20.
Little by Little - because you stay -
JUNG.sooyeon
Today is indeed one of the best days I have this week. After the busy days to prepare the best dance team for a festival which will be held in one month.
I was appointed as the adviser. In fact I was chosen to be one of the dancers as well but I refused the offer, knowing the festival is where Aerin studies... and Yonghwa teaches.
If I can avoid meeting her in anyway I can, then I will do it. I don't want to feel embarrased once people know that I have a stepsister, who I don't want to admit, is a person who stabbed a man.
Even though I don't dance on the festival, I still practice dilligently. Today my schedule is not full and I can have time to practice by my own at my favorite place.
Yes, it's the place where I saw that boy. Jinyoung. I guess that's what his name is.
Speak of the devil, I accidentally see him practicing violin again. Exactly like how I met him for the first time here. He's all alone with the violin, playing with closed eyes as if there is nothing that can disturb him.
He looks really tired somehow. He holds the violin professionally, playing a slow and sad song which I never heard before. When he finally stops and opens his eyes slowly, my heart skips a beat.
For two seconds, he reminds me of someone... but who?
"You," the guy speaks coldly. His eyes are piercing me without any warmth. "Jung Aerin's stepsister."
"W-What?!" I curse myself for stammering in front of him. "I just happened to practice dance here! I didn't say or do anything!"
Jinyoung places the violin back to its place, ignoring my words. He walks to the door where I stand and glances at me, "You hate Aerin."
Aerin. It's always Aerin. What did she do to have all attention from guys? Seriously!
"Who wouldn't? You're not in my shoes. You'll never understand," I scoff with sarcasm. "Plus she gave shame to my family. I would never admit that she is my sister."
He frowns and retorts without any change of expression, "You believe in rumor without trying to talk with her. Not everything is how it seems."
Jinyoung walks pass me and, all of a sudden, he stops and says a statement that sounds precisely similar to someone else's.
"You'll regret it one day if you keep hating her."
Now I know who he reminds me of.
Jung Yonghwa.
❖❖❖❖❖
When I see Yonghwa waiting at the school gate, for the very first time, I don't fasten my pace and try to avoid him. Actually I slow down and stop right in front of him.
After what Jinyoung said to me, curiosity has gotten into me. It's not a coincidence that both Jinyoung and Yonghwa said the same thing if there is nothing I need to know about, right?
But what could it be?
There is no way I will ask Aerin. She's all the happy-go-lucky-smiling-forever girl. My parents asked her before about the incident but she just smiled and said that there's nothing to worry about.
It's even more impossible to ask Jinyoung. I don't know where or when to meet him so I'm only left with one option: Yonghwa.
"What are you doing here?" I ask him and it's obvious he is surprised with my question because he eventually speaks out his mind.
"It's rare to have you talk with me without avoiding attempt, Jess. I believe there is something you want to talk with me rather than listening to me."
How can he read my mind so easily? He doesn't even know me that long. I'm not even sure if we actually know each other except that he knows how much I hate Aerin and I know he wants to tell me something about Aerin.
"Just talk," I look away and take steps forward, heading back to my house. "Can we talk while walking? I need to arrive home before my parents leave to Busan."
"Sure," Yonghwa answers simply and walks side by side with me. "I'll listen to what you want to say first, Jess. Is there anything I can help?"
I don't say anything for at least a minute, trying to arrange the question in mind. How could I put in one single question?
"Why did you say that I would regret if I keep hating Aerin?"
Looking at his expression, I know he doesn't expect me to ask that. I've became so defensive when it comes to that topic and I just brought it now; who wouldn't be surprised?
Yonghwa doesn't stop his steps, leading me far from the school, taking the path to my house through a nearby park.
"Do you realize that the incident happened on the day your bag was snatched by a man?" he chooses to answer.
Wait. How did he even know that my bag was snatched? Aerin? How did she know about it?
"Do you know that Aerin saw that and she looked after that man?" Yonghwa continues as if we're just talking about the weather.
I can't hide my surprise anymore once he comes with his next statement.
"Do you know that the man who snatched your bag, the man who was stabbed by Aerin, is actually my father?"
What?!
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