The Next Morning. Eun Hee's House. EunRa's POV.
"Morning, Eun Hee-yah. Did you sleep well?" ask Ms. Jong, stir-frying some noodles in such an early morning. I sat by the dining room, staring at myself using my favorite compact mirror. "Yes, I certainly did." Ms. Jong turns around from her stove, jumping a bit to see me and not her daughter who she thought by the quick glance she took while I was descending down the staircase. "Oh, it's you, EunRa! Really, you look exactly like Eun Hee that I'm often mistaking you for her nowadays." says her, laughing it off as she continues off cooking.
Speak of the devil, Eun Hee arrives just by the door of the dining area. I pretend to cough, catching the attention of Ms. Jong to take notice of her mute daughter. "Omo, are you still feeling sick, Eun Hee-yah?" asks her Mom. I watch as she makes a feeble nod, looking as if she was really sick and tired of her life already. Perfect.
I clear my throat, starting to eat the meal in front of me without waiting for Eun Hee to take her seat. As soon as she does, she looks back to her Mom without lifting her chopsticks first. "Are you going somewhere, Eomma?" Ms. Jong heaves up a big lunch box, placing all the noodles inside of the container. "Why, yes. I'm actually going to visit your Aunt Zang in Nopo-dong. She's been feeling under the weather as well, and since her two children are busy with work, she called me and asked if I could come over for a short visit. I'd let you come as well, but then EunRa won't have any company at all. Besides, you're sick. You must rest, okay?"
"I hope your sister takes care, Ms. Jong. It must be awful to get caught with a flu and have no one take care of you. Rest assured, I will personally take care of Eun Hee when you're away." I said, tapping my chopsticks down the half-eaten portion of my rice bowl. "W-When will you come back?" asks Eun Hee, her tone of voice hesitantly shaking.
"I'll be back tomorrow afternoon! If you're still feeling unwell by then, I'll bring you back some herbal medicine. Well then, I better prepare for the trip, wouldn't want to keep her waiting!" Ms. Jong, as soon as she placed the lid on top of the big lunch box, rushes her way up the staircase leaving me with fragile Eun Hee to tease.
She faces me, her eyes darted down on all the food laid down on the table. Seems she wasn't up to looking directly at me, but I think I could change that otherwise. "So, I guess we're going to be alone for half a day, isn't that exciting?" I threaten her. She bites her lower lip as she chew rice inside her mouth, forcing herself to agree even though I knew I was mentally killing her inside.
...
Meanwhile. Chanyeol's POV. Classroom.
"Ouch! Chanyeol, help me! Lay won't stop poking me with his pencil~!" says Tao, circling Chanyeol's desk as Lay chase him around with a well-sharpened pencil. I ruffle my hair for the second time this morning, catching the stares of Kyungsoo, Xiumin, and Chen with their heads tilt to the side. "What's wrong, Chanyeol? Something bothering you?" ask Kyungsoo, pulling the chair that was in front of Chanyeol's desk. I wasn't at all worried, but maybe I am since Kyungsoo mentioned it just now? But still, I can't get that thing out from my head last night. I shut my eyes close, maybe this is the perfect time to tell them about Eun Hee's decision to stay here in Busan.
"Guys, can you gather around me for a while. I have something to tell you.." I mutter out my breath. As I commanded, they surrounded my entire desk. "What's up, Chanyeol?" asks Lay, finally tired of chasing Tao around. "I don't know.. how to tell you all this straight. But promise me that all of you would act mature about this, alright?"
In a simultaneous order, they nod with a serious look. I prompt myself to sit straight, eyes focused on my hands that were laid on top of the table. "You see, Eun Hee...Eun Hee won't be going back to Seoul anymore." "WHAT?!" They roared. I wince at the sound of their harmonious rejection on the matter, feeling even more depress just thinking about it. "D-Did she really say that Chanyeol, did she really?!" "Y-Yeah! There's no way she'd say that! She was so eager to get back to Seoul too..!"
"I-I agree! Do you even have proof that she said those words?" "Chanyeol~! If you're kidding around with us, then it's not funny!" They noisily gave remarks of uncertainty about what I announced, their voice saddening by the minute as they think about it. "I wish it were a joke, Tao. But it's true, she told me about it last night. She said that the reason why she wants to stay is because of her Mom. I wanted to persuade her to think so otherwise but, it's Eun Hee were talking about.. I don't think I could fight her and be selfish about this whole topic.." I say, gripping my hands into balls of fists.
"No! I certainly won't believe it! That's not the Eun Hee we know! This must be some sort of mistake, Chanyeol!" says Lay, fighting for his own belief. "I thought about her decision the night I went back to the hotel room.. And now that I think about it, there's something pretty strange about her recently..--"
"Chanyeol oppa!" A voice echoes inside the room. The members gave way to Eun Hee who forced her way inside the circle meeting. The members eye depressingly stare at her, looking as if they're waiting for the right time to ambush her with many questions. I dug my suspicion down my system, greeting her a fine morning.
