06 | The Smile
My Perfect Stranger
✗ Kim Rima ✗
I fix the position of my glasses with my finger while checking my phone but there is still no new notification on the screen.
It's already 8 PM and I still haven't eat anything for dinner. The scene of the news I just watched before is still lingering in my mind and my curiosity has taken over me to find the reason of using an impostor as me in front of the public.
Come to think of it, there are several things which are really strange. The fact that my father didn't try to call my phone the whole day is pretty much makes me curious. What is my father planning?
After assuring Gikwang that he could join his group to dinner without me because I needed to run some errands, I quickly call Yujin and, just like what I've thought, she picked up the call and asked me where I was with whispering voice.
Without wasting any second, I told her to meet me at the coffee shop where I met Junhyung yesterday. Yujin said that she would meet me at 8 PM, after the welcoming party has finished. She would sneak out without my father knowing about it.
I rest my arms on the table, glancing at the cup of hot chocolate I ordered. My father is the one who made me to have special taste in chocolate because he often made hot chocolate for me before I went to sleep when I was still a little kid.
Even until now my father doesn't like to drink coffee. Not even when he works late for his business; he still chooses chocolate over coffee. At least three years ago I still made the drink for him at night.
I don't hate my father. Not even for the slightest. I just can't get along with his principal of hating music when music is the only thing I really love. I can understand that he hates the man who took my mother away but it's not music who took her from him, right?
If my father can't understand me then I'm not going to beg his understanding. I'm not a little kid anymore and, being the stubborn and critical person, I will show him what I can do. I want to show him that I'm not only living in a dream.
"Rima?"
I look up to see Yujin with her white coat. She sits right in front of me, sighing in relief when I smile to her, "I'm glad you're alright! Where did you stay last night? Why didn't you tell me anything? Do you know that I-"
"Calm down, Unnie," I cut her words abruptly. "Slow down and your volume is quite loud, you know. I'll tell you whatever you want to ask after I left yesterday but I have questions for you as well after that."
Yujin holds her breath before sighing heavily and then starts giving me question by question, from the reason I left without any warning, where I slept last night, and where I stay now. I answer her questions briefly but I avoid telling her the fact that an idol is helping me.
"You believe the stranger?!" Yujin's eyes widen in shock. "Rima! What if he planned something evil? I'll help you find another place to stay, okay? You can't trust random stranger for a place to stay!"
"It's alright," I say calmly, sipping the hot chocolate. "Don't worry. I can't explain the details but you don't need to worry about me because this person needs my help as well. We're helping each other."
"But-" Yujin wants to complaint again but I immediately stops her from questioning me because I am the one who wants to ask question now.
"Why did Yoorin appear as me at the welcoming party?" I blurt out the question and Yujin drops her gaze, trying to clear nervously because of my direct question.
Jung Yoorin is my real cousin. She is the daughter of my father's older sister. My father is the one who helps her family after her father broke down because of debts of gambling four years ago. When we left to Seoul, my father asked them to stay still in New York, giving away our house for them to take care.
It's not the fact that my father used someone else to act as me which makes me feel uneasy. It's because Yoorin is the one who acts as me.
Let's just say that Yoorin is not the type I want to confront with. Besides she is really different from me. I don't understand why my father even asked her help but I guess it's because he doesn't have another option since there's not many persons who know how I look like.
Yoorin was also born on 1991 and she is also the only daughter in her family. She dyed her long hair into blonde and party in the club is definitely on her list for almost every night. She is the type of a girl who makes men have interests on her in instance because of her cheerful and easy going attitude.
However it's not an act when she played the piano which I saw on the television. She can play piano and violin because my father told her that it's a necessary for a girl from prestigious family to master the elegant classical instruments.
"Don't you wonder why your father or me didn't try to call you, Rima?" Yujin asks me back with worried look. "When I found your letter this morning, I was really panic but your father told me to ignore the letter because he didn't want to cancel the welcoming party. He immediately asked Yoorin to take a flight to Seoul and she arrived just in time."
"When I wanted to call you, Mr Kim told me that I didn't need to do it because you're the one who has decided to leave the house. He said that he would wait for you to show him what music can do for you," Yujin explains, intertwining her fingers together. "He said that he's not going to try and find you because he's pretty sure that you'll come back in no time."
As arrogant as usual. My father always has this kind of confidence but this is one of his traits that makes him this successful though; he believes that I'm going to 'lose' in this little battle of mind between me and him.
"Rima, let's return," Yujin embraces my hand gently. "Your father can't rely on Yoorin forever. I'll help you talk with your father so you can pursue your dream in music, okay?"
"There's no use of it," I pull my hand away, leaning my back on the chair. "I can live without his help, Unnie. I will show him what I'm capable of."
"Unnie, please don't tell him anything. Don't tell him that you met me. I promise you I will return as soon as possible after I have the proof that music is not only a childish dream," I ensure Yujin, looking directly at her. "You know I never joke around about music."
