[CONTENTID2] CHAPTER 9 [/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID1]

Three days after I ran into Kris the other day, I decided to it up and called Kris. We talked for a good one hour, although the first ten minutes were filled with awkward ‘uh’s. At the end of the call, Kris asked if he could get a third chance—third time’s a charm, as they say.

I settle down the stack of documents and files I need to sort on my desk before grabbing for a bottle of disinfectant in my drawer. There’s only an inch of the disinfectant in the bottle as if it’s reminds me to buy another bottle. After everything I went through with Kris, I don’t really use the disinfectant as often. I feel proud and weird at the same time.

After putting the bottle disinfectant into my drawer again, I begin to pack up my things and ready to call it a day. The intercom on my desk beeps once.

“Junmyeon, please come to my office,”

Even though there’s a slight disappointment because I had to stay back for a while, I have no other choice but to come to Director Jung’s office. I let myself into the Director’s office and the first thing I saw is two bouquets of fresh roses on the coffee table; one is a bouquet of pure, white roses while the other one is deep, sultry red. It’s pretty obvious that the flowers aren’t for business partners.

“Sir?”

Director Jung looks up and smiles at me, making some of the lines on his face deepens. From what I heard from Eunji, Director Jung is actually not that old but when you have a company to run and all, you’ll age faster. Eunji once joked—I genuinely hope that she was joking that time—if she had a thing for an older man, she’d definitely go for Director Jung.

“Junmyeon, can you help me to send the red ones?”
“To your wife, Sir?”

From the way his eyes flicker, I can tell that I said something wrong but I don’t recall that Director Jung has a daughter. I bow my head politely and mutter an apology.

“It’s okay. Send the red one to this address, please,” he hands me a piece of paper. “I know this is too much but would you please send it personally?”

I blink slowly. “Yes, Sir,”

Director Jung gives me a grateful look. “You can just leave them in front of the door.. The receiver will know it’s from me,”

And so, I dare myself to ask.

“And the white ones,  Sir?”
“Ah, no, it’s for my wife,”

The address leads me to a middle-class apartment complex. On my way here, I couldn’t stop thinking of the whole situation on this relationship. I am not judging my boss and I have no interest to snoop around, it’s just that I have seen this type of relationship ends and what came out of it. Pain and heartbreak.

I enter the building, take the elevator, and carefully slip the card between the flowers before leaving the bouquet of reds in front of the door.

The card says “With love, Jung Yunho”.

+++

After sending the bouquet of red roses to the mystery apartment, I can’t stop thinking about what happened in the past.

Don’t touch me, you dirty child!

I am starting to wonder why all of my little visits to my past always bring me to those unpleasant words. I never really mentioned about my past to Kris or doctor Im, I have never been comfortable to expose myself that much. I can’t help it but to wonder how that person is doing—to be honest, it’s the same pattern.

Whenever I had a little flashback like this, I always end up thinking how he is doing, and then it leads to a half bottle of wine. It doesn’t happen often, my drinking habit is still considered as normal. What bothers me is the regret I feel towards that person. I