Chapter 16: Come Back Home

Morning came so fast and Jinri felt like she only slept for a second. Although still sleepy, she stood up from her bed and did her morning routine albeit sluggishly.

“Good morning Jinri!” Mr. Choi greeted her brightly, already on his office attire. “It’s already 7:30”

She just nodded then sat on the chair without any reply as she was feeling really sleepy. Her father settled down a plate of freshly cooked breakfast and smiled at her as she ate her meal quietly.

“Shouldn’t you be hurrying up? You’ll be late for school.” He asked, slightly creasing his eyebrows in curiosity.

“It’s alright appa. My teacher announced that our first class will be cancelled today.”  She replied, almost inaudibly.

“I see. Why do you sound so sleepy? What have you done last night?” He ate his breakfast quietly, with his eyes skimming a stapled file.

“Uhm..Nothing. I slept right after you came home last night.” She lied and sighed softly when she remember what she did that time. Last night, her mind was actually a total turmoil, thinking about possibilities and what ifs about her love life. She only decided to stop thinking and sleep when a thought came to her – she has to live in the present and what she currently have; possibilities and what ifs are like dreams that will never be attained.

Silence enveloped the house while the two were having their breakfast until screeching sound from a chair was heard when Mr. Choi stood up from his seat. “Baby girl, appa has to go now. I have a meeting with a client this early morning. Study well, alright?” He reminded her daughter while patting her head gently.

She then nodded and flashed him a reassuring smile. “Bye appa. Take care!”

He grabbed his things and headed towards the door, but turned around again when he remembered something. “Jinri-ah..Go home early, alright? Also, clean the house. Your brother’s coming tonight.”

Her eyes widened and her lips formed a wide grin. “Really? Siwon oppa’s coming home?” She was definitely happy about the news. After what feels like a long time, her brother’s coming to stay over. Oh, how she missed her brother.

“Yes. So better do what I asked you to do, hm?” her father reiterated, finally leaving the house.

Jinri felt so excited all of a sudden. She thought of the things he could do with her brother, given that it was almost a year since he left for work. With the good news, she seemed so energetic once again despite of the fact that she had only slept for 2 hours.

It was past 7 o’clock in the evening when Baekhyun decided to go home from school. Similar to Jinri’s situation, he was also having a hard time the past few weeks because of school works. He was already on his way out of the university when someone suddenly called for him. He looked back to see who called him.

“Baekhyun! Wait!” a girl wearing her neat uniform jogged towards him – who was confused as to why he was called. Although dressed simply, she has this alluring aura that always surrounds her, but Baekhyun doesn’t seem to be affected with it. Apparently, he wasn’t interested with any girls in the university he’s studying, most probably because there’s already someone who’s captured his attention…and also his heart.

 Currently, she is attending three classes where he was also attending, all in which he most likely didn’t know. In one class, she was paired with him for a project. So, there would be a greater chance for him to meet her day by day.

 “Oh..Hey! What’s wrong?” He asked, his eyebrows knitted in curiosity.

“Ah..nothing’s wrong. I was thinking….Is it alright if I go home with you?” She fixed her specs that almost slipped down from the bridge of her nose and smiled innocently. “The empty streets are kinda creepy so…I thought it would be better to go with someone.”

“Alright then. Let’s go home together.” He said a little coldly then took a step towards the university’s main gate. He walked with the girl whom she had known as Kim Taeyeon. She is also a Korean who studied in France after she got a scholarship. Beyond that information, he doesn’t know. He never asked her about herself, but she was too talkative to speak about her life.

An awkward silence came right after they stepped out of the school’s campus. Baekhyun had his bag hanged on his shoulder as he use his bicycle to reach home, while Taeyeon walked faster to keep up with his speed.

“Hey. What do you think can we do for the midterm project?” she said, finally breaking the soundless atmosphere between them. Their project was a simple paper work about an easy topic, so he thought of a plan immediately.

“I’ll do the project. Just do the editing. I’ll hand it to you in class next week. It is due 2 weeks from yesterday so we still have an ample time to finish it.” he replied to her, a little coldly with his eyes looking straight on his pathway.

“A-alright. If that’s what you want.” She pursed her lips and looked down on her intertwined fingers while walking. “Baekhyun, if you don’t mind…will you be a little brighter when talking to me? I don’t really have a good friend here in France. I think you are a nice person so I hope we’d be friends.”

