“Joo… Joonmyeon…"
I was more caught in surprise than what he should be. I guess he doesn’t recognized me yet. I can still escape this situation. I lower my head a little more. “I’m sorry… wrong room. I’m just new here.” I excused and abruptly turn to leave. I was a bit relief that Tao was out of the vicinity when I got out of the room. I quickly marched away and continue my way to the CEO’s office. I was relief when I got there.
“Aigoo, what happened to you?” Mrs. Lee said concernly seeing me. I was still grasping for some more air.
“This place is like a maze with booby traps.” I mumbled as I sat down. “I almost got caught.”
“Caught by whom?” CEO’s wife asked again, bewildered on what I just mention.
“She’s avoiding her friends here.” Lee sajang~nim answered. “She told me that she’s not coming here until she finished the first collection to be presented in the next meeting for the clothening line’s opening.”
“Nugu? EXO?" She looked at me to confirm. "Is that so? Aigoo yeobo, why didn’t you tell me? I shouldn’t have insisted seeing her here… miahn Ye Eun~ah.” She apologetically said.
“It’s okay Eomeoni… I just don’t know how I will face them after being away for so long.”
“They’ll be thrill to see you for sure, so don’t concern yourself too much about it. Kaja! Let’s just grab some lunch, okay. I’m hungry.” She stated again, cheering me up.
---
“Hyung what’s the matter?” Sehun asked Suho when the latter got back to their practice room. He was still thinking of the girl that he encountered awhile ago and keeps on spacing out. “Hyung?!” the maknae called out again.
“Huh?” he mumbled to his senses. “Sehun~ah, did we have new trainees?”
“No we don’t… waeyo?”
“That’s weird… I just bumped to someone and said she’s new here.” Suho said with his brows creased.
“Maybe a new employee…” Sehun shrugged. “Oh? Or a sasaeng fan?” he guessed again.
“No I don’t think so.” He opposed. There’s something familiar with her that I can’t figure what it is. Ah, this is frustrating! Then all of a sudden the incident at the elevator last year flashbacked in his mind, seeing a girl that looked likes Ye Eun. “It’s her!” All the boys looked at him, puzzled. He ran off out of the room.
“Hyung! Where are you going?” Baekhyun asked before Suho could shut the door closed.
“I’m sorry but I have to find her.” He answered back and went off.
“Wait… finds who?” Baekhyun asked again but Suho was gone already.
Suho went back to the room where he saw her. He ran around that area, but no sign of her. He went to the floor were employees were working, looking one by one in every desk. He asked around to every people he encountered along his way… and still, he couldn’t find her.
“Excuse me, but have you seen a girl in messy bun and wearing big sunnies. She’s wearing jeans and black cardigan over yellow shirt?” Suho asked to the person in the reception area as he catches his breath.
“A girl?” the receptionist uttered, trying to remember anything about what he described. “Ah yes… I saw her. But I think it was her who left awhile ago with the CEO and his wife.”
“Dang!” He snarled in regret. It’s her. My heart knows it. But that girl is with sajang~nim. Aish! This is really confusing. Where are you Ye Eun~ah?
---
I guess I’m adjusting to the time difference that I got accustomed to when I stayed in US. I was still wide awake in this late evening. I have early work tomorrow, as I insisted on returning to the café. Yet, here I am in front of the house, sitting in the low wide pallet, with my sketch pads and colored pencils scattered around me. I tried to create new designs for a new collection to be added to the opening, but I’m not pleased on every outcome that I made. I end up lying at my back, my eyes fixated at the starless dark sky. I put my arms behind my head as a cushion and took a deep breath. So many years had past. I’m back with a new life. With the success I achieved, I still wonder. Will it be enough? Will people still judge me like what happened before? Can I really stay here now with all the people I cherish… for good? My anxiety still bugs me. I still don’t have the confidence to face them, Suho and Baekhyun. My heart aches, everytime I remember the past. I heaved a deep sigh to ease the heaviness clogged in my chest. Suho’s face when I saw him at the company this afternoon flashed in my mind. He’s still as handsome as before. My heart reacted just the same as before even so much time had passed. Even if just a thought of him, it still skipped so fast.
