Sunayama beach, Miyakojima Island, Okinawa, Japan – July 5, 2016

LEE JIYEON | AYAKA

      I slowly opened my eyes and as soon as the ray of sun hit my face, I felt a very bad headache. It feels like someone was hammering my head and I’m feeling sick. My stomach was churning and needless to say, I came running to the comfort room and started throwing up. I felt queasy after I let everything in my stomach out. I sat on the floor and covered my face. What happened to me?!

      “Ayaka?” I heard Kai called from the room.

      “Restroom,” I muttered, not wanting to answer him in full detail.

      After some seconds, he came inside the comfort room and saw me sitting on the floor. I looked up at him and he just shook his head at me in disappointment.

      “What would I expect?” he muttered under his breath as he flushed the bile on the toilet. He shook his head and helped me up, “I prepared some hangover soup for you.” He muttered.

      He helped me on my feet and led me to the living room. And I just realized that I’m not in my room. I’m in Kai’s room once again. How many times would I wake up in Kai’s room?

      “What happened last night?” I asked as I covered my eyes with my palm, trying to soothe my worsening headache.

      “You’re asking me that?” he scoffed, “I can’t really believe you.” He muttered.

      “The last thing I remember is me, arguing with you to stay at home with my brother.” I told him.

      “Seriously Lee Jiyeon,” he exclaimed, saying my Korean name, “Don’t ever drink with other man besides from me.” He warned me but I just glared at him.

      He talks like my dad and brother and I hate it.

      “Don’t call me Lee Jiyeon,” I exclaimed.

      “I will call you so because I’m annoyed with you right now.” He told me as he placed a bowl of miso soup in front of me.

      “What’s this?” I asked.

      “Soup,” he answered as a matter of fact, “Did drinking knocked the hell out of your brain?” he sneered at me.

      “Shut up,” I exclaimed as I took a sip from the soup, instantly giving me a refreshed feeling after that heaving session a while ago.

      “I can’t find any Haejangguk so I asked the clerk to give me some soup that chases hangover and she gave me that.” He explained.

      “Miso soup is a hangover soup here in Japan,” I informed him and he just nodded.

      “Next time you go clubbing with Gayoung, please contact me.” He told me.

      I glared at him and dropped my spoon. Seriously, why is he getting strict like this? I thought I have graduated from this kind of treatment ever since I left my brother and dad here in Japan.

      “Why are you suddenly acting like this?” I asked, “You never care if I go out clubbing or not.” I mumbled.

      “Well, I was. Not until I saw how wild you get whenever you get drunk.” He muttered.

      “Oh yeah?” I provoked, “Then, what am I like when I’m drunk?” I asked.

      “I don’t know,” he shrugged, “Maybe grinding your to random stranger? Or maybe forgetting who I am on the process? Or even shouting that you’ve been kidnapped? I don’t really know,” he answered, as if mocking me.

      I know well that he’s just lying at my face. I will never grind my to any stranger!

      “Don’t give me that look Lee Jiyeon,” Kai muttered, calling my Korean name again, “I’m telling you the truth. You can even ask the clerk on the front desk or even ask for a CCTV tape.” He exclaimed as he stood up and went to the room.

      “Tss,” I hissed, annoyed, “Where are you going Kim Jongin?!” I asked as I stood up and went to the room but I was shocked to see his back facing me.

      “Ahhhhh!” I squealed, causing Kai to turn to me, surprised.

      “What the ?!” he exclaimed as he fumbled through his shirt and quickly put it on.

      “Why are you ?!” I shouted at him, covering my eyes.

      “I was changing my clothes, for goodness sake!” he exclaimed, “Don’t you know how to knock?!” he muttered exasperatedly.

      He quickly walked passed by me and left the hotel room, leaving me there.

      “Yah! Where are you going?!” I shouted at him but he didn’t respond to me anymore.

      I glared at the door and went back to the sofa and decided to eat my miso soup. Seriously, what’s up with that guy? I went on eating my soup to ease my hangover and went straight to the restroom to take a shower since I feel really icky and grossed. I can feel my hair sticking on my face and my body is just so clammy because of sweat. After taking a bath, I changed my clothes into a simple white dress, I put on my wedge and my straw hat and quickly went out of the room. I need to find Kim Jongin because I know for sure that he is angry with me right now. Whatever I did last night must be really horrible!

KIM JONGIN | KAI

      I decided to leave the hotel room for now because I know that Ayaka is sensitive because she has a hangover. We will just fight each other and I don’t want that. I’m here right now at the bench just near the beach.

