Dad joke of the day: If you see a robbery at an Apple Store does that make you an iWitness?
Enjoy reading :)
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'I, Lewis Kim, in faith, honesty and love, take you to be my wedded wife, to share with you God's plan for our lives together.'
"I do, I do!!" Somin's head bobbed up and down.
'And with God's help, to strengthen and guide me I will be a strong leader in our life."
Tears were glistening in her eyes. She smiled widely, her eyes fixed ahead. She was tightly clutching the water bottle-cum-bouquet. "Yah, I'm trying to work," An echo resounded in the apartment.
'For better, for worse, in sickness and in health, in joys and in sorrows, until death do we part. Will you take me as your husband, Jane?' He asked tenderly.
"Yes, yes, yes!!!" Somin screamed at the top of her lungs, while jumping on her couch. Leo yelped beside her.
A voice howled from the study room again. "TURN DOWN THE VOLUME, SOMIN!"
"I love you!" She yelled at the LED screen before her. She was watching her favorite Rom-com for the twenty-nine-thousandth time starring her favorite actor of all time. His hair was styled to perfection as he flashed his pearly whites to his bride as they kissed. After facing a whole two hours of struggling for the girl he loved, they were finally together. That was the kind of love Somin always sought. One that never wavered no matter what. For someone as complicated as Somin, it was a surprise how a simple 90's movie like'Infinity' became her favorite.
Exhaling out in ecstasy, she sunk back into the couch, singing along the track that was playing. The study room blew open, revealing an irritated guy in his mid-twenties. "I swear I'm going to kick your--"
Somin shrieked as the actor appeared on the screen again. "Omo, omo, oppa!"
Nam Seungmin cursed under his breath as he strode behind the LED, disconnecting the plug. He had no regrets because she watched that film thrice every year, probably even more. Sometimes his little sister got too much on his nerves. No, scratch that, she got on his nerves all the damn time.
"Petis tas de merde!" Somin shouted. "Why did you do that?!" [you little piece of shit]
Her elder brother smirked. "Now you see me? I told you I'm trying to work, Somin. Go and--eww. . . . what happened?" His nose scrunched in disgust, pointing at her. "Did Leo poop on your face?"
She smacked his bulky shoulder. "Shut up, it's my brand new olive face mask."
"Well, sorry to say, you smell worse than Leo's shit." He commented, his hand was delving inside the rice cake jar.
She snatched it from his hand, "It's mine!"
Seungmin stuck out a tongue in her face. "No baby, the law states the last piece is always for the one who bought it."
"But I bought it!"
He rolled his eyes, taking the rice cake from her hand. "Yea sure."
Somin propped her hands on her hips and laughed. "Well, mister, did I forget to mention that I've got my first pay?"
He gaped at her. Through the previous years, many people had signed with Somin, having been hypnotized with her visuals. It was usually food chains or accessory brands of small scale. They were quite cheap and fraudulent because they always refused to pay her after they'd gotten her to advertise for them. "Seriously?"
She nodded smugly, pulling it from his grip and popping it in her mouth in one go. He was beyond happy for her. His eyes, so identical to Somin's, were twinkling with delight. After a minute, a frown took back its place. "Hang on, you haven't even debuted."
"I told you, I got offered a shoot for that shoe wear in Itaewon last week."
He whistled, impressed. "My baby sister is growing up."
She rolled her eyes. 'Yeah, yeah go and do your work."
"Did you tell Mom? You should let her know." He leaned against the marble slab in their open kitchen, the urgency of the deadline of his work assignments slipped from his mind.
She shook her head, peeling off her mask slowly. "Nah, she doesn't care anyway."
He opened his mouth to correct her but she was faster. "Look, I'm very happy right now. Don't ruin my mood by mentioning her, okay?"
Seungmin sighed. He tried to break his big news to her right then but seeing her smiling blissfully to herself in the mirror, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He'd been struggling to do that since yesterday but something always held his back. He wasn't even sure if she'd take it positively. Sometimes he just wished things would be easier for the two of them.