I remember what happened last year as I came back here in Korea and went to SMEnt to meet Lee sajang~nim. When I got to the elevator, on my my to his office, I saw Joonmyeon and it almost gave me a heart attack. It was unexpected. I was thankful that the elevator’s door was closing at that time. My knees went weak and I curled up. My body was shaking. It felt like my energy was all drained up in so much surprise. I was totally not ready to see him or any of them yet. When I decided to leave, I never thought of coming back. It’s not in my plan. I wanted to be gone in their life for good. That’s why I showed Baekhyun what I felt for him, even with Joonmyeon. But things changed as I tried to live my life. I felt so empty… that something was missing even if my career was getting better. My memories here were pulling me back, and the desire to be with them again was getting deeper until I can’t take it anymore. I just have to come back no matter what.
---
As assumed, I woke up late the next morning.
“YAH! JIBIN~AH, WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME UP?!” I bawled at my brother who was giggling as he watched me hastily fixing my self for work. He was leaning his back at the side of my door and hands both in his pockets.
“I missed this so much!” He jabbered and laughed again.
“Aish! Shut up!” I threw a slipper at him but he dodged it and laughed even more. ”You’re gonna be late for school, too. Where’s your father?”
“He’s still asleep, so don’t be so loud.” He hushed and walked to my bed to sit. “Noona, I’m your brother, right?” he asked suddenly.
“Hmm… ne, wae?” I uttered looking at him through the mirror while fixing my hair in a bun.
“So it means that my father is your father, too, right? Well, that is if you just wanted to… you know.” He exclaimed.
I turned to face him. There was earnestness glint in his eyes. I motioned my hand at him to come closer to me. He stood up and went to my side. I stood up as well. I lift my chin up and looked at him in the eyes and cupped his face. “You’re taller than me now. Sometimes I regret being away all those years. I haven’t seen you grew up like this.”
“Noona, stop being sentimental and and hurry up. We’ll be late.” He ranted as he moved my hands away from his face. I took my bagpack and hooked my arm on his.
“Thanks...” I lively uttered with a wide smile. "Kaja!"
---
My first day back at the café went smooth the whole day, except for being almost late. Good thing I got there at exact time. But before my shift ends, unexpected customer just came in. I was wiping the counter clean when I heard the door opened and I dodge down in hiding when I recognize who it was... Baekhyun.
“Welcome Sir... uh?!” my co-worker greeted with a wide smile, yet got surprised suddenly in what I did as she looked down. I motioned her to hush and don't mind me. She took his order and prepared it immediately. I crawled my way out there. My heart was still pounding so hard went I got to the locker room.
"That was close." I took a deep breath. I changed to my usual clothes and go to our CNC office to meet Ye Ri and Atty. Park.
---
"Aigoo, look at this girl. Are you really a fashion designer?" Ye Ri, with both hands at the sides of her waist, nagged as I got to our office. "Atty. Park just look at her. She's always with jeans and loose shirts. And look at her hair, Do you even know how to comb your hair or is it too windy outside?! Aish jinjja!" She keeps up as she followed me until I settled at my table.
"Aigoo, aigoo... oppa did something happened while I'm not around? Why is this tiger growling at me all of a sudden?"
"Oppa? Hey, address him properly... we're at work!" She bawled again.
The attorney was just watching us amusedly. He somehow enjoyed it when we're in this kind of mood. He said, he finds it really entertaining to watch us arguing any time anyone of us is not in a good mood, and letting it out at each other. Matthew oppa is a sunbae at the school in US that we really got close to since he's a korean too. He was the one who helped me in coping with the surrounding at the school besides from Ye Ri.
"Your mother called just awhile ago." He said.
"Eomma?" I looked at Ye Ri. "What did she said?"
"Aish! Ye Eun~ah, they'll be returning here in Korea too." She answered and returned to her own table with slugged shoulders. "Dad was promoted as vice president of their company. They'll be living here for good too."
"That's good then! We're all back here... Home sweet home!" I sang out.
"Good? Only for you, but not for me! I'm sick with all the blind dates mom setting up." She objected, looking like so wasted.
"I told you so many times, why not date Matthew oppa." I stated.
"Are you insane? That guy is dating somebody else already. Oh, and let me remind you... you seem to forget, that cassanova over there is dating not just one girl... but three at the same time. Imagine that!" She bawled rolling her eyes on him while Matthew oppa just laughed at her.
