Chapter 4
Lovers in Tokyo
Chapter 4
Mid-Morning, Tokaido Shinkansen Station
The “Shinkansen” or bullet-train is one of the fastest and most efficient ways to travel from Tokyo to Kobe. The travel time ranges from three to four hours, making all Japanese tourist sites a mere arm’s length away.
The morning was cooler than usual and many awaiting passengers held tightly to their coffees and warm beverages. Kyuhyun and Ryeowook eagerly waited for the arrival for Seohyun. Ryeowook turned and observed Kyuhyun’s anxious expression.
“Kyuhyun, are you alright? You’ve been staring at the clock for the past thirty minutes. She’ll make it…”
Kyuhyun awoke from his stare at the clock and smiled towards Ryeowook.
“Sorry Hyung, I’m just…excited…”
“How did you get her to join us? I’m worried if we have room for her…”
“I simply asked her to join and don’t worry, Hyung, we’ll make room…I’ll make room…”
“Whatever you say…she’s real pretty though…you sure she’s single?”
“Yeah…but…it’s not like that, Hyung…she’s different…she’s nice…a good friend…”
“Friend? Please…she’s a girl! When was the last time your buddy was a girl, huh?”
“Haha…I know, Hyung, but she’s real nice…plus, she’s a talent agent from SM…what do you have to say about that, huh?”
“An agent? Really? Well, I need to be on my best behavior then!”
The two friends laughed as they waited on the bench. Suddenly, they heard the swift sound of the train coming closer. Kyuhyun looked frustrated.
“Where is she, Hyung?”
Ryeowook shrugged.
“Text her, Kyuhyun.”
“I did but there was no response…she’s probably still asleep…”
“Its 11AM…she’ll be here...”
Kyuhyun sighed and looked to his right. The crowd was beginning to get congested when suddenly a face stood out from the crowd. It was Seohyun. She looked tired.
“Seohyun?”
She was pushing her way through the crowd and finally made it towards Kyuhyun. She brushed her hair back and bowed towards Kyuhyun.
“I’m sorry for being late!”
She gave a bow, which surprised Kyuhyun.
“Seohyun, you don’t need to bow to me! We’re friends, remember?”
Seohyun suddenly felt embarrassed and quickly stood up.
“Crap…sorry…force of habit…”
“It’s ok…come, let me introduce you to my buddy, Ryeowook.”
Seohyun and Kyuhyun walked over to Ryeowook.
“Pleased to meet you, Ryeowook-shi…”
“Please…just Ryeowook…and you must be Seohyun…I was a BIG fan!”
Seohyun smiled and gave a quick bow.
“I promise I won’t be a burden on this trip…”
The two guys laughed. Kyuhyun spoke up.
“Seohyun…I should be the one bowing…thank you for joining us on our trip!”
The two guys smiled and bowed. The whole group began to laugh as the train quickly pulled in.
The train was similar to an airplane where they had seating for the economy class and the first-class. Luckily, Kyuhyun was able to secure first class tickets which enabled them to have their own room. The room had six seats and a beautiful view of the Japanese landscape as the train rolled by. Kyuhyun and Ryeowook sat on one side as Seohyun and an elderly woman sat from across of them. The elderly woman was very talkative as they traveled but Seohyun didn’t mind. She seemed to have a soft heart for the elderly.
“Oh my…you are such a beautiful young woman…where are you off to?” asked the old woman.
Seohyun looked up to the two friends and smiled.
“I’m joining these two gentlemen on their trip to Kobe. I believe there’s a jazz festival going on and I wanted to see them perform.”
The elderly woman looked troubled.
“Alone? With these two men? Are you sure?”
“Oh, they are my friends…”
Seohyun winked over to them.
“Well…Back in my day, young women had to travel in pairs…I guess times have changed….”
Seohyun giggled.
“Yes, they have but don’t worry…if these two GENTLEMEN get any ideas…I know how to defend myself…being a Taekwondo Black Belt has its perks…”
Kyuhyun looked shock and Seohyun gave a cute smirk back.
The old woman laughed.
