CHAPTER 10: Uncomfortable

 

      Key went along to drop off Eunji to the small studio where TaeYeon currently waited. As they walked side by side together, Key kept on taking glances of Eunji. Eunji didn’t mind, but she did feel her cheeks tint a little red. Trying to brush it off, Eunji looked up to the gray sky and said, “Man, the weather today is really weird. It’s so gloomy.”

      Key also looked up and nodded, “Yeah it is. It looks like it’s about to rain.”

      “Oh, what do I do?” Eunji mumbled as she searched her bag. “I don’t have an umbrella.”

      “Here,” Key smiled, taking out an umbrella from his bag. “You can borrow mine.”

      “Aw, thanks Key,” Eunji chuckled.

      “Oh, right, I forgot to tell you,” Key snapped his fingers. “I know who your mom is dating.”

      “Who?” Eunji turned her full attention to Key.

      “It’s Mr. Kim,” Key smirked.

      “Mr. Kim?” Eunji’s mouth dropped. “Are you sure?”

      “Yeah,” Key nodded. “They were holding hands just at the church gate yesterday.”

      “Yesterday?” Eunji’s eyes widened. “And they are already holding hands?! Wow, I can’t believe I had no idea… I can’t believe neither of them told me!”

      “But I think you should keep it a secret that you know.”

      “Why?” Eunji asked.

      “Your mom withdrew from their holding hands as soon as I appeared in front of them. I think she’s not ready to tell us for some reason.”

      “Well then, I guess I’ll be acting clueless in front of them,” Eunji chuckled. “Anyway, see you tomorrow Key,” she said as they stopped in front of the building. “Let’s hang out tomorrow,” Eunji’s eye-smile showed.

      “Yeah,” Key cheerfully waved his hand. “Have fun!” He watched Eunji until she was no longer in sight. With a smile on his face, he walked back to his home. Even though they were just friends, he was satisfied to have her walking by his side every afternoon. Seeing her eye-smile like that everyday makes his heart beat like crazy.

***

      Now that Eunji knew her mom was dating Mr. Kim, she could not stop smiling. Just about a week ago, her mother was dating the hot missionary, and Mr. Kim was looking for a long-lost love—but now they have found each other? Just how did they end up being together in such a short time without her even knowing? From the way her mother was swept off her feet every time she got ready for her date with him, she knew she wasn’t going to let go of this guy so easily. If Mr. Kim was able to beat all of the men from blind dates in such a short span of time, he must’ve treated her really well. She herself cannot deny how much she liked Mr. Kim and would gladly approve of this new relationship any day.

      But does Mr. Kim know he’s dating her mother? That’s always the main question in the test. How well can he take that news? Eunji would be happy to have him as her father figure if it was possible. He was fun, witty, talented, and very caring, too. But would he still stay with Tiffany after knowing he would eventually have a bit of responsibility towards a teenager, too?

      “Yes! You got it!” Eunji clapped her hands as TaeYeon perfected the Chopin song. “You learned it so fast, I can’t believe it! I mean I couldn’t even get that last part right, but you nailed it!”

      “That’s because I have a nice teacher,” TaeYeon chuckled.

      “Eiii,” Eunji sneered. “You’re just extremely talented,” she complemented.

      TaeYeon chuckled at her remark and paused. He asked, “What are we going to do now? We finished quite early today.”

      “Hmm… I don’t know,” Eunji shrugged.

      “Ah!” An idea popped in TaeYeon’s mind. “Wait a minute,” TaeYeon said as stood up and rummaged his bag.

      As Eunji waited, Eunji stood up and fixed the scattered papers and music sheets laid on top of the mini-grand piano. Eunji became curious when a blue notebook came to surface. She has seen this notebook a bunch of times on the piano covered in piano sheets like this. Up until now, she had no idea what’s in it. She read a little portion from it once and that was it. So she took a glance at TaeYeon to check if he’s still busy searching his bag and took a peek at the first page of the notebook.

“Sunday, March 9, 1998

My name is Kim TaeYeon, born in March 9, 1979.

