Final chapter.

It had been over a week since Jihee had been released from the hospital. She had been recovering fast thanks to Minsun’s support. Jihee had been calmer and happier since she got back; even the whole staffs in the house noticed her changes. Despite the positive changes in her attitude, her situation wasn’t exactly going well. The once glorious and well-known cosmetic company she built with her own hands from scratch had crumbled to dust. She had to let go of her ownership and settle piled up debts all over the place. She even had to sell her mansion and various properties she had. She was supposed to move out in a few months, but Jihee was determined to not let these misfortunes control her destiny and her happiness.

At the same time, Minsun’s summer holiday was becoming shorter as the days went by. Jihee had loosened up a lot towards her daughter so Minsun was allowed to spend more times with her friends and her grandmother too. In fact, the young girl had just returned from another visit at her grandmother’s when Jihee was sending away her guest who seemed like an old friend of hers.

Jihee took a couple of minutes to introduce Minsun to her friend before she left. When her friend was gone out of sight, Jihee turned to Minsun and smiled wide.

“You seem really happy today, mother,” Minsun said, curious with her mother’s uncommon demeanor.

 “Oh, Minsun! I am!” Jihee laughed merrily, her voice filled the huge volume of the space. To Minsun’s surprise, Jihee took her hand and place her other hand around the girl’s waist. They began to twirl along the echoing silence of the foyer. Minsun couldn’t help but laughed at her mother’s sudden, yet amusing change of behaviour.

“Minsun,” Jihee paused, sighing contently, “I’m going to UK with you.”

Minsun lit up. She stopped the dance and gripped on Jihee’s arms, squeezing them firmly.

“You are?”

Jihee nodded.

“Really?”

Jihee laughed again and cupped her daughter’s face.

“Yes, darling. I’m going there. We’re going to start fresh, you and I. My friend who came just now had been residing in UK for a long time, and she’s going to start a clothing line there. She wants me to be a part of the company.”

“You mean, you’re going to stay there?”

Jihee nodded.

“We’re going to be together from now on,” Jihee’s hopeful vice softened.

Minsun casted a gentle smile in reply to her mother’s enthusiastic ones.

“Oh!” Jihee released her daughter and crossed her arm, “your flight is next week, right? That’s just five days away. I should have a look if I can still book the same flight.”

“Where will you be staying, then?”

“My friend is arranging a place for me. Just a small apartment but I think that’s still way too generous of her. Plus, nothing sounds better than having you by my side,” Jihee smiled and rested her hands on Minsun’s shoulders.

“Thank you for staying by my side, even when everyone else is leaving,” the older woman told her.

Minsun smiled, “of course I’d stay. I’m your daughter.”

Jihee rubbed her hands up and down Minsun’s arms and sighed contently.

“I hope things will go well from now on.”

“I’m sure they will.”

Jihee nodded, “you’re right. Ah, maybe I should start packing too. I have a too much stuffs here, I should pick the ones I really need,” Jihee skipped towards the grand staircase to get to her room. She seemed so energetic that it worried Minsun. The daughter had to jog a little to catch up with her mother.

“Mother, you shouldn’t be moving around too much. You’re still not too well.”

“Don’t worry, I’m as healthy as an ox,” Jihee smiled widely. Instead of taking the turn to get to her room, Jihee headed to her office instead. She stopped by a wooden cabinet behind her working desk and pulled out a drawer. Her fingers expertly ran through the folders in it and pulled out a couple of folders. She spread them open on her desk. Minsun stepped closer and had a look out of curiosity. There were lots of scraps of magazines and newspaper articles in them. A lot of them revolved around the fashion world. There were also a lot of research material corresponding the field and even design sketches.

“Are these your sketches?” Minsun smiled in amusement. Most of the sketches were rich with intricate details usually found in haute couture.

Jihee nodded, “I used to be a fashion designer for a while before I was married. I’m always more interested in this kind of dramatic, artistic designs. My friend wants me to be an advisor in this department. Which is great.”

“You seem to be really close with her. How come I’ve never heard of her?”

Jihee chuckled, “she’s one of the rare people in our circle who prefers to stay under the radar. She rarely attends social events unless if it is really important. Now that I think about it, she sounds just like you.”

They laughed together. Minsun continued to look through her mother’s sketches but Jihee suddenly turned silent. When the young girl looked up, Jihee seemed a little worried, lost in her thoughts. She was no longer smiling and excited like she was just now.

“What’s wrong, mother?”

Jihee held her chin, thinking deep.