“I’m just kidding with you! I used to travel all the time as a young woman! I simply couldn’t stand those PROPER girls…so up-tight…”
The whole group laughed as the old woman continued her stories from the war and poor countryside. As she entertained them, Kyuhyun looked over to Seohyun to see her reactions. The way she laughed and covered was very cute. Even though she tried to be a mature and commanding talent agent, she still kept those cute little habits from her old girl group days. Seohyun caught him looking and narrowed her eyes towards him. He quickly glanced back to the old woman. Seohyun giggled to herself.
“What was he looking at?”
*Seohyun’s Daydream*
It was the end of the concert and the girls quickly returned to their wardrobe room. The first showcase in Japan was a success and they knew they could win the love of all the Japanese fans. Seohyun was expecting to see Yongwa later that day for a taping so she was eager to get cleaned up and meet up with him at the production.
After showering and getting dressed, Seohyun and Sooyoung went to the break room to gather some snacks. They laughed and sang as they enjoyed the feeling of success. As they skipped down the hallway, Seohyun saw from the corner of her eye, two people talking. She was curious.
“Sooyoung-unnie, I’ll meet you there, ok? I forgot something…”
“You better hurry then! I’ll be taking all the Cheetos!”
Seohyun laughed and turned back. When Sooyoung turned the corner, Seohyun slowly crept back in peeked around the corner. She saw a man and a woman whispering and joking around. They were flirting. She looked closely and recognized the man. It was Yongwa. She overheard the conversation.
“What time do you get off?” asked Yongwa.
“I’ll be off in an hour. We get to go out so I’ll see you, later, right?” said the woman.
“I need to tape with Seohyun but it’ll be quick. Where do you want to meet up?”
“Well, we have a couple days off so we should probably go sightseeing in Kobe.”
“Sure, I can clear my schedule for that.”
“Great…I’ll see you soon then…”
They both hugged and Yongwa turned back towards the door. Seohyun looked confused and couldn’t properly comprehend what happened. She turned back and continued down the hallway to join Sooyoung.
“That wasn’t really Yongwa, was it?”
She shrugged and walked off.
“Seohyun? Are you going to the break room? I’m starving!”
Seohyun turned and it was Yoona.
“Where did she come from?” thought Seohyun.
“Oh yes, Unnie, let’s go together! Sooyoung-unnie is waiting up for us!”
They both held hands and walked together. Yet, Seohyun couldn’t help but feel that Yoona was the woman back there. With all her naivety, she shrugged off the idea and they made their way towards the snacks.
The train finally reached its stop and the announcer was informing everyone to gather their entire luggage, clean their immediate areas, and safely exit the train. Seohyun slowly rubbed her eyes open from her short nap and recognized everyone had left.
“Kyuhyun?”
The old woman was gone as well. Seohyun started to panic and jumped up from her seat. She grabbed her bag from the overhead compartment and ran for the door. She looked down the hallway and saw other passengers leaving. She followed them off the train.
“Where are they?”
As she walked down the steps, Kyuhyun waved to her from the café.
“Coffee again? This guy…”
Seohyun marched over and pouted.
“Where were you guys?”
Ryeowook spoke up.
“We didn’t want to wake you up so we got off first…the train is stalled though…”
“Why?”
Kyuhyun spoke up.
“The weather looks pretty bad in Kobe but…I think the festival is still on…it’s just rain…”
“The train stopped for that?”
“Well not only for the weather but there was a deer who strangely showed up on the tracks…that didn’t help so well for that deer…poor deer…”
Seohyun felt depressed. She was an animal lover.
“We hit a deer?”
Ryeowook and Kyuhyun were surprised as well and gave a sad nod. Seohyun felt she should have stayed on board. Suddenly, the conductors came out of the train.
“Everyone…the track has been cleared and we will be returning on schedule…we apologize for the inconvenience…”
Kyuhyun was relieved.
“Alright then everyone let’s get back on board!”
Kyuhyun, Ryeowook, and Seohyun returned to the train. They were about an hour away from Kobe.
