The Forgotten Shards

“I don’t think he’s coming.” Charlie glimpsed at the window that overlooked the tiny parking lot in front of the donut shop, half-expecting that Donghae would at least come to pick her up. He’s been frequently late in picking her up. Charlie really didn’t care but all she wanted was to go home as early as she could. If she knew the way, she would’ve gone home herself.

Five more minutes, Charlie thought firmly, working on keeping a deadpan expression. Five more minutes and I’m out of here. Then she went back to eating her favorite chocolate caramel donut Kyuhyun had bought her. “Well, I think he’s coming soon,” Charlie urged.

“This is your twelfth donut ever since you came here,” Kyuhyun reminded her, pointing at the half-eaten donut.

Charlie rolled her eyes, nibbling stubbornly on her donut. “I don’t really care.”

For the next five minutes, Kyuhyun and Charlie talked about donuts and argued a little bit about which donut tastes even better. Kyuhyun defended his favorite strawberry-flavored donut with mint while Charlie said it sounded disgusting. Charlie didn’t even realize how much time had gone by.

Although she isn’t the type to admit, Kyuhyun has always seemed to amuse her.

Charlie gazed at the wall clock just above the door. Ten minutes had passed yet no Donghae had shown up. She stood up, dropping the fork on the table in an impatient manner. Another speculation Charlie had made is that Donghae must have been pretty absorbed with his date. Hmm, typical.

She tugged on her duffel bag and marched towards the door. Some of the costumers glanced at her direction, utterly surprised by the loud stomping of her shoes against the floor. Kyuhyun immediately tagged along behind her.

“Yah, where are you going?” He asked, running after Charlie. They were already out of the shop and both barely heard the boy behind the counter greet them goodbye. So much for trying so hard anyway.

“I’m going home,” Charlie answered briefly.

“How? You’re going to get lost.”

Charlie blinked. “Well, what can I do? Wait for him the entire night?”

Kyuhyun rolled his eyes. “I can drive you home.”

“No, thanks.”

“Why are you being so stubborn when someone’s trying to help you already?”

Charlie cocked her head to the side. “I don’t need any help. Not from anyone or even you.”

“But you need me,” Kyuhyun confidently stated, giving Charlie an evil smirk.

Charlie scoffed. “Yah, do you want to die? How can you—arrrrrrgh!”

Kyuhyun immediately dashed towards Charlie after she involuntarily skidded along the rough ground of the pavement. She didn’t notice the rock she fumbled upon but she does now. He easily grabbed Charlie’s arms and supported her to stand up. As Kyuhyun knelt down to check if there was anything wrong with her, he saw a small bruise on her knee, causing a tiny gash on the jeans.

Charlie tried to push Kyuhyun away, slightly embarrassed of what he was doing.

“Yah, what the hell are you doing?” Charlie mumbled. “Stop it. I can handle myself.”

Kyuhyun sighed as he stood up. “Seems like you made a little bruise there, babo. I told you you need me.”

“Hah, yeah. I need you to check if I had bruises,” Charlie responded sarcastically.

Kyuhyun nodded towards the only car that had parked at the corner of the parking lot. “Let me drive you home, Charlie. I can do that. I’m not handicapped. And I’m not planning to kidnap you or something. Trust me. You need me to drive you home.”

“For someone who just knew me, you sure do have a lot of confidence in yourself,” Charlie snapped, following him as they walked towards Kyuhyun’s car. He had a point but Charlie won’t admit it. As much as she’d like to keep to herself and avoid herself from getting involved with people, she has to keep a distance—which means acting cold towards them.

When she got inside Kyuhyun’s car, she shivered slightly due to the cold air that brushed her skin. Kyuhyun, observing her, took off his jacket and offered it towards her. Charlie shook her head, refusing his request but he insisted. He threw it over her head. Charlie made an impatient sigh, darting Kyuhyun a glare. This guy is as stubborn as mule, Charlie concluded.

