Chapter LVII – Unexpected Guest

The sun seared the streets of Seoul as Arthur decided to walk to Irene’s place instead of taking the bus. There were multiple reasons he chose to walk, but the main one was because he was impatient and decided to leave his house early.

They agreed on meeting at her place around one in the afternoon, but Arthur was going to get there half an hour earlier if he maintained a normal pace.

Last night when he told her about the punishment being lifted she immediately called him over, saying that she wasn’t going to school the next day. It wasn’t because of him, that much he could tell since they would’ve seen each other there regardless. But when he asked why she was skipping, she refused to tell him saying that there was a surprise when he arrives.

Combining the fact that she had a mysterious secret she wished to reveal, and not having seen her in nearly three weeks was why Arthur ended up in his current predicament.

He arrived in front of her building twenty minutes early even after dragging his way there.

“Fuck. . .” he mumbled out loud as he looked at the time. “What do I do now?”

He felt awkward arriving earlier, not knowing if she was ready to invite him in. Twenty minutes wasn’t long, so he considered just sitting in the park. However, that would’ve been no different than had he stayed at home. Matter of fact, he considered the current circumstances even worse since the source of his impatience was even closer than before.

Arthur found himself standing idly in front of the building doors which had a piece of wood stuck under them to keep them from completely closing. Exhausted by overthinking, he let out a sigh.

“This is stupid. . .” he said to himself, laughing at the idea of her walking out and seeing him standing there. “I look like an idiot right now. She wouldn’t wait outside my house, right?”

With every step towards her apartment, Arthur felt gradually intensifying butterflies in his stomach. When it was finally time to ring the doorbell, he took a deep breath before slowly exhaling. He never imagined anyone would cause him to feel that way, proving just how much he held her dear.

With a single press of a button, the echoing doorbell alerted her of his arrival. It was finally time for the two to meet again.

It took a minute of awkwardly standing around before the door finally opened.

“Did you forget the-” an unfamiliar voice answered the door as an unknown girl stood in the doorway. “Huh?”

She clearly wasn’t expecting him, nor did he believe that someone else would open the door. She resembled Irene closely, having the same stunningly beautiful eyes, and golden long hair with the addition of bangs that reached her eyes.

Arthur remained speechless as he glanced over her from head to toe. She appeared only a year or two older than Irene and was slightly taller as well. Wearing black shorts, and a matching black crop top with a towel wrapped around her neck, made it seem as if she left the shower not too long ago.

“And who might you be?” she asked with her arms crossed and one eyebrow raised, sounding posh while trying not to laugh, having a coy smile.

It was obvious she knew the answer.

“When Irene mentioned a surprise, I never expected it to be her stunning sister gracing us with her presence,” he took her by surprise, grabbing her hand gently and kissing it as if he was meeting royalty from his past life. “My name is Arthur. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Amelia.”

Amelia chuckled, allowing her hand to be kissed and even played along.

“Oh my, when my dear sister told me about the noble knight that saved her, I never expected him to be so courteous. Are you perhaps a prince?”

“Nothing of the sort,” he let go of her hand with a smile. “However, it warms my heart that the lady has mentioned me.”

“Maybe on one or two occasions,” she giggled.

“Even once is enough to warm my soul eternally.”

“Wow. . .” she held her hand close to her chest. “That was smooth. Impressive,” her voice was euphonious. “Come on in,” Amelia stepped to the side, gesturing him to enter.

“Thanks,” he finally let out a chuckle.

Taking off his shoes, the two walked towards the living room, but Irene was nowhere to be seen.

“Want anything to drink? Though we don’t have much right now,” she approached the fridge, taking out two cans of coke. “If you’re wondering where my sister is, she went to the store realizing that she hasn’t bought anything for the house. I’m sure she wanted to greet you herself.”

“Ah. . .” he awkwardly scratched his head. “It’s my fault for arriving earlier anyway.”

“Well, now you’re stuck with me,” she smiled, handing him the can.

“Thanks,” he smiled back taking the drink while sitting down on the couch along with her. “I was surprised to see you here. Though, it’s a welcome surprise.”

