"Prelude"

Soojung was sitting at the coffee shop while she read the magazine. It was a one cool summer day in LA, where people could enjoy the day under the sun without feeling burnt like the few past days. It’s a beautiful Sunday afternoon when she decided to go out from her aunt place. She stayed a week for work, but she asked another week for days off to her boss, who amazingly approved it. Maybe her boss sensed it- that she needs holiday; a fresh mind and fresh spirit before she goes back to the business.

Since it was kind of cool outside, Soojung decided to sit at the terrace part of the coffee shop. She enjoyed her lunch with her cousin, but then her cousin had to go so she decided to just chill around the city and Starbucks definitely fit her definition of chilling around. With the cold Frappuccino on her hand, Soojung leaned to the back of the wooden chair as she randomly looked upside. She enjoyed the warmth sunlight that fell on her white skin. Her Ray-Ban sunglasses did a good job by protecting her sight from the light.

Soojung closed her eyes and there, she enjoyed how she’s surrounded by people from different country, speaking the unified language of English. She thought that she deserved this kind of day; a day when she didn’t have to check on her emails, a day without business phone calls, a day free from her demanding boss (not that she hates him though, he’s a very great boss). She loves her job, but still, people need to take a day off. Just to keep her mind well, just to keep her sanity.

Her attention diverted back to the magazine on her lap. She opened page by page, checking on the latest fashion style. Soojung was in the middle of wondering to buy several clothes after she saw the fashion spread on the magazine when she heard a tune. The sounds of the guitar she heard was somehow so familiar and she could feel how her mind got distracted by the fact that she was trying to remember what the song was.

Soojung hummed the song even, just for the sake of answering her curiosity. The lyric, the guitar sound, Soojung closed her eyes to remember it. But again, she couldn’t find the name of it. She wanted to just forget it though, but since the song lingered around the place where she’s sitting in, she felt that she should get the answer. She tried to recall it, trying to focus this time. The song brought back her memories, the feelings, the period of time when she listened to it.

Jongin.

Soojung opened her eyes upon realizing what made her remembered the song. She recalled it now; it’s one of the songs she used to listen a lot back in the university. Her mind travelled back to the memories of her in the second year. That’s the period when she used to hang out with Jongin almost like every day. And it happened that between one of those days, she was being sulky for having her professor scolded her due to her bad business proposal and her best friend was somehow forgotten their appointment and left Soojung all alone waiting at the mall for more than 3 hours.

She cried that time, because she’s so annoyed yet she didn’t know what to do. And weirdly, she just appeared at Jongin’s place, who welcomed her with everything he had. He was doing his laboratory report, so he just let her sitting on his bed. She pouted, wiped her already dry tears and just sitting there. Jongin let her do whatever she wanted, but she remained idle though. No one was talking, because she’s too upset even just to take a breath.

Jongin then joined her on the bed, sitting next to her. He let out his chuckle and placed an earphone to her right ear while he put the other one to his left ear. The earphone connected to his iPod and there, he played a song. She didn’t know who the singer is but somehow she likes the sounds of it. The song gave her a soothing feeling, letting her feeling a little relax.

“This is a good song to listen when you’re having a bad day. Just close your eyes and enjoy it” he said, softly put his hand in front of her eyes and made a soft movement, as if it tells her to close her eyes. So Soojung did it, she closed her eyes as she listened to the song.

“The song title is Gold in the Air of Summer by Kings of Convenience” he said softly.

Soojung put a mental note on the information, still enjoying the song. The song went to an end, but then Jongin replayed it again, again, and again. She didn’t complaining though, she loved the song. And she kept listening to it along with Jongin, until one of the lyrics caught her attention.

‘Don’t think of the other places you should have been. It’s a good thing that you came along with me’

She opened her eyes and slowly looked to her right side, finding Jongin closed his eyes while listening to the song. She didn’t know if he’s sleeping or just closing his eyes to enjoy the song, because just like he said, the song indeed made her feeling better. But she had different answer on how she could feel better. Soojung thought that it’s him, it’s Jongin who made her feeling more relax, making her forgetting how upset she was before she arrived here; because only when she was with him Soojung felt at ease.

