CHAPTER 10

You Are Special

‘You’ll know he’s someone special, when no matter what kind of mood you are in, he can always manage to make you smile’

Major roads are jammed especially the Gyeongbu Expressway, an endless stream of traffic as cars move at the speed of turtles. Chuseok marks the beginning of the traditional harvest season during which farmers would reap the fruits of their year-long efforts. In modern times, every factory ceases during that period. So do offices and markets. The mass, urban, metropolises, normally congested with traffic, become nearly desolate. During this holiday, homeward-bound roads take longer than ever. Normally it takes four to five hours to reach Gwangju, the hometown of her dad, but they are driving for more than three hours and they haven’t been half of their way.

Although autumn has come, the weather is getting warmer. The sun was shining brightly as it hits their faces while Jackson and Young-ji are sitting at the back seat. Her dad drives their 8-seater van together with her mom and her sister. Its noon and time to grab some lunch, they stop in a rest area for a while. After an hour, they continue to go to their destination. Another three hours have passed when they arrived at Gwangju. Compared to what it is known as dangerous place due to the demonstration which leads to Gwangju Massacre, the place is peaceful. But her dad’s hometown is located in the rural area where life is unhurried and relaxed away from the city lights. The way of life is traded by slow moving elderly bent with age, tanned and leathered by years in the fields.

The houses in the neighbourhood are made from the traditional thatched-roof homes. The narrow roads are passable only by walking thus they parked their car few meters away from the house. The day is still bright when they arrived and no one recognized Young-ji and Jackson as celebrities since most of the people they met are elderly sitting on the courtyard porch, laughing and passing snacks back and forth while one of them perms her friend’s hair. They were greeted by Young-ji’s dad older brother. The house is neat and big with five rooms and a big lawn. Young-ji and Jackson occupied the last room near the back door. As they enter the room, it has no bed compared to what they have in Seoul. The bedding is kept in the big wardrobe composed of thick blanket and lighter blanket to cover for warmth.  They unpack their things and decided to take a nap after.

It was dusk already and the sun is about to set when they woke up. Young-ji went out of the room first to find his father. She found him helping her uncle preparing for dinner. A few minutes later, Jackson went out of the room and asked her to take a walk outside. Since no one have recognized them earlier, she agreed to him and start to walk around the village and breathe fresh clean air, pass buildings of 500 years ago, see the mountains with a view unobstructed by skyscrapers and neon lights.

They found a tree standing alone in the middle of a vast field. They decided to sit for a while since they still have an hour before dinner time.

Sitting side by side, he whispered to her “I hope that we can just stay here forever. No one recognized us, no one will tell what we should do or not do. Recently, I have been careful on what I do. My manager told me that they already received some excerpts from the paparazzi of idols dating in our agency. I can’t even go outside to hang out with my friends and I can’t even take you elsewhere.”

“That’s the price that we should pay. Fame has only the span of the day, but to live in the hearts of people-that is worth something. That is what we have to deal with now. Our fans made us where we are today. Don’t you think that we are being selfish already that it is almost two years and we haven’t tell them what is going on with us? We should still be thankful that they accepted us as friends though most of your fans hated me a lot” she said while trying to write on the soil using the stick she found.

“You know my dating ban will expire next month. After that, I can freely date as my fans know about that. Maybe we can go out publicly not as a couple but someone who’s on a stage of getting to know each other” he started to write in the soil like what she’s doing.

“That will hurt them. Your fans will get mad at you for that. Then, my haters will increase. I think this is not the best time yet. After all, we are still young.” She said.

“When is the best time to tell them? When we are 30 or 40? So when are we going to start a family?”

What he said made her surprised. She stopped writing on the soil and look at him with a shock face. So he’s thinking of having a family with her? Ever since they got married she didn’t think of that possibility especially when she found out that she’s not pregnant. She thought that sooner he will find someone and will divorce her. She didn’t know that she’s included in his future plans.

“Why are you looking at me with that face?  Did I say something wrong? I am just asking you, when we are going to start a family if we keep on thinking what our fans will say?” he stopped writing too.

“I don’t know. I think it’s too early to say it now. We’re just 23 maybe when we are 28 or 30?” she jokes around.

