacher and a one hour stay after dismissal. She kept on weeping inside the classroom, bawling and sobbing loudly to the annoyance of her classmates that were chosen to be cleaners for that day.

It’s so unfair. She’s the one being bullied but she’s the one that got the punishment. Her daddy will surely be disappointed. Feeling more miserable, she cried louder when out of nowhere, a pair of pale hands slammed her table. Still crying and with occasional hiccups, Sooyung looked up to look at the owner of those hands. She scrunches her face in confusion when she realized that it’s Lee Jonghyun, the only classmate who never teased her.

“Aish! Shikkeureowo!!” Jonghyun told her loudly. He rudely puts a headphone over her ears and plays the portable cassette player at its volume, stunning her.

Someone was nice to her.

(She obviously failed to notice that Jonghyun is actually irritated with her.)

Here she is, very sad and lonely. Then someone was kind enough to len his cassette player to cheer her up. Yurisangja was never her favorite singer but that will change now. She’ll be forever grateful to his song.

Choi Soooyung gazed at Lee Jonghyun in a new light, mesmerized by his blinding beauty.

“Someone cares for me after all.”

Jonghyun glared at her again before leaving the room. Her classmates snickered at her before they too left the room. They had finally finished cleaning. But Soooyung ignored them. She just experienced an unforgettable moment.

She has fallen in love.

She finally met her first and true love.

Choi Sooyoung met her prince charming at the tender age of seven ears old.

“Jo shim seu ruhb ge yae gi hal lae yo

Yong gi nae bool lae yo

Na o neul boo tuh geu dae reul

Sa rang hae do dwel gga yo?

Chuh eum in guhl yo.

Boon myuhng han neu ggim

Noh chi goh ship ji anh jyo

Sa rang i o ryuh na bwah yo.

Keu dae e ge neul choh eun guht man jool gge yo ”*

Sooyoung endured the long lecture that she got from her daddy when they went back home. She understood that he’s upset with what she did to her classmate. But she’s a Daddy’s girl so Choi Byunghee can’t stay mad at her that long. After bowing for forgiveness, she kissed her daddy on the cheeks then sprinted towards her room.

Coincidentally, she and Lee Jonghyun are neighbors, a fact she only appreciated just now. Like an eager watcher, she huddled by her window and observed the Lee’s house. She giggled excitedly. She is neighbors with her prince charming.

Stalker Choi Sooyoung was born that day.

# ---- #

Soooyung giggles remembering meeting her prince charming, her future husband. Yes, Lee Jonghyun is her future husband and she’s quite vocal with her feelings. She picks fights at every girl classmate that she sees talking or near her future husband. And in no time, she earned the reputation of Lee Jonghyun’s ultimate stalker among her classmates.

“I am his future wife. I’m not his staker!” The then eight year old Soooyung explained to her classmates.

“You’re crazy! Why would Jonghyun marry a fat girl like you?”

SLAP.

Poor classmate of Sooyoung, she got to experience Sooyoung’s infamous hits. Sooyoung’s violent tendencies became uncontrollable that Choi Byunghee took a drastic measure. He pulled her out of school and sent her to live with her grandparents in Japan; no schooling for one year but a time to discipline herself.

Sooyung was devastated when she learned about it. Why is her daddy being mean to her? Doesn’t he love her anymore? She cried and put on a tantrum but her daddy was firm. She can’t be separated from her future husband. Andwae! But her daddy still pushed through with his plans. And so on the day that she was leaving for Japan, she has to let Lee Jonghyun know that he is only hers.

She went to their house and knocked their front door. She jumped happily that it’s Lee Jonghyun who opened the door. Soooyung smiled widely seeing him standing in front of her. Aigoo…Her future husband is very handsome. But of course, her daddy is the most handsome of all. She’s too engrossed on gazing at him; she didn’t noticed Lee Jonghyun flinching once he saw her face.

“Ahnyeong!!!” She greeted enthusiastically.

“………………………………What do you want?” He asked her cautiously.

“I’m going to Japan today.”

“So?”

“I’m telling you so that you won’t be looking for me in school tomorrow.” She said. “I know you will miss me. But don’t worry; I will do my best to be a good girl so that I can comeback soon. Then we will see each other again!”

“I’m cool if I won’t see you again. Or better, don’t come back!” Jonghyun answered her cheerfully, too cheerfully.