“Yeah right,” she chuckled, lifting her legs onto the couch and crossing them while facing him. “I know you wanted some alone time with her.”

“I was actually being genuine,” Arthur softened his voice, turning to face her while keeping one leg tucked under the other. “Whenever she talked about you, she sounded so proud and happy that it would be impossible not to want to meet the person myself.”

“So my little sis talks about me when I’m not around,” she leaned against the couch while having a bright smile on her face. “I was initially against her staying here alone in the first place since we spent most of our life together. However, I’m glad she found the freedom that she was looking for.”

“So, how long are you staying for anyway?”

Arthur knew she was a college student, but he knew nothing about how they functioned. His initial assumption that it’s the same was disproven by her being here since school is still ongoing.

“My classes start in October again, so I’ll be here at least until the summer ends. Maybe a bit longer,” she explained before taking a sip of her drink.

The conversation was cut short with the front door opening up and Irene entering the house.

“Are you done with the shower?” she yelled out from the hallway. “I hope there’s still some warm water, I wanted to take a quick one before he arrives. . . Haven’t seen him and so long and I look like a fucking mess.”

Amelia started laughing, covering her mouth, not giving Irene a hint that Arthur was already there.

“I’m sure you have time!” she yelled back while biting on her bottom lip.

“Why are you laughing?” Irene asked as she overheard her, but as soon as she entered the living room, she froze in place.

“Hey,” Arthur awkwardly, yet sweetly smiled at her with his hand raised.

Flustered, Irene stood at the doorway while holding two large bags full of groceries. She was wearing similar shorts to Amelia, and a tank top shirt. Her hair was tied in a bun with a few strands of hair hanging loose.

Without saying a word, she let out a sigh and proceeded to the kitchen. She returned once she left the bags and simply observed the two before her gaze finally fixated on Arthur.

“Get up,” she said with a low yet commanding voice.

“Oh right. . .” Arthur awkwardly responded, thinking that she wanted to sit next to her sister, but was caught off guard when she threw herself at him into a hug.

He was stunned as she pressed against his chest with her hands wrapped around his waist, her head buried deeply into him. Wrapping his arms around her, he embraced her back while glancing over at Amelia who simply smiled affectionately.

She took a deep breath before finally breaking up the hug.

“Don’t get grounded again. . .” she sighed while averting her gaze, making Arthur chuckle. “It’s dumb. . .”

“I won’t,” he reassured her, making his words sound more like a promise.

Irene crashed onto the couch opposite to her sister, leaving room for Arthur to sit in the middle.

“That was heartwarming,” Amelia said while making sure Arthur had enough space to sit. “Though, you could’ve brought us something before you sat down. . .”

“Ah, shit. . .” she mumbled, completely forgetting as she was too focused on Arthur being there.

As she started to get up, Arthur stopped her.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get it,” he said, turning towards the kitchen.

On his way there, the sisters exchanged glances with Amelia giving Irene a nod of approval.

“It’s not like that,” Irene whispered so that Arthur wouldn’t be able to hear.

“Yet. . .” Amelia teased her quietly, giggling by herself.

Eventually, Arthur returned with snacks and drinks before sitting down between the two.

“Thanks,” Amelia said, leaning over and grabbing the chips.

“Anyway, as you can see, she’ll be staying with me probably until September, so we’ll get to spend the summer together. I can’t wait to get done with the finals.”

“Are you guys ready for the finals?”

“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. . .” Irene sighed. “I’ll have to revise tomorrow and the day after, but I should do better than last time.”

“You got near-perfect scores though,” Arthur looked at her confusedly, not sure why she was worried.

“I hate testing though,” she let out a sigh. “I’d also like to do as good as her,” she looked towards Amelia.

“How well did you do?” Arthur asked.

“Don’t worry, I’ll answer for you,” Irene proudly stopped Amelia from answering. “You’re looking at a J High honor student. If you’re comparing achievements, Iseul is a good comparison.”

“Oh, you know Iseul?” Amelia looked toward Arthur. “How’s my junior doing? She should be finishing up this year.”

