09 | The Past
My Perfect Stranger
✗ Lee Gikwang ✗
"Rima!" I call her loudly but she doesn't stop running. I take off her glasses I put on and rushes to catch her, leaving my soccer ball at the backyard.
"Yah, Rima!" I manage to stop her, holding her wrist to prevent her from escaping me. Why does she even want to run from me? "Is something wrong? Did I do something wrong?"
I haven't even made an amend for her since the night I abruptly put a hairpin on her hair. After I thought of it, it was kind of inapproriate for me to do that, condidering that I just met her.
I'm not going to make her mad once again.
Unfortunately before she can even answer me, Yoseob interrupts our conversation as he just steps out from the elevator with Sora, "What are you two doing?"
I turn to look at them and I notice that Sora's eyes are locked on my hand, the one I use to grip Rima's wrist. I quickly let go of her wrist, feeling awkward all of a sudden.
"W-Where are you two going?" I try to act as calm as possible, giving them a smile. "Are you going to have dinner together?"
"Yes and no," Sora answers with her usual monotone. "I'm going to buy some aspirins for Junhyung. He told Yoseob that he's not feeling really good."
"Back to the question," Yoseob frowns, having obvious curiosity drawn on his face, "what are you two doing?"
"I was practicing for soccer when I met Rima," I laugh awkwardly. "That's all."
"Where's your soccer ball?" Sora gives me another question which makes me to hold my breath. Why do I feel that they are trying to corner me?
"I'm going upstairs," Rima enters another elevator. Our eyes meet for seconds before the door is closed, leaving me with Yoseob and Sora.
"That girl is really interesting," Yoseob raises his eyebrow, examining my facial expression. "She shares some similarities with Junhyung somehow. No wonder they are cousins."
I sigh for no reason and turn to them, "I'll take care of Junhyung until you're back. Have a good dinner, Yoseob, Sora."
I excuse myself when the elevator is opened as I step in, pressing the button to the floor of our apartment. I wave to them before the door is closed and the elevator starts to move upwards.
"Rima?" I am surprised to see Rima is waiting for me, standing in front of the elevator with unpredictable expression. "Are you waiting for me?"
She reaches out her hand and says, "My glasses."
"Ah," I murmur and quickly hand over her glasses back. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude or else, I just wanted to tell you that even without glasses, you look really good."
Rima snatches her glasses back and puts them on. However she doesn't leave and head back to her apartment. Instead she looks up at me and asks, "Can I see Junhyung?"
Looks like she is worrying about her cousin.
Of course she is; even though they're not really close, they're cousins after all.
✗ Kim Rima ✗
"You know where his room is, right?" Gikwang smiles to me while I take off my shoes before stepping inside their apartment. "I will get some water for him. I think he needs to drink something."
I nod slightly and look around, examining the main room of their apartment. When I came here for the first time, I didn't bother to look around since my mind was full with the thought to help myself out from being homeless.
Their apartment is not really big but each of them has their own bedroom. There is a sofa in the main room and a television. There are various magazines on the table.
A blue photo frame is put on a shelf and I step closer to see a picture of BEAST with Sora. The picture is taken in this room. I'm quite surprised because Sora has a bright smile on her face, an expression I never imagined she would have.
I guess I must stop judging people from the first impression but, well, isn't the first impression really important for others?
My eyes shift to the door of Junhyung's bedroom. I step closer and lift my hand, ready to knock it but I stop my hand in the middle of the air.
Why do I even need to find him? To apologize? To ask him once again about Hara?
Aigoo... what has Gikwang done to my mind?
First he acted really friendly towards a stranger by buying me a hairpin. He patted my head gently, making my heart to beat out of control. And then he said that I look good without my glasses.
This is so unreal.
"You're not going inside?" Gikwang asks with a glass of water in his hand. "I think he's sleeping. Let's go inside."
He hands the glass to me, wanting to open the door for me but I stop him by a sudden question, "Do you know why Hara broke up with Junhyung?"
If Junhyung is not going to tell me then I just need to ask someone else; I'm sure that his groupmates know about it.
"Didn't Junhyung tell you?" he asks me back, tilting his head aside. I shake my head slowly, hoping that he will tell me the answer.
Gikwang frowns and then gives me a sad look, "As much as I want to tell you, Rima, I can't tell you if Junhyung doesn't tell you by himself."
I drop my gaze; looks like my last hope has flew away. Maybe I don't need to know about the reason after all. I must learn to hold back my curiosity if I want to stick with the deal.
Both the deal with Junhyung and the deal with President Hong.
"Whatever the reason, I believe you know that it's not a happy memory to remember," Gikwang tells me with an assuring smile. "Junhyung is not a really good person who can show what he is feeling, Rima. His mood is not really good lately..."
