I didn’t go out with Ben again after that night and he didn’t call either. The last time I talked to him, he told me that he was very busy and couldn’t attend me, and after that every time I called, it was the automated voicemail or a busy sound.  It was obvious that he was avoiding me, but I couldn’t blame him, I felt like I was very rude to him the last time we met. Nonetheless, I was leaving Korea the day after tomorrow and I didn’t want to leave him in bad terms. Lately everyone had been busy, Seojin was spending most of her time with her boyfriend and Ben was ignoring me. It has been a great vacation so far, well with some pebbles in my shoes of course, but I was happy I came to my maternal country. I wish I was able to stay for a little more, but with my contract with the company I couldn’t take more than a two weeks’ vacation, if not they couldn’t guaranty my position and someone would be placed over me in the position that I was aiming for or worst I could lose my job.

I was out all day buying gifts, I was so tired that when Seojin came home and was talking about her day and the plans that she had for our last day together, I fell asleep without hearing her, because for me she was talking gibberish. I woke up at the sound of my phone, it was mom; I checked out the time 5 am, ‘Omma, I am coming home tomorrow’ I thought. “Omma, how are you?” “Baby, you are coming home tomorrow, I can’t wait to see you again. I missed you so much.”  “Really, Omma?  I haven’t heard from you since the day after I got here, and now you missed me? I thought you wanted me to get married so I could leave your house soon.”  “Oh! Baby, where did you get this idea? You are my only child. I was feeling so lonely without you. I can’t wait to see you oo.”  “Lonely Mom!? What happened to your boyfriend Max?” She gasped exaggeratedly at the end of the line “Max? We are just friends Ana. Where did you get the idea that we had a romantic relationship?”  “When I saw you tongue-tied with him after your date the night before I left.” She gave an embarrassing laugh, “That’s not what you think, Oh! Look at the time, I have to go. Kisses.” I laughed softly, ‘Typical mom, dad was the only one who could control that wild goose.’  

I was getting ready for bed when Seojin called me exited “Ana, what are you doing?” “I am getting ready for bed, why? You know I have an early flight tomorrow.” “What!? It’s not even 7 pm yet and you are going to bed? Why don’t you get dressed and meet me at the Hanju bar.” “I don’t think a bar scene is the best option for tonight…” She didn’t let me finish “No, no, no, I am just waiting for you there, I will take you someplace else.” I was still hesitating “Come on; let’s enjoy your last night ok. I’ll pay the taxi fare.” I thought about it a couple of seconds then accepted “Sure, why not. It’s my last night anyway; anything that happened will be a story to tell later, right?” “Right. So come one I am waiting for you.” I decide to wear one of the dresses that Seojin brought for me. Lately I have been pushing myself outside my box, so I put on a purple mini dress. It wasn’t as short as what that bimbo Miyong was wearing, but it’s not something that I could go to church with either, but I will probably never wear it again, so why not do so tonight?

When I reached to bar, Seojin was waiting for me in from of it. She waved big signs to get my attention and I headed toward her. I didn’t even get the chance to ask her where we were going as she took my arm and pulled me away to her car. We drove in silence, she was heading to Gangnam, I didn’t understand at first, but I figured that she was going to her boyfriend. I turned to her “Unni, I thought we were going to hang out just the two of us. Are you going to get Seungho?” “It’s a surprise, I’ll tell you when we get there. Anyway, do you think that Seungho-oppa would let you go without saying goodbye?” “I don’t know, he has been so busy lately and a phone call would have sufficed.” “Ara, Ara, but we can’t let you go like that.”  We stopped in front of a huge apartment complex; we took the elevator to the third floor. It opened on a suite, it looked very luxurious, I guessed this was where Seungho lived. The decoration was simple but done with taste. There was a huge sofa in the middle of the room facing a fancy gas fireplace. The chairs, the table, the flat screen TV, all looked expensive but they weren’t deprived of character. The room was warm and inviting, I felt out of place in so much luxury. I was so amazed that I stayed with my mouth open, I could see why Seojin couldn’t come home lately, if she was spending her time here, I couldn’t blame her for not wanting to spend her time at her own apartment. I stood still in the middle of the room asking myself why she would bring me here. She could’ve taking me to meet him anywhere, but why here. I was thinking when Seungho came out, he had his huge smile as always, and I couldn’t stop myself from comparing him to his brother, he was so pleasant to be around unlike the other one.

