***
“Are you sure you’re okay now?” Chanyeol asks. She’s been so quiet ever since they left the park. Why is she crying? What’s on her mind? I’ve never seen Catherine like this before. If only Jiyeon is here… at least she knows what to do.
Catherine turning her face to Chanyeol “I’m fine. Don’t worry” she gives him a perfect smile. “Thank you, for coming to the park. But… I’m sorry that you had to saw me in that kind of situation”
“What are you talking about- That’s what a friend for! Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. I’ll keep it even from Jiyeon. I promise” he said
“Alright. I’m going in. Please tell Jiyeon that I feel sorry. And… thank you, Chanyeol” Thank you, Chanyeol. Goodbye, Chanyeol.
And Catherine making her way to go inside the house. He’s still watching her inside his car, only to make sure. “There’s definitely something in your mind, and I can’t force you to tell me. But, I hope you’re okay now, Catherine.”
She looks outside her window, Chanyeol is about to leave. “I hope this is a right thing to do. I’m sorry.”
***
Its almost 8.00 in the evening. The luggage is all ready, and Catherine should be leaving at 10.00. She’s nervous and sad, and also happy. She’s happy knowing that she’s going to meet her brothers again. But, also sad, because she has to leave this city, she has to leave everything she has behind. Right now, right here.
“Catherine, you got a call” a call? Mom?
She’s mouthing “mom?” to the maid but the maid shakes her head and mouthing “Kim Woojoong” in reply. Suddenly, she feels this butterfly inside her stomach.
“Hello?” she said, with a shaking voice “I- um… my phone? I haven’t charge it yet. Now? NO. NO. Don’t come over. Remember the park near my aunt’s house? I’ll meet you there, okay?”
She put down the phone in its place. And exhales her breath- she’s going to face him for the last time. And she only has 2 hours- tops. Before she leaves.
She sat on a bench at the park waiting for him to come. It’s not really the right time to be outside the house, the weather is pretty cold. No, I mean it’s really really cold.
“Err. It’s freezing” she groans. Catherine wore long pants, sweater, and also a beanie hat but it’s not enough to block the coolness. “I didn’t expect the weather to be this cold. Ah, it’s sooo cold!”
10 minutes passed.
“Hey, did I make you wait too long?” a familiar voice breaks the silence.
There he is, a familiar figure that she knew the best finally shows up in front of her. He makes his way to come closer to her- every step he takes to make her heart beat faster. The butterfly inside her stomach starts to annoy her.
This might be the last time we can meet each other like this. So,
She steps ahead in his direction and suddenly hugs him tight. “…it’s so cold!”
He giggles, “Did you just use ‘cold’ a reason to hug me?” Catherine let go of him and she pinches his stomach. “Yah! What was that for? It hurts”
“You deserve it” Catherine replied.
Woojoong laughs “alright, alright no more teasing. Here-” he took off his jacket and put it on her. “Let’s go, it’s too cold to be outside here. Anyway, have you eat your dinner?”
Catherine shakes her head, “No, I haven’t.” the truth is she didn’t even eat anything since afternoon. She’s kinda busy, remember?
“So, let’s have something to eat. Shall we?”
She nods “tteokbokki! Let’s have rice cakes to eat! And noodles too, and ice cream!” she replied with excitement. Any to-do-list can wait. Let me have this for the last time.
“Ice cream? Are you sure-”
Catherine bites her lower lips, “Right, the weather. Okay, it’s just rice cakes and noodles then” she pulls his hand to make him walk faster “let’s go! Let’s go!”
Woojoong can’t hold the smile. He loved it when Catherine shows him her true self instead of being shy- but, he can’t deny that her shy side is also cute. Although, she seems not so well earlier. If she goes to that place- she might have something going on. I’m sorry I cannot be there when it happened, Catherine. But, I’m glad you’re doing fine now.
They get inside a restaurant who sells rice cakes nearby the park. It’s not that hard to find this kind of place in this area. Besides, it’s not really crowded inside and the most important part is it's warm enough.
