September 13, 2000. Friday. Camellia Resort.
"♫ I know how you look like, I know your voice, I know your scent~ ♪" I continue to hum the song in my head, jotting down everything I see fits. "Oh my, are you writing a love song there, EunHa?" I look up to find Jyeri, the successor of Camellia Resort. I wrinkle my nose, re-erasing the lyrics I just added. "Hmm, now that you mention it, it really seems like one." Jyeri raise a brow, "Seems like one? Rather, it is one! So who's this lucky guy, huh?!"
She playfully glomps me from behind, her way of voicing out the things I'm keeping quiet about. I pinch her nearest cheek, "There is no lucky guy, for your information." I stash my writing pad underneath my pillow, scraping her arms off around me. "Right now, my career as a lyricist and a part-time waitress in your Grandma's resort is the most important thing in my life now. There's no space for other emotions!"
Jyeri shakes her head once, "Aigo. Keep talking like that and you'll end up growing old, EunHa." I snob her words, getting ready for work to start. Although I have unconsciously written a love song, to me, the lyrics almost means nothing. I have grown apart from that emotion after experiencing a cruel unrequited love by someone who never looked at my way.
Because I've focused all my time in finishing my studies, I never really had the time to mingle with others. And if I had the chance, the memory of Jonghyun will always and continue to haunt me. To relieve myself from a depressing state, my mind would often think of the happiness that both Chulwoo and Yebin have and think that's enough for me to be happy about.
"EunHa! EunHa!" I glance back to find one Camellia Resort's famous waitress short out of breath. I went about an inch near her, "What's happened, Sae-yon?" She stands upright, staring at me with her big round eyes. "Some handsome stranger is asking for you in the LOUNGE right now!"
I felt my eyebrows furrow, "Are you sure? He might have made a mistake." Sae-yon cups both my cheeks. "He personally asked for Jong EunHa!" I stumble outside the room, looking back to find Jyeri wishing me luck as she squeezes Sae-yon the details of this mystery man.
I clear my nervousness down as I was nearing in the LOUNGE. A lot of worrisome things ran in my mind, things like should I fix my uniform well or should I just let it be, or things like who can this mysterious man be to find someone who works for thirty thousand won a week in this resort. Soon, I reach the inside of the LOUNGE, cautiously passing by customers who came to relax.
Soon, a voice calls out for me. "EunHa." I felt a tickle in my heart, looking back to find the person who ruined the definition of Love. "Jong..hyun." Like lightning, the feelings that I've restrained deep within my heart rose up once more. Jonghyun stands from his seat, surprising me with an embrace. My hands wanted to wrap itself around him, but I reprimand myself to get ahead of myself.
He breaks off the hug, smiling so softly at me. "How have you been, EunHa?" "I'm fine, you?" "I've been better, tons of work to do now since I've expanded my Family's hospital business and so forth." "I see, that's good to hear then."
A long second occupies between our conversation, my eyes glued down only to his chest, afraid that if I look at him any longer I might just give away what I've been hiding within myself. He disperse from his spot, placing himself back on his seat. "Go on and take a seat, there are many things that I want to talk about."
Silently, I take the vacant seat in front of him. "Seems you've changed your phone number." He starts, pouring me a cup of tea. "Ah, yeah. I thought it would be better to change it when I started in a University." "That's a shame. I was actually trying to contact you during those times, for a second I thought you blocked my number." He plasters a relieved expression, almost painful to see with my own eyes.
"How did you find me?" I gibber. Jonghyun leans back at his seat, "I used all my connections to find you." My hands clench tight on top of my lap, "And your reason for doing that is because?" "It's because I wanted to see you."
My heart starts racing with butterflies swarming my stomach. This felt all too surreal, to experience such a kind Jonghyun, this must all be a dream. Jonghyun suddenly eases my hands as he embrace it with his. "EunHa, I know it is late of me to say this but, ever since we parted ways, only then did I realize how important you are in my life. I tried to forget you countless of times but really, there is only you in the end of the day."
My eyes round in horror, watching as he pops out a ring from his pocket. "I know that I'm rushing things but, do you want to be my woman?" I literally froze in place, my mouth was open but no words seem to exit. "This is not a dream after all.." I mutter. He caress my left cheek with the back of his hand, "If it were, I'd wake up immediately, find you, and say the same words I just said."
