Chapter 2

 

“Yah, can you please stop crying?”

 

I roll my eyes at the girl beside me, she has been crying nonstop since I decide to send her back home. Even I don’t like her mother thought, but I shouldn’t stick my nose into other business, maybe she has her reason that I can’t figure out.

 

We are on the cab, heading to her house. I know her address by her ID card, her name is Park Jiyeon, 22 years old. As I expect, she is younger than me for five years. Now, I’m really get annoy because of her sob.

 

“What a chaotic day.” I murmur quietly, rest my head then look through the window. It’s still raining, I hate this weather, it makes me recall something that I don’t want to remember. A cute face of little girl pops up in my mind, her lovely smile flashes across her face when she notices me. I close my eyes then shake my head slightly trying to take off this memory.

 

“Miss, can I ask you something?” The driver suddenly asks, so I just nod my head telling him to go ahead. “Why is she crying? You aren’t kidnapping her, right?” What? Kidnap her? That’s funny. Why should I kidnap her? Wait, wait, does he want to say that I look like a kidnapper?

 

“No, I just want to send her home. She runs away from home.” Then he nods his head, turns back to focus on his driving. I look at Jiyeon, her tears continue to flow like Han River, makes me feel a bit sick with this view.

 

“I think you need this.” I hand her my handkerchief, she quickly takes it to rub her nose then blows like a little kid. I bet that my handkerchief already mess up because of her snot. Slowly, I reach my hand to pat her head gently, but I almost shock to death when she suddenly turns to hug my waist tightly and rest her head on my shoulder continuing her whine.

 

“Yah… are you alright?” I pat her back tenderly, really don’t know what I should do to comfort her. By the way, why it must be me who face this situation? Why she has to choose me as her crush and bring this aching problem to me?

 

Okay, I admit that I’m a selfish one. I’m not that kind-heart or ready to help everyone who face a problem, even myself I can’t handle well that’s why I can’t  take her trouble as mine. I just sit there, pat her head gently letting her to cry as much as she wants.

 

Finally, we reach her place, I pay the fare then hold her hand. We walk to stop in front of the building that I think it’s too big and so far from home, maybe castle? I don’t know, it just too big to be a house in my eyes.

 

Jiyeon clings on my arm tightly, I don’t know why she acts like this, but I notice that her grip become tighter and tighter as we step closer to her house. I can only wonder how bad her situation is before pressing the bell ring.

 

Waiting for five minutes, a beautiful lady who I guess she is Jiyeon’s mother opens the door for us. She is confused to see me at first, but suddenly becomes angry when she notices Jiyeon who hugs my arm tightly.

 

“Jiyeon! Do you know how late it is right now!?” She shouts furiously that makes Jiyeon slightly jumps, she then turns to look at me angrily. “You are the one who mess up with my daughter, right? Do you know how much I’m embarrassed when my daughter ran away from wedding ceremony just to meet her crush?”

 

“What? You ran away from wedding ceremony?” I turn to look at Jiyeon and she nods her head as an answer. Okay… I think I will faint soon, oh my god! She ran away from wedding ceremony, not only ran away from home!!

 

Suddenly, Mrs. Park pulls Jiyeon from my arm, lifts up her hand as she is about to slap her. “You disappoint me!” Without realizing, I hold Mrs. Park’s wrist tightly before she can slap Jiyeon’s face. This is too much, really too much for mother to treat her daughter like this.

 

“Sorry miss, but I think slapping is unnecessary.”

 

“Then, you will be the one who want to get this, right?”

 

“Huh?”

 

Before I can figure out what is she talking about, she lands her palm harshly on my cheek cause me to turn my face following her way. I just shock in my position, wondering what is happening just now. I think I already know why Jiyeon refuses to come back home, her mother is scary as hell!

 

“Mom! What did you do! It’s not her fault!” Jiyeon shouts loudly at her mother, quickly holds my face trying to check my condition or something like that. “Ouch! Don’t touch it.” I yelp when her thumb accidently touch my bleeding lips, so I hold both of her hands preventing her to touch my wound.

 

“Stop your stupid love right now Jiyeon, you need to marry Yu Seungho!”

 

“No! I don’t love him! I beg you please stop using me for your business!”

 

“You have no right to decide what you want to do! I’m the one who give you life and take care of you, you need to do what I tell you to do!”

 

Okay, that’s enough.

 

I reach my hand to carry raindrop before throwing them to Mrs. Park’s face, everyone seem shock at my action. “I know this is none of my business, but I think your mind is a bit sick, miss.” I say calmly, pull Jiyeon to hide behind my back and face this furious mother.