He halted for awhile and said. “Sure. Let’s be friends.” He muttered softly before showing her a sincere smile as he shifted his gaze to her. The edge of her lips curled up when he agreed to her request, though it was said so shortly. She didn’t realize she was staring at him for a little too long already. He cleared his throat and chuckled at her reaction – the first time for her to hear him chuckle for the record.

“Anyway, I’ll be turning to that corner of the street. Will you be fine if I leave first?” He pointed at the second turn from where they were standing. She shook her head upwards, telling him that she’ll be fine to go alone.

“See you around in the university tomorrow!” He waved her goodbye and went on biking to his house, leaving her slightly confused. He’s so peculiar.

As soon as Baekhyun reach home, he took out his phone from his bag and called his girlfriend. He wanted to listen to her voice for it never fails to make him feel better even after a tough day. He pressed the ‘call’ button and it didn’t take three rings before Jinri picked up the call, making feel relieved.

“Oh..Oppa!” She called out brightly. “How was your day?” She asked, like the usual. She had only stepped out of their house and was currently headed to school.

“Hm..still same as the past few days. I’m already dead-tired.” He exaggerated his sigh, trying to a little. Once he had changed from his used clothes, he went to the couch to rest right away. He also grabbed some finger foods to munch on before taking his dinner. He got used to this kind of lifestyle since he got a separate residence. Every day, after classes ends, he would call to his lover immediately and the call would last until he falls asleep or when Jinri’s professor arrives already.

“Poor Baekhyun oppa…Let me hug you so you’ll have more energy!” She suggested, letting out a soft chortle right after.

“It’s alright. The bright tone in your voice makes me lighten up from exhaustion already.” He then heard her giggle form the other line which made him smile like an idiot. He could even imagine her beside him due to the conversation they always have. It was always light and playful, as if they were still them when they were only best friends. They often talk as if they weren’t hundreds of miles apart. And it was something they like.

“Aww..So sweet! Where did you get those?” She asked him impishly. She stepped into the bus she’s been waiting. She still has sufficient time to reach school without being late. Thanks to her first period teacher.

“Hm..somewhere in my heart?” he smirked, eyes focused on the television while eating.

“Oh god! Ants must be hunting you down because of your sweetness.” With that, both of them laughed and none of them broke the laughter until she remembered to tell him one thing.

“Oppa, my brother’s coming home later this afternoon. I’ll introduce you to him, is it alright?” She leaned on the window of the bus and smiled at the thought of him meeting her brother. She knew that her Siwon oppa would approve of him being her boyfriend. Her brother is actually tolerant to her decisions and wants, for most times.

He choked on his food a bit, suddenly feeling nervous about the news. Although, meeting her father for the first time before was easier than he expected. At some point, he thought that it could possibly be the same with how he managed to get along with Mr. Choi. “A-alright Jinri-ah.. Is he as nice as your father? I-I mean, would he ask too many questions to scrutinize me better?”

Jinri bit her lower lip to suppress her laughter. Why was he nervous all of a sudden? It was unusual for him, but she found it cute. “Yes, he is as nice as appa..And I don’t know about that. Don’t worry, I’ll assure you that he’ll accept you no matter what.” She said reassuringly then she heard him heaved a long sigh, indicating that he’s been holding his breath for almost a minute already.

“Thanks for telling me. I’ll trust on your words. I love you baby. I’ll do my best to establish a good impression towards your brother.” He said firmly, his tone full of determination.

She felt her heart flutter with his words then she smiled with a flushed face. “I love you too oppa. Hwaiting! I’ll encourage my brother to like you as well.” She replied with words that could help add to his courage.

The two constantly talked with each other until when they had to cut their conversation. Baekhyun muttered sweet nothings to Jinri before drifting off to sleep, while the latter focused on her lessons for the day. The day was less stressful compared to the previous days; professors tend to announce cancellation of their session for the day so students just slack off throughout the day.

In one of their vacant class, Jinri was approached by a girl whom she remembered she helped before by giving some love advice. She smiled at her but was met by a worried face from the girl.

“Oh..Yeseung-ah.what’s wrong?” she held her hand for comfort. “Anything wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong Jinri-ssi..it’s just that I am so confused right now.” Yeseung exhaled a little heavily.

“Aww.. come on. Tell me about it. Maybe I could help you.” Jinri offered, patting her head lightly.