Somin glanced at him from the mirror. "What's with that face?"
He forced a tight smile. "Nothing." Seungmin pointed at the LED. "When will you ever stop watching that sickeningly, sweet movie? It makes me want to throw up, you know?"
She piped. "It gets me every time. Their love is just so pure and surreal. I want someone like Lewis, you know. Who'd fight the whole world for me and---"
"Yes, you can spare the details."
"Well, don't blame me for falling in love with the idea of a perfect and happy marriage. You might not have noticed but our parents haven't exactly set up a good example, have they?" She shot back.
See? That's why I can't say a word. She still hadn't moved on from the divorce and all the abandonment drama. And it didn't seem like she had any plans any time soon. Sometimes, he was too worried for her. But then again, she was the only family he had left.
Leo twirled his tail around Seungmin's feet. Another worry occupied his mind. "You didn't tell me how Leo got hurt." He demanded.
Somin's eyes widened. She'd been avoiding the topic since the fan meet, that was three days ago. Even for herself, it was harder to digest everything. Never in her wildest dreams, would she have imagined that a guy she randomly met and fell for in a night club while being totally drunk would turn out to be someone so. . . so popular and flashy. Usually she would ignore that person if she ever faced them in real life.
Her only hope was that Sehun didn't recognize her as well.
"Somin, you're spacing out again." He scolded her.
She faced him. "Look, I've booked an appointment with the vet. He'll be fine."
Before he got suspicious, she changed the topic immediately as she trotted to her room, looking in her wardrobe. "I have to be at the agency in an hour. When will we leave?"
After a moment of silence, her brother answered with a low voice. "Actually, I'm really sorry. I can't."
"What??"
He smiled apologetically. "I have a deadline for tomorrow. But don't worry, I've asked Eunwoo. He said he'd be glad to drop you."
She scowled. "What, no! Eunwoo must be busy too. You shouldn't have--"
Seungmin mouthed a 'sorry' before locking himself in his study room.
-
Sehun's eyes were fixed on his laptop screen. He leaned closer to gaze at this beautiful girl again. Scrolling down, he saw more pictures each better than the last one, making him smile secretly. He dropped on the seat again and stretched his wide shoulder as he exhaled loudly. "Yup, that's her definitely."
Ever since her face came into view that day in the storeroom, something clicked. Her eyes were familiar. And later on through the day, Sehun could tell her movements was something he'd seen before. Perhaps in Vibe, the night before?
But now, as he went through the pictures of the fan meet, he was positive she'd been the one. It was unquestionably her. The girl from the night club. Who else had eyes as expressive as those, a smile as bright as that and confidence as blooming as she had? Ever since Sehun had set eyes on her at Vibe, she came off as a queen to him. A pair of brunette eyes stared at him, It's the eyes that get him. They are large and arresting, as if she sees everything. As warm as they are, they are busy, no-bullshit eyes, the kind that can look right into you. As more memories fom last night began to flow before his eyes, he grinned from ear to ear like a Cheshire cat.
What little fact he'd forgotten was the he was alone in the room. The other occupant was Suho, who although seemed to be reading a book, had his curious eyes fixed on Sehun for a long time. If only he could catch a glimpse of what the maknae was gazing at!
Sehun muttered, "Daebak."
Suho's curiosity got the better of him as he slammed his book close and called, "Yah! What are you watching?"
Sehun jumped from his seat in surprise, holding the laptop close blocking the screen from Suho's view. "When did you come here, hyung?!"
The leader chuckled. "You really are immersed, aren't you?" He scooted closer. "What's going on?" It was perhaps the first time after the recent departure of certain EXO members' that he'd seen Suho this lively and bright.
Sehun shook his head quickly. "Nothing. I was just looking at how the fan meet shots turned out."
The former raised his thick eyebrow. "Yeah, you've been insisting manager hyung for those pictures, haven't you? I mean, we're never concerned about that kind--- "
"No seriously, hyung. I was just a little conscious about the haircut. So. . . " Sehun trailed off.
