My Best Friend
My Best Friend
People mocked her for befriending SooYoung.
“Her name is SooYoung, she’s my best friend!” YuRi would proudly state, blindly reach for SooYoung’s hand and hold it tight.
The little kids laughed, some terrified. They threw stones then run away to tell their teacher. They tell their teacher all sorts of things. That YuRi is crazy, that YuRi should not have a friend named SooYoung. SooYoung sees all this and she cries, YuRi hugs her and everything is okay again. They go home together, in a car YuRi’s mother drives in. They share the front seat and play games until they reach home. They would play some more in YuRi’s room until night comes and SooYoung bids her good night. That was when they were 6 years old.
When they were 7 years old, YuRi asked her mother if SooYoung could sleep over.
“We’re old enough now,” Is her reason as she looks up at her mother with pleading eyes.
Her mother wipes clean a plate and wipes her hand on her apron. Her eyes says many things but YuRi can only read one, that her mother is giving in.
“Okay, baby, just don’t stay up too late.” Her mother would hold her cheek and kiss her forehead.
YuRi would hug her mother and run up the stairs to her room where SooYoung waits with a board game.
At 8, YuRi is in the car with her father and mother. They tell her they are going some place. YuRi never heard what the place was called. She never cared because she has SooYoung with her and all she can think of is going on adventures and car trips with her best friend. They reached the place rather quickly and both SooYoung and YuRi skipped out of the car, SooYoung looks up and her eyes widened.
“What’s wrong?” YuRi asked as she looks at her best friend.
“It’s nothing.” SooYoung answers in a small voice, but her hand told a different story as they gripped YuRi’s tighter.
YuRi never said anything. She knew this. Her best friend is scared. Scared was a word she learned in school. The teacher has asked before if the students ever felt scared, YuRi firmly shook her head. SooYoung on the other hand, trembles in her seat and reaches for YuRi’s hand. The parents brought YuRi and SooYoung into the building. They held YuRi’s hand and SooYoung held YuRi’s arm from behind. Her hands were trembling and YuRi keeps turning back to assure her. The parents had looked at them with worry in their eyes but said nothing.
“Here’s Doctor Kim. Say, hello, YuRi,” Her mother said, pushing her daughter forward gently.
The man looks down at Little YuRi from behind his glasses and smiles gently. YuRi meekly says her hello before moving away a little, closer to SooYoung.
“Hello, YuRi,” The doctor greets before asking her to sit on a chair.
The chair was too high for YuRi but she managed somehow with the help of her father. She swings her legs back and forth and she waits for the man in the white coat. Her parents sit behind her with their hands together, SooYoung stands by her, overlooking the doctor deeds, being deadly curious as usual.
After the visit to the doctor, YuRi starts to see less of SooYoung. She became really sad. YuRi became quieter and she wonders why her mother always put something in her meals that makes it slightly bitter and makes her oddly sleepy after that. SooYoung stops going to school with her. Stops everything they used to do together and YuRi was very lonely. The family moved house when YuRi is nine. YuRi never saw SooYoung again after that. YuRi gained new friends, who laughed with her instead of laughing at her. They were great friends who made many promises for the future with YuRi.
On her tenth birthday, the party held was the hugest yet. Mickey Mouse decorated the living room, her father even dressed up as one. Her mother laughs a lot that day, and so did YuRi with her friends. Her friends slept over that night and SooYoung was temporarily erased from her thoughts. Her friends moved with her to high school then college. YuRi found an attraction in one of her friends and dated since. They were happy together and not once did SooYoung popped into her mind.
“YuRi, I love you.” Her girlfriend confesses one night while under the blankets.
YuRi was surprised but held her hand anyway.
“I’m so glad.” YuRi laughs and kisses her, “I love you too, TaeYeon.”
That night, they made love and slept. YuRi dreamt of SooYoung then and she woke up the next morning to TaeYeon’s smiling face but a million and one questions about the dream.
“Is something wrong?” TaeYeon asks over breakfast she so lovingly made for the both of them.
Through a mouthful of French toast, YuRi looked like she was pouting for TaeYeon. TaeYeon had laughed and smacked her cheeks tightly and YuRi retaliated by flicking maple syrup onto TaeYeon’s night shirt. This led to a full out chase through out the dorm.
TaeYeon and YuRi had fought many times but they have found their way back to each other every time. It was really love between them and YuRi never wanted to let this love go. TaeYeon makes her happy. They moved on together from college to university then to getting jobs together. YuRi settled down as a music producer and TaeYeon taught the less fortunate in the other countries, music. They traveled the world together but frequented Africa the most. YuRi finds joy in that country and so did TaeYeon. They once stayed there a month and even perfected their language. It was a blissful period for YuRi.
