Chapter 14 / The Fall
Chorong's POV
My heart sank.
And then I let out a relief when I saw Namjoo and Eunji singing happily together. There's Hayoung, Bomi and Sungjae tooㅡand another guy I don't know of.
I almost cried of happiness. "Yaaah!" I frowned at Namjoo and Eunji who came to hug me. "You worried me!"
"My apologies, Park Chorong-ssi, it was the only way." Eunji said grinning.
"I'm totally happy and not crying, eonni. Happy birthday!" Namjoo said with a huge smile.
I hugged them both tightly. "Please don't do that again."
"I know you thought we've forgotten about the day you get older." Eunji teased.
My cheeks reddened. "Yah!"
They laughed and came to me one by one. After the two, Hayoung rushed to hug me. "Happy birthday, my pretty cousin."
"Why did you come? Aren't you busy?" I asked.
She smiled, still as pretty as ever. "Never too busy for you!"
"Aye!" I bumped my shoulder with hers. We giggled.
Bomi came to give me a hug with that shy smile of hers. "I haven't known you so long but I really like you, eonni! Thank you for everything you've done for my brother. Happy birthday!"
"Thank you, Bomi-ah. But your brother..." I said, looking at her quizzically.
She grinned. "Is behind you."
My heart jumped. I turned around quickly.
And there he is, standing by the door. When he smiled at me, I noticed every move on his faceㅡthe curving up of his lips, the scrunching of his nose, the way his eyes narrowed, the wrinkling of the skin beside his eyes as he did so, the twinkle in themㅡmy heart went wild. His smile is a sudden sunshine after a stormy day, like a youth merged with old age, a smile so pure that I think it could heal all the wounds in my heart. There's definitely something different in this smile among all his smiles. I wanted to capture it in my head and maybe, remember it always.
The way I felt was thrilling and scary but it made me happy.
How could I feel such great happiness for a person I barely know? It's like he was sent by some kind-hearted being to make my life much better.
"Happy birthday, Chorongie." He said calmly.
I smiled at him, then he started walking towards me and when he wrapped his arms around me, I felt warm and safeㅡa.k.a, I don't ever want him to pull away. I wish I could pause everything at the moment.
"You tricked me." I said.
When he chuckled, I felt his shoulders shake. "I'm sorry."
He pulled away and I kept smiling because I couldn't stop. We looked at each other, eye to eye, for a while before someone cleared his throat.
"Happy birthday, Park Chorong noona! I hope you don't mind that we're here." said Sungjae, smiling.
I smiled shyly, my cheeks burning. They all looked at us with meaning. I could read their faces and I wondered if they could read mine too at that moment.
"Not really. Thanks for being here." I said to him.
Another guy cleared his throat. Changsub patted the guy's shoulder and told me, "By the way, this is Seo Eunkwang. My best friend. I hope you don't mind he's here. He wanted to meet you." He said, smiling sheepishly.
I looked at Eunkwang and smiled, "Hi, I'm Park Chorong. It's nice to meet you."
Eunkwang smiled back nicely and shook hands with me. "Woah, you're really pretty! I heard a lot about you so it's nice to finally see that you're not fictional." He joked.
I laughed rather shyly. I am way overhyped about the fact that Lee Changsub spoke about me too with his friends. "Nope, I'm very real." I said.
"Hyung, when I first saw her, we had almost the same reaction." Sungjae said.
Changsub frowned and pulled my hand and Eunkwang's apart. "Stop it you two! You're making her uncomfortable." He said.
I waved both my hands. "No, noㅡ"
"I'm a girl but I had the same exact thought." Bomi said, smiling.
I laughed. My cheeks are tomatoes. "Why are you guys being like this! Well, it really is my birthday, I guess."
"And your precious day calls for an awesome celebration!" Namjoo said cheerfully.
They prepared lots of food, snacks, and drinks. We ate with upbeat songs playing in the background. It wasn't really awkward at all. Apparently, Namjoo and Sungjae know each other. They used to train together and they're pretty close. Sungjae also knows Hayoung. They're in the same university, though it took her quite a while to remember him. Bomi and Eunkwang have their own worldㅡlaughing by themselves. Eunji asked Changsub questions from time to time and I'm just talking to all of them from time to time. At that very moment, I was really, really happy.