Kobe, Japan
The weather wasn’t looking too well in Kobe but it wasn’t bad enough to alarm the group. Kyuhyun came out of train with full energy and excitement.
“Seohyun…thanks for joining our little adventure.”
“You’re welcome…so are we catching a taxi?”
Ryeowook dropped his suitcase and spoke up.
“Yes…we’ll be getting a room at the nearby hotel…”
“Actually…I booked a room here before I left this morning…”
Kyuhyun looked confused.
“Oh, we got a room for you as well…I mean it’s next door…”
“Oh? I didn’t know…I wanted to plan ahead…and well…you know…I’m a woman of course…”
Kyuhyun blushed.
“Yes…I understand…”
“Don’t worry…I’ll be nearby…”
Seohyun picked up her bags.
“I’ll be getting to my hotel now and I’ll meet up with you two later, right?”
Kyuhyun nodded.
“We’ll be in contact!”
Seohyun smiled.
“I’ll see you guys then.”
She smiled and exited the station. Kyuhyun looked disappointed. Ryeowook spoke up.
“Did you expect her to stay with us? Come on…she’s high-class, my friend…”
“I know…”
“Still…she came along…that’s cool, right?”
“Yeah…that’s true…”
“Come on…I can’t lift all these bags!”
Kyuhyun picked up the other bags and they exited the station. The clouds were beginning to look gloomy.
Seohyun entered her suite and dropped her bag on the bed. She came over to the window and opened the curtains. The view of Kobe looked beautiful but only if the weather cleared up. The rain was beginning to get a little harder. Seohyun felt worried.
“It’s like a typhoon is coming…that’s weird…”
She picked up her phone and called Sooyoung.
“Unnie…it’s Seohyun…how’s weather in Tokyo?”
“It’s a little rainy but nothing big…why?”
“I don’t know…Kobe doesn’t look so good right now…”
“Well, I heard no real bad news so it should be ok…if you’re unsure just stay inside…where’s Kyuhyun?”
“He’s across the street…”
“You didn’t stay with him?”
“Unnie! No!”
Sooyoung giggled.
“I’m kidding…but you should tell him that you feel unsafe…he’ll understand…”
“Ok, Unnie…well I’ll talk to him…I’ll speak with you later…”
“Ok baby…have fun!”
Seohyun hung up and called Kyuhyun. Seohyun had a bad feeling for some reason. The weather outside was getting worst.
Kyuhyun stared out the window towards Seohyun’s hotel. Ryeowook was practicing on the keyboard.
“Kyuhyun…are you worried for Seohyun?”
“Yeah…the storm looks bad outside….I should check up on her…”
“Don’t go outside…you’ll get soaked!”
“I know…”
Suddenly, Kyuhyun was ringing. It was from Seohyun.
“Seohyun?”
“Yeah…the weather doesn’t look too good…could we stay inside? We could have lunch at my hotel if you want?”
“Sure! Ryeowook want to go?”
Ryeowook shook his head and continued his practice.
“Ryeowook doesn’t want to go because he’s preparing for tomorrow so…”
“I guess it’s just us then…”
Kyuhyun felt excited.
“Yeah I guess so…”
“I’ll see you in thirty minutes then?”
“Yes!”
“Kyuhyun…don’t forget your coat, okay?”
“Of course!”
“I’ll see you then!”
Kyuhyun hung up and felt real excited. He grabbed his coat and headed for the door. Ryeowook spoke up.
“Don’t be late…we have a performance tomorrow at the Jazz Street, alright?”
“Yes, Hyung…I’ll be back…it’s just lunch…”
Ryeowook and Kyuhyun smiled at each other. Kyuhyun gave a salute and exited. Kyuhyun did not know this would be late time he saw Ryeowook. The storm continued to build up.
Seohyun sat in the lobby as she stared out through the rainy window. She was confused why the weather went so bad. It was all so unexpected. Suddenly, she saw Kyuhyun dashing across the rainy crosswalk into the valet pick-up spot. He entered the hotel and wiped his face dry. He saw Seohyun waiting and smiled at her.
“Did I keep you waiting?”
“Of course not…are you hungry?”