“We did come here too before, right? I remembered.” Catherine said she gave a look around the place. It changed so much from the last time she remembered it was “when was it?”
Woojoong takes a sip of his drink, “last year. You still in your freshman year”
Freshman year. “Ah…” suddenly she laughs. She tried to hold it but she can’t. It makes her want to laugh even more “I’m sorry, I- pfft”
“Why are you laughing? What’s so funny?” he said
Catherine tries to hold her laugh “that was the time when you said you’ll treat me. But you left your wallet at school, remember? And-” she laughs. Again.
“Okay, stop it right there. You- you told me you’ll forget it” Woojoong giggles. “That was the most embarrassing moment. Ever. It was hard for me to face you again later on”
She smiles, her face is getting red because of the laugh and also the topic they have now. “I knew it. For the first time, your face became red every time you saw me”
Now it’s his turn to laugh “yeah, it’s supposed to be you who turns red. Not me.”
“I-I don’t turn red!”
Woojoong laughs, even louder. “Look, you just did” she covers her cheeks with both of her hands. He smiles brightly “It’s cute tho… I won’t complain. Okay, let’s eat. I should return you back home at 10, right?”
For a second I would say No, you shouldn’t return me back home at 10. Because after you leave the house, I’m leaving too. Catherine nods. “Yes, at 10.00”
***
“9.46? Hey, do we have to go back now” Woojoong said. “And did you even have some time to rest since this morning?”
She shakes her head. “Do you?”
“Hmm? Do you what?” he looked up to her. Her expression changed, the smile vanished.
“Do you want me to go back now? I feel like didn’t want to go back at all. I want to stay here, can I?” she take a long deep breath and exhales it very slowly.
“You have no idea how much I want to reply your question with a YES. Yes, sure you can. But, I don’t want to make your aunt or Ms Sun worried. And, you have to rest, Cat. Seriously.”
“My aunt has left to Canada this afternoon, she got some business matter and she’ll stay there for a couple of months? But, you’re right. I have to take a rest, for sure.”
“Those eyebags needs to vanish,” he said
This time Catherine smiles. Even giggles. “Let’s go home”
I still remember that day, the first time you approached me
Your voice. Your face.
I never imagine we could go this far.
I’m glad we met.
“Catherine? We’re here”
She stares at his face for a couple of seconds, then, exhales her breath “remember, don’t wake up too late even if its weekend your mom told me she hates it, and don’t overwork yourself! Also, don’t-” don’t forget me.
“I love you too” he replied
Now, she’s definitely red “w-what? No- no, I’m being serious. That’s your to-do list, you have to do it even when I’m not around!” oh shoot. Woojoong raises his eyebrows. And she adds “you said you’re going to be busy this week. So, we can’t meet each other that often, right?” lying again, huh?
“Ah, about that”
“I should get going. Good… bye!” I should get going, I better go- before I spill out the truth that I’m going to leave. I- what will he say, if I did? What will he do?
“Goodnight, Catherine.” He replied
She takes a look at her watch it shows that it’s already 10.02 it means she should leave now or she’ll miss her flight. When she turned her back after closing the gate and she can see her driver is already preparing the car. A second later Ms Sun shows up “There you are! Everything is ready, Catherine. Do you need anything else?”
“Yes, I think I need to change my clothes first before I go. Is that okay?”
Ms Sun nods “I think that’s okay, your flight is at 00.10 anyway“
“Alright then, I’ll be right back”
“It’s 10.25, where’s Catherine?” the driver asks, Ms Sun is about to reply his question but speaking of the devil
“I’m here! Let’s go!” says Catherine. Her sweater, long-pants and beanie changed into jeans, black shirt, and coat. She has her passport, and her iPod on her right hand while the other one is holding her earphone. This is her first time going somewhere by herself, she should make herself busy to avoid any interaction with strangers later.
Home, I’m coming.
***
The sunlight sneaks into the room, she yawns, turning off her alarm and take her phone out the drawer beside her bed.
