NOW

APRIL 2017

                NAEUN did not want to remember how many days since her wedding got trashed, but when she walked into her idle apartment, only then she realised how things were no different than when she was getting ready for her wedding, and so she thought, rather than avoiding, it was probably best to embrace what happened and let that be some bitter memory in her life. She has come to learn that, sometimes in life people need bad memories to continue living. That way we would start looking at things in a different and more mature perspective.

                She dragged her feet across the TV room, and slumped into the couch. Her stomach was still full from the breakfast she had at Jongin’s house, and an ambiguous smile crept up on her lips. Jongin’s morning voice was magnetizing.

                -Magnetizing?

                Oh God it’s like I’m writing a novel.

                LANA looked back on her plans to rationalize everything once again. She has been lurking in the nearest restroom ever since she saw Dr. Jinki returned to his office. There was no guarantee the doctor would even help her, with her being a complete stranger and unrelated to Lana’s life, but she needed to gamble the possibility and just try her luck. She saw no other hopes in reaching out to Minhyuk and Lana but through this doctor. Lana could’ve just asked about Minhyuk from Naeun since it was no longer news how terrible of a ex-fiance Minhyuk was to Naeun ever since the wedding news spread, but she had no intention bringing outside into her personal matters. What more someone who was in her social circle, despite a considering amount of disinterest Naeun has over her.

                This was it – she thought, as she balled up her two fists and went out straight from the bathroom.

THEN

JUNE 2014

                IT was a hot summertime in California, and being one of the states that was mostly warm throughout the year, Hyorin could never grow this familiar with the dry heat and lack of warm breeze.  Hyorin just came from his 6-month old’s room for his afternoon nap, and now she was cooling herself in front of the stand fan in the living room. She She was flapping the shirt, making more air to fan herself and shield herself from the heat. There was no escaping, she thought, and she has to endure 2 summers more before she could go back to Korea and free her sister from the old man’s hands. She didn’t want to fail her sister more than this.

                She walked over to a counter and took another look at the newly received postcard her sister from Korea. Funny how things between them reversed when Hyorin was supposed to be the one sending her sister postcards and gifts and not the other way around.

                The phone by the bedside rang and the loud ring startled Hyorin. She reached for the phone and greeted the caller.

                “HYORINNNNNN”

                Hyorin jumped, surpised to have been received a rather explosive greeting from her cheerful sister, Hyeri.

                “You sound so alive,” Hyorin pulled a face. “Even brighter than you were when you last visited me here.”

                “Don’t’ be ridiculous. You know I’m always happy when I shout your name, or see you. So, what are you doing right now? Certainly you have been working hard at our hotel but spare me the details about your work and tell me all the fun things you did there.”

                “Work can be fun, too. Besides, what time is it there in Seoul?” Hyorin glanced at her wristwatch and saw that it was 1.09 PM here in California.

                “I don’t know. Sometime around 5 in the morning I guess.”

                “What are you doing up? It’s still way too early.”

                “You know I volunteer at Junjin hospital, right? We’re understaffed here so I had to sleep over at the guest room here in children’s department and helped watching over the kids.”

                “Don’t their parents stay behind? How could they go home and leave their children in a stranger’s care?” Hyorin spoke this one out but her heart began wrenching into a knot. How could she let her younger sister shoulder the responsibility of marrying an old man twice her own age to save their family’s failing resort?

                “Only one of the parents stay, but they still need all the help they could get, right? Besides, I’m not that busy. I don’t handle all this by myself. I’ve got a friend here with me.”

                “Oh,” she gasped, her voice was weak. “And do I know this friend of yours?”

                “Taemin,” Hyeri muttered carefully, but Hyorin could see the warmth in her sister’s tone of speech that she wondered if this Taemin guy was more than a friend.

                “Oh, you mentioned him before, didn’t you? He was the one who got you into doing volunteer work.”

                “He did. I first met him at a dog center where he worked part time as the dog keeper and runner. I was accompaying Julia to adopt some puppy.”

                “Love at first sight, it seems?” Hyorin said teasingly as she sat fold-legged on the bed.

                “Taemin knows I’m married.”

                Hyorin was silenced by Hyeri’s short but powerful remark, and she stifled a dry snort and cupped . Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

                “Hyorin,” Hyeri called, and her voice was very very small. Hyorin was nervous but she tried hard to control her tone.