I watch as Chen makes the first move into tugging her school bag, "E-Eun Hee-yah.. Is it true? Is it true that you're really not going back to Seoul anymore?" place my chin on top of my hands that lay straightened on the table, eyeing all of the members as they keep the promise they made with me about being mature. Xiumin sniffle, wiping a tear before rolling down his cheek completely. "A-Are you really, E-Eun Hee-yah..?"
Then I realize something out of the blue, something quite different from what the normal Eun Hee would do. Her eyes that would stream down endlessly to see her best friends cry over such a matter of her staying are replaced by a blank neutral look. I was speechless before she swooped them both in a hug. She looks at me, her head on top of Xiumin's left shoulder, her eyes now occupied with tears about to fall.
I shake my head, hitting one of my temple like I was dumb to have assumed something of her. I sigh, watching as the others talk about it with Eun Hee who not only become so composed with her emotions, but showed too much sign of surprising courage all of a sudden.
...
Lunch Time. Open Garden. Jihoon's POV.
I pluck the grass around me, observing Eun Hee with Chanyeol's group eating by the gazebo. I was as close as to making the area around me grass-free when all of a sudden, my head forcefully pulls back, staring up to find Ami and Jin-ah pulling my head back. "Yah, what the hell are you doing being so weird in public, Jihoon?" asks Ami, biting off her sandwich.
I slap Jin-ah's arms that were around my skull, looking somewhere else. "N-Nothing. I was just thinking about some stuff about my transfer.." Jin-ah and Ami voluntarily sit beside me by the grass, the both of them pointing at where Eun Hee and the others were. "Omo! You were spying on them, weren't you!?" says Ami, bits of bread flying around the air.
I twitch my eye in disgust, lightly slapping her mouth with a tissue that I carry around. "S-Shut up! It just so happened that they're there eating, okay!? Don't get any weird ideas!" I sputter. Jin-ah thinks with a long hum, "So this must be what Eun Hee look like if she were in Seoul with Chanyeol and the other members.. They look so happy together.." "Yeah, they really look like good friends, huh. Aigo, Eun Hee's not only pretty and smart, but she has good company around her as well. Her life could be said as perfect now." says Ami, envying from afar.
"A-Anyway! What are you guys suddenly here, huh?" I ask, obviously wanting to be alone right now. "Yah, aren't you thankful that we actually approached you, huh? If we didn't, you'd look like a freak." says Ami, jabbing me hard on my abdomen. "I'm thankful but I'd rather be isolated with my own thoughts, thank you very much!" I fire back.
I let off some steam, finally asking a bothering question. "Now that I think about it, why aren't you hanging out with EunRa? Aren't you three suppose to be the new best buds, you know, after leaving Eun Hee in the air?" I said, making them feel guilty. "Y-Yah! We did not do that to Eun Hee at all! Geez, learn the full story will you!" says Jin-ah snarling towards me.
"Then what is the full story?" I ask. "We're only hanging out with EunRa because she looks so pitiful, okay? Say whatever you want but, there's seriously something up with that woman. Like, seriously, all she talks about is Eun Hee and stuff. It's getting creepy so we avoided EunRa like for the whole day, but I guess she saw right through us and became absent for the past days.
Then again, I heard that the reason why she wasn't able to attend class is because of her Father's matter. Seems like her house is always so bombarded with paparazzi that she can barely keep up with her studies. Well, whatever, you know? We just want to see her as soon as possible and say that we can't be friends anymore. Besides, no one talks to Eun Hee like that. NO ONE." says Ami, squeezing her bread so tight that the strawberry filling fell.
"Well enough about EunRa, have you guys seen Eun Hee act yet?" starts Jin-ah, focusing her attention to Eun Hee and company. I snap my head back at Jin-ah, shocked. "Y-Yah, so it isn't just me that thinks that she's been acting strange lately?!" Ami and Jin-ah stare at each other, then at me like they agreed to each other's thoughts.
"I guess the three of us thinks alike. It's not surprise, we've been with her the longest, so we're bound to know if there's something wrong." says Jin-ah as a matter-of-factly. "Hmm, I don't know how to say it in a nice way but, she looks somewhat less cheery than she looks. But, of course, I also consider the fact that Chanyeol and her may be fighting but seeing her now makes me think otherwise. Really, it's so confusing how her attitude would go from zero to one hundred fast." says Ami, giving up explaining what's on her mind.
I look back to the gazebo, almost as if the feeling inside my gut was coming to solving the case on why her attitude is like that. I stood up almost instantaneously, surprising both Jin-ah and Ami. "I'm going home." "W-What?!" "Don't what me. I don't have any other class left to attend today, bye."
...
Later on. Jihoon's POV. Around the neighbourhood.