When she glanced at the window, she paused, thinking that the car she saw was Donghae’s. Impossible, she thought as she let out a sigh. That guy won’t even think about picking me up in the first place. But it’s okay. It’s not like I care. I made him swear we won’t touch each other’s businesses. But deep inside, Charlie wished Donghae would pick her up. She wished that he would, at least, think about her.

“You seem so quiet,” Kyuhyun commented.

“Besides stating the obvious, well, yes, I have been quiet for the last three minutes,” Charlie muttered coherently.

Kyuhyun chuckled.

“What?” Charlie asked.

“No wonder people don’t like to be with you,” he told Charlie. “You’re too rude.”

“Thank you very much. As much as I’d like to take it as a compliment, I don’t need your opinions.”

“Who was that guy who came to pick you up the other day?” he asked.

Charlie shrugged, uninterested in talking about Donghae. Sure, the guy was her fiancé but she didn’t really want to talk about him. “Some crazy guy. My brother or something.”

“You’re not sure?”

“I think that meant it’s none of your business,” Charlie replied coldly.

“Your boyfriend maybe?” Kyuhyun insisted.

“Yah, Cho Kyuhyun,” Charlie warned, glaring at him. Instead of being scared, he giggled at Charlie. “How could you just laugh at me like that? Don’t you feel bad for how I treat you?” she asked before she could stop herself. Surely, Kyuhyun was one of a kind. And even Im Yoona. They’re both so weirdly… well, welcoming.

Kyuhyun gave her a smile. “I don’t know. Maybe because I think you needed a friend.”

Charlie rolled her eyes. “I don’t need any of your sympathy.”

“I’m not being sympathetic, just being your friend.”

“Stop that. I don’t like to hear it.”

“Wae?”

Charlie opened to answer his question but stopped when she saw her father in front of the house. Taken by surprise, she immediately got off the car. Her father was never the one to wait for her to get home. In fact, when she glanced at her watch, it was nine in the evening and her Dad would’ve gone to bed or be in his office by then.

“Dad, what are you doing outside the house?” She asked anxiously.

“That’s the first time I felt that you actually cared,” he replied.

Charlie rolled her eyes. “I’m not here to fish for compliments or hear your opinions. I want to know what you are doing.”

“You’re going to move into Donghae’s house,” he bluntly declared. “As a doting fiancée, I want you to get to know him and maybe try to love him. This is for the best, Charlie, and I don’t want you to protest or even contradict to what I’m going to tell you. You’re going to move into Donghae’s house.” He paused, looking past through Charlie’s shoulder to look at Kyuhyun. “And who is that guy? You and Donghae didn’t even date and you’re going out with another one?”

“If you were around, you’d know who he is,” Charlie snapped bitterly. “And who are you to tell me what to do?”

“I’m your father,” he answered.

“You’ve given up your paternal roles ever since we moved here in Korea.”

“Don’t use that tone on me, Charlie Jung. You may be depressed because of that murder years ago but you cannot treat your own father like this.”

“I am not ing depressed, you hear me?! I’m not depressed. And don’t go start talking to me about how I haven’t accepted my mother’s and sister’s death! Because you don’t understand me and you never will.”

Shin Woo froze, avoiding Charlie’s eyes. “You will start moving tonight.”

“At least it’ll take me away from you. Trust me. You’ll figure out why I never seemed to treat you as my Dad.” Charlie didn’t even notice that Kyuhyun had already gotten off the car. Standing beside her, he placed a hand on her shoulder as if to tell her to stop.

“Stop it, Charlie,” he whispered. “Don’t talk to your father that way.”

Charlie jerked his hand away. “What is it to you? You don’t understand me anyway.”

Pain shadowed his face. His hand slowly crawled back, inhaling deeply. Charlie must have said something wrong. “Well, you don’t know anything about me, too. So don’t start talking about me not understanding you or to anyone else.” He then curtsied towards Shin Woo, bowing 90 degrees. “Goodbye, sir.”

Charlie could only stand in astonishment as she watched Kyuhyun quietly walk away from her. What did she do this time? And why does she suddenly feel guilty?

Sorry for the late update. Had to go to the hospital because my Mom got admitted :(