TChapter 3

Looking at myself, I felt I was a little bit underdressed in a plain t-shirt and jeans, but then again, Jin and Sumin are both dressed the same way. Pushing that aside, I fell instep between them. “So where are we meeting aunty, Sumin?” I do miss them, ever since we three became friends, Sumin’s and Jin’s moms are possibly the nicest women you can ever meet.

Sumin didn’t look at me, instead, she continues to walk down the street, looking from shops to shops, as if searching for something. “Yeah, but we need to pick up some stuff first.”

“What Sumin means,” Jin sighs from my right. “We need to go shopping, gotta look nice, you know?”

I didn’t know what to feel, suspicious or annoyed? Back then, we all hated shopping with a passion back in middle school and high school, dreading it whenever we have to go shop for new clothes when our clothes got too old. I still hate it now, shopping online only because I’m lazy and busy most days. Well it has been six years, people can change. “Alright… I guess we’re going shopping.” I sigh, following them dejectedly.

“Don’t get us wrong,” Jin spoke up, looking around the shops with disgust. “I still hate shopping, but if mine and Sumin’s mom sees us coming into that restaurant in these.” She points to all our clothes, “They’ll both chop off our heads.”

Sumin laughs out loud, holding her stomach, she slowed down her pace, and rejoins us. “She’ll chop off OUR,” she gesture to Jin and herself. “Heads off, before lecturing Faye.”

“Oh come on,” Pulling away from the two, I quicken my steps. “You know I’ll always throw you two under the bus in that situation. Run before aunties are finish with you two.”

Shaking her head, Jin cracks her knuckles. “You better start running then, .”

“Run little bird, run.” Sumin zips up her purse, the game is on.

Turning on my heels, I didn’t even wait for them to finish speaking before I took off. I learned a long time ago that when given a warning by these two, it doesn’t matter what, just follow it. They always mean what they say.

Being chased down the street again, I remember a certain memory back to the front of my mind. Only for it to disappear as soon as it came. “!” Screaming out as I tripped over a small bump in the pavement, I brace myself for the impact, only to be caught seconds after I started to lean forward.

Looking back, I saw Jin right by my side, holding my shoulder tightly. “That never gets old, and you got heavier.”

“Tell me about it,” Sumin sighs, knocking me over the head. “What have you been eating?”

Blushing bright red, “I hate you both.” Of course I didn’t mean it, nothing they do can get me to really hate them, but sometimes, I hate them, you know?

Continuing our banters, the three of us made our way to a simple dress shop. The same place we all had went to for the dance festival at the end of our 9^th grade, the last year of junior high, we were only 15 then.

Stepping out of the dressing room in the dress mom had chosen for me, I look at the mirror in horror. It’s possibly the most ugly thing I’ve ever seen. “Mom this is ugly.” I pulled the curtain open, and burst out laughing when I saw Sumin and Jin in similar garb, both of which are on par with my own.

Dressed in the same ugly satin gown that’s puffy at the shoulder, and trails down to our knees, puffing out like a little balloon. Mom and aunties somehow found the dress in three different colors, blue for me, purple on Jin, and gray on Sumin. “You know, standing side by side,” I hook my arms to their, and we pose for our moms, who is laughing their off and taking pictures like crazy. “We look like three balloons that’s flown away.”

They didn’t even let me pick my dresses, the moment we got into the shop, and were greeted, Sumin sat, and pulled me down besides her while Jin spoke to the aunty who owns the shop. They had already chosen our dresses, and we only needed to try them on. No wonders they ask for my size the last time we spoke on the phone.

“You two are sly, sly people.” I gave them the stink eyes, these two are either really good at keeping secret, or I’m just really not the sharpest tool in the box.

“It works.” They both shrug their shoulder, not a care in the world as we were handed the dresses.

After getting dressed, Jin helped me zips up the very simple winter dresses they had chosen for me. The two of them were also dressed in similar dresses, but in different colors. Compare to those dresses back then, the colors and styles were completely different. Looking at our reflection in the mirror, I can no longer see our innocent faces from back then. Honestly, I couldn’t recognize who the two by my side were, how can I when I barely recognized myself?

My two friends were grown and mature, so different compare to how they were back then, yet they were still the same, just more confident and brave. Compare to them, it seems I am the only one that did not changed, my body may have grown and mature, but I still feel lost and unsure.

Getting into the taxi Sumin had manage to get for us, we spoke quietly, the two telling much about their current life. In that half hour ride to the restaurant, I learned that Jin was stressed about the patients in her care, not knowing how else to ease their pain. Sumin was struggling with school, unsure how her thesis project will turn out. It was the first time in years since they confided in me, and all I could do was hold their hands in comfort, and tell them it was alright.

Arriving at the restaurant just as the sun started to go down, the three of us made our way to the front door. When I was about to open it, Jin stopped me.

Looking at her curiously, “What’s up?” I ask when she ask Sumin to go in first.

“I know you have only a week here, but promise me you’ll come back next year, at the same time.” Her expression was serious when she said this, “And that you’ll stay for the same amount of time, more if possible.”

This was the first time she have ever ask such thing from me, and it’s honestly surprising. Jin isn’t someone who asks you to promise her something so far from now, and with the last 6 years of not seeing each other, never once did she ask me something like this, so to hear this from her now, I can only give her one answer. “I promise.”

She instantly eased up from my answer, returning to her usual self. “Good,” Was all she said before pushing the door open, and pulling me into the entryway. She rushed me to take off my shoes, practically manhandling me as she pushed me through the entry way.

“Welcome back Faye!” Shouts from familiar voices greeted me the moment I turned the corner into the main hall of the traditional restaurant, followed by party poppers going off everywhere as well as balloons flowing out. “It’s been a while!”