“The heck- why do I wake up so late? And where is she- why she didn’t give me any calls, I’m worried as hell and that must be the reason why I'm sleeping like dead. I’m going to make her pay. She has to treat me an ice- nope, it’s cold. She has to treat me Tteokbokki later.” She said
“PARK JIYEON!” yelled someone from outside her door or probably downstairs, who knows? But, it’s loud enough for the entire house to hear.
Jiyeon groans and yells back to him. This will never stop until one of them decides to do so. “WHAT WHAT?! AND STOP YELLING WE JUST FIVE STEPS AWAY YOU SILLY”
“YOU’RE AWAKE?” he yells again.
Jiyeon stare at herself in the mirror, she’s pretty messed up- her hair looks like a lion. “He’s so annoying. How can I have a really loud brother like him? I’m not loud…” she rolls her eyes “alright, maybe a bit. Whatever I’m going to take a shower. See you, gorgeous!”
She gets downstairs after taking a really fast shower and put on some warm clothes, she’s ready to go.
“Yah! I’m going to Catherine’s house, maybe or maybe not coming back tonight. So, bye! Take care, brother. Don’t burn this house down while I’m gone!” Jiyeon drives her car to Aunt Harley’s house.
Jiyeon’s house is 15 minutes away from Catherine’s. And she often visits her when she’s bored- and the thing is, she's always bored.
Aunt Harley- Catherine’s aunt knows Jiyeon so well. She knows that Jiyeon is Catherine’s seatmate, and also her best friend. Aunt Harley knows Chanyeol too, and also Woojoong but, she knows Jiyeon the best.
Jiyeon arrived. “Why it seems like nobody is home… where’s Ms Sun? She usually came out every time there’s a car sound outside” she tries to ring the bell.
And the machine answered, “Who is it?”
“Jiyeon! Park Jiyeon!” Jiyeon replied. “Is Catherine home?”
There’s no answer, only a silence.
And, finally, it says “Please come in Park Jiyeon”
Who is this? Where’s Ms Sun? “Ah, sure, thank you” a woman come out the house right after the gate is opened.
“Ah- hello, you must be wondering who I am. I’m Sun Sinhee, Ms Sun’s sister and I’m here to help her take care of this house while it’s empty.”
Jiyeon seems confused, “Empty? What do you mean empty?”
“You didn’t know?” Jiyeon shakes her head. “Catherine’s aunt is leaving to Canada and Catherine… my sister said she’s leaving too. All I know is this house will be empty for a while”
“…wait, No. No way. She didn’t tell me she’s leaving” Jiyeon lost her words, this can’t be happening. Wake up. “School. The school will start next week. So, she’s coming back, right?”
“I don’t think so. From what I heard she doesn’t live here anymore. And, oh I remember, there’s something in her room- I thought it belongs to you because there’s your name on it”
Jiyeon held her tears, she’s so upset, either she should get mad or cry. Or even both. “In her room? Can I see it?”
“Um- yeah, I think you can. Let me show you”
“Hello?”
She’s trying to calm herself down a bit before starts to talk “Chan, how-fast-can-you-come here? Chanyeol… come here, hurry!”
“Hey, calm down. Where are you?”
Jiyeon exhales her breath, “Catherine’s…” and he hung up. He knew what to do.
Couch, desk and the chair, also the bed all of them are already being covered with white cloth. But, there’s a box on the only table that not covered yet. A box with a couple stuff inside.
A minute later.
“Hey, are you okay?” someone shows up, he captured Jiyeon who still looks so upset, sitting on a covered couch with a box on her lap “what happened exactly? W-what is this” he looked around the room with all the white clothes.
She can’t hold her tears anymore, she cried. “She didn’t tell me anything. I’m so mad. And she… gave us this i- what should we do Chanyeol…”
“Woojoong will arrive at any moment. What’s in the box?” Chanyeol ask
Jiyeon cries even louder, “your birthday gift.”
