15.
Little by Little - because you stay -
JUNG.eunji
"Oppa, where is Appa?" I tugged Yonghwa's sleeve slowly, begging for him to look at me and gave me an answer. "Does he hate me because I'm not a good girl?"
Yonghwa closed the door and knelt down to level his eyes with mine, "Silly girl. Remember what Appa said? He will never hate you."
It was two days after my twelfth birthday but what I got was not a good present. It was the last thing a child like me would dream to happen.
My mother left our house to nowhere last year, leaving my father with me and Yonghwa. I lived everyday with anxiety that my mother hated me so much until she left without saying anything to me.
I woke up every morning, hoping to see her in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for us like what she always did. I slept a little bit late at night, thinking that maybe she would be at the door to check whether I had felt asleep or not.
But she was never there.
She never appeared in front of us again. Did she still remember me as her daughter?
"Oppa will take a good care of you," Yonghwa patted my head gently. "Just hold on until Appa comes back, okay? We are together, okay, Eunji?"
I would never forget Yonghwa's smile that night, the first night I spent with Yonghwa in our quiet house alone.
His smile was so sad. I thought he would cry but he didn't. He sang me a lullaby, letting me to sleep in peace instead of loneliness.
The last thing I remembered about my father was his back before walking out from the door just around thirty minutes ago. He stopped for a while and smiled warmly, waving to me as if he was just going to a nearby market.
But he never returned.
❖❖❖❖❖
The sound of a violin catches my attention. The club activity is over and we just have another meeting to discuss about the upcoming annual festival which will combine art club and music club together.
Yonghwa wants us to give our opinions and pick the best choice. He said that it's our time to shine, not his so we must do our best to make it a memorable event.
I was on my way back to the club room because I left my phone there when I hear someone is playing a violin from the music club room.
I slow down and my eyes are locked on the young man who plays the violin in the middle of the room. He has his eyes closed while the melody echoes through the corridor.
There is barely people around here at the time and I guess he just doesn't think someone will watch him. I stand there for minutes until he finishes the song.
The next thing I know a tear escapes my eyes. I don't know that song. I don't think I ever heard it but the song touches my heart and I just can't hold back my tears.
I cover my face with my hands and sob, feeling like a stupid girl to cry without any reason.
I flinch a little when I hear the sound of an opened door. I look up to see Jung Jinyoung, the one who played the violin, is standing right in front of me with no expression.
"I-I-I'm sorry," I stammer and bow down. I wipe away my tears quickly and force a smile, "Y-You're really good! T-That's why I cried... S-Sorry, I mean, I jus-"
"I don't like the song," he cuts off my words coldly. He looks away to the other side of the corridor, "I was just bored. That's all."
He walks away, not even bothering to ask why I cried. I want to stop him but I can't. It's just too awkward.
I look into the music room, stopping my gaze on the violin. I step inside the unlocked music room. It's never locked until night time since every student can practice here whenever they want.
"If you don't like it...," I trail the violin with my fingers, "...then why do you play it?"
There is something about this Jung Jinyoung. His cold eyes, his ignorant attitute. It feels like he is drawing distance from everyone.
"Jinyoung," I murmur his name as I recall his expression when he played the violin. "What are you hiding?"
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