“I am actually…we haven’t eaten all day so…yeah…”
The two enjoyed each other’s company and were eager to sit down and eat. They walked together to the deli area of the hotel and customized their own sandwiches. Seohyun went with a tuna salad sandwich while Kyuhyun had the roast beef. They sat in a nice part of the hotel which had beautiful plants and gorgeous interior designing. It almost resembled something like the Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Kyuhyun questioned Seohyun as they ate.
“You have a great taste in hotels…”
“Thanks…you know how it is…us women need to be pampered…”
“Oh really?”
Seohyun laughed.
“No…I’m kidding…I just heard they had a great sandwich place so I stayed here…I didn’t want to be a burden for you two boys over there…”
“Burden? No…”
They smiled at each other then continued eating. Suddenly, the lights began to flicker. They quickly shut down and switched to emergency lights. Seohyun shrieked as Kyuhyun looked over to find security. Kyuhyun spoke up.
“The power must have shut down…”
Seohyun was silent. Kyuhyun looked over to her.
“Seohyun? Are you okay?”
She started to shiver. He recognized she looked scared and went over to embrace her.
“Don’t worry…everything will be fine…it’s just a simple power outage…security and the staff will handle it…”
“I know…I just…I just don’t like the dark…”
Kyuhyun felt a great deal of concern for Seohyun and sat next to her. Hotel employees and maintenance were hurrying all around the hotel to fix the problem. Suddenly, the unthinkable occurred. The hotel began to sway and shake heavily. It was an earthquake.
5 Hours later….
The sound of ambulances, fire trucks and police cars flooded the city. A huge earthquake had struck Kobe and leveled many buildings. The earthquake was measured at an 8.5 on the Richter scale. International news was instantly on the chase to find out what happened and what was lost. Kyuhyun stood outside in the gloomy weather as the paramedics assisted all the wounded. He wore a thick fire blanket around him. He walked over to the ambulance and found Seohyun’s lying on the stretcher. A piece of plaster from the ceiling had fell and struck her on the head. It left her with a mild concussion. He touched her hand and she slowly woke up.
“Kyuhyun?”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine…it doesn’t hurt too bad…did you find Ryeowook?”
“They said that my hotel had collapsed and they’re still looking for survivors…I’m not sure…Oh god…”
Kyuhyun began to cry as he thought his best friend. Seohyun slowly sat up and took his hand.
“They will find him…”
The roads were ruined due to all the numerous aftershocks afterwards. It created lots of fissures throughout the city which made it hard for commuters and emergency vehicles to drive through. Kyuhyun felt guilty for what happened.
“Seohyun…if I didn’t plan this trip…”
“It isn’t your fault…this was something bigger than all of us…”
A paramedic approached Seohyun.
“Ma’am…if you’re feeling better…we’ll need to take this stretcher from you…there are so many other wounded people…we are short on supply…I’m very sorry…”
“It’s ok…”
Seohyun slowly got off and the medic took the stretcher. Kyuhyun held her hand to keep her steady. Seohyun was shocked.
“I can’t believe this happened…”
Kyuhyun was still thinking about Ryeowook and remained silent. They slowly walked over to the tent where numerous other survivors stayed. There were people crying and screaming from pain. Seohyun found everything so surreal.
“In an instance…life could be taken away from you…”
Kyuhyun gripped her hand tightly.
“I know…”
Two days later…
The city of Kobe still was enduring the result of the earthquake that left hundreds dead and plenty more homeless. Kyuhyun found out that there were no survivors who went by the name of Ryeowook. He was devastated. Seohyun had her short check-up at the hospital and was waiting for Sooyoung to pick them up. All the public transit was down so people were either stuck in Kobe or lucky enough to take the undamaged national highways back to eastern Japan.
Kyuhyun was depressed as they waited outside the hospital. Seohyun sat beside him and they remained silent. They wanted to travel and enjoy themselves but instead they went through a catastrophe and lost a friend. It was a lot for them to take and absorb. Kyuhyun turned to Seohyun.