I was in a car accident, December 14, 1997, and I cannot remember anything at all, not even my own name. A girl gave me this notebook as a…”

      “Oh… Mr. Kim was in an accident?” Eunji flipped the pages, feeling like she has read something similar before. “Wait… Born in March 9? December 14 accident? Memory loss?”

       “Do you remember me?” Her voice did sound very familiar and I did feel comfortable and relaxed seeing her. But no matter how hard I tried to think, I could not remember her. So I tried to honestly tell her, but my body was too sore and I couldn’t speak at all.

She held my hand tightly and told me her name was Tiffany and I just stared at her, not knowing what to say at all. I really could not remember.

      “T-Tiffany?” Eunji let out a small gasp. A crash of emotion rained down on her and tears gathered in her eyes, but she kept blinking it away so that it wouldn’t fall. Was the truth about her father this close to her reach all this time? She continued to read,

She asked me if I could hear her and I nodded it stiffly. She asked me if I couldn’t remember anything and I tried again to reply, but only air came out.

Suddenly, she told me she was my girlfriend. At that moment, my head spun and that’s when I realized I couldn’t even remember who I was. And I felt confused and gravely sorry for her.

      “Is Mr. Kim… Mr. Daydream?” Eunji’s mouth dropped.

      “Ah, yes, this is it,” TaeYeon said. Eunji nervously closed the book when TaeYeon approached her. “Why don’t you say we record a song?”

      “H-huh?” She barely caught his words for at that moment, she saw him with new eyes. This man right in front of her was much more than just her substitute music teacher. This man right in front of her was much more than just her mother’s lover. This man right in front of her brought her to life.

      “Pack up your bags,” TaeYeon smiled. “We’re going to the Mall of Records.”

     Eunji did as told but not because he was the same substitute music teacher, but because he was the father she thought she would never meet. She could not turn down any of their activities now.

***

      “This music store is really awesome,” TaeYeon said as they entered The Mall of Records. “I went here a couple of times just roaming around and I found a recording studio.”

      “Oh, I didn’t know that,” Eunji chuckled. “I guess I just wander in ‘Heartstrings’ and ‘Everything’ too much that I never really go up the second and third floor.”

      “I’m pretty sure you’ll have fun. Recording a song is probably the only thing I can teach you as a music teacher,” TaeYeon said as they stepped on the escalator. “Almost my whole life revolves around recording studios.”

      “What are we recording anyway?” Eunji asked.

      “Here,” TaeYeon took out a paper from his bag and handed it to Eunji. “I wrote it with the girl I mentioned to you.”

      “You mean my mom,” Eunji thought but she restrained herself from saying it out loud.

      “I’m just going to tell you how to sing your parts,” TaeYeon continued.

      “Wait, is this a duet?” Eunji asked as she read the lyrics.

      “Yeah,” TaeYeon nodded.

      “Won’t your girlfriend want to sing this with you instead of me?” Eunji said.

      “I guess, but I want to teach you how recording studios usually are,” TaeYeon shrugged. “And I want to have a duet with you. You have a nice voice.”

      “Aw, thanks Mr. Kim.”

***

      After three hours in the studio, the demo recording was finally finished. As Eunji waited for TaeYeon to obtain the file, she couldn’t help but wonder what they noticeably both had in common. From the very start, he was quite a reserved and calm person and she was the exact opposite. Because of that, when she read his journal, she was in denial for a moment that he was actually her father. However, as she looked back, he was very perceptive and creative like she was—something that her mother wasn’t. They even had the same sense of humor and had an extreme passion for music. Appearance wise, her expressions, arching eyes, and heart-shaped lips truly mirrored her mother’s features, but it was no doubt that her small nose and defined jawline definitely came from him, her father.

      “Does he know I’m her daughter?” Eunji thought as he watched TaeYeon chuckle with staff members at the front desk. “I mean Mom is dating him… What is happening to their relationship anyway? He did get into some kind of amnesia. What if he doesn’t remember anything?”

      “We’re done!” TaeYeon happily said as he approached Eunji with two SD cards. “Here’s one for you, and one for me.”

     “Oh! Thank you.”

