Silver String

“Meteor showers are beautiful. Have you ever witnessed one?” She asked the flower; holding it up against the moonlight and seeing the white petals merge with the pure whiteness of the moon. Smiling slightly, her eyes shifted to the moon and sighed deeply.

“They’re kind of… wilted again. I’m sorry.” Jinah apologized once again as she handed the bunch of flowers to him. He smiled brightly and found her apologetic expression very amusing.

“What are you talking about? They’re not wilted at all!” he laughed and bringing them to his nose, took a deep whiff of the flowers – the custom he started last year. Then he opened his eyes and looked at her face, his eyes twinkling. “Are you sure it’s not your heart that’s wilting because of your negative thoughts?” He joked.

She blushed deeply for a few seconds and then shook her head. “What are you saying?!” She asked and he laughed.

“Nothing.” He shook his head. Both of them were engulfed in silence for some time – but it was comfortable silence. She was comfortable around him and he had grown accustomed to seeing her at every fan sign of his and had grown to love spending time talking to her. They never had much to talk about but it made them both happy.

“Ah!” He suddenly cried and rose from his seat hurriedly. She took a step backwards, alarmed at his sudden actions. She thought it was time for him to leave and was about to wave and leave when his hand caught on her wrist.

“It’s your birthday.” He said, slightly breathless. Her eyes widened up to the point where they completely stretched her eyelids.

“Wh-wha-?”

“Come with me!” he grinned excitedly and pulled her into the curtains behind the table – carefully noting that no one else except the staff had noticed.

“W-wait, what-?”

“Your friend, Sookyung told me it was your birthday last time.” He grinned again and rummaged in his bag for a while before pulling out a white box. “I can’t believe I didn’t ask you your birthday all these years.” His tone was slightly apologetic but he held the box in front of the extremely astonished girl. “Go on, open it!” He urged, nearly ing the white item into the Jinah’s hands.

She looked at the gift, then at his good-looking face and then back at the box again. Slowly with trembling hands, she unwrapped it carefully and opened the box. Inside was a silver chain with a pendant shaped like a ‘J’. It was so simple but so charming. She looked at it for a while, her vision blurring more every passing second. Finally the tears escaped her eyes.

“Hey hey…” His voice was soft and smooth. “Don’t cry.” But she didn’t pay attention to his words and continued crying. They were alone in that room, no cameramen, no bodyguards, no manager nor any staff were present. Slowly, crouched down in front of her and wiped away a few tears rolling down her cheek.

“It’s been 3 years since I’ve known you. I have lots of fans. Plenty of them would like to talk to me. But only you really care. You’ve been the only fan who actually likes to spend time talking to me – about the least important of things but… I like it when you talk with me.” He said, choosing his words carefully.

“I’m really… lucky to have a fan like you.”

Jinah walked home from school, humming her favorite song – her hands stuck into her blazer pockets to keep herself warm from the cold weather. It was November and any day now, it would snow. The silver chain dangled from her neck and her fingers would brush against the pendant every now and then to make sure it was still there.

Another year had passed. Time sure flew fast. Four years now. She hadn’t noticed it, but he had grown up more and he looked more handsome now than ever. She still went to his fan signs with the three daisies tied together with a silver thread. She still made sure to stand last in line. She still spent around 15 minutes talking to him.

Wasn’t it clear?

She was in love with him.

“Jinah-ah!” She heard a voice behind her. She knew that voice very well. She turned around tentatively and faced him.

Ahn Jaeho.

 “Um… hey.” He said, panting slightly but trying not to show that he chased after her the minute the bell signaling the end of school day rang.

“Mhmm…” She acknowledged the taller boy’s presence as she only glanced at him – fidgeting with her blazer zipper. The atmosphere already grew awkward and the air was full of tension. His shoulders sagged in disappointment. How much did she expect him to take?

After 10 minutes of awkwardness, she finally opened and croaked.

“Jaeho…” She called softly and his head snapped to look at her expectantly. Apprehension of what was about to come filled his anxious face.

“Could you… give me a few more days?” She was guilty about saying it but she had to. Why? Because she didn’t know what else to say. What answer was she supposed to give him? She didn’t know – not yet.

His arms fell limply to his sides and he looked at her with a blank expression. Soon, he snapped out of his daze and swallowed thickly. He nodded – what else could he do?

“Yeah… sure.” He said and managed a fake smile. “See you then.” And he turned around and let his true emotions show. Disappointment, irritation and anxiety – all in one wave of emotion he couldn’t describe.

She watched him walk back with his hands shoved in his pockets and bit her lip wondering what to tell him. How long was she going to avoid giving him an answer? He had been her classmate for a long time now – years; she couldn’t even remember since when. Last month he had confessed his feelings for her and she had been confused. He said he’d liked her for four years now. She didn’t know how to respond so she asked for a little time to think. He’d always been nice to her, helped her and been there for her when she found things difficult. They’d had plenty of quarrels too but… that wasn’t significant. But it had been a month since she gave him any sort of answer.

She couldn’t tell him could she? That in her eyes there was only him. She was in love with him.

Jinah knew she wasn’t being fair. To Jaeho and to herself. How long was she going to keep Jaeho waiting? And it wasn’t like she had any chance with him either. Him. He was an idol and probably had someone he liked already. There was an between her and him too – one that wasn’t too inconspicuous. They were worlds apart.

She resumed walking. But there was that small hope too. Her fingers lightly brushed against the chain. He’d presented her with this chain after all… He wouldn’t do that to every fan would he? But he gave it to her. That… did it mean anything?

Could she hope?

“What happened to the string?” He asked, looking at flowers and pointing to the place where they would be tied together with the said item.

“I ran out of silver string.” She smiled sheepishly and watched as he smelled the flowers deeply. It was only her flowers she’d seen him smell. That made her happy. How come she’d never noticed that peaceful expression when he smelled them? Wait no… something was different about him. What was it?

“Did something good happen?” She asked and his eyes flew open to meet hers and he smiled – the happiness showing in his face was more than obvious.

“Nothing in particular.” He tried to shrug it off nonchalantly but ended up grinning and drumming his fingers on the table. It bothered her. If possible, Jinah wanted to know what was on his mind. She tried to ask him again but was interrupted by his manager calling him from the back.

“Time to go.” He rose up apologetically and as usual, gave her hand a light squeeze. “Be careful on your way back okay?” He smiled his eye smile and she nodded, feeling a strange lump in .

Didn’t… lumps in one’s throat mean you were sad?

She watched him go inside and turned around to leave as well. When she heard his car engine roar into action, she sighed and started walking back home. It hadn’t been more than a minute when she heard hurried footsteps behind her and a voice that stopped her in her tracks.

“Yah!”

Startled, she spun around and faced none other than his manager who was huffing and panting; having run all the way from the car which had stopped a fair distance off. He stretched his arm and held out an envelope and urged her to take it.

“What is this?” She asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. But before he heard her out, he nodded and already started to walk back to the car.

“You have to come! Otherwise he’ll be very disappointed!” he called out and left her standing there, puzzled at the meaning of his words. When the car started again and disappeared round the corner, she looked at the envelope. On the front her name was scribbled in scrawly handwriting – Kim Jinah. She opened the flap and pulled out the sheer smooth paper inside it.

It was a wedding invitation.

He was getting married.

credits