Chapter 7-

Memories…

 

---Seoul Station---

 

“HOW CAN THIS BE ING CUTE!” SeungHyun cursed underneath his hoody. Everybody’s been looking at him the moment he got of the taxi. He felt like he’s getting more looks than the times when he was rapping his out in front of  sold out concerts. Double checking his reflection to make sue nobody can recognized him. He wore the most worn out jacket he had and threw away the suits, opting for the street style he used to have. He needs the anonymity right now, especially now that he has a dangling Jiyong strapped in front of his chest.

 

“I’m so gonna kill you! Do you know how many times I dreamt about like that! I got a perfect opportunity! She’s gonna give me a bath Hyung!” Jiyong took a chance when the train came to shout, snapping his head back to see SeungHyun pouting. “Don’t think too much about how you look, trust me…you look so cute. I hate it.”

 

“thanks?” SeungHyun answered.

 

“You have a Bluetooth right? The one you can attach on your ear?” Jiyong asked, SeungHyun nodded. “Well use it. Put it against your ear so you won’t look stupid talking to me.”

 

“oh…that’s a nice one.” SeungHyung took out his Bluetooth and started pretending to talk to someone on the other line.

 

“Where are we going?” Jiyong whispered.

 

“somewhere….Ji….can you please tell me that after this day you won’t go and brag on the other members you got that close to Hyori?” SeungHyun needed assurance.

 

“Why?”

 

“Well….just don’t…ok? Bro code.” SeunHyun stepped inside the train, Jiyong wanted to go to the cabin with least people and so they did.

 

It was a fun ride though, unexpectedly.

 

SeungHyun have gotten used to the stares the people were giving him…and also add the fun they had when Jiyong decided to make fun of his situation.

 

First: When a man farted Jiyong shouted and started rapping out curses…the fat man got so shocked that he fell of his chair and ran out of the train.

 

Second: When an old and obviously hypocritical lady started lecturing SeungHyun when she heard him curse…Jiyong couldn’t help but shouted: Hey old hag, you’re spit are all over my face! Argh! Have you heard of the thing they call mouthwash, toothbrush and toothpaste?

 

The woman got so shocked that she started praying…shouting a cursed baby.

 

And lastly…this one will go on to the books of best memories….

 

When VIPs recognized SeungHyun…they started bugging him for who the kid is and if they can have his number…

 

Jiyong had enough of them pinching his cheek that he bit one girl’s hand and finally said: NO YOU CAN’T HAVE HYUNNIE’S NUMBER!

 

The girl shrieked and ran out of the train, shocked at how calm SeungHyun was.

 

“Aiggoooo…” Jiyong stopped laughing. “sorry Hyung they’ll probably gonna write about this on their blogs later.”

 

“Nah, nobody will believe them….a baby talking like you..haha.” SeungHyun saw that they’ve reached their stop and started getting out of the train.

 

“where are we??” Jiyong wondered but then something hit him…this place is familiar. “Hyung?”

 

“yeah….home sweet home.” SeungHyun bitterly smiled at Jiyong. He felt sad a bit that Jiyong took in a few more minutes to really recognized the place. How time flies, and he guessed that in Jiyong’s childhood memory also went away with it.

 

“are you meeting a friend here?” Jiyong asked.

 

SengHyun shook his head… “I wish I can say a friend…but I actually don’t know.”

 

“A girlfriend?”

 

SeungHyun shook his head again this time while checking his phone, typing in that he’s here.

 

“then who?”

 

“Choi SeungHyun….”

 

SeungHyun stopped typing, it’s no longer needed anyways…Jiyong turned to see where the voice was coming from and also to find out why SeungHyun’s heart felt as if it went from zero to gazillion beats per minute….

 

A lady started walking while she waves her hand and her curly long hair dances with every step. SeungHyun’s hands started to shake, Jiyong noticed this and for a split second pouted as he feels sorry he couldn’t hold his Hyung’s hand to calm him down. Jiyong looked up again and saw the lady take off her shades…now he knows why SeungHyun was acting awkward and nervous all of the sudden.

