Chapter Nineteen

"You just don't get it."

6th of January 2015

“Let’s just meet at The Coffee Club. I’m on my way there.” Hee Young said through the phone and Minseok, being the guy who could already read the tone in her voice, agreed.

“S-Sure! I’ll be there in a jiffy!” Minseok chimed and based on the loud thumps she could hear before the call ended, surely he was already running down the halls.

She locked her phone and slid it into her pocket, tugging onto her bag as she walked through the park trails just to reach the restaurant from a distance. She noticed how there were a few guys ahead of her but… with what was on her mind, she let it sidetrack as she walked slowly.

“Class dismissed. Hand in your reports next week, alright? Have a good day, all.”

Hee Young packed her bags quick, keeping everything in before she got up from her seat. As she made her way out the door, she gave a polite nod to her teacher before she exited the room. However, once she reached outside, “Y-Young-ah…”

Hee Young stepped to the side, not wanting to block the way as she stood by the door with her sister there. Jesus… what is she still doing here? Hee Young raked a hand through her hair, looking at Hee Min, “You’re supposed to be at work.”

Hee Min her lips nervously, “I… I got off early.”

Usually, on normal days, Hee Young would love that. She would love the efforts her sister would do to keep in touch with her because years of suffering alone… now it was all finally better. She would think day by day that it would be better if she was dead – life would be less painful if she wasn’t breathing. But with her sister back here, it’s like the colors in her life were slowly coming back; it was all finally alright. With her mom and her ‘father-to-be’… she didn’t know how it’ll all end. And she’s only worried that the more they allow their ‘parents’ to come close, the more things will get ed up.

Hee Min has actually allowed their mother to be in their life despite everything and because of her, she had to get transferred. She had to work hard in another country because of her lunatic of a mother who would constantly show up and would not understand how important the job was for her. She would make Hee Min make time for her; thus, losing out on plenty project opportunities. Let’s not even get started to that time when their mother thought that Hee Min deserves more than what she gets that their mom actually went to shout at talk to their boss – who the hell does she think she is?

“Why?” Hee Young asked softly, blinking at her sister who exhaled heavily before reaching over to give a squeeze on her sister’s shoulder, “W-We really need to talk.”

“I have to go meet up with someone first. I’ll talk to you later.”

Hee Young gently pushed her sister’s hand off her shoulder before she turned her back on her. Not even the slightest calling of her name would make her stop – she needs to clear her mind. At least, she hopes it’ll work with Minseok.

Kai noticed how even when he was walking by her side, she still didn’t even notice him at all. He was one of the few guys ahead of her and when he casually looked over his shoulder, he didn’t expect her to be walking behind them. So, he slowed down his pace, allowing her to catch up with him but she didn’t even notice anything.

Until, he waved a hand in front of her.

She blinked a few times, as if she was reeled back into reality as she turned to see whose hand that belonged to. She thought that he said something, which was why she said, “What?”

He shook his head, lowering his hand down, “N-Nothing. You were just…what’s up?”

She knew he was just being nice, just being courteous to ask but… somewhere deep in her mind, she has a thought that he just wants to know. Wanting to know and caring were two different things. And at the moment, she stuck by him just ‘wanting to know’.

“Nothing.” She mumbled softly, still walking through the park trail and he followed beside her.

“That look on your face, and considering you didn’t hear me call your name out a few times, I don’t think it’s nothing.” He sounded cocky – but he was right.

Why the do you care? Her mind scolded but her heart stopped her.

He has nothing to do with your family – don’t take it out on him.

With a sigh, she stopped walking, causing him to do the same. He blinked at her twice and when she asked, “What do you want?” Her voice sounded tired, tired of everything that he stared at her for a while until he found out what he initially wanted to say.

“We haven’t chosen a song yet.”

She sighed inaudibly before she tugged on her bag, looking around, “When do you want to choose it? We have about a week-“

“Tonight.” He sounded sure, it scared her a bit.

Her eyes widened at him but in the next, she raised an eyebrow, “Tonight?”

He nodded, “Tonight. Meet me in the balcony again.”

Her lips parted to argue – they had two days to choose, anyway!

“But why-“

“You asked me when and I told you when. Show up on time.” He deadpanned and she blew her fringe away before she rolled her eyes. She turned her back on him as she quickened her pace, walking down the park trail and soon, she overtook the few guys ahead of her a moment ago. They felt this strong aura walking past them that they looked over their shoulder to see Kai catching up with them again. With a knowing grin, Lay said, “You pissed her off again, didn’t you?”

Kyungsoo sighed, “You have seriously got to stop pissing people off.”

Kai raised two hands in front of his chest, “I didn’t do ! I just told her when to meet and if she has a problem with that, that’s not my problem.”

Kyungsoo shook his head as the three of them stopped walking, coming to the end of the park trails, “Alright. Now where do you want to eat?”

At first, Kai was going to allow the two of them to choose but when he saw Hee Young entering a restaurant nearby, he smirked and whistled, “I know just the place.”

Hee Young entered the restaurant and thank God, there weren’t many people here. However, already from a distance she could see Minseok sitting opposite a familiar looking person. Her eyes narrowed from the doorstep of the restaurant doors and she swallowed when she saw who it was.

How did Hee Min find out?

But that’s not the only thing that bugged her.

She felt someone bumping behind her and she hissed silently, looking over her shoulder, “What the hell?”

Kai grinned in response, “Sorry.”

She faced forward, rubbing her face with a hand, hard as she walked away from the door, “Great…. Are you ing me?” She grumbled lowly, walking past the counter as she made her way towards the table Minseok was seated at. As he heard her, Kai responded as he walked behind her closely along with Lay and Kyungsoo following, “No but you know, I did say I wouldn’t mind.”

