I woke up on the right side of the bed today. This is good. I need this mood. I get dressed, zip up my luggage and run downstairs to have breakfast with everyone.
"You aren't supposed to be awake in...30 more minutes." Mum checks the clock on the wall and kisses me on the cheek, preparing my side of the table.
"I want to be early." I smile and sit down.
"Even if you go to the airport early, you're not going to reach there early. You know that, right?" I know that smile. It's all too familiar. My family's been giving me that smile ever since I came back from Korea and told them all about my year. It's annoying, but it makes me think of all the happy memories. So, they're forgiven.
"I know." My cheeks can never seem to go down no matter how hard I force them to. It's been like that for a while now. You have the right to be happy, it's okay, I tell myself.
I don't know why I'm so happy. Correction: I know why I'm so happy. It's just, I feel like I'm supposed to be a little sadder.
We didn't win Battle of the Bands last year. That was probably the hardest thing to stomach last year, and almost everything was pretty hard to stomach last year. As much as we all cried that night thinking about it, we were more happy than not. Maybe it was because we knew we gave our best, maybe it was because we didn't have any regrets, maybe it was because we were happy with second place. Our reasons were all different that day, but we all knew each and every one of us was happy. Even Jeongmin and Ms. Kim were really proud of how far we went in the competition. "We got here together. That's what matters. Beating LIGHT was just a bonus." Wise words from Eunbi unnie. The kind of words that are warm to hear when your face is warm from crying.
"What time is Chaeyeon picking you up again?" As much as I love how supportive my parents were about my relationship with Chaeyeon when I first told them, I get really annoyed when they're always bringing her into the conversation. Why? I hate blushing. It makes my cheeks uncontrollable and it gives away everything. And whenever they bring up Chaeyeon, I just can't help but do that. This is all your fault, b. You're all they talk about now.
"I got off the phone with her mother yesterday. She says she can't wait to see you."
"You're staying over at Chaeyeon's?" My brother looks up from his game. He's supposed to be in school today, but he wanted to send me off. We all figured it made sense, cause I was shortening our time as a family this holiday. The 2 of us made plans at the end of last year to stay over at Chaeyeon's house the week before school starts. Of course, we had to ask our parents first, but they were all for it. I'm at least 92% sure that my mum and Chaeyeon's mum are best friends already. Countless times have I caught mum talking to Chaeyeon's mum about us.
"Yeah, it's just for a week. I'll videocall, I promise." I link my pinky around Kun's and sit on the sofa, checking my messages.
------------
6.28 am
chaeng 😚
i'm already awake omg i'm so excited
chaeng 😚
can't wait to see you!
me
hehe love you too
me
go to sleep, you won't see me in another 4 hours... please rest :"(
chaeng 😚
take a pic!!
me
no b~~ i look like a mess
chaeng 😚
i'm sure you're a really pretty mess,,
chaeng 😚
cmon i miss youuuu~
me
you'll see me in your dreams, go sleep
chaeng 😚
fINE >:(
chaeng 😚
love you, fly safe !! <3
me
love you too~~
------------
This is the 3rd time I've been to Incheon airport, but I somehow still find myself lost. I look around for any sign of Chaeyeon. The last time I physically saw her, her hair was dyed gray. We didn't videocall much because we decided that the holidays should be spent with our family. Also because we get the entire year to see each other anyways. She might've dyed her hair back to black, I'm not sure. She said she'd be at door 25. Am I at the wrong spot? I'm at arrival. I'm at door 25. I don't see a white car. Maybe she's late? No. Never for me.
"Saku-chan." I turn around to find a pretty blonde girl holding a bouquet of plastic tulips.
"Chaeryeong's idea." The pretty blonde girl explains after reading my confused expression. "Let's go." She leads me to door 26 (you are such a liar, Chaeyeon), where a large, white suv sits in a parking slot. In front of it are Chaeyeon's 2 sisters (who I've seen in Chaeyeon's photo album way too many times to be able to recognize them). Chaeryeong's holding Chaeri, Chaeyeon's dog. The lady in the brown coat standing behind the 2 of them is her mum. Her features are really sharp. If you look at the Lee family from afar, it'll seem like they all have the same faces plastered onto 5 different bodies. Mrs Lee smiles at me warmly, and I can't help but be nervous. I guess that's where Chaeyeon gets her smile from. How do I address her? Mrs Lee? Chaeyeon's Mum? Ma'am? Oops, too late. You're in front of her. Decide now. Decide now!
"Hello Sakura, nice to finally meet you." She ignores my offer to shake hands and brings me into a tight hug instead. "Please, call me Mum." Well that was easy. She lets go and I bow out of habit. My vocal chords fail me this time, so instead I end up mouthing "Hi...Mum?" instead of saying it. I'm really bad at this, forgive me Chaeyeon.
"Unnie, hello." You know that awkward moment when you're meeting your girlfriend's siblings for the first time, and you kind of know them and they kind of know you, but you're not at that stage to high-five or hug or whatever, so you just do a weird casual wave even though you're in optimal distance to go in for a hug? Yeah, I'm having that dilemma now. I wave at her and she waves back at me. Chaeryeong looks so much like Chaeyeon, it's quite scary. Chaeryeong's taller though, I think.
"Hello." I smile at all 3 of them. Chaeyeon comes back from putting my luggage in the trunk.
"You're making her nervous. That's exactly what I told you all not to do." Her hand finds its way around my waist and she leads me into the car, ignoring Chaemin's "well, you woke us up at 6!". The two of us take the back seat while Chaeryeong and Chaemin take the middle seats.
"Hello Sakura!" Chaeyeon's dad waves from the driver's seat. I wave back and smile at his reflection in the front mirror. Now I know where Chaeyeon gets her eyes from.
"You don't mind if I sleep, right?" I look at Chaeyeon, leaning my head slightly towards hers. "That plane ride was so uncomfortable. It was so squeezy."
"So is this back seat." Chaeyeon teases, but she offers me her shoulder anyways.
"But, you're here. That makes all the difference." I close my eyes and rest my head on Chaeyeon's shoulder. She rests her head on mine and we both end up falling asleep.
—————
"Wait, wh-" I see nothing but pitch darkness. I grab a hold of Chaeyeon's hands covering my face, but she tightens her grip.
"Trust me?" I was scared for some reason, but hearing her voice made the lump in my throat go away. I nod, but I don't let go of her arm. She walks me up a couple of steps and takes her hands off of my eyes. It takes a while for my eyes to register with the white light the entire house seems to be omitting. Then, my pink smudged vision starts to take shape.
Sitting on the black and white living room table where everyone can see it. Averse to the clean and organized, monochrome disposition of the house, stands a small bonsai. Inside a black pot, the little bonsai's ash trunk branches out in clean directions, each branch ending with a pink flower in full blossom. I recognize that flower anywhere. It's my parents' favourite. It was under the trees of that flower that my parents met. It was the season of the cherry blossoms when I was born. A little history paints each flower a different pattern. Each flower, serves to tell a different story of our family. Of me. I can't remember every time I've encountered this flower in my entire life, but I remember every feeling. It's amazing how much someone's name can be tied to their own personality, their own history.
Chaeyeon probably bought this because she knows I love Sakura trees. She has yet to know about the countless stories I haven't told her about Sakura trees. Memories, dreams, wishes. Every little detail about Sakura trees. It's something I want to share with her. I turn around and hug her.
"I love you."
ČTEŠ
i'll give you my galaxy | chaekura book 2
Fanfikce"love isn't easy." "but for you it was worth it." - book 2 of the chaekura series follows chaeyeon and sakura as they trample upon difficulties far greater than they experienced the previous year.