“It’s just that…I have this bestfriend of mine who came back from another country. He had been my first love. But you know that I already have my boyfriend, right?” Just then, Jinri knew Yseung’s problem. A problem that’s not far different from hers. She pulled her in a warm hug and sighed as she tried thinking of an advice, though she herself doesn’t know how to answer.

“Yseung-ah..Just try to think which decision will be best for the many. Try to figure out which of the two persons important to you is the one that holds your heart. Take time. Don’t rush yourself. Let your heart choose for you.”

During break time, Jinri visited Taemin at the student government office and invited him to take his lunch meal with her, in which he accepted right away.

“Taemin oppa, remember Siwon oppa?” She asked him out of the blue. They were having their meal at the cafeteria in which he insisted on paying the food they got. She actually refused at first, but because of his persistence, she agreed eventually. 

“Ahh..yeah.. That hyung? I remember him always throwing frogs at me when we were younger.” He grumbled which made her burst out in laughter because of the childish memory.

“Oh..Right! He always wanted to annoy you. And I always end up yelling at him for playing pranks on you.” She giggled, pinching his cheeks. They were seated beside each other which had been their habit since when they were younger.

He paused for awhile and gazed at her with soft gentle eyes. “Yes, you always defend me against your brother back then..even from other bullies as I was a coward before. And that’s one of the many things that made me fall in love with you.” She choked on her food a little and it made him worry instantly. He handed her open bottled water while patting her back.

“Are you alright?” he asked her, his tone full of concern. She nodded her head upwards that tells him she’s fine. “Why did you suddenly ask me about him anyway?” He tilted his head sideways in anticipation of her answer.

She smiled at him, making her eyes form a crescent. “Siwon oppa’s coming at home tonight. And I suppose it is fine with you to come over.”

He wasn’t certain about his schedule so he tried contemplating and it took a little while before he replied. “Sure. I’ll come after all my classes ended.”

She clasped her hands and hugged him. “Thanks oppa! I’ll wait for you later at our house.”

The day ended almost too fast. It was already 5:30 in the late afternoon. People in the airport started to swarm around a group of familiar guys most girls would recognize. Reporters and media authorities were surrounding these men who wore their own their distinct airport fashion clothes. Three of these males wore tinted glasses that boosted their appearance; others wore face masks while the rest have their faces bare. Screams and squeals of girls can be heard even if you were meters away from the crowd.

“One of Asia’s and world’s most famous boy groups, Super Junior, has come back home from their world tour. Let’s try to ask them about their experience out of the country.” A reporter from a well-known television channel took coverage of their return, joining the cramped crowd.

These good-looking men stopped by the waiting bay for awhile, answering some queries from the reporters and at the same time, waiting for their coaster bus to arrive and fetch.

“Siwon-ssi..Can you tell us how your world tour went?” a tall guy who was about 180 cm in height was asked. He was wearing a black jacket with sleeves folded up to his elbows, a pair of toned glasses suspended on the bridge of his nose. He smiled at random people while responding to the question. “The world tour was a fun experience for each of us. And we hope that we’ll still be able to spread happiness to people all over the world through our music.”

The reporters were still to ask question to them when their manager called them the moment their bus arrived. The whole ride was quiet and almost all was asleep, probably because of the exhaustion they earned from the series of concerts they had in different countries.

Jinri was so excited to reach home because of two reasons – her brother’s arrival and her first monthsary for her relationship with Baekhyun. It was sure a lot to celebrate and she can’t decide on what to prepare for the next few hours. Later on, she will be conversing with Baekhyun thru SNS using a webcam, as what they have already decided. The both of them agreed on following Jinri’s timezone since he did not want her to have a hard time adjusting. According to Mr. Choi, her brother would arrive home past seven in the evening and it was enough time for her to set up their dinner.

Before coming home, she thought of buying a small cake for Baekhyun; though she knew he won’t be able to share it with her. She picked the cake he would most likely love to eat, only if he could.

The sun was still up when she arrived home. The house was empty, as usual. Her father told her earlier that he might come later than her Siwon oppa, and that made her worry of his health. She never wanted her appa to fall ill, similar with what happened to her mother who eventually died. She sighed at her thought and carried on with what she was planning.

The kitchen was full of ingredients that she could use for cooking their dinner. Since her brother loves beef and noodles, she thought of cooking beef udon noodles which she chose to pair with kimbap. She didn’t know what it could taste like, but she wanted to try.

