Stranger 6 : Plain Talk

BGM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlnm2MDAphk

“Then, splash your wine in your face now.” She asked challenging him, with her heart is starting to burn in anger with this guy obnoxious responses.

“Then will you be my girlfriend?” She bobbed her head up and down. “You know what, throw the wine at your face three times. Let’s triple the fun.” She laughed, snickering at times.

“Fine.” He emptied his glass of wine with one gulp and proceed to the waiter next to him. He grabbed the first glass of wine and threw it on his face, making sure that it’s empty.

“One..” He said.. while Seohyun eyes widened in shock not believing that he’s doing it for real. “What are you doing.” She asked incredulously before he grabbed two glasses of wine and threw it on his face again.

“Two and three. Done.” He said directly, closing his eyes for a while because the wine is still flowing through his face. All eyes are on them now. Seohyun mouth quivered in shock, she had never seen such a man. So adamant on such a ridiculous offer even destroying his image.

“Like I say before. I can do anything and everything to have you in my arms and now just be mine already.”

“By the age of 19, they give me all the freedom that I want. I live my early life lock away in a tower just to study.. to please my family who education is what they value the most. I took care of myself not to see a single frown in their face, loving and nurturing environment was one of the rare things that I still received. They never wanted me to do anything in order to give them a convenience. In fact, they hated it. I got thrown out by the age of 13 to an island by them just to make sure that I can survive this world that they about to let me in. The world of chaebols, but I never expected this. A very estranged guy that got caught up with all the drama pleading at me with his eyes.”

In a scene where tiger, crocodile and even lion hunts.. there was this hungry puppy standing in front of me. What should I do?

***

Yonghwa is the type of guy Seohyun’s parents will never approve. He has terrible manners, a big show off, like doing grand gestures, obnoxious, pessimistic and even sometimes show some traits of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).. no wonder people never believed that he started from the bottom and assumed his background themselves. Very imaginative, creative and even called a genius.. with a background that is still ambiguous.

They say that he came from a family from the Eastern country, a rich one of course. Some say he is the son of a famous oil owner at Dubai.

Nobody knows really…

But the difference is, she knew but does she knew enough about him?

“Get me a freaking towel in here.” Seohyun asked the waiter that stood there frozen, stunt with Yonghwa bold actions.

“Ne…ne.” The waiter stuttered, still very much surprised.

“Here.” Seohyun hands in the towel at him.

“No.” He replied sternly.

“Suit yourself then.” Seohyun walked away from the scene. He eyed her every moves with the crowd still staring at him. She is walking like nothing has ever happened and he can’t stand it anymore. This girl make him threw his pride down the drain and he done it without getting anything out of it.. she even stomped on his last thread of pride.

This can’t be it! He won’t let it… before it just for fun and even recognition now this is about his desire and pride.

She will get what she asked for..

“Hey you!” Yonghwa stood there on one of the hallway of her mansion. She smirked in return.

“How’s the temperature?” She chuckled.

“Above 100 degree for sure. Is it funny, making me feels all flustered right now?” She nodded. “Sort of.”

He fastened his pace, walking towards her. He grabbed her wrist and pushed her to the wall, their faces just inches apart.

“Is it funny now?” Yonghwa smirked.

“I thought you will be cold though.” She said trying not to appear shaken.

“You know, you are really lucky..”

“Waeyo?” She tilted her head.

“Because you have been spotted by me.” She scoffed with his arrogant remark.

“Scared?” He felt her eyes travelling away from him, with her struggling to remove his grab.

“Not really.” She stepped on his feet.

“ARGHH!” He held onto his swelling feet.

“Here.” She threw the warm grey sweater together with a brown pants at him.

“Why are you doing this?” He frowned, lifting his head slightly.

“I’m your girlfriend right now, aren’t I?”

“Did I just hear what I just hear just now?” He grinned excitingly. She did a small nod in return.

“Thank you, really..” He stood up.

“So, what now?” She asked, bitting her lips.

“A kiss?” Unconsciously his eyes travelled down her soft pink lips.

“Please don’t contact me ever Mr ert.” She made a disgusted face and walked away from the scene yet again.

“Come on, again?!? I’m just kidding Ms. Sensitive.” He groaned in frustrations.

“May, I remind you again this is purely platonic and arranged?”

“I know. That’s why I want to propose an offer..”

“What kind?” She stopped her steps and turned around.

“Let us be friends.. well not the typical type but I enjoy exchanging a conversation with you. It’s hard to you know find someone that gets you.”

“Are you saying that you actually have an interest on me now?”

“No. I’m just saying let’s make the best out of this. We will be using each other up to our interest too. I know that I’m not actually fulfilling your interest.. don’t you think I don’t realized the cold shoulder your father has been giving me. I have no sort of gain for you. I will let you use me for whatever purpose.. whatever you want.. whenever you want me. I can do it.”