 

“I know that you give her life and take care of her, this point can accept, but don’t you think that you are too much to her? Does your business is important than your daughter’s happiness? I really don’t know what kind of mother you are. You are disappointing me deeply.” Throwing a cold gaze at her, I hold Jiyeon’s hand firmly, knowing that this lady right before me can do something that I can’t predict.

 

“You are nobody! Don’t poke your nose into my business!”

 

“Listen miss, I don’t want to mind your business, but this is too much. She is just a college student, wedding is too fast for her, at least you should wait for her graduation first. If that man really loves your daughter, I’m sure that he won’t have any problem to wait for her. Do you remember how precious she is to you? The first time you hold her in your embrace, the first time she call you mom, the first time she hug and kiss you, do you remember them? Please think twice about this before deciding to do something, her happiness is hanging on your word.”

 

Mrs. Park become silence, I guess that she is thinking about what I just say. She is just too angry to think correctly and blind by her anger. I’m sure that if she loves her daughter as much as I think, she will accept her wrong action and changes her mind.

 

“I… I’m sorry, I’m pressured because of my business and today incident.” She says guiltily, bows her head at me cause me to bow at her too. “I’m sorry for my rudeness too.” I apologize politely, then let Jiyeon go to hug her mother while crying hard.

 

“I’m sorry Jiyeon, I’m a bad mother.”

 

“No mom, you are the best mother I ever have. I’m sorry too.”

 

A small smile slowly curls on my lips, this heart-warming scene is so touching. It’s make me miss my parents, they are so far from me. I want to hug them tightly as Jiyeon is doing, but it seems impossible to take a flight to Japan at this time that almost reach midnight.

 

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Many kids are running back and forth playing with their friends, I can hear they laugh and scream happily. I’m in playground waiting for Hyomin who asks me to sit here wait for her to buy ice-creams for us.

 

I see little girl is sitting lonely on a swing, it makes me recall the little girl in my long past memory. Slowly, I stand up then approach her, she is a bit surprise at my presence while I’m keeling down in front of her with a smile on my face.

 

“Why don’t you play with your friend?” I ask her softly, but she shakes her head as an answer. “I don’t have friend, no one want to play with me.” Hearing her words makes me feel like I turn back the time to when I was young, I blink my eyes rapidly to call myself back to my sense and not think about that past memory.

 

“Hmmm… it’s not fun if you keep sitting here all day, let’s play something!” I give her a wide grin then lift her up to sit on my shoulder, her both little hands grip my hair tightly afraid that she will fall down. I stand up and walk to the center of children, ask them to play with me like I’m a five years old kid.

 

We all have fun there, many parents are laughing at my childish side, everybody seem to be happy including the girl who sits lonely on the swing before. I laugh happily with the kids, they are funny and at the same time adorable.

 

“Yah! Hahm baekgu! What are you doing there!” The voice shouts at me, I turn to look and find that Hyomin is holding two ice-creams in her hand while throwing me an annoyed glance. I chuckle, put the girl down then tell them that I have to go.

 

“Is she your girlfriend? She’s so pretty!” One boy say with excitement, Hyomin walks to me and hands me one ice-cream before pinching my cheek hard. “Ouch! That hurts Minnie!” I yelp in pain, so she lets me go, pouts.

 

“Are you trying to cheat on me Jungie? Why you picky back her, but not me?” She says sulky and that make me laugh my lungs out, what a silly friend of mine. Before I can think anything, she suddenly hops on my back, embraces my neck tightly like a little kid.

 

“Yah! What are you doing?”

 

“Let’s go Jungie! Picky back me to Cafenne!”

 

“Are you kidding me? You know what, I think I will faint before reaching there, you’re a bit heavy.”

 

“Yah! It’s rude to talk about weight to your girlfriend!”

 

“Since when that we become couple?”

 

“Right now! Let’s go to Cafenne, go go go!”

 

“Silly girl.”

 

I start walking, Hyomin takes ice-cream from me and keeps feeding me as I hold her with my both hands. I feel a bit strange like someone is gazing at me, so I turn back to look. “What?” Hyomin is confused at my action, but I don’t mind to answer her at all. My eyes land on the figure who hide behind a tree, shake my head slightly at my stalker who think that I not notice her.

 

Sometime she makes me think about the little girl who keeps following me everywhere like my shadow, the one who still live in my memory all the time. “Nothing.” I tell Hyomin then turn around to walk to Cafenne.

