Eongdeongi

“… oopa’s not supposed to be here until six! … No – umma, the place is – I told you, I didn’t know that he was coming early! The – fine, fine! Just – no, I’ll get Jiae to get it. Yes! No – umma! It’s fine! Just get here soon!”

Geurim sighed, slapping her forehead and shaking her head. Muttering quietly under her breath, she looked around the messy room before reaching into her bag.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, as I watched her rummage through her stuff.

“Change of plans,” she said, taking out a small piece of paper and smoothing it down on the counter. “I need you to go pick up the cake –“

“But I have work in half an hour! My boss-“

“But he’s coming right now! Umma said that he just left the train station and – oh god, the house is still a mess and – please,” she breathed, running her fingers through her hair. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears. “Hyunseung hasn’t been home in a year and… it’s his birthday and – if I mess this up umma’s going to-“

“Fine,” I huffed, standing up from the chair and taking the paper from the counter. “But I swear to god if I’m late for work because-“

“You won’t!” she said quickly, with a big grin making its way across her lips. She started pushing me towards the door. “You’re gonna have to run to the cake shop anyways – it’s pretty far!”

“What-“

Then she slammed the door behind me.

“Be back by five thirty!” she yelled from behind the door.


I was panting by the time I got to the cake shop. The worker behind the counter raised his eyebrows at me. “You alright?”

“Yeah... yeah I’m .... fine,” I panted, waving my hand in the air. Just very out of shape, I thought to myself, grumbling. Reaching into my pockets, I pulled out the order receipt and put it onto the counter. “I’m here to pick up a cake.”

After two minutes, I was out of the cake shop and feeling much, much better. It must’ve been because of the cake. I smiled to myself as I opened up the top of the white box. The cake was chocolate – my favourite flavour – with white chocolate shavings sprinkled all around the border. In the center there was a message drizzled in white: “Happy 23rd birthday, Hyunseung!” and a small chocolate heart right next to his name. I almost inhaled all of the cake – it smelled so delicious and at that moment, I really wouldn’t have minded skipping a day of work just to be able to have a slice of this cake.

My phone rang. I juggled the cake box with one hand as I fished into my pocket for it.

“Hello?”

“Yah! Where are you?! It’s five thirty already!”

“I’m almost there! I just-“

I gasped.

“What?”

My mouth fell wide open, staring down at the top of the white box. I hurriedly said a few words to Geurim before shutting off my phone and slipping it into my pocket. Nudging the box off of the cake, I winced once I saw its squished and splattered appearance.

“Oh no oh no oh no,” I muttered quickly, pressing my lips together - not knowing what to do with the cake. I looked at my watch – 5:32. Spotting a garbage can a few meters away, I began to bend down and pick up the cake to throw away, reassuring myself that if I got to the cake shop fast enough, I’d be able to buy another cake for Geurim and her brother. My face was getting hot from embarrassment and I hoped that I’d be able to fix everything.

But then I felt something hit my butt.

My eyes widened.

My arms froze in mid air.

And my cheeks – my cheeks were flaming red.

“Oh – oh god, I’m so sorry!” a male voice from behind me said.

After a few moments, I shot back up to a standing position and turned around quickly, laughing awkwardly.

“I’m sorry! That was all my fault! I shouldn’t have stopped in the middle of the sidewalk like that! I um – I…” I trailed off, trying not to meet the stranger’s eyes while cupping my cheeks in my hands, cooling them down – not working at all.

“Is that a cake?” he asked, tilting his head and looking past me, down onto the cake.

The cake.

The cake that was supposed to be at Geurim’s five minutes ago.

“Uh – yes!” I replied quickly, glancing at him for only a moment.

His hair was as red as my face.

I got to my knees, quickly trying to scoop the cake back into the box.

“You’re not going to eat that, are you?” he asked, sounding amused.

“No! No no no no,” I laughed – and I sounded so incredibly awkward that it almost hurt. “I’m just going to throw this out and go get a new one for my friend.”

I busied myself with the chocolate mess on the sidewalk, wanting to die right here, right now. I jumped when a pair of hands joined me.

“Here, let me help-“

“No, it’s fine! I got it,” I said, quickly pushing all of the cake onto the box and marching towards the garbage box. I let the cake fall into the bag with a loud plop! When I turned around, his eyes – his really large eyes – were still focused on me.

“I um – I have to go – but thank you!” I said, slowly shifting towards the opposite direction, towards the cake shop. “For helping me!” I added, slowly growing red again because it sounded as if I was thanking him for bumping into me. I almost slapped myself.

I was halfway turned around, ready to run towards the cake shop until I heard him shout, “Sorry for bumping into you!”

My face was burning.


It was about ten minutes after the accident that I was able to get a new cake. I picked out a similar one – chocolate – and had waited for the worker to drizzle the same message onto the top of it. After I got the box, I sprinted out of the shop and down the streets, making sure that the cake was secure and that the box wasn't going to fall out of my hands.

I was not going to have a repeat of the incident.

Finally arriving at Geurim's house, I stayed on the porch for another minute or so, catching my breath. When I rang the doorbell, I ran my fingers through the tangles of my hair, which was disheveled from the run.

When the door began to open, I had my mouth open already, expecting that it was Geurim.

“Geurim, you seriously owe me a piece of this cake. Some guy literally ran into my-“

Oh.

No.

Instead of being met with my friend’s dull brown hair, I saw red – and more red, and the red that was surely coming from my cheeks once again.

“Hi,” he said, grinning and looking all too eager to meet with the girl whose butt he’d previously bumped into.

“I don’t think I got your name from before, did I? I’m Hyunseung.”

I almost died.