Talking to the moon

Chapter 35

The weirdest cat Yunjin has ever met, Grumpy had a habit of wanting to go into the bathroom while people were showering simply because he wanted to drink the water that came out the tap. She had found out about that habit one day when she was showering up when the cat had just crawled in making her scream and kick him out. Apparently Chaewon thought it was normal, even now as he was gently pawing at the bathroom door as Eunchae showered.

Chaewon knocked twice, "Hey buddy, is it okay if Grumpy comes in? He's scratching at the door."

A muffled yes came from the inside and Chaewon let the cat in before taking her seat next to Yunjin. Eunchae needed to shower, not because she was dirty but math had gotten her especially riled up tonight and she needed time to think and relax. That was always Yunjin's time to do so. Eunchae really tried hard, but she was really starting to get discouraged and Chaewon was starting to get worried. Yunjin tried to assure her that she would get better as she got older that she's just playing catch up right now and eventually she will be okay, Chaewon wasn't all too convinced. 

"She gets tested next monday." Chaewon reminded her for what felt like the fourth time today.

"Okay, damn between career day tomorrow and testing we are going to be living at her school."

"Yunjin-"

"Okay, Okay, I won't joke about it anymore."

"Thank you."

"Should I grab a treat for her? Like ice cream or something?" Yunjin suggested, that always seemed to cheer her up when she was sad. Chaewon agreed. And ten minutes late Yunjin was out of the house and down the street intending on going to that small supermarket a few blocks over.

Maybe subconsciously Yunjin had ulterior motives for taking that path. Because she found herself distracted and walking into the small jewelry store she visited a week ago. The man perked up immediately when he saw her, a grin on his face as he wordlessly grabbed the ring. "You're back."

"I thought about it, I think I'm ready to grab it."

"That's good to hear," He hummed, taking the ring and placing it in a small velvet box. "Eunha would be happy to know this is finally going to be used."

Just then her whole world stopped. "What did you say?"

"Huh?" The sudden change in her emotions must've taken him off guard because he gave her a bit of a strange look, stopping his motions.

"Did you say Eunha?"

"Yes."

"Jung Eunha?"

"..Yes."

Yunjin thought she was going to throw up. "I'm Yunjin."

The old man looked at her, her name was obviously familiar to him. He was quiet for a minute, the silence deafening.

"Have you eaten?" As strange as the question was in this context, Yunjin understood he was just trying to hold out an olive branch. Her shaking her head was her accepting his truce.

For some reason against every instinct as a woman and as a detective, she followed him through the back into a small one-room apartment above. It was dingy and a bit cramped, the orange lighting the exposed light bulbs put off did not help, filled with random tools for building jewelry and sketches of pieces tacked on the walls. She took a seat at a table that looked like it was just one breath away from breaking completely, watching as he took out a small pot filled with water and hot plate, letting it bubble before placing two packets of ramen inside. However she couldn't focus on any of that, she was just fixated on the small framed picture of a Eunha wearing her blue nursing scrubs outside of the hospital. She was smiling, but her eyes held a certain sadness compared to all her friends.