You and I (Plus Her)
You and I (Plus Her)The plane finally settled down in Seoul, South Korea after a 10 hour ride from Los Angeles, California. Along with one of my closest friend from college, Jessica, she leads the way out of the airport with me following behind her trying to gather all of my bags in my hands.
Once we were out of the door, Jessica reached her hand out to signal for a cab in the crowded streets. One after one, the cabs was quickly taken away from the recent airplane passengers who were in a rush to head home.
I stood behind the annoyed blonde who pulled her hair every time when a cab drives passes us. I looked around my surroundings, trying to take everything in. Jessica and I came to Korea to study abroad for the semester of our junior year of college to study about Korea's lifestyle and culture. Honestly, I am not as excited as I should be. This is my first time out of the country and I will have to be independent for once.
I tapped the distracted girl in front of me and communicate with her using hand motions. It’s the only way I am able to get my thoughts through with others— hand signals. Yes, I am mute. I wasn’t always like this; I’ve lost my voice a couple of years ago. Ever since, I had to discontinue my dream as a professional singer. Just imagine how many months I’ve tear silent cries in my room alone. After this dramatic change in my life, I’ve always isolate myself from others and it was always hard for people to befriend me. I've never had any close relationships with anyone at school nor have I ever had a boyfriend because if my insecurities. Jessica, being the caring and friendly student who was determined to help me have a wonderful college experience was the only one who was able to break the wall I built around me.
“Sorry Jenny.” Jessica apologized after I motioned her that I couldn’t carry all of our bags and needed a helping hand from her. Thus, Jessica reached for a bag and picked her suitcase from the ground. “Put your hoodie up. It’s cold.” She advised, making me pull up the hood of my purple sweater over my head. She was right; it was cold. Today have been raining non-stop and the wind was blowing harder than this morning. I wasn't proper dressed for the weather in Korea. Back in California, it was over 80 degrees when we left the country, but in Korea, it was a whole other story.
For the next five minutes, we continued to signal for a cab. Luck wasn’t on our side; we were continuing being ignored and cabs kept being stolen. We gave up and decided to walk inside the airport for a quick break. As we proceed to enter, a large crowd of muscular security guards dressed in black tuxedos and groups of girls holding signs, screaming and confessing their love. My eyes widen when I saw the crowd harshly came towards us.
We were pushed and mixed into the chaos. In the process, I’ve lost contact with Jessica, leaving me alone. I heard her calling my name from behind the crowd, but I wasn’t able to shout my presence or find her through the tall security guards hogging over me. I tried looking in all directions to look for her but one of the guards took a hold of my arm and led me outside.
“Park Bom! I love you!” One of the girls holding a black sign with my face pasted on it shouted towards me as she tried to reach for my hand. Confused, I just continued to walk wherever the man in the black tuxedo led me to.
A white van approached the front doors of the airport. The man who once gripped my hand went over to open the vehicle and motioned me to go inside. At first, I refused, not knowing if this was some kind of a kidnapping, but when the crazy group of girls ran towards me, I jumped in to prevent myself from getting stumped on.
Minutes later, a young female, probably in her early twenties enters the van. “Unni, where were you? I thought we had lost you in that crowd.” She brushed her long brown hair to one side of her face and took off her designer shades as she took a seat next to me.
She stared at me, waiting for an answer.
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Of course, how could I forget that I cannot speak?
“Bom unni, Chaerin unnie.” A woman with short hair and a cap on approached. There were two more females who entered the van and sat at the back seats.
“Hurry Minji. It’s raining harder. Get in and let’s go.” The woman next to me spoke, putting on her shades once again.
The automatic door slide closed and the vehicle started to move. My eyes widen. Jessica! I remembered. I looked out the windows into the crowd of girls trying to find her. As seconds passed, the farther and smaller the crowd got. My heart rapidly beats. We can’t separate! How am I going to survive in Korea without her— the only person who can understand my way of communication?
“Bom, are you feeling okay?” Those cat eyes looked at me with worries.
Bom? Who in the world is Bom? Why is everyone calling me Bom? I’m Jenny Park! Jenny! Jenny! I felt my body heating up. Before I knew it, all I can see is darkness.
Bom’s Point Of View
I walked behind the girls, signing autographs to everyone who passed me a notebook and pen. The fans pushed and shoved me around in the tight area, but I continued to do my best to get everyone back their signed items. I can barely take a step because of the fans, but once in a while, I would find the chance to walk forward when no one is in front. I looked around, trying to find the guards from earlier but they were nowhere to be found. I was confused as to why they weren’t standing nearby but I’ve came to the conclusion that the other three girls had a wilder situation at the front of the airport, needing more security guards than me. I shrugged and continue signing posters of my face and handing them back.
Once I finally reached the front doors of the airport for my ride, I looked around, trying to seek the other three girls. Weird. They were nowhere to be found.
“Miss Park Bom,” a security guard approached me. “Why are you still here?!” He shouted over the crying ocean of fans.
I looked at him with a confused look. “What do you mean ‘why am I still here?’” I raised a brow. “Where are the other three girls?” I asked, moving towards his direction.
“They left.” He replied. I was speechless. Why did they leave me here? No, they would never do such a thing. “I was sure I took you inside the van moments ago.” He shook his head in disbelief. “I’m sorry, should I call them back here?” His voice was filled with guilt.
“It’s okay.” I gave him a small smile. “I’ll just take a cab.”
It wasn’t difficult catch a cab; I never understood why everyone said that getting a cab in Seoul is one of the most impossible things to do. Once I walked over to the road and gave a small smile, literally, five cabs stopped in front of me.
