Journey 23

It was not hard for Luhan to gain friends and reputation in SMA. His outgoing and free personality clicked easily with every students, but most of all he jibed relationship with Jinri, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol. Meanwhile, the exact opposite went for Jongin. He was still the same, distant and angry-looking man who lurk on the corner of the room in class. He talked less, laughed rarely and never showed emotion. But one thing changed: he doesn't walk along the corridor alone anymore.

"Kai!!! Don't leave without me!" Kyungsoo shouted, placing an arm around Jongin's shoulder as soon as he reached him, which the latter immediately shrugged off.
"I told you I don't want human contact Kyungsoo." Jongin grumbled but slowed his pace nonetheless.
"Fine. Hold on a sec, let's wait for Chanyeol and Jinri." Kyungsoo said, holding Jongin's arm at the same time.
"Aish! I told you I don't want -"
"Okay, okay! I get it. No human contact." They stopped in the middle of the corridor and waited for their other friends' class to end. Soon, Chanyeol and Luhan, joined them. Then after a few more minutes, Jinri as well. The boys - except for emotionless Jongin - changed expressions as soon as they saw the unusual bloom that shades Jinri as she walked towards them.
"Hi." she said in a very cheerful tone that she rarely used.
"Wow..." Luhan breathed. "Is it just me or do you really look so blooming today?"

Jinri chuckled as a new shade of red crept her cheeks.

"It's just because of the sun's light." she answered brightly.
"What's that?" Chanyeol pointed at the small paper bag that Jinri was holding. She hid it uselessly behind her back, but she was just caught by four pairs of eyes.
"It's... uh..."

Kyungsoo facepalmed himself suddenly.

"What's today's date?" he asked Jongin.
"November 20?" the latter answered.
"I knew it."
"What?" Chanyeol turned to Kyungsoo for answer but he just shrugged.
"Come on lady and gentlemen, let's eat our lunch."
"Um.. I won't be joining you today guys." Jinri mumbled.
"Why not?" Chanyeol demanded. "And would someone please answer me this time?"
"I'll be having lunch with -"
"-me." Joonmyeon cut in. He wrapped an arm around Jinri's waist and lightly pecked her cheek. Chanyeol on the other hand felt the usual burning sensation of jealousy at the pit of his stomach when he saw Joonmyeon's action. But of course he has to keep his cool since he was supposed to be playing his part as Jinri's cousin. And cousins aren't supposed to be jealous...

Jinri and Joonmyeon walked away from the boys. Joonmyeon shifted his hands from Jinri's waist to her left hand then squeezing it at the same time.

"I see that your circle of friends is growing." Joonmyeon commented as they got closer to his car.
"Kai and Luhan have opposite characteristics but even I was surprised that I got to be close with them too."

Joonmyeon chuckled, starting the engine.

"What's so funny?"
"These days my status as the most dreamt man in SMA is slipping away." Joonmyeon answered amusedly. "As you might have guessed, your cousin, Luhan, and yes Kai as well were gaining all the attention now."
"Don't tell me you're jealous?" Jinri snorted, laughing out loud. "My boyfie's jealous of those boys, aren't you?" she teased.
"I'm not" Joonmyeon answered gently. "Because while they have the attention of all of SMA's girls, I,  on the other hand, only need one. And that one person was sitting beside me right now."

Jinri bowed her head to hide her smile.

"You're just being cheesy today because it's our first anniversary."
"Then how I wish that everyday is our anniversary."

They pulled over in front of Song Jook Heon, one of the most lavish restaurants in Seoul.

"Hanjeongsik for lunch?" Jinri asked excitedly. It's always her dream to eat like the aristocrats in ancient Korea. Song Jook Heon was one of the few restaurants who still offered that dream, and now she'll be experiencing it with Joonmyeon on their first anniversary.
"I know you'll love it. It's already painted on your face." Joonmyeon said, offering his hand to her. "Let's go?"

The attendants seem to know Joonmyeon already because as soon as he stepped inside, one of the waiters instantly led him and Jinri to their reserved room. 

"Your lunch will be ready in 20 minutes madam, sir." the waiter said, closing the door behind them.
"Thank you for your gift Joonmyeon." Jinri said happily.
"This is not my gift yet." Joonmyeon laughed. "Wait until nighttime."

