soundbyte : Clazziquai Project - Romeo N' Juliet

Awkward silence engulfed the air around them on their way to nearby park. Both of them have plenty of questions in their head and yet both of them are too shy to ask. They are walking in a street lined with tall full bloom trees casting shadows on the narrow pathway. They arrived on a small and empty park. They both freed their pets from its leashes and let them roam on their own.  

“What is your pet’s name?” she began.

“Meonggu” he said

Jiyoung called for both Meonggu and Myungsoo and and playfully chased them around the park, while Jongin sat in a bench under a tree. He can’t help but to blatantly stare, he’s not showing it, but deep inside he is just in awe. He finds everything she does to be so adorable, the way she calls the pets, the way she clumsily tries to guide them, the way she tries to have a conversation to them even doing aegyo for the puppies. The way she smiles, she laughs as if no one was watching, even the way she fixes her fringe, by sightly messing it first then aligning it seemingly one hair at a time.

A few weeks back Tao and Jongin was talking about her. Tao asked him how he came to like her. He couldn’t really answer anything back then. He could only describes her as interesting. So Tao then raised a point that maybe he just likes her as a fan and not in an intimate way. He was so bothered about it, to the point that he was loosing some sleep. Jongin kept thinking about it for weeks on.

But today, after meeting her. Just being together with her, not even an hour with her, yet he was sure of it. He knows he has fallen for her, he’s in love with her. His suddenly got the chills with this realization

She started walking towards him, while dragging the dogs. His heart starts pounding, he hits his chest and tries to calm down. She sat on the other end of the same bench. 

She complimented on how well behave Meonggu is. All he could manage was a soft thank you.

“This is where I always bring Meonggu. Because not a lot of people come through here” He said

“Ah, thanks for sharing it with us Kai.” She replied.

There's something bothering Jongin since earlier, and finally had to courage to ask

"Is something bothering you sunbae?"

"Me? Why do you ask?"

“I just noticed when you walked in the room earlier, you looked really down." he asked not expecting a reply he continued “I’m sorry, it’s probably a personal thing”

“It’s not that I just don’t know how to say it. Well you’ve heard about the news.” mood started to get serious "Was it really that obvious?" she added"

“I thought it was somehow about that"

Without even being asked about the details, Jiyoung started to pour out her worries to him. She could neither talk about this to her parents because she doesn’t want to worry them nor to the other members. But keeping it inside was eating her up, so she decided to talk about it to the next person who asked her about it and as faith would put it, it was Jongin.

After she finished pouring her troubles to him, she felt like a heavy burden was lifted from her chest. She looked at him desperate for any kind of advice.

“I’m glad.” He replied. “Thanks for sharing it to me” After thinking about it he began “I don’t know if this would help”

She looked at him earnestly

“Nobody really knows what the future will bring, But I don't think there is a right or wrong decision here.You just need to follow your heart, I know it sounds so cliché but it doesn’t make it wrong. You just have to make sure that after you decide, you do everything to make it become the right decision"

"Well at least that’s what I did when I decided to pursue being an idol. I followed my heart... I followed love” he replied looking at her directly

“Thanks. I think you’re right” She replied

With that advice, Jiyoung have become more firm on her decision. Silence filled the air between them, but its not the same awkward silence like earlier, but more because they know and understand each other without the need for words. 

They continued to talk for hours not minding the time and the kids coming in the park. It was almost dusk, Kids are being dismissed from school. The kids are starting to recognize Jongin, after realizing that a couple of kids are forming in front of them. They both went and took their dogs out of the park.

“Kai, I think having dinner is a bad idea after all” 

“Why?” he asked disappointed.

“You know why. If someone sees us together they’ll say bad things about you too. You two will get dragged down”

He knows she’s right. "It would be my pleasure get dragged up with you" he said jokingly

"I'm serious, just one photo and netizens will skin you alive. And I don't want that to happen because of me."

“I know, I was just really looking forward to it.”

“Maybe some other time?”

“Sure, when?”

“Give me your phone” she punched her number on his phone “Call me anytime”

Jongin still in shock, waved goodbye to Jiyoung who was already far on her way. Then Jongin started walking on his own way, looked back making sure no one was there and shouted “yes!” and struck a guts pose.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jiyoung arrived home safely and was greeted warm by her parents. She went straight to her room and think back on how fun her day was. She was happy to have met a new friend, and for a first time it was a boy. She remembered Jongin's advice to her and for some reason she still didn't know yet, she remembers the letters from her fan. And how, in some mystical way, the relief and comfort it it usually brought her after reading them was the same feeling she felt after Jongin gave her his advice. She's started to get curious if they could be the same person as she was to search for the letters. A knock on the door made her lose her train of thought.

“Jiyoung-ah” her mother called. “Its time to have dinner”.

“I’m coming” she replied, not forgetting her phone she rushed towards the dining room.

On the dining table was her mom, dad, and her oldest sister was sitting. They started eating a very wide spread dinner her mom prepared. 
Her dad asked her “How was your day? Did reporters bothered you again”

“No, it was okay actually, I went and took Myungsoo to a different park this time After we finished the grooming.”

“Ah. That’s good to know”

Jiyoung keeps looking on her phone seemingly waiting for something.

“Jiyoung, are you waiting for someone to call?” her dad asked

Surprised, she denies it and said “I’m finished eating, I’m going to my room now”

“Before you go, have you decided?"

Jiyoung gave a very confident yes to his dad "After getting some great advice earlier, I made my decision. I'll go and finish my study in America"

"Ok, you'll leave in two weeks with your Dad" her mom said

She gave her Mom and Dad a big hug. "Thank you for understanding. I'll go and start packing"

i appreciate all the comments. i hope you can be more critical so i could learn more. Jing is leaving could Kai stop her? will i do an airport scene or a departure party for the last meeting?