Journey 40

The first thing that welcomed Chanyeol was the salty air with a mixture of seaweed scents. He opened his eyes and was far more greeted by the sun slowly rising from the horizon. He waited for the sun to fully rise and when it does, he received the full blast of warmth from it. A soft smile graced his lips, feeling this surreal moment when he, at last, was finally home.

He decided that he'd go from his past school first. He will make Jinri's apartment as his last stop because truth be told, he was scared of what would be the outcome when he meets her again.

And so Chanyeol visited SM Academy. He searched for some familiar faces, some classmates he might have seen once or twice in his Astronomy class, but saw none. He toured around SMA while teenage girls gave him flirting looks which he swiftly disposed. When he was sure that he will not see any acquaintance on the academy, he left.

His next stop was Kyungsoo's house but he was hesitating if he should knock or not. When he had finally decided that he would, loud footsteps dragged closer to him and out of impulse, Chanyeol hid behind the wall.

"Let's go Sunye! We're going to be late."
"For heaven's sake Dongmin, we still have three hours left!"

Chanyeol peered and looked at Mr. and Mrs. Do's back. Mrs. Do was fussing over her whitish blue dress while Mr. Do brushed off dust from his Americano. Chanyeol frowned and looked for any sign of Kyungsoo, but he was nowhere to be found.

Chanyeol decided against approaching Kyungsoo's parents and asking them where their son is. He seemed like there was nothing left for him to visit but to go to Jinri's apartment. And so he vanished in thin air and appeared in front of Jinri's place he missed so much.

"Just knock Chanyeol. Just knock." Chanyeol mumbled. He his lower lip nervously and sighed. Mustering all the courage he can get, he knocked on the door.

Silent, woman-like footsteps was closing on him. Chanyeol can feel his heart thumping loudly. What would be Jinri's reaction when she'll see him again? Is she mad? Is he forgiven by her? Will he be shunned away? Chanyeol wasn't sure at all.

The doorknob turned and Chanyeol prepared himself.

"Jin -"
"Who are you?" a middle-aged woman with fine lines and black hair greeted him.
"W-where's... Jinri?" Chanyeol asked weakly.
"Who? Ah! The former tenant here. Well she moved last month. I'm the once occupying this place now."

Chanyeol's heart had literally dropped. He pleaded desperately on the woman.

"Do you know where she is now?"
"No." the woman answered uninterestedly. "Do you still have any concerns?"

Chanyeol scratched his nose and shook his head.

"I'm sorry for bothering you."
"It's okay." and with that, the woman closed the front door.

Chanyeol leaned on the wall and sighed defeatedly. He doesn't know how much longer he stayed outside Jinri's former apartment, but there's still a part of him hoping that the stranger was joking  earlier. At noontime, Chanyeol left the place just in time his stomach grumbled hungrily.

"Welcome to McDonald's sir. What's your order?" the lady on the counter asked.
"Uhh... I'll have double patties with cheese, blueberry float, and french fries."
"That would 5562 won sir."

Chanyeol dug on his pocket and rattled it. 

"Aish." he mentally slapped himself for being such a fool. Of course he doesn't have Earth money with him, he came straight from Exo! "I'm sorry but I changed my mind." he muttered and dashed outside the fastfood restaurant.

He was just starting to wonder how he can eat when a car passed him and he saw a glimpse of a familiar woman in it.

"Hey - ! Wait! Amber!" he called out. But the car kept on speeding which Chanyeol left no choice but to hail a cab. "Follow that black car please." he ordered at the cab driver.

It took them almost 30 minutes when Amber had finally pulled over. Chanyeol widened his eyes with dread as he stared directly at the towering church in front of him.

"3445 won sir." the driver grunted.

But Chanyeol shooed him aside. He went outside the cab and bit his lips. His eyes landed on Joonmyeon who was waiting on the entrance door of the church, shaking hands with all of their guests. Chanyeol frowned as he studied Joonmyeon's features. He was stubbier and older, his face much more matured than the last time he saw him. It was the same case with Amber. She was much older than before, wearing a whitish blue dress with her hair tied in a tight bun. Chanyeol watched Joonmyeon and Amber shook hands. Kyungsoo followed her, and what surprised Chanyeol was that Kyungsoo and Joonmyeon hugged each other in a brotherly way. They never did that before.

How much time had passed?

But then what made Chanyeol's heart dropped even lower was when a white car pulled over in front of the red carpet leading inside the church. Joonmyeon's eyes glistened excitedly and the people cheered loudly. The driver opened the door for the damsel wearing a white, long dress... a damsel whose face reflects the number of years that passed... a damsel in the name of Choi Jinri.

Joonmyeon snapped his head towards Chanyeol's direction and the latter quickly hid out of his sight. He had enough. He didn't want to see what would happen next. With that, Chanyeol disappeared again and reappeared to the only place where memories of him and Jinri will always lie: the meadow.

"You forgot about me that much Jinri?" Chanyeol asked, wiping his tears away. He sat on the ground, staring at the sympathizing bleeding hearts that surround him. He lied on his back and stared at the setting sun above him. It was not long after when dark sky replaced the cerulean tinge, filling Chanyeol's view with stars twinkling and winking at him.

When he thought it was time to go, Chanyeol stood up and looked around the place one last time. Just then, he saw a faint light far from the meadow clicking into life. Chanyeol was sure that the house was not there when he first found the meadow before . He ran towards the house, and gasped for breath after he reached it.

What forced him to run across the meadow to this house? It was like he was pulled by instinct. Whatever it was, Chanyeol still knocked on the door with shaking fists. He was just so curious that he was drawn into this -

"Jinri." Chanyeol gasped.

Jinri let her hand falls from the doorknob. She blinked many times and breathed evenly, trying to decipher if she was dreaming or not.

Chanyeol stared down at Jinri. She had abandoned the white dress she was wearing earlier. Instead she was wearing a cyan dress with ribbons tied around her waist.  His heart throbbed so much that he wanted to hug her right there and then, but resisted himself from doing so.

"Where is Joonmyeon? You two got wed, right? Is... Is this where you both lived n-"

But Chanyeol was silenced when Jinri had crashed her lips to hers. Fires flamed within Chanyeol's body as he traced those same, soft and plump lips he missed before. When they broke their kiss, Jinri hugged him tighter and sobbed.

"What have I missed?" Chanyeol asked, returning her embrace, glad that he was not yet too late. Happier because he was forgiven.
"I missed you." Jinri sobbed harder.
"I'm so sorry I was away for three months my princess." Chanyeol said, kissing the top of her head. "I'll never do it again."

Jinri laughed, wiping her tears away.

"Funny, because  I've been waiting for you for nine years."