019

Author’s POV

            Jiyeon was standing at a veranda of an apartment on the twentieth floor of the complex. In front of her was a night view of the busy Seoul city which seemed like a sea of colorful lights. But the dark sky that was filled with stars attracted her attention even more. She sat on a comfortable bean bag chair placed on the veranda and fixed her eyes onto the sky. She wasn’t enjoying the view, she was just looking for a distraction. She spent the whole day crying after officially leaving Sehun yesterday. Her body was too weak from all the energy she spent crying that her tears just dried up by themselves. Now what’s left for her to do is to move on and start a new life.

“The sky might get shy having someone staring at it so intensely.” A voice brought Jiyeon back to her reality.

She lifted up her face and smiled at the guy who was standing next to her with two cups of drink in his hands and a sweet smile on his face, “The sky doesn’t care about me at all Seongwoo.” She replied.

Seongwoo let out a small chuckle as he handed one cup of drink to Jiyeon before settling himself on another bean bag chair right next to Jiyeon, “Missing him?” He suddenly asked.

Jiyeon looked at Seongwoo for a second before she just let out a bitter smile, “Rather than missing him, I’m more worried of him. Look at that one big star surrounded by smaller ones, don’t you think it looks rather lonely although it shines the brightest among all? That’s just like Sehun. He shines and everyone looks up to him, but he can’t even be himself and was always so lonely. That’s how I entered his life. He let me filled the emptiness. But now that I left… I hope Yura can take over my job.” She tried to sound calm and compose, but sadness was obviously shown in her expression.

“I knew his struggle Jiyeon. I practically grew up with him. I feel bad for him, always. But he never really talk about his concern. Just these few months I noticed he seemed brighter so I thought it was because of Yura. But now I know it was because he had you by his side. I’m sorry I can’t do much to help you and Sehun because we all know how his parents are.” Seongwoo apologized.

“It’s okay Seongwoo. This happened because we’re not capable of enduring the weight of the risk we took when we decided to get married,” Jiyeon sighed as she paused and looked at Seongwoo, “Can I talk to you about this?”

“Of course Jiyeon. I’m your best friend. I’m always ready to be a good listener to you.” Seongwoo convinced.

“Okay… Actually, I was so scared of the decision I took when I married Sehun. I felt so guilty having to lie to all the person I’m close to. You, Jisoo, and Sehun’s parents. But at the same time, I couldn’t bear watching Sehun’s painful expression. I knew I was the only person he could lean on whenever he was feeling down. Sehun had done a lot for me, so I wanted to do something for him too. He saved me, and changed my life, so I want to do the same for him. Truth is… he’s my first love, so I can’t be more thankful to Sehun for loving someone like me.” Jiyeon told.

Seongwoo noticed how Jiyeon seemed a little bit brighter talking about her love story, “I wonder Jiyeon… if I was the one saving you from your family that day, would I be the one in your heart right now?” His voice lowered as he talked, but Jiyeon still managed to catch that. He didn’t mean to be that guy, but his heart couldn’t lie.

“Seongwoo… I’m so sorry.” Jiyeon just apologized in response to his words, and that was enough to give Seongwoo a reality check.

“I get it Jiyeon. Please don’t feel bad. Just so you know, I never cared if you’re ever gonna reply my love for you. What I care about is being able to be by your side and support you all the way. I stand by my words when I said I’ll be the one staying by your side even when other people turn their back.”

Jiyeon’s eyes somehow became teary again to hear Seongwoo’s words, “Thank you Seongwoo, for being here when I thought I’ve finally lost everything.” She said in between her sobs.

Seongwoo moved his chair closer to Jiyeon and began wiping away her tears, “Oh no, you’re never gonna lose me. I’ll stay by your side until you get sick of me and decide to just send me to the space so you’ll never gonna have to see me again. Hahaha!”

Jiyeon actually laughed at Seongwoo’s joke although she was still struggling with her tears. Well, at least the guy managed to brighten up the gloomy atmosphere a bit. Nothing surprising though, because Jiyeon knew that had always been Seongwoo’s specialty since forever.