Suho narrowed his eyes but nodded slowly. Sehun smiled nervously, quickly turned off the laptop and left the room in a hurry. He was definitely not prepared for the sudden interrogation session.
As soon as the noise of his footsteps faded, Suho reached for his laptop, turning it on. He knew what he was about to do was not ethical and approving in any aspect. It was naughty and nosy of him and nothing could justify his actions, but. . . Sehun never acts like that.
He clicked on the history and waited as the pictures loaded. Suho's mouth dropped as a group of girls appeared in front of him. Upon focusing closely, his scrutinizing gaze recognized them as the girl group they'd met three days ago. Suho fought off a smile as he scrolled down and noticed that the file had pictures of the EXO members interacting with other fans too but Sehun had only downloaded pictures of one of the girls.
He recalled her as the center of the group. What was her name? Ugh no, I don't remember the meeting that well.
As quietly as a mouse, Suho turned off the laptop again setting it back into his place, a smirk formed on his mouth. He had known something was up, after all he hadn't spent ten years with Sehun for nothing at all.
-
Cha eunwoo ran his fingers through his messy hair looking at the car mirror as he waited outside Somin's apartment building. In a minute, she appeared in front of his eyes, walking like a queen that she was. She opened the car door and greeted him with a radiant smile. "Hey!"
He smiled back, starting the engine. "Hi!
Somin's perfume was making his insides tingle. She was wearing a grey cotton V-neck shirt and grey trousers with trendy red strapped sandals. "Thanks for giving me a ride." She glanced at him. "I hope you weren't too busy today."
He coughed, "Oh, not at all." In fact, that was a big, fat lie. He had practice all day. Two vocal classes and one dance practice. Not to mention the photoshoot with a skincare brand. But I wasn't going to tell that to her. When Seungmin called to ask him the favor, he didn't even give it a second thought. After all, he hardly saw his friend's sister these days.
After a good fifteen minutes, he discovered that it was getting a hard task to keep his eyes on the road. He found himself distracted by Somin who was humming along with the music on the radio. When Somin was in high school, he'd thought she looked like a queen, like the star of some fairy tale.
Not a princess – princesses are just pretty.
She was beautiful. She was tall and stately, with broad shoulders and an elegant waist. All of her bones seemed more purposeful than other people's. Like they weren't just there to hold her up, they were there to make a point. She had a strong, straight nose and a sharp chin, and her cheekbones were high and thick.
Okay, dude. Get a grip on your hormones.
"Umm... Eunwoo?" Somin was smiling to herself. "You might want to look ahead if you're not planning to kill both of us today."
"Huh?" He blinked rapidly, straightening his back on the seat. Shit.
Even in earlier days, whenever she would pay her brother a visit, she would leave Eunwoo completely mesmerized. He wasn't exactly Seungmin's age, in fact he was junior to him in high school but they attended the same swimming class so he was on close terms with him. Sometimes he wished he could say the same for her.
Somin chatted, "Have they selected a group for you guys? A name, anything like that?"
Eun woo was a rookie at Fantagio entertainment. "Yeah, they've selected a list of rookies that they're going shorten down over the time. But no group name yet."
"And you'll be one of them, I'm hoping?" Somin asked.
"Of course." He smirked.
Somin nodded approvingly. It was comforting for her to see someone from her childhood be an artist too. She found the idea of being an idol herself less scary that way. That she wasn't jumping in the pit all on her own, that she had someone's back and he had hers.
"How's the progress at your end?"
She smiled. "It's good. We just finished recording. Now music video shooting is about to end too."
Eunwoo whistled. "Woah, that must be so fun!"
She grinned. "Yeah! I just wish you'd hurry up too. I was hoping we'd debut together."
His heart elated. Hiding his smile, he nodded, "Hmm... you're right. Don't worry, I'll be following you closely."
Even without debuting, he was pretty famous among the general public. His face was a common one to be seen in TV commercials since previous years. But right now, he just wished he could be as good as Somin was. Fourteen months into training only and debuting in a month already.
