Chapter 24: Paradise (Part 2)

The place was so bright and it felt so warm and festive, yet homey and peaceful, that I wanted to get inside right away. When I got it, that's when my tears suddenly burst from my eyes.

          B2ST were crying as well, and probably the same type of tears that were escaping my eyes. These were tears of joy. Yo-seob was crying while he hung on an old lady and an old man seated in a wheel chair.  Gi-kwang was surrounded by small kids who was hugging him by his waist and a lady was caressing his face, wiping the tears that were continuously flowing from his eyes. Hyun-seung was hugging an old lady with a small child in her arms. Dong-woon was crying on the lap of an old lady, who in turn rubbed his back in a soothing way and was probably humming a song while swaying from side to side. Lastly, Doo-joon was kneeling beside an old lady in the couch, he held her hands close to his face and started kissing them again and again. But then aside from those heartwarming sights, it was the sight of another the lady in a wheel chair with a nurse hovering above her that made me cry.

           Her face was creased, but I couldn't forget how beautiful it was before. She had become skinny from the last time I saw her, but she looked happy – happier than the last time I visited her. I walked towards her chair and kneeled beside her. Her hands automatically flew to my head and she touched my hair. “My Mei-mei, you've become more beautiful,” she said.

          “You too mom,” I said as I struggle to keep my voice from breaking, “you look good!”

          “What are you doing here?” I asked her, but the nurse answered my question, “A guy came and talked to the doctors. They reached to a decision that they will let your mother out if a doctor will be readily available around the place she will be staying.”

          “And we have a doctor here?” I said, and she nodded.

          “Mei-mei, have you seen your father? I haven't seen him for a long time,” Mom looked around before speaking again, “How come he's not visiting me?” I looked at the nurse, and she was looking at my mom, sadly. Mom had a nervous breakdown a few weeks after Dad's death. She was worse before. She didn't speak, didn't move, and didn’t even want to eat. She had been in a catatonic state for a long time, but then after a month, she returned to being normal-like. Only she couldn't remember the time when the news about Dad's death reached us.

          “Mom, he's... at work,” I told her, “but you know what? I'm sure he misses us, but then country must come first right?”

          “You must be so proud of him, Mrs. Rallos,” the nurse told her. Mom seemed sad, but she smiled and shook me. “Then let's do something while we wait for him,” she said.

          “Mom, it's already dark,” I said, “How about we have dinner and rest in our rooms for tonight? Then, tomorrow, we'll spend some time in the beach. Do you like that?” Mom and I ate with the families of the B2ST members. It was really a feast, and everybody seemed so happy. Then I wondered how and when all of these came to Jun-hyung's mind. The event required so much planning. In my mother's case, he had to arrange things with the hospital, and it should take a week. When did he plan all of this when he's at school for less than... three days?

We went to our rooms afterward. All the plans for midnight swimming were erased because of the unexpected “gifts” that night. All of us wanted to spend time with our families, even just before bedtime.

          When I got my mother to sleep, I sent the nurse to the room next to ours and I went out to find the nearest phone booth. The thing was that there was no phone in our room, and Gette had my hand phone. I tried borrowing from the nurse, but she has no phone as well. I tried to borrow from B2ST members, but they too, didn't bring any phone because “Jun-hyung said so,” and that “bringing gadgets in a vacation would ruin it.” So the last person I would be able to ask for help will be Ms. Aria.

          I tried sneaking onto the hallway to her room. I knocked softly, but it didn't take long and she was on the door asking me how she can serve me at that time of the night. Asked if I could borrow her phone, but her answer surprised me.

          “He have no phone in this place,” she said, “all messages are sent via telegram.” It was ridiculous. What if there came an emergency and they need a doctor? I told her about it, but she said that that they have a doctor in the resort, so it's okay. “Ms. Rallos, my lady, why don't you try to rest? You seem so tired, your head is full of thoughts.”

                “I'm not that tired to fall asleep,” I told her, “I'll just walk around and maybe rest a little later.” Ms. Aria was about to close the door and I was about to go when I remembered something. “Miss Aria, can I ask you something?”

                “Earlier tonight wasn't the first time we've met each other, right?” I said. “The first time was during that party.”

                “Yes, my lady,” MS. Aria said behind the slightly open door.

                “If you're here, then you probably know the details about Jun-” I almost said his real name, but I had to be cautious, “Jason and his grandfather and why he suddenly decided to bring everyone in a vacation,” I said.

                “Unfortunately no, my lady,” she said. “I was fired by the elder Master Yong, but Young Master hired me and sent me here to manage everything.”

                “Fired? Why?”

                “I broke some dishes,” she said, a bit shy and hesitantly.

                “That's it?” It was ridiculous enough for me not to contain how I felt, and Ms. Aria must have read that expression clearly.

                “Yes, my lady, young master Yong found it ridiculous as well, so rehired me,” she completely opened the door and went out so she could talk to me better, and from that I knew she had something important to say. “If there's something I'm sure of, it would be the fact that master loves you so much.” 

                Feelings overflowed that moment. “Jun-hyung loves me,” I muttered, but then I realized that Ms. Aria was still there. “I mean, Jason.”

                “Whether it's Jun-hyung, or it is Jason, the only person he's in love with is you,” she said.

                “But... how about Catherine?”

                “Do they seem like they're in love?” she asked me, and because of that, it brought back the moments when I saw them together. Twice I saw them fighting, but there was this one time I saw the spark of love... in Catherine's eyes?

                “It will hurt her,” she said.

                “It already did,” I said. “By the way, how did you know that Jun-hyung and Jason are...”

                “The same?” Ms. Aria said. “Lady Catherine used to call him that.”  I bade Ms. Aria goodnight and went back to my room after that. So B2ST, Infinite, Gette and even Catherine knew that he was Jun-hyung, and apparently, I was the only one who had second thoughts about it.