The Short Notice
True LoveIt was a normal working day, after lunch hour. I was helping the planning team to do some schedule arrangement in the office. Jung Yeop wanted me to learn other fields rather than just worked on the costume and fashion designs. I tried to speed up everything wanted to finish my part as soon as possible, because Sunggyu’s birthday was around the corner. We didn’t have any plan actually, he had musical shows on that few days too. However, my mind kept reminding me to clear up all my works and got myself a few days free for Sunggyu, or a whole week, as if I knew something was coming.
Suddenly, my handphone buzzed once, a short line showed in my locked screen: “Meeting room, urgent.". I grabbed the handphone and saw the sender was Jung Yeop. Without wasting time, I headed straight to the meeting room with my tablet and handphone. When I walked in the meeting room, Jung Yeop was looking at his tablet and there I saw a piece of folded paper placed beside his tablet.
The folded paper looked like a letter, carefully analysing the possibilities, I sat at my usual seat, the second seat from Jung Yeop’s left, and waited for the others, but my mind went further in the analysing. Jung Yeop noticed my “thinking mode” reaction, so he passed me the piece of folded paper and gave me a long stare. Bad feelings flooded my mind. Unfolded the paper, I saw the Military Department letterhead, the name of Kim Sunggyu and also a date, 14th May 2018. 14th May! It was less than a month from now! Took a deep breath, I folded the letter and returned it to Jung Yeop, then sit again with a blank mind.
“Are you alright?” Jung Yeop asked in the caring tone, I nodded a few times but I saw his concern gaze, I must be looking very bad, so I gave him a fake smile to assure him I was alright, then turned to look at my tablet. When the others arrived, we started the meeting. It was mainly about Sunggyu’s enlistment, we had to rearrange or cancelled some programmes, making sure that everything would only carried out before 14th May. Someone suggested to set his solo concert as the last day of his activity and we all agreed. He needed some time for the preparation or just some private moment before the service kicked in.
The meeting was about half an hour, I tried to stay focus and recorded everything the other mentioned. After that was the real business, me and the other two coordinators had a few long lists to deal with: call the involved parties or companies to adjust the dates or cancelled the programmes and discussed for the terms and conditions. I held my list back to my station, ignored my emotions and tried to do my work professionally. It took me about two hours to get the job done. After the new list with new dates was emailed to Jung Yeop, my mind turned blank again.
I had been thinking about this day more than a thousand times, Sunggyu and I had been talking about it enormous times too, but when the real thing happened, it still hit me hard, very hard. 14th May, about three weeks time untill then. Still, he would be extra busy for the undone programmes until the solo concert ended. He would only be free after the concert, which meant he only had a week free time before 14th May. Sighed a quite sigh, then looked at my handphone which showed 3:50pm. I checked the unread messages, none of them was from Sunggyu. The date 14th May kept wandering in my mind, I must get used to it from now on. Almost the same time, Sunggyu appeared at my eye sight. What a surprised!
He should be rehearsing the Amadeus musical at this moment, I looked at him with puzzled gaze but he ignored it. He came to sit by my side, held one of my hands and spoke with his soft voice, “Are you alright?” So, someone told him already. I smiled to him and nodded, hoped it was convincing enough because I didn’t want him to worry for me. “I have a few hours break, wanna go out with me? Wait… can you actually leave now?” He looked at me still holding my hand and waited for my reply. Of course I would go off with him! Quickly sent a message to Jung Yeop for the early leaving, then packed my belongings and left the office with Sunggyu without second thought.
We got in Sunggyu’s car and left the building, then he let me waited in the car while him got down to a shop to buy some snack. A while later, he returned with some paper bags. After some time of driving, we reached Han River Park. As usual, Sunggyu walked at the front leading the way while me followed behind but kept some distance away from him. Until we reached our favourite area, the furthest lawn that people seldom came to this far, he stopped and waited for me. He didn’t turned to look at me, just outstreched his hand towards my direction, so I sped up to him and held tight his hand, carefully we walked to the slightly slop lawn together.
When we reached the specific area, Sunggyu straight away sit down and put down all the paper bags on the ground. He then grinned to me and patted the ground gesturing me to sit beside him. I couldn’t help to smile at him and sit beside him. He looked light-hearted and took out the things he bought just now: a few croissants with tuna filling, two bottles of drinks, and a small cooler bag. He handed me the opened bottle wanting me to drink, after seeing me having a few sips, he gave me the croissant. I didn’t quite understand why he still have the mood to ‘picnic’ at the moment, and I didn’t feel hungry at all. However, seeing him ate with big mouthfuls, I tried to have a few bites and to my surprise, the croissant tasted really good. When I finished mine, he was having the last bite of his second croissant.
Sunggyu's eating moment was always amusing to me. He didn't care of how he looked like when eating with big mouthfuls, or how the sauces stained the skin around his lips. He was either having quick meal to fill his hungry stomach or mainly enjoying the delicious food. I took a piece of tissue paper to clean my lips, followed with another one to reach out for him. Instead of taking it from me, he leaned in with his mouth facing me and waiting. My hand went wiping for him even without my brain told me to, it just happened smoothly like nature. He looked at me fondly and grinned satisfyingly, I couldn’t help to smile at his cute little grinning and that was when he gave me a quick peck on my lips.
