ONE YEAR LATER

My bestfriend's girl

 

SEUNGHYUN

“Table for one please.” He said. He fixed the cuffs of his shirt that gleamed luxuriously. The restaurant had a romantic vibe to it as it was dimly lit with candles on each table.

“Do you have a reservation?” The host smiled politely at him as he gripped the tablet at the ready. Behind him was an abstract painting with what appears to be splatters of colours.

“Yes, it’s under Choi Seunghyun.” He answered as his eyes lingered back on to the painting.

The host hastily typed in his name and once again smiled respectfully to Seunghyun.

“Ah, yes. But now it is a full house. Once there is an opening I will call for you sir. You may wait by the bar.”

Seunghyun raised an eyebrow understandingly as he proceeded further into the restaurant. He walked passed the patrons that flooded the dining area, making his way towards the bar. He sat on the high stools at the end of the bar before waving at the bartender.

“Whiskey on the rocks please.”

“Coming right up.” Answered the bartender. He was a sturdy Caucasian man in his late 20s. He had a snake tattoo on his left arm. In no time, he placed the drink in front of Seunghyun.

“Nice ink you got there.” Seunghyun complimented.

“Yeah thanks man.”

“Erm, hey. Can I ask you something Sam?” He asked glancing at his nametag.

The bartender turned to look straight at Seunghyun before nodding an approval.

“Is the chef here tonight?”

“You mean Mr Oh?”

“Mr Oh? No, Alice Park.”

“Oh! She doesn’t cook here anymore. She just owns the place. She’s here tonight though. Dining with her daughter over there.” He pointed to the corner of the room. Seunghyun turned to the pointed direction. He was about to get off his chair when suddenly the bartender grabbed him by the collar.

“Hey, hey! What do you think you’re doing? Are you the news or something?”

“Oh no. Don’t get me wrong. I’m Choi Seunghyun. I’m a friend. I’m her daughter’s godfather.”

“Oh…you are that art guy. You’re Seunghyun appa?” he asked, finally letting go of Seunghyun’s collar.

“How do you know that?”

“Lily talks to me sometimes. She talks a whole lot about you. About how she’s going to go to New York and learn about art from you and stuff. The kids talented.” He praised as he pointed at painting on the wall.

“She did that?” I asked, staring in amazement of the amazing art piece.

 

 

 

 

I strutted my way towards the corner of the dimly lit restaurant. From where I was I could clearly see the one person I’ve missed the most, the one I’ve longed to talk to since forever. I stood frozen as I stared at her face. Both of us undeniably have aged but in my eyes, she still looked beautiful as ever. To me she was like wine, she grew prettier by the day. To me she was still the little girl who was my first love years ago, I felt my heart thumping against my chest. It thumped noticeably hard that it felt like the first heartbeat I ever had. It was as if all these times I spent away from her, my heart was stone cold frozen.

“Seunghyun appa!” shouted the 17-year-old teenager who jumped out of her seat and immediately wrapped her arms around me. I patted her head happily.

“Look at you. You’re almost an adult. You’re making me feel old.”

“Omeonim.” I greeted Alice’s mother with a smile and a slight bow.

“Dear boy! I meet your mother this morning, she didn’t mention that you were coming.”

“I didn’t tell her. It’s a surprise.”

“What are you doing here?” Alice asked in shock. She stood up from her seat to face me.

“I came to eat.” I answered with a stutter.

Alice immediately waved at one of the waiters.

“I came to eat with you.”

“Erm okay. What about Bom? Is she with you?”

“Are you dating anyone?” I blurted, ignoring her question. She shook her head and shamefully turned her head to look away.

“That’s great.”

“Great?” she asked.

“Because I left her. We didn’t work out and the moment I saw you as I walked here, I really wanted to do this.”

I took one step forward towards her. Slowly I cupped her cheeks into my hands and without a single doubt I dived in to kiss her. Like how it was 17 years ago, minus the fainting and alcohol, fireworks erupted in my head and butterflies’ bursts inside my chest. We were both completely sober and this was real. It felt as if my feet had left the ground. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pushed in for a deeper kiss. I was smiling from ear to ear.

“I love you Alice, more than a friend loves a friend.”

“What?” she blurted and shyly covered her face with her hands.

“Oh, come on Alice. Who are we kidding? The two of you have been beating around the bush for years.” Her mother interrupted. She had a smug smile across her face as if she knew this was bound to happen.

“Mom!” Alice exclaimed.

“So?” I asked.

“I love you more Choi Seunghyun and don’t try to beat me.”

“I love you to the moon and back.”

