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Just When I Thought I Was Over You

 

I

 

 

She stood there in the garden as she saw the people crowding the old Japanese-style house. The sun was on its peak then suddenly the rustle of the leaves as the wind passed by broke the silence. She lifted her head up only to see light passing through the branches of the trees. ‘It would have been better if it rained,’ she thought to herself. 

“Seyoon-ah” her mother called her. “It’s time for the ceremony, come here quickly.” She called her from the window. Seyoon reached the wooden sliding door and opened it silently, not wanting to disturb the solemnity of the ceremony. There he was, the jar that contained the ashes of her late grandfather, sitting on the middle of a large wooden table surrounded by white flowers. As much as possible she wanted to leave the place but as a member of the family and the one closest to her grandfather, she just sat there with her head bowed down, waiting for the memorial service to end.

Everyone gave their condolences to her family. She watched her parents as they talked to the people one by one. After a few hours, only her family and Mr. Kim’s family remained inside. Mr. Kim is the closest friend of her dad and was considered by her grandfather to be his second son. Seyoon approached the altar and stared at her grandpa’s picture when someone spoke from behind. “Seyoon, are you alright?” She knew that voice, that voice that she had never heard of for quite some time. She looked back to see Kai’s worried face.

“I’m alright,” she replied, not wanting to make the conversation longer.

“Here.” He handed her a glass of tea and a biscuit. “You haven’t eaten since yesterday said your mother. At least, eat this.” He sat beside her, putting the tray on the floor. He looked at her, her appearance as pale and weak as a sick person could be. He watched her as she grabbed the cup and the biscuit.  It’s true that she hasn’t eaten for days. And the way she felt right now, she couldn’t help but ate what he gave her. Their parents look at the two of them before they headed to another room together with a lawyer.

---

 “As the official lawyer of Mr. Jin Il Jong, I hereby present his last will and testament as signed by the late Chairman.” As the lawyer discussed the will of their grandfather, Kai and Seyoon were sitting silently in the room, facing the picture of her late grandpa, waiting for their parents to comeback. How Kai wished to break the seemingly deafening silence. How he wished to comfort Seyoon with every way possible but he didn’t know how to start a conversation with her especially that he knew how long it had been since the last time that they talked alone.

“Seyoon, about the marriage…” He noticed that she only stared on the floor without bothering to look at him. He also noticed how she looked tired and seemed lacked of sleep. “We don’t have to do it,” he continued,

“I’ve already agreed to the marriage. Plus, I have already told my parents that it’s just a piece of paper, a business deal. Aside from that, nothing will change,” she said cold-heartedly.

“What do you mean nothing will change? Everything will change Seyoon. You and me, our relationship, and our relationship…to other people as well.” This time, she already lifted her head up and looked at him with a blank face.

“Do we have to talk about this now?” she said in a low monotone voice, a voice that seemed to restrain from going further to a useless argument.

“I am sorry. I didn’t intend to bring this conversation…” before Kai was able to finish what he was about to say, their parents entered the room.

 “We have already discussed about your grandfather’s will and as for the two of you, about the marriage…”

“Can we talk about it tomorrow,” Seyoon said, lifting herself up as Kai watched her leave the room.

“Seyoon!” her mother called her.

“It’s okay,” said Mr. Jin. “I think we need to give them some more time after all that happened.”

Kai just stood their silently, thinking of the day when they first told him about the arrange marriage……

 

~*~

 “Kai,”  his mother called his name in a soft voice. “You know that our business will officially merge with the Jin International Company starting next year.”

“Uh huh…so?” Kai asked her totally oblivious and without any doubt of the surprise that would happen.

 “Well, your father and I already talked about this with the Jins. Kai, we wanted you and Seyoon to get married.”

---

 “Married? Are you kidding me?” Seyoon said annoyingly. She never thought that it would come to this situation. This kind of relationship that she never thought would happen. “What do you think of me, a dry seal that would complete your business deal? What about my own choice?”

“We know,” her father replied calmly, “but we can’t rest assure that our business would go well. And we want to make sure that the one who will inherit the business would be one family, and that’s the two you if you get married. I’ve already talked about this with the Kims. I am sure they already told their son.”

“And I am sure that he will not agree either. I don’t want to. I just can’t.”

---

“This is absurd. You know that Seyoon is not that kind of person who would only agree on this and neither do I,” Kai protested. No, for Kai, they couldn’t get married. Even though they’ve known each other for too long, he can’t imagine his life being married to her. He had only seen her as a friend, as a sister, nothing more.

---

“I heard that you came here yesterday night.”

“It wasn’t going well way back home. My parents wanted me to…”

“About the marriage…I’ve heard it from your father.”

Every time that Seyoon had problems at home, she would always run to her grandfather’s home. She would always feel at home there. After all, whenever her parents would come to Korea for business, they would always leave her in her grandpa’s house. It was where she learned about Korean culture and some basic Korean phrases. Her grandpa, he’s more like a family to her than her parents. It was like he had always been there even if she didn’t ask to, like he knew immediately that she had problems even if she didn’t tell him.

“You can stay here if you want. But Seyoon-ah, I will not say if your parents’ decision is right or wrong. However, just think why they are doing this. It’s for your own sake. It’s for your future. And I’ve known that kid since he was young. I know he’s the best candidate to be your future husband.” Seyoon just stared at her grandpa. She didn’t want to argue anymore especially to her grandpa. His health was declining rapidly in the past months so she just decided to stay beside his bed and gave him a hug.

“Grandpa, thank you.”

---

Days have passed but still, Kai had not made up his mind. No, he didn’t need to think about it. He knew he would surely decline that marriage. Although he wanted to talk about this to Seyoon but whenever he saw her at school, he can’t seem to make a move. She always has that dark blank face that seemed to create an invisible space between them. At the end, they were like strangers to each other.

---

Seyoon had seen Kai a lot of times trying to approach her but she would always pretend that she didn’t notice him. She couldn’t talk to him. She could but she wouldn’t. She didn’t want to shorten the space between them. It’s always better this way, she thought, for the two of them.

She was on her way to the music room to get the music sheet that she forgot during the music class when…

“Have you eaten yet?” he asked.

“No, I was busy practicing for the upcoming music competition. I can’t afford to have a break.”

“Well then, I think I just came at the right time. Here, I bought us lunch.”

 “Are we always like this?”

“What do you mean?”

“Always hiding, always just seeing each other after-school.”

“You know what I always feel, right? No matter what happens, I will always love you…

Krystal.”

Seyoon stood there, frozen in place. This was the reason why they couldn’t get married. This was the reason why she should keep that distance. She didn’t want to…destroy his happiness.

~*~

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__MyunHyun #1
Chapter 76: I didn't understand Kai and seyoon have kids now? Jongin is there own son?
__MyunHyun #2
Chapter 76: I didn't understand Kai and seyoon have kids now? Jongin is there own son?
dreamshun
1812 streak #3
Chapter 44: Lu 😭
dreamshun
1812 streak #4
Chapter 42: lulu😭😭
dreamshun
1812 streak #5
Chapter 41: luhan bby 😭✋
dreamshun
1812 streak #6
Chapter 40: gosh,, i pity luhan
dreamshun
1812 streak #7
Chapter 39: same, i too don't have an elder brother but a younger one 😭
dreamshun
1812 streak #8
Chapter 38: i kinda feel bad for luhan but the ending-- OMG
dreamshun
1812 streak #9
Chapter 35: Suho?????
dreamshun
1812 streak #10
Chapter 34: of course, twas directed to seyoon 😭