“Thanks for being here…”
“I learned a lot from such a short time…I learned a lot about myself on this trip to Japan…”
“Are you returning to Korea soon?”
“Yes…”
“I see…”
“The talent agency needs me…I already went past the time allowed…”
“I hope they understand the circumstances you were under…”
“Thankfully they do…”
There was a moment of silence between them. They only knew each other for short moment but they felt a strong bond between them. Suddenly, Sooyoung arrived with the rest of the family and picked up the two friends. Sooyoung hopped out and embraced Seohyun.
“I was so WORRIED!”
“Unnie…I’m okay…because of Kyuhyun…”
Kyuhyun nodded.
“Thank you for watching over my little sister, Kyuhyun…I’m happy you two became friends…”
“Seohyun is a great friend…I didn’t hesitate to protect her…”
Seohyun was struck by his words and felt strong attraction to him. They boarded into the car and Koji-san spoke up.
“You two rest In back of the van, alright?”
Baby Yoshi slept silently in between Seohyun and Kyuhyun. Kyuhyun went straight to sleep right when he sat down while Seohyun held on to Yoshi’s small, chubby hand. She looked over to Kyuhyun. She felt a deep longing for him since she was leaving tomorrow morning.
“I don’t want to go…”
It was already night time when they arrived to Tokyo. They pulled up near the train station to drop off Kyuhyun. He stepped out and said goodbye to Sooyoung and Koji. Seohyun was asleep as Kyuhyun stepped out. He decided to wake her up so he could save the pain of saying goodbye to her. Sooyoung spoke up.
“You went through a lot these past days…I’m very sorry about Ryeowook…”
“Thank you…I’m still in touch with the officials in Kobe...I hope to receive more answers these upcoming days…I have question as well…”
“Yes?”
“When does Seohyun leave?”
Sooyoung gave a frown.
“Tomorrow at 10 AM…”
“I’ll be there…”
“You better…”
Koji pointed at Kyuhyun.
“Be there, alright?”
“I will…”
Sooyoung rolled up her window and the car drove off. Kyuhyun remained on the sidewalk watching the van drive down the street. Kyuhyun felt empty as he watched them drive away. He wanted to speak with Seohyun before she left. He wanted to see her smile again. He fought to keep his tears from dropping and pushed off towards the train station. He placed his hands in his pockets and made the lonely walk down the steps. Suddenly, he heard someone calling.
“Kyuhyun!”
He turned around and saw Seohyun dashing towards him.
“Seohyun?”
She was panting heavily from her sprint down the street.
“Why didn’t you say goodbye?”
Kyuhyun smiled.
“I didn’t want to wake you up…”
Seohyun sighed heavily and smiled.
Shiba Park
Shiba Park is well known for its great tourist souvenir stores and it’s the exclusive spot where the Tokyo Tower is located. With its strong resemblance to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Tokyo Tower creates a romantic awe at night that illuminates the vision of all lovers around its proximity.
Seohyun and Kyuhyun tightly held each others’ hands as they walked through the park. The streetlamps illuminated the path that circled around the park. In the distance, they could see the lights of the Tokyo Tower faintly blinking. They were silent as their footsteps tapped the concrete ground. Seohyun and Kyuhyun were couldn’t find the words to help comfort each other. In a span of one week, they created a beautiful friendship, shared secrets, went through a natural disaster, and experienced the brink of death together. They could feel a bond emerge between them that never felt in their entire lives. Seohyun thought she had a bond with her former sisters from SNSD but Kyuhyun was, different. They walked up to a railing and watched the tower and its colorful lights blink slowly. It was strangely hypnotizing. Seohyun slowly spoke up.
“I’m leaving tomorrow…”
Kyuhyun looked to her.
“I know…”
Seohyun’s eyes began to water up. She wiped her tears and tried to avoid Kyuhyun’s sweet stare.
“Seohyun…please…”
“Kyuhyun…I came to Japan…to forget my past and enjoy the moment…but now…I’m in a moment where I’m so…happy…happy enough that I don’t want to leave…”
“Seohyun…”
“I hated love…I hated what I did to myself…now…I don’t know anymore…”
Kyuhyun placed his hand against her face and gently turned her face towards him. Seohyun could the warmth beneath his hands. She could feel his heart.
