The sweet aroma of jasmine tea filled the small living room as Jinri poured the tea into two cups. She handed one of the dull white porcelain cups to Joohyun and the older woman accepted it gratefully. Jinri went back to her seat and sipped her tea as well. The warm tea felt really nice filling her system, a stark contrast to the chilling weather outside. When Jinri put down her cup, she felt Joohyun eyed her with suppressed curiosity. It seemed that Joohyun was mentally debating herself, whether she should ask Jinri a question or not. Jinri stared back at Joohyun questioningly and Joohyun smiled back at the younger girl; Joohyun had made up her mind.

“Jinri-ssi, is it okay if I ask you something?” Joohyun calmly asked the younger girl but there were traces of uneasiness in her voice.

“Sure,” Jinri nodded offhandedly while reaching out for the tea pot, unperturbed by Joohyun's sudden interest in her. Joohyun waited for Jinri to finish filling her own cup before shooting a question.

“Are you, by any chance, Jongin’s girlfriend?”

Jinri’s ears perked up at the question. There was faint anxiety and jealousy tinged in Joohyun’s question. It was barely detectable but Jinri could still feel it. Jinri glanced at Joohyun and wasn’t surprised to saw subtle nervousness in the demure woman sitting in front of Jinri. Jinri felt like slapping herself because she might have given the wrong impression to the poor woman.

“No, no, I’m not,” Jinri hurriedly answered while waving her hand to emphasize her point. “Jongin-oppa is just a neighbor who happened to be a close friend of my cousin,” she quickly explained. If Jinri’s instinct was right, then this woman in front of her probably had an interest in Jongin and Jinri clearly didn’t want to ruin his chance. In the past three years, Jongin had never pursued any relationship as he was still healing from the brutal heartbreak. Although Jongin had gained back most of his old self back, Jinri always felt that something was still missing in Jongin. Something she couldn’t really put a finger on but seemed to be important. There was this opened gap that could never be stitched in him and she wasn’t sure as of what could help him closed it.

Maybe it is love, Kyungsoo had always told her when Jinri asked Kyungsoo about it. Jongin needed something that would resemble the past love he had but his pain had hindered him from looking for any. If this woman sitting in front of Jinri really had feelings for Jongin, then this is probably a really good oportunity to test that theory and completely heal Jongin from his heartbreak.

Jinri gazed at the woman and was surprised to see that the older woman wasn’t fully relieved; there was a large chunk of worry shown on her eyes instead, as if disappointed that Jinri denied her assumption. Jinri mentally knitted her brows in confusion. Did Jinri misinterpret Joohyun's interest in Jinri's closeness with Jongin?

Despite her curiosity, Jinri decided to simply brush it off. She wasn’t the type to meddle in other’s business, anyway. He was her neighbor, her cousin’s best friend, and her friend, but that was all he was to her. She knew that she clearly didn’t need to stick her nose in Jongin’s love life so she diverted herself from the dangerous topic.

“Don’t you agree that the weather has been really cold lately, Joohyun-ssi?”

Jinri wasn't exactly a conversationalist and she was still dead tired from the previous night shift that she didn't really pay attention to the random talks Joohyun brought to ease the atmosphere between them. Joohyun soft voice and melodious chuckles ended up being a lullaby that lulled Jinri to sleep. Jinri didn't have any idea when she started dozing off but she was awoken by a gentle tap on her shoulder. She was startled by the sudden contact and snapped her eyes open immediately. She blinked a couple times before what Joohyun had been saying to her finally registered in her.

"Jinri-ssi," Joohun soft voice called the younger girl for the nth time, "someone is knocking your door."

Jinri wiped her face with her palm before she got up from the sofa. She nodded at Joohyun--indicating that she had understood what Joohyun had said--and sluggishly dragged her feet to the door. She took a quick peek through the peep-hole with her half-opened eyes and saw a tall and lithe tanned man standing in front of her flat. He was wearing a thick brown jacket over white t-shirt that was drenched from sweat, a pair of faded jeans, and worn out sneakers. It was Jongin. She quickly opened the door but refraining herself from getting it too so wide so that the cold air wouldn't enter her flat.

"Hey," she greeted monosyllabically with one of her hands holding the side of the door while the other one supported her as she leaned on the door frame; her currently sleepy mind wasn't able to form coherent sentences yet. Jongin greeted back by flashing his usual smile. "You look tired. Are you okay?" he asked; concern was clear in both his deep voice and his clear eyes. He handed her a warm medium sized black plastic bag.

Jinri nodded while futilely covering a wide yawn. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm just lacking of sleep. Rough shift last night," she explained in short sentences while accepting the warm plastic. Her brain wasn’t ready to structure longer responses as it was still clouded by her drowsiness. "Thank you," she added after peeking inside of the package. It was filled with some mouth-watering white rice cakes were submerged in hot, thick red sauce: tteokbokki, her favorite snack.

 "No problem," Jongin told her as he pat Jinri’s head fondly. Getting her tteokbokki or other street delicacies had been a habit to him whenever he went home late. Besides, he had made her hosted his guest for a couple hours so he really neeeded to get into her good graces . "Oh, by the way, who came to see me?" he asked casually as he raised his head to get a slightly better few of the inside of her flat.

