Devoted | Joshua Hong

23. FINALE

The house was chaos since morning with nonna making more than ten dishes and mum cleaning up the house. I already told nonna and mom last week that they were visiting. Well for me, I was preparing myself mentally and physically. We're not even close yet but they're preparing everything so well.

"Mum, it's only Joshua, mum and dad,"

She just rolled her eyes at me and kept on dusting the shelves.

"They're still our guests. We can't let them to see us living in a pigsty,"

"Are you okay seeing dad again?"

"What Dad?? Oh uhm.. Yeah. I'm fine. Paris, whatever we have gone through with a person in the past remains the past. We need to open a new chapter because life goes on, right?,"

I quickly nodded.

Thanks, mum. I've been receiving a lot of advices since I stayed with nonna and mum.

I got ready upstairs. What to wear? Ugh Paris, it's only your family visiting. Who are you being pretty for? Well, maybe myself. I stumbled across my closet. From the corner, I saw a plum knee dress that I once wore on a festival here a few years ago. Perfect. Fortunately, it still fits.

Makeup? Just light enough and effortless I spoke to myself. I was lazy to do my hair so I just tied it into a ponytail. In fact, I just dyed it from brunette to strawberry blonde last month. Just needed a change, they used to say. Well maybe I was trying to be more Italian shit but I failed so yeah. Thanks stronger korean genes from dad.

Unexpectedly, the doorbell rang. I looked at my watch. Wow they're really are early.
I quickly came downstairs but no one was there. I called out for nonna and mum but there was no answer. They were probably in the backyard.

Took a deep breath, reached the door handle and pushed it downwards. I opened the door slowly. Trying not to expect anything, I saw a figure standing in front of me. Joshua. I miss you, my little heart spoke. Wanting to hug him, I tried to control myself.

He suddenly came towards me. I didn't know what was going on next as it happened in a heart beat. I slowly opened my eyes. My lips was on his.

We were... kissing? I widened my eyes. He then let go of me.

"What the fuck was that?" I pushed him away.

"Our first kiss," he smirked.

"Are you loco??? What would-" I turned around and there was mum and nonna behind me.

Soon, there was Mrs. Hong coming from behind him. She was with another man. But it wasn't dad.

"What the fuck is going on?" I was confused as I turned around waiting for an explanation.

"I told you, we're meeting again but not as acquaintances,"

"Yeah, as a brother. Duh!"
"Who said I was your brother?"
"The fucking letter! Stop joking around!"

Mum and nonna remained silent.

"I told you my mum and my dad got married. Again."

What?

"I'm sorry Paris. This is my husband, Steven Hong," Mrs. Hong came closer to the front doorsteps.

I was still puzzled and I just felt like throwing myself into a black hole.

"Steven Hong is your dad's new business partner. I don't know how but maybe fate brought us back. This is Joshua's real father. Quite a long story but we divorced when Joshua was 5 years old because of family disapproval. We remarried and here we are now," Mrs. Hong explained.

I don't even know what happened to their past but I was getting a bit to the root of this.

"Where's dad?"
"Your dad is on a business trip in Dubai. Don't worry, he knows about this," my mum suddenly interlude.

"Wait, mum. Are you behind this too?"
She nodded and smiled before she looked at nonna, who was already giggling.

I looked at Joshua deeply into his eyes. My face was still strained. I pushed him backwards while hitting him with my weak arms.

"YOU FUCKING JERK WHO ARE YOU FOOLING ME AROUND I SWEAR TO GOD THERE IS A SPECIAL PLACE FOR PEOPLE LIKE YOU IN HELL!" I was about to cry.

He tried to calm me down and so did the rest.

"Paris, listen. Listen to me. I love you, okay? I want you to be happy. All of us to be happy. Aren't we achieving it right now?"

I held back my tears.

"Then what about ooh a sister maybe? Stop lying to me you prick. You hurted me so much,"

"Well, my mum is 4 and half months pregnant. And it's probably going to be a girl," he smiled as holding my shoulders.

"I hate you Joshua Hong. I hate you so much that I love you."

He hugged me tightly.

"Lovebirds," I hear my nonna whispering from the back to my mum.

"I heard that," I turned around as they chuckled.

...

We finally had our own privacy back in the garden.

"You look different," he said. "But still beautiful," he stroked my hair.

"You're so cheesy like blue cheese you stink. But thank you"

"You know, I lost something that I had. But now I got it back," he told me.

"And what is it?" Me, I said in my head.

"My other pair of sock. Been searching it for weeks,"

"Jerkshua you never changed, too."

He laughed so hard I barely could see his eyes. But it was cute.

Out of the millions and millions of people that inhabit this planet, he is one of the tiny few I can never have, until now. People who love each other doesn't mean they can be together. But always know that true feelings don't just exist for no reason or to make one miserable.

Fin.