She jutted her elbow out, hitting Kai on the stomach before she walked away, finding a seat nicely beside Minseok. She placed her bag down on the floor and sat down, not giving Hee Min a single glance at all. Minseok smiled and poked Hee Young on the arm, “Hee Min noona is here!”

Hee Young picked up the menu and started flipping through it, “Yep. I know.” Her voice was monotonous, as if she wasn’t interested but her mind was the complete opposite. She doesn’t even know how to response to Hee Min at the moment.

“May we join you guys?” A knowing voice asked and Hee Young put the menu down whilst looking up to her side. Kai smiled down on her, as if he was an angel but even she knows he’s no angel. Maybe his friends are, but not him.

“No.”

“Thanks.” He grinned wider and took a seat beside her, causing Kyungsoo and Lay to laugh as they walked around the table to sit opposite them. Hee Min sat at the corner, opposite Minseok whilst Kyungsoo sat opposite Hee Young. Lay sat opposite Kai and definitely, Hee Young was in between Minseok and Kai.

The waiter came a few minutes after to get the order and once that was done and over with, it was dead silent.

No one talked, no one said anything and of course, Hee Young doesn’t give a damn. She just wants to eat, please Minseok and leave. She’ll deal with Hee Min later.

Minseok noticed the tension between the two sisters that he asked, “H-How was everyone’s day today? Let’s start with Hee Young.”

Hee Young stifled back a sarcastic laugh as she turned to look at Minseok, “Wrong person to start with.” She used her head to point at Hee Min, “Start with her.”

Minseok did notice the voice in Hee Young’s voice but he had to play nice. Especially with other people around, Minseok turned to look at Hee Min, “N-Noona, how was your day?”

Lay and Kai were in the middle of a conversation but… Kyungsoo was a listener more than a talker. And instead of listening to Kai and Lay, he was analyzing the look on Hee Young’s face – it doesn’t look like a good one.

“It was good. I-I mean, unexpected events happened but… it was not that bad.”

Hee Young nodded understandingly but in the next she shook her head, “Not that bad…”

Hee Min sighed and straightened her back, saying to Hee Young directly, “I was just being nice.”

Kai and Lay whom noticed the situation had lowered down their voice – letting their conversation die down as the conversation between Hee Young and Hee Min seemed to be in the spotlight of the table.

“Young-ah… We can’t keep avoiding them forever.”

Hee Young leaned her back against the chair, staring back at her sister, “Yes we can.”

Minseok his lips nervously, reaching to pat Hee Young’s shoulder, “H-Hee Young,-“

“And how long are we going to keep doing that? They were so nice to us!”

Minseok retreated his hand, turning to look at Hee Min, “N-Noona-“

“They’re trying to make up for the years they abandoned us!” Hee Young got up from her chair, “And if it wasn’t us, it was me, then. You and I both know she didn’t give a in trying to find me.” Minseok tried to hold onto Hee Young’s hand, tugging her down, “Hee Young, please-“

Hee Young snatched her hand back, her voice lowering down and Hee Min saw that Hee Young… she threatened to cry. Hee Min genuinely forgot just how hard it was on Hee Young.

“She didn’t care about us, about Joon and not even a single about dad.”

She noticed how Hee Min softened her gaze, knowing Hee Young loved her brother more than anything in the world from the moment they laid eyes on the precious baby boy that was born. Despite Hee Min being older, Hee Young was the one to love and take care of her brother whilst Hee Min had to focus on her studies. And their father… their father was there every step of the way. In the family, usually the mom would be the one to understand their children and love them while the father worked but the both of them knew well that their father was the one doing both jobs.

She pulled her bag as she stood up, looking at her sister, “You don’t get it, unnie.” She shook her head as she clicked her tongue, pushing her chair back, “You just don’t get it.”

“Ah… that’s why… that’s why she was called to the principal’s office.”

Hee Min furrowed her eyebrows, turning to look at Minseok, “What?”

Minseok’s lips formed an ‘o’ shape, turning to look at Hee Min who was staring at him, “You didn’t know that?”

Hee Min shook her head slowly, “I… I didn’t know.”

Minseok scoffed softly, looking away as he leaned back against the bench. “Hee Young hates attention and the fact the he keeps using the P.A system to call her…”

Hee Min sighed, rubbing her face in her hands, “So that’s why she gets agitated each time she sees them…”

Minseok reached over to give Hee Min’s back a light pat, “D-Don’t be so hard on yourself, noona… You didn’t know…”

Hee Min groaned and shook her head, “I should’ve asked. You know how Hee Young doesn’t tell anyone about anything until she’s asked about it.”

Minseok looked at Hee Min apologetically – she was trying her utmost best to be the sister Hee Young deserves after so long of leaving Hee Young to be on her own. People usually said that the oldest one would be suffering but in this family, Hee Young suffered the most. It wasn’t fair, it really wasn’t. If Hee Min could share half the pain Hee Young experiences… she would – but she couldn’t. She was away on a school trip on the day that it happened and when she got back, it felt like her life was turned around upside down.

“A-Are you… are you two going to go for the dinner?”

Hee Min shrugged, still not lifting her face up from her hands, “I… I really don’t know.”

“We’re going.” Another voice spoke up from behind them and somehow, it just made the both of them perk up from their spots. Minseok was the first to look over his shoulder and when he saw that look on that face despite the darkness enveloping the both of them, he smiled.

“H-Hee Young…”

 Author's Note;  For those of my readers who came from Heirs In Love and have decided to give this story a shot, thank you. I apologize once again for discontinuing that and I hope that this makes up for it. Thank you for your support and all new subscribers, comments, thank you.