Jinri tilted her head. "Why nighttime?"

"You'll see."
"I also have something for you too. But it wasn't much like what you've prepared for me..."

Joonmyeon leaned closer to Jinri until their noses touched.

"If that's our first kiss that you promised me before, then it's much much much much than what I've prepared for you."

Jinri pushed Joonmyeon with her palm and laughed. She still remembered clearly how she and Joonmyeon promised one day in summertime that they will have their first kiss on their first anniversary. That was why Joonmyeon has to endure stealthy kisses only on Jinri's cheeks, hands, nose and forehead for the rest of the year. Well, not until now.

"Ah, I'm hungry! Aren't you Joonmyeon?"

Joonmyeon leaned back and pouted.

"I'm still holding on to that promise Jinri."

Jinri opened but the door opened and the waiter came in again. But he was not holding any food.

"Is there anything wrong?" Joonmyeon asked him.
"Uh, sir. There are two men outside who claimed that they made reservations with you too?"
"What?" Joonmyeon asked astonishingly. He stood up and followed the waiter. "Stay there." he told Jinri.

Jinri stayed put and waited for Joonmyeon to come back. Minutes later, it was to her big surprise when a grinning Chanyeol and an embarrassed Kyungsoo followed Joonmyeon inside their room.

"What -"

Joonmyeon sat down with a stoic face. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo sat on the side opposite theirs. Awkward silence followed.

Fortunately, their lunch followed not too long for the four of them to endure. The waiters placed thirty side dishes on the table accompanied by one main dish of meat and so they started eating.

Jinri felt suffocated from the intense tension that zoomed around their room. She wanted to kick Kyungsoo and scalp Chanyeol for intruding her supposed to be date with Joonmyeon, but she needs to keep calm or else she'll make things worse.

"Grilled abalone?" Joonmyeon offered to Chanyeol politely. Thank God her boyfriend was nice on everyone!
"Thanks." Chanyeol accepted and ate in one swift of his chopsticks.

Kyungsoo met Jinri's glare accidentally. He pleaded with his eyes and eyed Chanyeol, as if sending her the message that it was Chanyeol's idea, not his.

"Jinri, do you remember how we first met?" Joonmyeon asked, easing the heavy atmosphere around the room.

Jinri smiled, remembering that day.

"I was peeing in men's restroom." she answered.
"Maybe that was why you left me such a huge impression that day. It was the first time I saw a girl swallowing her pride just for a stall."
"Shut up. It's because I'm so desperate back then." she laughed.
"It's a luck that you did not see anything unnecessary too." Joonmyeon teased.
"What's wrong with that Jinri? You already saw mine, right?" Chanyeol cut in.

Kyungsoo spurted his tea in front of Jinri. Jinri choked the duck patties she was eating and Joonmyeon went as hard as a stone. Everyone, in turn, looked at Chanyeol.

After torturing minutes that Jinri did not bother to count, Joonmyeon shook his head and gulped his own tea. Then he reached for napkins and dabbed Jinri's front from Kyungsoo's spill earlier.

"D-do you also remember that day when we went to grocery together? Aunt Jin asked us to buy diapers and milk for my nephew but the cashier ended up assuming that we were the ones who actually need it!" Joonmyeon continued, attempting to revive the sweet atmosphere before.
"I've tasted her milk before..." Chanyeol mumbled lowly, but his deep, baritone voice made his echo still heard.

Jinri doesn't know if she was getting redder for humiliation or anger. Whatever the reason was, she badly wants to kick Chanyeol out and slit his throat right there and then.

After Chanyeol's remark they went back on eating in silence again. All three of them ate in silence - Joonmyeon not included.

* * *

Nighttime fell but the silence remained. The sweet atmosphere that Joonmyeon and Jinri shared earlier was long gone, only to be replaced by poker face and doubtful heart in Joonmyeon's part. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo left them after lunch who were both scared from Jinri's harsh threats before they leave.

Jinri and Joonmyeon stopped climbing after reaching the hilltop. The scene from above was amazing, with the tiny city lights creeping like ants below the cobalt blue sky. Jinri couldn't deny that it was a romantic spot for couples. The only thing was, there was nothing romantic between her and Joonmyeon at that moment.

