Chapter 4

“Shinhye ah, how’s your therapy with Dr Kang so far?” asked her eldest brother during dinner.

Dr Kang was his brother’s friend during high school and that’s where he became the official psychiatrist for her.

“Dr Kang is on vacation right now. Oppa, you don’t know?” she replied.

“Ah, right. His wife told me that they already planned for their Europe trip a year ago. A trip that they have been waiting for,” In Ha told her husband.

“That must be nice… maybe he told me but I forgot. But will you be okay without him? How long is his vacation?” asked the brother with concern.

“A month?” Shinhye was not sure.

“I think I heard he will be away the entire summer,” mom corrected her. “But don’t worry. He already left all the prescription that your sister need. And he also said we may call him anytime if there is any problem,” mom assured the concern brother.

Dad took a sip of his drink and looked at his entire family at the dining table. Everyone was here, from his children until his only grandson. He felt happy to have everyone here again.

“Don’t worry too much. Uri Shinhye is doing fine and getting better as day goes by. Right dear?” dad looked at mom with his hand on top of hers.

Mom smiled. A smile of hope, a smile of assurance. “Sure honey. Shinhye is doing great nowadays.”

But Shinhye knew it was not the truth. She didn’t feel great at all. She thought she still needs her therapy session every week but everyone thinks otherwise. But she didn’t want to disappoint her loves again, so she decided to keep it to herself.

“Eomma is right,” Seojun now spoke up after he finally finished his meal. “Shinhye is doing great now. Right pony?” Seojun looked at her, grinning.

Shinhye stared back, baffled.

“Eomma, appa, hyung, noona… just now, Yonghwa, a friend of mine came. Do you remember him? The one who met Shinhye after the party?” Seojun asked them.

Shinhye then remembered the conversation that happened this evening. She looked at Seojun bewildered as her legs moving under the table, searching for Seojun’s so she could kick them and stopped him from talking.

Just for the information, Seojun has a big mouth for a man.

“Ahh oppa!” Shinhye found the target and launched her kick under the table.

“Ahh Shinhye ah,” Seojun felt the pain, mission accomplished.

“What happened then Seojun?” asked In Ha, curious.

“Yes, what happened?” Yohan was curious too.

Everyone was… since all their eyes were on Seojun now.

Shinhye knew she couldn’t stop him now. Not anymore. So she put her head down as she felt her cheeks burning.

‘Why am I feeling like this? So what if oppa tell them? It’s not like oppa knows what I feel about his friend.. or did oppa read our notes? But Yonghwa will not act like that right.. or maybe oppa really knew how I feel? Or his feeling? Or why am I so nervous… at least I’m glad Manse is too young to understand all this since he is my alliance,’ Shinhye was talking alone in her mind while she stared blankly at Manse who was the only one enjoying his dinner.

Sometimes she wished she lived in Manse’s mind or world. Because the young boy looked so peaceful and Shinhye felt peaceful whenever she looked at his face.

“Shinhye did make an interaction with Yonghwa,” there Seojun spilled the words.

The others squealed, excitedly, happily, as if there was something to celebrate.

“Really?”

“But how?”

“What did you guys talked about?”

Now everyone was looking at Shinhye. Shinhye raised her face from Manse and fixed her dark glasses so she could see everyone clearly.

“Is it true, my dear?” dad’s voice was filled with hope.

“Yes,” she replied shortly. “But that was because he wanted to apologize for the misunderstanding that happened.”

“Aww… such a sweet boy.”

“A very nice gentleman.”

They all reacted.

“But they only interact on a paper,” Seojoon continued spilling.

“Paper?”

“They exchanged words on a paper since I told Yonghwa if he tried to talk with her again, she might run away from home. So he insisted on giving her the apologize note.”

He insisted? Shinhye felt a sudden happiness in her heart when she heard that Yonghwa insisted to apologize to her--- to talk to her. She felt like Yonghwa was using that as an excuse to start a conversation with her. And she found it cute. Her heart fluttered as her lips curled into a smile.

“Sweetheart, you did great,” mom grabbed her hand. Everyone was looking at her while her mind was wandering thinking of Yonghwa.

She looked down, embarrassed.

“Omo… Shinhye ah… perhaps… do you like…”

“In Ha, let’s not push Shinhye there,” Yohan stopped his wife before anything happen to Shinhye.

“Ah, I’m sorry. But you did great Shinhye ah. It means you are getting better,” said the sister in law.

“Eomma, should I bring Yonghwa here again?” Seojun began to tease his sister. “I think Yonghwa has an interest on her.”

“Interest on what? For me being a freak?” Shinhye glared at her brother.

“Sweetheart!” mom held her hand tight, scared if she would get another attack. “Seojun, stop teasing your sister here.”

“That’s not what I meant. I just think he has a positive feeling on you. Like he likes you? Or he understands you?” Seojun defend himself.

“Okay, let’s end it here, shall we?” dad took over before the situation got worse. “Seojun, please send our grateful to the young man. And Shinhye ah, don’t think too much about what your brother said. We are glad that you are actually getting better, so please know that.”

And they continued their dinner as usual, while Shinhye didn’t really mean with her words just now. She hoped what her brother said was true. That the young man had an interest on her and had a positive feeling for her.

So she crossed her finger and hoped that she