     “When I get more settled here, I’ll set up my own studio and we can record an official audio by then!”

     “I’ll be looking forward to it,” she smiled. “In the meantime, I’m probably going to listen to this all the time!”

      “Me too,” TaeYeon chuckled. “I hope she likes this,” TaeYeon mumbled.

      “Oh, she will,” Eunji nodded. “She’ll love it.”

      “How can you be so sure? You said it yourself; she might get jealous since she’s not the one singing the song with me. And your voice could even be mistaken as someone older than a 15 year old.”

      “Just forget what I said before. Don’t worry too much. She’ll love it.” Eunji said as she picked up her bag. TaeYeon just chuckled since Eunji was too confident about it.

      “Anyway, want me to walk you home? It’s getting late,” TaeYeon said as he looked at his watch.

      “There’s no need,” Eunji said, not wanting him to know where she lived. “But I have to get some stuff back in the studio. I think I left some things.”

      “Okay,” TaeYeon smiled. “I can just walk you there.”

***

      “I want to hear you play the Chopin song again,” Eunji said before leaving the studio. She still had so much mixed feeling towards the truth she just discovered so maybe TaeYeon’s playing would clear her mind a little.

      “Alright then,” TaeYeon didn’t see any reason to hesitate so he laid his backpack back down and sat in front of the baby grand piano. He opened it and straightened his back. Eunji stood behind him not just to properly monitor his techniques, but to also hide her bubbling emotions. With much concentration, TaeYeon took a deep breath, relaxed his arms, and started to play his best.

Nocturne No.2 in Eb Major

As soon as Eunji heard how soft and sweet his tune had become just as she taught him, tears gathered her eyes. Monitoring his technique got way over her head as she let the slow waltz touch her heart.

      All her life she believed her father was dead, but now he was here playing a tune that similarly portrayed the feeling she was going through at this moment. Just like the nocturne, her heart slowly waltzed in joy, feeling so grateful to have known him through music. Why did her mother not tell her the truth about him all her life? Why did SeoHyun only introduce him to her now? Those questions didn’t seem to matter at this moment for she felt nothing but grateful.

      “How’s that?” TaeYeon said with an eyebrow raised as he finished the piano piece.

      “Yah~ Debak!” Eunji giggled and clapped her hands. “You did a really good job!”

      “Really?” He chuckled. “Thanks for all your help! It really means a lot. Now I have to seriously plan my own lessons to teach you something,” TaeYeon said as he closed the piano and got up.

      “You should,” Eunji laughed.

      “Anyway, let’s go home now. It’s getting late,” TaeYeon said as he wore his coat. He got Eunji’s coat and helped her wear it. TaeYeon had been doing this to Eunji for quite a while now, but Eunji couldn’t help but feel a little bit different. Her father was helping her wear her coat. “How cute. He’s subconsciously acting like he’s my dad,” Eunji thought and giggled.

      TaeYeon opened the door to the studio and turned off the lights. The two walked to the hall and then outside of the building. When they were about to separate in front of the building, Eunji stopped TaeYeon.

      “Mr. Kim,” Eunji called out. She reached for the back of her neck and took off her necklace.

      “Yeah?” TaeYeon turned around.

      “Here,” Eunji reached out her hand to TaeYeon to give the necklace to him.

      “What’s this?” TaeYeon asked as he gladly received it.

      “Just some key necklace… I think you should have it,” Eunji said casually.

      “W-Why?” TaeYeon stuttered as he got a closer look at the necklace under the moonlight. This necklace definitely looked like his necklace from fifteen years ago. It might not be shining as bright as the one he saw in his memories, but it had the same exact pattern. What’s strange is that why is Eunji giving him this?

      “Hmm… I just feel like it,” Eunji shrugged. She didn’t know if she was doing the right thing or not. Tiffany did say that the necklace is her father’s. And isn’t TaeYeon her father? It only made sense that the necklace should belong to him, right? “Think of it as a reward from your piano teacher,” she smiled.

      “Okay then,” TaeYeon smiled. “I’ll take good care of it. Bye Eunji!” He said as he waved his hands and headed to his apartment.