TaeYeon taught many kids and YuRi would accompany her. YuRi could gaze at TaeYeon forever as she sung for the children and YuRi played the guitar. One day, TaeYeon’s employer made her a permanent teacher in Africa, which means, she had to stay there for nine months. YuRi had a job in Korea she had to get back to. They discussed about this and YuRi, having loved TaeYeon too much, left her job to accompany TaeYeon. The students loved them, they danced around YuRi often to the request of TaeYeon. They were so in love then.
“YuRi, can you teach me to play the guitar?” A student asked one day during a lunch break.
TaeYeon had gone off to collect their food and YuRi is left to watch over them.
“Of course,” YuRi answered and since then, found herself a student who found interest in the instrument.
The student and YuRi spent a lot of time together. TaeYeon even found YuRi teaching the student at night in their makeshift house. YuRi soon found out that the kid has lost both her mother and father, she lives by herself now with her younger brother. YuRi took pity on her and asked TaeYeon if they could live with them. TaeYeon gladly agreed.
“TaeYeon,”
“Hm?”
“Have you ever thought of marriage?”
“Kind of, why?” TaeYeon looks at YuRi curiously.
They were seated at the steps of their house. The night sky was filled with beautiful stars.
“I want to marry you,” YuRi says boldly and TaeYeon is taken aback.
“You want to marry me.” TaeYeon repeats the statement and smiles to herself.
“Must I get down on my knee?” YuRi asked and TaeYeon laughed.
“You silly girl,” TaeYeon hugs her and kisses her lips, “I want to marry you too.”
They were engaged in a way after that night.
Nine months passed quickly and the engaged couple returns home with the two kids they had taken under their care. They were like a happy family until an unfortunate night caused YuRi’s heart to shatter and break. TaeYeon is involved in a horrible car crash. YuRi was more than convinced that her fiancée is dead. That night, SooYoung came knocking on her door.
“Hey, YuRi, I heard about your-” SooYoung was not allowed to finish as she hugs the life out of SooYoung.
She never bothered to ask how SooYoung found her. SooYoung is all grown up now. Taller than YuRi but YuRi never noticed for she cried a lot in SooYoung’s arms that night.
“I miss you, where were you?” YuRi wailed as she punches SooYoung’s chest.
“I was always here. You stopped seeing me after you turned nine.”
YuRi smiled, she’s not a kid anymore and she understood what that meant. SooYoung is her best friend and still her best friend, the only difference now and then is that YuRi understands why she has always been mocked and teased by the others. It was because no one could see SooYoung. SooYoung is YuRi’s guardian angel and tonight, she showed herself when YuRi was at her lowest.
A call came in and it had YuRi jumping to her feet and running to her car. SooYoung followed her in the car and held her hand like how she used to when they were younger. They burst through the doors of a hospital and a nurse escorted them to a ward where TaeYeon is.
“TaeYeon had a…” The rest of the doctor’s sentence went into a blur when YuRi fell onto a chair and held her fiancée’s hand gently.
SooYoung stood by her, listening to the doctor since her best friend can’t do so. The doctor finally left and the ward is finally silent except for the sound of TaeYeon’s shallow breathing.
“TaeYeon’s fine.” SooYoung starts and rubs YuRi’s shoulder. “I never liked the hospital.” She grumbled a little later.
YuRi chuckles, “I’m sorry you had to come.”
“It’s cool.” SooYoung pauses and then continues, “You want to know how I died?”
YuRi raises her eyebrow at that. It had never crossed her mind how SooYoung became a spirit, a good one at that.
“I had a cancer, I had a lover too.” SooYoung then turned away to look at the window. “But she left after I told her about it.”
“I’m sorry.” YuRi whispered and looks down at TaeYeon’s frail fingers.
“It’s okay.” SooYoung smiled weakly before continuing. “It was why I came into your dream when you and TaeYeon, erm, confessed. I had to tell you that she is the right one for you because you were kind of hesitating that night.”
“I was.” YuRi admitted. “I have never loved, you see.”
“I know.” SooYoung smiled wider. “I was kept in the hospital. They said I could survive but by then, I lost all means of survival and fell off a building.”
SooYoung then looked at YuRi in the eye and continued, “YuRi, God wants me to repay my sins of committing suicide by taking care of you and believe me, I will protect you and be by your side always.”
YuRi smiled back thankfully, “SooYoung, you have been doing that since I was born.”
“And I will continue until you die. I promise also, that TaeYeon would pull through this.”
“Thank you, SooYoung, thank you for everything.”
SooYoung smiled back gently, she was gone by morning when YuRi awoke.
**
TaeYeon recovered well after the accident and YuRi pushed their marriage forward, much to TaeYeon’s delight, since she was tired of waiting. The marriage went well and they moved into America when YuRi’s job got shifted there. The kids are still living under them.
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