                “Yes?”

                “I vomited yesterday’s morning,” Hyeri’s voice was getting smaller as she continued talking and sobbing in between.

                “You did-” At this point, the two sisters were already sharing the same pain. Hyorin was hugging herself, finding every little strength in herself to not collapse from this breakdown.

                “And I think I’m pregnant.”

                Fines lines that were holding the bag of emtions were reaching its breaking point and sooner or later they will all break and by then Hyorin was uncertain whether she could find any more space in her heart to keep all her suffering. Once they break, I guess I will break too.

                “Does Dongsuk know about this?” Hyorin asked, cautious, because this was something she never expected to hear from Hyeri. She remembered Dongsuk telling her he would never touch Hyeri – at least after Hyeri turned 20. But it was already 2014, and Hyeri has turned 20 2 weeks ago.

                You rotten dog!

                “He does not,” Hyeri was cyring at the end of the line, and this just shattered more of Hyorin’s heart. “It is not his.”

                “What? Hyeri, what are you talking about?”

                “This is not Dongsuk’s – this life I have in my belly isn’t Dongsuk’s and God forbid I will bear his child!”

                “Then tell me right now who’s the father?! I’m begging you…”

                “No- I can’t. You’re gonna be mad and leave everything you work for in America to come home and I cannot have you do that! You promised you would rebuild our empire back and I was willing to marry Dongsuk so you can have all the financial support you need, so, please, don’t ask anymore questions and just focus on getting back more money. Save our family’s business, and then come save me. Please…”

                Hyorin was bailing her eyes out; she kept hiccupping on terrible sobs and listening to her sister’s plea did not make everything entirely less comfortable. The two sisters grown quiet after some minutes but none of them wanted to hang up the conversation.

                “Hyeri,” Hyorin called again, this time she was managed to have her sobs levelled. “If you deny this, I will believe you right away, and won’t bother asking you about your personal matters anymore. But if you don’t, please, take a good care of yourself. Don’t let Dongsuk hurt you any more than what he did to us.”

                “Okay,” Hyeri agreed, sobbing.

                “Does he - whoever the father is- know that you’re pregnant?”

NOW

APRIL 2017

                THERE was not much of information Hyeri left behind beside the shocking pregnancy news, a couple of photos from the her volunteer days at the hospital and a locket she had received from Hyorin the night before her own wedding.

                Hyorin remembered  telling her sister that that won’t be last of them together and that she would come home safely after studying business sponsored by her new, old, rich husband so she could save the family and they would not be separated again.

                If only she had seen this coming, she would’s stopped the wedding and take her sister with her.

`               It was a time-consuming stakeout outside Dr. Jinkis’s office, and for the past hours, patients and their respective guardians were in and out of the office, each of them carried their own burden and weight and the small glimpse of flickering hope in their gloomy eyes shuddered Hyorin every time they coincidently made an eye contact. It was something Hyorin had never seen, and she never thought any person could hold such gaze. She felt very helpless in her seat, hugging herself in hope she could offer some self-comfort.

                The wristwatch ticked on and as time passed, Hyorin, alive but soulless, realised it was almost the perfect time to finally get up from the hard seat in the waiting lounge and go meet Dr. Jinki. She didn’t have any more time spare. It was getting late and his son was waiting for him at home.

                THE woman dressed all black with a loose bun looked on with a penetrating look as she grew stiff and anxious in her seat. Hyorin was loss at words as soon as she was denied to meet Lana and Minhyuk and there was nothing else she could think of to make Jinki change his mind.

                “Like I said,” Jinki rephrased in his normal stern tone as he looked back at Hyorin in the eyes. “If this is a personal matter, I could not let myself be involved in this. I’m sorry. All you can do is go find him personally and persuade him to let you meet Lana. Otherwise, I can’t do anything to help you.”

                “I don’t want to see Minhyuk. I want to see Lana. But I can’t do that unless I go through Minhyuk first, and I cannot just go see him. He didn’t know me. He didn’t know my sister. He was very, very careful about hiding Lana so why would you think he would simply let me persuade him into seeing Lana?”

                “I should be very cautious of you. I don’t even know whether you’re telling me the truth or not.”