“Aigoo….I know you’ll miss me. I can see it in your face.” Soooyung teased him.

“Of course not. Can’t you see how happy I am that you’re leaving?” Jonghyun replies sarcastically.

“Jonghyun….Jonghyun….I know. You’re just shy to tell me that you’ll miss me.” Soooyung assured him while patting him on the back. “But don’t be sad okay? I will come back.”

“I hope not!” Jonghun grits his teeth while glaring at her.

Sooyung gigglesas she pokes him playfully ob the nose. Jonghyun can only cringe and continue to glare back at the most outrageous girl he ever met. He immediately stepped back in reflex when Choi Soooyung suddenly leaned her face to him.

“Bwoya?!” Jonghyun demanded angrily but then shouts in pain when the crazy girl decided to bite his left arm.

“YAH!! NEO MICHYEOSSEO!!” He shouts rudely at her face.

“Lee Jonghyun…..” Choi Soooyung told him solemnly. “You have been marked. Neo…..Neon naegoya.”

Jonghyun felt his jaws dropped to the floor. Choi Soooyung is really crazy. Thank God she’s leaving! He won’t be harassed by her anymore. He glared furiously at his retreating back and then shouted at her.

“You’re crazy if you think I’ll ever like you!”

# ----- #

Soooyung turns off her (Jonghyun’s) cassette player and leaves it on her bed. She walks towards her window and to her delight; Lee Jonghyun is outside his house playing with his soccer ball. Ah….. She’s lucky today. Ever since she came back, she’s having a hard time seeing her future husband. Too bad they won’t be class mates anymore. She has to repeat one grade level, making her and Joohyun classmates. It’s still okay for her though. It will give her an excuse to call him Oppa.

“Jonghyun, have you seen Yonghwa?” She hears his mother shouting from inside the Lee’s house.

“No. Maybe he’s inside his room.” Jonghyun answers, kicking his soccer ball in the process.

“Omona!” She gasps. “I forgot about Joohyun!”

She runs towards the door but dashes back to the look at Joohyun again.

“Bye-bye Hubby!” She whispers giddily.

After closing her door, she walks towards Joohyun’s room. What could her new sister’s room look like? Will it be like hers, cluttered? She skips her way towards the room located at the end of the hallway.

“Joohyun?” She knocks on the door. “Are you in there? Can I come in?”

She waits for Joohyun to answer but gets curious when she didn’t hear a reply. She counts to ten before slowly turning the door knob. Her eyes widen in amazement to see that everything is already organized. The story books are stacked in place, Joohyun’s clothes are piled neatly inside her closet and even her toys are arranged by size and color. Soooyung picks the two baby dolls that are sitting on the white bed. She saw Joohyun holding them earlier.

“Ruthie and Sandy.” Sooyoung reads the names printed on the dolls clothes.

“Her room is so clean……unlike mine.” She mutters in awe. After placing the dolls back on the bed, she takes one look at the room before closing the door.

She passes by her daddy’s room again and she can still hear him and Ri In Imo giggling. Tsk. Adults! Who’s more childish now? She trudges lazily down the stairs while looking at the huge window of their living room. She gasps in alarm when she realizes that it’s raining outside.

“Joohyun!” She thought in panic.

She hurries towards the front door but stops upon not seeing Joohyun in the front porch. She walks back to the kitchen but her new sister is still not there. She chews on her right thumb nervously. Joohuyn can’t be missing. Ottoke! Her little sister is missing, on the first day that they have met each other!

She sits by the living room while staring at the clock anxiously. She must not panic. An unnie must stay calm so that her parents won’t know the problem. That’s it she’ll find Joohyun herself.

“Ottoke?!” She cries worriedly.

She immediately regrets suggesting to Joohyun of sitting by the front porch. Blinking her eyes to stop the tears on forming, she stares at the clock nervously. But an hour has already passed and Joohyun is still not showing up. She must do something! She looks at the window and shrieks softly in relief to know that it already stopped raining. She sprints out of the house but stops when she sees Joohyun standing in their front lawn bowing to a familiar looking boy.

“Joohyun!” Sooyoung calls at her sister while running towards the two.

“Soooyung-shi-“

“Where did you go? I got worried. I thought you were missing!” Sooyoung confesses, worry clearly showing on her face.