He invited me to sit on the couch and I looked at him hesitant, “Make yourself comfortable Jinju-ssi” he said with a huge smile. I sat down and it felt like I was sitting on a cloud, I closed my eyes to enjoy the feeling and he laughed at my reaction before leaving the room to get some drinks. After he left, I couldn’t keep to myself and asked Seojin “Why did you bring me here? Is this why you’ve been coming home so late the past week?” She was smile like crazy, she looked right at home, as if everything was made for her and was chosen with her in mind. I could see that she was very happy, and I was happy for her too. If there was something I didn’t regret in coming to Korea and meeting these people, was the fact that my best friend looked like she was the happiest women in the world. When Seungho came back with the refreshments, he sat next to her and they looked like the perfect couple. There was so much love between them, that I felt a little pinch in my heart, and for a second I wished that I could meet someone to make me happy, just like her.

We were in a heated conversation when I heard the ding of the elevator; I looked at him with a questioning look “Were you guys waiting for someone else?” “Oh, Byunghee called and I told him that he could come over.” Seungho said, and I panicked a little, ‘Did they trick me?’ I looked at Seojin and she acted like she didn’t know anything about that. Then again, she was an actress and she was so stubborn, that I think she would actually hide that from me, she was so secretive when she called me earlier. When he walked in with Miyong hooked on his arm, I felt relived at first because if wasn’t going to be the four of us, but then another feeling took over, the sting that I used to feel felt sharper, as if instead of sticking me with a needle, someone was jabbing me with a knife. After the first couple walked in, three more couples, comprise of Joon, Thunder, Mir and their dates came after followed by Ben. Mir approached me, all his thirty-two pearls out, and exclaimed to me “Noona, we heard that you’re leaving tomorrow, so we came to say goodbye.” I looked at him a little surprised and replied ironically, “Oh, that’s great, thanks for the thought.”  Then I thought ‘So that’s why he is here. I guess he couldn’t wait to make sure that I will leave for real. Well, Whatever…’ Then I turned my gaze to meet Ben’s looking at me from me across the room, but stayed away still avoiding me.

Ben… I was so happy that he was here, I smiled at him but he ignored me completely. He looked like he was still mad at me, and I still didn’t know why. I was starting to feel out of place in the middle of these people. I didn’t really understand what was going on, so when they started to play music, it looked like they were getting ready to have a party, but all of the sudden I was swayed by a bunch of emotions; I was feeling guilt, anger, relief, jealousy and pain all together. I felt the urge to leave, but I didn’t want to be rude so I head into the kitchen trying hard not to cry. I was standing in front of the windows looking at the view of beautiful night and the city life below; I was lost in my thoughts when I felt a presence behind me. I turned to see Ben with two glasses in his hands and he handed me one, I thanked him but returned to my previous position, he came closer to me, leaned his back against the counter, and said, “Why aren’t you enjoying your goodbye party?” I looked at him and replied “My goodbye party? That’s a family gathering and it has nothing to do with me.” “So why are you here then? Is it to see Him?” I looked at him with anger boiling inside of me, “First of all, I am here for my best friend, second of all I was tricked by your sister into coming here, and third of all ‘Who the heck is Him?’” He stared at me suspiciously then added, “So you are really telling me that you don’t feel anything for Byunghee?” I lost my calm for a moment ‘Why the hell did everybody wanted me to admit that I had feelings for this guy?’ So, I told him angrily “I am getting fed up with people asking me what I feel about that jerk. Isn’t it obvious that we don’t get along with each other?”