      “Haah, babysitting that girl is really a tough job.” I mumbled to myself.

      Because of that, I started to think about Ayaka unknowingly. I remembered how she laughed under the sun while I was chasing her, how her hair would sway with her every movements, the way she threw her arms to me when she got drunk and when she screamed at me just this morning. I don’t know why but even those negative things about her… it makes me want to like her. I don’t know about this but I must be crazy.

Tokyo, Japan – July 6, 2016

      It’s already the 6^th of July and today is the day when I’m going to die, kidding. Today is the day when Ayaka will go with L to tour him around Tokyo. Seriously, that guy just doesn’t know when to bother Ayaka or when not to.

      “Behave Kai,” Ayaka exclaimed before going inside the car.

      “You should tell that to your brother.” I whispered to her and she just chuckled cheekily.

      “Relax,” she smiled, “My brother doesn’t bite.” She exclaimed as she winked.

      “He doesn’t bite but he can surely eat me whole,” I mumbled to myself.

      She bid me goodbye and finally left the mansion. After the nights at Sunayama beach, Ayaka and I have grown really close, closer than when we were in Seoul. We also fought last time because she got drunk but good thing that it didn’t turned into a major fight between us and she just apologized for what she did and then after that, we were good again. Right now, I’m walking on the hallway of Lee’s mansion. I decided to go to Ayaka’s room and see what she’s got there. I opened her white door and went inside. It was huge, no, huge is an underestimation. Her room is really expansive and her walls were colored white with a cutout of a cherry blossom tree on the side of her bed. Her bed was covered in baby pink sheets while the other side of her wall was full of white tiny bulbs with lots of Polaroid pictures hanged on it. The pictures were mainly her and her brother, as well as her mom and dad.

      “That first picture is on Ayaka’s 16^th birthday.”

      I almost dropped my heart when somebody spoke from the door. I turned to the side and saw Aunt Yeonhwa smiling widely as she approached my place.

      “I heard from Jiyeon that she will be meeting one of her friends today.” She smiled at me and I just nodded.

      “She’s meeting L,” I answered.

      “I hope you won’t get jealous because of this because I know my daughter very well.” She smiled, “She’s really close to people around her especially to men.”

      I’m not jealous. I’m just scared that her brother might punch me or something and I want her to protect me just like how I protect her.

      “I don’t really mind,” I answered with a smile on my face, “L is one of her closest friend in Korea and I don’t want to take that happiness away from her.”

      “Well, that’s good.” She nodded happily.

      “Uhm, Aunt Yeonhwa. May I ask, how is Ayaka as a daughter?” I asked.

      I’m really intrigued of how she acts around her family and her friends here in Japan because as I have seen her in Korea, I can already tell that she had a great upbringing. I guess her mom and dad played a great part molding her into one of the nicest person I have ever met.

      “Well, she is more mischievous than her brother Kenji. When they were little, it was Ayaka who really caused trouble since Kenji is more on the serious side while Ayaka just wants to have fun. I really had a hard time keeping up with the energy of my little girl but in the process, I was able to give her the right advices and lessons that she will need in her life.” She was smiling the whole time she was telling me those things.

      “I can see that she is really a nice person,” I muttered.

      “Is that why you fell in love with her?” Aunt Yeonhwa asked as she caught me off guard.

      “Y-yes,” I exclaimed, stuttering.

      Aunt Yeonhwa just smiled and nodded, “I just hope that you guys will look at this engagement not just because we told you guys but because you really love each other.” She exclaimed, “You know, Ayaka’s dad and my situation when we were engaged were just like yours. We were engaged just because of money but since we love each other even before that, we live happily together.”

      I smiled and thought that maybe Ayaka and I will be just like them. Wait… that’s not right. I mean, we shouldn’t fall for one another. This is just a contract and after this, we will go in our own separate ways.

      “By the way, Kenji is searching for you right now. He said he wanted to talk to you.” Aunt Yeonhwa exclaimed.

      I know for sure that I turned pale after I heard the name of Ayaka’s brother.

      “H-he’s searching for me?” I stuttered and she just nodded.

      I a large amount of air and forced myself to smile.

      “Ugh, yeah. Let’s go,” I exclaimed as we both went out of Ayaka’s room.

      We went to the house’s dining room and saw Kenji-hyung sitting at the end of the long dining table, reading a newspaper. I was so intimidated, he is even more intimidating when he lowered the paper and stared at me. I have never felt like this before, not even towards my father.

Psalm 144:12 - May our sons flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants. May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace.