I trudged back to my apartment. My heart was elated and also wary of him. We were having such a nice time. But all good things end early. Truth be told I was just happy to meet him in person. I lived a life where I don't have the time for events like concerts or even a friend's marriage. I couldn't visit my friends and family back in my country. I didn't have any friends here except for us international students and a few classmates.
It was a truly sad life. But hey, at least I was doing something I liked. I came to Korea impulsively without giving it much thought. But how long do you live? Might as well enjoy the time you spend alive here without regrets. All these thoughts made me homesick. I felt choked up. I was better at holding back my tears than actually letting them out. My throat constricted painfully making me choke on air.
I opened the door and checked on Mare. She was sleeping peacefully. Thank the heavens, at least she was not throwing a tantrum. Ah! Her medicines. I tiptoed in silently and placed the medicines on her bed stand. I made my way to the kitchen.
I sat at the dining table and poured myself a glass of water. I sipped it slowly and a tear made its way out of the cage I was trying to build up. I started crying softly as I put my head on the table. All these emotions were putting up a fight against my mental barrier and they finally managed to overwhelm me as they broke out in a flood.
I ignored all the sadness and was always a positive bean. But some day, my pent up emotions overcame me. I enjoyed these days too. They gave me a release from the harsh reality. It was a form of self pity. People out in the world had it way worse than me, but everyone had their own fights. Self pity on days like these, helped keep my sanity intact.
Giving others advice was very easy. It came off as an easy task if you had been through the same stuff. But later when you looked back at it, all the emotions that you went through scroll in front of your eyes like a movie. It put you in a bad mood too, making you feel the pain of the person you were consoling. This was how it worked.
And that was exactly what I was going through then. All those conversations with Jimin took their toll on me, I guess. I eventually found myself falling asleep and I woke myself up to go to bed. I changed into comfortable pajamas and laid down on the bed.
I slowly found myself drifting off to dreamland.
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"Oooohhhhh I am blinded by the lights....I can't sleep until I feel your touch....ooohhh"
I was awoken with the words of 'The Weekend' and sunlight blinding me. Irony huh? Good job Mare. I smiled in my half asleep state.
"Wake up sleepyhead....." She sang loudly.
"What time is it?" I asked, my eyes still closed.
"Half past eleven."
I felt the bed dip beside me and I scooted closer to the wall. I opened my eyes slowly...ugh the sunlight. I might as well have been a vampire in my past life.
"What happened? You ill?" I asked worried. She doesn't often sleep on my bed.
"Hangover....aahhhhh!" she screamed.
My face contorted of its own accord.
"Mare please, I just woke up. Not in my ears, please." I got up and made my way around the bed to the bathroom.
"Did you take your meds?" I asked while washing my face. God, I had terrible skin. It broke out easily and I swear sandpaper was softer than my skin when I had a bad skin day. I shook my head in negligence and went ahead, brushing my teeth.
"I did. Thank you soooo muchhhhhh. You're a lifesaver Sou...." She rolled over onto her stomach. "What are we having for lunch?"
"I'll check what we have in the kitchen." I shut the door of the bathroom.
"Shall we go out for a walk today?"
I was doing my business.
"SAURA! CAN YOU HEAR ME?"
"WHAT? SHUT UP FOR A MINUTE." This girl. How was I supposed to hear her with the water running?
"Alright." She giggled.
I stepped into my room. "You couldn't wait a minute!"
"Shall we go out today? The park? For a walk."
"Oh it's been so long dude." I grew excited. "At five?"
"Done." She was smiling like a crazy witch and she ran out of my room pulling me by my hand towards the kitchen.
She then sat on a chair at the dining table and rested her face on her hand, looking at me expectantly.
"What?" I cocked my head to my right.
"Well cook! I am waiting! Duh. " She waved her hands in the air.
"You least you could do, is be thankful." I huffed and turned around opening shelves to look at the stuff available.
"Trust me I am extremely thankful for your existence as a whole, but my brain is screaming the word food." She pulled her hair with both her hands.
"Should've learnt to cook." I chuckled.
"I have you and Noah. I'll survive. And don't start your lecture. I am already dead inside and my brain can't put two and two together."
"Alright, alright. Rest up, I'll bring you food in a few minutes." She was already asleep on the table . Cute.
I toasted bread and made fluffy omelettes. The secret to making your omelettes fluffy is a dash of milk and beating the eggs up really, really well.
I made a few sandwiches with veggies and greens. A banana for Mare and done! Perfect.
"It smells good." She sniffed around.
"Food's ready." I placed the plates on the table and we started digging in.
"Mmmm.....heaven." She moaned. "Oh! There he is!" She pointed somewhere above my head with her eyes closed.
"What?" I looked up confused.
"Jesus." She smiled cheekily.
I laughed out loud. This idiot would be the death of me.
"Yeah, stop over reacting and eat up."
I was enjoying my sandwiches.
"Your husband is going to be a lucky man, hon." She smiled at me lovingly.
"He is." I chuckled.
"I'll do the dishes, go ahead." She said getting up from her chair.
"You alright? Aren't you sick?" I asked worried.
"Nothing that your cooking can't solve." She winked at me.
I rolled my eyes and placed my plate in the sink. "Don't drop my dishes on the floor."
She mimicked dropping a plate and caught it again and smirked at me.
"Just know that you will end up with a face as bashed as the broken plate." I threatened her lovingly and started walking away.
"I know you love me." She giggled.
"I don't care." I gave her a lopsided smile and shut the door to my room.
Time to catch up on my dramas. I gave a evil smile and jumped onto my bed cuddling with my pillows and placed the laptop on the small desk on my bed.
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"Awwwww.....look at him! He looks just like a cat." I sat there admiring the guy.