                “I would never lie to you. Please. Help me out. I need to see Lana. I just found how she’s alive after all this time and I cannot go back. Not now. I know everything that happened to her and I know who she was first married to. I know about her past and I know she knew what I didn’t know about my sister’s death. You’re the only person I can count on right now.”

                “And why do you think talking to me would somehow be any help?” Jinki raised his brow, his jaw hardened.

                “Because you know Hyeri. And Lana. And you were with them during Hyeri’s volunteer days. You monitored her work and you know how close Hyeri was to Lana. Please,” Hyorin’s voice shook.  “I need your help.”

                Jinki paused for a short while before he slowly leaned behind against his seat. “I need physical proof. Words and theories don’t really work for a doctor like me.”

                “Hyeri left behind some photos.” Hyorin’s mouth almost dropped open and she hated for being so clumsy that night. She turned to her purse and ransacked through it to fish out some photos that belonged to her sister. “I’m sorry. I should’ve showed these to you earlier but it slipped my mind. I’m sorry,” Hyorin handed over the photos and naturally pulled her hand back once the photos were in his hands.

                Jinki could not utter any more words. He was immersed in the photos, dwelling into the past where Lana was in her one of those days of obedience and confidence because she was surrounded by nice and warm persons who showed her no harm and threat, and Lana was liberated to be herself without being judged.

                He stared hard at them and remembered Hyeri’s lifeless body when it was carried on the gurney, all covered in blood and there not a single person was by her side when she was admitted into ICU.

                “I remember her,” Jinki put down the photos and his welled-up eyes fluttered up at Hyorin is that short second. “And I remember how her own sister couldn’t be there – even when she was catching her last breath.”

                “I regretted what I did not do, okay?” Hyorin spat out, furious and broken at the same time. “I knew what I didn’t do to help my sister and God knows how sleepless and tormenting my nights had been since then. I was helpless but I know it was no excuse for what I had done, but what else should I do? Hyeri didn’t want me home unless I finished my work there and she never told me anything about the abuse…” Hyorin was breaking down; tears were spilling out as if they had been held back from breaking out, an Jinki was fretting in seat, angry but also remorseful.

                “If only she had told me something-” Hyorin wiped her tears with a single brush. “If only I had known, I wouldn’t be here begging you to let me see Lana, and instead I would be at my home, with my sister and her baby in their room, and my 3 year-old would be kissing his little cousin good night.”

                THIS was not what Sunday morning was supposed to be like. The weather was perfectly fine when they had breakfast at Kangja’s Restaurant but the soon they stepped out of the car in the parking lof of the River Han park, the drizzle began to fall and magically lifted the spirits away.

                “Isn’t this a bummer?” Bogum said in his annoyed voice as he opened up the door car and held out his small palm.  “Uncle, I told you evening was the right day for helicopter flying. I could still be in bed right now if it weren’t for you.”

                “Shut up kiddo,” Sehun made a face. “I don’t feed you so you can lecture me, okay? How would I know it would rain at this time of the day?”

                “You used my mom’s money.  Don’t push it,” Bogum pulled a face.

                “Of course I used your mom’s money. I already invested my precious time in you-”

                “Just drop it, Sehun,” Jongin rolled his eyes and snapped at his friend. “He’s 10. You’re not. So, can you please be a grown up and not fight?”

                “He’s 9, okay? And we’re not fighting,” Sehun denied crisply. “This is how our daily conversation always goes, ain’t that right, buddy?” Sehun offered a high five but was met with a grunt from Bogum.

                “I wanna fly my helicopter!”

                “I’ll figure it out! Don’t be such a brat, okay? You know I know what you did to even obtain this helicopter.”

                “Uncle, don’t spill it,” Bogum lurched forward across the car into Sehun’s face after giving Jongin a quick gance and cupped his mouth over so Sehun wouldn’t speak any further than what has been said. “Ssshhh! I promised you 1 hour of flying so don’t go around telling people weird stuff. I’ve got reputation, remember?”

                “I won’t,” Sehun said reassuringly. “Make it 2 and I will pretend you never told me anything.”

                “Today is definitely not how I had pictured in my head,” Jongin shook his head, already exhausted.

                SEHUN was off to buy some ice-cream and had asked Jongin to stay put with his nephew and watched over him for some time while he was gone. Jongin agreed and took the empty spot on the bench. Bogum, who was on the other side of the park, looked on to where Jongin was sitting, flew his helicopter over as he was walking towards him.

