Dusk had fallen.
During the time that Jin and the two women had driven to their homes, which was apparently just nearby Byulyi's, the sun had all but set on the horizon. Though the sky burst with colors, the hills, the trees, the houses, and the people were casted in a mere muted light; enough that he could still see them as he sat on the back of the moving pick-up truck beside the groceries.
As he stepped on the dirt ground, swinging the back of the blue-green Dutch door behind him, Jin couldn't stop the exhale that exited his lips, alleviating the tension that had grown in his chest. He didn't even have the attention to spare the beautiful surroundings when he was dizzy with adrenaline.
"Their house is just up that hill," the girl, Soojin she said her name was, pointed somewhere behind Jin.
It was only then that he noticed the lack of a house next to the Seo's. In fact, there's a lack of everything since not much surrounded their home except for their garden and even more fields.
True to their words, Byulyi's house was the nearest to theirs since, if Jin recalled correctly, it was 5 minutes ago since they last passed one on their way here.
His eyes trailed the road that continued upwards and ended at the lone white two-story house on top of the hill. He noticed that though its design was old, the house wasn't traditional like most, including the Seo's, that he saw before.
Jin had a feeling his meaning of nearby and Soojin's nearby were vastly different.
Her grandma, who preferred to be called Mrs Seo, stepped out of the car and Soojin rushed to help her down halfway. "I'm not sure if she would answer. It's" —she checked her wrist watch— "past 8 already and she might already be resting."
"Ah, is that so?" he asked, watching the two women gather their groceries from the back of the pick-up truck where Jin previously sat. Mrs Seo murmured a small 'thank you' as he lended a hand in delivering the things to their front door.
"Don't worry dear. Byulyi's not an early sleeper. She's probably watching TV right now."
To know that she was still always watching drama even a year later was...oddly comforting.
Jin smiled with a nod. "I'll be on my way then," he said before bowing as a thank you.
He hiked the bag behind his bag and pulled on his hat, more than ready to hike the small hill and get that closure he had been looking for a year. He continued upwards with slow and steady steps as he tried his best to rehearse the lines in his head.
'It's me Jin. The ex-boyfriend you said you would ma—'
That sounded way too much like a clingy ex.
'Hi! Remember me? Jin? I just wanted to visit because I'm doing so well—"
No, no, no. Too passive-aggressive.
'Tell me why you left tw—'
Too aggressive-aggressive.
He was an adult and he wanted to have an adult conversation with another adult. He should try to be polite. And patient. And nice.
'Hello. It's nice seeing you again. I know we haven't seen each other for a while but I just happened to visit the area—you know, by chance—and coincidentally found out that you also live here and I just thought I would drop by. Oh right. Question.'
'Why the fuck did you break up with for no reason one year ago?'
That probably wasn't good either.
YOU ARE READING
In Seven Days
FanfictionThe quick break-up, the sudden disappearance, the absolute silence after everything they had been through together. Kim Seok Jin had had enough. It was time to search for answers and, hopefully, find closure in what he'll find.
