✎ Issue 3: Promise
Scandalicious
✎ Lee Jinki ✎
I was only eleven years old when I went to a bakery shop by myself to buy a birthday cake for my mother. I saved the money for months and now I could finally buy the cake.
My mother was working so I managed to go to the nearby bakery shop to buy the black forest, my mother's favorite.
"Huah!" I tripped down and the cake fell down, scattered on the ground. I was too excited that I didn't control my speed at all and now I lost the cake.
I didn't have money anymore. I used them all to buy the cake. I swore that I really wanted to cry because I had nothing to give my mother for her birthday.
"Eomma, mianhae...," I bit my bottom lip, holding the urge to cry in the middle of the road. I knelt down to pick the scattered cake, "Mian..."
My mother always supported me to become a singer, a dream I always had since I was little. That's why I wanted to give her something special by myself.
"What's wrong, Oppa?" a little girl tucked my sleeve. She looked at me with cute eyes, worrying about me. "What's wrong with the cake?"
"A-Aniyo...," I shook my head, slapping myself mentally for making a younger kid to worry about me. "It's supposed to be my mother's birthday cake..."
Why did I even talk to this little girl? I guessed I was too shocked at the moment. I had no idea what I could do to exchange the birthday cake.
"Here," she handed over a box of cake. She opened it to reveal a slice of black forest, not a big and full cake like what I bought. "It's for you."
"Eh?" I mouthed with confusion. "N-No. It's alright. It's yours so-"
"It's for Appa," she closed the box carefully and gave it to me, "but Appa can't eat it so it's for you."
I didn't take it immediately because I felt that it's wrong to take the cake from such a little girl, "Why can't your Appa eat the cake?"
She puffed her cheeks and swung her right feet back and forth, "Eomma said Appa is in heaven and he is happy now. I bought the cake so Appa could see that I still remembered his birthday."
I was surprised by the coincidence where her father and my mother shared the same birthday. My heart also sank when I heard that she had lost her father in such a young age.
"Here," she took my hand and put the box on my palm. "Saengil chukkahamnida, Ahjumeoni!"
"W-Wait!" I called her when she ran away. She stopped on her track and turned to look at me. "What should I do to return your kindness?"
The little girl tilted her head and asked me back cutely, "What do you like to do, Oppa?"
I frowned and gave it a thought for a while before I answered her simply, "Singing."
She smiled brightly and told me, "Then promise me to sing from your heart to thank me! See you, Oppa!"
The girl waved and walked away, leaving me with questions, wondering if I could meet her again one day.
Though I didn't know what her name was, I always remembered the promise.
✂ ✂ ✂
"Black forest again?" Minho, the rapper in my group asks me with teasing tone. He takes a slice and puts it into his mouth, "Delicious."
I just laugh when he wipes the chocolate from his lips, "I like black forest. Don't you like it too?"
"I like every delicious food," he answers honestly and I have expected the answer since he eats almost everything. "Isn't it the time to pick Taemin?"
There is no new notification of text message nor phone call on my phone so I decide to give Taemin more time to be alone at his favorite library.
Ever since months ago, Taemin has a favorite hobby whenever we have our spare time. He will use the time to read whatever he wants at a small public library. He said that no one will recognize him there.
As a leader, I give every member the same right to enjoy their personal activities. Jonghyun had his when he was still with Shin Sekyung. At least until a month ago.
Ever since Jonghyun broke up with her, he spent more times with us. I guess he still needs time to adjust his feeling after a year of relationship with such a wonderful lady.
It's such an unfortunate since I actually think two of them were compatible together.
"Taemin, I'm on my way there," I speak through the phone after he answered the call. "No, I'm all alone. I'm thinking about having lunch somewhere. What do you think?"
"Ah! I'm actually on taxi already!" he apologizes quickly. "Mian, Hyung! Where are you? I'll tell the taxi to stop there."
I stop my step and scratch my cheek, "It's alright. I almost arrived at the library. It's alright. Go back to the apartment. I'll meet you back there, okay?"
Taemin, being the youngest but the kind-hearted member as always, keeps apologizing and I tell him that it's alright because I also need time to walk around once in a while.
My eyes wander around when I walk pass a bakery shop. There is a little boy who looks at the cake from outside and he is drooling over the sweets.
I smile to myself and then approach him. I squat down to level my eyes with him when he turns to me, "Do you want that cake?"
His face beams and he asks me with excitement, "Can I?"
"Sure, you can," I ruffle his hair and stand up. I give him a sign to follow me inside. "Come in. I'll buy you whatever cake you want."
When the boy is going to step inside, a voice stops him, "Kwangjin! Seo Kwangjin!"
Someone stops the little boy from following me. A girl with medium length hair takes his hand and stares at me with serious expression, "Are you trying to kidnap my cousin?"
This girl seriously misunderstands my good intention, doesn't she?
"This is a misunderstanding. I just wanted to-" I was trying to explain but she cuts me when she recognizes who I am.
"Onew?" she calls out my stage name, still holding the little boy's hand. "SHINee's Onew?"
I cover my mouth, slapping myself mentally for forgetting the fact that I'm not supposed to let anyone recognizes me in front of the public.
"Kwangjin, can you go inside first?" the girl talks to the boy. She pats his head twice, "I'll buy you the black forest if you are a good boy, okay?"
Black forest. What a coincidence.
The boy nods with excitement and rushes inside the bakery shop like what his cousin told him to do. She looks at me while I just stand there in silence.
Strange. From her reaction, it looks like whether that she is my anti fan or she is just a girl who doesn't care about meeting an idol face to face. Or maybe she knows other idols so she doesn't give me the reaction from ordinary girls.
"I don't know that idols have free time to walk around freely," she comments casually, tucking her hands inside of the pockets. "Meeting up with someone?"
"Not really...," I answer calmly, trying to act cool. "Is that your cousin?"
She nods but doesn't say another word. I explain to her that I just want to buy a cake for her cousin because he looked like he wanted the cake so bad.
For my surprise, her lips turn into a smile as she replies, "No wonder you don't have any scandal in your career."
"Eh?" I blink in confusion but she just chuckles at my reaction. "What are you talking about?"
"Nothing," she shrugs and looks at her little cousin who is sitting on the chair, waiting for her to come and buy a cake for him. "Have a good day, Onew."
As much as I want to follow her inside, I hold the urge since I know that I can't risk the chance for people to recognize me. I just look the girl buys a slice of black forest cake for the boy from outside.
After seconds, I finally decide to walk away, letting the question keeps lingering in my mind.
Who is that girl?
__________
Glossary #3
- Eomma (엄마) : mom/mommy. The formal one is 'Eomeoni' (어머니).
- Mianhae (미안해) : I'm sorry. The informal one is 'mian' (미안).
- Oppa (오빠) : older brother. Only used by female to call an older male.
- Appa (아빠) : dad/daddy. The formal one is 'Abeoji' (아버지).
- Saengil chukkahamnida (생일 축하합니다) : happy birthday.
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Ahjumeoni (아주머니) : a slightly more polite way to say 'Ahjumma' (아줌마) - refers to an older lady.
Usually used to refer a woman who has married.
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