Her phone vibrated in her lap. Eunwoo's curious eyes traveled to her phone. She checked to see a text from Soo young.
Soo youngie
I'm free today. Coffee?
Me
Nope, I got plans today. How about this weekend?
Soo youngie
Gotta check my schedule then.
Me
Great, I have news XD
Soo youngie
Oh dear, I smell trouble. . . . .
and boys.
Somin grinned, she loved the way Sooyoung picked the meaning from her every word. But then, perhaps it happens when you've been friends with someone since childhood.
Me
You have a very clever nose darling.
Switching her phone off because she knew that bitch was going to bombard her phone with a million impatient messages, she looked ahead again. Somin was vaguely aware that Eun woo's curious eyes were on her so she saved him the trouble herself.
"It was Soo young." She pointed at her phone. "She's got a tight schedule, it's so hard to see her around these days."
He nodded. "Ohh, that's bad. But then . . . she's under such a big agency, that's bound to happen."
'The big agency' only reminded Somin of something else that she was trying not to brood over for a long time. Eun woo glanced at her before training his eyes on the road again. "Hey, you there?"
"Oh yeah." She smiled tightly. It could have been anyone, maybe a small-scaled actor, a trainee, a rookie anyone! But no, It had to be Oh Sehun from all the people, hmph!
"And Seungmin hyung? Has he applied anywhere else?"
She frowned. "Umm . . .no. . . I think he's still doing that insurance job. Why would he apply?"
"Oh, I was just asking. It's just that he's always hated that job so. . .
Somin stayed quiet. What's going on? Am I missing something here?
"Do you need a ride back home too? I'll be around." Eunwoo offered as he pulled the brakes reluctantly, finally reaching her destination.
He saw a bright, grateful smile jump up on her lips. "Oh no, I'll be late out with the girls tonight!"
He nodded. "Be careful, then."
She nodded as she opened the car door but stopped at the last instant, slapping her forehead. "Shit! I forgot to tell you."
"Yes?"
She shuffled in her bag for something. Finally catching hold of it, she flipped a thin fancy card on the dashboard. "Remember Mia? My cousin?"
"Umm. . . yeah?" He scratched his head.
Somin answered. "She finally opened that elite night club she was into since last year. It's called Vibe. That is the visiting card."
Eunwoo chuckled. "You might have not noticed, Somin but I'm not a part of the elite. How am I supposed to get a membership if . . . ."
She paused for a second. "Yes, you have a point. But. . . just keep it in your mind and apply when you debut. For now, you can spread the word in your agency."
"I can do that." he smiled. "Have you been there yet?"
Somin went into a trance again. Oh yes, I've been there and done everything I wish to erase from Sehun's memory right now. She was confused, how she could get so flustered about something so little and meaningless? She was never bothered by this. But she felt herself revisiting that night again and again even unconsciously.
I seriously need to see a therapist, going insane over a guy has a world of insanity in itself.
Eunwoo shoved her elbow. "Yah!"
Somin peeped at her watch and bounced on her seat. With a hurried half-hug with Eunwoo she said goodbye before hopping out of the car and spotted her bandmates already waiting for her beside their last set of MV shooting.
As she joined them, Jae sighed dramatically. "Where do you find guys like that? Is there a supermarket or something?"
Ariya laughed. "She must take a trip to heaven once a month and bring angels like him. Lucky bitch."
Somin shook her head, grinning. "Shut up."
"If I ever get a friend like him, I wouldn't wait a second to jump on him," Jae muttered moodily as they made their way towards their stylists.
In an hour, the girls had transformed into something totally different. Rio had candy-colored braided hair and sparkly lips. Saebyul supported a beaded hat and a stylish black three-piece. Jae and Ariya were both wrapped in silvery red short dresses. Somin wore tall socks and a black velvet dress. Since the MV was called 'DIAMOND', they wore opaque vibrantly colored gemstones. Their makeup was bold and striking.