"Ah!"Jinri exclaimed as she remembered why she called Jongin in the first place. Her eyes immediately snapped open into their full width. "She's still waiting inside!" Jinri fully opened her door and stepped aside to let Jongin into her flat. The tanned man was already halfway inside when he was suddenly frozen on his place. His eyes were widened in horror and his jaw was slightly slacked open.

“Jongin, it has been a long time.”

Jinri followed Jongin’s line of vision and saw it fell on Joohyun’s petite figure. Joohyun was smiling poignantly and her gaze was softened at the sight of Jongin, a contrast to the mortified look gracing the man’s face. How someone with such delicate features like Joohyun could inflict immense terror in Jongin puzzled Jinri. However, before Jinri could ask anything to anyone, Jongin had disappeared with a loud ‘bang’ noise coming from her door. It took Jinri several seconds to process what was actually happening.

Jinri felt anger seething in her as she hastily pushed her door open and rammed her knuckles on Jongin’s door. That was really rude of him, to slam a door in front of her and Joohyun, who had been waiting for him for hours. The terrified look on Jongin’s eyes might explain his reluctance in meeting Joohyun but couldn’t he retreat back to his own place more civilly? Not to mention that he might have damaged her door with the force he exhorted earlier. Why couldn’t Jongin stop being such a drama-queen and act like a normal person?

“Oppa! Open the door! Oppa! OPPAA!!” Jinri screeched at his door while her knuckles were still knocking on his door but there was no answer from him. Jinri’s assault on his door was finally halted when Jinri felt a hand gripped her shoulder. Jinri looked to her side and saw Joohyun shook her head with a heart breaking smile on her thin lips. “You don’t have to force him,” she whispered hoarsely as if holding back some tears, “Maybe he isn’t ready to meet me again.” Jinri brought down her reddened fist from his door hesitantly but ended up nodding when she saw the pleading look on Joohyun’s eyes.

“I don’t know what is getting into him, I’m so sorry,” Jinri said automatically. She had no idea why she was the one apologizing or why she was apologizing on his behalf, especially when he was also making her mad. The words just naturally flew out of when she saw Joohyun’s eyes.

Joohyun shook her pretty head again, not accepting Jinri’s apology. “It’s not his fault, it’s mine. I’m sorry.” Joohyun’s voice was trembling, her lips were quivering. “Thank you for your hospitality, Jinri-ssi.” With that said as a farewell, Joohyun bowed and left Jinri who was still standing in front of Jongin’s flat, dumbfounded by what Joohyun had just said.

“It’s not his fault, it’s mine. I’m sorry.”

Joohyun’s trembling voice resounded in Jinri’s head as the younger girl tried to put everything into pieces. It seemed that Joohyun was sorry for something she had done to Jongin and judging from Jongin’s horrified expression when he saw Joohyun, what Joohyun had done was quite grave. Very serious that it probably had wounded Jongin deeply.

Jinri’s eyes widened in realization and her hand flew to cover as she silently cursed herself for being ignorance to Jongin’s feeling. Jinri slapped her forehead in regret. There’s no wonder why her name sounds familiar, Jinri thought in remorse while absent mindedly running her hand through her long hair, Kyungsoo has told me her name years ago.

Without any warnings, a recording of Kyungsoo’s warm voice was played back in her head as if their talk was happening the day before and not three years ago. Jinri leaned to his door and closed her eyes as the surge of memories filled her mind.

Kyungsoo nodded while staring at Jinri meaningfully.

“She was too mature and too rich for him.”

Jinri’s eyes widen in distrust as realization dawn into her. Her hand flew to as she had openly gaped at the implicated fact. “Oppa, you didn’t mean to say that…”

“Yes, Kim Jongin was once dating the infamous bride, Seo Joohyun.”

There shouldn’t be any question about why Kim Jongin wouldn’t want to meet her again because she was the woman who had brutally shattered Jongin’s heart into pieces and scarred him for life.

TBC

AN:

Hi. Himalayancat here. I'm sorry for not updating for a really long time. I've been caught up in the work--it took all my time--and so here is a rather short update for you guys. I don't know when I'll be updating again for this story but I hope it wouldn't be too long like this. I can't promise anything, though. Please accept the chapter as a new year gift from me!  :)

Thank you for everyone who still stays and waits patiently. And 98 subs and many votes. I can't even... T_T *cries* Thank you. Thank you so much.

I'll also explain regarding the ages of the characters in this story.

At the beginning (chapter one), Jinri was 19 years old (a second year in medschool), while everyone else  were in the same age as their character in  "Our Entangled Red Threads", since the chapter happened a couple weeks after Seo-Kris wedding. Jongin was 20 going 21 (the same age as in"), and so was Kyungsoo. Joohyun was 25 and Kris was 35. The previous chapter happened 3 years after the first chapter, the time frame is the same with the lastest chapters in "Through His Eyes". Therefore, Jinri is 22, Jongin and Kyungsoo 23, Joohyun 28, and Kris 38. I hope this explanation will help.

With many-many thankful love, 

Himalayancat.