Nodus Tollens || Jung Jaehyun

Epilogue: Without You

"Sorry, Jiwoo, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with Songyi-sshi about Yoora?" The shaman brought up, catching Jiwoo off guard. "Has she not contacted you after all this time?"

"I get it though," Jiwoo replied, scratching the back of her neck. "She's an idol now, she got piles of work to do, she doesn't have the luxury to meet people when she's still very much a rookie."

"But she hadn't called or anything?"

A shake of her head to the shaman. "Nothing at all."

The man then slipped out his phone from his coat pocket. He made a call on the phone, one that caused his wife's face to distort. As it rang, he handed the phone to Jiwoo, which she reluctantly took.

He was calling Yoora.

With knitted brows, she pressed the phone to her ear, in hopes that the singer will answer... but really, why on earth would she answer some random shaman?--

"Hello, appa?"

Jiwoo stared at the older duo before her, as she heard Yoora's voice call out for her father. She didn't think there would be more surprises in her life, definitely not after all she had been through, but this broke that expectation. However, this was beginning to piece together the loose ends; the day she had first met Shaman Sanghyuk, how he already seemed familiar with her during their meetings, how he already knew some facts about the incident before she could mention them, the day she saw Yoora visit... It made sense.

"Actually no," Jiwoo cautiously responded. "It's me, Shim Jiwoo."

There was a moment's hesitation.

"Shim Jiwoo?" Another short silence. "I-um... you're with Shaman Sanghyuk right now?"

"Yes, and Rosie-sshi."

"I see."

"So they're your..."

"Parents? Yes... look, Jiwoo, I'm about to go see my vocal coach and I--"

"I don't hate you, Hong Yoora," Jiwoo blurted out before the others girl could hang up on her. Silence met them again, this was be a good time to tell her more. To tell her what she wanted to say for months. "I seriously don't hate you. We left things bad between us and we never talked. I wanted to avoid you for the longest time because I'm sure you hated me. I know you did, why wouldn't you? I understand that your ideal dream was much different. I understand we were too young at that time and our decisions were not the best. But I want be okay with you again, just like I've finally accepted Songyi-unnie back into my life. Like I how accepted to work at SM again. I want all of us to just look back on our past and not feel remorse over anything... is that okay?"

"I'm... I don't know yet, but maybe I'll try." Months Yoora had avoided her, and finally there was a sliver of hope to fix their broken friendship. It had been long enough after all. "Unnie sent me your performance of my song... it was good."

"Thank you, Yoora-unnie."

"And um, yeah. I'm sorry... I really am, for blaming you and putting through all that trouble... Appa had been keeping me updated on you for the past few years. I'm just... sorry."

"I'm sorry too."

"You don't have to. You didn't do anything intentionally." Jiwoo heard Yoora let out a breath. "I seriously do have to go. Maybe I'll swing by the cafe sometime to see you sing."

"That sounds great."

Yoora hung up the call after a brief and slightly awkward goodbye. Jiwoo then handed the phone back to Shaman Sanghyuk. "I hope you don't think of us differently now, Jiwoo," Rosie uttered, concern etched on her face.