“She’s doing amazing, following in your footsteps,” Irene chuckled.

“Are you and Iseul close?” Arthur asked Amelia, not knowing the two even knew each other.

“Not really, but we know each other. She was a first-year student when I was finishing my final year, and since I was the student council president, I prepared her for the role as my successor.”

Arthur managed to summarize that Amelia was three years older than Irene, meaning this year she’d turn twenty.

“That’s cool,” Arthur said while beginning to wonder how one even becomes a student council president. “So how does the whole student council system work?”

“Haven’t they explained that in class?” Amelia looked at him surprised.

“Ah. . .” Arthur awkwardly looked at her with a smile. “They probably did, but I got into an accident a few months ago and lost all my memories.”

“I already told you that. . .” Irene mumbled.

“Oh, right. . .” she sighed in disbelief. “Sorry about that.”

“Nah, it’s alright,” Arthur laughed. “So, mind explaining it to me?”

“Sure,” Amelia took a sip before clearing her throat. “Every year, one can apply to become a member of the student council. There are plenty of seats, but they get filled out rather quickly since it looks great on a CV one day. The students are chosen based on their academic performance, recommendations, and an interview with the student council president and vice president. There are plenty of positions that need to be filled since it’s in charge of sharing students’ ideas, interests, and concerns with teachers and the school principal. They often also help raise funds for schoolwide activities, including social events, community projects, helping people in need, and school reforms. The student council president is basically in charge and overlooks all operations and meetings. It’s tedious work but is worth it in the end. Can even help you out in college, and maybe later allow you a position at the school.”

“I see. . . So how does the president get chosen?”

“Through an election among the members of the council, but realistically the president and vice president at J High choose their successors based on performance and skill. Iseul was the perfect choice when I was finishing up.”

“Isn’t it then natural for the vice president to become president once you leave?”

“I see where you’re going with that, but the president is typically chosen out of the first years for the sake of having the same one the next two years. Vice presidents are typically one year apart from the president so that once the new president is elected, the vice president can already help them out. Otherwise, if both were new to the job, it could get messy.”

“That makes sense. That probably means that Iseul should be picking out her successor this year.”

“She’ll probably have to wait until the second semester so that all the first years can prove themselves.”

“Alright!” Irene interrupted loudly. “Enough about school,” she laughed shaking her head.

“Sure. . .” Amelia chuckled. “But Arthur, you still haven’t told me if you’re ready for the finals.”

“I still have some minor things to touch upon, but I’m good to go,” Arthur explained while being grateful to Don who diligently prepared him the notes he asked for.

“You should stay the night and we can study together tomorrow,” Irene suggested with her eyes pleading for him to stay the night.

“I’m not sure you should be asking that without consulting your sister first. . .” Arthur sighed.

“That’s a great idea! We can order in and have fun all night, and I can even help you guys out tomorrow,” Amelia was on board with the idea.

“I don’t know. . .”

“Come on. . .” Irene grabbed him by the hand.

“You’re not as heartless as to make two girls beg you, are you?” Amelia teased him, knowing that her sister would be exhilarated to know Arthur was staying over, with the added bonus of getting to know him better as well.

Arthur thought for a moment before letting out a sigh.

“Fine. . .” he shook his head, utterly defenseless against them.

It wasn’t as if he was against the idea in the first place.

“Great!” Irene yelled out before jumping on Arthur’s back as he was turned more towards Amelia since they were discussing the school council.

“Well then, we got a whole day to ourselves. What do you guys say to later going out a bit? I missed this place.”

“If we’re doing that, I’ll go grab a shower real quick, and then we can go if Art is up for it.”

“Sounds fun, so why not. If we drop by my place I can also pick up my notes for tomorrow.”

“It’s settled then!” Irene finally let go of Arthur before getting up. “I’ll jump into a shower quickly and then we can go.”

“Alright, but keep in mind that you don’t have a lot of water left.”

“Ugh. . . I should’ve known. Old habits die hard.”

“Hey, at least I left you some.”

