Chapter 10
Watching tears streaming down his mother cheeks was the last thing he wanted. Even if she wasn't his real mother but she was the closest thing he had as a mother. He had been thinking how happy his mother would be to hear his news. But when the reality worked the opposite his expectation he couldn't help but regretting ever telling her the news.
"Aren't you happy, mom?"
She wiped her tears. "Of course I'm so happy for you, my son."
"Then what's with the tears?" Junpyo said as he wiped her tears.
"It's tears of happiness." She forced a smile which was breaking his heart.
"Don't you miss her? Don't you miss Geum Jandi?"
"Heaven knows how I miss her. How is she doing?"
Junpyo smiled, cannot wait to tell his mother about the girl that had made him crazy. "She is fine. Actually she is not just fine, she is great. She is beautiful, sweet, smart, but crazy sometimes." Junpyo went on and on like he had lots of words to describe her.
"You're crazy about her, aren't you?"
Junpyo blushed when he heard her said. "She is sometime annoying the hell out of me." They both laughed at his complain.
"Is she happy?"
"Everyone may think that she is happy, but the truth is she is anything but happy." Junpyo might have a little hint about Jandi's life in few days after they met. She never talked about her family or her father in this case. And the night when the first time they met was a strong prove of how unhappy her life was. Of course he would not tell her how they met. Junpyo kept that to himself.
"It's my entire fault. I shouldn't have left her."
"Mother, you had been blaming yourself since I could remember. Whatever was your reason for leaving I know that you had your own excuse."
"I shouldn't have left. I wished that I could just bring her with me."
Junpyo couldn't stand the fact that his mother kept blaming herself. He believed that she had reason. His mother was the nicest person he had ever met.
"Don't you want to meet her?" Junpyo said. He was disappointed when his mother shook her head no.
"It doesn't mean that I don't want to meet her." His mother said, looking toward the open door as if she was waiting for someone to enter. "I don't think I can stand her rejection."
"Why do you say that, Mom?"
His mother smiled. "I'm the reason of anything that happened to her life."
"Jandi is the nicest person, just like you. I don't think she will hold grudge on you. "
"If she is anything like me, she will never forgive me. I hate someone who lies and cheats on me." Somehow hearing his mother explanation made him remembered the lie he had been scheming to Jandi.
"Mom…"
"Yeah, Junpyo?"
"Mother, I think I'm in a big trouble."
"What do you mean you're in trouble?"
"I lied to her." His mother raised her brows at him. "Yeah, I didn't mean to, I just… I was carried away."
"Tell me everything, Junpyo." His mother said and Junpyo did what she asked. He told her everything except Jandi's attempt to die. He would tell his mother later when the time was right.
His mother smiled when he finished the story. "She will be mad at you, Junpyo. I'm very sure about that."
Damn, he should have known that.
"But she will forgive you, so don't worry." His mother must have seen panic on his face when she said that. She probably was just comforting him.
"Trust me, she will." Junpyo really hoped that his mother was right. He didn't know what he had to do if Jandi couldn't forgive him.
"But promise me you'll tell her the truth as soon as possible."
Junpyo nodded eagerly. He would tell her and ask for her forgiveness the first thing when they met.
"Gaeul, change of plan. I need to formulate plan C." Jandi said through her cellphone when her father was finally out of the house. He had been eyeing every doings. She even felt weird when he sat next to her as she was sitting by the pool. It was too cold to swim so she was just sat there to get some sunlight. And her father followed her by sitting there beside her. She had no idea what he wanted and she didn't bother to ask. They were just sat there in silence.
"What do you mean by plan C. I'm confused, please enlighten me." From the sarcasm she heard in her voice, Jandi knew her best friend was pissed. She hadn't called her for almost two days or maybe more. That was probably why Gaeul sounded as if she was having her period.
"Remember yesterday or maybe the day before after we shopped?" Jandi started. "I lied to you about forgetting stuff. Actually I went to see Junpyo, he was kind of there." She didn't tell the couple they saw was Junpyo. She knew what Gaeul would do if she knew the truth.