      “Bye Mr. Kim! See you whenever!”

 

 

 

 

      “HyoYeon, can I ask you something?” TaeYeon shyly asked as he peeked at HyoYeon’s room.

      “What is it?” HyoYeon said, not even batting an eye since she was too focused on studying.

      “You need to listen to me,” he said, trying to get her full attention.

      “Just spill it,” HyoYeon sighed. “I don’t have time for you.”

      “Since Dad is on a business trip, and Mom is in Jeonju setting up the optic shop they’ve been fusing about for the past few months, can you have a sleep over at SeoHyun’s this weekend?” TaeYeon said.

      “Why?” HyoYeon’s eyebrows scrunched up bothered that his brother was trying to kick her out of the house.

      “I want the house for myself and you know…,” he gulped. “Before I go to college next year, I want to know how living alone feels like.”

      “All of a sudden?” HyoYeon scoffed. “And you were just complaining to me a few days ago about not wanting to grow old.”

      “C’mon, just this weekend.”

      “What makes you so desperate?” HyoYeon glared at him as she was starting to get annoyed. “I have a lot I have to work on!”

      TaeYeon sighed out of frustration and could not find any more excuses to say. He ran to get something in his room and came back to her door. Without words, he took out a and tried to confidently show it to her even though he felt embarrassed to be even holding it.

      When HyoYeon saw the small, square packet, she wondered what it was for a moment until in an instant, it clicked. Soon, she snorted and burst into laughter. “Woah, hey, hold on! Seriously?!”

      “So,” TaeYeon asked again, “Can I have the house for myself this whole weekend?”

      “Hell, you can have it starting Friday night! Consider me gone ‘till Monday,” she snickered.

 

***

 

      “Sunny, I need to talk to you about something,” Tiffany said as she pressed the phone closer to her face. “It’s something really uncomfortable for me to talk about so just hang on there, okay?”

      “Yeah, sure Fany-ah. What is it?” Sunny asked.

      Tiffany glanced at Jessica who was watching TV to make sure she wasn’t listening. Tiffany whispered, “I know this couple who are… going to take things to the next level.”

      “What about it?” Sunny said, not sounding too surprised.

      “WHAT?” Jessica shouted as she ran beside Tiffany knowing exactly that she was talking about herself and TaeYeon. As“What do you mean by that?!”

      Tiffany sheepishly smiled at Jessica. She has been living with her under the same roof for quite a long time. She didn’t even know why she’s still keeping secrets from her. Jessica always finds them out as soon as she keeps it as a secret anyway.

       “They’re still pretty young, but they do love each other. I just wanted to know what you’d think about it,” Tiffany said as she shyly fiddled with the telephone spring.

      “Hey,” Sunny laughed. “You’re asking me about what I think about ? They should use protection or something. If they don’t want to, then that’s none of my business. If they get sick or conceive, I ain’t taking the blame for it.”

      “They need a piece of advice and I can’t really tell them anything myself,” Tiffany said.

      “Why are you asking me? I have no experience.”

      “It just seemed like you would know a thing or two… you seem wise and all that. I just have to hear some advice.”

        After a long pause, Tiffany thought her cousin had hung up the phone. “Sunny, are you still there?”

      Suddenly, Sunny burst into laughter, “You just have to hear some advice? What—like some wisdom words? Well then let me tell you, Fany… I can’t do anything about your choice if you’ve already made up your mind. Have you made up your mind? Are you giving me the power to stop you? You know it probably won’t change much, especially since you and TaeYeon already started thinking about it. Because the moment it’s brought up, you both immediately stepped on dangerous grounds. I have only one thing to say, really: One little spark can provide great energy, but if handled incorrectly, it could burn a whole neighborhood down. You know what I mean right? But, heh, you know… that’s just what I think. So… have you made up your mind?”

      “Wha- I didn’t say this was about me and TaeYeon!” Tiffany burst out of embarrassment.

      “Who else would it be about, though? You kind of gave it away in the last thing that you said,” Sunny teased. “And if you were talking about someone else, you wouldn’t sound as timid and nervous as you do now.”