“This past week has been a lot for me…I don’t know what to feel…but what I do know is that I might someone special…someone I don’t want to forget…”
Seohyun began to weep as Kyuhyun spoke.
“Seohyun…if we only met sooner…”
Kyuhyun slowly embraced her as she cried. Seohyun embraced him tightly.
“If we only met sooner…Kyuhyun…”
The couple held each other tightly as the night sky continued to darken.
The final train arrived and Kyuhyun watched as Seohyun slowly walked into the train. The station was deserted and they were alone. Seohyun turned around and looked at Kyuhyun. He had his hands in pockets and a small smile on his face.
“Goodnight…Seohyun…”
“Goodnight…Kyuhyun…”
Right after they uttered their words, the doors tightly shut and Seohyun ran up against the window and placed her hand on it. Kyuhyun reached over and placed his hand too. The train began to move and Kyuhyun ran along with it. Seohyun watched as Kyuhyun lost his grip and the train moved past him. She watched as he vanished from her vision. She suddenly felt a sharp pain at her chest. She slowly down and placed her head against the window. She began to weep.
“I wish I never met him…”
The train sped through the night as Seohyun buried her face into her hands and cried. She felt true love for a short moment and quickly enough it was all gone.
The Next Morning
Sooyoung opened the trunk and pulled out Seohyun’s suitcase. Seohyun was busy on the phone so Sooyoung went ahead and did the baggage handling. Seohyun looked embarrassed as Sooyoung waited for her. Seohyun whispered.
“Sorry Unnie…”
Sooyoung made an angry face.
“You’re my sister…don’t worry!”
On the other side of Seohyun’s phone, it was her supervisor, Kim Heechul.
“Listen Seo Joo Hyun, I know you’ve been though a lot BUT work must continue, understand?”
“Yes, Oppa…I do…I’ll be back right away…”
“Good, good…I’ll waiting for you in the airport alright? I’m not mad okay…just worried about you…we were all WORRIED!”
Seohyun giggled.
“Ok Oppa…I’ll see you soon…”
Seohyun hung the phone up and turn to Sooyoung.
“Unnie…I’m so sorry…”
“Stop apologizing! You are more than welcome!”
Sooyoung could feel that Seohyun was carrying a heavy burden on her shoulders.
“Little Seohyun…all grown up and working…you have matured so much…”
“I’m so stressed out right now…I’m so behind with everything…I don’t know where to start-“
Sooyoung took Seohyun by her hand.
“You’ll be fine, darling…if they give you crap…call me or Sunny-Unnie and we’ll handle things, okay?”
Seohyun began to slowly tear up.
“Unnie…”
Sooyoung began to slowly tear up.
“Maknae…don’t cry…you’ll make me cry…too…”
The two best friends began to cry. Sooyoung hugged Seohyun tightly then released her.
“Go now before I can’t let you go…”
“Unnie…thank you for letting me visit…”
“You come back okay? On Christmas, okay? Okay?”
“I’ll try, Unnie…”
Seohyun looked to her watch and saw that she was less than hour before she needed to check in.
“Okay, Unnie well I need to go now…”
“I love you, Seo Joo Hyun…don’t let anyone treat you bad and always be respectful, understand?”
“I will, Unnie!”
Seohyun gave one more hug to Sooyoung, blew a kiss to Baby Yoshi inside the car and marched in to the airport. Sooyoung wiped her tears. Suddenly, Sooyoung’s phone vibrated. It was from Kyuhyun.
“Oh no…Kyuhyun…Seohyun! Wait!”
Seohyun didn’t hear Sooyoung and continued inside. Sooyoung texted to Kyuhyun that Seohyun was already in the airport.
“Seohyun…girl, what did you do?”
Seohyun stood in line as she inched closer to the security check. She began to reflect on what she did over the past week. She remembered Sooyoung-unnie’s home, family, and cooking. She remembered the shopping she did and the numerous parks she visited. Seohyun suddenly froze and her smile vanished. Kyuhyun stood in front of her. He was breathing heavily like he returned from a marathon.
