Chapter 37.Taking Chances

But in your dreams whatever they be 

Dream a little, dream of me

~dream a little, dream of me

She has been thinking about what Ji Son told her. It was the only thing that occupied her mind for the longest time— for the rest of the days after that. Perhaps, she was really given that time to think things through since the father-and-son have been physically absent from her life during those days. Physically since Cake would call her still everyday but she hasn't heard from the father yet. Maybe he got back with Ji Son's mom, the thought brought a twitch on her chest.

It was not a lie that she was starting to feel possessive of that boy and thinking that he might reunite with his own mother made her terribly sad. But she could not tell if the same possessiveness also applied to the father. Sighing, she rested her elbow on the table as her other hand tapped the pen on the wood.

Maybe she should get her next cup of decaf. With that thought, she stood and asked Sim Ji to prepare one for her and walked out of the cafe. It was Seo Hyun and her favorite time of the day, when night and day battle for supremacy. Sitting by her swing and watching the sky change colors were the best way to spend that beautiful time.

Sim Ji came out with her coffee a little later and she asked her to start turning on the lights since it was getting dark. Most of her patrons were inside the cafe since the chilly late afternoon breeze were piercing but she kept herself warm with her sweater on and with the coffee she was sipping. Putting back the cup on the saucer, she looked up with a ready smile when she felt that someone was on his way but froze when a familiar smile met hers.

“Good evening...” Si Won walked towards her.

“Oh, it's you...” she found herself standing up, “W-where's Ji Son?”

“I left him at home.” His smile never left his face as he motioned for her to take her seat again, “I decided it's better if he's not here.”

Yoona's throat felt so dry, it must be the caffeine, “Uh... y-yeah, maybe—” Her speech was halted when he slowly offered his hand to hers. Unsure, she took it as he led her to stand again. He was confusing her.

“I did not bring him because I want to be here not as your Cake's father.” Si Won started seriously while gently running his thumb on her soft skin, “I am here as a man, Yoona.”

“I—” words failed to come to her mind like she has lost the capacity to speak. Her heart pounded that she has to put a palm on it. The coffee must be the reason for the palpitations she was feeling.

“I have been thinking hard when I started feeling this way towards you. Was it during the time you told me to date another woman? Was it when you said you would pity the woman I would be marrying again? Was it when I heared you laugh at my son's silly antics? Was it when I saw you so attentive and protective of him? I can't remember, really.” Si Won shook his head nervously, “My work helped me to be a man of words. It made me good in talking, but right now I really don't know what to say to you to prove my intentions.”

Yoona could feel herself shaking but she could not say anything so she decided to remain quiet. His voice was softly playing with the wind and she was feeling euphoric.

“I could not deny the fact that Ji Son was the one who brought me to you but as I look at you I am more amazed by the woman I am seeing. And now, I realized I fell in love with you when you have your arms wrapped around my son with eyes closed as if he was your own. The very first night I saw the woman who would actually complete me. Before, I wanted the world, I worked hard to get what I want. Then came Ji Son, I worked hard because I want him to have the world with me. I am a greedy person indeed, for when I found you, I started wanting you to be part of the world I would want to get for Ji Son and me. I want you, Im Yoona... I would love it if you would be part of our world more than you do right now. I would love to share my world with you...”