                He looked down to the remote control and landed his new toy safely on the ground and picked it up into his arms. Bogum took a seat and next to Jongin and naturally smiled at him.

                “Your name is Jongin, right?”

                “Right.”

                “How old are you, hyung?”

                “Same age as your crazy uncle.”

                “Nah. He’s an uncle. He should be older than you are.”

                “We wish, but he’s actually not.”

                Bogum blinked twice, surprised. “My uncle is 30.”

                Jongin laughed shortly, amused by this new discovery. “And who told you that?”

                “My mom.”

                “My mom is just messing with you. He’s not 30. Trust me,” Jongin winked on one eye at Bogum and it just made him drop his jaw.

                “No way,” Bogum was genuinely caught by surprise and the big wondrous eyes that were looking back at Jongin were very beautiful. “How old is my uncle?”

                “I can tell you,” Jongin leaned closer, getting excited suddenly.  “But some warrior guy from the Joseon era might appear out of the jungle and take me away.”

                “No way,” his eyes were big again. “Why would they take you away? Don’t worry. I won’t snitch you out. My dad told me no men is of good if he didn’t keep his words. And uncle told me my ‘kochu’ (pepper = basically in Korean) would fall off if I rat people out, especially if I am the one who made people tell. So, don’t worry. I got your back. No warrior shall take you away.”

                What the hell did Sehun teach this kid?

                “I’m sorry, kid,” Jongin shrugged his shoulder regretfully. “If I told you I won’t be able to keep my words, now would I? And what good a man is if he didn’t keep his words.”  

                Boguum was quiet for some time, taking carefully his time to process what jongin just told him He suddenly broke into a smile and gave Jongin thumbs up. “You’re so cool - way cooler than my old, grumpy uncle. He should learn a lot from you and you’re younger.”

                “Well you’re smarter than your uncle, that’s for sure. When your uncle was about your age, he broke his arm at a football field, and he was only sitting in the bench.”

                “No way,” Bogum’s eyes were big again, and it got to Jongin every time. “He told me he never broke anything in his life when we watched Animal Planet last night.”

                “He did?” Jongin’s brow collided. “Well, he hit his head a lot too when he was young so he probably forgot about that.”

                “My uncle is so not cool.”

                Jongin stifled a short smile and squeezed Bogum’s shoulder. “But he’s a loyal friend, and that’s just about an important quality not all men have. You’re lucky your uncle is one of those men.”

                “Really?”

                “I cross my heart.”

                And from afar, Sehun could be seen riding a junior bicycle while holding an ice-cream in his hand. He rode towards where Jongin and Bogum were sitting and got off the moment Bogum jumped out of the bench to greet his ‘loyal’ uncle.

                “Is that for me?” Bogum's face lit up instantly.

                “You bet, kiddo,” Sehun beamed as he Bogum’s jet black hair. It’s a perfect weather for cycling and an even more perfect weather for some ice-cream.

                “Is that mine?” Jongin asked, eyes set on the melting chocolate ice-cream, as he suddenly appeared behind Sehun’s left shoulder.

                “Hey, I want one too!” Bogum stomped his feet.

                “No, this is mine,” Sehun pointed at Jongin, and that one word changed Jongin’s expression entirely. He made a face. “You might catch your cold back,” he said quickly before turning to Bogum. “And no.”

                “What? WHY?”

                “BECAUSE  - you cannot ride your bike and eat your ice-cream at the same time. You might fall down your bike and scratch your knee.”

                “I can ride and eat my ice-cream at the same time. I’m not 8.”

                “No, you don’t give me that cocky talk, mister. You did the same thing last time we came here and your scratched your knee and I got told off by your mom, your dad, your granda, your gammy, and your dog even growled at me. I won’t tolerate this anymore.”

                “I'm not gonna fall down.”

                “Just give him the ice-cream,” Jongin nudged Sehun in the shoulder. “He probably has learnt his lesson.”

                “He’s a 9 year-old boy,” Sehun turned to Jongin, tilting his head slightly. “What makes you say that?”

                Jongin fell quiet, and nodded at Sehun in submission. “Imma let you handle this.”

                “Bogum,” Sehun sighed inwardly, and put his hand on the shoulder. “I’m sorry, but I can only give you ice-cream after you rode your bike.”

