Emi had gotten out of the house more for small walks with Pabu and Charles. Emi was off crutches and now on a knee brace, but still required assistance from another person or slower movements. Charles requested that they go to the local dog park, the small craft faire, or farmers' markets whenever the events were happening.
A rush of fear would hit Emi whenever someone recognized her. She was a mere statue when she was approached by someone who asked if she was Emi Kim. Charles was able to fill in the long silence and asked Emi, up front if she was up for it. Emi would say yes after a few minutes. It was comforting to see that some people were still looking for her or interested in her even after the controversy from the accident.
"Thank you so much, I cannot wait to see you back on that screen. You really make my day. I'm excited to see you come back." The fan was very respectful of her free time and walked away. Emi asked Charles to check her phone. She was eager and anxious to see what the fan had posted about her.
Charles was a bit wary of checking as he was also anxious for what was to be posted. Lia and Kai had seen both the negative and positive in Emi's reputation. She had made headlines in many major news outlets, especially in Korea. More of the negative comments came from Western countries, who blamed Emi for the incident and why the show got canceled.
Emi looked at Charles and waited for his expression. He handed her the phone, holding in his expression. Emi read aloud the post: "Met Emi at the farmers' market today with Charles. These two are friendship goals. She looks so amazing. I am excited to see her on the screen once more. #nameabetterduo" Emi smiled at the post. Another comment had tagged her. Before Charles could take it away from her, it read: "she should have just laid in that ditch. Her career died there. Same should have happened to her."
"Well, at least someone thought the same thing as me when I was in that –"
"Em, stop. These comments show up all the time."
"I know. It's just different reading it in person. Come on, let's just make the most of this day." Emi walked forward to look at some fruit. Charles could tell that she was going down the rabbit hole of negativity. Her night terrors had occurred less, but there was still the lingering aura of her fear. Charles knew that she was still processing the event and that the next couple of months were going to be more of a mental battle. Lia and Kai had been around the house more often, but more to talk business. The litigation case against the filming studio was coming up and Emi was the only victim that was not yet ready to speak. Lia and Kai were not ones to place pressure on Emi to speak as they suggested that she write a statement, which was her right. Emi, on the other hand, was determined to speak to the filming studio and the rest of the cast on the incident.
Charles and Emi walked around the farmers' market gathering different foods for their dinner that coming evening. Charles noticed that Emi was more engrossed in the market than usual, which meant that she was in her own head. "Em, let's head back in a little bit so we can get dinner ready for tonight. We have been here for a while. I don't want you to strain your leg anymore than it needs to be." She let out an audible sigh. Emi nodded and took a few steps ahead of Charles.
Emi did not know why she wanted to walk ahead of him, but she knew that she wanted to get home. Being outside and having someone recognize her, then reading the comments. It was more than she expected. She wanted to go back home.
Charles and Pabu walked behind her. Every step she took, they watched carefully. Charles already knew that it was too much. Part of him regretted that she was feeling this way. Another part of him was glad that she was able to meet a fan that was still waiting for her return. Emi never discussed it with him, but he could tell that she was putting pressure on herself to either decide to leave the industry or return. If she was to return, he was confident it would be on her terms.
The three of them returned home and Charles unleashed Pabu, who was ready to lay on his bed and lounge about. Emi started to prep the kitchen for dinner. Charles watched her from afar. She had a slight smile on her face as she chopped up every vegetable and put them in a wok. "Stir fry for tonight, Em? Let me take over for a bit. I can finish up here. My mom sent me a recipe for shrimp." Emi nodded and headed to the basement.
Charles did not think much of it, but she had not been down there often. It was only a couple of times that she entered that space. He could hear her footsteps lead her down the stairs and music began playing. It was refreshing to hear music down there. It was not too loud, but audible enough to hear what song was playing.
The shrimp was just about finished when Pabu suddenly started barking and scratching at Charles. "Ah, Pabu. You can't –" Charles cut off his own response as he heard glass breaking from the basement.
"Emi!" Charles ran to the basement; Pabu followed him and continued his barking.
Charles looked to the floor and saw the shattered glass, then saw Emi. She was in tears and threw a chair at the final glass panel on the farthest wall. She was gasping for air and attempted to grab the chair once more. Charles picked her up by the waist as she resisted his grasp. He dragged her away from the glass to the stairs. "Emi, I know you're angry!" Charles yelled.
"Let me go! I'm done! I'm lost! I'm done!" Emi yelled back as she attempted to escape from his arms.
"No, you are not done!" Charles yelled. He threw his leg over hers restraining her from moving anymore. His chest against her back. His arms over hers. "You are not! You are more than what you went through!"
"Charles! Stop! It's over for me!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.
"Emi! No! No, it's not!" he responded with all the air he could muster. He tightened his hold on her.
They had no more words to yell. It was just her crying in frustration, his crying in fear. Emi could feel how fast Charles' heartbeat was. She did not even bother to remove herself from Charles' grasp. She took several deep breaths and settled into him. Charles buried his face into her nape of her neck and just stayed there. Pabu laid next to them, guarding his two vulnerable family members.
Charles and Emi just stayed on the floor together for quite some time. "Em." Charles broke the silence and cleared his throat. She nodded to let him know she was listening.
"It's not over. You're not done. You just started." Charles let go of his grasp on her and they both stood up. Emi took to cleaning the basement and felt this weight off her chest as if she could finally take in full breaths of air. Charles cleaned along with her. They cleaned with the sound of the shards of glass being swept into the dust pan. "The food is probably cold. Let's have dinner," Emi suggested as she threw away the last of the glass.
"Wait just a little bit," Charles said as he pulled her back from the first step of the stairs. He connected his phone to the speaker. He started playing "Merry Go Round of Life" from Howl's Moving Castle, one of her favorite songs since high school. Charles pulled her in for a slow dance and they danced together for a few minutes.
Emi finally felt like she was back on her feet actually feeling the music and there was some glimmer of hope that she could dance again. She smiled at Charles' attempt to dance as elegantly as possible. Charles smiled at how Emi was trying to get him into rhythm to the song.
The song ended and they embraced.
YOU ARE READING
Threads and Strings
Fanfiction"I know there will be more people in your life that will be become more than someone you pass by." As a speech pathologist working with little kids, Emi Kim had been through enough in her 24 years of life that could have broke her, especially in 201...
