Korean

Mandarin

Tao’s POV

I decided to lie on the ground with Hyun Ok cause it’s just tiring listening too the guys talk about the 2 nicknames that I had suggested for her.

I look over at her too see she’s looking my way with a bored and tired expression.

Then she says to me,“Those names are great but can use the name Phoenix?”

“Phoenix? Why that one?”

“Cause I’m being reborn not as a different Hyun Ok, but as the one that she was before. It’ll be a new start as the Hyun Ok who is going to move on from the guilt stricken one.”

It shocked me that she said that, but that makes sense, “Yeah… What do you guys think?”

They agree it’s a nice name saying that most people would chose that name because they believe it’d be for starting anew when really a phoenix when they are reborn born that’s cause they were old and in being reborn is a new start but they don’t change who they are at least that’s how a lot of stories are. Though I’ll call her Tiānshǐ cause I think that also fits her.

I smile as she smiles at us mostly me cause she’s still lying on the ground facing me.

She sits up quickly and shouts, “I love you guys!”  She laughs a bit, “I don’t know why but since I got to know you guys I’ve felt like I’m turning over a new leaf and letting happiness into my life again. It feels kind of… nice,” the last part she whispers as she looks at her hands as if she’s guilty of something.

I thought that was the reason why she didn’t want to fall in love with me.

Though being happy with friends and being happy because you’ve fallen in love are 2 completely different things.

Until she is able to let Jungshin’s memory in peace I won’t be able to be with her like I want too… This is part of the reason why I won’t come out and say that the girl I’ve known for a little over a year that I’m in love with her.

I sigh as I look over to see she's bouncing around again until she realizes something, “What movie will I have to be in?”

Her sister gives her all kinds of details on a drama she wants Tiānshǐ to play in. She’s be playing a warrior princess that gets thrown into our time when her and her reincarnation have a near death experience so she’ll be playing 2 parts with 2 completely different personalities.

“Don’t I need to try out for it?”

“Yes, but I’m sure you’d get the part” her sister assures her, but Tiānshǐ doesn’t seem all too happy about that.

“Alright then let’s get back to the dorm and get some rest. We all have training to do tomorrow so let’s get to it.” Tiānshǐ says in a cheery hyper voice and I smile as I nod my head.

“Phoenix,” Sehun says to her causing her to look towards him and her face is away from me.

“What?”

“You should probably change back into your regular clothing.”

She looks down too realize that she’s still wearing her workout clothing.

She quickly races back to where her clothing is and then too the changing area. When she comes back in her street clothing I notice that she hadn’t taken down her bangs.

I smile a bit as we go too head out Hyun Ok takes down her bangs and smiles at me, “So what are we doing tonight that you need me too come with?”

“Oh no reason it’s just we want to treat you too some amazing food and that since you’ve been helping us so much since we met you as a group.”

Your POV

I laugh a bit when we enter a small simple restaurant and I look at the name and find it familiar…

I stop at the front door and back away…

My sister looks at the name of the restaurant and stops herself, “Do you know another place?”

“Why?” Suho asks.

“Hyun Ok and I aren’t allowed here,” she answers.

“Why?”

“It’s my ex’s Jungshin’s sister’s place. She blames me for what happened and doesn’t like me going there.”

It’s funny cause Tao grabs my hand and pulls me inside, “Who cares we’re hungry and don’t feel like finding a different place.”

Befor I can argue with him I run right into Jungshin’s sister who looks like she’s lost a lot of weight since I last saw her.

I gasp when I see her, “Unni, are you alright?’

She looks at me purely shocked to see me after all these years.  

“Hyun Ok… It’s been a while… How are you?”

“It’s been 2 and a half years and I finally started healing. Unnie are you alright though?”

She looks at the boys of exo, “Can I talk too you alone?”

“Guys go sit down I’ll join you in a bit.”

They nod their heads, but Tao doesn't seem very happy about it still he follows them.

As he sits down I’m lead over too a bar area near the swinging doors that lead to the kitchen.

“Hyun Ok, I’m sorry about how I acted the last time I saw you… It was wrong of me too act you were a victim of what happened that day. Still I had lost my baby brother who I was supposed to be protecting, but instead he died in a freak accident that had gone uninvestigated.”

I look down at the my hands and pull out a small letter from my purse that I had kept on me, “Unni, read this.”

“What is this?”

“It seems they had found something cause they started to rebuild in Jungshin’s old building and they found something was wrong with the elevator shaft where the fire had started. So they found out that there was 2 starting points too the fire,” I scuff, “That’s something that I told them since there was too much smoke in the elevator when they had come to save us. The cables snapped too quickly.”

She looks over the papers, “This is a little too late, but also don’t they realize how painful it’ll be for the victims especially the ones that are scarred the most.”

I shake my head, “I’d like that the other families and friends will find out why what happened, happened. Still I’m starting a new but I won’t let the past bother me anymore.”

“Have you moved on from my brother yet?” she asks sounding worried and I’m too sure on what she’s worried about.

