Chapter 3

*Flashback*

The summer day in Tokyo, Japan was so cruelly sunny with almost no cloud in sight. The sun shone so bright & the day was stiflingly hot that the asphalt seemed to melt before her very eyes. Yuri rolled down her rented car window as wide as it could go, hoping she could get even a little bit of breeze to blow into the car. She had just left Seoul for Tokyo yesterday to attend an art exhibition & had been steadily cursing herself all the way as she ended up going to a old car rented shop because she didn’t have enough money on herself to rent a car that had air conditioner. Her stomach reminded her that it was lunchtime already so she decided to find something to eat first before she went back to the hotel but it seemed like her luck was turning from bad to worse. Halfway through, she got stuck in a terrible traffic; horn honking, people cursing & the sweltering heat that was even more so in her airless car. To keep her overheated brain from exploding & thus, being declared officially insane, she looked around, only to find people spending the day in the park under the big trees or sit near the fountain, enjoying the coolness they provided & as if she wasn’t miserable enough, sweat started to run down her face more profusely.

Yuri plucked a tissue paper out from her black elegant shoulder bag with checked & tassel design purse & wiped the moisture away. She could literally feel the moistures in her body dried up, drop by drop. Swearing, she grabbed the cold can of cola beside her & as fate seemed like it was having fun with her, she found it empty. She had drunk eight whole cans & she was sure her kidney would go on strike if she opened another can, “God, I could melt soon if I don’t get out from this car. Even an old horse is much better than this hot car.” Yuri mumbled, as she turned her car into a parking lot near the park. She stepped out from the car & walked around the block, trying to find a place for lunch. A place that has air conditioner.

“Waa shop. My savior.” She clapped her hands like a little girl who had just found her long-missing favorite doll. She grinned gleefully when an image of a big cup of chocolate ice cream, her favorite flavor popped into her desperate mind. She’s so hungry right now but the picture of nearly frozen, yet creamy chocolate ice cream melting in made her forget about takoyaki for a while but it seemed as if people had the same thought that particular day. Two long lines of people were standing in front of the cashier. She stepped into the first line & estimated that at least fifty people were standing before her & she was at the last of the line.

“One, two, three. Damn! Fifty-eight? What’s wrong with these people? How on earth they could come to the same place at the same time to have the same food?” She started to count the number of people at the second line.

“One, two, what? Thirty-five? Argh! I chose the wrong line. Humph.” She was going to move into the second line but eight girls out of nowhere suddenly took her target place. Resigned to her fate, she stayed in her line. Although she had to close & hoped she wouldn’t drool & humiliated herself every time she saw people carrying ice cream in their hands. Finally, after thirteen minutes of eternity waiting, it was her turn to have her favorite ice cream.

“One...er, no, five scoops of chocolate ice cream please?” A grateful Yuri was so proud of herself that she didn’t forget to say please to the clerk who looked so tired.

“I’m sorry, miss. We ran out of ice cream.” He apologized.

“Okay then, give me one scoop of chocolate ice cream please?”

“Miss, we have just sold our last ice cream to that guy over there.” He pointed to a guy in a navy natural stretch two-button poplin plain front suit who was his ice cream enthusiastically. That guy was very cute but she couldn’t even dredge a speck of interests. Who cares about cuteness when your much-needed ice cream seemed to fly away in front of your eyes?

“Okay, give me half a scoop or whatever you have left. It would be enough for me. I want ice cream & you have made me waiting for almost eighty minutes. Please?”

The clerk stepped down & put up the sign ‘CLOSED’ behind the register & bowed down to Yuri.

“I’m sorry, miss. We are cleaned out of ice cream. Why don’t you leave your address? Perhaps, we could stop by after we get new supply from another store as you seem like you needed it so badly.”

Yuri stomped her feet & ignored the offer. She walked out from the store & slumped down on a bench. Furious & aggravated, those were what she had always felt every time she couldn’t get the ice cream she wanted. The doctor said it’s a symptom of ice-cream-aholic.

She was cursing the weather, exhibition & the poor ice cream clerk for making her feel so miserable when a cone of chocolate ice cream suddenly popped in front of her sharp, pointed nose. It was the guy who got the last ice cream. He sat down next to her & offered the ice cream in his hand.

“Want some?” He asked gently, “I noticed that you really want the ice cream.” He added.

“What do you want? Besides, I saw you that ice cream. How would I know that you don’t contain any virus?” Said Yuri suspiciously.

The guy smiled & that smile made him look even yummier than the ice cream itself, if it was possible. Yuri shook her head to throw away the image.

“Have you ever heard the word sharing before? But well, if you want it so badly, I could take you to another ice cream store. I know a place where they will never run out of ice cream.”

Yuri looked at that guy & saw a kindness & sincerity in his eyes. She was in a city she had never been to & a strange guy had offered her ice cream, her favorite & it wasn’t like she had any choice to make for it’s either she accept the offer or her head would blow up if she didn’t have ice cream soon & besides, she had already taken karate class for three months so if this guy tried to do her any harm, she could defend herself, right? “Why not?” Said Yuri bravely, “But I don’t want to go out with a stranger. I’m Kwon Yuri.”

That guy gave her a charming smile again, “Well, nice to meet you, Yuri-sshi. I’m Jung Yunho.”

*End of Flashback*

As Yuri was in the taxi, busy with her mind, Yunho was standing outside St. Mary church. He looked dashing & gorgeous wearing a black andrew notch collar tuxedo but a closer look at his eyes showed a hint of fatigue, hopelessness & anxiety. He was looking at his fossil retro traveler chronograph stainless steel watch impatiently for the umpteenth time when someone tapped his shoulder.

“The ceremony will begin soon.” Jinwoon said. Yunho sighed as he saw no sign of Yuri rushing to the wedding, ‘Maybe she really doesn’t care, just like she had said before.’ “You go in first. I will be there in a bit.”

From the look on his small, oval-shaped face, Jinwoon could tell that his cousin needed some time alone.

“It’s alright, Yunho. We still have some more minutes. Take your time & your tie. Hmmm, fix it before you come in.” Said Jinwoon sympathetically. He understood Yunho’s mood right now so he decided to give him more time & space. Tapping Yunho’s shoulder, he went back into the church, leaving Yunho to his thoughts.

Yunho sighed & leaned his body on the pillar outside & watched the wedding ornaments around the church. How he had wished that he could bring Yuri to this place & asked her to be his wife. How he had wished he was waiting at the altar right this minute, waiting excitedly for Yuri to reach him as they vowed to each other a lifetime of laughter, love & happiness & what a fool he was to still have those wishes inside his heart, even though he knew that Yuri was trying to forget him but his stubborn heart refused to give up. He had watched the entrance of the church for an hour now & still no sign of Yuri. He sighed. Today was actually his last chance to find out how much Yuri cared about him. Would she come to his wedding day?

Yunho sighed & leaned his head back onto the pillar, praying fervently that Yuri would run tearing through the church gate & asked him to get back together with her. Otherwise, all would be lost; it would be too late. He closed his eyes & his mind slowly took him back to the past.

Maybe it’s true what the old saying said about red strings. That two people who were in love would be connected by a red string on their pinky & maybe in this modern time, this red string acted kind like a modem, connecting two hearts together. Otherwise, what other explanation could there be on how Yunho & Yuri had the same thought at the same time?