“Seohyun…”
Seohyun couldn’t believe her eyes.
“Kyuhyun? Wait…what are you doing here?”
The other passengers began to wonder what was going on and cleared a path for Kyuhyun.
“I needed to see you before you left…”
“Kyuhyun…please…”
“I know…I know you need to go…I won’t stop you…but…I wanted to thank you…thank you for being kind to me…thank you letting my heart realize that it’s time to move on…”
Seohyun was moved by his words.
“I know we barely knew each other but in this short moment…we discovered a lot about ourselves…and each other…Seohyun…all I want to say is…”
Seohyun began to slowly tear up.
“Please…be happy…”
Seohyun nodded quickly and hugged Kyuhyun.
“Kyuhyun…I will never forget you…”
Kyuhyun hugged back and began to slowly cry. Seohyun eased back and wiped her tears. She placed her bags on the scanner and went through security. Kyuhyun watched as Seohyun took her bags and walked over to her gate. She turned and smiled at him. Kyuhyun smiled back.
“I will never meet a girl like that again…”
Seohyun bowed to him and slowly walked off to her gate. Kyuhyun turned around and exited the airport. He crossed the busy street and sat at the bus stop. His hands began to tremble as he thought of Seohyun. He could feel his heart slowly break.
“Please…please…let me see her again…please…”
Seohyun slowly slid into her seat and the instructions from the pilot came through the intercom. She ignored the pilot and stared out the window. She could also feel her heart break slowly. She pulled her handkerchief and began to wipe her tears.
“Please…please…let me see him again…please…”
The plane lifted off and Seohyun was on her way back to Seoul, on her way back to her job, on her way back to reality. Seohyun was not excited.
2 Years Later…
The streets of Seoul were bustling with traffic, construction, and office workers rushing off to lunch. The sounds of horns honking, people yelling, and music playing flooded the air. The downtown Starbucks was crowded as usual with college kids, lawyers, businessmen, and plenty of white-collared workers. Krystal, a young SM intern, was panicking because the cappuccino was taking too long. Krystal screamed to the barista.
“Unnie! Please hurry! I’m on a rush!”
“Hold on, will you? Kids…no more manners…”
The barista served up the two drinks and Krystal quickly grabbed them and dashed out of the café. Krystal dashed down the sidewalk, dodging all the pedestrians and nearly getting hit by a truck. Krystal arrived in front of the SM Agency Building with the beverages and was panting from the quick rush. She placed the drinks on the bench and began to quickly text.
“I am so dead…”
Suddenly, the doors swung open and out stepped a gorgeous woman. Krystal nearly dropped her phone when the woman approached her.
“Seohyun-unnie! I’m sorry that drinks were late-“
“Sorry?”
Seohyun took the cappuccino and took a small sip. She smiled then spat it all out. Krystal was shocked.
“You forgot sugar…”
“Oh…I’m sorry-“
“Sorry again? Krystal…how long have you been an intern here?”
“Ma’am…I’ve been with the agency for about a month now…still planning to be a big pop star though…”
“Pop star? Really? Wow…wow…”
“I really do…”
“I bet…you and another million little girls…want some advice?”
Krystal quickly shook head.
“Learn how to make coffee…we’ll save more and you’ll learn a new skill…”
Krystal was shocked.
“Right now, I need to you to reorganize my files, okay? I need to attend a meeting. Please place the files in order by last name, alright? Thank you…”
Seohyun placed her Gucci shades on and entered her White 2012 Nissan GTR and ignited the engine. She drove off leaving Krystal in awestruck. Seohyun quickly switched lanes and joined the fast lane.
“God…I’m running late…”
She blew past the traffic lights before they hit red and arrived at the SD Agency, where Yoona worked.
“Geez…I hate it here…”
Seohyun parked her car at the valet parking. She tossed the keys at the young valet, who was drooling over her, and hurried inside the building. She passed the security and entered the elevator. The meeting was on the 10thfloor. Seohyun’s foot was tapping impatiently as the elevator went up.
