To Kiss An Idol

78 The Laughter

Nivritti was still a little angry with him for belittling her job. And Jae-Geun was slightly scared of her. As Jae-Hwa told him that she never took any crap from anyone and last night she proved that right. If only he knew, that when it comes to her, she would accept any insults or injuries but if it was about others she would fight till the end of the earth.

“You look better. I am glad that the eye drop worked,” Jae-Geun tried to break the ice.

“Oh yeah, my eyes are feeling better. Thank you very much,” smiled Nivritti awkwardly.

“You put some in the morning, right?” asked Jae-Geun.

“Proof is in front of you,” she said condescendingly and pointed at the eyedrop sitting on the table.

“Good!” he just smiled but avoided looking at her.

They didn’t know that at the time, but Jae-Hwa who came out of the bathroom after wearing a white t-shirt and red pyjamas that her brother brought was standing at the door looking at them, hearing their conversation. The awkwardness between them was felt so far in the room.

Drying her hair with the towel, she shouted from the threshold, “what happened between you two?”

Both Nivritti and Jae-Geun jumped slightly at the sudden sound of her voice. Both turned towards her and simultaneously shouted, “excuse me!”

.....

With the wave of her palm Jae-Hwa notified, “there is some weird energy between you two. What did you guys do last night when I was sleeping?” she raised her eyebrows sceptically.

“What? Nothing. We did nothing,” shouted Jae-Geun.

“Why are you acting as if I caught you while kissing or something?” taunted Jae-Hwa.

“Shut up, Jae!” scolded Nivritti. She didn’t like that notion at all on the other hand, Jae-Geun’s cheeks flashed a faint shade of red.

“Noo... Something happened,” pondered Jae-Hwa while caressing her chin. “Tell me what.”

Jae-Geun exhaled, “fine, I said something about your idols, and she scolded me. I think she is still angry at me.” He lowered his eyes with shame.

“Then what she did was absolutely right. You deserve it and what do you mean by my idols?” rebuked Jae-Hwa.

He immediately stood up and explained, “no, no, I meant the idols you work with. Oh, I am repeatedly putting my foot in my mouth. I am saying sorry to both of you again.” He knelt down and rubbed his palm asking for their forgiveness.

“Oh, get up, Oppa,” shouted Jae-Hwa.

“Please get up. And that’s not the thing. I am not angry with you. I think I was too harsh with you. I am sorry about that,” apologised Nivritti.

“No, you don’t have to be sorry. He is very condescending when it comes to idols. I am sure whatever you said to him, he deserved it,” Jae-Hwa stuck her tongue out at her brother.

“I still think I was too harsh. I am sorry,” said Nivritti.

“Enough sorrys. I am hungry. Let’s eat,” announced Jae-Hwa.

“You go dry your hair. The hair dryer is on my dresser. In the meantime, I will heat the food,” ordered Nivritti.

“I can help,” offered Jae-Geun.

Nivritti and Jae-Geun moved to the kitchen while Jae-Hwa went inside the bedroom. Jae-Geun helped with the plates and glasses while Nivritti started heating the food. Everything was placed on the table when Jae-Hwa came out of the bedroom.

“Let’s start,” said Jae-Hwa and jumped at the food. Both brother and sister sat next to each other, and Nivritti sat in front of them. Like kids, they kept fighting over the food and Nivritti kept smiling and rolling her eyes at them.

“So, what did she say to you?” asked Jae-Hwa.

“Hey!” shouted Nivritti. “Can we talk about other topics?”

“I want to know, please,” pouted Jae-Hwa.

“Fine,” said Jae-Geun. “She gave me a lecture on passion. She made me realise that every passion if it is not hurting anyone else is good. Everyone does things that bring them happiness and it is not bad.”

“Ohh... so you changed your point of view?” asked Jae-Hwa.

“Maybe slightly,” replied Jae-Geun. “But I still think a few people overdo that.”

“Yeah, I was thinking about the same, that’s why I said sorry. The thing you are talking about is an obsession and it is never good,” commented Nivritti.

“Right! The Saesangs!” said Jae-Hwa.

“Saesangs?” asked Nivritti.

“Yeah, the over-obsessive fans. They stalk idols, send letters written from their blood, give threats to them that if they marry or date someone else, they will kill them,” described Jae-Hwa.

“What?” shouted Nivritti, shocked.

“Yes, we have had some cases where girls and boys have slit their veins for their idols. Some people have been arrested for stalking the idols,” said Jae-Geun.

“Okay, I acknowledge that behaviour is wrong. But I ask you, how idols are at fault in this? If a boy stalks a girl and is obsessive about her or vice versa, is it their fault?” questioned Nivritti.

“You are right. It is not the idols’ fault,” acknowledged Jae-Geun.

“Finally, someone came who changed his view,” shouted Jae-Hwa and sighed with relief.

“So dramatic,” Jae-Geun shook his head with disappointment which made Nivritti laugh out loud. After looking at her laughing, Jae-Hwa too started laughing. Jae-Geun looked at both the girls for a second and joined in the laughter.