As their managers and team of staff began instructing them, they got more and more nervous. After this day, they would be done with debut MV and this thought scared all of them. They carried out the intense choreography in high heels in a deserted warehouse whose interior was as fancy as Titanic with chandeliers hanging down and floor so shiny, you'd think it was ice. Somin had to be extra careful with her expressions since being the center put most of the focus on her.
Cube Ent. was intent on hitting the jackpot with Aurora seeing the huge amount they were investing on them ever since the beginning. After the success of their hit boy group BTOB a few years back, they wanted to make a hot comeback in the music industry again with this group.
As soon as the producer shouted, "Cut!" for the last scene, the girls breathed a sigh of relief and the entire staff broke into a round of applause. But it did nothing to ease the burden on their shoulders. They were finally stepping into something they could possibly never walk out of.
"Phew!!" Somin slumped on the couch sitting on the set. "Done, finally!"
Jae whistled audibly, "This calls for celebration!!"
Somin sat up quickly with a brilliant idea, "Let's go to Mia's club! You guys haven't--"
Saebyul intervened. "No, Rio is still underaged for drinking!"
Rio whined. "But I have hardly two weeks to go to be of legal age. Come on Unni!!"
The leader shook her head firmly. "No. We can go somewhere else."
Somin scowled, thanking her lucky stars that she passed the age a year ago. Although, that never stopped me from drinking before either, she smiled to herself.
A staff worker joined the girls and bowed before them, "I have something for miss Jae."
It caught their attention immediately. He was holding a bouquet of white scented daffodils and an envelope, both of which he placed on the table and left. Ariya leaped for the sender's address and nodded knowingly. "Of course, I knew it!" She smirked holding the card high.
'Here's for the new beginning. Regards, Section manager Eunjung.'
Jae rolled her eyes and groaned inwardly. Why her mother always wanted to embarrass her like that, she might never find out. I mean, she's forced me into this whole thing, isn't that enough for that woman? Everybody's eyes were on her right now making her feel uneasy. It was definitely not ideal being under the same company your mother worked for at such a high post.
Rio clapped her eldest bandmate's shoulder. "Wow, unnie. She's so supportive! I'm surprised. Didn't you say she's always disapproving?"
Jae scoffed muttering in a low voice that nobody heard. "That's because I'm doing what she wanted."
Ariya continued, "I was talking to my mama the other day. You know, she's put up an entire banner with my face and Aurora's debut date on the front of the restaurant!"
"Omo, omo, really?!" Somin gasped. Everybody knew Ariya belonged to a deprived Japenese household, but even with all the problems, her parents were the most encouraging they'd ever seen.
Saebyul pressed her eyes closed, taking a seat in a corner. The agitation bubbled in her chest and her head was starting to hurt. She massaged her temples. The guilt knawed her every time her friends talked about family.
Rio nodded her head. "Yess, my parents were also talking about throwing me a party before the day we debut. Let's see how it turns out."
As they got swept away in their debut celebration plans, Somin felt herself losing interest and concentration. She loved her brother but she would never ask him of doing something so dramatic for. He stayed by her throughout the entire ordeal and she was grateful of that. As she looked around, she spotted the leader perched on her own deep in thought and Somin's heart leaped to her throat.
Somin quietly made her way beside her and clasped her hand. Saebyul's eyes sprung open in surprise as she acknowledged the girl on her side. Somin mumbled, "You know, you can always go and pay them a visit."
"It's no use." Saebyul smiled weakly. "They still hate me for running away."
"Maybe they'll understand when we get famous?"
The leader chuckled humorlessly, her eyes were glistening. "No chance. They'd hate me even more. They have always despised fame." She gulped. "Sometimes I even hate myself for doing this."
Somin sighed. Thank god her family never stopped her from doing what she wanted. She squeezed the numb hand she was holding. "Let's not get sad today."
"You're right probably." The elder put on a brave smile. "Let's go to Vibe? "
Somin shrieked in delight. "Really?! Oh my god, I love you." She punched the air and hopped over to the others to tell them the plan but their manager heard her just in time.