After dinner, Eunji set up the karaoke. Eunkwang turned out to be a fan of Apink, or he said so. When Eunji started singing, he cheered like a kid from the couch.
"Thanks for bringing your friends." I told Changsub who was sitting beside me.
He smiled. "I was worried they'd make your party explode."
"In a good way."
"So," he said. "How old are you?"
I frowned. "Don't even ask."
"Why! Waitㅡdon't tell me you're older than you look like?" he said with a chuckle.
"How old do I look like?"
His eyebrow raised while thinking it through. "Actually, you look eighteenㅡbut no, I can't accept that you're that young..."
I grinned and this time, raised my eyebrow at him. "How old are you?"
"I'm not old!"
I laughed. "Too defensive."
"Seriously!"
"Okay, let's say our ageㅡin three."
"Deal."
And then we counted together, "Three, two, oneㅡtwenty seven!"
Both our eyes widened. We stared at each other for a moment and then we burst out laughing. "Ohmygosh! I can't believe it!" I said.
"Heol..."
"What's your birthmonth?" I asked.
"February."
I nodded. "Date?"
"Twenty-six." He replied with a smirk.
"Twenty-sixth of February, nineteen-ninety-one. Noted."
He smiled and scooted a little closer towards me. "Can we talk somewhere else for a moment?" he asked.
My heartbeat races. "Their balcony, I guess?"
"That would do."
As we went, Namjoo winked at meㅡmaking me smile and blush stupidly.
The night air was chilly and the stars, including the moon, were so bright. The crickets were singing loudly. I grabbed the railing of the balcony and inhaled. "So what's the top secret?" I asked him.
Changsub shook his head, smiling. "Nothingㅡ" he replied. "I just wanted to give you my gift."
I looked at him. "Oh! You got me one?"
"What do you take me for?"
"Aye," I said, grinning. I nudged at his arm through my elbow. "You didn't have to get me one. What you guys did for me tonight was enough."
"I wanted to get you something." he said. "Don't worry, it's not as extravagant as my bike." He added with a sheepish grin.
I grinned back, and then he took out a notebook from his backpack. It was a hardbound, black leather notebook. "Here, it's a music notebook. It's not much but I really wanted to get it for you." he said.
I took the notebook with a smile. "Thank you, Changsub."
"Open it at home. I mean, go through the pages." he said.
I nodded. "Okay." I looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks again."
He just looked at me with a faint smile for a while, and then to my surpriseㅡhe wrapped his arms around me, hugging me warmly.
My heartbeat was out of control. It was quick and loudㅡand I knew that at that moment, Changsub could probably feel it too.
"Changsub-ah..." I mumbled through his shirt.
I felt his hand caressing my hair. "Thank you for coming into my life." he said awkwardly but sincerity filled his voice. "I hope you're happy. Always."
My arms came to life and slowly, I wrapped them around him too. It was so, so strange and comfortable at the same time. "I hope you are, too. Always."
When we pulled away from each other, Changsub has this coy smile on his face and the moonlight reflected on his eyes. I was trying to keep my cool even though I know, I know better than to deny thatㅡthisㅡthis could be falling in love. Again.
"Hyung? Oh!" Sungjae suddenly popped out from the door. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't mean to interrupt something that could have happened if I didn't come," he said, making my cheeks heat up even more. "ButㅡI came to say I have to go. I know, I know I'm gonna miss the rest of the fun but I have to be a responsible senior college student."
Changsub frowned at him. "Already? Are you kidding me?"
Sungjae sighed. "Okay, actually, Hayoung needs to go already because she's a good senior college student and I'm a gentleman who's gonna drive her home."
"I knew it!" Changsub said.
"She's leaving? I should talk to her." I told them and excused myself, hearing Sungjae teased Changsub as I left.
I was hugging the notebook he gave me when I saw Hayoung waiting for me by the living room. Eunkwang is the one singing now and all the ladies were cheering for him because the song he picked was pretty high.
"Eonni!" Hayoung called with a smile. "I have to go back to the dorm."
"Sungjae told me."
"Ah, yes. He said he needs to go, too."