Gauel snorted. "I should have known better. So, what happened?"
Jandi smiled awkwardly hearing curiosity in her voice. "I didn't meet him literally because I went so mad at him and I ended up getting drunk at a club."
"What?!"
Jandi smiled again, imagining Gaeul widened her eyes. "Yeah, and Junpyo ended up saving like he always did."
"I wanted to kick his balls for canceling your date but I'll forget about that because he saved you."
Jandi couldn't help but laughed. She knew Gaeul too well.
"Don't laugh at me. Tell me what happened next!" Gaeul snapped.
Knowing Gauel was upset, Jandi stopped laughing and continued to explain. "I was having a really bad hangover and he treated me really well." She left the part when he bathed her. She would keep their intimate moment to herself. "And he asked me to be his girlfriend and we are kind of officially dating."
"I'm really happy for you." But Gaeul didn't sound as happy as she said. Jandi was thinking she was probably upset for she had been ditching her because of Junpyo. But the thought was gone when Gaeul screamed at her.
"Congratulation!"
Jandi had to pull away her phone because she was too loud.
"I cannot believe this. I hated to say this but I'm really really happy for you."
"Thank you, Gaeull." Jandi was grinning from ear to ear hearing her sincere words.
"If this is good news, what was it about you mentioning plan C?"
"That's what I'm about to explain. My father out of nowhere, he was kind of around this whole day which was weird, saying that he couldn't wait to walk me down the aisle."
"Okay. That's bad news." Gaeul commented.
"I know that." Jandi said weakly, agreeing with her best friend. They knew her father rarely said things. And when he said something would happen then it must happen.
"That was why I'm asking you to mastermind this plan C I have. Are you with me, Gaeul?"
Jandi heard Gaeul giggled before she answered. "You don't need to ask. You can always count me in."
She couldn't help but smiled, knowing that Gaeul would always there by her side no matter what happened.
Jandi was tossing and turning on her bed. She couldn't sleep. She had been masterminding the plan with the help of Gaeul for hours. She was relieved that she was agree with her and would help her with the plan. She wondered what she could do without Gaeul.
They had planned it all and the only thing she needed was telling Junpyo the truth. She had to tell him anything, about who she was, about her arranged marriage her father had set for her and also about her mother. She would tell him everything and she wished that Junpyo would agree with her plan. But what if he wouldn't agree? He had to if he really loved her. Actually it was her who fell deeply in love with him, that was how pathetic she was.
Sighing, Jandi looked at the clock on the wall. Mr. Gu would call her around this time. It didn't mean that she was waiting for him to call. The truth was she needed to make an apology to him. Why would she need to make an apology? It wasn't her fault. She had told him from the first time that she didn't agree with the whole arrange married thing. It was his fault for agreeing.
Still she felt the need to tell him she was sorry since he had been nice to her. That was the least she could do to him. She would just forget that he did make her mad the last time they talked. She wondered why the two of them were like water and oil, but she almost swore that when she talked to him she felt comfortable and all. How she wished that he would cancel their fathers' plan and they would be friends. Yeah, friend, just friend, nothing more. Was she hoping for something more with him?
What would he say when she told him that they would not never meet? Would he ever miss her? That would be impossible, they had never even met. It was probably her who was going to miss his call. Really bad, like she was feeling this time.
Jandi stared at her phone on the table as if it would ring just by staring at it. Should she call him? Was it going to make it hard for him and for her too?
Heck, who care?!
Jandi jumped off the bed to reach for the phone.
"But I don't have his number." Jandi grumbled when she remembered that he was the one who always called. She then called the phone provider and asked the number that called her number around this time. It would be easy cause no one called beside Mr. Gu. After telling her to wait for another ten minutes, the phone provider finally gave her the number.
"Thank you, Mam." Jandi said after writing the number on her notes. She then dialed the number waiting as the call was connecting. She waited and waited, it did connect but no one picked it up. He probably was going out somewhere. Was he out with another girl? Then who was she to wonder? It wasn't her business if he was out with another girl. It was up to him. But why did the thought about him with someone else made her had this feeling when she saw Junpyo kissed that skinny girl.
