Seyong took me to the high school today. No, he wasn’t stay at the parking lot but he had to leave for a work. I was glad he had a work to do. Last night he gave me the resignation letter—he wanted me to give that white paper in white envelope to the principal today, so I could officially resign as soon as possible.

“I’m so sorry about all the trouble I caused, Mr. Jang. I’m so grateful that I got the opportunity to teach here, even though for a short time, but I really enjoy it. Mr. Jang, the students are so kind and friendly, they welcomed me so warmly and I felt accepted. I’m so sorry I can’t continue my job here, I love it so much but my current situation seems can’t be helped. I hope you accept this letter, Mr. Jang,” I handed him my envelope.

He looked sad, and I felt so bad. He said, “Students from class F really like you, Miss. Their grade became better since you are the one who teach them English. I really hope you can come back here sooner.”

I nodded, “Thank you Mr. Jang. I do really hope so.”

I left principal room and walked to the office room. I had to pack my stuffs. The office seemed quiet, the other teachers were on their class, teaching.

I unlocked my drawers, took my phone and checking on it. I got five miscalled from Seyong yesterday—I guess this was what made him approached me and dragged me away.  Ten miscalled from Chaejin. Today. Five unread messages. Four from Chaejin. One from Seyong.

Chaejin: Noona, I missed you.
Chaejin: Good morning, sunshine. I opened my eyes and all I see was your face.
Chaejin: Don’t forget your breakfast. I’m eating my breakfast now. Nomnomnom.
Chaejin: Where are you? If you read this message, please, please, reply.
Seyong: Go home once you finished all the stuffs, darling. I love you <3

I replied Chaejin’s.
I’m resigning today. I hope everything will be better. Take care of yourself, Jinseok-ah.

I also replied Seyong’s.
Okay. Love you too.

I put my phone on my bag and I started to pack the other stuffs into the boxes. It was really hard to imagine my mornings without sitting in this desk again, preparing the papers I should bring for the class. I had been here for like half a month, but the memories happened here were really precious.

“Noona!”

I turned my head, Chaejin came in a rush. He ran to get here, and I could relate it from his shoulders. I sighed, “You can’t skip class, Chaejin. Go back to your class.”

He shook his head, “You can’t do this to me.”

“Of course I can.”

Chaejin grabbed my left wrist, “Noona please don’t leave. It doesn’t matter if you don’t love me back, I understand. But please stay, don’t leave.”

“It has nothing to do with your feelings, Chaejin.”

I looked at him, he stood there quietly, staring at me at a certain point and I decided to pull the chair and took a seat. “I will explain it to you, Chaejin. I really want to stay, I want to be a teacher—this is my small tiny dream I’ve buried for years, and moreover, I’m happy here. I met you and lot of wonderful people. Believe me, if only I could, I would stay here for the rest of my life.”

“Then, stay. What stopped you?” Chaejin blinked.

I could see a single tear on his left eye—it was ready to break but he held it back. I sighed, “Chaejin I’m getting married. Seyong asked me to focus on our preparation, and those stuffs are not that simple. Also, I have to learn lot of things like, cooking, babysitting, or whatnot and Seyong’s grandpa needs me to be around him.”

“Have he proposed you?”

I shrugged, “It’s not like that, Chaejin. We agreed on the arrangement, with or without his proposal, we still going to get married.” Chaejin laughed bitterly, “But you deserve at least a confession. To prove that he loves you, wants you, not so-called arrangement written on a paper.”

“He loves me, Chaejin.”

“Yeah, I’m sure he does.” He took a deep breathe, “If he loves you he would never try to get you away from the place where you get your happiness.”

I got up and continued packing my stuffs. His words were right. I knew Seyong should have let me do what I wanted to do, instead of kept pushing me into his side without even bothering whether I was happy or not. Chaejin got the messages from what happened between us, I didn’t know how. Chaejin unpackaged my stuffs from the boxes.

“Chaejin—”

“Noona, have you ever, at least just once, thinking a day where you would be happier being mine instead of his?” asked Chaejin, he grabbed my hands softly. I avoided his gaze. His voice was too soft and it almost broke. He called my name once again, “Just tell me the truth.”

After deliberated with myself so hard, I eventually said, “Yes. I had.”  

He released his hands off mine. He wiped the tear that hadn’t been flowing and smiled—sadly, “Congratulation for your marriage, Noona. I’m happy for you.” his voice cracked.

“Chaejin you are a very good boy.” I added.

“But you prefer that bad guy,” he cut.

“You can get a better girl than me,” I replied.

“What makes you so sure?” asked Chaejin, he looked so fragile.

I let another sigh out, “Because you are a good boy and you deserve someone better than me.” Chaejin shrugged, “What makes you think I’m not good enough for you if I say that Seyong-ssi doesn’t deserve you even a bit?”

