Final

Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely
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He sits on one of the benches at the park and enjoys the sight of Han river in front of him. The sky is so clear and the weather is just very nice that day. He takes deep breath several times, inhaling as much oxygen to refresh his mind. The park is quite crowd, a lot of families are having small picnic and kids are running here and there chasing each other. He sighs and then leaves the park.

 

He smiles seeing the view in front of him. He remembers the last time he came here was last year, at the same exact date. It was so nostalgic, yet so painful. He recalls every memory at every corner of that place. The precious memories which he can never forget.
"You come!" a voice suddenly interrupts him.
He turns to the voice and smiles.
"How are you doing, Byul-ah?" he greets her.
"I'm good as ever. Come in," Moonbyul opens the gate.
He enters the place.
"You come again, at the same date," Moonbyul says.
"Yeah," he answers without glancing to Moonbyul.
"You wanna look around or you wanna see Chorong first?"
"Chorong-nuna is here?"
"Yes, she's with Yongsun and the kids now."
"I think I want to look around first."
"Okay, suit yourself."
He then goes to the back of the building. Behind the main building, there's small church. He opens the door of the church and later he finds himself stands in front of the Christ statue. He looks at a certain picture on a small table under the statue with a sad look. Unconsciously, his tears fall. He closes his eyes and lets the tears flowing down on his cheek. He stands there for a moment until he hears the door opens.

He isn't bothered to see who is coming. He hears the footsteps getting closer. The figure stands beside him silently. He's still closing his eyes as if he isn't ready to face anyone. While the figure beside him, joins her hands and closes her eyes, praying silently. A few minutes later, he feels a soft hand reaches him. He wipes his tears and turns to the figure next to him. The figure then takes his hand and pulls him to sit at one of the benches. Now, they're sitting side by side, facing the Christ statue.
"You come," the figure says.
"Mm. I miss her," he says.
"Me too. I visit her every day," she says.
"Chorong-nuna, how long has it been?"
Chorong turns to look at the statue, "10 years."
"It’s been a long time."
Chorong smiles bitterly, "Mm."
Eunjin stares at the statue blankly as if there are a lot of things in his mind.
 

[flashback 10 years ago…]

He ran as fast as he could once he arrived at the hospital. He spotted Chorong and Bomin.

“Eunjin-ah!” Bomin quickly stood.

“Where is she?” Eunjin asked, panic was all over his face.

Bomin turned to one of the ward in the emergency unit. Eunjin followed the gaze and when he was about to go to the ward, Bomin stopped him.

“The doctor is still there, let’s wait here,” he said.

Eunjin nodded weakly. He stood there and waited for the doctor. He closed his eyes, silently praying to God. After waiting for about 15 minutes, the doctor came out of the ward. Eunjin quickly scooted to the doctor.

“How is she Doctor?” he asked.

“Who is the family of Son Naeun-ssi?” the doctor asked.

“We are all her family Doctor,” Chorong said.

The doctor took a deep breath before finally telling the most unwanted news in the world.

“I’m very sorry. Son Naeun-ssi, she couldn’t be saved due to severe bleeding in her head,” the doctor bowed deeply.

Eunjin’s face turned blank. Slowly, his legs losing the strength and he fell on his knees. Bomin quickly held him while Chorong burst out of tears. Eunjin turned to Bomin.

“Tell me that this is a dream, please…tell me that it’s only a dream Bomin-ah…” he said.

Bomin’s heart ached seeing Eunjin. As much as he wanted to say that this was all a dream, he knew that this was all the fact. The fact that Son Naeun, Eunjin’s soon-to-be wife, was dead from an accident. Bomin hugged Eunjin tightly as he felt that Eunjin started trembling.

“Eunjin-ah…” that was all he could say.

Eunjin cried upon realizing that it was not a dream.

“I wanna see her…” he said.

He turned to Bomin, “I wanna see her!!!”

Bomin nodded and helped him to stand up. He walked to the ward slowly leading Eunjin who was preparing himself to see Naeun. Chorong followed them, still sobbing. When they reached the bed, Eunjin run to Naeun.

“Naeun-ah…open your eyes baby…I’m here…” he said, holding Naeun’s hand.

But, no sign of Naeun to open her eyes. He reached Naeun’s face, rubbing her cheek gently.

“Naeun-ah…please baby…open your eyes…” his tears fell on Naeun’s face.

Bomin couldn’t bear to see his best friend. Chorong couldn’t stop crying. Bomin slowly reached his best friend.

“Eunjin-ah, she’s gone,” he said in a low tone.

Eunjin closed his eyes upon hearing Bomin’s words. He felt a terrible pain in his heart. He felt suffocating when he realized that it was not a dream. Naeun has gone. She would never open her eyes, ever again. He held Bomin’s hands tightly and burst out to cry. It was too painful. Losing his love of life, just one day before their wedding day.

 

[back to present…]

“I went to her grave this morning. Even though it has been 10 years, I don’t know why the pain is still the same. Since the day she’s gone, I keep going on with my life. I go to work, meet a lot of people, write a lot of songs, and sometimes sing at our favourite café. But, when I go home, that loneliness comes back to me. The house feels so empty. When I lay on my bed, alone, I feel suffocating. Every inch of the house reminds me of her. Sometimes, I think I heard her voice when I sat at the bar in the kitchen. Oh, how I miss her voice…” Eunjin says.