 

When we arrive, we go to change into our work outfits. Hyomin walks out to take orders from customer while I’m busy in the kitchen, making coffee like barista always do. Five minutes pass, Qri unnie walks into the kitchen with hand full of bags.

 

“Eunjung, your girlfriend asks me to give this to you.” I rise up my eyebrow a bit, look at my wrist watch and find that it’s 5 pm. “Who? I have no girlfriend unnie.” Qri unnie puffs her cheek and it looks so cute. “Just take it!” She then throws all of bags to me, well… I think I like teasing her.

 

I look into bags, there are all my favorite snacks in them. I wonder how can she know what are my favorites, but I have to snap back when Hyomin knocks my head lightly. “What was that for?” I’m confusedly ask her while she is pouting at me.

 

“Your girlfriend is here, let’s go out and take her order.” She then kicks me out off the kitchen and steals all of my snacks to share with Qri unnie and others. I hiss at her, but she sticks her tongue out with ‘Blehh’ sound.

 

How cute.

 

I shake my head slightly then walk out form counter area, heading to the girl that always here at 5 pm. She seems happy when she notices me walk out from the kitchen, but when I look at her, she quickly lifts up a menu to cover her face.

 

Does she need to shy at me after telling me that she wants to be my girlfriend? 

 

I chuckle softly at her adorable action then stop right next to her. “Are you ready to order something?” I politely ask with a small smile on my face, even I know her more than I should, but it seems to be rude if I treat her different from other customer.

 

“Iced americano please.” She says quietly, I note her order on the paper then smile at her once again. “Anything else?” Raising my eyebrow as asking, I wait for her to tell me that she want anything else or not.

 

“Er…” She murmurs likes she wants to say something, so I bent down to listen carefully. I smile and nod telling her that it’s okay if she wants anything else, but she surprises me by her redden face, rapid breath and shaking hand. “Whoa? Are you alright, miss?” I start to panic, is she about to faint or something?

 

“Is she your girl-girlfriend?” She suddenly asks out that makes me confused, I frown a bit wondering why everyone like to talk about my girlfriend. “Who?” I raise my eyebrow, notice that she is looking at someone so I follow her eyesight and find Hyomin is smiling at me.

 

“That’s girl, the one you picky back before.” She says, pouts and puffs her cheek like a baby. I chuckle then secretly knock her head. “Ah! It hurts.” Jiyeon rubs her head slightly, wrinkles her nose while I’m shaking my head at her. “She is older than you, you should call her unnie, not that’s girl. And no, she isn’t my girlfriend. I’m single, happy now?”

 

“Y-yes.” Her voice crack when I gaze at her, do my eyes have an effect on her this much? I shrug my shoulder at my though then ask her again. “So, do you want anything else?” She shakes her head then hands me a menu, I take it and smile at her.

 

“Your iced americano will serve in five minutes, thank you miss.”

 

I then walk back into the kitchen where my co-works are having fun with my snacks, I ignore them and start to make iced americano, but suddenly Hyomin back hugging me. “Yah! Why your girlfriend looks at me like that?”

 

“How many times I have to tell you that she isn’t my girlfriend Minnie?”

 

“I guess when you have a lover, but that’s not the point! Why she looks at me like that?”

 

“She thinks that you are my girlfriend.”

 

“Then, what you tell her?”

 

“What else? Of course, I tell her that you’re not my girlfriend and I’m single.”

 

“Heatless! Hicks… hicks… why you need to act like nothing between us?” She yells then fake sobs and that makes all of my co-works land their eyes on us. “Silly! Don’t make other misunderstand, you troublemaker!” Knocking her head lightly, I turn back to my work while other just going back to their duty.

 

 “Tsk! You are not fun!” Hyomin then bite my shoulder before walking away. Sometime I wonder why she likes to bite me, but I have to let it go when iced americano spit out from the cup. Aish, I need to focus even more!

 

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Everyone go home and leave me close the café, usually Hyomin and Qri unnie will help me, but today they have appointments that’s why I’m here alone. I know the weather is really not good today, so I quickly lock the door.

 

When I step out from Cafenne area, I need to step back into the area immediately when the rain falls from the sky heavily. I shake my head and rub my face, lean my head against the door, knowing that I have to stick here and have nothing to do for at least one hour.

 

“I hate rain.” I murmur softly, find a headphone in my bag, but I almost get heart attack when I hear someone speaks beside me. “Me too.” I jump immediately when notice her presence, rub my chest to calm my heartbeat while she is giggling at me.

