Ginza, Tokyo
(12:25am)
"Hisashiburi, Yuki-chan." Long time no see, Yuki-chan.
With a raised hand, I took a cautious step forward. I touched his face to see if he was real. When my fingertips met his right cheek and felt its warmth, I gasped and took a step back.
"Anata wa..." You're...
"Forgot about me already?" he asked, with a chuckle.
I didn't say anything. I still couldn't believe my eyes.
Gone were the silver white hair, replaced with its natural dark color. He looked even more regal with his black suit and open-collared black button up shirt. It contrasted well with his pale white skin, making him look like he just stepped out of a magazine shoot.
Was he always this tall?
"Are you alone?" he asked, looking around the deserted street.
Was his voice always this deep?
"Yuki-chan?"
Were his eyes always this dazzling?
"Daijobu?" Are you okay?
I blinked. I was about to shake my head 'no' when I decided otherwise because I was still trying not to vomit.
"I don't know where my friends went," I managed to mumble. "I'm trying to find them."
He tilted his head, letting his cute side show. Seeing him now made me realize how much I missed him. If only I wasn't dizzy, I would've jumped in happiness and hugged him tight. But if I did that now, I just might end up barfing all over him.
Yeah, that wouldn't be a good second first impression.
"Did you try calling them?"
I frowned. "No." Why didn't I think of that?
Pulling out my phone, it automatically unlocked after recognizing my face. And would you look at that, the screen opened to the photo of us from three years ago that I didn't get to close when I showed it to the girls earlier.
Oh, my goddddd. I hope he didn't see —
"Isn't that from –"
"Nothing," I quickly said. "It's nothing."
Since I was too out of it to scroll and find their names, I asked Siri to call Hikaru. She didn't answer. Then, I tried calling Eiko. She was out of reach. Lastly, I called Ayaka. As the oldest and most responsible of us four, she answered right away.
"Yuki!" she cried, sounding very relieved. "Doko?!" Where are you?!
I scoffed. "Watashi? Minna doko?" Me? Where are you guys?
"We're back at the bar. I told you to stay put while I went out to get Hikaru and Eiko. They were gone too long from getting some fresh air, remember?"
"Oh." Letting out a sheepish laugh, I said, "I forgot."
"Where are you? Hikaru called her driver, he's picking us up at any minute."
I looked around and tried to see anything familiar, but I was still too drunk to recognize any of the closed buildings.
Defeated, I murmured, "Shiranai." I don't know.
A hand reached out in front of me. I raised my head and looked at the man I always secretly longed for. Wah, he was no longer just a 'guy.' He was now a man.
A manly man...
A manly cute man...
Right, so I'm still drunk.
"May I?" he asked, with his hand outstretched as if waiting for me to give him my phone.
Yeah, as if I could say no.
I handed him my phone and watched as he brought it to his ear. To say I wasn't excited to hear more of his voice again would be a total lie. If I could, I'd use it as my ringtone.
"Moshi mosh, Yi Jin Yeong desu." Hi, this is Yi Jin Yeong.
There was a pause as he listened to the other end. Then, he chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. I loved that he was still a mixture of manly and cute. I could watch him forever.
"Hai, ore wa kankoku kara kimashita." Yes, I'm from Korea.
His piercing dark brown eyes suddenly landed on me. It suddenly reminded me of the time when we were running from some thugs and hid in a dark alley in Seoul. It felt so long ago, and yet it was also as if it was only yesterday.
"Daijobu desu. Ore wa Yuki-chan no sewa o shimasu." It's alright. I'll take care of her.
My heartbeat accelerated. What was going on? What was Ayaka saying? He was going to take care of me? Did he mean forever? But wait, I wasn't Mulan. And he wasn't Lee Shang.
He was Yi Jin Yeong.
Maybe this was a dream. Where was my Mushu?
Jin Yeong's voice brought me back to the present.
"Hai, wakarimasu." Yes, I understand.
Just like that, he hung up and gave the phone back to me. What, that was it? Pocketing my phone, I was about to ask what he and Ayaka talked about but then he spoke.
"I'll take you home," he declared.
Huh? But... "You don't know where I live."
He hesitated, before saying, "Your friend told me." His eyes traveled to my hand that was holding the lamp post. I didn't even realize I was leaning on it for support.
"Can you walk?"
I pouted, making him laugh. Then, he knelt on the ground with his back to me.
"Hop on."
Let's be real here. Most Asian girls would say no because they'd be shy, especially when it was the person they liked who offered to carry them. But I was never really shy.
Besides, why would I pass up the opportunity to hug him?
"Arigatou~" I sang before putting my arms and legs around him like a koala.
Resting my cheek on his warm back, I closed my eyes and sighed when he straightened up and began walking. Hmm, he smelled good.
"I parked not too far from here," he told me.
He always took good care of me, even when he barely knew me. I remembered that time I rode on the back of his bike. I never felt more free.
Come to think of it, I was also hugging him from behind back then. The memory brought a smile to my face. At this moment, my father could show up right in front of me and I'd flip him the bird. That was how much I didn't care about anything right now – except of course, keeping this cute man close to me.
God, his mere presence made me feel better. He didn't even have to say anything, and yet for some reason, I believed that everything was going to be okay.
Breathing in more of his scent, I whispered, "Bogoshipeo, oppa." I miss you, oppa.
I felt his pace go slower. "Jinjja?" Really?
I opened my eyes a little, my grin morphing into a sad smile even though he couldn't see.
"Jinjja." Really.
His voice was even quieter when he replied, "Da do." Me, too.
I could feel the tears building up in my eyes, but I blinked as hard as my droopy state could allow me to stop them from falling. Why did I feel like crying? That was so silly.
Tightening his hold on me, he added, "Dangsini aneun geosisang eulo." More than you know.
My eyes were starting to shut on their own, but I didn't want to end our conversation yet. I was afraid that if I sleep now, I'd wake up tomorrow and find this all to be a dream.
"Are you here to rescue me?" I asked him, barely a whisper.
"From what?"
"My destiny."
He let out a soft chuckle, his body slightly shaking in the process. "Do you want me to?"
I tried to nod, but I didn't think I was able to pull it off. "I never stopped thinking about you," I admitted. "I kept wondering, 'What's Jin Yeong doing now? Is his hair still white?'"
"It's not anymore."
"Mm," I breathed out, the corners of my lips turning up in a tiny smile. I wasn't able to stop a tear from rolling down my right cheek. "You look more princely, something more of a reality than a fantasy."
I didn't know how long the silence lasted, but it was a while before he spoke again.
"Sorry I took this long to come to you."
He sounded so sad that it broke my heart.
"That's okay," I tried to say out but it came out as a slur. I was so tired. Today was a roller coaster of emotions. "You're here now. That's all that matters."
We made it to the car at some point, but my eyes were already closed. It was a miracle how I was able to get inside his car. I could still hear him, though. Barely.
"Some things haven't changed."
I thought I heard a chuckle from his side.
"Gwiyeobda."
__________
Ah, the nostalgia.
Who got emotional when Jin Yeong apologized, though? Huhu.