Jiyeon’s POV

            Today the sun was shining so brightly, but my life was gloom. The taxi that I rode stopped once it reached the destination. I paid the driver and thanked him before stepping out of the cab. The cab had already sprinted away but I was still standing stiffly at the same spot while my eyes were fixed to the neighborhood in front of me. Never in a million years that I thought I’d be back here someday, but here I am. I took a deep breath and heaved it out loudly before finally taking my steps forward. I climbed the rocky stairs passed by the small wooden houses scattering around on my left and right as I was ascending through the stairs. I only stopped once I arrived in front of a house that was somewhat familiar. Just staring at the house were sending shiver to spine, but I dared myself to just go there. I was close enough to see a woman in her 40s were sitting on a chair in front of a house, doing something that I couldn’t see. She was still unaware of my presence.

I gulped once before I called her, “Aunt Min…”

She promptly turned her head towards me upon hearing my voice, “Who are you?” She asked in a grumpy manner. It’s possible that she didn’t recognize me as the last time she saw me was 7 years ago.

I was scared, but I approached her as I answered the question, “Jiyeon…”

“Jiyeon?” She looked at me with a questioning gaze, “Park Jiyeon?!” She shouted as she seemed to just recognize me.

“Y—yes.” I stuttered.

“You !” She suddenly charged forward and before I knew it, a hard slap landed on my cheek, “How dare you show your face again huh? You’re the reason they send my husband to jail! I don’t even have the money to bail him out.”

“Jail? I don’t know. Really.”

“Your friends reported him and the police took him! Why are you back here now? You come here to show me how well you’re living in that big house surrounded with rich people, huh? Why? You think I don’t know? That boy took you with him and help you. Is he some kind of charitable kid? Poor kid didn’t know what kind of unlucky girl you are. Even your parents were dead for not wanting to take care of you and passed the unluckiness to me.”

Although her words hurt like a knife, I couldn’t get mad at her because I heard nothing wrong in her words. I was unlucky. I brought bad luck with me wherever I go. Even Sehun had to suffer because of me, “You’re right. But I beg you, please let me come back here.”

“What?! Did I hear you right? Why? Those people finally throw you away? Hah! Serve you right.”

Yes… they finally threw me away and that was because of my own fault. Maybe I was destined to live my remaining life and die in misery like this from the very beginning. Meeting Sehun was just an addition to the pain so I’d suffer more. Now even my real aunt didn’t want to take me in. What should I do with my life then?

“Yah ungrateful ! Leave my house this instant!” She shouted at my face and began pushing me.

She kept pushing until my right foot couldn’t find the ground to step on. I could feel my body lightly flew to the back, and I thought this would really be the end of me. However, something caught my waist and blocked the fall. I looked at the person who caught me and my eyes met Seongwoo’s very worried eyes. Yes, Seongwoo saved me, although deep in my heart I wished it was Sehun coming for the rescue again. I took me just a second to realize that Sehun was no longer part of my life.

“Luckily I saw you riding the taxi and followed you here.” Seongwoo said as he helped me standing straight again.

“I see you still have someone to pass your bad luck to.” I heard my aunt talking.

“Auntie, can you shut your stinky mouth please? I beat your husband’s once and reported him to the police, sending him to jail. I can make sure he’ll never make it out of there if you keep spewing nonsense.” Seongwoo said and as usual, he could be a badass.

“Whatever! Just screw off now! Both of you!” My aunt rushed into the house and slammed the door hard.

Before I knew, my tears had already found their way out. I didn’t know for what reason the tears were for. Was it because I knew I’ve lost Sehun for real, or was it because I knew my aunt’s words about me being unlucky was right? Or was it for another reason? While I was sobbing there, Seongwoo grabbed my shoulders and made me face him. I looked at him with my teary eyes and I could clearly see his furious expression. I was used to seeing a bright Seongwoo that seeing him frowning at me somehow scared me.

“What were you thinking coming back here Jiyeon? You knew what this place had done to you.” He calmly said, but I could hear anger in his voice.

“I had nowhere else to go… My aunt is the only family I’ve left with in this world, so I thought maybe I should come back here.” I explained in between sobs.

“And you thought she’ll just accept you and you’ll live here just fine?”

“No! I know I won’t be okay here. But what’s the point Seongwoo? No matter anywhere I go now, I know life will never be the same as before anymore. Let it be here, or anywhere else in the world, my life will just stay as miserable as it is! I have nowhere else to go…”

“Jiyeon!” Seongwoo shouted my name and made me stop sobbing in an instant, “What do you mean you have nowhere else to