September

Fourth Short Story

Prologue

                I never regretted everything that has happened. I love you. I would do everything for you. And seeing you smile like how you did when we were together, seeing you shine that bright gleam in your eyes like how you did in the middle of September, I think it was worth it, everything.

                I know I have my shortcomings and my mistakes, but I never regretted it too. I guess a love without obstacles is like a relationship for the sake of it. I am happy and I remembered all the times we broke up and got together back again is the proof how I keep coming back to you.

                Like maps, the roads and lines have broken up right now. I swallow my pride and here I am, telling you this.

                I love you, Son Naeun.

                Our love isn’t coming to waste right?

Our Song: September and Memories

                I never knew how it happened. All I know is that she hates me and I hate her. We both hate each other. We were archenemies.

                When it all did changed?

                Jung Eunji. That name, I remembered how I would instantly get to my nerves when I hear that. I hated her so much. I don’t know if it’s because of her cockiness or annoying nature but I got a strange disliking of her since the first day. Oh damn, that first day I won’t forget. She walked by casually, passing me by as if I am no one. It all changed when she suddenly took his foot out and tripped me in front of the hallway. I don’t know if it was intentional or what but I fell, obviously, and became a laughing stock all thanks to her. I even expected an apology from her but all she gave me was a cocky grin that I want to rub off her face.

                Look, my whole point in this is that I hate Eunji. I’m pretty sure I’ve hated her.

                But everything changed that September.

                I don’t even know how. I just know that I ended up in her house for two weeks, because my parents decided to have a honeymoon getaway leaving me in the house of her bestfriend which turns out the mother of this sick-infested rat.

                All I can tell you is that she was really annoying.

                Until I began seeing a new side of her I can’t help admiring.

                It was one of those rare dark dawns that I woke up in bed and was in extreme need of water from the fountain of youth to relieve my thirst. Okay, that was just an exaggeration. I was out of the guest room from the Jung’s mansion and went to the kitchen to get some water when I saw a figure standing there in white overalls, her dark hair covering her face and her hands seemingly touching something. It got me into a shock but it turns out to be just Jung Eunji, with a sandwich on her hand.

                “What was that?” I asked quizzically, finding her appearance and her actions weird. She just gave me a wide grin before busily munching in the sandwich she made which consists of some lettuce, meat, bacon and even crushed Doritos. Yuck.

                When she finished the whole thing, she even her fingers and grinned once again at me, “I got hungry so I ate. Why?”

                See how stupid she is?

                So instead of wasting time with that idiot, I just took a glass of water and drank it before walking back to my room. Well no, I was supposedly going back to my room when a demon—I mean by that is Jung Eunji—grabbed me by the wrist and stopped me from even taking a single step on that grand staircase they have.

                “What is it now, Jung?” I asked in both exhaustion and annoyance. As much as I want to reprimand her for being annoying, my bed really is calling for me.

                She just pouted before letting go of her grip, “I just thought—well I just want some company for a while. I-I can’t sleep.”

                Those were the times I really find her weird. Yes, she’s annoying and such a prideful person at first. But she has that side that I always see once she’s at home. She’s a loving daughter and a caring sister. She’s a childish girl who still has those somehow wishful thoughts and feelings.

                And I can’t help but like that.

                I guess I made it pretty much obvious then that I did keep her company that morning.

                Saturday morning on my first week when things changed, like really. When I thought our relationship wouldn’t get better at all, it did. And it was both a sweet and a bitter memory for me. She was in the living room, playing with her Wii when she saw me walk by.

                “Going somewhere?” she asked in her Busan satori that I somehow grew to like. She never uses dialect outside, especially at school. But the Busan dialect that somehow makes girls sound rough and tough, hers sounded gentle and considerate

                I shook my head to say no, and just showed her some books. “I’m returning this to the town’s library.”

                Her brows curled up in confusion. “Library?”

                Rolling my eyes dramatically, I answered her. “Yes, the library Jung Eunji! Our town has a library, don’t you know? That library next of that stupid town’s park.”

                “Psh… I know there’s a library. Am not that dumb…”

                “Then what’s your point?”

                She dropped her remote that moment and turned off the console, “I always go to the library though… How come I never see you there before?”

                “E-eh?”

                She flashed me her usual grin that moment, her eye smile reflecting a million of the light rays for how bright it was, “I guess you can come with me then. I’ll drive you there.”

                That was the first time I rode a motorcycle with someone I never knew before.

                She indeed proved to me that she’s always in the library. The librarian knows her and some people there whom I’ve seen a couple times actually recognizes her and greets her. That whole day we spent it together. Just taking a random book we’ve read and we would talk about it in hushed tones. It turns out we have the same tastes in books. And she has a deep insight about all the books she has read.

                I even recalled how I fell asleep in the library, and how she stuck a stupid cliché sticky note on my forehead, asking me if I would go home with her too, on her motorcycle.

                I somehow didn’t know what to tell her.

                Pffft. I agreed nonetheless anyway.

                Two days later, I’ve realized how instead of hating her, the hatred turns into something deeper, something positive this time. It was one of those early mornings when I spotted her standing outside of the house, just watching the morning rain pouring a bit of its raindrops. She has a certain expression on her face, an expression of both amusement and excitement.

                I was about to leave her be and just go back in my room when she turned her head and our eyes met. And then she grinned slightly at me.

                “You wanna have fun in the rain?”

                I don’t know how she made me say yes. I just found myself playing around with her in their house’s lawn, even chasing her around as she was running away from me. We were both wet from the rain but I didn’t care for once. It was somehow refreshing at least.

                “You know what makes the rain beautiful?” she suddenly whispered at me when she got me in her arms while chasing me.

                I felt my heart skipped a beat. Having her that close to me felt so weird, probably because I never thought I would get in that kind of situation before.

                “It wasn’t because of the rain… it was because of how people see it, feel it. Have you ever heard of that quote? Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.”

                “Do you even know what that means?” I asked back in a inaudible whisper she somehow heard.

                “No. But that’s what we’re doing… Feeling the rain.”

                “What do you think of my daughter, Naeun-ah?” Mrs. Jung suddenly asked me that afternoon, when we got home from school. I was in the living room, doing some projects while the lazy was completely zoned out in the couch, having her afternoon nap.

                “Hmmm… what do you mean by that, Mrs. Jung?”

                She smiled, her eyes showing a slight resemblance of that of Eunji’s. “It’s just… My daughter strangely is happier these days. I guess it’s all thanks to you. It’s been a while since we have another girl in the family, and with the fact that our youngest girl died in an unfortunate way when Eunji was younger, she’s been looking for a sister to cry on or to hold unto. You can see the attachment Eunji has to her family right? I guess you remind her of her little sister she always protects of.”

                Oh… so that’s what she means…

                “Oh uhmm… if you are comfortable enough to share it, may I ask what happened to Eunji’s little sister?” I politely asked, hoping to get a bit of info from the real life of Jung Eunji.

                “She died of anemia when she’s a three years old. Eunji was just twelve at that time.”

                “Oh…”

                Mrs. Jung suddenly my hair, in which I didn’t let go or pull away. It felt like I have a second mom actually. “What I’m saying is, Naeun-ssi, in whatever you do with Eunji, you have my blessings. In fact, I never really liked any of Eunji’s acquaintances except you. You are an amazing child.”

                I never knew what she means by that but I am still overwhelmed