"I was supposed to sing you a song when we reach here. But I forgot my guitar on the car..." Joonmyeon excused.

Jinri only nodded. She was not fooled. She saw Joonmyeon looked on his guitar before leading her on the hilltop earlier. He had intentionally left it behind, and that hurts her.

"My gift will be ready in uhh... five minutes." Joonmyeon forced a smile which Jinri did not return.
"I left mine in your car." she muttered, turning her back on him.

Joonmyeon walked until he was beside Jinri. His fingers longed to hold Jinri's hand, but he slowly retreated as he remembered Chanyeol's words earlier.

A minute of silence fell between them. It was eerie, narrow and suffocating, just like the atmosphere from their lunch. Joonmyeon's calm self was starting to get Jinri nervous because she'd rather prefer him shouting at her. People who kept their anger and insecurity on themselves were scarier when it exploded, just like a volcano erupting without warning signals.

"I think we should stop here, don't you think Jinri?"

Jinri's heart sank. She turned to face Joonmyeon and hold his hands, squeezing it gently. Joonmyeon did not return the squeeze, and once again, Jinri was hurt.

"I don't think so Joonmyeon-ah." There was an unmissable plead in her tone when she answered him. Worst case scenarios were forming in her mind and Jinri refused to entertain those thoughts. She doesn't want to let go of Joonmyeon.

Joonmyeon looked at Jinri with a pleading stare equivalent to Jinri's. He wrung his hand from Jinri's grasp and firmly hold her shoulders instead.

"I've been trying to overlook the odds these past few months Jinri. I tried to close my eyes from this reality that -" Joonmyeon stopped speaking, his breathing heavied.
"That what?" Jinri whispered.
"That you don't trust me." Joonmyeon answered bitterly. "I know that you feed me some of your lies Jinri. Why? Am I not trustworthy enough for you?"
"It's not that Joonmyeon-ah." Jinri hold Joonmyeon's hands on her shoulder and grasped it tightly. "It's not that."
"Then tell me the truth." Joonmyeon begged. "Because it's killing me inside."

The soft rustle of dry leaves and songs of the crickets were distinctly heard from the silence that engulfed Jinri and Joonmyeon. Jinri's throat had gone dry. Her eyes started to water. Her knees weak.

"Do you trust me?" Joonmyeon pressed.
"Please..."
"Okay." Joonmyeon let his hands fall limply beside him and blinked back the tears that were dangerously falling in his eyes. "Then answer me as honestly as you can. Were Chanyeol's words earlier true?"

Jinri's lips quivered in fear. She wants to lie but she's afraid to do so. She wants to tell the truth but she's more afraid that Joonmyeon will walk away from her. She doesn't want him doing that.

But she took the risk.

"Yes."

Joonmyeon's knees wavered. He hold the tree's trunk for support and laughed bitterly.

"Then was Chanyeol your cousin?"
"No. But Joonmyeon -"
"Who is he?" Joonmyeon cut in. "Who is Park Chanyeol?"

Sometimes, she asks herself why she hid Chanyeol's secret from Joonmyeon, but shared it willingly with Kyungsoo. Sometimes, she just wished that she had not met Chanyeol and just go back to her simple life. Things were complicated since that night of mid-August, but turning time was never an option to her. In life, the only choice she has is to move forward.

"I c-cant." she answered softly.

Joonmyeon smiled sadly on Jinri. They stared at each other for the longest time but in truth it was just seconds that passed by. Then, he nodded in understanding.

"Let's break up." Joonmyeon spat, turning his back from Jinri.

Jinri fell on her knees and choked back her tears. When Joonmyeon's footsteps faded, Jinri let her tears fall. Just then, fireworks blazed from the sky. Neon green, fiery red, sunshine yellow, calming blue - all sorts of colors - lightened up the darkened heavens, forming the words that made Jinri's heart shatter into pieces.

'Choi Jinri, let's love forever. -Joonmyeon'

My number of commenters were fading. :"(
Come on guys, let author-nim know your thoughts. Kkkk. :))))

Our class will resume tomorrow so it'll be another chain of busy weeks.
But you know that I always try to update regularly. ;) I still have lots of unwritten plans for this story. Kkk.

Thank you for your love! ♥