"So if I'm not dating anyone, you'll consider me then?" Matthew joked in respond to her.
"Definitely NOT, that's for sure!" she snapped back.
"Hey enough with that..." I stopped them. " Here are some of the designs i made lately. It's not so good but let me know what you think so I could make some changes." I put down the sketches at Ye Ri's table.
"I'll look at this at home. Office hour is over." She said.
"Next week we'll be having a meeting with the SMEnt executives and the week after that an interview with a magazine and some photoshoots.." Matthew reminded the schedules.
"About that, guys I'm so sorry. Can I just work behind the curtain?" I announced.
"What do you mean?" Matthew asked.
"I changed my mind, I don't want to expose my identity to the public."
"But why?" The two uttered at the same time.
"I don't know... being back here with the family I had before seems to be enough for me... just a simple and quiet life." I explained, returning to my table.
"But Ye Eun~ah we have planned it already. I'm against this... we're sticking with our original plans." Ye Ri protested with folded arms in front of her.
"Let's just think this all over, okay? Let's talk about this tomorrow. I have to go now. I have a date." He said dismissing us. He gathered his things and stood up to leave. "Bye girls!"
"See what mean?" Ye Ri pointed out. I just grinned at her. "Well, enough of him. Tell me... what change your mind? Does Lee sajang~nim knows about this?"
I shook my head in reply to her question.
"So, why then?" she asked again.
"I don't know. It's just that... it doesn't feel right?" Even myself doesn't understand why I'm feeling this way.
"What?"
I took a deep breath and tried to explain myself, or should I say explain to myself. "I-I-I'm anxious... I don't know, will it be enough for others not to judge me if I'll be seen around my friends? Honestly, I'm really scared." I voiced out what I really thought.
"Scared? Why would you be?" Ye Ri uttered, raising one brow up. "I understand how you feel because of what happend to you before, but Ye Eun~ah you worked hard to be in this spot. And people don't have any rights to judge you. You deserve to be with anyone you want and be happy." She encouragely stated.
"But..."
"No BUTs Ye Eun~ah! We're sticking to our plans!" She firmly resolved. I can't do anything about it anymore. There's nothing I can do when she's very determine like this. All I could do was nod to agree.
I was getting off at the cafe early to meet Ye Ri at Matthew oppa at the office to finalize the designs and presentation for tomorrow's meeting at SMEnt. But before I left, I ordered some drinks for our team. Something to drink while discussing things at work.
I curled my hair that day, yet I decided to pull it up in ponytail. The weather was getting humid, just a sign that summer is coming soon. I was wearing my usual loose shirt which the front hem was tucked in my almost black dark blue shorts, and paired with high cut sneakers, along with my square shaped black bagpack which I bought the other day. I saw it in a shop while strolling around the Myeongdeong street. The size of the bag was enough to fit my sketch pads so i decided to bought it. I put on my sunglasses before taking what I ordered.
"Thanks... I'll go ahead guys!" I bid my goodbyes to my co-workers and went straight at the door.
As I was about to get out, a man pushed the door opened and came in. I didn't see how he looks like because he's head was stooped down while fidgeting his thumb on his phone. Our arms' skin slightly touched. I must be crazy because I got alarmed with that. My stomach got some swirling sensation and even my heart pounded frantically as electrifying sensation spead through out my body with that little touch.. My knees wobbled and I got out of balance. The man was quick enough to hold me on my waist and arm to support my body not to fall off.
"You okay?" He asked concernly. I just nodded because i can't bring myself to say anything 'cause my heart just somersault triple times I think with what he did. He didn't let go until I was stable enough to stand. But before he let go of me another man just came in.
"Suho hyung I wa---" he was interrupted as he saw us in that situation. I felt like very cold water was splashed on me hearing Suho's name and recognizing the other man that came in.
B-B-Baekhyun...
Something on his expression worries me. He went to us so fast, I haven't got to react when he pulled out on my face the sunnies I'm wearing, which was slid down on my nose exposing half of my eyes.
"Ye Eun~ah?"
"B-Baekhyun..." I uttered and smiled at him awkwardly. There's no more chance escaping it. They already recognized me. Baekhyun and Suho were in front of me now. "H-h-hello!"