Before I could react, he lied on his back and looked to the sky, grinned widely as if he just won a music daesang. I moved closer to look at his still smiling face, curious of how the enlistment notice didn’t affect his mood at all. He seemed to notice my intension, so he reached out to pull my hand over and placed it on his chest underneath his palm. I could feel his heart beats and also the warmth of his palm, and that actually soothed my feeling a little. We remained silent, just looked at each other enjoying the closeness. I could feel his fingers caressing my skin, as if a little conversation was carried out among his fingers and my skin.
“The date is set, I feel calm instead.” Sunggyu finally spoke. I looked afar trying to understand it, he caught it and explained further, “I was nervous and worried, because no one knows about the date. It could mess up all our plans, even you and I… I hate uncertainty. Now that the date is set, everything is under controlled, I kinda feel…… relief is the word… besides, my schedules has been rearranged, I actually manage to get 1 week free time before the enlistment. 1 whole week! It’s kinda amazing to me, although I have to start the service on the following week…still, it’s a one whole week……” He paused a while thinking about it, then held my hand with more pressure, “I was worried for our relationship, I’ve never left you alone for so long.” I turned my hand up and held his, giving him some assurance that he needed the most. He smiled contentedly, “I am very certain in our relationship, and I know you hold the same certainty as I am.” I pulled his hand over to my lips and kissed his fingers, then placed his hand to my right cheek, trying to feel his warmth. He caressed my face with his thumb while looking into my eyes, then, couldn’t help himself to sit upright and lean in to kiss me deeply on the lips.
We had our little moment, we just needed it, especially today.
However, we still alerted to the surrounding, we had to pull away after a very short while. I looked around to check if it was all cleared, and it never disappointed us. This area was always perfect for me and Sunggyu. He held and kissed my hand once more, pulled back my attention to him again. “I came all the way here alone and I survive all these years… so… don’t worry for me……” I managed to blurted out something good to assure him, he looked at me with his soft gaze and placed my hand against his left cheek, my heart turned marshmallow and melted away.
After a long silence, he held my hands with his both hands and said, “If anyone came to you, say something or do something irrelevant, just ignore it. Or… you can seek for hyung’s advice.” As I knew, they were not in their best term since Jung Yeop wanted to introduce Kenny to me, or when he knew Sunggyu had become my boyfriend. “You mean Jung Yeop?” I asked doubtedly and Sunggyu answer as immediately, “Yes, Jung Yeop hyung. When I'm not around, I can’t protect you as how I always do, but hyung can, so please… don’t be stubborn, and don’t you try to handle it all by yourself. When there’s anything or anyone you feel not right, just go to hyung. Promise me…” He sounded determined, all I did was nodded and that I got his smiling face again.
“Di-dik… di-dik… di-dik……”
It was Sunggyu’s alarm clock, he pressed off the alarm and looked at me apologetically, “One hour to 8pm, we have to go… sorry……” Due to some reasons, the musical rehersal in the afternoon session had been cancelled and resumed at 8pm later, that was why he had a few hours free time and managed to bring me out for some comfort. “Honey… you’ve gotten me three hours bonus, I have more than enough… really…” I didn’t lie to him, I really felt good to be able to get along with him today especially after we got the enlistment notice, and three hours considered very luxurious to both of us. Without wasting time, we picked up the bottles and the croissant wrappings, quickly cleared up the area. Sunggyu picked up the cooler bag and pulled me up to stand on the ground. Then, we returned to his car.
We reached my apartment in less than 30 minutes, Sunggyu spoke in his soft tone again, “Don’t wait for me tonight, I’ll be late.” I nodded and said, “I’ll go back my house then. Stay focus okay…” He nodded as well. Before I got down from the car, he handed me that cooler bag and kissed me goodbye.
When I got in my house, I open the cooler bag and saw two cups of matcha ice cream. I took them out and put them into the freezer, then went for shower right away. I was mentally tired. From blank minded to worried, later from calm to lovely, my emotion was like riding a roller coaster. Hot shower was all I needed, felt utterly peaceful when the hot water ran all over me. When the shower was done, I put on my pyjamas, dried my hair and put on some skin care products. After that, I went to the freezer to get the matcha ice cream. Sunggyu knew that I needed something sweet whenever I felt worried or uneasy, and matcha flavour was always my favourite. Very thoughtful of him, wasn’t he?
I went lying in the couch, having a good time in savouring the matcha ice cream. However, I kept thinking of what Sunggyu had mentioned in the park just now. Why did he worried that someone or something might hurt me when he was away? Who was that someone? If there was anyone in the world that Sunggyu couldn’t manage or handle, that would only be his mother. A sudden chill came over me. I hoped I was wrong about it and I didn’t want to think any further. My mind had enough for today. Really.
I sent more spoonfuls of matcha ice cream into my mouth, hoped the sweetness could calm my mind and granted me a peaceful night. Just when I finished the last spoon of ice cream, my handphone buzzed once. A photo flew in when I swapped open the phone, it was Sunggyu’s funny selfie with the caption “am watching u”. He was having the 10 minutes break and this was what he had done, to lighten up my mood or simply wanted to “stay with me mentally”. I couldn’t help to giggle at his silly but cute intension. He knew what I needed especially tonight. In return, I sent him a photo of the empty ice cream cup with the spoon in it, showing him I ate well, and I received his thumb’s up sticker immediately.
As long as he stayed certain, I would bulk up the courage and stayed certain together with him. As for now, I needed my second cup of matcha ice cream and listened to Sunggyu’s songs, let his voice and his caring loaded my mind the whole night.
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