5 Years Ago

Seohyun was about to leave her office for lunch when suddenly her phone rang. She was hesitate to pick the call up or not since she was not familiar with the number. It was new number which she had not saved if she knew the caller before.

‘If it is about work, I never give this number to clients,’ She talked in her mind still wondering who called her private number. Not many people knew that number. So she ignored the first calling and continued to go to one of restaurant around her district office.

But the unknown number called her again when she was already at restaurant and ordered her food. Before she got irritated more with that, she decided picking it up. She already had hard time for past few months after that saddening night.

“Yeoboseyo?” She answered her phone slightly getting annoyed.

 “Is it Seo-Joohyun-ssi phone number?” A woman voice was heard from other line.

“Yes, it is. Nuguseyo?” Seohyun tried to maintain her voice not carried away with her bad emotion lately.

“It is me, Yeongju. Jung-Yeongju!” Seohyun tried to recall her memory about someone with the said name. And she could not believe it when her old friend face appeared.

“Ya! Do you already forget about me? Aish!” The woman who called pretending     to be angry.

“Is it really you, Jung-Yeongju?” Seohyun could not hide her excited voice.

“Do you have any other friend named Yeongju that you playfully called Yeongjuk?”

“Ani. I only have one particular friend like you. Ya! Why do you disappear like ghost for about one year and half? Where have you been? I can’t even contact you for long time.”

“Don’t blur out your nagging now. I have enough from everyone, not again from you. I will tell you everything when we meet. Do you have any time today?”

“Sure! You have to tell me everything. No hiding any secrets, okay?”

“Arrasseo..”

“And I will have free time after my work ends today. So where can I meet you?” Seohyun was excited to their meeting.

“Can we meet in coffee shop we used to go near our college?” Yeongju asked Seohyun hesitantly.

“Of course! I will go there to meet you around 5, okay?”

“Okay. I’m going to wait you to come. Meet you soon, Hyun. I miss you a lot, chingu-ya,” Somehow sad voice was heard from Yeongju.

“Nado. I miss you a lot, Jukkie-ya,” Seohyun said it sincerely.

After that their conversation through phone call was ended. Seohyun could not wait to see her dear friend that had hard time more than she was now.

Exactly at 5 after her works ended, Seohyun already arrived in front of the coffee shop that she and Yeongju promised to meet. She looked around to find Yeongju that currently sat at inner side of the coffee shop near big glasses window.

She smiled to witness her friend daydreaming while she was looking outside the window. Soon she walked towards her table.

“Annyeong, Jukkie-ya?” Seohyun already sat in front of Yeongju when she greeted her.

“Yah! When did you come?” Yeongju startled for Seohyun present.

“Just now. But you surely don’t realize it since you are daydreaming. How are you, friend?”

“I’m fine. Hei! Don’t you want to hug your friend?” Yeongju pouted her lips. It was making Seohyun chuckled.

“Arrasseo.” Both of them got up from their seat to hug each other for their long time longing. They were hugging for than a minute and both of them could not hide their happy feeling.

“Hyunnie, are you fine?” Yeongju asked her friend suddenly with her worried face.

“Yes, I’m fine. What do you mean?”

“I mean, I heard about that, after your engagement off . . .” Yeongju could not continue her words after Seohyun face suddenly changed.

“I am sorry to hear that, Hyun.” Yeongju took Seohyun both hands and hold them for giving encouragement. Seohyun was only smiled with her friend word.

“It’s okay now. You already knew since the first time that the engagement would not do,” said Seohyun with her forced smile.

“How is he now?” Yeongju asked about him.

“I don’t know exactly, but I heard he already married now.”

“That fast? I’m sorry, Hyun, for asking. And how about your parent?”

“They are fine now. But last time they were heard about he cut the engagement off, my mom was rushed to hospital.” Yeongju could not hide her shocked face to hear Seohyun story.

“However, she is alright now,” added Seohyun for calming Yeongju.

“Hyun, sorry, sorry for not being beside you in that moment,” Yeongju hold Seohyun hands tighter.

“Don’t worry, Ju. I had ever in that state before. Remember? It’s hard, the first time. But for the second time, I am used to it.” 

“And it is your turn now. Where have you been? Why are you suddenly calling with new number?” asked Seohyun. Yeongju released her holding for Seohyun hands and leaned herself to the chair.

Yeongju talked after being silent quite long, “I am hiding, Hyun. Everything gets complicated.”

“What happened?” Seohyun was worried about the next Yeongju would tell her.

“You already know that since the first my mom doesn’t like Byunghee-oppa. Because he doesn’t come from wealthy family, even doesn’t know about his family whereabouts. So my mom with help from my brother tried to separate me with him. Instead my mom tried to arrange me in marriage with one of her business colleague.”

“Don’t you ever say after that you run away with Byunghee-oppa,” Seohyun already warned her friend for forbidden story.

“Fortunately, yes. I did run away with him,” said Yeongju lightly. Seohyun gasped and unconsciously covered with hand.

“It happened after my mom declared that she will kick me off from family. She did. And even erased my name from every family related thing,” Yeongju told as she played with her wearing blouse.

“My brother also did bad things for separating us. He threatened Byunghee-oppa and moreover beaten him until Byungh