It was a cloudy day. Dark clouds that made the day seem as if it were already night. A low rumble could be heard through the almost silent office. The sounds of typing heard in the office, the clicking of the keys filling the only person's ears while the low rumble of thunder barely caught her attention.
"Miss. Park." A female's voice called softly. The clicking never stopped, a small nod of acknowledgement was the only thing that allowed the woman to continue speaking. "It's five. I'm heading out before it starts to pour." She stated calmly.
Jihyo finally lifted her head, looking around at the open windows of her office. It was rather gloomy and it looked as if it was trying to rain. She turned her attention back to her assistant, seeing her standing in the doorway. She had a look of concern, a little scared of her answer.
"I-I know I'm scheduled until six--"
"Don't be." Jihyo interrupted. "I know you don't like driving in the rain after what happened. Go get your daughter and tell your wife I said hello." Jihyo gave her a warm smile, allowing her assistant to feel a sense of relief.
"Thank you so much Miss. Park." The woman whispered.
"If it's still raining in the morning, I will understand if you call out." Jihyo gave her another smile. "Go. You don't want to be caught in the rain." The woman left with a bow, hurrying to gather her things and leave before it began to pour.
Jihyo let out a small sigh when the door clicked shut, stretching her arms above her head and glancing at the little clock on her computer screen. She frowned when she saw her phone light up, another reminder. Of course this time to buy Jeongyeon's birthday gift. She knew she couldn't attend the party that was being thrown, so this had to be the next best thing.
Typically she would just send an expensive bottle of wine that she knew Nayeon would drink while Jeongyeon just kept the bottle. She loved the bottles and had a little bit of a collection. Jihyo always bought them knowing her odd collection and Jeongyeon's wife had begun to have a specific taste for them. To the point of her taking classes on how to taste test wine properly. It was a shock to their little friend group when Nayeon had told them about it, but she genuinely wanted to learn and seemed to enjoy it.
She scrolled through her saved websites, finding one that had beautiful bottles with amazing wine according to Nayeon. She bought one she knew she had never picked before, setting up the gift to deliver the day of Jeongyeon's birthday before closing the window. She let out another sigh, hearing the patter of water droplets hitting her windows.
Jihyo stood from her chair, with a small wince. Her knee always gave her trouble when it rained. She walked over to the little couch in her rather spacious office, but instead of sitting she walked further, heading over to the window and watched the rain hit the glass.
Anyone else would've considered her crazy for enjoying the rain, but she had begun to enjoy it when she had met her best friend Mina. Mina enjoyed days like this, watching the rain and talking about the different things that rain did for the plants and dirt. Jihyo never entirely listened, but heck she wished she had listened now.
She had lost Mina three years ago. She went on a trip with her other friends, a relief effort trip to help a community that had been hit hard with a natural disaster of some sorts. Jihyo had warned her not to go, telling her she had a horrible gut feeling about it. But... Mina being her stubborn self and wanting to go anyway.
That was how she lost her. She had gotten there no issues, helping children find their families after being separated. Only for a giant earthquake to take them all out. Very few survivors were found, and Jihyo had gotten the call since she was the immediate emergency contact.
But that didn't even hurt as bad as Tzuyu.
God, Jihyo didn't know what to do when she had met Tzuyu. She felt like she was hit with a cement bat when she had met her. She was in awe with her beauty and felt as if she was just a lowly receptionist compared to her.
Tzuyu had interviewed for a receptionist job, really only wanting hours just for school. Jihyo of course agreed, telling her that if she ever needed anything to reach out to her directly. Of course, at the time Jihyo wasn't the head of the company. Just one of the managers that had yet to be promoted.
She remembered everything. Remembered every single day that she had talked to Tzuyu, remembered the perfume she wore and changed to when the original had discontinued. Jihyo prided herself on remembering the little things.
Everything she remembered... All things she wished she could forget.
She turned around, walking back towards the couch before sitting down. She pulled her phone from her pocket, looking down at the little apps. She wasn't entirely active on any social media accounts, really only using them to keep up with her distant family and close friends. She clicked open her account, immediately greeted with a photo of Nayeon with Jeongyeon. Both of them were in a basic couple pose, Nayeon standing in front of her with Jeongyeon's arms wrapped around her.
