So Min

“We need to talk.”

Regaining my composure from being forcefully hijacked, I took a good look at my kidnapper.

“What about, Hyori?” I asked with annoyance.

“So Min, you know.” She walked closer such that we were seeing eye to eye. “I have always envied you for you have a loving mother who gave you a warm family. And I am alone in this world, I do not have any surviving family members.

On the day you joined, I took an instant liking to you. I thought I have finally found a family. And from that day onwards, I have always treated you like my sister, like my family.”

Her words pierced through my conscience like a sword. Though I despised that she now held the right to be Hyun Joong’s girlfriend, I could not ignore the fact that she had been helping me in settling in in Kim & Lee comfortably.

I was jealous. And this jealousy was eating me from within, causing me to hate Hyori for unjustifiable reasons.

“After Hyun Joong proclaimed that he would protect and love me, I was so happy. I thought I had found another family, like you, who is willing to take care of me forever. But I realized..”

Her teary eyes slowly met mine. I did not noticed when she had started crying. “…that my closest friend, my sister, is in love with the same man whom I love.”

I took a step back, questioning myself for anything I could retort to defend myself. There was nothing I could say.

“I have never asked you for any favor, nor had I pleaded with anyone. I’m begging you now…for I want to protect the love between Hyun Joong and mine...could you please grant me the happiness of being Hyun Joong’s only love?”

Hyun Joong

That night, we made our way to memory bar together.  Geun Suk, So Min and I hardly spoke much, with Hyori kept talking incessantly. If a comfortable atmosphere was what she was aiming to achieve, she had falied miserably in doing so then.

So Min was quiet the whole while in the taxi. I wanted to whisper to her to know if her silence was an indication that she was unwell or if she would like to withdraw from this double date. We were however, separated by Hyori, seated in between us. I could only steal glances at So Min, all the while hoping that she would just look in my direction for one second.

But she did not.

As soon as we reached the bar, we disintegrated into two groups onto the dance floor. Heavy metal music was blasting in the air and the noise made by the band on their electric guitars was rather deafening. The crowd was swaying in a trance to their music as multi colored spotlights danced above them in circular motions.

I was physically with the crowd, but I was not there. My mind was filled with So Min, looking out for her on the dance floor and wondering what she could be doing with Geun Suk.

Is So Min in Geun Suk’s arms now?

“HYUN JOONG!!”

 My thoughts were zapped back into reality by a certain voice.

“Sorry, what did you say?”

Hyori glared at me crossly and swung my hand off her shoulder.

“I’m sorry. I can’t hear you.” I heard her question loud and clear, even through the ruckus surrounding us. Yet, I chose to avoid answering her questions.

I couldn’t tell her anymore that I love her without feeling that it could be a lie.

Pointing to my throat and shouting at the top of my voice into her ears, “I’m thirsty. I’m going to get a beer.”

I made a beeline towards the bar counter without heeding if she was following me behind. It did not matter whether she came with me. I just wanted to use the excuse of getting a drink to change the subject.

When I reached the counter, I looked behind to check if Hyori was behind me.

She wasn’t.

Relief!

Looking around the counter, my eyes widened at the sight of a familiar figure sitting alone at a corner.

So Min!

Grinning from ear to ear, I strutted steadily towards her and placed my mug right in front of her.

She looked up at me with a disinterested look, “How are you going to pay for this drink?”

I gasped. She was right. I did not think about that!

“I guess it’s on you then,” I grinned foolishly.

She must have thought that I was trying to humor her, for she suddenly burst out laughing and brought up her mug to meet mine.

“Well then. Since I could not reject you, I should join you. To my beers!”

I joined her and drank till the last drop.

“Where’s Geun Suk?” I asked, partly hoping that he would be gone for good.

“He’s on the phone, somewhere quiet. A client calls, he said,” she volunteered, while tracing her finger around the rim of her mug.

Nudging her by the shoulder, I tried to lift up her mood as I sensed that she looked rather low. “Are you enjoying the night?” 

She gave a wry smile without looking at me, “I think so.”

“Wanna dance? The music now is quite upbeat,” I invited, praying that she would not reject me.

She scanned our surroundings and questioned, I thought with a little sarcasm, “Where is Hyori?”

That did not stop me from insisting on my invitation. I held up my hand in expectation that she would reach for it, “Does it matter?”

She checked out my extended hand visually and pondered if she would take my offer. I was getting impatient even if it was just a fraction of a second that she took to consider. Before she had a chance to reject, I decided to take fate into my own hands.

Grabbing her hand in mine, I dragged her away from where Geun Suk would return to find her. I need to lead her away quickly somewhere…somewhere…but where?

..Where Hyori and Geun Suk would not be able to find us.