 

The lady was surprised to see a little baby attached to SeungHyun. “Yours?”

 

“Ah no…” SeungHyun shook his head. “Seungri’s”

 

“whoa the maknae beat you all in the fatherhood race?”

 

Jiyong snorted.

 

“Ahh no no!” SeungHyun panicked, they should really need to make it a point to say “seungri’s nephew” and not just the maknae’s name.  “His nephew…I’m the one assigned to baby sit today.”

 

“Ok…how cute…” she pinched Jiyong’s cheek, Jiyong wanted to vomit…he knows this girl….but what he doesn’t know is why SeungHyun’s meeting her…..well no, seunghyun won’t do that…it’s definitely her who asked his hyung out. Jiyong kept telling himself.

 

“Wanna eat somewhere my treat….” She offered as they started walking out of the station.

 

“No…I asked to meet so I’m treating.” SeungHyun answered.

 

She smiled shyly then nodded. “still the debonair huh?”

 

“I just want to be man enough to do things the right way this time…” SeungHyun answered, making Jiyong’s stomach ache in disgust….he’s totally confused why on earth SeungHyun’s meeting her and now why on earth is he even acting gentleman like to someone who crushed his heart and being years ago.

 

“ok, so where?”

 

“the coffeeshop along my high school.” SeungHyun’s heart ached a little but he really want to eat there, he want to stay there and talk to her there….he wants to do his plans in  there…

 

“SeungHyun that place…”

 

“Belonged to us before, so I at least…..I at least want to go there again with you.” SeungHyun said with the saddest tone, but Jiyong didn’t see this, instead felt horrid and says to himself that his hyung is really the cheesiest person he met.

 

“ok….” She nodded.

 

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“Why on earth are we here…” Jiyong asked, SeungHyun was still focused on his invisible table cloth artwork. “HYUNG!”

 

SeungHyun snapped out and noticed Jiyong, his ex lover ordering coffee…. SeungHyun just shrug.

 

“What do you mean—shrug his shoulder—that? She broke up with you before we debut…I know she’s your first love…but she also became the person that almost ruined you, why crawl back to her..she’s PAST…PAST STUFFS SHOULD BE FORGOTTEN! ERASED! YOU KNOW TO BE---“

 

“what'a better me? Like forgetting the past worked out for you GD.” Seunghyun emphasized the word GD.

 

“huh?! Yeah! Life should be like a flash drive, you know what that’s what wrong with you guys, you don’t know how to handle your pasts…you all should have this recycle bin in that memory of yours and have enough guts to press ‘empty bin’ rather than refreshing.” Jiyong berated SeungHyun while his feet dangle against the edge of a high chair. It confuses him how sentimental his hyung is, something he sees as a big hindrance of SeungHyun’s growth.

 

“You know GD there are things in life you can’t forget.” SeungHyun reasoned out.

 

“No, I beg to differ…life’s just a piece of disk drive where we can choose which one to delete permanently or not….it’s all in the choice.”

 

“amazingly GD yeah you’re the king of ‘deleting’ memories…”

 

“yeah, cause they are just a bunch of dirty laundries and extra packages….” Jiyong snide, “like this place, argh all I can remember in this place is me being an annoying little kid who was adoring some random person too much --- I’m thankful I stepped outside the shadows of being a fan, or else I wouldn’t be me right now.”

 

Jiyong noticed SeungHyun stopped tapping his fingers, his hyung’s eyes went down and started shaking a little bit. “Hyung?”

 

SeungHyun’s heart broke…how could a little kid add too much pain to injury right now. He started double thinking if taking Ji with him is a good thing. He was looking forward to taking a trip down the memory lane with him but if this simple fact is something already forgotten by his dear friend…then he guesses it’ll be no good at all in the end.

 

“I can swear I know something happened in this place..ah I don’t want to think about it anymore.”

 

“Turtle and shell….” SeungHyun can’t help but be frustrated. He looked at the confused Jiyong. “Turtle and shell….”

 

“what the hyung, are you high?” Jiyong asked.