"Nobody's going drinking. Especially not Rio. We don't want a scandal of underage drinking even before your debut." She shook her head firmly.
Somin swore furiously in her mouth, glaring at the stubborn woman. Ariya picked up the envelope sent by Jae's mother from the table and tore it open. She gasped, "Umm...guys?" She waved five movie tickets in the air victoriously.
-
It was half an hour after the action movie 'The Veteran' ended that the girls decided to head over to the nearby shopping mall, enjoying their last days of freedom. They might never be able to roam around the streets of Seoul so liberally again.
Jae drove over since she was the only one who owned a license. The girls munched lazily on the leftover popcorn with their own songs pounding on the speaker.
Somin surveyed the girls swiftly and noticed all of them were busy in themselves. She picked her phone and clicked on the search engine. She couldn't believe she was actually doing this but it was something that had been occupying her mind for a long time and it was time to pull out the detective's glass to do some research by herself.
Discretely, she typed the damned words. Oh Sehun.
In a micro-second, the screen was covered with his handsome face and her heartbeat escalated. She tried not to look at his face and focus on the information.
Oh Sehun is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer, model and actor. He is a member of the South Korean-Chinese boy group EXO under SM Entertainment.
Born: 12 April, 1994 (21 years) Mangu-Dong, Seoul, South Korea.
Occupation: Rapper.
Height: 1.83 m
Albums: EXODUS, Overdose. . . see more
Her mouth curled into a coy smile. Not bad. I've always had a thing for rappers. She scrolled down and looked at his pictures. He was tall, quite tall now that she noticed. She scarcely found any pictures of him smiling but she liked the poker face as well. It radiated of elegance and confidence. Long neck, sharp eyes, straight nose and--
"Shit I forgot my medication!" Rio knocked the popcorns in the air frantically and fished inside her bag. The wave of anxiety passed over the five girls as they tried to assist Rio. All of them knew the consequences if Rio missed her insulin injection she had to take every 24 hours, she'd get too exhausted, her vision would become darker causing her to faint eventually. That also meant a ban on her going out for an entire week.
Somin snatched the medical bad from her hand and rummaged in it herself. Ariya screamed, "Park the car somewhere!"
Immediately, Jae decelerated and pulled the brakes after choosing a less crowded route. Sweat broke out over Rio's forehead. How can I be so careless? How can I forget something like that? I am two hours late from my insulin schedule. Saebyul was already dialing an Emergency Room, when Somin yelled at the top of her lungs, "Found it!"
She handed it to Rio who was already feeling a little blue. She took a firm grip on the needle before injecting herself. The girls relaxed, happy to have dodged the close call. Somin always pitied the poor girl in moments like these. What type of life can one live when they need to strictly medicate themselves every day to stay alive? And to think Rio's been facing this ever since she was five, the four girls took special care of the maknae.
When Rio muttered 'done', falling back in her seat, Jae started driving again. Everyone was quiet when they reached their destination. They had Bulgogi for dinner then roamed in the shops for an hour with nothing particularly in mind to buy.
They longingly eyed all the expensive brands but knew they hadn't earned enough to even enter them. After some time, they decided to try some new local brands.
"How about this?" Saebyul held up a lacy top over her. Saebyul was a petite girl, with curvy hips. Her face had a fox like shape with clever, gleaming eyes. Somin shook her head, making a face. "You'll look like a sack of potato."
The leader rolled her eyes and pulled out another blue crop top. Somin chuckled, "Don't even ask, it's awful."
"How do you even shop for yourself? You're so picky!"
The girl replied with an air of arrogance. "I'm not picky. I just have high standards."
"To which nothing in this world matches," Ariya mumbled from behind.
"Not really," Somin smirked. She fished out another top, loose but ended with a neat knot on the side and handed it to the leader.
Saebyul's mouth dropped to her feet as her eyes fell on it. It really was gorgeous. And she already knew she'd look great in it because it was Somin who picked it, that bitch had the best fashion sense.
Jae joined them, holding a pair of ripped jeans and whispered, pointing at the main counter. "God, that guy is breathing-takingly handsome."
