Inevitable
Inevitable
All Soohyun knew about the new girl (first one in school since 5 years) that he had met in English class was this: Her name was Ham Eunjung, and she had moved to the country, here, because her father had died, and because her mother had cancer. He wasn't even sure that the last part was true: it was according to the popular girls' gossip.
"I heard her family used to be very rich," one of the popular girls, what was her name? It was something like Mi-Sook... whispered. All the other girls nodded.
Soohyun just sat on the table besides theirs, eating his tasetless sandwich and listening to their gossip. Then, suddenly, they became quiet. Soohyun blinked and looked over his shoulder. Eunjung, the girl, was walking towards the popular girls' table.
"Hey..." Eunjung said shyly, approaching Mi-Sook. "Do you, by any chance, know where the bathroom is?"
Mi-Sook, who had been holding her breath, as she was nervous that Eunjung knew they were gossiping about her, looked around at her friends, then coughed. "It's... You go right from the cafeteria, which is here, then to the left. You'll see the bathroom sign there," Mi-Sook said arrogantly.
Soohyun, who was listening, suddenly sat up. That wasn't true! The bathroom was LEFT from the cafeteria, then to the right. "No!" He shouted at the Eunjung turning around to go to the bathroom. "The bathroom is left, then right. Mi-Sook was lying."
Mi-Sook's expression turned from shocked to annoyance (Soohyun barely ever talked, much less shouted). "That stupid boy is lying," Mi-Sook snarled, glaring sideways at Soohyun.
Eunjung stood still until Soohyun grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the cafeteria. He ran to the left, then to the right, and stopped in front of the bathroom. "Never," Soohyun growled, "listen to those es."
Eunjung nodded, and went inside the bathroom in a hurry.
-
It was a weekend. Soohyun was done with all his homework and helping his mother plant the seeds. It was spring, and he could see little girls running around in the flower fields, looking for their favorite flowers.
Soohyun walked into the field of flowers to gather a couple of white flowers for his mother, when he tripped on something and landed face-on on wet mud.
"I'm so sorry!" He heard Eunjung's voice exclaim. He felt Eunjung's hands on him, pulling him up from the dirt. "I was taking a nap on the field, and then you came and tripped over me... I'm so sorry... Oh, yeah, aren’t you the boy who rescued me from peeing in my pants? I’m Ham Eunjung.”
“Kim Soohyun,” Soohyun said.
“ARGH. I’m a babo! MIANHAE MIANHAE MIANHAE…” Eunjung chanted.
"It's okay," Soohyun replied, trying to get the dirt off his face.
"It's not okay," Eunjung said firmly, and took out a handkerchief and wiped the dirt off his face. "Here," she said, handing him her handkerchief. It said Eunjung in the middle.
"It's yours," Soohyun said confusedly.
"I think you'll need it more than I do!" Eunjung teased.
-
It was already a month since Eunjung had moved into the village, and even though every girl in school was shunning her, Soohyun had grown very fond of her. They were always together, like best friends.
One, day, Eunjung asked Soohyun if there was a sushi restaurant in town. Soohyun looked at her quizzically. “A sushi restaurant?” Soohyun asked, confused. “For what?”
“To eat sushi, babo…” Eunjung replied.
“There is,” Soohyun said. “But it’s too expensive, nobody ever goes to it. At least from the people I know. Maybe girls like Mi-Sook and Tae-Hyun might be able to go. Their parents actually have some money.”
Eunjung looked at him sadly. Soohyun just looked back at her confusedly.
-
“Kim Soohyun!” Eunjung yelled at Soohyun’s house’s door. “Come out, I have something to show you!” Soohyun walked towards the door and opened it lazily.
“I was doing homework,” Soohyun grumbled. “What is it that you want to show me?”
“Ta-da!” Eunjung stepped aside to reveal two new bicycles. “My mom bought them to me.”
Soohyun’s mouth dropped open. “New bicycles!” he exclaimed. “I’ve always wanted one…” Soohyun got on the bicycle and tried it out. It happened that he was somewhat talented in riding bicycles. Eunjung smiled sadly at the sight of him laughing. Then, she shook her head lightly.
“Soohyun-ah, let’s ride around town,” Eunjung said. Soohyun nodded.
-
“This is my favorite place in town so far,” Eunjung said, pointing at the hill behind the fields. She stopped her bicycle and started carrying it up the hill. Soohyun followed her. He had never been here.
Eunjung fell while walking up. She scraped her knee.
“Are you okay?” Soohyun asked concerned.
“It’s okay. Don’t worry,” Eunjung replied.
Seeing how deep the cut was, Soohyun firmly said, “It’s not okay.” Soohyun got Eunjung’s handkerchief and wrapped it around the cut. Eunjung laughed.
“I’m okay now,” She said, and ran up the hill.
When Soohyun arrived on top of the hill and sat besides Eunjung on the grass, he gasped. The sunset was beautiful from there.
“I love sunsets,” Eunjung said sadly. Then, he turned to Soohyun. “Remember when I asked you about sushi?” Soohyun nodded. “The last meal I ever had with dad alive and mom healthy was sushi. We ate sushi while watching the sun set. I can still hear my dad laughing… The day after, my dad died in a car accident, and after a week, my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer....”
Seeing the two streaks of tears flow down Eunjung’s cheeks, Soohyun pulled Eunjung close to him and kissed her on the forehead. “I promise I’ll buy you sushi one day… And then after that, we can come here to watch the sunset.”
Eunjung smiled and hugged him. They stayed like that until it became dark.
-
It was long after Soohyun realized what happened. At first, he didn’t understand why Eunjung didn’t show up for days to school, and why Eunjung’s mother had given him Eunjung’s handkerchief, covered in Soohyun’s face’s dirt and Eunjung’s blood, to him.
It wasn’t until he heard the town women gossiping that he figured it out. He had been concerned that Eunjung wasa sick, so with all the money he had collected over the past years, he had bought some sashimi and rolls for Eunjung and was heading to Eunjung’s house. In the way to Eunjung’s house, he saw the women gossiping, so he quickly climbed up a tree-Eunjung’s favorite tree- and listened for anything about Eunjung.
“Poor girl, that Eunjung… Now what will Mrs. Ham do?” He could hear Mi-Sook’s mother, Mrs. Young, shaking her head in pity.
“They say it was already in the 4th stage when they discovered it,” Mrs. Ghi said in a concerned voice. “It was too late for operations.”
“Oh, that poor, poor girl…” Mrs. Lee murmured, sighing. "But did you hear? Her last words were give the handkerchief wrapped around her knee to the boy..."
Soohyun couldn’t stand it anymore. He jumped down from his hiding place, his eyes wide. “What happened to Eunjung?!” Soohyun asked, interrupting the women.
Mrs. Young nodded as if she understood. “My boy, Eunjung has died from brain cancer.”
Soohyun dropped the plate of sushi he was holding.
I am so sorry if the story is depressing. It just came into my mind and I had to write it down.... I know it's a little short, but I hope it's interesting enough. :)
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