There You’ll Be

There You'll Be

Yonghwa secured his backpack on his back as he waited for the bus. He stood up and offered his seat to an elderly earlier and was rewarded with a solemn smile. He was reminded of his halmoni, he needs to go home one of these days. His neck craned to where the bus will be coming from as he held on to the posters that has in one hand. If he won’t be careful he’ll crumple it’s edges, and he doesn’t want that. On his right a loud sound system came to life, piercing through the ears of everyone. He shook his head as he pulled his right ear trying to wade off the pain, when he recovered he noticed that the store is now playing Only You by TTS.

TaeTiSeo

He like that group.

Well he love that group. Period. No questions asked.

His bias?

Seohyun of course!

He had purchased their album, all editions, all versions, watched them on music shows, even watched their concerts, all his spare money goes to supporting TTS.

He jolted when the door of the bus burst open and he immediately went up. He found an empty seat by the window and looked out as the bus trudges off to its’ next destination. He mentally note how many poster frames he need to make this time, the last was only two, now he has four since he bought 4 posters. He smiled, the excited fan boy in him was getting giddy.

It took him only 20 minutes to get home to his decent apartment in Seoul. He currently works for a pharmaceutical company as one of their probe researcher. Pay was good, enough for him to do the things he wants plus help the family if needed. He tries to give pocket money to his parents and grandma but they always, always refuse it.

He slumped on his sofa and briefly closed his eyes while he reached for the speaker beside him. Turning it on without looking at it and playing, what else? TTS.

He opened his eyes and with renewed energy stood and went to the kitchen to heat food for dinner. While he waited, we went back to his tiny living room and one by one un rolled the posters. He was about to get the materials he needed when he noticed the misplaced picture frames. He smiled as he put them back into place. He was about to close his bedroom door when he went back and took one of the pictures.

“I bought another set of posters again” he spoke out loud to the picture as if it was a real person. His lopsided grin was so huge as he looked at the people smiling in the frame.

“They still don’t have the one in blue, I left them my number and told them to call me once they have it. I even offered to pay in advance since I’ve been one of their most loyal customer but they refused. But they promised so I’ll just have to wait”

His monologue continued until his food was ready, he has a dining table but only uses it when his parents come to the city, when his alone or when his friends are over, they just use the small table he has in the living room.

“I’ll be leaving for Jeju this weekend, our team will be meeting with a team of doctors that specializes in botanical medicine, hey said it might take atleast 5 days but hopefully, if we get the information that we need, we don’t have to stay that long or else I’ll miss the fanmeet TTS will have this coming Monday. And I don’t want that”

He munched quietly as he pick on his food, a trait no one in his family approves, even her. They said what’s the point of playing with it, when he will eat all of it, it only lengthens his eating time of which he doesn’t see any issues since he’s always the one who washes the dishes.

“The guys came over last night, we didn’t go out, we drank a few beers and talked about life, Jonghyuns wedding will be next month, Minhyuk will be his best man we all agreed to it. Jungshin’s studio is doing well, he’s getting more and more clients each day, an entertainment agency actually booked a couple of photoshoots there so he’s really happy.”

He paused as placed his spoon down and took the frame and placed it nearer

“We talked about our last audition, remember how nervous we were? We were a bunch of country bumpkins trying to make it in the city. We even left our music sheet on the bus that had us all scolding Jungshin for being so careless. That punk” he chuckled as memories from the past floods his mind “Who would’ve thought he’d be a successful photographer”

“Good thing you’re always prepared. I guess that’s why I fell in love with you, you were always just there. I always feel that everything will be okay as long as you’re there, I know I’m the one who should be making you feel that way not the other way around, but yeah. You always know the words that would comfort me, Minhyuk was actually telling us the same thing, that you were like a mother hen with us. He said if it weren’t for your incessant nagging for him to study, he wouldn’t even come close to graduating, now he’s in law school and is taking his bar exam next year. The most lazy will now be a lawyer”

After he finished his food and placed his dirty dishes by the sink, he went back and started his mini project

“We talked about how we almost thought that it will be the break that we are looking for given that we made the first 3 cuts. Imagine us 5 thinking that the entertainment world will be the key to our freedom from our little town? Such immature thoughts really. Now that I’ve thought about it, what was I thinking? I even dragged you with us.”

He chuckled. They were young and impulsive. It was true though, he really though that they can make it big, and she and him will get married. Have the biggest house, the fastest cars, the most secured future for their children.

But they were dreams. And with dream you are bound to wake up.

“We were happy, that I’m sure. Our little gigs in that old bar where all old folks frequented. Remember when we got paid with kimchi?”

He laughed as if that distant memory happened just yesterday. “Your mom and my mom scolded us for coming home late, not being able to do homework and for smelling like ssamgyupsal. I swear I didn’t get to hear the end of it as long as that kimchi was there. Halmoni got so tired of listening to mom blabber that she ate it all in one sitting.”

It wasn’t the fir