Once everything was set, she changed from her uniform to decent clothing then waited for Baekhyun’s call before they could thru SNS. She waited at their front yard where a swing-like bench can be found. She took her seat and pushed her heels onto the ground, making the bench swing. Just then, her phone vibrated when someone called. She answered the call excitedly, not bothering to look at the screen for the caller’s name.

“Yoboseyo?” a sleepy voice answered then a breathy yawn was heard.

She chortled at what she heard. “Aigoo..Why call when you’re still sleepy?” His simple efforts, like waking up too early in the morning just to talk to her, always makes her feel so special to him. Although, she didn’t want to be a burden for him.

“But I want to hear your voice as soon as I wake up.” Her cheeks turned pink without her being aware. She then heard him smirk before speaking again. “Baby, let’s talk online. I miss seeing your face.”

“A-alright. I’ll open my SNS account now.” She stuttered and she found herself brisk-walking to her room.

 “Happy first monthsary oppa!” Jinri waved at him with a huge smile plastered on her face. “Oh, I bought your favorite black forest cake!” She lifted up a plate of sliced cake then took a bite. “Want some?” She chuckled, poking the fluffy cake.

“Y-yah! If you’re gonna eat that..eat somewhere I couldn’t see.” She saw him pout on the screen and she found it cute. “You know that’s my favorite!” He crankily stood up from his bed where he was seated, disappearing from the webcam’s view.

She went a little panicky when he went away, thinking that he might be mad at her. But knowing him, he wouldn’t get angry for a simple thing. “Aigoo..I was just kidding though. I will gladly share this with you if only you were here.” She sounded a bit upset when she spoke the last few words of the sentence.

Although he cannot be seen by her, he heard what she said. He heaved a sigh. Soon Jinri-ah..Soon. Just wait a little more.

He just smiled at her reassuringly when he sat back on where he was settled awhile ago. “Don’t worry, I’ll be there before you even knew it.” He then showed her a cute bunny plushie that he bought. “Ta dah! Jinri-ah..meet my new baby.”

“Waahh~ gwiyomi! What’s the name of your new baby?” She laughed, knowing that it was just an exaggeration from him.

“Hm..what do you want to name her?” He asked, hugging the plushie like a 5-year old kid.

“How about Chaekyung?” She laughed, not really sure of what to name her. “I dunno. I am not really good at naming stuffs.”

“It’s a cute name actually!” He flashed a reassuring smile. “Hm..Chaekyung-ah, meet your mommy. Jinri-ah, meet our baby.” He actually thought of building his own family later on when he has found a stable career that could make a living. In that family, he wanted her to be his partner even if it sounded so childish. Despite the fact that they are miles apart, he knew that sometime soon they’ll be together. Let fate work for us Jinri-ah…

“Aigoo..hi baby! Mommy misses you and appa. Come here soon, ne?” She managed to sound as cheerful as possible, not wanting to ruin the celebration. Even if she really felt a bit sad knowing that he’s too far from her.

He laughed and shook his head upwards. “Yeah..Appa will try to find a way so you and mommy will have a bonding time together. Family bonding sounds better, I think?” He flapped the bunny’s ears playfully, his eyes fixed at her. “I love you Jinri-ah…” he uttered sincerely, his soft eyes letting her know that he means it.

She blushed unknowingly, biting her lower lip to contain her tears. “I love you too Baekhyun oppa…”

A sudden sound coming from the doorbell was heard, pulling Jinri out of the world she and Baekhyun made. She hastily stood up to check who came, partly assuming that it was her brother. She held her breath for a second before jumping onto the person at the doorstep.

“Siwon oppa! You’re finally here!” Siwon caught her just in time and span her around in pure bliss. He didn’t know that he missed his little sister that much. 

“Hey! So how was my little sister?” He put her down and ruffled her hair.

Baekhyun, on the other hand, was left waiting for Jinri to come back. He was about to stand up when he heard laughs. He creased his eyebrows, wanting to hear what’s happening. Then the next thing he heard was the name of the guy whom Jinri called as her brother. Good luck to me. I wish I could handle this.

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[A/N]: hey guys…how was the story so far? do you think the story is too fast-paced? OTL I need comments about this..tell me honestly please? ..so I can fix whatever I need to fix. I personally think it’s a bit too fast paced. u.u also, please read my other story. ^^ I am shamelessly promoting it here. Lol I promise I’ll be a better writer for my readers. o/