39 | The Pang
My Perfect Stranger
✗ Lee Gikwang ✗
I stare at the text message I've type a minute ago, hesitating to hit the send button. My thumb moves to the back button and discard the message.
It has happened for numerous times since an hour ago. I want to send a text message to Rima but I don't find good words nor courage to do it so I end up typing the text but never send it anyway.
Yesterday is a complete mess.
Right after I read the short threatening letter, I heard a loud noise from outside. I could hear Junhyung's voice, calling for Rima.
I immediately put the pictures and letter inside of my shelf before stormed out from my room to find Junhyung was trying to stop Rima from leaving our apartment.
"Wait! Rima, wait!" Junhyung tightened his grip on her wrist with panic tone. "Listen to me! Yah!"
"Let me go!" Rima tried to pull her hand from Junhyung. "Yah! I don't want to talk with you! Yah! It hurts! Yong Junhyung!"
Junhyung finally released her hand and they finally noticed my presence. Both of them took quick glances at me before looked away, filling the main room with the awkward atmosphere.
I could see tears on Rima's cheeks. She wiped them roughly; how I wanted to wipe them away gently, not looking at her torturing herself like what she's doing now... yet I couldn't.
"W-What's wrong?" I tried to act calm, looking at them in turn. None of them answered me but Rima chose to stomp away without a word, heading to the front door in a flash.
"Yah, Kim Rima, you better sto-" Junhyung was going to chase after her but I quickly stopped him, holding his shoulder firmly. "What..."
I shook my head slowly as a sign that he shouldn't chase after her. Rima closed the door behind her and Junhyung gave me a disbelief look, "Yah! I need to talk with her!"
"Don't," I mumbled randomly.
Those pictures I just saw made my mind went blank. They would not bring any good for both parties; Rima's reputation would be stained and I was sure the President would be really mad at me.
I just... didn't want anything bad happen to Rima.
"What?" Junhyung frowned, confused with my mumbling. "Yah, what's wrong with you?!"
Should I tell him?
"Just leave her for now...," I avoided the chance to tell him the truth. I didn't think it's a good idea for him to know that I had a feeling for Rima.
Not when he looked to be grateful in acting as her boyfriend.
"Aish," I mess my hair with my fingers with frustration. "Rima... will you ever stop making me confused by my own feeling?"
"Gikwang!" Doojoon knocks my door impatiently. "Come on. We're leaving!"
I heave a sigh and then put my phone in my pocket, "Ah! I know! I know!"
I need to think about the person behind the letter later. As for now I think there is another problem which will occur later.
✗ Yong Junhyung ✗
I tap my fingers on the table randomly, letting my mind to wander to somewhere else.
What is Rima doing right now? Is she still mad at me? Should I text her? Should I call her? What should I say to her?
Those questions are running in my head since last night but I don't do anything; I'm too afraid that I will pick up wrong option and make everything worse than now.
"Don't daydream here," Yoseob pats my shoulder twice before taking a seat next to me. "What's with that face? We're recording for charity project here."
He hands over the lyrics sheet to me, staring at me with curious look, "You know that you can talk to me about anything, right?"
We're currently waiting for the recording of our collaboration project for charity event with other artists. We are the second group who came first after Rainbow.
I read the lyrics and then scoff with sarcasm, knowing that I'm one of the writers for the lyrics of this song, a song about how important life is and how regret always comes late.
I guess that's what happening to me.
Regret.
When I saw Rima holding the ring, I was stunned. My mind worked first before I could think of anything. There's a part of me kept telling me that Rima shouldn't know about the ring.
It's not that I'm playing with her feeling or else but...
I don't know how to explain it.
Rima's face crosses my mind again. I can remember her expression clearly; she was hurt. She was disappointed. She was really mad.
I couldn't blame her anyway but what I don't understand is why Gikwang prevented me from chasing after her yesterday. Why wouldn't he let me try to talk with her?
"I'm alright...," I pretend to focus on the lyrics sheet. "I'm just tired..."
Yoseob is not that dense and I know it; I'm just trying to divert the topic but he makes me speechless with his next question, "Your fake relationship is going to end next week. Have you talked with Rima?"
Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I don't need to answer the question. Not even to think about it for the moment.
"KARA has arrived!" one of the staffs announces out loud as five girls step in the waiting room. "Please wait until the others come."
I turn around to face them and my eyes finally meet with her directly.
After months of avoiding her.
"Junhyung Oppa," Hara smiles sheepishly to me. "Let's do the best for today."
For an unknown reason, her smile makes me feel a pang in my heart.
✗ Kim Rima ✗
I play the piano out of control, playing random tunes just so silence will not fill the music room. I don't even care if my father will scold me if he hears me.
Call me bold or else but I'm actually mad because none of them tried to contact me since yesterday. Junhyung doesn't even apologize and Gikwang just...
Does he really not care about me that he doesn't even try to ask me about what happened between me and Junhyung?
"AIGOO!" I slam the piano tunes loudly as my heart feels another pang that makes me want to shed tears again. "Fine! I don't care!"
"Looks like someone is mad here."
I immediately turn and see Yoorin is leaning to the door with a smirk. She chuckles at my reaction, "What is it, cousin? Your boyfriend?"
The 'boyfriend' word catches me on guard. I stand up and rushes to her with serious expression, "You! Now you dare to show up after sending those pictures?!"
"Wow, wow, easy, cousin," she takes steps backwards carefully. "If you're talking about those pictures between you and that idol, I don't have any connection with it."
"Try to fool me, Yoorin," I cross my arms together. "My father told me you returned to your house but I think you're actually hiding, weren't you?"
Yoorin shoots me a deadly glare, "Look, I don't care if you don't believe in me but doing that don't give me anything good. Your father would hate me if I did that."
She has a point.
"Is that Eric's work?" I ask Yoorin, feeling doubtful all of a sudden. Maybe my bad mood has clouded my judgement.
Instead of giving me an answer, Yoorin hands over an envelope to me, "Eric asked me to give this letter to you. He said he will visit you tomorrow night to talk about it."
"I'm leaving," Yoorin opens the door and looks at me before steps out from the room. "Honestly, I don't care about what happened to you but ruining your life means ruining mine."
I stare at the white envelope for seconds before opening it to read what's inside; Eric wrote the letter all in English.
"Dear my beautiful fiancee,
I've heard about your relationship news with Yong Junhyung.
I know I made mistakes.
I know you're mad at me.
But I know I can make you happy.
We don't need to care about the whole publicity issue.
I promise that I will always and only love you.
Will you please give me another chance, Rima?
Sincerely with love,
Eric Hazelwine"
Another... chance?
Comments