She raised a hand and rested it on her chest. Her head fell to absentmindedly look at her almost bare feet. Her heart was racing and so was her mind.

~~~

The world seemed to pass them by as Yong Hwa drove smoothly along the highway. After work, she resolved to just drop by the hospital since she has a couple of hours to spare before school. The nurse gave him his medicines and he fell asleep in an instant. Seo Hyun was preparing to leave when Yong Hwa arrived and since he was sleeping already, he invited her for coffee at Yoona's place.

They were silent the whole ride but it was not awkward at all. Perhaps it was just her, but the usual feeling of uneasiness being beside him seemed non-existent. There was a moment that she would turn her head towards him only to see his pensive look. He must be focusing on driving so she just shifted her head towards the open window by her side.

Yong Hwa noticed that she was not wearing the necklace. He could not deny that he was disappointed for he was looking forward to seeing it adorn her neck. Shaking his head, he decided not to dwell on it much. Maybe one of these days she would wear it. But it did not escape him that she was wearing the ring, he forced himself not to smile. Seo Hyun has been playing with it for the past minutes he was driving and by the looks of it, she has been doing it unconsciously. The parking spaces were occupied so he parked a few meters away from the Ninth Street.

Seo Hyun quietly got out of the car and walked ahead of him so he decided to just tail along. It has been a pretty scene watching her that way though it sent a melancholic almost nostalgic feel – he has always been following her all their lives together, like this. That was the way he chose it to be but it wouldn't hurt for this moment to walk by her side. Yong Hwa was about to catch up when she abruptly stopped on her track. She stood just in front of the small white gate seemingly lost in whatever she was seeing. Finally, Seo Hyun turned back for him to find a tiny smile perched on her lips. It was a gentle curve that he could not really put any words into it as she slowly trailed back towards him and took his wrist slightly tilting her head to the side.

“Let's go somewhere else...”

He nodded with confusion especially since she was almost dragging him. But to feel that warmth from her touch left him more speechless and it made him wish that he had parked farther away. Seo Hyun was acting somewhat weird as she got in the car with that secret smile that cast the same curve on his. There must be a good reason for it.

Minutes later, they were on this floating cafe by the Banpo Bridge. Faithful to its name, Cafe Sun has the perfect view of the sunset and he could also tell that it also has the same one for sunrise on the other side of the balcony. Yong Hwa took the seat beside her with the Han River in front of them. Easy breeze blew from the river creating a somewhat soft melody. If twilight has a song, they must be hearing it.

They remained silent but he could tell that the same gentle curve awhile back never abandoned her lips. He would love to know what causing that radiance as he watched her by the corner of his eyes lazily stirring her cup of tea. Instead of quenching that curiosity, he focused on the bond on her finger, “I see you're wearing it...”

With a quick twist of her head, she mulled, “Hmmmm?”

“The ring...” Yong Hwa simply stated while gesturing on her hand, “You're wearing it...”

“Ah… this? I thought he would be thinking that...” Seo Hyun stopped, eyes falling back on the cup, she slowly slipped the ring off her finger, “I was just another nurse today...”

He regretted mentioning it for she took it off and deposited inside her bag. Grimacing, he just decided to finish his coffee and drive her to school. The little boy in him got totally vexed by her action.

“You must be curious why I suddenly asked you to come here instead.”

It made him shift his head towards her while placing his mug back on the saucer and focused on her solitary musing. She was still looking somewhere in the horizon, probably on that golden bowl ready to disappear for the night. That solemn grin was coaxing him to just let her say it, instead he hid his anxiousness, “Probably...” answering lazily but his mind has a better response he kept to himself.

But I'm more curious why you are smiling so prettily that way, Hyun.

“I saw something beautiful,” Seo Hyun started without looking at him, “A man on his knees with a box in his hand and my sister standing in front of him with both hands covering . I could tell that she was starting to cry...”

Yong Hwa lifted his lashes to confirm his thoughts on her little tale only to be left bedazzled by how striking she suddenly looked. The sun's rays seemed to highlight the glow on her cheeks while most of them settled listlessly on some strands of her hair, softly swaying on zephyr's urging.

She was beautiful.

Seo Hyun has always been so beautiful but seeing her that way tug his heart in an unbelievable way. Not a single word managed to escape his lips. She didn't need to elaborate her story as it was not important anymore.

Yong Hwa was captured by the moment— mesmerized by her all over again.

~~~

“I can't believe you said no!” That was all she could say after listening to her story. She sat on the bed with legs crossed and hugged her bear.

“I know, right? How thrilling it was for him to ask that?!”

“Do you think Cake knew that he would do that?”

“I don't know, maybe not... and ohhh, I really don't know what to feel right now! This is such a surreal feeling!”

Seo Hyun giggled at her sister's tone, “But you just said no, Unnie!”

“The moment he stood there I think I felt it in my heart that he will propose and it was so scary. It was like seeing Khun all over again rushing me to marry him just to escape his problem...”

“Unnie, Khun and Siwon are two different people, not to mention different situation. Why don't you give him a chance?”

“I am giving him a chance so I had to say no. We did not even go through the dating or even that boyfriend-girlfriend thing instead he wants to jump right to being engaged.”

“You have a point,” she pondered. Maybe that was what she would do too, “He's just chaining you already. Si Won Oppa doesn't want to let you go anymore.”