Chorong listens to Eunjin’s every word silently. She knows how much Eunjin and Naeun love each other. She’s one of the living witnesses of the two’s love story. She still remembers the first time Eunjin met Naeun at the orphanage when Eunjin came to see Bomin.

 

[flashback…]

He pressed the bell next to the gate. He waited for a moment when finally someone opened the gate. He was mesmerized by the beauty in front of him. He thought he saw an angel. The girl who opened the gate for him, frowned seeing him stood like a statue.

“Excuse me, who are you?” the girl asked politely.

As he was too immersed with the girl’s beauty, he didn’t respond. The girl frowned.

“Excuse me!?” the girl tried to snap him back to earth.

“Oh eh, yes?” he stuttered.

The girl giggled seeing him.

“Who are you?” the girl repeated her question.

“Oh I’m Eunjin. I’m here to see Bomin, the owner of this orphanage,” he said, smiling.

“Eunjin-ah! You come!” a familiar voice suddenly interrupted.

Eunjin turned to his best friend and smiled. Bomin then took him inside the orphanage, followed by the girl.

“Come, Rongie is cooking the dinner,” Bomin said.

“I can smell the foods already,” Eunjin said.

“Hahaha! You miss her cooking, huh?” Bomin laughed.

They arrived at a big dining room. There were a lot of kids sitting there.

“Here, sit here,” Bomin said.

Eunjin sat next to Bomin. He saw the kids who were chatting happily while waiting for the foods.

“How many are they now?” Eunjin asked.

“If I’m not mistaken, 30. Thanks to you man, for being so generous donating regularly to this orphanage,” Bomin said.

“Don’t mention it,” Eunjin said, smiling.

Not too long after that, Chorong announced that the foods were ready and the kids quickly lined up to take the foods. Eunjin found it cute that the kids were lining up diligently. He was about to stand up when the girl who opened the gate before suddenly appeared in front of him bringing the foods.

“Where are you going man? Sit down here, Naeun will bring the foods for us,” Bomin grabbed his hand and pulled him back to sit.

He sat back without sparing glance to Bomin. His eyes fixed on the beautiful girl in front of him. Bomin who noticed that Eunjin was eyeing Naeun, giggled. He snapped his fingers in front of Eunjin’s face and Eunjin was startled.

“What?” he turned to Bomin.

“Don’t ‘what’ me man, I know what you were doing just now,” Bomin said, turning his gaze to Naeun who left to take the foods.

Eunjin’s face turned red as he was caught red-handed staring at Naeun.

“Well, I admit that Naeun is beautiful and I’m not surprised if you fall for her,” Bomin said.

“I never see her before,” Eunjin said, seeing Naeun taking the foods prepared by Chorong.

“Holy! Is it that long for you not visiting us?” Bomin looked surprised.

“The last time I came here was on your wedding day,” Eunjin said.

“Then it was like, two and half years ago. She came here six months after our wedding. She’s Chorong’s cousin. She enrolled a university, taking art as her major since she loves painting. That one is her painting,” Bomin pointed at one painting in the dining room.

Eunjin got up from his seat and scooted to take a good look of the painting. Bomin just sat on his seat, seeing his best friend got interested in Naeun’s painting. Eunjin took a good look of the painting. It was a nature painting, quite simple but he felt peaceful when he saw the painting. Chorong’s voice snapped him back and he quickly returned back to his seat. They ate the dinner together with the kids.

“It has been a long time since the last time you visit us, Eunjin-ah. You must be very busy,” Chorong said.

“Mm. Since we work with many agencies, we have a lot of projects,” Eunjin said.

“I’m glad to hear that. More projects means more money,” Bomin said.

Eunjin let out small laugh, “Yeah. It also means that you don’t have to be worried about the donations.”

“Right! Hahaha!” Bomin laughed.

Eunjin then turned to Naeun who ate silently.

“So Naeun-ssi, I heard you take art as your major since you like painting,” Eunjin said.

Naeun turned to Eunjin with an expression which Eunjin couldn’t understand. Eunjin frowned, as well as Chorong and Bomin.

“Naeun-ssi? Are you okay?” Eunjin asked, worriedly.

“Oh y-yes, I take art as my major,” Naeun answered shyly.

Eunjin smiled when Naeun finally responded.

Since that night, Eunjin put a fix schedule to visit the orphanage once a month as he wanted to see Naeun. And slowly but sure, they got closer and developed their feelings to be more than just a friend.

 

[back to present…]

“I heard from Bomin, that you rejected so many girls who tried to be your girlfriend,” Chorong says.

Eunjin smiles, “No one can replace her.”

Chorong smiles bitterly with the simple answer from Eunjin. Eunjin, who is a well-known songwriter and music producer, even after 10 years, he still reserves his heart for one person, whom Chorong knows, has long gone.

“Don’t you think it’s the time for you to move on? I’m sure Naeun would never want you to be sad and keep mourning of her death,” Chorong says, carefully.

She doesn’t want to sound offend. She just wants Eunjin to be happy again. For her, it has been too long enough for Eunjin to be stuck in his past. She’s sure if Naeun were still alive, she would never want Eunjin to suffer like this.

“It has been 10 years and we want you to be happy again,” Chorong continues.

“We?” Eunjin turns to Chorong.

Chorong nods,

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amy_sh
#1
Chapter 1: Oh shoot.i need some air. Why did you write a tragic? Even in real life 2eun already tragic ಥ‿ಥ but thank you so much for writing this story :-)