“Chaejin don’t make it harder for me...” I begged.

A knock of the door froze our conversation, a security guard from the front gate came to the teacher office and passed the message—to me, “Miss, someone is already waiting for you in parking lot. He said he is your fiancé.”

I nodded and said thanks before that guy left the room. Chaejin got up, “Until the day you and him officially married, I would never stop to convince you that I’m better than him.”

“Seyong isn’t bad guy, Chaejin. What you saw yesterday is not the best way to describe him like that,” I said. He shrugged, laughed bitterly, “He treated you that way and you still defend him? Noona do you love him that much?”

“Yes.”

“He hurt you! Pulled and dragged you like a dog, yelled there and there, it was horrible and you love him? I don’t understand woman. They always come to guy who made them cry instead of guy who would kill himself just to protect them,” Chaejin hissed with his cracked voice.

“He did.”

“What?”

“Protected me.”

“No, he didn’t.”

“Chaejin you don’t know Seyong,” I tried so hard to build a better vision about Seyong in Chaejin’s eyes but I failed. Chaejin hardly believed that Kim Seyong was the only guy who talked to me, who helped me and the only companion for the whole years I was in high school. Yes, I knew he has changed now but it would never change the fact about things he did for me.

I didn’t want to be ungrateful woman. Seyong rescued me, and I was sure my life would never be like this if I never met him. Seyong was one of things in my life to be thankful of. I liked Chaejin—but I just couldn’t let Seyong down, how hard I fell for Chaejin or how bad Seyong treated me.

I believed a good thing happened in a good timing.

“I should get going. Be a clever student okay, listen to Teacher Kang and don’t forget to do your homework,” I said, patted his head and smiling. He smiled back—even though I could relate that he mostly like smirked, “If you have a hard time, you know that you have me to lean on.”

I nodded, “Thanks Chaejin.”

“Noona.”

His call made me stop once again and I turned my body to see him. He bit his lips and stuttering, “I don’t know when we will meet again, and we probably will rarely meet because you are going to be so busy for the wedding. So...”

“So?”

Chaejin moved closer, “Can I get your hug…. for just once?”

I gasped. I gave him a slight nod, and looking at the boxes you brought. Chaejin laughed, “It’s okay, I’m going to hug you from back to make it easier.” I smiled, “Oh, okay.” He took a deep breath, walking toward me and put his hands on my stomach, folded both of them there. Actually, it was a bit tickle but somehow his hands felt so warm. Chaejin leaned his head on my back, buried it on my hair whilst whispering, “Noona I really really like you.”

“I heard it, little bastard.”

The deep voice made us jumped off shock. Chaejin let his hands go of me, and I turned my body to see Seyong there—standing and staring at us. Seyong smirked, “Why don’t you pack him into your box so you can do whatever you want with that little jerk when I’m not around you?”

“Seyong, I’m sorry, it’s not like—”

“It’s not like what I see? Cliché. I’ll tell you what just I saw, hm. My fiancé, my soon-to-be-wife who supposed to pack her stuff and go back home once she finished is playing around with her little boyfriend. Correct me if I’m wrong,” Seyong groaned.

I sighed, “It was only a good bye hug, okay. Let’s go home.” I pulled Seyong’s arm and asked him to leave the building as soon as possible. Chaejin added, “You haven’t say good bye to class.”

“She doesn’t have to.”

“Seyong, please.”

Seyong grabbed Chaejin’s collar and pushed him against the wall, “Look. She is your teacher, damn student. Didn’t your parents teach you to not touch what belongs to other people? There are lots of girls outside so stop hitting on mine. Once again I see you around her, I will break your neck.”

Chaejin blinked, “Yours? What tied you and her? It’s only a paper with the marriage arrangement. So, screw you Kim Seyong-ssi. I’m sorry to disappoint you but my parents are freaking dead and I living on my own so I’m sorry if I do everything that I want in my life. Including steal her from you, if it’s necessary, I’d like to.”

“Chaejin! I told you to sto—” I yelled.

It was too late because I heard words “!” from Seyong and his fist served right on Chaejin’s left side cheek.

“Seyong!”

 

//

 

“How long it would be fine for me?” a man pulled a chair and sitting in front of someone with white neat shirt and tie. There were almost 10 minutes deadly silent between them until one of them cleared his throat and sighed, “We still don’t know.”

“Is it a year?” asked him again.

The other shook his head, “It probably only last for seven months, or less. Everything turns bad, I can’t predict it accurately.”

“We’re searching the object for you, I hope it will work. So please if you think something is wrong, tell me straightforward, okay?” replied the other, and he shook his head understand. “We shouldn’t stop believing. There is a way if there is a will.”

The man smiled—bitterly, “I know. I don’t want to hurt her.”

“You won’t hurt her, I trust you.”