Do Not Feed Recklessly - Chapter 4. Part 1

“Ding”

The elevator chimed as it reached Jia’s floor. The doors slid open, and her pace quickened, a grocery bag swinging at her side, the bottle of soju inside clinking softly with each step.

But her steps slowed abruptly when she noticed a shadowy figure standing in front of her apartment door.

“Who is that?”

Jia wondered, a sense of unease creeping up on her as she tried to recognize the unfamiliar man standing at her door.

A tall man stood outside Jia’s apartment door, and immediately her mind was flooded with headlines about rising crimes against women living alone.

Panic set in as she instinctively began to back away, trying to put some distance between herself and the man. Just then, the sensor light in the hallway flickered on.

Startled by the sudden brightness, the man turned toward Jia. The moment she saw his face, she froze in shock.

“…Ethan?”

‘What the hell…?’

‘Why was he here, of all places?’

The figure standing at her door wasn’t a stranger—it was Ethan.

While Jia stood frozen in disbelief, Ethan’s face lit up with a wide, emotional smile the moment he saw her. Without hesitation, he rushed toward her and wrapped her in a tight embrace.

The familiar scent of Ethan filled her senses, and it was only then that Jia snapped out of her shock. She quickly pushed him away, utterly confused.

“You crazy idiot! What are you doing? What are you even doing here?” 

Jia stammered, still reeling from the shock.

“Jia, are you the crazy one? You went to Korea without a word! Do you have any idea how freaked out I was?” 

Ethan shot back, his voice a mix of frustration and relief.

“No, no, that’s not the point right now!”

Jia’s eyes darted around in panic, scanning her surroundings. Yes, this was Korea – her apartment in the middle of Seoul.

So why on earth was Ethan standing there in front of her?

She rubbed her eyes, half hoping she was hallucinating. But no matter how hard she blinked, Ethan remained, as real and clear as ever.

Just as their heated exchange reached its peak, a ding echoed behind them, signaling the elevator doors opening. A delivery man stepped out, momentarily breaking the tension.

“Bossam delivery for 1402?”

Jia, who had been angrily hurling words at Ethan, suddenly shifted to a sweet smile, as if nothing had happened.

She quickly stepped forward to take the food from the delivery man, masking the tension with forced politeness.

“Oh, yes! 1402, that’s me. Thank you so much!”

Meanwhile, Ethan stood there, dumbfounded, watching the sudden shift in Jia’s demeanor. He was clearly unable to process what was happening, his eyes darting between Jia and the delivery driver, completely lost.

***

Jia’s plan for the evening had been perfect: bossam ordered her way home, a bottle of soju from the convenience store downstairs, and the moment she arrived, she’d wipe off her makeup, set up the table, and enjoy a peaceful solo dinner with YouTube as her companion.

But why, just why…

“Wow, Jia, is this your apartment?”

Ethan’s voice cut through her thoughts.

‘This idiot.’

‘Why was he here? Of all people, of all nights.’

“It’s really small.”

Ethan remarked, glancing around in fascination at Jia’s apartment as if he’d never seen such a compact living space before.

Jia let out a deep sigh, wondering how on earth this tall, clueless guy had ended up standing in her apartment.

She briefly cursed herself for being so distant from her parents lately, realizing they probably hadn’t mentioned her move to Ethan. Now, it all made sense why he showed up so clueless.

“Damn it…” she muttered under her breath.

With a look of resignation, Jia turned to Ethan, ready to deal with the situation.

“So… when are you going back?”

“…What?” Ethan blinked.

“When do you go back to Australia?”

Jia repeated, her tone making it clear she wasn’t in the mood for small talk.

Ethan froze at her question, the curious expression he’d worn during the tour of the apartment quickly fading.

After a brief, tense silence, he let out a bitter laugh and asked.

“So that’s all you have to say after seeing me for the first time in a long time?”

“What else can I say?”

Jia replied, massaging her forehead as a headache began to set in. She had thought she wouldn’t see him for a long time, and now here he was, standing right in front of her.

With a heavy sigh, she shook her head in frustration, feeling overwhelmed by the unexpected encounter.

Ethan’s face grew darker by the second. It was clear he had more to say, his lips twitching as he struggled to find the right words. Finally, with his voice trembling, he asked.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving?” 

“You got a job and moved to Korea for good, right?” 

“Yes.” 

“Then why didn’t you tell me?”

‘Because I didn’t want to.’

Jia swallowed the words that nearly slipped out, avoiding Ethan’s intense gaze. His eyes remained locked on her, filled with pain and confusion. He moved closer, asking her again.

“Weren’t we best friends?” 

“What?”

Jia’s face twisted in disbelief. 

‘Best friends?’  

The words sounded so absurd to her that she could barely contain her shock. 

‘Me? Best friends with Ethan?’

Jia was completely speechless, experiencing firsthand what it felt like to be so stunned that words refused to come out.

Just look at him—so smug and confident, as if nothing had happened.

‘Best friends?’

Was this the same person who threw stones at her window every night, tossed caterpillars at her, squirted her with water pistols, teased her endlessly about her height, and called her a loser at every opportunity? The list of abuses was endless.

And now he dared to call her best friend?

Jia laughed hollowly, unable to form a coherent response. Seeing her reaction, Ethan grew even more confident and continued without hesitation.

“The friend I thought I was closest to just up and left for another country without even saying a word. How do you think that made me feel?”

Ethan’s words hit harder with each sentence. Jia felt completely speechless, her mouth opening and closing uselessly, like a fish out of water.

“And on top of that, I found out that everyone else knew. Everyone except me.” 

Of course, he was right. Everyone else was aware and had already said their goodbyes.

Jia, feeling the weight of her guilt, nervously fiddled with her sleeve. She couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze, much less explain why she hadn’t told him.

With Ethan so close, he filled Jia’s entire field of vision. As she nervously stepped back, her heart sank when her back hit the wall, trapping her in place.

She looked down, unable to meet his eyes, completely at a loss for words. Ethan’s intense gaze bore into her, clearly waiting for an explanation she couldn’t muster.