Today is new day...... To sleep. Jessica was enjoying her Sunday 'Lazy Day' in her bed, sprawled all over the thing. It seems that yesterday's fun drained all of the energy out of her. She enjoyed sleeping so much, that she forgot her plans to hangout with Tiffany today. Definitely no gold star for her. 

 

 

Well past the set time for Tiffany and Jessica to meet up at their now usual cafe, Soshi Cafe, Tiffany was sitting very much so pissed the hell off. Waiting for the woman who hates to wait. The irony seeps in and she chuckles bitterly. She knows that she is supposed to be 'courting' Jessica, but she can't do that of there is no Jessica to court! Having enough of waiting, she leaves, angrily muttering obscenities about Jessica that she would have scolded Jessica for saying. 

 

 

Walking around to clear her mind, Tiffany ended up in a park. 'Oh parks are the place where Jessi and I go. It's our place. Stupid Jessi for making me wait. Stupid Jessi for forgetting our plans. Stupid Jessi. And it's such a beautiful day today. Hmph, for Jessi that she can't see it because she's probably in her beloved bed.'

 

Indeed it was a beautiful day today. The sun was hanging high in the sky. There is just the right amount of clouds out so that it wasn't too hot, nor did it look like there was a chance for rain. Tiffany's kind of beautiful summer day. 

 

 

Tiffany sat on a bench in the park. Why not? She didn't have plans anymore. Tiffany didn't like not having plans, but truth be told, she didn't really have any major plans after Juilliard. When Jessica left her life, she felt like the light in the attic had gone out. Jessica was the cream cheese to her bagel. The nugget to her sweet n' sour sauce. The soup base to her instant ramen. Okay all of these similes sound a little too much like Sooyoung, but Tiffany hadn't eaten yet. Not having Jessica in her life for three years is probably what triggered the lack of route to take in her life after Juilliard. When Jessica came into her life, to Tiffany, it seemed like she did not fit in on any page of her plans, but when she left, all the remaining pages became blank. 

 

 

Why on this day did she have to be thinking about that time? She didn't know and didn't want to think about it, even though history is taught so you don't repeat. Tiffany has certainly learnt that lesson. 

 

 

Sitting on her bench, Tiffany people watched. Something she picked up from Jessica. A bunch of little boys on the playground adjacent to her were playing some war game. The little girls on the playground were playing house, trying to get the boys to stop running through their 'house' a.k.a the underpart of the slide. 'Those kids really did have the world and they didn't even know it, but if they did, they probably wouldn't be as free as they are.' she thought. 

 

There were a bunch of teenage couples about. One guy was trying to impress his girlfriend by attempting to climb a tree that he was not physically qualified to climb. A girl was showing off to her boyfriend her new clothes while he pretended to care about such things. Another guy was checking out other guys with his boyfriend right under his arm. That guy's boyfriend noticed and immediately lifted the wandering eyes guy's arm off and walked away pissed. Tiffany chuckled at them all. She was alone when they all had someone. Though she'd been given the chance to prove herself, she was still not confident enough in herself that she could get Jessica to stay. Even if she didn't seem like it, Jessica had the heart of a nomadic artist. She wanted her to stay, but wasn't sure if the lovely brunette would. 

 

 

There were also a lot. Of artists in the park that day. Drawing caricatures of people for money and painting the scenery for free. Some looked like students, others like unfortunate out of work individuals that got nipped when budget cuts came rolling around. One that caught her eye though,  was a particular elderly man. 'Jessi's like an old man.' This man was extremely talented in his drawings, though they were jest pencil sketches, they were amazing. He was trying to sell his sketches, but no one bothered to look at him. To others, he was a dirty old beggar that deserved to be where he was. To Tiffany, he was a man with a story, one that she wanted to hear. 

 

 

Walking up to the old man and giving him her best eye-smile she greeted him. "Annyeonhaseyo, Tiffany-imnida. What are you selling?"

 

Astonished, the old man looked at her confused for a while, but then smiled. "Annyeonhaseyo, Tiffany-ssi. Lee HwangSuk-imnida. I'm selling my humble sketches. Please take a browse through them."

 

"Nice to meet you HwangSuk-ssi. And I wouldn't have come over if I didn't want to take a look." she said and winked. 

 

Walking over to the plastic bin, it was Tiffany's turn to be astonished. Simple sketches of landscapes, people, animals, even some fantasy pieces. They were all too beautiful. 

 

"You like anything? Oh, and please call me HwangSuk halabeoji."

 

"Like? I love them all HwangSuk halabeoji!" she squeeled. "These are just too great. They should be in one of those art galleries!"

 

"Why Tiffany-ssi, that's about the nicest and sweetest thing anyone has said about my works. Thank you very much" HwangSuk smiles back kindly. 

 

"Aniyo, HwangSuk halabeoji, your work really is great. I would like to buy them."

 

"Sure. Which ones?" HwangSuk walked over to the bin to take some out.

 

"All of them."

 

"All of them?"

 

"All of them."

 

"Tiffany-ssi, I appreciate that you want to help me, but you really don't want have to do that." he shook his head disapprovingly. 

 

"I want to help you yes, but I also love all of your sketches. There's not a lot and I want to have them."

 

"But, it's not wise."

 

"It doesn't matter. I want them. All of them. You'll let me, right?" Tiffany showed her most adorable eye-smile. If that didn't get him, she didn't know what would. 

 

HwangSuk looked at her sternly for a few moments until his heart gave in. "If you really want to buy them, then I will sell them to you."

 

Tiffany squealed in delight and hugged the old man. "Thank you, thank you HwangSuk halalbeoji!"

 

The old man chuckled at her childishness, "I should be thanking you. Oh what a lively young lady you are!"

 

They let go. "But before I buy them, I want to know your story."

 

HwangSuk was confused, "My story?"

 

"Yes halabeoji, your story. Why you're here in this park selling your sketches for chump change."

 

"That's a very weird condition. Why would you want to know?" He questioned back. 

 

"Because I know you have one and now I'm curious. A person important to me said 'everyone has a story to tell, but some people have no one to tell it to. That's why I just like to sit back and listen. It's good for both people.'"

 

"Your important person speaks like an old geezer like me. I've never really told anybody my life story. I don't think that it's that interesting. If you're really willing to listen, I will tell you."

 

"I am more than willing, HwangSuk halabeoji." Tiffany smiles at him reassuringly. She takes his hand and sits him down on a nearby bench. "You shouldn't be standing for too long, it's bad for your health."

 

"My you are a delightfully caring young woman. The world needs more of you around."

 

"Thank you, halabeoji. Story time."

 

"And here I thought that compliment would make you forget!"

 

"That's not nice halabeoji~" Tiffany whined as if he really was her grandfather. 

 

"Okay...... Hmmm... Where to begin? Where to begin?" He looked up to the sky, using it as a trigger of some kind to his mind. Tiffany patiently waited even though she was eager. "We'll I guess I'm here because of her." He said, still looking at the sky. 

 

"I know you've probably heard all of those cliches about having met the one you plan to spend the rest of your life with? The missing piece to your puzzle. That one who you would do anything for." He paused, showing no emotion but nostalgia.

 

Tiffany nodded and he continued. "I met that person and she was my life. We were kids and I didn't have had any clue as to what love was until she came into my life."