January 2013

She walked and walked. Junhee was so angry and upset. Once a fat tears rolled down her cheek, she brushed it harshly. She swore that it was the most ridiculous thing in her live ever. She didn’t expect her father ask her to get married that early. She hadn’t been twenty-three years old and yet they were talking about marriage. Yes, she graduated early from college but, of course, she wanted to enjoy her time before getting married.

And what she couldn’t believe even more was whom her father wanted her to get married to. Wu Yifan and she just met a couple days ago for God’s sake. Well, she admitted that she could mention one or two of his charm, but those were physically. She didn’t know this man better yet. They hoped to see each other again, but not in that kind of situation.

She continued walking, sometimes stomped in anger. “My God, I can’t believe it! How can they? It’s freaking nine-year . That’s huge!” she grunted. She walked and walked but then stopped when one of her heels stuck into a little hole. “Oh, come one...”

She tried to move her right leg but she couldn’t so she put off both of her pump shoes and crouched down. Junhee used all of her remaining strength to pull out her shoes and after a few times she succed, but it was broken. It became a pump shoe without heel. She stood up angrily. She sat down on nearby bench as began crying again.

She loved her parents very much, especially her father although they were not close. She always obeyed them, but she didn’t think she would for this one. But what if her parents felt sad? What if her parents were upset with her? A few seconds later she felt so, too, cold. Her dress became wet, and her hair too. “Well, can’t you be a little kind to me? I am stressed here and why are you snowing all of sudden?” she complained as she looked up at the sky.

…

A really awkward silence was all over the air after Junhee left. Baekhee stopped eating, stared at her food blankly. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Junhee’s father, he must be really angry. The same thing happened to Junhee’s mom and Yifan’s mama. “Well, I did prepare myself for Junhee’s rejection but I didn’t expect that she would runaway” Junhee’s Dad said. “Young man, can we enjoy our desert at the backyard? I am looking forward to having a little chat with you. Are you fine with that?”

“Yes, of couse, Mr Kim” Yifan looked at his Mama, looked a little bit lost before grabbing his small ceramic bowl full of honey rice cakes. He excused then followed Junhee’s dad to the backyard.

“Sit down, Yifan. There are few things I want you to know about my stubborn daughter” Junhee’s dad said. Yifan sat down nervously. “Are you sure you want to marry Junhee, my daughter?”

“Yes, I am, Mr Kim”

“Then I hope you have a will to listen to all I will tell you and reconsider” Junhee’s dad took a deep breath. “I am sure you think my daughter and I aren’t close considering how she talks to me, but believe me it’s just me who is at fault”

“How so?”

“As you already know, Junhee is my only daughter, my sweetheart. She was born after four years of waiting” He strated to tell. “We treated her like a princess. We gave her anything she wanted. Even I worked at home because I couldn’t bear even a second without her.

Everything was fine until she was eight years old. Our business was getting down and finally on the worst condition so fast that I couldn’t do anything much. I started to worked hard to the point I never came home before the dawn. I went abroad for work so often. As I always brought my Junhee’s mom with me, practically Junhee was left alone here only with the nanny.

That went continuesly for eleven years, could you believe that? We missed her birthday, missed the day she received rewards for her achievements, ignored her when she told us proudly that she could graduate faster than her friends, never came to her school for Parents’ Day. Junhee grew distant from us. Our spoiled Junhee grew up very independent, well, too independent for my liking. We could never talk normally like other fathers and daughters do. She warmed up to her mom quite fast, about a year and a half I think, but I guess that she still can’t warm up to me” He didn’t look at Yifan while telling him. He looked at the snow that coming down, feeling very worried about his daughter.

“Uhm, Mr Kim-”

“Yeobo, your tea. And this one is for you, Yifan” Junhee’s mom came with two cups of tea, her heart broke when she saw her husband. “Don’t worry too much, Junhee’s just shocked” she said as she patted her husband’s shoulder softly then left the two men alone.

