Vengeance|Chapter 2

“Seriously Lee Chae Rin!” she yelled at me as I sit in the living room and type codes in my laptop and not even bothering to give her a glance “Stop being a hermit and get out!”

“Shut up Dara- yah!” I said, getting irritated.                                                                                 

Park Sandara, my cousin who lives with me, she’s actually from Busan, and after graduating, she decided to find a job here in Seoul, and since I’m her only relative that lives here, she asked me if she could live with me, and I said yes, after what happened to me before, I thought that maybe it would be nice to have someone with you, someone who you could talk to and have fun with, who would’ve thought that two years has already passed since that thing happened, and here I am, still wounded.

“I just went out hours ago!” I said, I have codes to finish and I have deadlines that will really have me dead if I don’t finish them on the said date.

“Really?!” she said, sounding astonished. “Where?! Don’t tell me you went to the park!” her expression changing back to a grim look.

“Yes.” I answered, still not giving her a glance.

“OH LEE CHAE RIN! THE PARK IS JUST STEPS AWAY! WHAT I WAS TELLING IS THAT YOU GO SOCIALIZE! HAVE FUN! YOU LOOK LIKE A KEYBOARD ALREADY!”

“Is the shouting really necessary?!” I said, turning my attention to her for the first time “I have programs to code! Web pages to design! Pictures and videos to edit! Deadlines! And I only have 24 hours a day!”

“You think that I don’t notice do you?” she said, lowering her voice as she stared at me, her expression changing to sympathy. “You’re still hurting to what happened between you and…”

“Don’t ever dare say that ing guy’s name!” I said, as I looked back at my laptop’s screen and hear her took a deep breath.

“Chae Rin-ah, I know that it’s hard, what I am just telling you is to exert more effort on trying to for…”

“Don’t you think I’m not doing that?!” I snapped at her “That is exactly the reason why I’m doing all these things! Wasting my 24 hours on typing codes! Editing stuffs! Not going out! ‘Cause I want to forget! Don’t talk to me like you know everything! Like you know what I’m going through!” I shut my laptop and prepared to go to my room and left her there, looking at me with that pity in her eyes.

Slamming the door shut, I let my tears fall down again and feel the pain that I’m trying hard to bury inside of me. I have never felt so fragile again, like with just one slight touch and I’m about to shatter again into shards. I tried so hard before to pick up the broken pieces and mend myself again, and now, I have to do it again. Here I am crying, looking so helpless, pathetic, and him? What? Happy with that girl? Living blissfully?

Then it occurred to me, why am I the only one that’s being like this? Shouldn’t he be suffering the same way too? Why am I the only one hurting? Why am I the only one crying? Why am I the only one that’s being miserable?

Maybe Dara’s right, maybe I should go out and socialize, have fun. Meet new people, and reunite with old friends.

Yes, reunite with old friends, including old boyfriends, possibly. Thinking about this, I felt that stabbing pain in my chest again, just the thought of him eradicates me, can I possibly make myself stand in front of him without splintering?

Maybe I should’ve just paid attention to my instincts before and just let myself be killed silently in my solitary world, but I was just human. I just knew that I had to get back.

I woke up the next morning with swollen eyes; I hadn’t realized that I have fallen asleep while crying myself out that night, walking out of my room, I found Dara in the kitchen already preparing breakfast.

“I’m sorry.” she said, not being able to look at me, as I prepare myself a cup of coffee.

“No. It’s okay.” It’s true, for what she said completely brought sense to me that night. “You’re right; I should socialize and have fun.”

She looked at me like I just said the world’s most forbidden word, her eyes and mouth wide open “Lee Chae Rin… am I hearing you right?”

“Yes.” I said, looking at her straight in the eye “And about socializing and having fun, Bom’s birthday’s today right?”

“Yes.” she said, still looking at me disbelievingly.

“And she always celebrates it with a grandiose party.” I said, as I sat at the counter, stirring my coffee.

“She texted me last night, inviting us, but she doubts that you’ll come.” she said as she started beating the eggs.

“We’ll go.” I said calmly, making her stop on what she’s doing.

“Chae Rin- ah… you don’t need to do this…”

“I said we’ll go.” interrupting her and looking at her firmly “We. Will. Go.”

“Okay.” she said, breaking away from my stare and continued on what she’s doing “I’ll be home by 6, we’ll be going there by 7.”

“Okay.” I said, smiling as I headed back to my room, I started to finish all the work that I can for that day for I have a party to attend to that night that I didn’t know will change everything. And most of all, I knew that he will be there, and for the first time, after two years of being inconsolable, I was ecstatic to see him again.

“Chae Rin-ah! You done?” Dara asked as she knocked at my door.

“Yeah. Just wait for me in the car.” I replied.

“Okay.” I hear her say as I looked at myself in the mirror for one last time. I did my best to look as elegant and stunning as I can, and there I was, I did not fail, after two years of being plain, I looked like a million bucks.

Composing myself, I opened the door and let the first person that will see me judge me.

“What?” I said, smiling alluringly at her.

“You’re… grand!” she exclaimed, looking at me from head to toe then back again “Chae Rin-ah! You’re stunning! You make me look like your maid!”

I smirked “Dara-yah, don’t worry, you’re also stunning.”

“Yeah, but… really Chae Rin-ah, you’re different tonight.” she said, looking at me uncertainly.

“Let’s go!” I said, ignoring the look that she’s giving me again.

We started to get into our car, she at the driver’s seat, me beside her “I’m thrilled to meet them all again.” I said as the engine roared into life and us, driving away into the night.