I felt my cheeks redden from his sweet words, bobbing my head consequently after a second has passed. "If you would accept me, then yes..!" My heart that denied any sort of happy emotions crumbled away, accepting this feeling of Love. "That's great! But.." "But?" "Before anything else, I need you to do two important things."
I put up a determined look, "What is it?" Jonghyun release a short-lived sigh, "First, I want you to re-build your relationship with Chulwoo." I look down onto the table, it's true that I lost contact with Chulwoo and Yebin and the fact that they're happy makes me happy as well. But, the day we parted at the corner street of where my Mother lived, where he announced that he was dating Yebin, I just can't help but feel lonely now that he's gone from my side. "Though, by doing this, you must hide the fact that we are getting together. Is that clear?"
I didn't mean what he meant by that, but with this harmless task, I don't see the reason not to follow his wishes. "Alright." He previews a grin, "Great."
Jonghyun slides a card on my side of the table. "Now, Chulwoo now takes over the hotels that he inherited from his Father-in-law. I see him once a week in his house to check on Yebin. Although he is busy travelling from one place to another, if you call him, he'll surely want to reunite with you after so long."
I stare at the gold-coloured calling card, "I see. Okay, I'll do it." I enter the digits on the phone that Chulwoo had given me years back, hearing the ringing go on till the fourth ring where a caller answers. "Hello? Who is this?" The sound of his voice tickled my ear, indeed, he really has grown. "It's.. EunHa."
"EunHa..? Jong EunHa?" spoke Chulwoo, his voice trembling as he called out my name. I continue to stare at Jonghyun who focused his attention to the window beside him, "Yeah, it's me." A loud clatter sounds off from Chulwoo's line, before he spoke once again. "It really is you..! God, how many years has it been. I.. I have been trying to contact you, but I guess you changed your number."
"Yeah, it's been too long, even your voice has changed a lot, Chulwoo." "Hahaha, is that so? I guess I've truly turned into a man, huh." The both of us continued to have a leisure conversation, only to realize that Jonghyun was in front of me the whole time. Jonghyun's eyes meant no threat as he stared at me, instead, he seemed quite happy with the results going on between Chulwoo and I. "Hey, do you think we could meet tomorrow?" spoke Chulwoo, his voice more relaxed from a while ago.
"Meet up..?" I repeat for Jonghyun to hear. Jonghyun smirks, nodding his head once. "Ah, yeah, it's nice if we could but to go to Seoul will take a long time to arrive so--" "Don't worry. I'll be the one to see you there personally." My heart made a bit of a reaction with his words, shaking the feeling off as I agree to our meeting. "Okay." "I'll be there around twelve noon." "Alright, see you tomorrow." "See you."
I disconnected the phone call, placing it back in my front pocket. "Seems things are still going well between you two." I nimbly smile, "I guess so." Jonghyun gulps the remaining tea in his cup, rising from his seat after a second or two. "Uhm, about the second thing you wanted me to do."
Jonghyun looks back at me, "Ah, right. It's nothing hassle, really. I just want you to continue meeting up with Chulwoo and bond with him a bit more." He looks down onto his phone, "I will be busy from this month onwards. Once all work is settled, I'll come back for you." Yet again, with such eyes, I felt like melting.
Soon after, he left the LOUNGE and likewise he resort. Almost all the staff in the resort questioned me about the meeting I had with Jonghyun. To have such a handsome guy call out to me, of course everyone would be curious as to why. I decided to keep it low till the end of our bargain, only able to tell Jyeri about the whole proposal thing.
As for the ring he showed me, I would often look down on my hand, thinking of how it would feel to finally be with someone whom I longed for such a long time. The heart that I thought wouldn't move for anyone, started to move for the same person once again.
For tomorrow, to meet Chulwoo after so many years, I can only imagine how much happiness it would be to reunite with the friends that I have lost back in 1994. This time, I want to make things right again.
--
A/N : sorry if you guys expected a chapter with eun hee and the dorks. I'll try to keep this title till part 2 only. this will explain the complicated relationship between the parents. hope you guys had a fun holiday. i'll continue to work hard again. thanks for reading!
-kimchii xx