Junhee’s dad chuckled awkwardly. “I understand that you can’t believe it. I don’t even know if she ever dated someone” his eyes started to water. “I know what I did wrong. I left her alone, let her grew up without our presence. She hasn’t been able to forgive me but what did I do just now? I asked her to get married to someone she just met a couple of days ago and I even scolded her in front of you all”

“It’s not, Mr Kim. It’s also my fault. I came to you, asking to do all of these”

“Young man, do you know why I approve you? Do you know how happy I am knowing someone as great as you asking if you can marry our daughter?” Junhee’s dad tried to calm himself by sipping his tea. “Because no matter how independent Junhee now is, she needs someone to lean on. She doesn’t come to us when she’s facing a problem. She keeps shut then cries silently in her room. Do you know how painful that is for me?

“I want her to have someone on her side who always cherish her, love her, hold her, hug her. Someone to rely on, someone to share both happiness and burden. Ah, someone who will always dance with her when it rains and thunders are being too loud”

“Mr Kim..”

Junhee’s dad looked at Yifan. “You will help me to be there with Junhee, right?”

…

Junhee sniffled and tried her best to hold her tears then gulped the liquid. Well, she was cold because of the snow so Junhee dicided to have soju. It was her second bottle already. Her phone buzzed, she smiled but then pouted as she didn’t find her purse. She forgot, okay? No, she ran away and it was still a good thing she had her phone with her.

Bunny Baek.

“Helllloooowww you bunny my sweeeetttyy” she sang.

“Gosh, Junhee, are you drinking?” Baekhee shrieked on the other line. “Where are you?”

“I am long away from Seoul. Lloooooooooonnngg awaaay from that Wu Chinese” Junhee laughed until nearly stumbled down her seat. “He paid you to call me back home, raaaiit? NO! I don’t wannaa come home”

“JUNHEE! JUST TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE! It’s freaking snowing! You must go home now”

“I don’t knowww, I told you” then Junhee chuckled again. “Byebye you bunny” then she hanged up the call, ignoring her bestfriend who was panicked.

…

Yifan floored again with his eyes looked out of his car’s window like a hawk. He went to search Junhee although her parents said no need to. Crazy, he thought. He knew that they thought Junhee could overcome this but not that quick. He went to several places Junhee told him that she often visited, but nothing. She was not appeared anywhere.

At verge of panicking, a message from Byun Baekhee popped out on his phone’s screen, telling that Junhee had been drinking at her favourite pojangmacha near the Central Park and she couldn’t pick her up as her car was being repaired.

Yifan didn’t care he broke the traffic rules, but it was Junhee! And Junhee told him herself that she couldn’t drink. He stopped abruptly as he saw a few pojangmachas, ran out of his car and checked one by one.

There she was. In the last pojangmacha he checked, Junhee was sitting with a two bottles of soju on the table, her face was flushed. She was drunk. He approached her nervously.

“Miss Kim Junhee?” he called as he patted her shoulder. She jolted up then looked at him with narrowed eyes.

“Oh, hello there you-hic-Mr Good Smell” she greeted clumsily. “This soju is-hic-nice and, oh, I have pleenntyyy-hic- ddeokboki. Have a seat” she pulled Yifan’s arm until he nearly fell down.

Yifan had her hand on Junhee’s back, supporting her who couldn’t sit properly. “We have to go. You have to go home”

“WHO ARE YOU TELLIN-hic- ME THINGS?!” Junhee shouted, making all attention went to both of them. “What? All of people are telling me-hic-to marry you and now you are-hic-telling me to do things? Oh, people these days”

Yifan couldn’t take things anymore. He took out some money and put it on the table. He didn’t care what Junhee was blabbering about. He caught Junhee’s hand and in a blink of eye, she was lifted and put on his broad and strong shoulder. “What are you doing? Put me down! Put me down, will you? YAH!”