“No, I haven’t I can’t. I still have nightmares and deep in my heart I know that he’s all I can allow in my heart. He’s all I’ve ever known in the aspect in love.”

She sighs as she looks at me and back at exo.

When her eyes meet with them there’s a small smile that appears there, “Hyun Ok, it seems you have made a great group of friends famous or not. They care a lot about you especially the panda looking one.”

I look back too see that Tao had picked a seat that makes it so he can lean back a bit and he has a perfect view of Jungshin's sister and me.

I smile slightly and she laughs a bit, “It seems that you have a great watcher. He looks at you like Jungshin did when he first saw you. It was love at first sight.”

“Really he never told me that.”

“Yeah, he was a fan of yours since you’ve been known for your skills since you were a kid. Still when he met you for the first time when you collided at the tournament when you were what 14. Truthfully he was really happy especially when you became friends and when he had gained the courage he had asked you out a year later.”

I nod my head as I smile, “That’s odd I didn't’ know any of this. How is the rest of your family?”

“Good, give me your phone number since you should come eat with us sometime.”

I nod my head and play with my hat knowing that I had resituated it so it hid my scar.

She moves forward and pushes my hair out of my face so she can get a good look at my gift from that day, “I know that this is your guilt and shame that you hide, but Hyun Ok it makes you beautiful. Be a phoenix rise anew from their ashes when they die and show their beauty and be happy that’s what my brother would want for you. He would want you too be happy. He’d want you to move on, Hyun Ok, and whatever you decide to do I’ll support you 100%. I know that I still think of you as my little sister much like before.”

I look at her shocked and she simply smiles at me like she used too.

“Unni,” I take a deep breathe and hug her, “Jiwoo… I missed you so much. Jiwoo-unni, what’s wrong why are you so skinny?”

She sighs as she pulls me away, “It’s been a long time since I heard you say my name. To answer your question I’m alright I just got over a real bad flu so don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine in a week check up on me often and you’ll see.”

“I will,” it’s odd to think I just used Jiwoo-unni’s, Jungshin’s sister’s, name, “I need to go back to my friends.”

“You go do that. I’ll see you late, Hyun Ok.”

“You can call me Phoenix.”

“Phoenix… that seems to work with you.”

I smile at her, “Thanks.”

As I walk back to the table they guys smile at me, “Well too bad but we already ordered so whatever we ordered you’ll get.”

I give them a look before I smile, “My sister probably told you what I like.”

They look at each other and shake their heads, “Nope.”

I think for a second… “Tao…?” They nod their heads, “Wow how did you know we’ve hardly eaten together?”

“I remember you talking about some of the foods that you liked so I ordered the 1 that you said you liked the most.”

I smile at him, “Thanks Tao.”

He nods his head after smiling right back at me and I sigh, “So why am I invited again?”

“Cause you are done looking after us since your sister is back. Also you’ve dealt with us for over a year and a half and we have never taken you out to eat even with all the errands you run for us. Even the manager said he’d front the money for your food expenses.”

“What? That wouldn’t be far I almost eat worse than Tao.”

They look at me surprised since they look me up and down.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Jiwoo comes over too give us our food and sets down 2 orders of my favorite in front of me and I smile.

“Oh… Unni I didn’t order 2 orders of this,” I fain a surprised look.

“Well with your training and playing sports eat up.”

I smile, “Unni, how did you know I was practicing?”

“I know even if you weren’t doing competitions I bet you have been practicing on your own all this time.”

“Wow. Oh Jiwoo unni can we have some soju?”

“Are all of you old enough?”

I look at her and shrug, “I’m not sure.”

“Seriously… Then no,” she answers in a curt tone then asks, “Are you even old enough?”

“Yeah, I am 20 this year.”

“Wow, is anyone under that age?”

We look at each other for some odd reason then shake our heads.

“Well still no alcohol for any of you.”

I fake a pout and shrug, “Oh well. I just wanted to celebrate the official day of starting a new for me.”

My almost sister in law smiles as she nods her head as she looks at me, “Do you still have the ring he gave you?”

I nod my head and she smiles at me as she leaves us for a little bit. Before the guys can ask anything she comes back with glass bottles of different pops.

“Cheers too Hyun Ok starting a new as a beautiful phoenix.”

We all click our glasses together and I place a hand on my chest and smile at the happy memories.

I’m glad that I didn’t die or kill myself 3 years ago or 2 years ago.

This life that I live now is starting to turn into something that I know that he’d want for me.

Jungshin, my boyfriend who had promised me since our 2nd year together that we’d marry each other once we finished college.

This name and these friends are something I’m glad that I have now.

This is my new start being born a second time with all the memories and feelings of what my life was before I decided this.

Maybe someday I can let go of Jungshin, but I don’t think I could anytime soon.

Sorry it took me forever to update. I hope to update more since I got my new laptop that is my own.  I'm working on a few new chapters and I hope that I can get a few more chapters up by Tuesday of next week since I work tomorrow and Friday.  Please comment and give this lonely author some love by commenting and giving me your thoughts.