The familiar melody was getting irritating. It was the fourth time Kris pressed the doorbell. He hit the doorbell time and again and even called her house phone but Jaerin still did not answer the door. Walking over to her shoe rack, he noticed that her favourite pair of black heels was gone.  

“She never celebrates her birthday since then.” he noted.   

A voice within him suggested who she was probably spending her birthday with this year. Walking away from her apartment, Kris found himself heading to the club again. It was going to be yet another drunken night for him. He hated himself for not being able to let go and accept the fact that she has found the one for her. This time, he felt like a loser in a love game. He still wishes he could turn back time.

-

“Happy birthday.” Lay wished.

The gift in his hands was beautifully wrapped in a black box and tied up by a purple metallic bow.

“How did you know my birth date?” Jaerin questioned in hostility.

Lay was surprised by her reaction.

“I stole your identification card when you went to the rest room and remembered the date.” He confessed.

“I don’t need the gift. I don’t celebrate my birthday.” She stated, holding back.

There was an awkward silence which engulfed the two now.

“Why?” he finally asked.

The question killed her. Jaerin did not wish to recall how her mother dumped her on her birthday. She did not wish to remember how her mother heartlessly left her on the streets when it was freezing cold. She did not wish to remember how she used to sit by the window, hoping her mother would come by one day.  However, his question made all those memories return. It was only then that Jaerin realized, she remembered every bit of it so clearly. She had never forgotten. The piercing memories made her heart ache. And she wished she wasn’t thrown away.

“Jaerin, are you okay?” Lay asked concernedly as he touched her arm lightly.

Staring at him, she jerked out of his grip.

“Leave me alone.”

With that, she ran off with pathetic salty tears falling as years of memories came flashing back. Collapsing on the bench, Jaerin slapped herself.

“Stop thinking. Park Jaerin, stop!” She yelled at herself.

 “Don’t you care about Jaerin?!”

“I don’t.”

Jaerin covered her ears and tried blocking those sounds out of her mind but to no avail.

“Let me tell you, he is not coming back! He is not coming back anymore! He doesn’t want you, he doesn’t want this family anymore! Everything he said was nothing but lies! LIES!”

“I DON’T BELIEVE! YOU ARE THE ONE LYING!”

Even the tone of denial was so strong in her memories.

 “Mummy loves Jaerin even if daddy doesn’t anymore, alright? Hush, my baby.”

The woman with blurred face wiped away her tears as she tucked her in bed.

Tears flowed as her mother’s lies came haunting back.

“I am so happy today! Today is Jaerin’s best birthday ever!” She beamed.

“Jaerin-ah, umma forgot something at the ice-cream shop.  I got to go and get it back. You will be a good girl and wait here, okay?”

Fumbling through her bag, Jaerin took out her phone and called Kris. The phone kept ringing…

“My umma will return! She is not like your umma!”

“She had abandoned you, idiot!”

“You are lying!”

“Everyone here has the same fate so stop acting like a spoilt brat, new kid!”

“The number you have called is not available at the moment. Please dial again later or leave a message after the ‘beep’ tone-”

“So Park Jaerin, where’s your noble mother?”

“…”

“I told you. They are all liars.”

“Go away.”

“Awww~ Look guys! Someone is angry~ someone is crying~ someone is angry~”

“Shut up!”

“Shut up! Shut up! I said shut up!” She yelled repeatedly and thrown her phone on the grass patch.

Someone picked up her phone and the man started walking towards her.

“I have been finding you.” He said and settled beside her.

“You cried.” He noticed.

She looked away and did not say anything. Biting her lips to stop those tears, she fluttered her eye lids close. Then, Lay brought her head to his left shoulder.

“No one will see in this way so cry and let it all out.”

The tears seeped through her closed eye lids. And as seconds passed, she cried harder. It was like she had been waiting for this permission for so long.

“I miss them.” She choked out between tears.

“My family, I miss them.”

The family-the ones whom abandoned her in the first place- as much as Jaerin refuses to admit, she longed for them. So much.

