How It Should Have Ended Part2 (The Continuation)

Chapter 5

"I saw him earlier in Rodeo Drive here in L.A. Let me send you a picture."

Jan Di tried to calm herself down before she opened the image that arrived next.

It was a picture of Ji Hoo - her handsome Ji Hoo – and he had a huge smile on his face. He was hugging a girl who, even though Jan Di could only see the back of her head, she knew had to be beautiful. The girl's back was facing the camera, and Jan Di could see her beautifully long, wavy hair. She wore a huge black hat like the one you'd see on British royalties on tv. She wore a cute, sleeveless little black dress and had a huge designer purse on her arm.

Ji Hoo looked happy. No, he looked relieved.

Jan Di couldn't stop trembling. Was he relieved to be away from her? Is this why he lied to her? He was in California?

A tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away, angrily.

No, her mind protested. Ji Hoo would never do that to you. He is not like that.

She tried convincing herself but failed miserably.

Her phone buzzed again as another picture came in. She debated opening it for a few minutes.

It was Ji Hoo and the girl again. This time, they were both facing the camera. Ji Hoo was beside the girl, and his hands held a few designer store shopping bags.

He went shopping with her?

She enlarged the picture and peered closely at the girl beside Ji Hoo. She wore huge, dark sunglasses and she was turned towards Ji Hoo in the picture. Both of them looked like they were laughing together at something.

She thought the girl looked familiar – perhaps she had seen her on television. She normally didn't watch tv, but sometimes she saw Hollywood celebrities on the news.

Is he out with a celebrity?

It was hard to tell from the picture. Between the girl's hat and her sunglasses, and the fact that her face was half turned towards Ji Hoo, it was almost impossible to know who it was for sure. But she was convinced she had seen the girl on tv before.

One thing she was sure of, though – they looked good together. The girl was beautiful, rich, and based on Ji Hoo's smile as he looked at her, must also have a good personality. She knew Ji Hoo didn't warm up to someone that easily. They looked like a perfect match.

She couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy, however much she tried to dismiss it.

I have nothing to offer him, she thought, mournfully. He's smart, rich, talented, good looking, and a completely wonderful human being. And what do I have?

Jan Di covered her face with her hands and started sobbing quietly.

But Ji Hoo had never given her cause to be jealous before. She had always felt secure in their relationship.

There has to be an explanation. There has to be. She kept telling herself between sobs.

...

"Ga Eul."

Jan Di felt so downcast, she couldn't even get up from bed the next day. Her face was half buried in her pillow. It was already past noon, but she couldn't find the energy to move.

Ga Eul stood beside her bed, arms crossed. "You sound like the world's ending."

Mine is. She thought, miserably.

"Come on," Ga Eul urged. "Get up. Let's get you something to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

Ga Eul pulled one of her arms and she reluctantly sat up. Her hair (which was now 4-5 inches past her shoulders) looked like a bird decided to make a nest of it, but she didn't care.

"What's wrong?" Ga Eul lifted her chin up and her eyes were filled with worry.

"Have you ever...felt insecure of yourself?"

Ga Eul looked quizzically at her. "In what way?"

"You know, knowing that there are tons of girls out there that are prettier, smarter and richer than you?" She glanced at the mirror across the wall and saw that her eyes were still puffy from all the crying she did the night before. She had tried calling Ji Hoo, of course, but he didn't pick up, which distressed her even more. (He did send her a message early that morning, though.)

Ga Eul sat down beside her. "Sometimes." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "But you know, there's no other feeling in the world like knowing that he could be with any other girl in the entire world but he chose to be with you."

Jan Di just sat there with her head in her hands. A single thought kept nagging at her.

There has to be an explanation.

But she couldn't think of any at the moment and doubts consumed her whole being.

"What's this about?" Ga Eul grabbed her hairbrush and started brushing her hair. She winced as Ga Eul worked through the knots in her hair.

"I just...don't feel very...secure of myself lately," Jan Di stammered out.

Ga Eul sighed. "Come on, let's go get something to eat. We can discuss it more then."

Jan Di forced herself to get dressed and was almost out the door when she ran into Kang San.

Kang San's eyes widened when he saw her. "What's the matter?" He teased his older sister. "You look like Ji Hoo finally woke up and realized he's too good for you!" He chuckled when he said this, not realizing he had said exactly what she was thinking.

Jan Di's shoulders slouched and she fought back tears. Kang San noticed her expression and held his hands up.

"Hey, I was just kidding! I'm sorry!"

Before he could say any more, Ga Eul escorted her out the door.

...