Yujin bites her bottom lip, thinking about what I said and she finally nods slowly, "Fine. I'll keep this meeting as a secret but promise me you will take care of yourself and tell me if you need any help, okay?"
A smile blossoms on my face as I answer, "I promise."
After telling me about the grand welcoming party and that she would tell me if Yoorin use my name for something bad, she excuses herself to return because my father will be wondering about where she is. I bid her goodbye and step out from the coffee shop.
When Yujin has left me alone, a question crosses my mind.
How can I prove to my father that music is everything for me?
✗ Lee Gikwang ✗
"Thank you," I mumble to the cashier before I walk out from the bookstore. I just bought some new magazines to read after having dinner with the others.
Yoseob walks Sora back to her apartment where she is staying in the same building with CN Blue while Doojoon is staying at the apartment with Hyunseung and Dongwoon. Junhyung leaves to find Rima in her apartment to discuss about something they-only-know.
I decided to have a night walk and entered the bookstore to find something interesting to read. I even found the photobook of CN Blue which Sora is responsible of. Her photographs are as amazing as usual.
Right when I step out from the bookstore, the person who is standing in front of the accessories store across from the bookstore catches my attention. She is looking at the display window where various jewelries are displayed beautifully.
Isn't that Rima?
I approach her and walk to the stand right next to her, locking my gaze on the display window as well, "Doesn't that necklace look really beautiful?"
She turns to me with slight surprise and I look back at her with a smile, "Is there anything you want to buy?"
"I was just looking around and this small shop looks interesting," she answers me calmly. "Is it alright for you to walk around by yourself?"
"Of course it's alright," I chuckle and she frowns at my reaction. I point my black knit hat, "That's why I wear this. At least I try to disguise myself with this. Besides it's not like my fans are going to abuse me if they find me."
Rima smiles and returns her gaze back to the display window. This is the first time I see her smile.
I guess girls who rarely smile have their own charms when they finally show their smiles, don't they?
Just like what Sora always does. Since Sora is a really expressionless girl, I can't help myself to smile whenever I see her smile. Somehow Rima reminds me of Sora.
"Why don't you go inside if you want to take a good look of the stuff instead of looking from outside?" I walk to the door and open it for her. "Come on. Taking a glimpse is free, you know."
She stands still, considering about the choice for a while. Rima nods slightly to me when she walks pass me, entering the small gift shop. I close the door behind and follow her, looking around to find something interesting.
I watch her looking at the table where various girl accessories are displayed. She reaches out her hand to take a hairpin with a crown shape at the edge of the pin.
After having a good look of it, Rima puts it back and that's when I ask her, "Do you like it?"
"It's beautiful," she answers me, still looking at the hairpin. "But I already have too many accessories. I don't think I need to add one for my collection."
She looks at me, tucking her hands inside her jacket pockets, "I rarely used hair accessories since my father told me that he didn't think it's necessary for me so I didn't bother to use one."
"Sounds like you're really close with your father," I comment but her expression quickly changes and I realize that maybe I have crossed the line; Junhyung has told us that Rima has some family issues and it may be about her father.
Rima turns around and walks out from the shop. I was going to follow her but I stop and then take the hairpin, walking to the cashier and pay for the little hair accessory. After thanking the cashier, I find Rima is looking at the display window of a gift shop, next to the bookstore.
"Rima," I call her and she looks up at me. I give her an apologetic look, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude..."
"It's alright," Rima replies calmly and she doesn't look mad at all. "I just want to look around this area before it's too late. I need to do some things after I return."
Wait. Didn't Junhyung tell us that he wanted to meet Rima? If Rima is here then Junhyung won't find her in her room, right?
"Ah, Rima, Junhyung is looking for you," I tell her quickly. "Looks like he needs your help for something. Are you two really close?"
She blinks and calmly answers, "Not really."
When she turns around to return to our apartment, I call her to stop her, "Rima, wait."
I hand over the small box with the hairpin to her, "It's my apology."
For my surprise, she doesn't take the box from me. She looks straight into my eyes, "I told you it's alright so I don't need anything from you."
Well, her words are indeed... unpredictable.
I open the box and take out the hairpin. I step closer to her and without a word, I put the hairpin on her hair carefully. I smile with satisfaction when I have done putting the hairpin on her, "That looks really good on you."
Instead of giving me a 'thank you', she takes off the hairpin and holds it for seconds before returning it to me, putting it back on my hand, "I need to return now or Junhyung will scold me."
Without waiting for my reply, she walks away from me, heading back to the apartment building. I follow her in silence, feeling really guilty. Does she feel irritated because of me?
I thought a gift will make her smile again. If it's Sora, I'm sure she will blush really hard but then I guess I can't assume that every girl is the same with Sora.
She is Junhyung's cousin and I think it's a necessary for me to treat her politely since Junhyung is already like a real brother for me. Making his cousin mad is not a good thing to do, isn't it?
I guess I need to think of something else to apologize to Rima.
Something to make her smile again.
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