                “But I won’t fall downnnnn”

                “Don’t shoutttttt”

                “Then gimme my ice-creammmmmm”

                “Fine!” Sehun was half-shouting, his head began to pound. “Fine. I will reluctantly give you this ice-cream, but remember, if I see you struggling to find balance, or catch you even wobbling your foot just above the ground I will remove this guilty pleasure off of you and flick your ear for not listening to me, do you understand?”

                “Sir, yes, sir.” Bogum finally broke into a smile and grabbed the ice-cream in a flash. “Thanks uncle.” He then began paddling away, and further into the park with only one hand on the handle.

                “You’d better not fall, your brat! Good God,” Sehun sighed, his face looked as though he had just aged in that short period of verbal argument. He tried to calm down, and turned around to walk towards the bench with Jongin by his side, patting at his back.

                “You’re making him happy. That’s all that matters.”

                “He never listens.”

                “He’s a big boy. I’m sure he’s learnt his lesson and is more careful this time.”

                “I sure hope so.”

                And then a loud wail was heard just 100 meter from where Jongin and Sehun were standing and when they turned around, Bogum was already crying and hugging his knee. His ice-cream was nowhere in his hands.

                “,” Sehun spat out and glared at Jongin. “SEE- EXACTLY MY POINT- THAT BRAT-”

                “Calm down, Sehun. He’s crying because he’s scared. So don’t go snap at him, okay? Be gentle.”

                The two men ran towards the crying boy and Sehun immediately got down to see what kind of scar Bogum will be getting now. Jongin helped pick up the bike and excused himself to send back the bike.

                “I told you not to fall,” Sehun said in a firm voice, but he tried not to harden his expression. He removed the hand that was covering the knee and was relieved to find that there was nothing but a small scratch on the knee.

                “The ice-cream was melting. I was perfectly balanced and I did not wobble. I just didn’t want it to melt into my hand. It’ll get sticky.”

                “The ice-cream will always melt and it will definitely make our hands sticky. Which is why I told you what I told you, isn’t it?”

                “I k-know,” Bogum was choking and slurring on his words.  “It’s your fault for buying ice-creammmmmm” And when Bogum thought of  his no-more ice-cream, he burst into tears again. “And now it’s goneeeeee”

                “I’m sorry, Bogum-ah,” Sehun finally gave in and carried Bogum into his arms as the boy went in and cried in his shoulder. “I’m sorry. I was being selfish and I didn’t think of you.”

                But Bogum didn’t say anything and only cried upon thinking of the lingering taste of chocolate ice-cream in his mouth.

                Jongin ran towards the two boys after he had gone to pick up te abandoned helicopter and wondered what had made Bogum burst into a louder cry.

                “Dude, I told you to be gentle.”

                “I did not yell at him. He was crying because he lost his ice-cream.”

                Jongin let out a soft chuckle, and patted on Bogum’s back who was still grieving on the loss of his ice-cream. Jongin down his back and escorted the two of towards the car.

                “Let’s get the hell out of here and get ourselves some more ice-cream, okay? Stop crying now, kid,” Jongin said gently and held the nape of Bogum’s neck.

                Bogum’s cry subdued upon the suggestion and he slowly lifted up his chin from the wet spot on Sehun’s shoulder and fixed his big eyes onto Jongin. “Can we have chocolate flavor?”

                “We can have any flavour you want,” Jongin answered kindly.

                Bogum turned to meet his unlce’e eyes and asked him in a timid voice. “Can we? I promise I won’t tell mommy that I fell today.”

                “Fair enough,” Sehun shrugged his shoulder and planted a kiss on the side of his nephew’s head. “And promise me you’ll listen to every word I say.”

                “Okay,” Bogum nodded, and rested his head on Sehun’s shoulders. He tightened the grip around the neck, aiming for a sense of security from his favourite uncle. Bogum looked on with a shy smile at Jongin and Jongin smiled back in return.

                “Your uncle is so cool,” Jongin whispered breathlessly with a wink, unaware by Sehun’s knowledge, and Bogum hurriedly buried his face into Sehun’s shoulder, embarrassed but happy at the same time, because that was the secret only he and his new friend knew.

***

I think I made a good storyline on Jongin, Sehun and his little nephew. I think.

Oh yeah Bogum is gentle and hot I loike him alot <3