I walk downhill with a heavy mind. Geez.. Why am I even looking so much into this matter? Is it because I was suddenly made to wait for her answer to my reply? Wait! That wasn't what I even wanted to say to her for the past times I've been distracted. I tilt my head up to find the red sky expanding all over the area, blowing air off my system.
I stop in place, ceasing to tilt my head any longer. I look straight towards my path, letting people walk pass me without a care in the world. My hands trembled and my throat felt dry with the sudden thought that entered my head. I could hear my own heartbeat out of the many noises heard around me. Could it be that this Eun Hee is.. is actually EunRa? T-That must be it, right? There's no stronger evidence than that..!
To act in such a way that isn't much like the usual Eun Hee.. That's surely EunRa disguised as Eun Hee! I bite my lip, fastening my walk down the crowded street. If that's the case then the real Eun Hee must be at home right now..!
...
Ten minutes later. Jihoon's POV. In front of Eun Hee's House.
I pant, remembering that it wasn't an easy way up to go up to Eun Hee's house that was located at a steep hill. I silently gulp my tiredness away, trying to open the gate that was securely locked. I look within the area before I started yelling. "Eun Hee-yah! Are you there?! It's me, Jihoon!" It took me a minute to realize that there was not a single soul in the house. Not even Eomma, who, by this time should be tending her garden is around anywhere.
I gulp, placing my bag near the gate. I hope no one's here to see this but.. I bent down a jumped high enough for my arms to reach the edge of the brick wall. I tried my very best to climb up the wall just to jump over the house when all of a sudden. "..Ji-Jihoon?"
I whip back and found the real Eun Hee dressed in her home clothes, carrying a plastic bag from the convenient store. My eyes widen, falling backwards landing on my back from the sudden sight of her. She helps me up, "Y-Yah.. What do you think you're doing hijacking my house, huh?" I let the pain fade off in a matter of seconds, focused on more important things like her identity!
"Yah! Jong Eun Hee! You.. Wait, you are Jong Eun Hee, right?" I ask, confusing myself. She lifts me up with her measly strength, taking a step back. "..So you must be the first one who noticed, huh?" She spoke, helping up a miserable smile. I place both my hands onto her shoulders, "Eun Hee, why.. Why are you doing this? Didn't I warn you about her? Why didn't you listen to me?"
She glances up, "Do you really think I stand a chance against her? I tried avoiding her, I really did. But she used the same reason as always! And likewise, I can't say no to that. Just how many times.. must I feel this way about the past.. Jihoon." I watch as tears constantly fall from her eyes, making me think that from the point where EunRa stole her identity a few days back till now, it was only now that she has decided to weaken and finally let the tears she's been meaning to shed.
I pull her in an embrace, "There's still a way to fix this whole mess up, Eun Hee. This time, I won't ask if you'd approve of it or not. I will personally seek help from Chanyeol and settle the matter--" "N-No! Don't tell, Chanyeol, please!"
I watch her pull back from my kind gesture, wiping her tears away like it was nothing. I was awestricken, seeing her pull herself back up in an instance. "I-I don't want him to know about the past.. I don't want people to look at me with eyes that say that I'm dirty. To have taken her childhood away from her.. it's something that I should always remind myself that I can't always live my life happy when in fact I took someone else's life and turned it into a nightmare.."
I barely understood her, but the fact that she takes full responsibility of the whole thing makes me worried that she'll never be truly happy if she doesn't accept that the past is past, and that no matter what changes you do in the future, the past will forever haunt her if she continues to remind herself about it.
I felt my blood rise to my head, furious at EunRa for taking advantage of Eun Hee's kindness. At how EunRa can't see what Eun Hee puts up just so she could feel less hurt of what happened in the past. I stood in place as Eun Hee unlocks her front gate, walking up to the steps of her house. I watch her do so, eyes watching her act so strong about the whole thing. "..I do admire that you came all the way here and clear things up. Even though you won't be able to tell the others about this, I'm still happy that you were able to recognize which is which. That is enough for me, thank you, Jihoon.."
Eun Hee walks fully enters her house, shutting the door behind without looking back at me. I grab hold of my backpack that was by the gate. Out of hatred, punch the brick wall that made my knuckles bleed a bit. It wasn't painful for my part, because this doesn't compare to what Eun Hee is even feeling right now. "Damn it.." I mutter out as I left the area.
--
A/N : hi! an update so soon! wanting to update the next part so soon 'cause it's going to be excited, really! but i have to keep calm and wait for the right time to do so, besides, need to concentrate on my quizzes for now. oh, and for those who still don't get the concept of Eun Hee not wanting to let Chanyeol find out is because "she feels like it's her fault and she feels as though she's being blamed till now that EunRa spent most of her childhood in the hospital (in a coma)." so yeah, eun hee is such a saint i can't even. anyway, i'm prolonging this a/n too much. thanks for reading!! <3
-kimchii xx