-

“Why is it that you never believe I like you?” he mumbled like a kid.

Hiccupping, Kris snuggled into the leather cushion. Dongmin, the bartender, picked up the rolling wine glass and placed it on the table. Shaking his head, he wondered what happened to cause him to be in such ruins.

“Yah. Why are you ignoring me?” he shouted with fingers pointing at Dongmin causing him to jump a little.

“Me?” he questioned in amusement.

Kris nodded his head and he chuckled.

“You only care about him…” He finally said in defeat.

“Only him.” He repeated, drifting off to a world where troubles vapourised.

The bartender shook his head as he took his phone on the table. Looking at the one missed call from Jaerin, he called back. Dongmin scratched his head when he could not get through the number. Sighing, he scrolled through Kris’ other available contacts. It surprised Dongmin how someone like him had so few contacts. He thought he would easily have hundreds of pretty girls’ contacts inside.

“Kim Hanuel?” he mumbled to himself.

-

“My father left me when I was a kid. To be exact, he left with another woman. My mother, she left me at the orphanage on my birthday. They said they would return for me, but none of them did. They are all disgusting liars. I guess… Now you know why I don’t celebrate my birthday…” Jaerin concluded with a bitter smile.

He could see tears forming in her eyes again and she was holding back. He wished she could just cry because seeing her suppress her emotions before him made him hurt more. After hearing her story, Lay felt his heart grow heavy. It was not sympathy he was feeling towards his girlfriend. It was just after knowing the story made the girl before him look so vulnerable. She was not as strong as she portrayed herself to be since the start. He finally knew why she lied and although he wouldn’t agree to it still, he felt her so strongly. Lay did not know what to do so he placed his arms around her.

“It’s their loss for leaving you. Unlike them, I promise I wouldn’t. I will always be by your side. Also, happy birthday, Jaerin-ah. Thank you for being born.” He whispered into her ears. 

At his words, Jaerin found herself crying soundlessly. It was the first time in her life, she felt important and secured again. Then, Lay was about to break the hug when Jaerin held onto his sleeves.

“Just a while more.” She pleaded.

He smiled as he her back, knowing she cried.

-

“Kim Hanuel-ssi?” Dongmin questioned, staring at the girl before him.

“Yes, I am.” She confirmed, nodding repeatedly.

Her eyes had not left Kris the moment she stepped into the club, he noticed.

“Would you please take Kris home? I could have taken him back but I am still on duty and I can’t leave my post...” He explained.

“I understand, don’t worry. I will bring him back. Do you need me to foot his bill??” she asked, fumbling through her bag for her wallet.

“It’s alright. It would be on the tab. Kris is our regular here.” He said and smiled.

“Yah, Park Dongmin! What are you still doing there?!” His in-charge yelled.

“I got to go. I am sorry to trouble you.” Dongmin bowed to Hanuel whom bowed back instantly.

“It’s no trouble at all, really.” She reassured with a pure smile.

Hanuel squatted before him who was sprawled on the cushion. She mentally registered the dark circles under his eyes which weren’t there previously. He looks tired and down, and it pained her to see him that way.

“Hey.” She called out timidly.

Kris thought he heard someone so he tried opening his eyes. However, the lights of the club were blinding and it forbade him from doing so. He shook his head in protest. His eyelids were half open when he felt someone help him up. He slowly sat up and eventually, stood up. Half his body weight was on the person and he smiled at her familiar touch. She still came back for him, he thought to himself.

“Kris oppa, where do you stay?” he heard her say.

“Oppa?” he repeated.

He was certain Jaerin wouldn’t call him that. His eyes shot open and it surprised him to see Hanuel inches away from his face and his hands were around her neck.

“Why are you here?” he asked straightforwardly.

The question hurt her a little but still, she smiled.

Author's Note:

It will be the end soon. Maybe another 2 chapters more?
Hope you guys are enjoying this story so far... <3
Thank you for reading 'The Girl who Cried Wolf'. :'D