I grinned. "Yah! Focus on your studies, OK? There's not much time left until you graduate. Wait until then."
She frowned. "Why are you saying that? I don't even like anyone!"
"Seriously?"
"NoㅡI don't like anyone who could possibly like me. Anyways, eonni, I really like Changsub oppa for you. Well, I haven't seen much to judge but I saw the way you look at hiㅡ"
"Hayoung-ah! Good night. Have a safe trip back to your dorm!" I said, cutting her off.
She grinned and hugged me tightly. "Happy, happy birthday. You know my wish for youㅡis for your wish to come true."
I smiled and hugged her back. "Thank you, Hayoung-ah."
"I'll visit often once my exams are done." she said and then she handed me a paper bag. "And here's my gift to you."
"Come on! What's this again? You always give me weird stuff."
For the past few years, she has given me a kinetic sand (saying it's a stress reliever), a shirt that says I Don't Believe In Humans, and a mug that says Jesus shaves and Jesus saves on it. I have no idea how on earth she thinks of me when she sees these things. Anyway, I don't use the mug because the image of Jesus with a shaving razor disturbed me.
Hayoung laughed. "Just be thankful! You will like this one."
I shook my head and smiled. "Thank you, Hayoung-ah. I'll see you soon."
"Let's snap a picture before you go!" Namjoo said, already coming towards us with a camera.
Everyone posed for a picture and then Sungjae and Hayoung left. Soon, Namjoo and Eunji were too red-cheeked and too drunk to keep on partying so they unknowingly fell asleep on the couch together. Eunkwang and Bomi headed out first, then Changsub and I.
He let his best friend, Seo Eunkwang, take Bomi back home while he gave me a ride with his bike. We were almost quiet for the entire ride. There really weren't much words to say. The night couldn't be more perfect.
Or it could be.
"Changsub-ah," I called from behind him.
"Yes?"
"Do you mind giving me a ride to mom?" I asked.
He took a turn with his bike and said, "As you wish, birthday girl."
I smiled and fought the urge to tighten my arms around him. "Thank you." I muttered as I laid my cheek on his back.
#
It was late yet the hospital is still very much alive. Changsub parked and locked his bike outside, then we headed inside.
I led the way to my mom's ICU. Changsub followed me quietly. Since it wasn't visiting hour, we just stood right before the transparent glass window that separated us from mom.
"I just wanted to see her before this day ends." I said softly.
Changsub looked at me and smiled faintly. "Won't you introduce me?"
I grinned. "She already knows you, I think."
This seemed to have taken him aback for a quick moment, then he smiled again. "Let me introduce myself properly then!" He said cheerfully and then he looked at my mom, without any judgement or pityㅡthe way I saw with other people. He looked at her like she's just sleeping and like she's really alive. "Hello, Park Chorong's mom. I'm Lee Changsub. Your daughter's current best friendㅡI hope I'll always be one for her."
I chuckled at this.
And then Changsub added, "Thank you so much for giving birth to a genius songwriter, your first gem."
I looked at him in astonishment and thought I couldn't have loved him more than this. I don't know what kind of love it isㅡbut surely, I've learned to love Lee Changsubㅡwhether it's as a friend, or something more than that.
"You know the meaning of my name?" I asked him.
He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Don't get creeped out, but maybe I googled it a little."
"A little?"
"Was curious."
I grinned and pinched his growing cheeks. They are less skinny now than they were originally.
"You stalker."
"Hey! I'm not a stalker!" He said, then he faced mom again and talked to her. "Chorong's mom, please wake up soon. You need to hear the song we're working on. It's going to be beautiful, and you're going to be so proud of Chorongie."
I smiled at him, but I could feel my vision getting blurry, my heart clenching.
I guess I've really fallen for him.
It means I've moved on and I'm finally happy againㅡbut if that's a good thing, why do I feel so scared?
#
A/N: The mug is real!! XD
It exists somewhere.
Thank you guys for reading!
Hahahahahaha have you been waiting so long for the first kiss scene? I'm sorry to keep you waiting. It might come soon. ;)
And I googled the meaning of Cho Rong and it told me, first gem. Lol
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Also, there will be more chapters to come so don't worry about this fanfic ending soon. x