Chicago 1920

 

“Hana, you look like a princess!” my grandmother squeals. I shuffle onto the platform and look down at my pearly white dress. Honestly, I didn’t feel like one and probably never will. I duck my head as I take in my reflection in the long mirror. My long dyed blonde hair is wrapped neatly in a bun secured with a butterfly pin. It hurts and begins to give me a headache so I slip it off and let my hair fall against my back. My grandmother tsk and it gives me a little bit of satisfaction knowing even the littlest of things I do get under her skin.

 

“Now go change, you have two long days ahead of you.” My grandmother says sternly and ushers me into the fitting room.

 

~~~

 

As I wash the last few of the dishes, a pair of hands wraps around my waist and lips press against my cheek. I dry my hands before embracing my fiancée.

 

“Hello Suho.”

 

Kim Joonmyun or Suho, my husband to be, is a very wealthy man. Suho’s family is financed in a car business. The Kim men are wealthy and very handsome. Women practically kissed the ground they walked on. But not me, never me.

 

“How’d it go?” I shake my head and embrace myself for the tears that are about to fall. Suho is on the same boat as I. He doesn’t want to be dragged into an arranged marriage. He’s madly in love with the mayor’s son, Do Kyungsoo. Suho’s grandfather thought it would be perfect and agreed with my grandmother. We are to be wedded two days from now. The thought stricken me as tears began to flow down my cheeks. I sob as Suho holds me. He says nothing and I’m grateful for that.

 

~~~

 

“Hey I’m going for a breather,” I whisper into my best friend and maid of honor’s ear, Song Jieun. She smiles and nods. I walk towards the exit and ignore Sunhwa.

 

“Oh come on Hana, it’s your bachelorette party!”

 

The cold wind hits my bare skin with a sting and I take a deep breath before going to stand by the curb. I dig into my bra and pull out a cigarette. I pat my bra again and search around my dress for my lighter. In a flash a hand appears in front of my face and my cigarette is lit. I snap my head towards the intruder.

 

My eyes meet with a mop of Mocha brown hair, dark eyes, and smooth sun-kissed skin.  I traveled down to his leather jacket with a tiny hint of a white shirt peeking out, dark jeans, and combat boots. “Thanks.” The man shrugs and leans back against the building’s brick wall.

 

“Thought you needed a hand,” the man says in a familiar accent that reminds me of Sunhwa’s. I look away and instead focus at the city’s streets. There’s a shuffle behind me and he asks, “Rough night?” I look at him for a brief second before averting my eyes.

 

“Something like that.” I shiver as I look down at my tiny dress. The handsome man shuffles behind me and I feel something drape over my back. I look down at the leather jacket and began to thank him for it.

 

“Come on let’s get you-” he reaches for my forearm. Despite what my mind thinks, my body reacts a different way. My eyes widen and fear runs in me and I scream, “No!” I yank out of his grip.

 

“No?” he pulls back, puzzled.

 

“I’m dreading going back in there.” I eye the door leading to where my bachelorette is being held.

 

“Then let’s go somewhere else,” he suggests. I stare at him with wide eyes.

 

“What? I don’t even know you. You could be a psychopath for all I know.”

 

“Trust me you wouldn’t know the beginning of it.” The man whispers.

 

“What?!” I gasp and step back. He holds up his hands in defense and gives me a look.

 

“Look babe I’m trying to get you someplace warm and since you don’t want to go back to your party I suggest you make up that pretty little mind of yours,”

 

I stare at his face for anything that could give this man away. But all I see is a fine line scar from his temple ending at the nares of his nose. The man ducks his head and I look away feeling bad that I got caught staring. “Fine. There’s a diner three blocks from here, open twenty-four seven.”

 

“Okay good.” He wraps his arm around my shoulders and we walk towards the whole town’s favorite eating place.

 

“Hana.” I whisper.

 

“Hmm?”

 

“My name is Hana.” I say in a more aggravated tone. The man nods.

 

“Daehyun.”

 

~~~

 

There’s an Italian song playing in the background and I wiggle my feet to the beat. “What was it all about?” Daehyun says with his mouth half full. I look up at him though my lashes from my seat across from his.

 

“What was what all about?” I mumble as I pick up a fry and nibble on it. Daehyun rolls his eyes and swallows his food before speaking.

 

“The little party you were at,”

 

“Oh that.” I let my eyes trial off and chew on my bottom lip.

 

“Yes that. I know quite few parties were women dress very provocative.” He says staring me down with an onion ring between his fingers. Somehow I can’t take him serious when there’s food involved. I tap at the table and look up at him through my eyelashes again.

 

“Honest?”

 

“Only if you are.” He says between bites.

 

“My bachelorette party.” I spit and squeeze the foam cup in my hands. Daehyun tilts his head, a crease in his forehead. “You say it as if it’s a bad thing,”

 

“Because it is.”

 

“Ah let me guess, arranged marriage.” Daehyun notices my shocked expression so he points behind me. I look back to see a news stand.

 

“You’re in the paper, headline news to be exact.” I stare at the shelves of newspapers and wonder when the press released them. I turn my attention back to Daehyun and lean forward.

 

“You knew I’m getting married and yet still tried to pursue me.” I half yell at him. Daehyun puts his fork down and stares at me. His face hardens and under his intense gaze I back away.

 

“Don’t act like you didn’t like it. And yes I did.” He goes back to his food and I whisper, “Why?”

 

 

“I-I don’t know, Hana.” Daehyun stops eating and looks up. “ Honestly, I-” I watch Daehyun return his gaze to the news stand behind me before getting up from his seat and walking over and picking up a newspaper from the rack. Daehyun sits back down and holds the newspaper up where a picture of Suho and I are wrapped in each other’s arms smiling. Daehyun points to my face on the paper.

 

“You see that right there. To the whole town they probably look like the golden couple. But to me, I see a trapped girl with a fake smile and sadness in her eyes. Sadness that she yearns for freedom. Freedom she’ll probably never get.”

 

I narrow my eyes at him and through clenched teeth, I spit out, “And what? You think you could change that?”

 

Daehyun leans back into seat, unfazed. “Yeah, yeah I do.”

 

“What?” I yell and the workers behind the counter back away into the kitchen. I clear my throat and turn my attention back to Daehyun.

 

Daehyun grabs my hand and interlocks our fingers. He looks at me with such intensity that I try to look away but with his other hand he grips my chin. “Call me crazy but I want you to run away with me.”

 

This time I manage to yank out of his grip. “Have you gone mad Daehyun? I’m getting married tomorrow!”

 

“Come on Hana just think about it. Do you honestly want to live the rest your life trapped or would rather take the high road and live a lot?”

 

“You’re crazy.” I mutter as I try to avoid any more eye contact with him. Daehyun sighs a little dejected.

 

“Look I leave tomorrow morning, back to my hometown. You got very little time to think about it.”

 

“And if I don’t?”

 

“Then we’ll never see each other again.”

 

“Where are you staying tonight?”

 

“A motel just off the 53 route.” I nod as I watch Daehyun leave. The clock ticks as I shuffle and throw on his jacket. With my decision made I run out the diner. I stop mid curb and take one last look at the place I probably never will see again. With a smile I run in the direction leading to my future.

 

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