      “Is it obvious?” Tiffany bit her lip.

      “Well…” “YAH! NO! DON’T DO IT TIFFANY UNNIE!” shouted Hyuna from the other end of the line. Hyuna is Sunny’s younger sister. It seems as though she yanked the phone from Sunny.

      “Yah! Hyuna! Give it back,” Sunny shouted.

      A few bumps were heard until Sunny spoke again, “Sorry, what we’re you saying?”

      “DON’T DO IT TIFFANY UNNIE. GET MARRIED FIRST!” Hyuna shouted in the background.

      “Sshh, shut up Hyuna!” Sunny said.

      Tiffany just chuckled and said, “I’ll just talk to you later Sunny… When Hyuna’s not around.”

      “Alrighty,” Sunny snickered, “If you say so.”

      “Bye Sunny, talk to you later. Thanks for the few words.”

      “Anytime.” The call ended. “Bye-bye!”

      As soon as Tiffany put the phone back to its place, Jessica said, “You’re gonna do it with TaeYeon? Are you sure about it?”

      Tiffany sighed, “Well I do love him.”

      “Yeah, but you guys are just teenagers. You can never be so sure with teenage love you know,” Jessica said. “And isn’t this kind of a big thing? One move and everything between the both of you could go wrong. You know that right?”

      “Yeah, I know… But he wanted to do it,” Tiffany sighed. “I can’t just turn him down.”

      “Yes you can!” Jessica replied without dilemma. “This isn’t a one-person decision and if you don’t want to do it, don’t force yourself just because he wants to! Your body is not his to play with!”

      “Hey, I want to do this too,” Tiffany tried to argue. “Don’t think I haven’t thought about it already. I love him, Jessica.”

      “Are you 100% sure you’re ready?”

      Tiffany sighed and whimpered, “I guess a part of me kind of doesn’t want to do it, but… I want to do it, because it’s him. I love him.”

     “Well, which part of yourself can you hear well?” Jessica said. “And are you going to do whatever it says? You have to think about it clearly before you do anything. You have to promise me that if you go through with this, you’re going to be safe, if not cancel the whole thing! Even if it’s TaeYeon we’re talking about here, I don’t want you to get hurt in the future.”

     “Chill down, it’s going to be fine, Jessica. I promise…”

 

***

      After helping HyoYeon with bringing her things to SeoHyun’s home on the Friday afternoon, the three of them, along with SooYoung hung out for a while in the living room. After SeoHyun taught TaeYeon another part of the Chopin song, TaeYeon turned to SooYoung, “Hey Soo, I need to talk to you about something.”

      “What?” SooYoung asked as he gobbled up some chips while watching TV.

      “It’s about Tiffany,” TaeYeon casually said, taking a glance at HyoYeon.

      HyoYeon knew where he was going with this and stopped SeoHyun from playing piano, “Let’s go to your room SeoHyun. Let’s do something else.” She led SeoHyun out of the room and slammed the door so SeoHyun’s innocent ears wouldn’t hear anything.

      “What about Tiffany?” SooYoung asked.

      “We’re going to do it,” TaeYeon said.

      “Do what?”

      TaeYeon just shot him one glance and SooYoung almost choked from the sudden news.

      “Oh really?” SooYoung laughed. “Why are you telling me this? Isn’t this something private? Not that I don’t mind hearing about it,” SooYoung smirked.

      “When do you think is a good time to make everything flow naturally?” TaeYeon said.“I’m getting more nervous as the clock ticks by… Agh… I don’t want it to turn awkward and uncomfortable.”

      “Wait, are we seriously talking about this right now?” SooYoung stopped eating and turned his full attention to him. “You’re not just joking?”

      “No…?”

      “Why tell me, though?”

      “Haven’t you done it before?”

      “What—? No!” SooYoung laughed in disbelief, shocked that TaeYeon would assume that about him. “I know I’m tall and handsome and I know girls always flock around me, but that does not mean I did it already! I am a child of God and I will be a ‘til the day I marry! But of course, as your best friend… I could tell you some sca