“Geez…hurry up…”
She finally made it to the 10thfloor and right when she got out, she bumped into Yoona.
“Maknae? You’re late…”
“Unnie…I know I am…as the contract started? Do I still have time to intervene?”
“Actually…no…”
“What?!”
The door opened and a group of young teenage girls wearing hip-hop clothing came out giggling. Seohyun was shocked. Yoona spoke up.
“If you only came 5 minutes before…you could have changed their minds…better luck next time, Maknae…by the way…nice shoes…”
The fresh, new girl group followed behind Yoona and entered the elevator. Yoona blew a kiss to Seohyun as the doors closed. Seohyun couldn’t believe she lost the contract to Yoona. She had slaved for the past couple of months trying to persuade the girl group to sign with her agency. Seohyun slowly sat on the couch to comprehend what just happened to her. She was stunned.
“What happened?”
She leaned her head against the wall and shut her eyes. She was tired of working. She was tired of sacrificing her time for others. Suddenly, a familiar voice came out.
“Hyun?”
Seohyun opened her eyes and saw Yongwa standing before her.
“Oh…Yong…how are you?”
“I’m fine…”
Yongwa sat beside her.
“How are you, Hyun?”
“Tired…”
During the past year, Yongwa and Seohyun slowly began to talk to each other again. After Yoona dumped Yongwa, Seohyun slowly befriended Yongwa again. They were starting slow again and Seohyun was hoping it could lead to something special. The same went for Yongwa. He still had feelings for her but the wounds were still fresh on Seohyun so he had to tread softly.
“Tired? Who isn’t? Work has been tough…the tours…the interviews…my goodness…”
“I heard you and your band are going to Europe on Friday…I’m happy for you and your group…”
“Thanks…I was wondering…after my tour and everything…if you wanted to go out…”
Seohyun looked to Yongwa and smiled.
“Sounds fun…I’d love to…”
Yongwa smiled.
“Well, the group won’t be gone for too long…so I’ll see you next week then…”
“Keep in contact, alright?”
“Will do, Hyun…”
They both got up and embraced each other. Yongwa eased back.
“I got do some more recording, alright? I’ll call you tonight?”
“Ok…I’ll see you…”
Seohyun slowly entered the elevator and smiled to Yongwa as the doors shut. Yongwa was happy to be speaking with her again and was hoping for another shot.
“Things are looking up for me again…” thought Yongwa.
Seohyun exited the elevator and slowly dragged herself outside to the valet. The young valent, who was love struck, picked up her car and brought it over. Seohyun took the keys and got inside her car. Before she started the engine, she autographed a piece of tissue and left a kiss mark on it. She gave it to the young man and smiled.
“Tell your friends about me…”
The young valet leaped in joy and waved goodbye as Seohyun drove off. She felt really depressed as she drove.
“I’m tired of all this mess…”
She slowly began to daydream as she drove and remembered Sooyoung and the trip to Japan that was a faint memory. She remembered the food, laughter, and music. Suddenly, she felt a void in her memory. It was like something that was missing or something she forgot. She tried her best to remember what was missing. Then she remembered his smile.
“Kyuhyun…”
She slowly frowned.
“I wonder…”
Suddenly, she saw a pedestrian crossing the street and quickly slammed on her brakes.
*SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH*
Seohyun was scared stiff and hopped out of her car. The hundreds of cars behind her were banging on their horns while the other pedestrians were screaming at her. Seohyun went over to check on the person she nearly hit.
“Sir? Sir? Are you okay?”
The other pedestrians assisted the man to his feet. He scratched his head and looked up to her. Seohyun was shocked that not only was he alive, she knew him.
“Kyuhyun?”
Kyuhyun looked over to her and smiled.
“It’s been awhile…Seohyun…”
End of Chapter 4
SeoKyu finally found something special and made a deep bond but Seohyun had to return to her career in Seoul…After two years of separation, SeoKyu finally found each other again…will they be able to rekindle the flame they created in Tokyo or was it all a distant fantasy…stay tuned for the next chapter!
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