“Now that I think of it... All your friends are here right? Maybe you would like to stay here instead? Should I talk to Hanbin about this? Or perhaps, you’d like to stay with your grandmother?”

-

Minsun was having a walk with Wooyoung along the hilly path nearby the old temple the basketball team used to practice at. They loved the place for many reasons; some of it being the vast view of the town and the skyline it offered, while the rest for the many memories they had there.

They walked side by side, their hands lightly brushing against each other. None made the attempt to   grab the other person’s hand. Either they were shy, or they were just enjoying the breeze blowing through their fingers. The river which ran across the middle of the town glistened under the evening sun, reflecting the warm orange colour of the sky as the sun lazily drooped further to the west.

“It’s so nice isn’t it? This place.” Minsun said.

“Yeah.”

“I’m going to miss it a lot.”

“You should get back from time to time. We can always come here together.”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure. I mean, my mother is totally starting over, I don’t think we can afford such privilege anymore.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Wooyoung almost forgot.

“We’re going to stay there. So I don’t know when we will ever be back again,” Minsun looked far into the horizon, smiling even when she felt melancholic thinking how she had to let go of all of these. She could hear Wooyoung sighing from her side. He tilted his head to the side and had a regretful – more like his usual whiny – look on his face.

“I’m going to miss you too,” Minsun added.

“Yeah, well, me too.”

“Hey, tell me if you ever feel like getting a new girlfriend,” Minsun grinned, which earned her a dirty look from the boy.

“Tch, do I look that easy to you? I’m most capable at being loyal, you know?”

“I know.” Minsun paused, like she hesitated a bit before continuing, “I’m just a little scared. Ever since I was little, my mother was always away. Whenever she came back, she would leave soon after. All the friends I made, either they moved away, or my mother forced me to stop hanging out with them. I was sick of watching people growing distant from me and forgetting me. To me, separation is a scary thing. I’m getting better at coping with my fear now, but from time to time, it comes back to me.”

They both looked at each other for a few moment before she added more.

“Everything’s good now. No one is forcing me to leave anyone. But my mother is finally back by my side. She had gone through a lot too. Even if she tries not to make me feel burdened by not saying anything, I know she needs me. I need her too. Somehow, I feel that we need each other to grow stronger. I think that’s the best decision for now. I hope you understand.”

“Of course I do.”

“And don’t forget me too.”

“I won’t.”

Minsun linked her arm around his and rested her head on his shoulder. She could hear Wooyoung clearing his throat and hummed unsurely, like he was about to tell her something.

“You know, when I was younger, there was one time when I read my sister’s diary.”

“You did?” Minsun gasped.

“It was one time only! Plus, it was accidental!”

“Right,” Minsun simply replied, still unconvinced that his reason was legit. She bet he found the diary by accident, but took the opportunity to peek into it on purpose.

“Anyways, I remember this sentence she wrote in it. It’s cheesy but it sounds something like, if we’re meant to be together, we’re bound to see each other again. Right now, I feel that way too.”

Minsun smiled. “I guess if you said so, I don’t feel scared of separation anymore.”

“Right. Plus, unlike last time, we can always communicate through twitter, e-mails, skype... Those stuffs, right? We can always say hi whenever.”

“Yes, those too.”

“Are you sure it’s okay if I get a girlfriend, though?”

“Yes. That would be annoying but you’re free to do so.”

“Just asking. I don’t think I would though.”

“I think so too because after Munhwa, you start having weird taste in girls.”

“That’s all your fault.”

“No, yours.”

“Why?”

“Because you put that frog in the first aid kit. It’s all your fault, but I forgive you now.”

“Tch. Well, thank you,” Wooyoung pulled a stinky look. Minsun just laughed softly.

“I really, really, really like you, Jang Wooyoung.”

-

The day had finally came. Minsun had been calm throughout the day and kept a smile on her face whenever she spoke to her mother. Something was dragging her down, telling her to stay but when she saw Jihee’s smile, she couldn’t do it. She had been waiting for this moment for far too long, the moment that her mother returned to the family. She was no longer the ambitious, cold woman she was before. She was Jung Jihee, the mother who gave birth to Seo Minsun. She was warm, funny, and loving. Minsun would give up anything to keep this woman by her side.

Mr. Kim, the head housekeeper, was there with them too. He was technically no longer working for them, but he insisted that they had his assistance until the last moment they stood on the land of Republic of South Korea. It was also about time they headed to the allocated gate but Hanbin said he was going to see her off. Munhwa too. Gohee, Taecyeon, Chansung... Everyone said so. Except for Wooyoung. He didn’t say anything to her last time they met, but she hoped he would come to the airport too.