“So, are we dating now?” she asked.

“Let’s just get married and get on with forever. Move to New York with me or I’ll move back here for you. However you want it. Just say the word.” To that, Lily squealed happily and her eyes sparkled brightly.

“No.” Alice answered.

“No?”

“Omma! You two are meant for each other.”

“You heard the kid.” I answered nonchalantly.

“But.” She answered under her breath.

“Alice dear, I watched the two of you grow up together. And from a mother’s eyes nothing gets better than my daughter being taken care of by a man I myself already consider my own son. It’s settling for me that you two can finally be together even after this whole debacle of a winding road. I can die peacefully. It’s about time that you find your own happiness.”

“Mom!”

The lean old lady stood up from her seat to hug her only daughter. The two ladies embraced for a while.

“I want us to date first. A proper one. Then, a proper proposal.”

“Okay, a date and proposal you shall have. Tomorrow will be our first date and today is the day we officially start dating. I am going to make you fall in love with me Alice and I mean fall hard for me.”

“Omo, that’s so childish of you.”

“You said it yourself, I’m a big whiny baby, right?”

“But I already am in love with you.”

“And I’m in love with you.”

 

SEUNGHYUN

I stepped out of the car as I nervously tugged onto the sleeves of my shirt. With a bunch of red roses in hand, I made my way towards Alice’s rooftop house. I ran my finger through my platinum blond hair one last time before pressing the doorbell. Why was I nervous? We’ve seen each other a million times. My throat ran dry and my lips were chapped. The night wind was blowing from the south bringing with it the smell of the next-door neighbour’s cooking. My stomach growled in hunger. When finally, she opened the door for me. She was wearing a simple white dress with very little makeup on her face. Once again, my heart drummed in delight as she flashes a smile at me.

“For you.” I said, handing her the flower.

“You know, you didn’t have to trouble yourself. We’ve only started dating and we should be at some restaurant or bar rubbing it in everyone’s face how happy we are.” I added with a chuckle as I looked around the house that had been dimly lit with more than a dozen candles that danced with the movement of the air. The whole house had a really romantic vibe to it.

“Oh, please Seunghyun, I’m an award-winning chef. I want to show off my skills to you.” She smugly answered.

“Oh really?” I asked mockingly, pulling her closer to me. I wrapped my arms around her tiny waist. My fingers playfully drew circles on her back while she giggled, ticklish. My insides were bursting with energy. I threw myself on her black couch with her still safely in my arms. “Let me go.” She begged.

“I’m never letting you go.” Wrapping my arms even tighter around her waist. I stared at her soft brown eyes before diving in for a kiss. Her lips locked in mine. Deeper and deeper. She bit my lips playfully. She was rough. I her chestnut hair ever so gently. I loved this woman so badly that I never wanted to let go. We kissed and cuddled for quite some time.

Suddenly we were interrupted by the sound of rumbling and growling. She stared at me and I stared at her. A goofy smile cracked on her face and I could no longer contain my laughter.

“Oh, my god I killed the vibe, didn’t I?” I asked. She too laughed hard.

“I’m so sorry. You must be starving. The food must be cold by now.” She said as she got up from the couch. She pulled on my hand to follow her. Obediently I followed her to the kitchen.

 

SEUNGHYUN

Despite the distance and the time difference, our romance was as strong as ever. We’d have long conversations before bed, just catching up on each other’s day. Sometimes hours of listening to each other’s frustration, sometimes just being silly with one another. Technology has its way of making me feel like I’m always there with her and that I’m not missing out on milestones in life but there are times when I just miss having her by my side because I’m just so madly in love with her. I’d go back to Korea every few months, even just for a couple of weeks just so I could see her. We’d spend every minute together, compensating the times we spent apart. We’d have long walks on the beach, picnic by the park even a simple udon and soju shared at the nearby stall felt special because we were together.

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Comments

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Clk387 #1
Seriously the best story I’ve read in a looooong time! Tugged at my heart in so many ways, I cried like a baby in so many chapters. Thank you for taking the time to write this
maikey14 #2
Chapter 27: Whyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!! After everything they went through together and not together.
I feel like Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings when he finished reading the book and threw it out the window
Anyway, thanks for this reading :D ... now I'm gonna see your other stories because apparently i'm sadistic and i wanna cry again
Elleally
#3
Chapter 27: T_T I really really really wanted them to be happy T_T
Elleally
#4
Chapter 26: Nooooooo!
Elleally
#5
Chapter 25: Awwww!
sssunnyh #6
Chapter 27: I really liked this story!!!