Five heads turned to check him out. Saebyul nodded, wide-eyed, "Oh my, yes."
Jae scowled. "He looks way above my standard."
Somin narrowed her eyes, turning to her bandmate. "Please, stop it. You're going to end up alone if you keep up with this attitude." She raised her head high and smiled pompously, "A girl's worth is controlled by herself. The higher level you rank yourself into, the finer men will notice you." I know by experience.
Jae laughed, "Works for you but not-"
"Want me to do something about it then?" An idea popped up in Somin's naughty head.
"What?" The former asked confusedly.
Somin just smiled and walked her way to the counter, eliciting shocked gasps from her friends. She leaned against the counter and beamed at the guy. "Hi."
"Hello ma'am. How can I help you?" He bowed in respect.
"Don't call me that." Somin waved. "Just wanted to ask a few questions, if you don't mind."
"Sure." He smiled.
Jae watched horrifiedly as Somin did that twirling thing with her eyes whenever she wanted something really badly. She passed him her most alluring smile. "My God, that girl knows how to flirt..." Ariya mumbled.
Her body arched against the glass counter as she leaned in him. "Do you have a girlfriend?" Jae clapped a hand over her mouth, she knew where this was going.
"Uh--what?" His eyes darted on the floor uncomfortable.
Somin's smiled widened. "Are you dating someone?"
"No." He answered slowly before facing her again.
She nodded approvingly. "You must be looking for one then." He looked surprised. Never in his life had a customer been this personal to him. "Come on," she nudged his elbow. "A handsome guy like you shouldn't be single."
"I don't understand--"
"You see my friend over there?" Somin turned and pointed at her friends. Jae groaned in humiliation, hiding her face behind Rio's shoulder. "Somebody shut her up." But all of them were shaking with laughter, too immersed in knowing what would happen.
"Um- yeah? Which one?"
Somin responded, "That one in red. Cute, isn't she?"
"Oh my god, Ari chan! Saebyul! Do something!" Jae cried out, forcing others to look at her. "Stop her!"
"She has a great sense of humor!" She added.
Jae whined, shaking her head in disbelief, "No, no. . . "
Somin leaned closer again, "And trust me, she's fit too." But Somin knew she didn't have to explain that much. Jae had a figure to die for, even the younger girls sometimes felt jealous of her. She had thin, striaght nose over a plump pout of lips that always made you shiver when she smiled.
Jae had had enough. The embarrassment was killing her, striding forward she grabbed Somin by her sleeve, dragging her away.
Somin fought to release herself, now laughing like a fool. "Wait! Hey listen---" She waved her hands in the air to catch the guy's attention. "She's the one I was talking about. Isn't she lovely--"
"NAM SOMIN, SHUT UP!"
Jae's bellowing scream turned many heads at them. Saebyul finally took charge and helped her getting Somin out of the shop. But she wasn't done.
"I swear she's very hot. Oh come on! don't you like her already--"
She was gifted a sharp smack in the head by Jae who was now beetroot red with embarrassment. Saebyul quickly ran over and apologized to the poor counter guy who was still confused. She paid for her shirt and left. As soon the girls were successful in pulling Somin out of the shop, they broke into laughter. "Somin, that was awesome!"
"No, it wasn't!" Jae growled. "That's it! We're going back!"
She marched back to the car seething in anger as the girls timidly followed her, giggling silently.
-
"Oh, you're back?"
Somin's head whipped at the owner of the voice as she tiptoed in her apartment. "You're still up?"
Seungmin nodded nervously. "Um. . . yeah."
"Okay." She smiled. "I'm going to bed--"
"Wait!" He called. "Can we talk?"
She yawned widely. "Now? I'm really sleepy."
"Please, it's important." Seungmin insisted.
She gave him a hard look. What's got his knickers in a twist? Reluctantly, she gave in and trudged to the couch before collapsing on it. "Go ahead."
