CHAPTER 35

~AFTER THE FESTIVAL ENDED~

“Here.” Henry slammed a piece of paper on Amber’s desk.

“What is this?” Amber asked, annoyed.

“Fill in this form and sign. I’ll settle with your exchange student report. We will submit it to the admin and we’re going back to China this week.” He said in one breathe.

“What? What do you mean China? I already told you I’m staying right?” she retorted back.

“No. I’ve already talked with mama and baba. Both of them agreed that you’re coming back with me. Or else, I have to force you to Canada with me.” He told the latter strictly.

“NO! How many times must I tell you, I’m not going!”

“Well, I don’t accept that silly decision of yours. No matter what you said, you’re going back with me.” Henry insisted.

“NO!” Amber yelled, raising her voice loud, “Mama already agreed with me! She let me stay! So, I’m not going back!”

“Don’t be a fool Josephine!” Henry shouted, totally surprised everyone inside the class.

“Staying here will never change anything! Staying here will only hurt you more! Why are you insisting on making a fool of yourself like this!!” he angered in English purposely so that the others would never understand them.

“You don’t understand!”

“Then make me!” Henry retorted immediately, “How long are you going to keep on doing this? It will not change anything! Believe in that!”

Pang!

Everything freezes. No sounds were heard except for Amber’s pants. Her body shakes by the anger while holding herself from crying there.

“You don’t understand!” Amber spat furiously before she pushed Henry and ran outside of the class.

The people were staring, obviously. Everyone almost forget to breathe with the intense argument. No one even dare to step into the fire to stop it.

“Damn it!” Henry cursed and rushed to chase after the girl.

/////

Ryeowook was walking alone with some books in her hands. She’s heading to the school library to return the book she borrowed. But, while walking, she vaguely heard voices of someone talking behind the school building. Out of curiosity, she walked closer and was surprised to see Henry and Amber arguing.

“Snap out of it, Amber!” Henry scolded angrily, “Yesung hyung already has a lover! Stop having hope on him, idiot! He will never love you!”

Ryeowook gaped. Was did she just heard? Amber loves Yesung?

“I don’t care about it! I just want to love him! What’s wrong with that?!” Amber talked back, shouting at him with the same anger.

“But, I care!” Henry yelled out loud, frustrated written on his face.

Amber fell into silent. They both were panting hard, by the yelling. Henry holds her shoulder, firmly.

“You know about this better than anyone else, A.”

He said, staring deep into her eyes.

“Yesung hyung will never see you more than just a sister. We have been together for so long. You should already realize this even before back then. Yesung hyung loves us only like a family. Just like his love to Sungmin, that is also his love to you. You know about this.”

Every word sunk through inside Amber’s heart like a knife. It stabbed her painfully one by one.

“No matter what you did will change anything, A. It will still remain the same.” Henry added.

They fell into silence. Both of them are staring into each other eyes painfully.

“But, I love him.” Amber finally said in a soft voice.

A single tear rolled down her flawless cheek.

“W…what can I do if I love him too much?” she asked, sobbing and choking with her words, “I know that he will never love me. I know that…he will never see me more than just a sister. He also, has a very nice girlfriend now. Wookie-unnie is really too kind to me. I will…no…I can’t hurt her. But, what can I do, Henry…? It hurts so much…”

Henry stared at her with pained expression. He knew what he said has hurt the girl but someone need to knock some sense in her. Someone needs to be the scapegoat to show and tell her the truth. And he, who has been in love with her, is willing to do so even though it hurts her and also hurting himself. Gently and slowly, Henry moved forward and embraced her. Amber cries harder in his arms by the warmth.

“Tell me what I must do, Henry? Please take this pain away…please…” she pleaded, hitting Henry’s chest to ease the pain.

Henry tightened his embrace without words. She held onto him desperately. They both are actually hurt by the one-sided love they have. And among all, only they understand themselves the best in that situation.

Ryeowook who has been listening to the conversation behind the wall tried her best to not make any sound as she her eyes wet by the tears. Everything that she heard really was beyond her expectation. It has never crossed her mind that Amber will has such special feeling for Yesung.

“You…know…” she said, looking upfront meeting up with another person there who also accidentally heard everything that happened.

That person didn’t say anything but nodded his head slowly.

“Let’s leave them alone.”

He turned his back from her and walked away, didn’t wait for Ryeowook to reply anything.

Ryeowook blankly stares at his back which slowly disappeared away from her. She glanced behind her and could still hear Amber’s sob from the other side of the wall. Gradually, she closed her eyes and tried to compose herself by taking deep breath. She opens her eyes again and follows the boy to leave the place. She needs some piece of mind and also a god explanation to what has just happened.

/////

Ryeowook stares into the emptiness in front of her. Her mind kept on recalling every word said in Amber and Henry’s conversation just now.

“Here, drink this. It’ll calm you.”

Jongjin handed her a bottle of ice drink. Ryeowook stares at it long before she slowly takes it without saying anything and continued zoning out. The boy sits next to her and stays silent. He wants to give Ryeowook some time to fully calm her heart.

“Has it…always been like this?” Ryeowook hesitantly asks, breaking the ice first.