In the cab, I opened my smart phone to dial a certain phone number.
“Hello?” He picked up. The tired voice made me giggle a little.
“Tired?” I asked as I leaned my elbow on the windows of the vehicle and stared out to view the road.
I heard a light sigh from the other end on the line. “A little,”
“You should probably get some rest then. Jiyong, I’ll call you later when I settle down at home. Okay?”
Though the tired man was still half asleep, he demanded for me to continue to stay on the phone conversation. It’s been too long since we had last seen each other due to 2NE1’s full schedule and him staying in the studio making music. The only time where we were able to communicate was through text messaging and short phone calls when I have a chance to take a break from photo shoots and during the car rides.
For the next twenty minutes since we had started our conversation, we talked about literally everything that the other person had missed— how the promotions were going, his upcoming album, and how much we missed each other.
I heard a loud truck honking crazily from my left— the sound was getting louder by the second. Turning towards that direction, a bright yellow flash appeared. The next thing that I was able to recognize was the sirens of an ambulance and the noises of honks from the nearby vehicles.
"Bom!" I heard a faint voice from the other end of the line. "Bom. Baby, are you okay?! What is going on there?!" He choked up a bit at the end of his sentence.
Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head as I slowly close my eyes.
Jenny’s Point Of View
“Bom!” Panicking screams and cries were heard. My vision was blurry as I felt droplets of tear rolling at the side of my cheeks. Pain numbed my entire body. I wanted to yell but nothing came out. “You’re going to be okay.” A handsome man dressed in a blue scrub reassures me, dabbing the blood that ran from my head down to my neck. As he did so, I laid on a white stretcher, rolling me into the emergency room.
The large white doors opened and I was immediately ushered in.
The nurses began to gather around me and all hands were rushing to stop the bleeding of my cuts and scrapings. The pressure on my left body made me slightly gasped my head to the other side. I watched as another patient was rolled in next to me. She was instantly hooked on to needles and a breathing mask. The brown hair that covered her face fell down to her shoulder, revealing the woman’s bloody face.
I eyes grew. This woman looked like an exact duplicate of me. Her hair, her eyes, her nose, her lips— everything visually about me, she had.
An old man in wearing a doctor’s white coat made a deep sigh and shook his head. One of the male nurses beside my neighbor’s stretcher gave the old man a pat in shoulder and whispered. I was able to make out what he said. “She came into the hospital too late, sir.” I felt like something had stabbed right through my heart from his words.
The old man nodded and walked away from the patient. The young gentleman reached over to grab a white sheet and covered the woman’s body. For some odd reason, I began to cry when the fabric hovered over her face. I didn't know who this woman was, but it pained me to see a mirror of me dead in front of my very own eyes.
Within seconds, the strong liquid injected to my body made me numb and I began to slowly close my eyes into a deep sleep.
It was hours later when my eyes opened revealing a large white dominated room. There were a group of people sitting and standing together chatting I saw with the help of the lamp beside the bed.
“Noona!” One of the men standing gasped. With his notice, everyone who filled the room walked over to me. An expression of concern was shown on their faces.
“Bom,” A handsome young man with bleached blonde hair walked over, placing his soft gentle hands on mine. "You're finally awake." He smiled, but his expression showed concern. "Are you feeling alright?"
My face definitely have a confused reaction for everyone to stare at me in the same way.
"Bom?" The gentleman spoke again. I didn't know what to do but nod. I saw a smile on his face; a very,very attractive face.
When I heard a familiar voice, I looked behind he handsome man and saw the girls from this morning. One had bandages on her left hand, one with a couple of minor scars on her right cheek, and thank God, the last one was perfectly fine without any visible marks.
I could see the concern in the three's faces though they fakingly gave me a smile.
Before I even realized it, the sun had disappear.
With the hospital policy, the group of supporters in the hospital room had to leave. Thank God. I didn't like the awkward atmosphere. I didn't belong with the group of people. I hesitated each time I was asked a question. I'm sure everyone was suspicious of my non-verbal self. I only nod. Everyone probably thought I was giving them the cold shoulder, especially the handsome man holding on to me hand the entire time; keep apologizing to me for no damn reason.
The entire night of my stay in the hospital, the man took care of me. His name was Jiyong if I can remember correctly. Kwon Jiyong. Giving my the most gentle kisses and loving words; his touches were warm; words were sweet, and actions felt...right. When we were together, it just felt right. Being with him gave me a feeling I've never felt before. Love? Well, I wouldn't call that yet.
Love?
"Bom. I'm going to get a drink from the vending machine. Do you want me to get you anything?" He offered. I just shook my head to signal my refusal.
Jiyong gave me a smile before leaving the hospital room and making his way to where he said he was going to.
I wasn't quite sure about this new life and indenity I had aimlessly gotten into, but I knew that if I continue to go along with the act of being Park Bom, I would be able to be with this man. Kwon Jiyong.
a u t h o r ' s n o t e
Thank you all for reading. So, if you were confused, let me explain. Of course, both Bom and Jenny were at the airport at the same time; both coming into Korea. With the large crowd of fans, the twins were mistaken as each other, resulting Jenny to get into the vehicle with 2NE1 and Bom taking a cab. Both of the two cars got into an accident and Jenny and Bom were taken to the hospital. Unfortunatly, Bom died. Jenny was still known as 'Bom' to everyone because she didn't have a voice to verify her indenty. Jenny sees Jiyong and liked him due to his loving action towards her (Jiyong and Bom were in a relationship). Blah, blah, blah... I didn't know how to end it so I left it like this.
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