Very carefully, he settled down beside her taking a deep breath. The nervous cracking of his knuckles didn't go unnoticed by her despite all the exhaustion. "So, I . . . um-I applied for a few other job vacancies last month." His voice sounded casual but in reality it was anything but that.
"Okay." She nodded. "That's great. You can get rid of that boring insurance company now."
"Yeah, exactly!" His head bobbed up and down quickly. Thank god, she understands that part.
He shifted in his position. "One of them got back to me after the first interview. It's a petroleum company."
A genuine smile lit up her face, "And?"
"And they've accepted me."
She squealed euphorically, clapping her mouth. "Oh my god, that's great!" Seeing the happiness on her brother's face doubled her joy. Since day one, he had complained about this job and now that he was finally getting to do something he wanted, it made her feel energetic. The fatigue in her posture was replaced with zeal.
Reaching forward, she hugged him tightly. He laughed tensely, pulling her away to face her. "Yes but they want me to work at the Headquarters."
"And where's that?"
"In Shanghai."
She looked up as her smile dropped. It took her more than a minute to register. "In . . . in Shanghai? That--That's in China. . . right?"
Seungmin gulped. "Yeah." He couldn't look in her eyes.
Tearing her gaze away from her brother's guilty face, she looked away still processing the information. That's why he is been acting so weird since the past few days.
Her abrupt silence and the puncture to her excitement bubble made him feel worse. "I requested them to transfer me here, in Korea. But they said all beginners go to the head office before they are promoted."
"Okay." She shut her eyes close. Please God, no. Not again. I can't afford to lose the last piece of my family.
Maybe she was being dramatic but she knew what it felt like when people left you. Hell, that was the only feeling she'd been gifted by her parents. First Sohee, then dad, next Mom and now him. What will I be left with?
But he isn't abandoning you like others, he isn't selfish. He loves you, he is sincere. Of course, he'll come back, The rational part of her brain defended.
that's what they all said. . . The emotional part answered, But didn't we promise we'd stick together?
Her eyes fluttered open and they fell on his nervous face again. It crushed her to see Seungmin looking so powerless and feeble. How can I do this to my own brother? How can I hold him back from following his dreams when I always did what I wanted to do? He was always there for me and this is the first time I can do something for him. For a minute, she hated herself for even having a second thought about it.
With a strained smile, Somin opened her mouth but he beat her to it. "It's okay, you know. I'll refuse in the morning. I'm sure I'll get a better job in Korea--"
"What? no!" She exclaimed. "You should go for it, seriously. The opportunity sounds too good to pass it off."
He narrowed his eyes. "Why are you saying this? Listen--"
She smiled brightly and started with a heavy heart. "No you Listen. You've always wanted to travel to China and I'm sure this job has many privileges if you applied for it."
Tears were stinging the back of her eyes as she touched his hand, giving away the most precious part of her life. "I wouldn't hold you back, Seungmin. I'm a big girl now, I can look after myself. You--- you should go chase your own dreams now."
He stared at her for a long time, analyzing if she actually meant it or not. Taking a deep breath, he nodded slightly. She smiled at him and embraced him once more. He could sense how tightly she held him this time. "Congratulations, I'm very happy for you." She whispered in his ear.
His heart was about to burst. It wasn't easy doing this. Somin is so outspoken and temperamental, and she hardly thinks before reacting. How can I leave her entirely on her own and move away to a new country? No matter what she achieved in her life, she would always be a little sister to me, a little sister I have to protect. . . Am I doing the right thing?
She pulled away. "Can I sleep now?"
He smiled, "Yes."
She got up and walked to her bedroom and looked back one more time. "Somin, you can still ask me to--"
"I'm fine." She smiled, entering her room. She was even more tired than before. There was no energy left in her to get changed so she kicked off her sandals and flopped on her bed, a mute sob emitting from her mouth, the tears finally falling freely.
She glanced at the frame on her bedside table. It had young two girls of nearly the same age and an older boy. All three of them were smiling radiantly from ear to ear, holding each other close. Somin stared hard at the girl with her front tooth broken.
I wish you were here, Sohee.
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