 

SeungHyun shook his head in reply. “GD…..tsk tsk tsk….I can’t believe my memories with you had been dwindled down to just being a random person…” SeungHyun looked up and his glassy eyes met Ji’s lost face.

 

It finally hit Ji….this place felt familiar cause it IS and SHOULD be familiar….

 

He gazed at the front door, the familiar cracked lower edge, then down to the wall designs and then on the tables…..all went hazy at firs but slowly became clearer.

 

An image of a slightly chubbier guy entered…stretching his arms and straightening his huge spectacles, few seconds later a younger man followed….It was Jiyong.

 

Jiyong just sat down on their favorite spot right at the back of the coffee shop, they’ve frequent this place too often that the owner marks this table reserved when school time ends anticipating the two best friends. Jiyong was busy checking the new gadget his dad got him, a weird looking cd player…

 

“Hey Jiyong what do you want?”

 

“whatever turtle get me what you’re getting.” Jiyong replied still eyeing the weird gadget.

 

“tsk.” SeungHyun ordered a couple of cheesecake and cold mocha frap. He squeezed his way on the table, irking at the part wherein he had to push it a little farther to make space big enough for him. “Do you really have to call me turtle huh? Can’t you get over that moment?”

 

“What you want? Hyunnie~~~” Jiyong winked, SeungHyun quickly backed away. “What? Moment?” Jiyong laughed at Seunghyun before acting innocent.

 

“that stupid sentimental moment I had in the beach.” SeungHyun wasn’t gullible he knows that Jiyong’s just pushing his buttons by making him say it out loud.

 

“kekeke….nope request denied. I like that memory, I’ll keep it forever.” Jiyong winked.

 

The waitress came and handed them their orders.

 

Seunghyun squirmed at the thought of this ‘turtle’ being his new nickname. “It’s not a big deal so what I got carried away when we saw those baby turtles hatch.”

 

“Turtle you didn’t just get carried away….you got flown out of the galaxy…” Jiyong laughed and his eyes turned to this tiny slit.

 

“You’re exaggerating.” SeungHyun shook his head, but silently hiding his blush and embarrassment.

 

“Nope, you’re too cute when you cried to seeing them get out of their shells then add how you look like this movie poster with hands out stretched saying ‘run turtles run to your freedom’” Jiyong copied SeungHyun’s most embarrassing moment.

 

He’s an emotional bloke, so yeah Jiyong sue him!

 

“I hate you.” SeungHyun grunted as he took out his notebooks, he hated studying more.

 

“Stop pretending to study I know you won’t.” Jiyong laughed, he took SeungHyun’s notes and started skimming through them. “I know most of this, I’ll start in 5 minutes…just let me…ah there..ahaha…that was fast.” Jiyong was finally able to fix his player then started answering SeungHyun’s homework. SeungHyun’s a year older than him but he’s been doing this since the day they’ve became close…

 

It was a funny thing that a dongsaeng was hired to be a tutor….which by now turned him to the person who doesn’t tutor anymore but more so…answers the homework for his student. He doesn’t care SeungHyun pays him a lot and besides….he’s not doing this anymore for the job but because he’d become fond of this friendship.

 

SeungHyun smirked at Jiyong tries to read his books…Jiyong noticed this and covered his face with his eyes playfully sneaking up to check on his huyng intentionally acting cute. SeungHyun pulled the book down and laughed, “It’s unfair.”

 

“What’s unfair? The fact that I’m doing your homework while you just sit down stare at me?” Jiyong laughed at SeungHyun serious look.

 

“Nope that I’m a turtle and you’re Jiyong to me.” SeungHyun giggled. “I want to call you something” SeungHyun demanded.

 

“Fine call me anything you want…” he replied but then held his breath, he just gave his hyung the complete opportunity figure out a way to embarrass him any time. Jiyong stopped writing and nervously anticipated SeungHyun’s reply.

 

“I know….” SeungHyun grinned. “I’ll call you shell.”

 

“Eh? Why shell?” Jiyong felt confused, SeungHyun damn need to explain this.

 

“Nothing…just figured since I’m a turtle…you’re my shell..this big weight of sarcastically carrying brat I have to deal with everyday.” SeungHyun answered while gesturing as if he was carrying a really heavy load on his shoulder.

