[Loving Strangers]

JinHee was silent ever since those words came out of Yixing’s mouth.

A feeling of euphoria filled her nerves, and she knew he was as nervous as she was, for she could feel his heart palpitating against her hands.

But somehow JinHee felt like they were missing something…

Something crucial.

“You can’t like me, Yixing.”

He let go of her hands slowly, shaken by what she just said. “What?”

JinHee looked away, trying to avoid the boy’s pleading eyes. They were glassy and round, like a cat begging to its master. Yixing took her hands in his again, urging her to look his way.

“Why not, JinHee?”

She sighed, “Do you even know me? Who I am?”

“Of course I do.” He answered incredulously, “You’re Seo JinHee.”

The girl nodded along slowly, “Yes… And what do you know about Seo JinHee?”

“Well, you like wearing high heels, you wear lavender and rosemary shampoo, you can play the piano, you can sing…”

“But that’s all very vague, Yixing.” She cut him off, “Let’s start with my age...”

“…Do you even know how old I am?”

His eyes searched for hers in confusion, not knowing the answer himself. Well JinHee looked young… She must be in her early twenties, considering that she wanted to apply for college. But Yixing couldn’t be sure. She had never told him about her age.

Or anything else, in that matter.

“See? You don’t know me.” She said, “How are you even sure that you like me?”

Yixing kept quiet, realizing that there is some truth in the words she said. He barely even knew this girl- and they had the weirdest type of relationship. He had only met her a few months ago; yet still don’t know any basic thing about her.

“Let’s be realistic, Yixing. We are still strangers. Well, at least, I am.” JinHee said, shrugging off the boy’s hold of her hands and took her bag.

“Think about it again,” she said, her back facing him, “All of this might be as mistake.”

*****

JooHyun was walking around the vast ballroom, swimming through the crowd of people. After talking to YongHwa, she didn’t feel like staying for the party anymore. She just wanted to get out of this entire mess…

But her husband was missing in action.

JooHyun could’ve sworn that it hadn’t been more than 15 minutes since she left him, and now he was nowhere in sight.

Lifting her long red gown lightly, she stepped down the flight of stairs, eyes still alert for the man named JangHyuk.

“Excuse me, have you seen Mr. Shin JangHyuk anywhere?” she asked one of the waiters on standby. The lady’s face contorted- she had seen too many guests tonight, “Uhh- yes ma’am. I think he went somewhere near the gardens with a lady… But I’m not quite sure.”

JinHee bowed her head slightly in a ‘thank you’ gesture and walked off to the huge opening at the end of the ballroom. She was confused as to whom her husband was with, and why, out of all places, did it have to be a garden?

It was uncomfortable enough to wear this attire, and mixing them with dirt won’t do her any sort of justice. She wanted to curse under her breath, but decided against it.

She was Seo JooHyun after all.

Or make that Shin JooHyun.

The back gardens were a beautiful masterpiece- lined with blooming buds of lilies and lilacs here and there. The green grass of Spring were growing in little square tufts, perfectly shaped and sculpted into shallow fences around the trees. Soft glows of the garden lamps illuminated the wooden barks of the lush trees, making it appear magical in a way.

JooHyun breathed in the cold night’s air and proceeded with walking along the pebbled pathways of the garden, trying to search for JangHyuk.

Some incoherent noises were heard near the fountain, surrounded by all sorts of trees. She walked in closer, careful as to not make any distinct sound.

JangHyuk was sitting there on a bench, and sitting beside him, was a woman who looked younger than JooHyun in age. Her eyebrows creased to the middle as she recognized the other girl.

It was her cousin, Seo HyeSun.

JooHyun wasn’t surprised to why she was here- since she already saw HyeSun’s backstabbing