“Are they here yet?” Jihee asked.

Minsun looked at her phone, at the message that had just come in and then back at Jihee.

“Munhwa said they’re all already here.”

“Minsun!”

The two females turned around and saw a group of kids running towards them. Lagging a little behind them were a couple of adults, Hanbin and his wife, Ara, smiling and shaking their heads at the energetic youths. Gohee and Jaebum were together as always, him slowly pushing her wheelchair. Walking along with them was Junsu, the beloved academic mentor of the basketball team.

“Guys,” Minsun smiled. She waved at them from her spot. Her smile widened when she saw Wooyoung tagging along with them, even though he was staying at the back, looking sullen. He was pouting, looking just like a grumpy five year old who got his candy stolen. When they were near enough, Minsun looked at her mother. The older woman nodded in turn. Minsun left her mother with their butler, Mr. Kim behind and joined into the rather large group of people. She almost couldn’t believe herself how she had turned from a loner, into someone with these many loyal and supportive friends. All because of that one certain boy.

Munhwa was the first to give her a hug.

“You can stay at my house whenever you come back. Let’s have more pajama parties, and paint our nails and have long pillow talks again,” Munhwa said. Minsun nodded with a smile, and then the other girl added more.

“Also, we can go into a long session of window shopping. Let’s do grocery together. And then prepare a lot of lunchboxes and go to picnics with everyone else too...” Munhwa began to babble, which caused the rest of the guys to chuckle at her ‘almost’ outburst of emotions.

“Sure. I’ll never forget any of those. We should do that again someday.”

“Promise me that you’d keep in touch, okay? Don’t forget me, and come back whenever you can...” her guard finally fell, and Munhwa began to sob out loud. Tears streamed down her cheeks like a heavy downpour.

“Oh, Munhwa, please don’t cry,” Minsun calmly comforted her. Even though teary eyed herself, Minsun wiped away Munhwa’s tears with her thumbs and pull the girl into another hug. The guys began to laugh out loud at the scene, teasing Munhwa to no end. Wooyoung who happened to stand nearby, chipped in his mean opinion as well.

“Oh, wow, Munhwa. You should really stop crying because you look really ugly right now.”

“Shut up!” Munhwa pulled away from the hug and gave Wooyoung a firm punch on his arm. The boy jumped back and crouched in pain, rubbing the red mark on his arm up and down. While Munhwa was distracted with Wooyoung’s antics, Chansung and Junho took their turn to say goodbye. Unlike most days when they were always busy taking pictures or record videos of other people, the dynamic duo requested that they had their pictures taken with Minsun this time. The two basketball players pulled Minsun between them and struck a pose for a picture, taken by Nichkhun.

“Take care, unni. Tell me when things get too hard,” Minsun told Gohee, right after the two shared a hug. Gohee didn’t want to let go yet, so she held Minsun’s hand instead.

“You too. Don’t keep everything to yourself, okay?”

Minsun nodded.

“Thank you for always being there for me. From the beginning until now. I really think of you as my real sister. Unni, please be happy always,” Minsun glanced towards Jaebum and smiled. Jaebum smiled back at her.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure of that,” Jaebum told her, “you have to be happy too.”

Minsun nodded and then looked back at Gohee. The older girl was still holding onto her hand. Gohee pat Minsun’s hand with much affection.

“Thank you for all you’ve done for me, Minsun. I’m going to miss you very much.”

“I’m going to miss you too,” Minsun turned to Junsu and said, “goodluck with your study, sunbae.”

“You too, Minsun,” he smiled.

When she was saying goodbye to Taecyeon, the guy simply pat her head.

“If anyone ever bullies you, just tell me. I’ll take a direct flight to UK and beat the crap out of him,” he said jokingly, causing Minsun to blush.

“Hold on. You have to go through me first,” Nichkhun in. Taecyeon grunted but laughed along with Nichkhun soon after.

“I’ll be fine, sunbae. Don’t worry too much,” Minsun told him and then turned to Nichkhun, “oppa you too should stop being so protective towards me.”

Nichkhun let out a sigh and then proceeded to give her a firm hug.

“I know you’ll be fine. I promise I will be less protective of you, but you have to-”

“I will, I will,” Minsun sighed.

“Will you ever let me finish?”

“I promise I will keep in touch, and I promise I will stay out of trouble. Good enough?”

“I give up,” Nichkhun chuckled and let her go.

Next, Minsun gave each of her siblings a hug. She patted Jin’s head and told him to treat Hanbyul nicely. The boy gave her a salute. Minsun moved along and finally stood in front of her father. She took a deep breath and put on her best smile for him.

