Last Chapter – Welcome back
"Mina, I have a question" I turned around and looked at her with a smile, waiting for her to continue. "Don't you smile a lot these days?" So Hyun asked teasingly and I laughed. "Anyway, I was wondering if you need any help with moving?" she questioned, doodling on her notebook. "No, thank you. I'm almost finished with my preparation and I know that you just need an occasion to meet Minho" I said playfully, to which she pouted and I turned back around, facing the teacher, who was lecturing us about our upcoming future.
The bell echoed, signaling the end of the school day. I couldn't actually describe it as a school day since holidays have already started, in fact, they were almost over in a few weeks and the seniors were invited over for a last gathering as classmates. I stood up with a pleased smile of what I had done in this past few months and packed my bag.
"Let's go," I said after I bided my final farewell to them and together we walked to our regular ice cream shop, bought the delicacy, and walked back home while the entire way was filled with chatter and laughter. "See you," I said and opened the door to my house and she walked away. "I'm home," I announced, but heard no reply. At that moment, I noticed that no one would be home right now. "Right" I uttered to myself and walked upstairs, to my room.
Somehow, I've grown to like the countryside very much. The peacefulness and calmness are something that puts my mind at ease and relaxes my entire body, allowing me to enjoy every moment I have. I will move out and go back to Seoul in a matter of some months though.
I studied very hard for my final year. Since I was busy with my part time job to help the household, I mostly had to spend my nights with books in my hands. With a lot of effort, I managed to get accepted to the National University of Seoul and I have already talked to my uncle and asked him if I could move back into the apartment I used to live in Seoul, after all, it's his property.
He warmly accepted my request and was glad that everything was going well here. The amusing fact was that he hadn't come back in that apartment since I left, so I know that I have to clean it up very well once I arrive there.
I wasn't that close to my aunt. Of course, after everything that had happened it seems impossible for me to open up to her, but we were close to each other to a certain extent. I wasn't sure if I would be able to leave everything and everyone behind and live well, but time passed gradually and I especially received help from my friends.
Hina and Daisy would often come over at weekends or So Hyun would often spend time at my place. She was my first friend I made here and she also grew to be the closest to me. Besides, the boys also paid a visit quite often. Especially Jonghyun. Somehow, he seems like a family member since he is present at my home every few days.
One day, after I woke up and walked to the kitchen, I saw that to my surprise, he was sitting there, laughing with my aunt and cousin, enjoying breakfast made by my aunt. How he suddenly befriended her is still a mystery to me till this date. After that incident, he was at home often. Sometimes my uncle would invite him over to watch a baseball game and once, my aunt even called him to ask him what color her bedroom should get colored in. Somehow, he grew influential in our family.
Not that I minded.
Coming back to the boys, it's just my assumption, but I suppose that So Hyun has grown a certain interest in Minho, though she never admitted it. So Hyun can be depicted as a young girl, about as tall as me, with a very sympathetic personality. She is very sentimental, another thing she strongly denies and I have already understood that she is the type of person who doesn't like to show her weaknesses and tends to cry somewhere alone rather than to burst out in front of anybody.
After I finished my final packing, I cleaned the entire house and took a shower. By then, it was already night time, my relatives had already arrived home and my aunt had prepared my favorite dishes since it was my last meal with them.
The next day, I left early in the morning. I knew that I don't have to take everything with me at once, because I can come back and pick the rest up later anyway, so I didn't bother to overload my bags. We had a comfortable farewell, neither of us was gloomy but also not too glad.
After some hours, I arrived in Seoul and started moving towards my apartment. While I walked through the streets, a nostalgic feeling took over me as I couldn't wait to meet everyone once again. Actually, I haven't told anybody that I'd be coming back, so I am certain that I will surprise them. I opened the front door of the apartment and entered it with a wide smile. Every corner of this apartment tells me a different story.
Well, the rest of the day was spent with cleaning, rearranging, and buying some groceries. By evening, after I was finished with everything and finally sat down on the sofa, I received a strange message from Jonghyun.
Come over at my place.
For some seconds, I gazed at the screen dumbfounded. Does he know about my arrival? If so, how? I stood up, glanced at myself in the mirror, fixed my messed-up hair and walked towards his apartment, which was right next door. Even though he had visited me countless times, I hadn't had the opportunity to stopover at his apartment, yet his key was still in my possession.
Soundlessly I opened the door and stepped inside, a bright illumination was being triggered from the living room and naturally, I started making my way towards there. In the hallway, I heard some giggles, laughter and a bright atmosphere coming from that room and I already had an idea what was going on in there. With a smile, I entered the room and came face to face with everybody whom I was expecting to be here.
