Stay With Me
Stay With Me, Because We Belong TogetherThe moment Hanna stormed out of the café, Jiyong and Chaerin were left hanging in the café, not really knowing how to react to Hanna's outburst. She had seemed serious about giving the whole friendship up if Jiyong and Chaerin did not muster up their courage to face everything head on instead of running away.
Jiyong: So. What do we do now?
Chaerin: I have no idea.
Jiyong: Hanna seems serious this time. About giving up on us. But truthfully, I don't really want that to happen.
Chaerin: Honestly, I don't want that to happen either but I really have no idea how to solve it for now.
Jiyong: Okay well to start off, Hanna and I have been talking, and we have concluded that we still have a shot at this as long as you don't reject this and run away anymore. Both of us are all ready to put everything behind us and continue with the Iron Triangle. But ever since that day, you have been pushing us away. Will you let us come into your world again, and be there for you without reservations like we have always had before started happening?
Chaerin: I... Well I... I really have no idea. I've got to go, my mum's waiting for me at home.
With that, Chaerin took up her bag and file and rushed out of the café, not giving Jiyong another chance to speak a word on the issue. At the end of the day, Jiyong was left alone sitting in the café by himself, sipping his mocha and thinking about life.
While Jiyong and Chaerin had that short conversation, Hanna was taking a slow walk from the café back home. Many thoughts were running through her mind. Though she said that she was ready to give up on the Iron Triangle, she was totally not. But she knew she had to say something harsh to warn them, to pre-empt them on what was about to happen. Small raindrops started falling on her as her memories with the Iron Triangle started playing through her mind. The place the Iron Triangle has in her heart had never once changed. They have always been that important to her.
But now, things were different. Hanna now had a new path in life to embark on, and unfortunately this path was hard to integrate the Iron Triangle into her daily life. But yet, she did not want to leave both Jiyong and Chaerin alone. Thus, she figured that the minimum she could do was to salvage the friendship, the relationship between the two before she left.
She knew that by saying she was ready to give up, Jiyong and Chaerin would realise the gravity of everything, and know how much she wanted to solve this as amicably as possible. She hoped that when she left, both Jiyong and Chaerin would understand this intention of her words and be able to get over their own hurdles to retain only the happiness of the Iron Triangle while creating new ones.
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The next day in school, Jiyong and Chaerin arrived in school, both looking for Hanna to see how things were going to get on. But even though they kept their eyes peeled open to look for her, she was nowhere in sight. They figured that maybe she was not in school today, hence not seeing her around.
However, when they got to a common class for the Iron Triangle, they found out the truth. While the teacher was taking attendence by reading out names one by one, she had let slip of the truth to the rest of the class. "Moon Hanna! Moon Hanna! Moon Hanna? Where is that girl. Oh wait, she has just applied for a long leave of absence from school yesterday how could I forget."
Jiyong and Chaerin's jaw dropped in that instant. "What? Leave of absence? And a long one at that? What exactly is going on?" These thoughts constantly plagued their minds throughout the lesson, both not paying attention at all to the teacher. After that period was lunch and the both of them stayed behind in the classroom to talk.
Jiyong: I didn't hear that wrongly right. About Hanna.
Chaerin: No you didn't I think. She said Hanna applied for a long leave of absence right.
Jiyong: Nothing wrong with both of our hearing then.
Chaerin: Why? Why did she? I don't get it I just don't. Everything is getting too complicated.
Jiyong: It's not like her to just disappear like that without telling us. I'm going to go find her.
Chaerin: How are you going to find her? If she applied for a long leave of absence, do you think she'll be at her usual haunts or her house? I really don't think so.
Jiyong: Then what? I can't just sit there and do nothing but wait.
Chaerin: I have no idea. I really don't. I'm at a loss right now. I- I-, Hanna was like one of the pillars in my life. Without her, I feel lost. I feel like there's a part of me missing. What am I going to do?
Chaerin started to panic at that point in time and all Jiyong could do was to comfort her, helping her to gradually come to terms with the fact that Hanna was no longer constantly hovering over them and being there for them.
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Over the next two weeks or so, Jiyong and Chaerin spent increasingly more time together. Only the two of them could really understand what Hanna’s leaving meant to both of them. She was just like an anchor to both of them in life, always being there for them whenever they were in trouble. Now, she wasn’t next to them anymore to tell them she would always be there and going through it with them, they felt lost.
But, both of them soon found their solace in each other again, anchoring themselves once again. When they started getting over the negativity, they realized that they had always known Hanna would not leave them forever, knowing how much they meant to her. This time, though Hanna wasn’t there to ride the rough waves with them, they had each other.
After much thinking about exactly what substance the Iron Triangle contained, they saw Hanna’s heart and intention. They started understanding how Hanna can mean her words when she said she’ll support their relationship, because in a friendship there is no right or wrong, there is only being there or not. By the time they saw Hanna’s intention, they had figured out their feelings as well, knowing fully well what they wanted.
It was just another day, weeks after Hanna had left without a word.
Jiyong: You know, recently I have been doing a lot of thinking, And I guess, I understand Hanna now. I understand why she felt exasperated with us, not for us getting together the last time but for not telling her.
Chaerin: Yeah, I do too. I mean, I’m starting to think I’ve been foolish then. I’m sorry, I created all these trouble then with that stupid thinking I had and decisions I made. I’m glad we’re at the very least still friends now.
Jiyong: Friends? Yeah. But. Are we only friends?
Chaerin: Jiyong-ah.
Jiyong: Chaerin. Both of us now know what exactly Hanna felt and what she was thinking. And we both know we haven’t got over that short prematurely ended relationship. Let’s start afresh, this time properly shall we?
Chaerin knew that Jiyong was right. Indeed, they both sorted everything in their minds and hearts out, knowing exactly what they want and need right now. Chaerin gave some thought to starting afresh with Jiyong, and truthfully, she was hoping that Jiyong would think that way for she had wanted to bring it up over the next few days.
Chaerin: Let’s take another shot at this. I feel like we do have something. This time, we start on the right foot, and everything will go on fine.
Jiyong and Chaerin slipped their hands to each other, intertwining their fingers. Their feelings for each other had never diminished, but they had been suppressing it all these while. Now that everything was out in the open, even to Hanna, their feelings for each other were displayed openly.
To make sure they don’t make the same mistake twice, Jiyong and Chaerin decided to take a selfie of them holding hands, signifying they got back together, and send it to Hanna with a message. This time, they wanted Hanna to be the first to know they got back together.
Hanna-yah. It’s been 17 days since you’ve left without a word. Through these 17 days, we finally understood your point of view. Sorry we took so long. And, we don’t want to repeat the same mistake twice. From your advice, we realized what our hearts truly wanted, and here it is! You’re the first to know okay, because no matter what we’re still the Iron Triangle. Missing you and we’ll always be waiting for you wherever you may be!
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