Jihyo wanted to be happy for them. They had been dating for years and best friends long before that. So she hit the like button and kept going. She saw a few other posts, seeing pictures of her nieces and nephews, cousins, friends.. Everything until she stumbled across her account.
A photo of Tzuyu.
It was clear that it was a magazine cover. Something she had just stumbled into. She wanted to go to school to be a vet and work part time to pay for her school. But when the tuition got too high, she was found by an agency, scouting her to become one of them ambassadors and eventually one of their models.
Jihyo remembered asking Tzuyu about her decision. It was a while after they had started dating. Tzuyu sitting on Jihyo's couch in her small apartment, two wine glasses empty on the little coffee table in front of them.
"Are you going to take it?" Jihyo asked her.
"I don't know. It's a lot more money than what I'm making... I could easily pay my tuition.." Tzuyu whispered. "I don't even know what they see in me." She scoffed, sitting further back in the cushion. Jihyo let out an annoyed scoff, shaking her head before grabbing her girlfriend's hand.
"You are so blinded by whatever society puts out that you don't even see that you're gorgeous." Jihyo whispered. Tzuyu's cheeks began to blush, turning herself away from her girlfriend. "I think you should take it." She gave her a small smile, hoping she would accept the offer.
Tzuyu eventually did, accepting it a week after they had offered. It gave her enough time to think everything over and see her options. Everything she thought... Had become reality.
It wasn't long before Tzuyu had quit her part time job, focusing on school, earning herself a spot on the honor roll and eventually graduating. Jihyo was there for her the entire time, loving to see her become successful. Tzuyu was even there for Jihyo when she was promoted to head of the company, helping her ease into the role smoothly and letting her vent on stressful days.
Everything seemed so perfect...
A loud clap of thunder brought Jihyo from her thoughts, signaling that it had begun to pour. She shook her head, scrolling passed the photo and onto a video. She didn't know her sound was on, and a familiar song started playing from her speakers.
It was a little video of a dog running around with the music playing. A cute little video. But to her... It was Tzuyu's favorite song.
She remembered taking Tzuyu on her first real vacation after she had her first modeling gig. She had came home with bags packed and by the door, Jihyo surprising her with plane tickets away from the world they lived in. Even if it was only a few days.
Jihyo remembered hearing Tzuyu's voice humming the song every time it came up on the radio, belting it when she was a little tipsy with her in the living room. It was on almost every single playlist she had created and shared with her as well. Still to this day, Jihyo assumed it was her favorite song.
Tears pricked her eyes as the video looped, playing the song over again. Memories flashing in her mind of Tzuyu just singing without a care in the world with a giant smile on her face.
A simpler time...
She closed the app before setting her phone down. Everything she did now was in complete silence. She hardly talked to anyone, but when she did, she tried to be warm and inviting. She remembered the words Tzuyu had spoken the night they last fought. The final breaking point for both of them.
"You know, if you hadn't become to cold and distant maybe people would actually want to be near you." Tzuyu spat. Jihyo was taken back by her words, tears streaming down both of their faces as they went silent. "And I mean it. You've changed. I know I've changed too... But you.... I don't even know who I'm with anymore." She whispered, tears steadily streaming down her face as she spoke.
When Jihyo didn't say anything, Tzuyu nodded slowly, looking away from her.
"I'll pack my things and go." She sniffed.
"Tzuyu.." Jihyo started.
"I spoke the truth... I don't want to hear lies from you on how you'll change. We've had this fight four times before... And I know I'm at my breaking point." Tzuyu was calm with her words, leaving Jihyo in the living room to pack her own things.
The rain continued to pour down outside, Jihyo trapped in a storm in her head. So many memories and thoughts running through her head. She looked back at her phone, the dark screen showing. She closed her eyes, letting out a small sigh. She heard the phone vibrate across the glass table. She slowly opened her eyes to see a message from her assistant.
She unlocked her phone to see a picture message and a little caption underneath it.
'She wanted to say thank you for letting me come home early'
Jihyo smiled at the picture, happy that someone was happy with her decisions. She set her phone back down, letting out a small sigh. Her office was silent. The only sounds heard were the ticking of her wall clock and the sounds of the raindrops hitting the glass window outside.
In a way she hated how deafening the silence was...
But at the same time... Her life was much better in the silence. When Tzuyu left, she took all of the happiest sounds from her, leaving her with the most loudest and saddest sounds in her life.
Silence.