“Wow, way to make yourself feel expensive. Aren’t you afraid that I might do something bad with you?”

“I’m not a terrible judge of a character, Seohyun sshi.”

“Fine with me then. It’s a deal.” She sighed. “It’s not a good start between us, don’t you think?” She leaned on the wall.

“No, it’s more than great.” He followed, and leaned on the opposite wall.

“The music is too loud.” She whined.

“Huh, it’s pretty good.. better than the those speakers from the live underground shows.”

“Been to one?” He nodded in return.

“You are lucky.”

“You know, you can just go..”

“With my clothing? I will get swarm by people in instance.”

“That’s the usage of me.” He grinned. “I will guide you to the dark side.”

“Such a good boyfriend material.” She rolled her eyes.

“Why? You need an inspiration to write your lovey dovey book aren’t you? To prove those critiques wrong.. Don’t ask me how I know, ask me how smart I am that I know.” He chuckled.

“Just so you know, I’ve dated before.”

“Have dated.. but never give your heart and soul have you? You’ve dated around, nobody got your interest.. they weren’t as trustworthy to let you out of your shell. So no, it doesn’t count as love.”

“Stop getting into my mind could you? I hated it.”

“So then, have it never crosses your mind how much I hated that you step onto my line.. and speak my fears right at me.” His face turned serious… as he stop leaning on the wall and came closer to her, offering his arm for her to hold.

“Let’s go.. we got a whole chaebols to impress.. walk through it and we will go somewhere else. I doubt you are ready for the questioning.”

“Let’s go, then.” She reluctantly crosses her arm with his. From the gleam hallway with brown shimmering light, they walked to the bright white light.. Below, there were a hell lot of people interested in what just happened. Dancing, mingling under the grand ball chandelier with wine on their hands. The golden colour of the wall, the arrogant laughter all of the attendees, the calculative eyes of the hungry people. Right at the top, both Yonghwa and Seohyun were standing right in front of the grand staircase. All eyes are on them, both of them knew what they wanted.. Seohyun hand travelled down from his arms to his hand, they interlaced their fingers. Somehow, it fits perfectly onto her. Both of them were looking at each other… taking a really deep breath. The sounds of the orchestra music stopped.. They descend down the stairs.

***

“So where do you feel like going now?” Yonghwa changed his car gear to 3, speeding off from her mansion.

“Resting, but I’m afraid my home is not a choice.” She looked back at her mansion. The brown lights and loud noise from her mansion were slowly fading away. “This is such an unfamiliar sight for me.”

“Waeyooo?” He eyed her side ways still focusing on the road.

“Because I’m the type who never rebels.” Seohyun pouted which Yonghwa burst in laughter as a response.

“Why are you laughing?” She frowned.

“Even if you don’t say that, I think everybody knows that. But that’s your charm.” He smiled sheepishly at Seohyun… and she is not liking this feeling at all. The feeling where all your blood felt like it rushing through your cheeks and how volcano are about to erupt.. with smoke and all.

“If what you say if you were my boyfriend.” Seohyun tried to gain her composure again.

“But I’m really your boyfriend.”

“Platonic remember? For tonight just be a driver and drive around the Han River could you? I need to write.”

“You sure I’m not going to disturb you with my presence?”

“I have a high concentration level you know..”

“Then all is good. Thank goodness I brought my guitar along… I can release some stress there.”

“You play guitar?” Seohyun momentarily spazzed with her bright shining eyes.. jumping giddily on her seat. “I always love seeing people playing instruments.”

“You played guitar?”

“Noo.. wanting to maybe.. because music is like writing. It’s expressing.. Sometimes I listened to songs when I wrote to gain ideas. I played piano though.”

“We shockingly share a lot of similarities don’t you think?”

“Shocking is an understatement. It’s mind blowing..” She put out both of her hands and make those splashing hand gestures trying to tell him how mind blowing the situation are.

“I..” He laughed out loud holding onto his stomach… “Stop it! I can’t focus.. its too funny..” He kept on laughing.

“What?” She looked at him confusingly.

“That!” He pointed at her face.

“This?” She pointed at herself.

“Man Seo Joo Hyun you will be the death of me.. you are really random!”

***

Yonghwa strummed the guitar that he took from the back of his car while humming secretly stealing glances at Seo Joo Hyun. She was staring right onto her piece of paper.. seemingly penetrating it with her deep hazel orbs. Her pencil is still unmoving, a strand of her hair disturbing her eyesight still wearing the same dress she was wearing earlier in a very cold weather. The frowned on her head doesn’t showed any sign like it about to disappear. Yonghwa counted silently.. the fact that she kept on sighing in the intervals of 5 minutes. Once in a while she would rub both of her hands together to keep herself warm..

“Me, playing the guitar is this disturbing you?”

