Finding You

CHAPTER 16

The steady ticking of the clock in the living room matched the pace of Tae Pyung's heartbeat as he sat on the edge of the threshold that led out to the garden. It was already two in the afternoon but he had not taken any meals yet, not that he was hungry. He was too occupied with his thoughts and too anxious for the events that he knew would follow to keep anything down in the last twenty four hours or so.

It was one of the last days of winter seven years ago. Just a day before, he turned twenty-eight. There was supposed to be a party thrown to celebrate both the anniversary of his birth and his impending wedding, but everything got cancelled a few weeks back. He suddenly rummaged his mind if he was able to inform everyone in the guest list that the event, as well as his marriage, will no longer push through and whether or not he was able to settle the reservation balance at the restaurant. He made a mental note to ask Auntie about it later after this wearying ordeal of waiting.

Nevertheless, it seemed that the gods were listening to his thoughts because shortly after, the phone rang. He heard Auntie pick it up and say a few words like 'yes', 'no', 'later' to whoever it was on the other line. Right after she hung up, she walked towards where Tae Pyung was seated with heavy steps, then settled beside him facing the small lawn.

She placed a hand on his lap and said, "The police were asking if you could drop by for the investigation. They said, the sooner you could come, the better."

Tae Pyung nodded as he expected that the call would come sooner or later anyway, then gave his Auntie's hand a weak squeeze, trying to assure them both that everything was going to be alright.

"You look well," the man tauntingly told Tae Pyung with a smirk playing on his face as he blocked the latter's way to the newly-weds who were seated at the center of the ballroom to offer his congratulations. "I never thought you'd have the guts to show your face here."

Tae Pyung's jaw clenched at the same time his hands tightly balled into fists on his sides, enough for his knuckles to turn white. He eyed the man in front of him with hatred, yet his glare was also tinged with the tiniest hint of fear and shame.

"I heard you're still working with the police," the man added, letting out a curt, scornful laugh as his lips curled up in disgust. "What kind of justice system would allow a criminal to -"

"Ma Jae Kyung!"

The man turned and got enveloped in an awkward hug from the groom, who put up a nervous smile and was looking at Tae Pyung as if communicating a secret message telling him to calm down.

"How are you?" the groom asked the man. "I thought you couldn't make it."

The man shrugged the groom's arm a little bit too harshly, then said, "You didn't even send me invites, you dumbass. I had to find out through Hae Ra."

The mention of her name felt like a bucket of icy water was poured on Tae Pyung's head, giving him shivers down his spine and dousing him with various emotions that he thought he was able to successfully bury deep inside him six years ago.

"How's Hae Ra?" the groom tentatively asked Jae Kyung while he avoided Tae Pyung's eyes.

"She's getting by," Ma Jae Kyung spat as he threw a glare at Tae Pyung. "Thanks to somebody, she lost her appetite to attend social events like this."

The groom gave out an uneasy chuckle, patting Jae Kyung's shoulders in the process, then said, "Alright now. Why don't you go ahead and give my wife your regards? I'll meet you at our table."

Ma Jae Kyung pulled on his jacket by the folds of the lapels in an attempt to straighten it, then gave one last menacing stare at Tae Pyung before walking towards the table at the center of the hall where the bride was sitting.