“Dad,” she called him, albeit a little shyly. She was still trying to get used to call him ‘dad’.

“Oh, god,” Hanbin was already on the verge of tears. Despite his appearance, he proved to be quite sentimental from the few times Minsun had met him. Hanbin quickly pulled his first child into his warm, secure bear hug. Minsun closed her eyes against his chest and drew in his fresh scent. She wanted to engrave this feeling deep into her memories. She didn’t know when she will be back again so she had to make sure that she would never forget this precious feeling of being in his embrace.

When he let go, Minsun bit down her lower lip, unsure of what to say. Hanbin took the initiative to make her comfortable, caressing her hair gently.

“I hope you’re happy wherever you are. Be strong, for yourself, and for your mother.”

“I will.”

“I’ll miss you, my little angel.”

“I’ll miss you too, dad.”

She bid goodbye to Ara as well and waved to everyone else on the way back to her mother. When Minsun passed by Woyoung, she paused. It was a little awkward to be interacting with him when there were so many people watching, even though most of them weren’t quite sure how the two were related right now. Minsun was staring at the floor, waiting for him to say something.

“So, uh,” Wooyoung looked away, scratching the back of his neck, “goodbye. I guess.”

She was a bit disappointed, but she didn’t show it. Minsun smiled again and nodded.

“Yeah, goodbye. See you again.”

Sighing, Minsun walked away. Jihee bid goodbye to Hanbin and his wife as well as to Minsun’s friends before she and MInsun turned their backs and left. Watching as their backs gradually looked smaller in the distance, Wooyoung suddenly grabbed a handful of locks on his head. He grunted out loud and muttered curses to himself. Everyone else looked at him weird and began to wonder what had happened to him.

“You idiot!” Munhwa whispered to Wooyoung, “go and talk to her properly!”

“Argh!” Wooyoung sprinted along the glossy tiled floor of the airport, “hey, Seo Minsun! Stop right there!”

Minsun and her mother paused in their steps. Instead of waiting for him to get to where she was, Minsun decided that she made her way towards him as well. Leaving her mother wondering in confusion, Minsun jogged to Wooyoung and they met in the middle of the distance between Jihee and the rest of the basketball team and Hanbin. Everyone were watching curiously.

“What is it?” Minsun sounded a bit demanding, annoyed even.

“Look, I’m sorry. That was pretty messed up for a farewell. I’ll do better, just... Just give me a sec,”

“I have to leave soon.”

“Okay, okay, geez,” Wooyoung clicked his tongue, “I’m... I mean, be... Um...”

“You...?”

“Wait, I got this. Remember how you said that I have weird taste in girls after Munhwa?”

Minsun’s lips began to widen, curving up into a smile. She nodded.

“I’m going to wait for you. You can chase me away or find a new boyfriend, but I’m not giving you up just yet. If I do, I might regret forever. I mean, there aren’t that many weird girls on Earth.”

Minsun laughed, but Wooyoung was not done yet. He kept a serious look on his face throughout. Afterall, it was not easy for a boy like him to talk about the matter of the heart.

“This is going to be really cheesy but do you know what I always watch for in a game?”

Minsun hummed a bit before she answered, “the hoop?”

“Yeah. From now on, that’s you, the hoop.”

Minsun laughed again, “yeah, that was cheesy.”

Wooyoung closed his eyes in agony and grunted deep in his throat.

“Why did I ever say that to you? Ugh! Minsun, slap me now!”

“Are you serious?”

“I am! Slap me!” He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, waiting for the pain to burn under his skin. But seconds passed by and he felt the soft lips of hers landing on his cheek. Instead of pain, his skin burned with so many blood pulsing under it now.

“Omo...” Jihee cupped and turned to Mr. Kim. The older man shrugged with affectionate smile on his lips.

“Oh, kids these days...” Jihee said, only to be replied with a deep laugh from Mr. Kim.

“What the...” Hanbin turned to Seo Jin. The boy shrugged before he could even ask.

“Is that her boyfriend? I thought he was the handsome one over there!” Hanbin whispered, referring to Nichkhun.

“How would I know?”

When he opened his eyes, it felt like he had fallen under a spell. Wooyoung had shut of himself from the world. All he could see and hear right now was Minsun and just her only. But soon, maybe, he might be able to feel the intense murderous aura coming from Hanbin.

“I’m going to remember that,” she told him, “the hoop.”

Flashing him one last – genuinely happy – smile, Minsun finally turned her back and returned to her mother’s side.

Until we meet again.

- - -

Author's note next page :)