Chapter Two: Hello & Goodbye

When a man loves a woman, and has his suspicions, will things end well?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

   "Seul Bi, are you done working?" asked Ren, sitting on his couch with the TV off. "Are you doing well?"

   Seul Bi sighed into her phone, exasperated by his constant worry. "I'm fine. I just have another hour until I get off. I have to rewrite a script."

   He could imagine her wih the white blouse, tight black pants, and black heels on her petite body. She would be at her desk with her laptop open. Her almond shaped, brown-earthly eyes would be directed towards her screen, with her pink heart-shaped lips puckered in frustration as she tried to fix her script. Her dark brown hair would curl in her hands as she intertwined her fingers in them, leaving it wavy when she let it go. Her outer beauty would be as enchanting as her kind, caring, and loving nature.

   Ren shook himself out of his thoughts, not knowing if he should believe her words. She had been acting distant recently. And with all those men around her at work who stuck by her side knowing she couldn't say no to a simple help, it was hard not to.

   "All right...did you eat already? Want me to cook when you come home?"

   She rubbed her temples, furrowing her eyebrows. "Yes, I did. And no, you shouldn't cook. You burned yourself last time, remember?" Even though his worrying did frustrate her, she did love him for wanting to see to her well-being. "Is everything all right with you?"

   Ren smiled softly, his suspicion dissolving. "Yes. I just wanted to know if you were doing well."

   ~One Week Later~

   "Hello?" Ren was walking towards Seul Bi's workplace. "Hello?" The screen on the phone showed that she had picked up her cell, but sound wasn't coming through.

   "Claire?" Ren's heart picked up speed.

   On the other end, Seul Bi was being held against the bathroom wall by someone she used to rely on: her male friend, Joo Won. A coworker who started work the same day she did and helped her fight her way to the position she was in today.

   "Hey! What are you doing? Her heart beat at such a quick pace that her head became light, her breathing shortening. "Joo Won..."

   "Why him? Why him?! He's skinny and doesn't look at all manly!" Shouted Joo Won, pushing Seul Bi harder against the wall. "He looks so fragile, and yet you still go back to him every night, acting and pretending he's someone that can protect you. I can protect you."

   Joo Won wasn't one to act like this. Not to her, at least. For the past three years he was kind and thoughtful. Someone who listened to her every word, helping her through her every worry. Why was he being like this when it was he who helped her get together with Ren? He knew she didn't feel the same way he did, yet he was forcing himself upon her, with what outcome in mind? She wasn't going to love him no matter what he did. Ren would always be her one true love.

   Her face was flushed with heat. "Who cares who I love? Who cares how he dresses, acts, or looks? What you're doing right now is not setting my mind straight of making me thing you're manlier than him, but it's hurting me and it's proving the fact that I made the right choice."

   "Seul Bi? Are you in there?" asked a coworker. "Why did you lock the door?"

   She was about to say something, but Joo Won pushed her into a stall.

   "Ren...Ren is mine and you can't tell me otherwise!" She struggled from his grip, slipping backwards as the stall door opened at the same time the entrance door was unlocked. She glanced to her left before she fell, seeing a shocked Ren at the entrance.

   Just then, Joo Won, to help her from falling on her head, grabbed her by the waist and didn't lose his opportunity; he went in and kissed her forcefully. An open-mouthed Ren dropped a bag of take-out food. His eyes weren't teary, but his expression was already broken and hurt.

   Seul Bi pushed away from Joo Won and tried to explain, but Ren was already leaving the bathroom, pushing his way out from the crowd of employees.

   "Ren!" she shouted before tears streaked down her cheeks.

   She ran after him, but he wasn't anywhere to be found. She knew she had to explain to him in person. But the way he was now, she didn't have the heart to face him even though she was not in the wrong.

~Two months later~

   "What are you looking at?" Ren asked, walking into the living room with two cups of coffee in his hands.

   Seul Bi frowned, not wanting him to see her looking at her Facebook wall full of hate comments. "It's nothing." She slid the phone under the pillow, grabbing the cup of coffee from his hand and putting it on a coaster on the table.

   "It can't be another lover right?' He said so bluntly; it hurt her.

   "I thought I explained to you exactly what happened." Her heart dropped a few stories, disbelieving of what Ren had just asked. "I told you I didn't do anything with him. That he did that to me--"

   "I was just joking--"

   "That wasn't funny." She said sternly, more hurt than when he ignored her for nearly a week.

   "I just can't be too sure, I mean...you work around so many guys; who knows how many times--"

   Slap!

   She couldn't handle her hurt pride and anger. "Do you know why I went out with you despite your appearance and everyone's comments? Because I thought you knew how to treat girls right. I thought you had a bigger heart than others." With a heavy heart, she turned away. "I don't want to see you anymore." She stood up and walked out of the room and out of the house, not caring that her entire two-year relationship was down the drain at this point.

   As she got out of the house, she was about to cross the street when--

   Bam!

   Honk! Honk!

   A truck speedily crashed into her; her body rolled down the street.

   "Seul Bi!" Ren had ran out of the house and onto the bloody scene, his suspicion and lack of trust in her was gone; all he saw was her at that moment.

   Her eyes were closed, her lips were shut, her face was still radiant with color. Was this the tragic end for them? For something so little, something so stupid...

   I should have kept my mouth shut. I shouldn't have suspected her. I shouldn't have said any of it. I made her angry and caused her to step out. I caused this...I'm sorry, Seul Bi. Ren chastised himself until he bawled and screamed.

   "Ren--" Seul Bi fell limp, really feeling like she weighed nothing but paper.

   This crushed Ren as he had to face the fact. The ugly truth.

~One Year Later~

   "Happy birthday to you. It's been one year, so happy first birthday." Ren clapped his hands in front of Seul Bi's gravestone. "Happy birthday, angel; we've had lots of memories, but now you're here. I hope you're happier now." He placed three roses on her stone, two for the two years of their love, and one for the year of her death anniversary.

~That night~

   "Your message cannot be received. The caller you are calling is not available or has been disconnected. Please hang up or try again."

   Even though he didn't hang up, he only asked, "Hello? Did you eat? Are you okay? Where are you? You not being here makes me feel empty since I can't see you. Your eyes are closed, why can't you see me like this and wake up?" Silence overtook him. "Did you eat? Where are you? Hello...?" His insanity overwhelmed him as he stared at the ceiling, blank as he repeated over and over: "Hello? Did you eat? Where are you? You not being here..."

   Hello, Seul Bi. Goodbye, Seul Bi.