 

SeungHyun laughed, but Jiyong pouted. “am I really that much of a burden to be with.” Jiyong answered wanting to ignore how pissed off he was.

 

SeungHyun wanted to tap his shoulder, it’s really rare for him to succeed at pushing Jiyong’s anger button…and this was really pushing it. “Shell that’s not just explanation.”

 

“then what?” Jiyong continued answering SeungHyun’s homework.

 

“Cause even if it’s a heavy load….turtles always knows that the shell always got his back to protect him and keep him warm.” SeungHyun finished..

 

Jiyong stopped writing and looked at Seunghyun.

 

It was a peaceful pause between the two friends. Seunghyun started feeling weird so he started drinking and shoved a teaspoonful of the cake.

 

“TURTLE!” Jiyong cried out, SeungHyun replied “Shell?”….Jiyong smiled wide, “yeah I can get use to that.”

 

Jiyong heart dropped in embarrassment realizing what SeungHyun really wanted in this place….it’s not to reminisce time with his previous lover….but with him.

 

“Hyung…”

 

“Yes GD?” SeungHyun replied without looking at his lost friend.

 

“Why are you calling me GD?” Jiyong noticed it and he knew it has something related to this. Seunghyung smirked a little bit but Ji knows it has sadness all over.

 

“It’s because you’re GD….and you’re not Jiyong…nor Ji…” SeungHyun looked at Ji who was confused for a second. He never really like to say this but he guesses this is the right time, for Jiyong to notice how he changes the way he calls him is enough sign for SeungHyun to loosen up, at least it proves Jiyong’s being more observant now. “In times wherein GD do stupid decisions and becomes too arrogant…I can’t bring up myself to be angry to Kwon Jiyong….so when I’m mad or I see something wrong, I know Jiyong won’t do that…he won’t be stupid like that, won’t disrespect me like that….GD can….but Jiyong….and more so Shell….he won’t do that…he can never and will never even think of doing that.” SeungHyun’s voice broke a little after finishing his words. He coughed and straightened his sit. “Just like how GD forgot this place was so meaning to shell and turtle…..”

 

The lady finally joined them, oblivious of their conversation.

 

“So what’s up?” She asked.

 

“Umm sorry noona, but this will be a quick one….” SeungHyun didn’t expect to be so much affected at how Jiyong changed…he can accept how personality wise and how his hair or outfit changes faster than the speed of light but not the fact he changed too much to forget their friendship. “I suddenly didn’t feel well.” ?”

 

“Oh it’s ok….I knew it, I’m sorry I had you to come here….” She put down her drink and waited for SeungHyun when he took out a tiny box. She smiled. “You found it where?”

 

“when I was playing around our stock room…I do it once in a while and check my old stuffs…sorry I didn’t remember where I placed that when we parted and then I moved to our dorm.” SeungHyun gave her a tiny pink box containing the last set of jewelry that he purchased for her before their infamous break up.

 

“SeungHyun I’m still not sure if I should accept this….”

 

“Nope, I want you too..we’re friends now so I really want you to still have it. Besides, if I sell them….it’ll just defeat the purpose of why I worked so hard to get enough money to buy that. You were the one in my head when I worked three jobs, so of course you’re the one who only deserves to wear that.” SeungHyun smiled. She closed the box then gave him  a sincere thank you then an endless rain of apologies. “No..haha, you don’t have to say sorry…look it’s a past that I’m not bitter to anymore, but I love holding on to them..it was beautiful and sad at the same time…but what I am happy about is that it helped me be who I am…so noona..it’s ok….don’t say sorry” SeungHyun assured her before happily asking about her family now and her two new kids.

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Ok i was laughing realy hard when i encountered their used to be cyworld messages click here if you want to see-> TurtlexShell

Anyways how'd you like it? I hope i didn't confuse you guys about when TOP likes to call Jiyong ->GD...awwe...hope to hear any thoughts about this..sorry for my bad english i'm not really good in editing and i'm squeezing this in my review lol..so yeah thanks!