“Then I still have more years to earn a lot” he said. They stand up and prepare to go back to the house. As they walk in the narrow road, he hold her hand and say “I wish I can do this too when we go back to Seoul”.

Dinner is ready. Delicious food that can all be seen during Chuseok as well as Gwangju’s famous delicacies are served in the table. After the bountiful dinner, Young-ji’s dad and her uncle asked Jackson for a drink. The famous rice wine produced by the elderly of Gwangju is already served. While she, her sister and her mom started to knit.

They have finished two small of jars when their uncle suddenly asked him something.

“Jackson, how many kids are you planning to have?” asked by their uncle.

“We don’t know yet. We haven’t talked about that.” He answered.

“You should talked about that. When are you planning to have children? When you’re old hag already? It will be better if you raise a child early, then you can retire earlier also.” 

“But we are still young and currently at the peak of our careers. Maybe when we are 28 or 30 then we can start building our own family” he explained.

“Maybe by that time, I can’t even walk anymore. How can I enjoy playing with my grandchildren then?” Young-ji’s dad said.

“Abeonim, don’t worry. I will ask Young-ji about it. Maybe when we are 30 you’re still strong like what you are today” he tries to pacify his father in law.

“Ok! I will take your words”, his father in law is satisfied with his answer.

It’s almost midnight when the three men finished drinking the jar of rice wine. The ladies are already sleeping. Young-ji is lying on the mattress sleeping while her eyes open. Jackson gently lay down beside her but laugh when he saw her eyes open even she’s sleeping already.

He pull up her head and let it lay on his chest then he hugs her tightly. He realized something during the eight months that they are far away from each other. She’s the most special girl for him. He’s not sure if that is love but as of that moment he knows that the time he spent with her are precious. That must be the reason that they are still friends through everything that they’ve been through. That maybe there is something to this. That maybe they are meant to be together. He fall asleep having that thought in his mind.

Young-ji woke up early the following morning. She’s sleeping side by side with him while his arms are wrapped around her. She trace the curve of his face and stare at him for a while. This man is the only man she gave herself with. She knows what they have are not physical attraction. It is something that she can’t explain nor that she can utter especially when she’s facing him. But something she’s sure is that this man is so special to her enough that he can make her smile whatever mood she has.

They packed their things and on their way back to Seoul. Jackson promised to Young-ji’s uncle that they will try to comeback if their schedule is free. He’s very happy to experience the rural life in Korea for the first time. 

The five long hour drive is very exhausting. He volunteered to drive so that his father in law can rest during the travel. At last, they have arrived in their house. He went straight to the bedroom and told Young-ji that he will be sleeping for a while and wake him up when dinner is ready.

With the help of internet, she tries her best to cook Kalbi, a barbeque beef short ribs.  She still has a lot of time before dinner time so she tries cooking side dishes. By 7pm she’s done and the table is set already.

She’s heading to the bedroom when the door bell rings. She didn’t bother to check from the videophone who’s ringing the bell since she thought that it might be her mom or dad or her sister.

She opened the door and she almost closed it when she saw that the person standing outside is Bambam. “What is he doing here?” she thought. She let him in first. They just bow at each other and since both of them look too shock to see each other in the house, no one tries to talk.

She went to the bedroom to wake up Jackson.

“Hey! Wake up someone is here?” she said softly.

With half eyes closed he asked “Who?”

“Bambam is here” she said.

“What?” he started to move. “How come he is here? I didn’t give him our address.”

“Maybe your manager gave it him. You should come outside maybe it’s important.” She said as she started to fold the blanket he use.

He walks outside the bedroom and head to the living room.

“Yahhh! Why are you here? How did you know where I live?” he shout at Bambam.

“Hyung! Don’t get mad. I just want to visit you since its Chuseok yesterday. But wait, why is she here? She’s living here too? Are you still filming Roommate?” Bambam asked.

Instead of answering, he grab her to the bedroom.

“Should we tell him the truth?” he asked.

“I don’t know. He’s a friend, but you should know him more since he’s your bandmate.” She said.

“Ok. Let’s tell him the truth then” they walk outside heading to the living room hand in hand.

“Bambam, the reason why she’s here is because, we’re married!”