“Mianheyo.” Joohyun apologizes while looking guiltily at her.

“Aigoo! Kwenchana but don’t leave without telling unnie, ok?”

Soooyung smiles seeing Joohyun makes a timid nod. She turns to the boy her new sister is with and jumps in glee realizing who he is.

“Omo! I know you! You are-“

“Yah! Yonghwa!!”

Omona! Soooyung knows very well who that voice belongs to. She turns around eagerly to show her widest smile to that person. Walking towards them with an annoyed expression on his face is her future husband, Lee Jonghyun.

“Hubby!” She greets Jonghyun cheerfully, waving her hands in an exaggerated manner.

“DEH?!” Both Yonghwa and Joohyun yell in shock.

“Hubby my…..Woah chincha! This girl is really crazy.” Jonghyun mumbles crossly. He marches towards his cousin and grabs the latter’s ear.

“Did you sneak out to buy those annoying root crops again?”

“Appeuda!” Yonghwa cries childishly.

Soooyung stares in awe as Jonghyun continues to scold Yonghwa. Her hubby is so manly when angry. She continues to swoon but stops when she notices Joohyun being alarmed at the display of “violence”. Tsk. Her new sister is so…….fragile.

“Joohyun, were you with this boy earlier?”

“Deh.” Joohyun answers meekly.

“Chincha?!” Sooyung squeals. “So you will marry him too? You know, I’ll marry Jonghyun in the future!”

“What?!”

‘Ahniyo!”

“STOP SAYING CRAZY THINGS CHOI SOOYOUNG!” Jonghyun thunders angrily but to his frustration, the crazy fat girl is unfazed. She turns to Yonghwa and pesters his cousin enthusiastically.

“What’s your name? You’re going to marry my sister, right? Don’t worry, I like you for her!”

“Soooyung -shi, he is not that!” Joohyun cries in protest.

“I’M GOING TO STRANGLE YOU CHOI SOOYOUNG!”

“I’m Jung Yonghwa, Jonghyun’s cousin.” Yonghwa answers hurriedly. He watches his cousin’s face becoming redder the more Jonghyun stares at Sooyoung.

“Really? Ahnyonghaseyo, cousin in law! I’m Choi Sooyoung, Lee Jonghyun’s wife.”

“NO, YOU’RE NOT!!!” Jonghyun screams in horror.

“But I am!” Sooyoung insists, pouting at her hubby whose face is becoming redder every second.

“Aish!! Yonghwa, let’s go home now. Omoni is looking for you.” Jonghyun commands his cousin while throwing hateful glares at Sooyoung.

“Wait!” Yonghwa turns to Joohyun shyly. “Erm…Can I know your name now?”

“I……I’m…..” Joohyun stutters. This is very embarrassing. Sooyoung-shi is calling this Yonghwa-shi her boyfriend but of course it’s not true and now she feels so awkward talking to Yonghwa-shi because of Sooyoung-shi’s teasing. She gasps in surprise when Sooyoung places her long arm around her neck.

“She’s Seo Joohyun, my sister!” Sooyoung informs Yonghwa proudly.

“Pfft!! HA! You don’t look alike. Besides she’s pretty!” Jonghyun points out meanly.

“Hubby! What does that supposed to mean? Are you cheating on me?” Sooyoung exclaims dramatically, her hands on her mouth indicating that she’s shocked.

Jonghyun rolls his eyes and chooses to ignore Sooyoung. He walks towards Joohyun and grabs her by the arm, making her stand beside Yonghwa. He throws another annoyed glare at Sooyoung before talking to the quiet girl.

“Stay away from that girl. She’s crazy-- ARGH!!!!!!”

Sooyoung bites him again on the arm.

“YAH!!!” Jonghyun screams at Soooyung.

He plans to really hit her on the head this time but Yonghwa stops him from doing so. He locks Jonghyun’s arms with his arms as his cousin kicks and yells incoherently at the tall girl he just met. Yonghwa glances at Joohyun who is now hiding behind Sooyoung. Yonghwa grimaces, its obvious Joohyun got scared with his cousin’s outburst.

“Weird. How come their parents are not hearing the noises we are making?” Yonghwa thinks in wonder.

“Hubby, I told you already. You’re mine. You can’t flirt with other girls. Andwae!” Sooyoung cries loudly.