 “For some reason they would be asking that right, it’s written all over your face.” He said bitterly. I looked at him, my eyes watering in disbelief “What’s it to you Oppa? Why do you care who I like and who I don’t? Don’t tell me that your pride is hurt because you think I might like someone else, huh?”  He didn’t answer so I continued “I thought you came to came to clarify things between us but it seems as if I was mistaken. So what? Did you want me to keep crying after you and not move on? Well I got tired of your games, of your pushing and pulling. I am sorry Oppa, but I am not sixteen years old anymore.” I knew I was being mean to him, but I didn’t care, I was hurting so much that I didn’t want to think about anything. I put my glass down, spun to leave when he held my forearm, and pulled me into his arms for a hug. I was shocked but I didn’t move, he held me and said softly “I am sorry. I can’t let you leave like this. You know I care about you. I was wrong to talk to you that way, so I am sorry.”  I still didn’t understand why he was acting this way, but I felt all anger leave me and I returned his hug. “It’s okay. I am sorry too Oppa, we can’t part on a bad term.” “Yeah you’re right, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if we parted this way.” We were still hugging and talking like that when Seojin appeared, “Oh, so there you are! I thought you escaped.” She looked at us and smiled “You guys look like lovers, is there something going on between the two of you that I don’t know?”  “Unni, it’s not what you think…” She cut me off “Oh! So you made up? That’s  great! By the way, what did you say to Byunghee to get him in such a mood? He came to look for you. Did you fight with him again Ana?” I looked at her confused then turned to Ben and back to her again, I had no idea what she was talking about “I didn’t see him, nor have I talked to him all night.” I looked at Ben with a questioning look, but he lifted his shoulders up and down in sign of negation, but what I didn’t see was the wicked grin that he had on his face.

We went back to the living room, and the night went smoother then it started. I relaxed after making up with Ben, and I got to know a little bit more about the other bothers. Aside from Byunghee’s foul mood and his pest of a date, everybody enjoyed and was having  a great time so I decided to ignore them and focused on the other members of the group, and appreciate my last night in Korea. I thought that he probably fought with Miyong, but I had no idea that his bad humor was because of me.

I was feeling tired, so I headed to the bathroom to splash my face with some cold water, but when I came out Byunghee was waiting outside the door. I pretended not to see him, so I kept my head straight when I walked past him, but he couldn’t stop himself from mentioning “So, did your plan work? Because from I’ve seen earlier it looks like you reeled my friend in.” I was already stepping toward the living room, so I stopped in my tract, ‘Seojin was right, he saw us earlier!’ then he continued “How long do you think this is going to last? From what I’ve been told, Jinsoo-hyung doesn’t intend to leave Korea for a good while, do you think he will wait for your next contract to be able to see you?” I looked at him surprised, ‘How the hell did he know about my contract? And what does this have to do with anything?’

 I was being fed up with this guy, and it hurt me that he still thought that I was looking to marry rich. I tried to hide my feelings and controlled my voice so that it didn’t shake when I replied “I don’t know why you are so interested in my private life Jung Byunghee-ssi, but as I told you before, what I do with my life has nothing to do with you. I don’t know what you have against me, but I am leaving tomorrow and I am glad because I won’t have to suffer your humiliations anymore.” He scoffed and stepped closer to me “Don’t play the righteous offended virtuous woman, because I know the real you. I still think that you have something up your sleeve, and don’t worry I will be glad to guide hyung in the right path away from you.”  Now it was my turn to scoff, “You think you know it all, don’t you? Well I will not be the one to show you are wrong you are. It looks to me Byunghee-ssi, that you are an unhappy person trying to make everyone else feels as bad as you do. But don’t worry, tomorrow I am leaving and I wish to never hear from you again, and above all, I wish that you could meet someone who can make you a better person, because all you are is a bitter, sad and gloomy person; an insecure bastard who thinks that he is a Know it all. I wish you the best Byunghee-ssi, goodbye forever.” He stood there frozen and looked stunned. Even I was surprised at my harsh words, but I was heartbroken, so much that I didn’t want to think about what was coming out of my mouth. After I joined the others, I told Seojin that I wanted to leave using my flight as an excuse. I didn’t want to sit there and looked at his handsome face anymore, it was too painful. So, I decided that it would be better for me to leave on this note, because I figured that it would be easier for me to forget him. I held on tight until we got to Seojin’s apartment, and when my head hit the pillow, I let out all my sorrow. This was goodbye, and I couldn’t deny it to myself anymore, I will miss Byunghee more than anything.