Gikwang rubs the back of his neck after I take the glass from his hand, "...I think you know why he is acting this way."
Is it really because of too personal question I asked him about his breaking up with Hara?
"I'll talk to him," I tell him and take a deep breath. "Can you open the door for me?"
✗ Yong Junhyung ✗
I stare at the ring I'm holding with my fingers; the ring I once used when I was still in a relatonship with Hara. It's a part of couple rings. I wonder if if she still has her ring now.
"Why did I break up with Hara?" I murmur to myself. "Hmph... Who is the one who called off our relationship?"
Ah, I wonder what kind of rumor appeared after our breaking up news. I hope none of them is bad mouthing about Hara.
It's not her fault after all. It's... me.
"I'm sorry, Junhyung...," Hara looked at me with teary eyes. "It's not that I don't love you but I..."
She couldn't continue her words because tears had rolled down on her cheeks. I wiped away her tears with my thumb gently, feeling my heart was breaking because I just made her cry.
We were well known as a really good celebrity couple considering we almost reach our third anniversary. After Yoseob and Sora had announced their engagement, I though it was a perfect moment to propose Hara.
I was the one who started dating before Yoseob even dated Sora but they're engaged soner that I did. I wanted to show Hara that I was serious about our relationship.
I bought a diamond ring, prepared a surprising dinner for her so I could make a memorable proposing moment. I had confidence that she would accept my proposal; of course she would, right?
But I was wrong.
She said she was sorry because she couldn't accept my proposal. She wasn't ready yet. She wasn't even sure if she could accept my proposal in the future.
Feeling really down because she turned down my proposal, I felt like the rejection was the sign that our relationship could not continue to further step.
"Hara, maybe I'm not the one for you."
I am the one who broke up with her. Not the other way. I know; I'm at fault here.
If I really love her, I shouldn't leave her at the first place. I shouldn't break up with her. I must showed her that I could change her mind...
... but I didn't.
I'm not that tough. Despite the fact that some fans think that I have bad boy image among the others, my groupmates know for sure that I'm actually clueless about girls.
Hara is one of the most important girls in my life and now we have lost contact for almost two months. I tried my best not to remember the happy moments which, ironically, make my heart to ache.
"Junhyung?"
I quickly hide the ring inside of my pocket and straighten my body. Rima closes the door behind her and approach me with a glass of water. She puts the glass on the small table next to my bed, "This is for you."
Silence.
She is standing next to my bed while I look at the glass without a word. I sigh heavily and take a sip of the water; I do feel thirsty after all.
It has been two days since the last time I met her. I was supposed to meet her to discuss about the notes she needed to compose for me. She wants to help me but, here I am, hiding from remembering my past because of her simple question.
"I'm sorry," both Rima and I say in unison.
We exchange looks for seconds before both of us hold our laughters. Even I can't help myself to smile because of the coincidence. I cover my mouth with my right hand, hiding my wide smile while she chuckles.
This is the first time I see her laughing. Not the arrogant and confident smile, but a bright smile.
"We're good," I stand up and offer her a handshake. "We're going to help each other, aren't we?"
"Yes," she smiles sheepishly and, I swear if it's possible, my heart could have stop beating for a second because she suddenly hugs me.
When she parts the hug, I'm sure I am blushing so I quickly cover my mouth with my hand and clear my throat awkwardly because I'm afraid that she can hear my rapid heartbeat.
"Are you alright?" she tilts her head. "Your face is red."
"I-I'm all good," I turn around and mess my own hair nervously. "L-Let's start to work. I have another deadline for this weekend."
"Well, I have finished a song actually but I didn't know how to tell you. Ah, right," she clasps her hands and then takes out her phone from her pocket. "I think I need your phone number. Just in case we need to find each other."
I take her phone and type my number before returning the phone to her. She hits the call button and leaves a missed call on my phone, "You have my number now."
Our conversation is interrupted because Gikwang suddenly opens the door after knocking it three times, "Ah, you're not sleeping. Want to have dinner outside? Dongwoon wants to try the French restaurant."
Rima glances at me and then answers Gikwang, "I have another work to do tonight. I-"
"I'll help your work after the dinner," I cut her words quickly. She turns to me with disbelief look but I continue, "You need to try the menu there."
"Good!" Gikwang grins. "I'll tell the others then!"
"Are you sure?" Rima mumbles, looking at me with questioning look. "I'm a stranger, remember?"
"You're also my cousin for them," I answer her without looking at her eyes, afraid that I'm going to mess my own heartbeat again.
I'm just trying to return her kindness. She creates songs for me and I treat her friendly.
Cousins. Strangers. Friends.
What am I talking about?
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