“No, it just I felt empty..” Yonghwa opened his eyes in disbelief.

“Nobody feels empty when they are with me.!”

“Guess what, I just broke the record.” Sarcastically Seohyun exclaimed in her girly squeaky voice.

“What are you writing about anyway?” Yonghwa undressed himself from his formal attire.. throwing his necktie at the back which Seohyun picked and held it.

“No idea yet, I’m just trying to brainstorm.” Seohyun neatly folded his tie, which seemed weird for him so he continued to loosen his suit’s button.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING, I know taekwondo !?” Seohyun leaned back, hugging herself.. afraid of what he’s going to do which he only scoffed at.

“Here.. my coat.” He threw his coat at her which she gladly covered herself at. “You should take a cardigan or something before we leave.”

“Yonghwa sshi, should I write about my biggest fear?”

“Yours?”

“Yes..”

“Like what exactly?”

“Like what unfolded infront of us.. but we chose to ignore it to ensure some kind of safety in ourselves.”

“Seohyun.. you shouldn’t write about yours. But you should write in a whole bigger pictures.. why they behave the way they are. In that way, you put your thoughts of why it happened this way.”

“I’m too lazy, to hang out with chaebols.”

“You did though? SNSD members?”

“Them and a few other groups.. only because they are bearable and I don’t dare to pass any bad judgement to others.”

“Okay, so what is your biggest fear?”

“Mine?” Yonghwa nodded cooly but still she felt that it was okay for her to talk to him comfortably. That he won’t exposed her to the public.. instead he will be her shield when trouble comes.

“The fear of letting someone in and be used by them repeatedly but still feel glad that they are by your side. In the end, the feeling of dumbness strikes me.. getting hurt over such a silly things. I couldn’t take it. It makes me even more helpless. In short, I know what they are up to but I don’t like hearing people pointing it out to me because I already knew it.. and if they found out that their true attentions are known they will step away from my life… I will once end up being a lonely girl..”

“You not telling me everything Seohyun.” Yonghwa smiled sheepishly.

“Of course.. you still very much a stranger to me.”

“But you are not to me.” Yonghwa directed his gaze that is staring at the calm water of the Han River to his side.. to Seohyun’s side profile.. from her cute little button nose..

“Easily letting people in Yonghwa sshi?”

You just broke the record.. I felt comfortable to talk with you about every single thoughts of mine since the moment I lay my eyes on your silhouette.

“That’s my biggest problem but also my biggest achievement.” He chuckled. “Letting people in and be hurt is great. I learned from it.. I gained something from it. I became a much stronger person. Dropping down is great instead of always standing on top of it. You learned it the right way, you stay on top longer. You relate to people so you won’t feel so detached.”

“We differs in style then. I’m the type to keep it in and be alone and just comfortable with the people that is already around me..”

“That is still good in some ways.. letting people in and trusting them blindly is a problem too.”

“You know I once wrote in a book about if you badly wanted to trust that person you should just blindly put your trust on him.. with an unwavering trust and undoubting mind.. even ones mind would change I said that but I don’t apply it. I feel like such a hypocrite.”

“You are not… you trust people easily too. That’s why you try your best to feel detach. You never felt detached that’s why you write. It is too bad I can’t read.”

“Can’t?”

“I have trouble in reading since I was a kid.. Seohyun.” He smiled genuinely to her, showing his cheek bursting smile somehow she felt some sort of ache. She doesn’t know what’s his gateaway from his problem is but for hers it’s reading.

“Too bad.. you can’t enjoy the beauty of it.”

“I don’t know about the beauty but if it could help me sleep.. It’s better already.”

“Maybe I could read my book sometimes to you. You seemed like someone with deep thoughts..”

“I am.” He assured her.

***

Hideout

Looking from inside and from outside is two different things. Some say money is everything, some say they could live without it.. Falling in love in such society would be hard… The man who is trying to fit in and the girl who experienced nothing but comfort.

In this very day, take that risk and throw that façade away.. Bear that empty soul for the world to see.

Seohyun’s wrote in a matter of seconds right at the moment she sat at the table… but too bad her eyelids is giving up. Her drowsiness started to kick in. The bright light of her study lamp shone through the room while Yonghwa sat on his desk.. with a whole pile of paper sheets… of endless signatures and proposals. His eyes are wide open, the prescriptions’ pills in the orange bottle are placed on the corner of the table with the card of the psychiatrist. He pushed all of it to the side.. and gently he puts on his reading glass. He sat there and looked at his newly bought book. It’s only the cover but the words in it are already jumbled up for him.

Dreaming The Dream

By Seo Joohyun.

“The world's a stage and very few of us are well-rehearsed for it”

Author's Note

This is the only story line i can came out with. I hope it's enough for you to enjoy reading it. Been busy and unwell so I didn't check this chapter before posting it.