Bachelorship

Chapter 12

Nurse Lee was talking to Mrs. Kwon after her control session was over. The nurse helped the middle-aged woman to walk out from the hospital. Sica was observing them from afar. She frowned looking at the older woman, wondering why.

Mrs. Kwon would never be left alone after her control session. Her son had never and would never miss a single session at all, even on his busiest day. He would always be there waiting for his mother. Sica huffed. But, maybe it was just in the past. She thought she knew him. Apparently it was not, anymore. A lot of things had changed, including him. Merely her fault.

Mrs. Kwon looked pale and weak, more wrinkles could be seen on her face. She didn’t look as good as the last time Sica met her, almost 3 months ago. She wanted to help her. Honestly she really missed the woman that had been really kind to her. She was not simply her ex-boyfriend’s mother but had become someone she really cared. She could still remember the warm and comfortable feeling she had in every conversation with the woman. Her presence could ease her longing for her own mother.

She wanted to meet her again. She wanted to bring her feet took a step further, going to the person which had been like her mother for years. But something tugged her heart. Something told her to not do it. She was not anyone again. How could she met the woman when she had in fact hurt her son? She should not.

After assuring Mrs. Kwon got on the taxi safely from afar, Sica walked leaving the hospital. She intentionally left her car at work before going there. She was getting restless and depressed day by day, counting to the big day. The only thing she did was work, work and work. Friends were abandoned. Sister was ignored.

She was getting far and far away from the people around her. Until today she finally realized it, when she really wanted to get her frustrated heart free, her feet brought her to visit the sick woman. Looking at her brought herself back to reality.

What have I done? The guilt just crept slowly to her heart. That’s why she needed some fresh air tonight. She strolled around, following where her heart would lead her body. Just for this time, she would let her feeling dominated. It would be the only chance she could have before she had to deny all her feeling, less than a day to go. She chose to follow her heart.

Sica didn’t know why but she had already been there. The place that was full of memories. Her favorite place.

Theirs too.

Why would her heart lead her to this particular place? She didn’t have any idea.

Taking a stroll on the riverside, Sica stopped when she saw a pile of flat stone. She took one of it and put it on her palm. She looked over it and shifted it one hand to another. The little stone brought back memory of him.

***

Splur. Splur. Byur.

“Next time I’ll definitely send it to the other side,” Sica said after she failed to toss the stone to the other side, instead sunk less than half a way. The swish from the swayed leaf could be heard. Sica used to come by this river every time her mind was overwhelmed with the pile of works she had. She just started her career in a fashion company after coming back to Korea 2 months ago.

Suddenly she saw a stone was thrown to the river, bouncing off the water surface and landed right at the other side of the river. She turned back, searching annoyedly for the show off person.

“You should aim a little higher when you throw. That’s how you get the knack of it.” It was a tall, brown-skinned and brown haired guy. He talked with a smile on his face.

“I know it. If I really want it, it will get there!” Sica said grimly. The guy only smirked at her.

“Anyway, who are you?” Sica asked. She knocked herself mentally. She should not talk to a stranger like this, especially a show off like him. But her mind spoke on its own.

“Hmm,” he tapped his fingers on his chin. “Currently, we could say I’m your rival in playing stone skipping. Mine got to the other side, though.”

That was the first time she met Kwon Yul.

***

She threw the stone like what he taught her years ago. It bounced off at the water surface several time before reaching the land on the other side.

Sica smiled bitterly. formed a heartbreaking smile, but her tear duct started to produce tears, coming down through her cheeks. She quickly wiped her tears.

“What do I do here?” she asked weakly, so low even for her own ears.

She walked away from the river and chose the nearest wooden bench. Her right hand absentmindedly moved along the wooden surface, feeling the texture of it. Her hand found a scratch on it. She traced it with her index finger. It felt so familiar.

***

“Yah, Yul, what are you doing?” Sica slapped his shoulder after looking at what he was doing. Yul was scratching the park bench with a pointed end of a stone.

“Ssshh, Sica. It’s almost done. Wait a minute.”

“It’s public property, Yul.”

“I know. I know.” He nodded along, but still doing what he did.

“Then why are you still doing it? Stop it, Yul!”

“Yes! It’s done.” He exclaimed happily. “Here, Sica. Look at it.” Yul gestured his hand so Sica would come to take a look. It was a Y and J carved together, Y alphabet interlocking with the end of J alphabet.

Sica smiled simultaneously.

“It’s you and me, bound together,” Yul smiled widely at the girl. “This river will be the witness of my love to you. Like I carved us on this wood, let’s we also carve every memories we had, we have, we will have, together in our heart.”

“Yul…” Sica lost words to say.

“I love you, Sica,” he said tenderly, eyes gazing on hers.

“I love you too, Yul.”

It was the first time they said those three meaningful words to each other.

***

Sica couldn’t stop crying when the memories of him kept coming to her mind. She hated the fact that she couldn’t do anything again, that she had let him go.

It’s really a suicide coming here.

But it’s not only her crying at that time. Sica could feel raindrops falling on her face and clothes. She chuckled ironically at herself and lifted up her hands to feel the fresh water. She started to weep openly, warm tears meeting cold rain. Out here, she could cry without anyone noticing.

Her hair now had clung to her skin, clothes drenched off from the rain, but yet she didn’t care to find a shelter or even move an inch. All she wanna do was crying there.

An umbrella hovering above her brought her mind back to the earth.

“What are you doing, Sica? You’re going to get sick.”

Him again. “I’m already sick! I am sick of everything!” Sica retorted.

He didn’t say anything back, instead sat next to her in the open area, where rain met him eagerly. The umbrella was still hovering above Sica.

Sica looked at him weirdly. “Wh-what are you doing? You’re getting wet,” Sica reasoned in a baffled manner as she tried to push the umbrella to him. Her annoyance before had drifting away with the rain.

“You’re wet too. And I already wet anyways before getting here,” he said nonchalantly.

With a defeated sigh, Sica looked at him before shaking her head. “You’re crazy. Alright, let’s dry ourselves.” She dragged him to seek for a shelter.

Taking shelter underneath the canopy-like roof, Taeng brought down and closed his umbrella before starting to rid all water the umbrella had on its surface by knocking it several times to the ground. “Can you wait a moment here? I’ll get my car,” he said as he did so.

Sica nodded before Taeng ran off towards the parking area. Sound of splashing came as his feet hit the shallow puddles that sprawled across the street. Sica twisted her soaked cloth on the end to get rid of water from it. After doing so, she had her arms crossed and brushed it against her skin to get a warmer feeling. She turned her rain-stained face left to the light from the upcoming car.

“Come in quickly, Sica.”

Sica opened the car door and got inside. She took the towel that was offered by him and wiped her wet skin with it.

“Stay here. I’ll get something warm for you.” Taeng parked his car just in front of a mini market.

“You don’t have to, Taeng. It’s alright.”

But Taeng didn’t budge and smiled instead. “I’ll be right back.” He patted the woman’s shoulder before running in