 

“You scare me!” I nag her then notice that she has an umbrella in her hand. “You have an umbrella, why don’t you go home yet?” I ask her confusedly, have no idea why she still here, maybe she is stalking me like yesterday?

 

I put a headphone on my head then press the button to play music, but she suddenly pull it down to hang on my nape. “I’m waiting for you, and isn’t it rude to use headphone while talking with someone?”

 

“Waiting for me? Why?”

 

“Today the weather is bad, and I guess that you don’t have an umbrella that’s why I’m waiting for you.”

 

“Just that?”

 

“Yes, what do you expect that I will say?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

Er… I don’t know why I think like this, but I feel like she is similar to me in some way. She then steps closer to me, lifts up an umbrella over my head awkwardly. “Are you forcing me to go home with you?” I playfully ask when I realize her aim, she blushes slightly then avoids my eyes contact.

 

“I-I’m sorry, if you don’t want to, I won’t force.” She then pulls her hand and umbrella back, but I quickly hold her hand. So she stop right there, freeze like a snowman. Hahahaha. She’s cute. “I’m kidding. By the way, let me hold an umbrella, I’m a bit taller than you.”

 

She let me hold the umbrella, I notice that she is hanging her head down and has no interest to step to anywhere. “Do you want to stand here for the rest of your life?” I and that makes her lifts up her head to face me before hanging her head down once again when our eyes meet.

 

What a problem with eyes contact?

 

I don’t want to waste the time more than this, so I pull her closer to me. “I don’t want you to catch a cold, you can hug my arm or hold my hand if you want, just stay closely to my side.” Then, I grab her hand and start walking through the rain. Slowly, she hold my hand tightly while her other hand reaching to hug my arm.

 

“Where is your car?” She is a bit surprise at my question, I guess that if I go home by bus she will leave her car here and go with me. “Don’t you take a bus?” I shake my head slightly, notice that her face is redden, maybe she really likes me as she has told that’s why she always blushed when she’s with me?

 

“Today I prefer your ride more than a bus, is it okay?” I politely ask, at least she has to decide because it’s her car. “My car is right there!” She suddenly cries out and points at her car that makes me chuckle at her adorableness, she acts likes I will change my mind soon if she not quickly answers me.

 

We walk to her car, I help her to hop in her car first then I run to hop in passenger seat. She takes the umbrella from me then throws it to back seat. I rest myself on this comfort seat, it’s so comfort more than the bus.

 

And then I notice Jiyeon is trying to start the engine, her hand shake rapidly like she is so excite or something like that. “Easy girl, don’t act like it’s the first time you drive a car. You make me scare to go with you, you know?”

 

“I’m sorry! I’m just… just…”

 

“Hey, calm down. There has nothing to be nervous like that, breathe deeply.”

 

I pat her head gently, and she slowly calm down. A smile forms on my lips, I think this girl is like a baby, she has too much childish side. When I sure that Jiyeon can manage all her things, I pull my hand back to place on my lap, look through the window then sigh at this bad weather.

 

I’m lost in my thought, but I have to come back to earth when I realize that this isn’t the way to my home. “Where are we going?” I ask her confusedly, she smiles at me then turns back to the road. I hold my safety belt tightly, even I know who she is, but I can’t risk myself like a fool.

 

A few minutes pass, we reach at the playground where I come before at the evening with Hyomin. It stops raining right now, so Jiyeon hops out of the car and so do I. She walks to sit on the swing while I’m following her behind wondering what is happening.

 

She gradually swings the swing before lifting her head up to face me, and it takes me by surprise when I notice she is crying. I walk closer to her, stop the swing then kneel down in front of her. Gently, I wipe her tears by my thumb before recalling my past memory all of sudden.

 

I’m froze in my position, everything seem similar to me even Jiyeon. She makes me recall the little girl who I met when I was young. Slowly, she cups my face and caresses it before leaning forward to give a peck on my cheek, still crying like a baby.

 

“Will you be there, Jungie?”

 

“Ji?”

 

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First of all, Thanks for your all of supports!! Okay, this chapter is a bit long, I hope that you won’t bore while reading it. By the way, thanks for many comments, I don't expect that you guys will leave a lot of comement like this. I love it! ♥♥♥ And big thanks to my fans from TD that you always support me wherever I am. Love yaa! kkkkk... 

 

@jmae1015 Ohh! you're here too unnie? I think that you're everywhere that have EunYeon fic lol.