Jongjin nodded his head. He knew Ryeowook can see it even if she’s not turning her head. Tears start to swell in her eyes once more.

“You don’t have to worry much about it. It’s normal for us.”

“Normal? How can you say it like that? This is concern people’s feeling, you know?”

“Then, what do you want me to say?”Jongjin questioned her back, staring at her with a serious look, to show that he wasn’t joking around.

“Well…I…I…I don’t know.” Ryeowook stammered.

She puts her head low, couldn’t bear to fight back with what Jongjin said because it is the truth. Jongjin let go a heavy sigh.

“There is no one to blame in this matter, noona. We are best friend and have always been together since small. So, it’s not anyone fault if we fall in love with each other. And just you know, my hyung knew about this.”

“What?”

“Yes, he knew. He was just pretending to not care.” He repeated.

“He knew?”

Jongjin hummed.

“Then, why didn’t he accept her?”

“Accept her?” Sungjin chuckled in amusement, “Would you be okay with it?” he replied her back with another question.

“Ah.” Ryeowook become speechless.

She didn’t ever think that sort of question before. Jongjin laughed lightly. He understands the reason for the change of expression on Ryeowook’s face.

“You have the right to feel jealous and shock, noona. I will not say anything about it. And just like you, hyung also has the right to choose who he wants to love. You can’t expect him to ignore Amber after knowing she loves him. Amber has always been together with us since young. We are like a real family, and no one can change it.” Jongjin explained long.

Ryeowook stares at him.

“It still hurt right?” ask her to the boy sadly.

Jongjin nodded, “It does, but whether it is hurt or not, being together is better than being ignore.” He spoke up his mind.

The situation once again became awkwardly silent. What Jongjin has just said has some truth in it and Ryeowook understood much about it.

“You know, someone once told us that there is a way to tell if that certain person is yours.” Jongjin began again, making Ryeowook’s attention focus back to him.

“Hug.” He said simply.

“Hug?” she repeated the word, puzzled.

“There are many kinds of hugs in our life. A mother’s hug, a friendship hug, a friendly hug, lovers hug, breakup hug and many more.There is a difference feel whenever in every one of it or when you hug someone. There is not certain which one of the hugs could help you to determine which the best one is, but there is a difference in each of the kind. And to say that you have found the best hug for the rest of your life, their warmth is very special.”

He looked at Ryeowook with a very calm smile.

“Just like how special the warmth you share with my brother, Amber also feels the same towards my brother.”

Ryeowook become more depressed after he said that. She even feels guilty because Amber has longer kept her feeling to Yesung. And yet, it was her who Yesung choose. Her eyes glassed with tears once more.

“But…let me tell you a secret, noona.” Jongjin said suddenly, breaking the silence.

“Amber Josephine Liu, that girl, is dense.”

Ryeowook frowned by the remark.

“She told me once there is someone that she feels very different when she hugs. She didn’t tell me the name but I can perfectly guess who is that person is.”

Ryeowook was still frowning, didn’t understand.

“Well, what I mean is…you don’t have to worry about Amber’s feeling. The love that she had for hyung is different and they are not meant for each other even if you ever decided to sacrifice your feelings for her. So, it’s better if you just leave it to us, okay?”

He flashed his lopsided grin after the explanation. They stare into each other eyes. Ryeowook was slow at processing and interpreting what has been told by Jongjin but gradually, she got the point. She just hopes that what Jongjin said is the truth.

“Jongjin?”

A voice called for his name suddenly and when they look at it, Yesung is there looking them confusingly.

“Ryeowook?” he called in surprise, didn’t expect to see them together.

“What are you doing here together?” He asked, take turn looking at them both.

“Oppa…” Ryeowook called softly.

Yesung walked closer to his girlfriend. And he immediately noticed a trace of dried tears on Ryeowook’s cheek.

“Did you cry, Wookie?”

Ryeowook shook her head slowly, but didn’t say anything.

“Then…what happened? Please don’t make me so worry like this.” Said the boyfriend, already feeling anxious about his girlfriend’s sudden attitude.

“I’m fine, oppa.”

“But…”

“Hyung, I’ll be staying at Minnie’s tonight.”Jongjin informed, cutting off Yesung’s words.

“Eh? What? Why?”

“No reason. Just feel like to. Bye hyung.” He waved backward and walked away just like that.

Yesung frowned. He was really confused. First, he saw his brother together with his girlfriend, which is very unusual. Then, the question regarding the dried tears on Ryeowook’s face, she didn’t explain anything to him. And also, all his questions asked, he didn’t get any proper explanation from it except more confusion. But, suddenly he felt an arm encircling around his waist. Without turning back, he can easily recognize the warmth.

“What’s wrong? Did Jongjin say something bad to you?” he asks, patting the hands on his body.

Ryeowook shook her head hesitantly.

“Then?”

“Just let me hug you like this, oppa. For this once, please.” Said the girl as she hugged Yesung tighter.

Yesung sighed but he didn’t say anything about it and just enjoyed the hug. He didn’t understand the reason behind the intimacy but he will give her the time to explain later. Hopefully Ryeowook is willing to tell him one day.

TBC