Yonghwa gapes at Soooyung in disbelief. The tall girl is really crying. But her crying only made his cousin angrier. Jonghyun jerks frivolously, his right foot trying to kick Sooyoung. Joohyun grabs Sooyoung’s hand and with all her might, she drags the taller girl home.

“Yonghwa-sshi, thank you. We’ll go home now!” Joohyun yells gratefully at Yonghwa while dragging Soooyung.

“Hubby!” Sooyoung wails desperately as Joohyun continues on dragging her.

Yonghwa can only watch as the two girls walk away from them noisily. Such a queer pair for sisters. Jonghyun has stopped moving and is now muttering angrily beside him. He looks t his cousin and sighs. Lee Jonghyun is in a bad mood again.

“Let’s go home now.” Yonghwa cajoles his irate cousin.

Jonghyun only glares at him and stomps away. Yonghwa rides on his bike and follows after his cousin while singing softly.

"The incy wincy spider climbed up the water spout………. "

# ---- #

“Sooyoung-shi, please stop crying.” Joohyun begs Sooyoung, she is already on the verge of crying too.

“Hu-hubby is cheating on me! Huhuhuhuh.” Sooyung wails loudly, clutters of tissues are found on her bed as she continues to cry. “He likes you!”

“Ahniyo!” Joohyun protests. “He was just talking to me.!”

“That’s why! He talked to you in front of me!”

“But….uhm….I don’t like him!”

Sooyoung immediately stops her crying hearing Joohyun’s answer. Her face is in a mess: her hair in disarray, tears stains her face and snot on her nose. Joohyun took a clean tissue and proceeds to wipe her face cautiously.

“Really?

“Deh.”

“Promise?” Sooyoung sobs while holding out her pinky finger. Joohyun hooks her pinkie and smiles at Sooyoung.

“Promise…….Unnie. Can I call you that? Unnie?”

Hearing Joohyun calling her Unnie made Sooyung to cry again. She grabs the later in a hug and sobs hysterically. Joohyun laughs and returns the hug. If there’s one thing she decided while sitting with Yonghwa-shi at the park, which is to be a good girl like what her daddy wants her to be.

“Soooyung unnie, I really don’t know how to be a sister. But I know daddy will be sad in heaven if I won’t be nice to you and Mr. Choi.” She let’s go of Sooyung and makes a bow.

“Please teach me how to be a good sister and daughter to your daddy.”

The door immediately opens and the parents of both girls rush inside in panic. Sooyoung and Joohyun stare at the two adults, their clothes were crumpled and their hair in disarray.

“Daddy, what happened to you and Imo?” Sooyoung inquires innocently, her eyebrows rising.

“Ah! Well….Hehehehhe.” Choi Byunghee answers awkwardly.

“Never mind us.” Seo Ri In says dismissively. “Why were you crying Sooyoung? Joohyun, did you make her cry?”

Seeing that Joohyun looking guilty at Ri In Imo’s question, Soooyung answers for her sister.

“I was just happy that’s why I cried. She called me unnie…….Mom.”

Seo Ri In gasps then looks at Byunghee for confirmation. Did Soooyung just? She instantly tears up seeing Byunghee nodding his head. Seo Ri In eagerly looks at her daughter. Joohyun glances shyly at Mr. Choi then looks at Sooyoung for help. Soooyung smiles at her encouragingly.

“We were just talking……Mommy…..Daddy.” Joohyun mumbles timidly.

SILENCE.

“KYAH!!!! GROUP HUG!!!” Sooyoung suddenly screams.

Joohyun finds herself buried under her mommy, her new sister and daddy. She can hear her mom crying and sees Soooyoung giving patting her on the back. A soft kiss on the forehead prompts her to look up. Choi Byunghee….her new daddy smiling warmly at her.

“Thank you.” He whispers.

And she knew, little Joohyun knew she’s finally home. Plus, she’s sure her daddy is happily watching them from heaven.

To be continued.

Author’s Notes:

Weird? Surprised? I know. I know. Some shippers will react but I’ve planned this from the very beginning. Let’s say I did some casting and these four passed. :3

I would like to thank tims_tams  camoteqhiko27 for helping with the Korean words that  I don't know. Thank you guys. :)

Thank you for the enthusiastic response for this story.

Enjoy reading!

-Merki-