Key, Minho, and Onew were playing cards while making some jokes, Daisy and Hina were placing some snacks they made on the table while Jonghyun, Taemin, and Jae Wan were sitting on the sofa, talking about something. As soon as I entered, all of them stood up and looked at me with me a bright smile. "Welcome back"
Key unexpectedly made his way towards me and suddenly crushed me into a hug. "Hey, get away from her" I heard Jonghyun exclaim, but I just hugged him back while the others laughed. After some seconds, we were pulled apart by Jonghyun, who was shooting daggers at Key with his stare to which he only replied with a cheeky grin.
Well, you can say that after that, our celebration started, our wild celebration if I may add, till 4 a.m. Jokes, weird stories, laughter, and music took over our night and at some point, my face had started to hurt because I had laughed that much.
"You should have seen how much Taemin tried to make Hina forgive him," Minho told me, referring to an argument they had a few months ago, while Taemin scratched his head embarrassed. "Till what extent did he go?" I asked curiously. "He went to her school and gave her roses in front of everybody," he said and I burst out laughing as I clapped my hands. "I didn't know that you are the cheesy type"
By now, Daisy, Hina, Key, Onew and Jae Wan had fallen asleep, some on the sofa, some on the floor, covered in blankets Jonghyun and I had laid on them. They were looking as if somebody had just thrown huge rocks in the middle of the room. The only ones awake were Minho, Taemin, Jonghyun, and I. I don't know how long our talk lasted, but at some point, I fell asleep as well.
By the time I woke up, I realized that my head was resting on Jonghyun's shoulder, who was right beside me last night and Taemin's head was resting on Jonghyun's other shoulder while Minho had buried his head in his hands, who were placed on the table. Because I shifted myself, Jonghyun woke up and because he moved, Taemin woke up as well. Minho probably woke up because he sensed people shifting next to him and so all of us looked at each other with tired faces. The other ones were on the other side of the room, still sleeping.
"I have a headache" I whispered, while I massaged my head. By the way, Taemin looked, I was sure that his head was hurting as well because of the position we had slept. "I'm craving for some warm soup," Jonghyun said and Minho nodded in agreement. "I'll make some," I said and tied my hair into a bun.
One by one, everybody woke up and I served everyone soup, which I had quickly but deliciously made. Though no drinking was involved yesterday, we all were looking as if we were just having our worst hangover ever. "Never again," I said as I sipped from my soup. "Never again" Jae Wan agreed as the others nodded.
Well, a week later when So Hyun came to visit me, we all did it again. This time, at my place. The next day, we were sitting there, drinking soup once again, wondering how we manage to come to this state without any alcoholic influence. Two days later, I went back to the countryside to pick up my remaining luggage and to see if my aunt and uncle were doing well, and as I had arrived back Seoul, I decided to take the long walk home, to enjoy the sunset which was about to go down.
As I walked on the bridge, I gazed at the sun and recalled everything that has happened until now, but a while later, I noticed somebody coming from the other direction, a figure wearing black jeans and a white shirt. I stared at the person curiously, wondering what he was doing here, as he seemed to be in his own world, not noticing me a bit. "Jonghyun?" I asked once he was about to pass by me.
He took out one of his earbuds and looked at me surprised. "What are you doing here?" I wondered. "I was going over at Taemin's" he replied. Since he knew where I had been, he didn't bother to ask me. "Alright, see you tomorrow," I said and continued walking. Suddenly, he grabbed my hand and stopped me midway in my tracks. "Wait, I'll come with you"
"Don't you have to go?" I wondered. "I can meet him another time, he is probably busy with Hina anyway," he said as he shrugged. Strangely enough, while we were walking in silence, he was a few steps ahead of me, which was normally never the case as I am used to walking next to him. "Why are you in such a hurry, wait for me"
And I fell.
It was embarrassing, to be honest, to stumble across practically nothing and fall down. To whom happens that? Nobody. Jonghyun turned around and at the site of me he began laughing and I looked at him with a pout, not minding standing up. I didn't mind that he was laughing, since his happy face never made me angry, even if it was because of my embarrassment.
He took a few steps towards me and bend down and looked at me with a smile. "Why are you walking alone?" I asked as I dusted my hands off. "Sorry, I got carried away. I don't like walking without you as well, let's go together" he said as he extended his hands to me. I looked at him confused for a few seconds, but then just smiled, took his hands and stood up.
"What's in for dinner anyway?" he wondered. "Pasta" I replied happily. "Again?" he asked as if he had enough of them. "You don't like pasta?" I asked, noticing that I might have made them too often. "No, I love pasta" he replied quickly. "Geez, you don't have to lie, tell me the truth; should I make something else?"
Suddenly he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and locked his forehead with mine. "Do me a favor and don't make them so frequently after our wedding"
End of Chapter 33
Fin
Don't forget to check out the epilogue!