Jongin never asked her to do something for his own liking, he allowed her to be herself, and she felt so much comfortable to be around him. He listened to her, and gave the advice when she asked her; although sometimes she’s the one who should listen to his whines over everything, but still Soojung enjoyed it. And seeing that how she could feel at peace again after seeing him, she just knew that he’s the cure of her problem. At a time like this, sometimes she felt that God was being unfair to her, for making her wanting something that she should not crave.

And the lyric was somehow made her thought that she did the right thing to come for him.    

‘Don’t think of the other places you should have been. It’s a good thing that you came along with me’

Soojung took a deep breath. It was like she’s being taken back to the time she secretly missed. It’s just a song, but somehow it made her feeling all the memories again. And she dislikes it, because Soojung supposed to not remember it. No, not in her current life. Yes she forgive him, but she wished that he never been a part of her life again. Her heart that was crushed by him finally could be fixed and she wished that the wound would not be opened again. It would be better to not remember him, no matter how tempting it was.

She always mad at herself when she remembered him and relived the moments they used to share. She knew that it’s not useful at all; it would only made her feeling all sad again after successfully forgetting him for the past two years after her graduation. But to remember him sometimes was a thing she did just to feel a little happy. It was always nice to recall what they did, what they used to talk about, what they dislike, and how they used to spend the day together. Her memories with him were somehow appeared like venom in her own blood vein; she hates it whenever it appears but she couldn’t deny how great it was to feel his presence once again.

“Soojung?”

Her sense brought her back to the reality. She’s still sitting at the coffee shop while checking on the magazine while drinking her coffee and there in front of her stood Kang Minhyuk, all fine and glorious, looking at her in confused.

“Are you in the middle of thinking about something?” he asked her, raised one of his eyebrows. She shook her head softly, he let out a smile. “Are you hungry already? I already made a reservation at the diner near your apartment. Is it okay with you?”

Soojung smiled to him. “Sure, it would be pretty”

“So do you want to go there now?” he asked her again.

Actually, Soojung somehow wanted to wait for some more seconds, just until the band that performed at the coffee shop finished the song, but then she nodded. “Yes, let’s go”

It’s done with him. There’s no more Kim Jongin in her life and she should be happy with that. The fact that he actually likes her blew to the thin air whenever she remembered how stupid it was for her to like him for years, even though he’s already has a girlfriend. And for that, for successfully forgetting Kim Jongin, she should not torture her soul with the old memories and wild ‘what if’ imaginations. They’re over and she already moved on.

As Minhyuk helped to pull her chair and walked next to her as they’re heading to the diner, Soojung couldn’t stop telling her heart to behave well. It’s just a song and her heart should not be beating like crazy just like that, not even when Jongin’s name appeared in her memories. She knew exactly why she loves to hang on the memories, because she used to feel that good things like that would never come back to her life anymore.

But when Minhyuk slipped his hand around hers and intertwined their fingers together, she knew that good things did happen to her. Jongin was not the only person who could give her happiness. And as his traces left her life – replaced by Myungsoo in the university and forgotten by the presence of Minhyuk during the period of her working life- Soojung felt the exchange of her sorrowful broken heart into a pretty one. She’s not feeling sad anymore and at that thought, she believed that she already forgetting Jongin; one of the biggest happiness that ever came in her life.

(Soojung never knew that later on, one and a half years after this event, Jongin eventually contacted her first and that was the thing that leads on her seeing him again)

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Second chance came in the form of Jongin politely asking Soojung to go out with him.

There was nothing between them though, it’s just he wanted to make it to her. She felt fine with it, to have him around her in a better atmosphere. There’s no hate, no spiteful revenge, nothing. She has forgiven him and she didn’t want her once bad experience she had with him ruined a good relationship they used to have.

It’s been around seven weeks after Jongin contacted her to meet again. Although it’s scary at first, but Soojung could tell that they finally came into a conclusion that everything was back into its place. Although it was not like the very first time they meet just like during the freshman year in the university, both Soojung and Jongin now feel at ease.

He’s single now. After he broke up with Jinri, he did have another relationship but the past three relationships he had after her never lasted long. Jinri already has a new boyfriend she found herself fall for quite a long time. Jongin current relationship with Jinri could be said fine, they ended the relationship with no unnecessary fight and she even introduced her boyfriend to him when she’s having a holiday in Seoul along with her lover. The guy is Park Chanyeol, a musician she met during her internship in Shanghai. Long story short, Chanyeol stayed the longest in her heart. And Jongin could do nothing but wished for her happiness. She deserved it.