“I said it was too fast for me. Although it was silly to suggest it but taking things slow was the most intelligent suggestion I could think of.”

“Because you don't want to totally reject his proposal,” she smiled to herself and continued with a livelier tone, “Because you like him too! So, is it love now?”

“Funny, but I guess it is. It must be love-at-first sight for me too.”

“Aigooo, I was really hoping you said yes,” she pouted and made sure her friend could picture how disappointed she was.

“Seo, we had this very short time span to meet and up to now we are still getting to know each other. This is totally a 360 degree difference with what I had with Khun Oppa and it felt like new again. I don't want to jump into it too much. He has been in a whirlwind kind of relationship with Ji Son's mother and I don't want that kind to happen to us too.”

“I understand. It was a tough decision,” she sighed adjusting the receiver on her other hand.

“That's why I need to wait awhile... see how things go. Honestly, I am so scared. I thought before if something like this happened I could easily handle it but now that it's right in front of me I just don't know how to react. I don't know, Seo, but the whole thing is still making me nervous.”

“You are just paranoid, Unnie...”

“Yes, I am so I'm taking this risk and said no....”

Seo Hyun smiled sadly when Yoona released a constrained breathe.

“No matter how much I want to say yes especially for Cake.”

“Ya! Don't tell me you are just doing this for his son.”

“No, no, no, of course not! He is like the major reason I would have agreed, I admit that. But when it comes to this relationship with Si Won, I'm still scared. I have been to a very long relationship and how contrasting it was to his own. I'm just scared we might end up like the past relationships we have had.”

“Stop being scared, you have him now to work things out together.”

“I know... hmmm... how about you? Are you ready to drop the bomb?”

She just had to shut her eyes for a while with that unexpected query, “Do you think I can do it?”

“Ya! You were so good in telling me to stop being scared! Can't you take your own advice for once?”

Seo Hyun laughed nervously when she realized how ironic she was becoming, “I'm sorry, Unnie...”

“Aigoo, Seo Hyun, just do as what we've practiced. You're gonna walk up to him and tell him that you still love him and if he would go on with the wedding, he would be the biggest jerk of all...”

“Aigoo, Unnie, can I really do that?”

“Ya! I have faith in you! May I remind you what you just said the other night? It was your last shot to him. Forget about embarrassing yourself and just be true to how you feel. Aiooo, I told you to be here so that I could take care of your look!”

Just then she remembered that in a few hours time she would be seeing him in that party. That surely made those chill bumps appeared on her skin.

“Seo Hyuna, do me a favor. Blow his mind away, will you?”

“Unnie...” she sighed then cried in exasperation, “I want to do that, exactly that! I wish I could.”

“And you can!”

Seo Hyun bobbed her head like Yoona was right in front of her, “Alright, I have to hung up now. I have a mind to blow,” she laughed quietly as Yoona chuckled.

It was time to prepare herself for the party. The whole idea was making her so uneasy but she told herself that it was a matter of life and death— now or never event. She would usually take a shower for almost an hour but she seemed to have added another thirty minutes to it. Be it a case of mental absence or she suddenly became overly concerned with her hygiene, she could not really tell. Or was it because her mind was busily picturing scenarios on how she would be 'dropping the bomb'?

After some time, with dress on, make-up done and hair fixed, Seo Hyun stood in front of the mirror and inspected herself. Yoona's mom bought them a dress as a farewell gift before flying back to Paris with her new husband. It was too short for her that it ended up being stocked in her closet. Maybe the dress was waiting for a special occasion like this one for her to wear it. The A-line skirt dress skimmed a little above her knee that she was uncomfortable wearing it before. But as Yoona said, she needed to invest on her looks first.

She ran her pinky along the sides of her lower lip to make sure everything was in place. She smiled at her reflection and was quite satisfied with how she looked. Finally, she took the necklace from the box and gently put it on. She smiled as she touched the pendant, it was perfect as it seemed to complement the straight neckline of her dress. It would have been bare without it, she nodded to herself and sighed. “Seo Ju Hyun, go get him! Aja!”

~~~

The party was almost starting as the guests arrived one by one. He hasn't seen his sister yet since she changed the plan of her arrival date again. Yong Hwa arrived earl