“Some usually means I’ll freeze to death if I dare try and wash my hair.”

“Well, you should’ve gone before me then.”

“For someone so neat at everything, you sure are a mess!”

“Like you’re any better! The only reason your apartment was clean when I arrived was because you had a week-long notice. You probably cleaned it last night.”

“That’s not the point!” Irene didn’t hide the fact that what Amelia said was true.

Arthur burst into laughter listening to the two messing with each other. He could tell that they weren’t serious by their tone. They listened to his infectious laugh which made them chortle as well.

“It’s good to have you back,” Irene looked at Amelia. “I missed you. . .”

“It sucks being apart,” Amelia smiled gently, tilting her head, and giving Irene a wink.

Arthur finally settled down as he glanced toward Irene.

“You,” she grinned while lifting her foot and poking Arthur’s side, utilizing her Taekwondo skills as they were intended. “You as well. . .”

Arthur shuffled to the side, getting closer to Amelia who was running out of space and chuckling by herself.

“What did I do now?” he laughed, watching her pull her leg back.

“I’ve missed you too. . .” she turned around and started walking towards the bathroom. “Don’t make it happen again.”

“I already told you, I won’t. . . I promise,” he said with a smile on his face.

“Good,” she said before entering the bathroom.

“Sorry about that,” Arthur said, scooting to the side, giving Amelia more space.

“For fuck sake!” Irene yelled from the bathroom in English.

“Ah, shit. . .” Amelia already knew what it was about.

“The floor is wet!” Irene ran out of the bathroom while struggling to take off her wet socks. “My bathroom is not small enough for you to be able to get the entire floor wet! How did you even manage that? Do you perhaps take a shower by the door?”

“Sorry. . . I’ll do better next time,” she lowered her head and submissively glanced toward her.

“Ugh! Whatever. . .” she said storming back into the bathroom. “And the window is completely fogged!”

Arthur and Amelia laughed as quietly as possible.

“Reminds me of conversations I have with Sophie,” Arthur looked at Amelia.

“Your younger sister, right?”

“Yeah, did she mention her as well?”

“Yup! She sounded like a sweet kid.”

“She is,” Arthur smiled thinking about his sister.

“Sounds like both of us got blessed with good sisters.”

“Indeed. . . Oh, which reminds me, but how come you two speak to each other in Korean?”

“That’s because we both lived here for the longest time, only being in the UK during summer. However, once I finished J High here, we moved for a year back to London because our parents had business there. Irene wanted to attend J High just like me, but that was delayed a year. Still, she transferred now and gets to live alone, so I’d call that a win for her.”

Arthur couldn’t help but think how lucky he was. Had she not moved away for a year, it would’ve been likely that they never would’ve met the same way and she’d already known him as a different person. However, something told him that they’d still be friends eventually.

“Your father is from England right?”

“Yeah, though he speaks Korean fluently if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Spot on.”

“We do speak English when talking alone with him, and sometimes with our mom as well. Knowing loads of languages can get confusing sometimes so we often switch without realizing it. Especially for Irene since she’s quadrilingual.”

“She’s quadrilingual? I never knew.”

“Yeah, English, Korean, French, and Chinese. I believe she’s trying to learn Japanese as well. . . Probably cuz of anime.”

“That’s impressive, and totally like her. Are you into anime as well?”

“Not really. Though there were a few I watched with her that I’ve liked.”

“Yeah, she got to watch a few as well.”

“So you watch them as well?”

“Only with her, since I don’t find too much appeal watching stuff alone, movies included. Though, I’ve recently started reading fiction novels.”

“That’s cool, I might have to look at your collection. Though, I’m more of a romance reader.”

“I think I have a few of those as well, had them before the accident.”

“Well, once we go to your place, I’ll take a sneak peek while you take your notes. Anyway, I’ll go get changed as well since she’ll be done soon.”

She got up and proceeded to the bedroom.

Arthur leaned back into the couch and smiled to himself as a fun day awaited him. He never expected to meet Irene’s sister so soon, and he’s glad that she was just like Irene depicted her.

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.