They finished the food and Jae-Hwa burped loudly.

“Hey! Manners!” scolded Jae-Geun.

“What? Girls can’t burp?” protested Jae-Hwa.

“I never said that. I said it’s not good manners to burp around someone. Did I burp?” asked Jae-Geun.

“You can burp. No one will judge you,” said Nivritti and burped with an open mouth.

Both brother and sister started laughing at her and after burping Nivritti joined in. Jae-Geun too opened his mouth and burped at his loudest. Soon there was a competition on who could burp louder. All three were rolling with laughter on the couch.

Laughing loudly, Jae-Hwa fell from the couch which made the laughter even louder. Tears of happiness came out of everyone’s eyes.

“Okay, okay, stop. Oh, my stomach. I can’t laugh anymore,” scoffed and Nivritti tried to stifle her laughter but again started laughing. It was long since she remembered laughing like this. She was happy and content and free. She was enjoying her time with her friends without any fear or sadness. She was grateful to Jae-Hwa for coming into her life.

After exhaling and inhaling a lot of times, they all calmed themselves down and stopped laughing but still, smiles were playing on their faces. Nivritti started picking up the plates from the table to clean them when again Jae-Geun burped loudly.

She fell to her knees laughing out loud and again the circle of laughter started.

“Oh, my stomach, Oppa, stop!” shouted Jae-Hwa wiping the corners of her eyes.

Finally, they were out of laughter and smiles. All kept holding their jaws and stomachs to ease the pain after laughing so much. All picked up their plates and containers and went into the kitchen. Nivritti washed the dishes, Jae-Geun dried them with a cloth and Jae-Hwa kept them in their proper place.

They all sat on the couch with a thud after eating and laughing so much. No one spoke for a while, they just kept staring at the roof and exhaling loudly.

Their slumber was broken when Nivritti’s phone chimed loudly. Groaning, she picked up her phone and looked at it. It was a message notification. She checked it and saw that the message was from her bank. She opened the message and her eyes widened with shock. She froze.

“What? What happened?” asked Jae-Geun, concerned. But Nivritti never answered.

“Ritti!” shouted Jae-Hwa.

“Huh... what?” Nivritti came back to the land of the living.

“Is everything alright?” asked Jae-Hwa. Jae-Geun was looking at her worried.

“Did I tell you that Mr Hu promised me a bonus?” gulped Nivritti.

“Yes, I remember, and you gave the whole department coffee treats,” said Jae-Hwa.

“Not that, another bonus for protecting JJ,” explained Nivritti.

“What? Another bonus, wow!” shouted Jae-Hwa.

“Yeah, I just received it,” Nivritti turned her phone and showed the amount to Jae-Hwa. It said that about Rs. 35000 was transferred to her account. Jae-Hwa showed no reaction as she didn’t understand the INR.

“What am I looking at here?” asked Jae-Hwa.

“Oh yeah right, this is my Indian account. So, um... the exchange rate... multiply with...” she kept calculating in her mind. “The rough figure of my bonus would be around 5.5 hundred thousand Korean Won.”

“What??!!” both brother and sister shouted, shocked.

“Yeah!!” shouted Nivritti too.

“Oh my god! Oh my god!! Oh my god!!!” Jae-Hwa’s voice tone kept climbing a notch with every ‘oh my god’ and she kept jumping in the air.

“Calm down, Jaehwa!” her brother held her shoulder tightly as if he was stopping her from floating in the air.

“Yeah, calm down, Jae!” Nivritti said.

“I am calm! I am calm! I am always calm,” Jae-Hwa started laughing like a maniac.

“Okay, I think I have broken your sister,” said Nivritti, shaking her head.

“Oh, nonsense, she was always broken,” said Jae-Geun and looked at Nivritti. Both pressed their lips to avoid laughing but one look at each other and they started laughing like idiots.

“Yaa!” shouted Jae-Hwa and both Jae-Geun and Nivritti stopped laughing. Yet a chuckle or two would escape their mouth.

“Now are you okay?” asked Nivritti.

“What are you going to do with that money?” asked Jae-Hwa, excited.

“Jaehwa!” scolded Jae-Geun. “That is not a question to ask. That is her money, she earned it.”

“Right, sorry,” apologised Jae-Hwa.

“Nonsense! I received this money because of her and JJ. I think they have equal rights on this money,” said Nivritti.

.....

“You really are out of your mind,” Jae-Hwa rolled her eyes.

“I beg your pardon,” said Nivritti, feeling insulted.

“That is your money. You did everything. How could you even think that we have any right to money? You really are out of your mind,” explained Jae-Hwa.

“Yeah, she is right,” nodded Jae-Geun.

“Okay, this is my money. But you know I was thinking about what we should do to pass the time today. What say if we all go shopping?” suggested Nivritti, smiling. “I could buy you anything you want,” she looked at Jae-Hwa.

“Oh my god! Oh my god!!” she shouted and jumped at Nivritti and hugged her tightly with excitement.

“Ha-ha,” laughed Nivritti.