As for Soojung herself, after she broke up with Minhyuk a year ago, she has not yet put any interest to have another relationship. She loves her work and she enjoyed her life within the work, no romance involved. Sometimes she felt a little lonely, but the presence of her parents and friends somehow helped her to face the day; and of course her memories over Jongin. She never mentioned this to everyone though, not even Sehun, because sometimes she felt Jongin just by the smallest things she did.

Maybe this was what people said as getting over someone. Of course she felt the same when she’s breaking up with her other boyfriend, the phase when everything she did or she saw or she heard reminded her to the memories of her togetherness with her ex, but nothing could beat the feel caused by the presence of Kim Jongin. Sometimes she’s confused with these things, because Jongin was not even her ex but maybe she lost her heart years ago in him that even at the mentioned of his name could affect her quite much. But she knew, no matter how her heart longed for him, it would be just a wishful thinking she should get rid of because there’s nothing between Jongin and her.

But of course things happened and the sudden meeting with Jongin made her thinking of any possibility she might have with him. Soojung didn’t want to think about it though; her last experience on imagining him didn’t do her good. So when he asked her out when they met again, she said yes just to get the answer, on whether she really already moved on from him and freed from the spell of Kim Jongin, or never.

Soojung just arrived in the lobby when she got a call from Jongin. She checked on her phone and received it well, it’s been a while since he made habit of calling her early in the morning, a little later in the lunch time, and when he’s about to pick her up in her office.

“Done with you work?” he asked her.

“Yes. You?”

“I’m waiting for someone” he answered. Soojung sensed a little suspense in his words and somehow, she felt a little scared. No, not again, she really didn’t want to experience it again. The mentioned of ‘someone’ she probably unwanted to be present feared her.

“Soojung?” he called her again.

 “Yes?”

“Why you keep standing in the middle of the hallway? My legs kind of hurt for standing too long” he said, suppressed his laugh as he saw her confused face. The female quickly snapped back to where she’s paused and found Jongin at the gate of her office, smiling in his after office look: black pants, white shirt with a little loosened black tie, and his suit on his hand. He waved his hand at her as he pushed back himself to standing straight, after leaning for quite a long time on the wall there. He walked to her as she took steps towards him, he’s grinning as soon as he saw her.

“Surprised?” he asked sheepishly.

“Well, the fact that you’re always come here to pick me up every day should not surprise me” she commented. To be very honest, she’s indeed very happy to see him there waiting for her. And she’s relieved, very relieved. He pouted.

“I just wanted to have some fun, you silly” he replied, putting one of his hands to his pocket.

She rolled her eyes. “Ok, I’m surprised, Jongin”

“Tch. So much of trying to annoy me… “He replied. “Let’s go”

“Let’s go where?” she asked in confused. She didn’t recall if they have any other appointment. The past few weeks, he always pick her up after work but usually the route would be the office to her home, and never anywhere because her working time always ended a little late. If they wanted to stroll around the mall, it would have been closed already even before they arrived there.

“Eat. I’m hungry, I’ve been waiting for you for two hours” he replied shortly as he moved to her back and pushed her to walk, making Soojung looked at him.

“Really?”

“What?”

“You’ve been here for two hours?” she asked him with a serious face.

“It’s not that long” he shrugged his shoulder. “It’s fine though, you don’t have to worry”

“Well, it’s good then. You’re supposed to wait longer. Next time, I’ll make sure you’ll wait for three hours” Soojung replied as she walked earlier than him to the gate, leaving Jongin speechless on the back.  

“This girl…”

He smiled to himself upon hearing her reply. This is just the Soojung he knew, the Soojung he had been missing. He casually hung his arm around her shoulder when he caught up with her steps. “Wait for me. Why are you in hurry, huh?”

“I just want to annoy you” she said as she put her tongue out, making both of them laugh as they walked towards his car.

And as more conversations built after that, the two of them just enjoyed each other’s presence. It’s like the university again, him waiting for her class to end and then they’re heading somewhere. The difference would be that he’s on his suit and she’s on the heels, but the kid inside them remained the same. Yes, they enjoyed their reunited togetherness. And although people around them asked what are they, since he kept pick her up at the office and she constantly came to accompany him when he’s attending his friend’s wedding invitations, they didn’t care much.

