Chasing Rainbows

4. Chicken and Beer

"This is his mother. He's not in a good condition to talk right now." She looked at his son, too drank that he fell asleep in his dining table.

"Omo! What happened to him, mam?" She asked with an extremely worried tone.

"You're asking me what happened to him? Shouldn't you know it? You're the reason why he's like this right now. Son Yejin, would you just let him be? Haven't you done enough to hurt him? I am begging you to just please stay away from him. As a mother, I am asking you this." Her voice cracked once more and Yejin could hear she was crying.

Stunned and hurt by what she heard, tears just continued to flow from her eyes and before she can even say a word, Bin's mom dropped the call.

---

After that call, she decided to open up to Yumi. She told her she wanted to leave and go back to Seoul, for him. But Yumi told her to think about it first. She's midway her residency, and her dad, who just passed away, wouldn't be happy if she left just like that.

As she was pondering about what she said, she remembered her mother as well.

What about her eomma's dream for her? She's been striving to pursue that dream since she was a child, and it was her promise to her that she would become a doctor. 

...what about Bin's mother's request? If she got back to Seoul, will she be happy being with him knowing that his mother had something against her?

...And what about Bin? Would he, in the first place, take her back? Or was his mother right, that she coming back to his life, would just make him suffer more, after realizing how much she herself was capable of hurting him?

It was a pool of complicated thoughts, and this stance of her dragged on until just after she graduated. When she started to do her practice, the new environment and season somehow alleviated her longing for him. And that was just barely last year. And now this. He's back. 

That's why Yumi was so worried.

"What would you do now, Yej?"  Yumi's question interrupted her thoughts.

"What?" She returned the question. She saw Ha-na pregnant, and he was with her. It must be his, judging from their interaction at her clinic.

"Would you talk to him? You know how to find him now."  Yumi continued to ask. 

Of course, she had Ha-na's contact details, she thought to herself. 

"He's going to be a father, Yumi. He's with Ha-na, her childhood friend." She answered with a heavy sigh.

"Oh..." And with that Yumi ate the fried chicken in her hands and drank her beer.

-----

That same night, Bin was video calling Hali and Choi, who were now happily married, back in Seoul. Drinking the beer in his hands, he continued to listen to what Hali was saying, who at that time, sounded like a mother to him.

"So she's Ha-na's ob-gyn? That meant she would continue to see her, right? What about you change her ob-gyn? Or just don't come with her when she had her check-ups? Bin, we witnessed what you went through, how you barely managed after she's gone. And you just had gathered your life back, you're just starting, Bin! Don't let it slip! You're fine now, okay?"

Though she was Yejin's best friend, she was also hurt by her action of just cutting her off her life, just as she did to Bin.

"Bro, Hali's right, it's just a coincidence that you met her there again. Pull yourself together, okay?"

"Okay, okay. Hey, don't worry much about me. I'm fine. Thank you anyway for having my back."

He appreciated the two of them. Just being able to talk to them about it somehow lifted a little of the heaviness he'd been feeling the whole day.

I'm fine now.

With that, his phone rang. His secretary.

"Sir, I would just like to remind you about the charity dinner you were invited to by Dr. Youn of the Korean Community, it will be tomorrow night at 7 PM, Seoul Garden Restaurant. Should I confirm your attendance?"

He met Dr. Youn, the director of Houston's Korean Community in Galveston last weekend and he invited him to the charity dinner they will be hosting that week. He completely forgot about it.

"Yes, sure, please confirm my attendance. Thanks." With that he drank the remaining beer and proceeded to his room, hoping he'll be able to get himself to sleep. 

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A/N: Hello dear readers! Thank you for your continued support. I hope your heart can still take it, we're now navigating the realities of what it meant to fall in love - the heartaches and pain that could come with it. I hope you'll stay glued until the end! Kamsahamnida! ❤️