Chapter 17

The night grew quiet as the flat’s resident rested silently in the couch. It felt awfully lonely without her loved one beside her, added with her disappearance without words. Just the thought of being left behind without proper explanation or reason could put Soojung into depression. In the end, she ended up falling into severe cold that wasn’t getting any better soon.

Jihyo had been out of contact from her, and she had no idea where to look for her. Did the former need more time to sort things out? Why? Soojung wondered if she was too frustrating to be handled that her own girlfriend ran away from her. The last time Soojung held Jihyo in her arms was that night of the incident, the former embraced the latter while mustering word of apology and they cried together. Jihyo confessed she was scared and tears running down on her cheeks while burying her face in Soojung’s chest.

But that had been it. It was the last.

Unknowingly Soojung got headache, caught with flu and high fever ever since she couldn’t track Jihyo anywhere. Jiae and Jisoo had to visit and cater the sick, cooked warm food to let her get better but got shoved out from the apartment at the late of the evening, saying she didn’t want the pair to be infected with her sickness. The couple was aware Soojung missed Jihyo’s presence dearly by the way they saw Soojung staring at Jihyo’s photo in her own phone and inhaling the younger’s scent that she left behind especially in the pillow she used to sleep with Soojung.

Her condition that only got worse even made Dongwoo and wife came over to look after her. Soojung’s fever didn’t go down, his wife made some warm soup for her to eat but Soojung had no appetite to swallow any food. Her stamina gradually worsened by days passed with Soojung only took little meal at a time to fill her growling stomach.

Eventually the news of Soojung being sick made Myungeun and Yein stepped into the flat only a day after Dongwoo’s visit. The pair had sorted out their feelings better and Yein was currently courting her older partner officially. Soojung was genuinely happy at the news but only offered a weak smile as that was what she only capable of doing.

“This is not good,” Myungeun spoke and rose to her feet as she walked into Soojung’s room. “What you’re doing?” the resident asked.

Myungeun hollered from inside the room. ”Packing your stuffs. You’re coming with me to my mother’s.”

“Eommonim’s?” Soojung had to sit up from her lying position on the couch. “What for?” she asked obliviously. Yein went over to assist the sick elder sat up.

“Obviously you’re not in a good shape to stay by yourself. Eomma will help tend to you while we’re all busy working,” Myungeun replied, not seeing the expression that grew on the elder’s face.

Soojung grimaced. “I’ll only be a burden to eommonim,” she said as Yein held her by the shoulder gently. “Have you seen a mom complaining taking care of a sick child?” The question the younger threw absolutely made the elder caught off guard.

Following her eldest daughter’s death and as well as her husband’s, Myungeun’s mother decided there was no use she stayed in Seoul anymore thus opted to move into a more rural town from the usual busy urban area of Seoul.

The three rode in the car that Yein drove around with. The youngest out of the three managed to own a car thanks to her supportive parents, unlike Soojung who determined to buy her own vehicle by herself. Even so, it wasn’t anything like the vehicle Yein used was overly expensive.

With someone that could eye Soojung every now and then, Myungeun and Yein parted from the elder and the former’s mother away from the town. While folding her dried laundry and Soojung resting yet again, Mrs. Lee spoke up. “I heard everything from Myungeun.”

Gentle voice that was the old woman caught Soojung in guilt. She hadn’t visited the former in a while since she started dating someone new yet the folk had details of information in her hands. “I wish you would search for your girlfriend and not just sitting around, but you’re feeling sick and the last thing you need was to get overworked.”

Looking down at the cold floor beneath her feet, Soojung spoke weakly, “My mom died from severe cold. I might have the same fate.” Her wording got a pinch on her thigh from the folk.

Soojung had the folk fed her food. Mrs. Park assured the younger to sleep after have fed her medicine and water since she was too fatigue to do everything by her own. Soojung slept in the empty room that Myungeun occasionally used whenever she visited her mother. Two days after Soojung’s temperature had gone down a little but she had sore throat with severe coughs.

The night when she happened to fall asleep earlier than her usual routine, she woke up at 3 in the morning. Checking her phone, she got a voice mail waiting for her. Soojung pressed on the keypad to listen to the message.

“Soojung-ssi…” paused with a sniffle, “I miss you.” Jihyo’s voice that she hadn’t heard in two weeks successfully welling up with tears in the back of her eyes. “I miss you too love,” she whispered to no one. With no further words were said Soojung had to dial her number right away but to her dismay, Jihyo must have fallen asleep. Soojung opted to dial a different number.

“Hello Mina-ssi? This is Soojung. Sorry for calling up this late,” she spoke to the other line. Mina’s voice was heard huskily, proving her jolting up in surprise from the call made Soojung felt apologetic. “It’s okay. Is something happening? It sounded urgent.”

Soojung sighed out of relief before proceeding, “Is Jihyo back? I need to know badly,” she pleaded. Mina would feel guilty if she didn’t tell the truth thus she just informed the elder that her same aged friend was with her and they were currently sleeping over at 2yeon’s place. Soojung was even provided with the address over a text that Mina had sent. Rising from the bed into the shower, she brushed teeth and cleaned her body in a rush. She took care of her appearance that didn’t look too good from the past days and her face was bloated but Soojung had no time to tend to that.

Poking inside the resident's room, she knelt down. “Eommonim, I have to go back this instant,” she said to the old woman and surprised her. “What are you doing up this early?”

Soojung told she had to get to her girlfriend that had finally came back and called in. The single parent was elated to hear the news but still wasn’t keen of the idea Soojung went on this time. Soojung gave excuse with this early dawn she would get in the city without much trouble with less people driving in the road. Thus the old woman relented and even ushered Soojung to drive the car her late husband left behind.

“You look much better now. Eager much to see your girlfriend?” the old woman teased. The younger smiled sheepishly at her remark. “She’s my pillar, so I’m slowly regaining my energy just to see her,” she replied in the same manner, cheeky. Soojung thanked the folk for lending the car and pecked on her cheek before started driving.

She coughed from time to time and her body was as weak as low on carbohydrate, but Soojung kept her mental strong and got at the apartment in the address safely. Mina and Jungyeon welcomed her at the door and led the short girl into Nayeon and Jungyeon’s shared room that Jihyo slept in. After waking Nayeon up, the trio left Soojung to be with her gir