I heard a knock on my door. Mare popped her head in.
"You getting ready?"
Oh yes, the park. " I almost forgot. I'll be ready in thirty." I said shutting my laptop off, noting the time where I stopped watching.
Mare left. I wasn't in the mood for jeans. I wore a thin, baby blue cotton shirt paired with white palazzos. I put my hair up in a loose bun. Long hair looked all beautiful and the situation was all sunshine and happiness from the outside. Only the person who grew it knew the pain of maintaining it, preventing it from split ends, getting knotted blah blah blah. And don't get me on the topic of sweating in long hair. It was a freaking nightmare.
I stepped into the hall and saw Mare going through her phone.
"Shall we leave?" I asked her, opening the shelf in the doorway to get my flats out.
"Yup, I packed us a few snacks and a water bottle." She said picking up a bag and following me to the door.
"Aww babe, you did all that?" I gave her an endearing look.
"Yeah I love you too, now let's go." She pushed me out of the doorway.
We walked our way to the park. It wasn't far and was good exercise. It was quite windy with the sun beginning it's way westward. The sky was tinted pink with streaks of yellow across it , all painted on a blue canvas.
Beautiful.
As we reached the park, we saw a load of kids playing, middle aged ladies gossiping, uncles laughing and grandparents looking at the kids lovingly. The beauty of life. A happy scene. I wish I brought my sketchbook to get this scene drawn into my memory forever.
We walked along the path carved among the clumps of trees and lush green grass around the cobblestones that made the path. It was peaceful.
We made small conversations when I remembered the events of yesterday.
"Mare, promise me you won't scream out loud." I looked at her.
"Why honey? You look excited. Did something good happen without me?" She tilted her head smiling.
"After I sent you home yesterday, I was with someone." I looked down pursing my lips.
" YOU.... You were with a guy???" She whispered after almost screaming out loud.
"Yes. I was. But it's not what you think. Get your mind out of the gutter." I giggled.
"Who is it? Who is it?" She started pulling my sleeves.
"Promise me not to freak out." She nodded excitedly. "It was Jimin again."
I looked at her eyes. She smiled mockingly. "You're kidding right? Did you dream it?" She had stopped walking to listen to me and now she started walking away.
"I'm not. Hey! I am serious Mare. I am not kidding." I sprinted after her.
"Yeah, fine. Don't tell me if you don't want to. Don't make up stories." She scoffed.
"Dude I am freaking serious! " I stopped walking, with a frown on face.
She turned around. She looked at my face for a while and said, "You're not kidding."
"That's what I said, duh?" I said slightly frustrated.
"But right under my nose? Twice On that note. Wow." She frowned and pouted. "How did he even find you?"
"Pure coincidence." We started walking again.
"Once, it's a coincidence. Twice? It's either planned or fated." She smirked at me.
"Oh shut up. Why would he find me?" I scoffed.
"What did you guys even do at that time of night?" Her smirk deepened.
"Come on, don't. We just talked."
"Just spoke?" She quoted the words with her fingers.
"Never mind. It was a lucky chance. That's all to it." I sighed.
" Well that's true." She sighed too. " But jokes aside, you need to get yourself a man."
"There she goes again. I am going home if you utter another word about it." I started walking faster.
"Oh, come on! Give it a chance?"
I kept walking forward. I could hear Mare catching up to me.
"Alright, let's go to the stores and then go home." She hooked her arm in mine.
We had hot tteokbokki and bought a few other things that we needed for the kitchen.
We made our way home munching on the snacks that we brought from home.
We ordered takeout and had dinner and went to sleep early.
Girl dates were much easier than dating a man, I sighed as I rolled around in my bed falling asleep.
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"Where am I supposed to be Mare?" I held my temples in frustration.
It had been two days since the park date. This girl decided it would be a good idea to go out first and then make me visit her by making me find my way to her. I opened the door to the cafe and took a spot by the wall, waiting for her to come.
*I'm here.* I texted her.
*Two minutes.* She texted back.
I ordered a piece of cake for myself and started reading a webtoon on my phone. Ah, the world of webtoons. I was completely engrossed in the story, when a hand knocked the wood of the table in front of me. I looked up to see a man in his late twenties. He looked familiar. I wrinkled my forehead. He smiled at me saying, "I assume this seat isn't taken?" He sat down opposite me.
"Uh... I'm sorry but my friend will be here soon." I gave an awkward smile.
"You're Dr. Saura Roy right? I am Lee Dae Hyun. Surgeon at our hospital."
He smiled putting his hands out.
Ahhh....so that's who he was. I might have seen him a few times in the hospital. I smiled and shook his hand. It was warm and welcoming.
"Nice to meet you. If it doesn't offend you, may I ask you about this sudden meeting?" I scratched my head slightly after withdrawing my hand.
He frowned. "I thought Maren gave you the details?" He looked taken aback. " Well, um.... I kinda asked her to let me meet you, you know not just the both of us but , I just..." He sighed, resting his forehead on his palms.
The piece clicked in place in my head.
"Did she set us up on a date?" I was bewildered. I quickly masked my expression, before he looked up at me.
"We are on a date, I guess." He looked down.
Oh she was dead. She would be dead meat by the end of the day.
"Am I making you uncomfortable Miss. Saura? "
Oh he looked genuinely worried. Poor guy.
"It's alright sir." I smiled at him.
(Sir refers to sunbae or senior here)
"Just call me Dae Hyun when we are outside." He smiled.
He might be a nice guy after all. I might as well give him a chance. Give myself a chance and be brave for once. I looked at him and smiled.
"What would you like to have Mr.Dae hyun?
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Author's Note:
Ooooh a date. She isn't ready for the events that are going to happen next.
Stay tuned.😁
Until then, Kim Seokjin, you own my heart.