Jongin and Soojung is no label. They never defined their relationship since both never really talked about it.

It’s enough for Soojung to feel his presence again.

It’s enough for Jongin for Soojung to forgive him.

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It was still so early in the morning when Soojung heard her phone ringing. She cursed at the thought of forgetting to turn off her phone last night. It’s her habit to not answer any call regarding work during the weekend, so when her phone ringing nonstop right when the sun not even fully rose yet, she felt a bit hesitated to take the call. But still, she managed to take the phone, although with her eyes closed.

“Hello” she answered with a hoarse voice, covered under the warmth of her blanket.

She heard a chuckle on the other side of the line. “You must have not been awaken, I guess”

“Jongin?” she called his name as soon as she heard the familiar voice. Soojung rubbed her eyes softly and then adjusted her head at the soft cushions on her bed. “Why are you calling so early?”

“Are you free today?” he asked her.

Soojung closed her eyes again, trying to remember what she had planned for this upcoming weekend. There’s none.

“I don’t think I’ll go somewhere”

“Do you want to go out with me?”

“Hmm?” she tried to regain her consciousness, but it’s kind of hard since she still felt so sleepy and last night she watched drama until midnight and she cried a lot, her eyes and face must have been bloated by now.

He chuckled over her response. “Do you want to go out with me?”

“When?”

“Well, right now”

“It’s still so early, Jongin” she replied, clearing . “Were you can’t sleep again?”

She remembered he told her that recently, he couldn’t sleep early and sometimes, he just stayed awake until the morning came. Usually Jongin would just call her until she’s asleep while he continued to play the game on his computer. And usually, he would doze off and wouldn’t be awake until noon. So to have him calling her telling that he wanted to ask her out so early in the morning might have been the result of his incapability to sleep.

“I’m outside your house”

That’s all he said and it took her less than seconds to open her eyes widely and realized what was happened. Soojung stood up from her bed to open the curtain that covered her wide window and there she saw Jongin stood up next to his car. He saw her; smiling and waving his hand with his free hand while the other one holding on his phone.

“What are you doing?!” she asked in surprise. She’s still on his pajamas and has not yet taking a bath while he’s already ready to go out.

“I’m asking you out, Soojung. Are you coming or not?”

“I haven’t been prepared yet…”

“I’ll wait for you” he replied, still smiling as he looked at her. Soojung shook her head, still not believing what she saw. Jongin called her so early in the morning and all the while, asking her to go out with him.

“I still have to clean up my room, taking bath, doing my hair and makeup, and-“

“Are you going to go out with me or not?” he cut her words.

“Well, yes…” she hesitantly answered. It’s not that she didn’t want to go out with him of course.

“Then I’ll wait for you. Take your time and see you down here” he said as he ended his call and waved once again to her before he entered his car, the black SUV that recently appeared every time he’s around.

Soojung still stood there in front of her window with messy hair and bloated face. She watched him and he’s indeed staying inside the car. She really has to be ready in such a short time. Kim Jongin, once again, indeed surprised her. But for some unknown reason, she didn’t mind at all receiving his surprise.

He’s been a surprise in her life all along anyway.

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Hi all!

Ok, so this is to make up to you. This chapter is actually quite long and I previously wanted to post it in one go as finale, but it's really long and I'm not done yet with the last part so I decided to part the story into two chapters. It's titled Prelude, because the Finale would be posted in the next chapter (which I hope can be done asap). This chapter is not that long, since the longer one is on the Finale but I hope you can et a brief of introdution what will happen next.

This is to resume the period after Jongin met again with Soojung. I will try my best to reveal what's the actual feeling between the two of them and what's happened in between the three years afer their separation. It wouldn't be anything big, but hopefully it can give you a clear answer about Jongin and Soojung and what would happened after they're going together. 

The song that I put here, Gold in the Air of Summer by Kings of Convenience is actually one of my favorite songs from the artist and indeed, it gave you a feeling of relax and calm. If you like it, you can listen to it here. 

Happy reading and may you share me your thought about this story. Thank you and have a nice day! :)

xoxo,

yuriyaa