"Damn, Jandi. You should stop thinking that jerk Mr. Gu. You love Junpyo." Jandi scolded herself. Yeah, she should.
Was it possible that she liked two guys at the same time? She loved Junpyo, of course she didn't doubt that but when it turned to Mr. Gu, she had this weird feeling that she swore that it was almost like the way she felt for Junpyo.
Why was it happening to her? She wished she could just hate Mr. Gu like she thought she did.
"Argghhh…" She was feeling frustrated.
Jandi was startled when her cellphone beeped. Immediately, she reached for it. Grinning so wide knowing Junpyo had sent her message.
Message: I miss you already. Good night ;)
Her fingers eagerly tapped her phone replying his text. In few seconds she had his message replied.
Message: Miss you too… So much
Jandi headed to her bed smiling. She was beyond sure that her plan would be a huge success and her confusing feeling toward Mr. Gu was forgotten as she tugged herself on the bed.
"I love you, Junpyo…"
"Are you sure you've packed properly?" Jandi asked the question for the hundredth times or maybe more because Gaeul was annoyed.
"You ask me that question again, you must forget your plan to run away." Jandi was relieved that Gaeul was driving. She didn't want to imagine what she would do to her if she wasn't driving.
"I'm sorry, I'm just nervous." Jandi bit her lower lip. She couldn't believe that she was running away and made her best friend help her. She should have done it herself.
"Gaeul…" Jandi said weakly which made her got Gaeul's deadly glare. She was probably as nervous as her. "Thank you…"
Gaeul smiled. "That's what friends are for. I know you will do just the same if you were me."
Jandi nodded. Heck, she would do anything for her.
"Give me your phone!"
"Why?"
Jandi got her glare again.
"You want your father find you?"
Heck, no! Jandi hesitantly gave her phone to Gaeul.
"I've to destroy your phone so he won't be easy finding where you are, remember GPS?"
Jandi nodded as Gaeul explained what she should or shouldn't do.
"As a change of your phone, I've bought you a payphone card that you can use anywhere and anytime. It doesn't have limit. You can call me anytime you want but for now we have to keep our distance. No call is preferable. You know that your father will come straight to my house when he notices you're gone. "
Gaeul was right. Jandi would miss her so bad knowing that she couldn't call her.
"I prepare an account number for you in case you need money. It isn't much but I think that knowing your habit it'll be fine." Gaeul said as she passed a purse to her.
Jandi checked the purse. There were cash, ATM card, bus card, train card and many things she couldn't point out. She was wondering how Gaeul had planned everything very well, every detail were well calculated.
"Starting for today, you will be taking the bus." Gaeul said as she hit the break. Jandi didn't know that they were stopping at the bus stop.
"Thank you, Gaeul. I don't know how I can repay all of these. Thank you my friend." Jandi said as she hugged Gaeul. "I'll miss you so much."
"I'll miss you too."Gaeul said.
After saying goodbye to each other, Gaeul left and she was finally on her own. Gaeul had done so many things for her, this was the time for her to stand by herself.
"What the…?" Jandi was looking at the complicated bus system. She had never been using bus before.
There was always the first time. She reminded herself.
Jandi took the first bus that came. Turned out she took the wrong bus, so when she arrived at Junpyo's place it was already dark. She didn't spot his car where it was usually parked.
He probably was going out somewhere. So, she decided to just wait there. She wanted to wait for him upstairs but the walk from the bus stop had taken a lot of her energy. Climbing ten stories high building was not very appealing. The fact that she hadn't had dinner was making her even lazier. So, instead of climbing the stairs she sat there waiting.
It was one hour later, maybe less, when she saw a car pulled into the building. It wasn't Junpyo's. Jandi stood up when she saw someone exiting the car. She knew him. He was Junpyo's boss, wasn't he? He wasn't wearing his suit anymore like the first time she saw him. Even if he was good in his suit but she preferred him in his casual clothes. Not too bossy.
Jandi stood up to greet him. If he was Junpyo's boss, she should make a good impression. He looked shocked when he saw her approaching and stopped when they were close enough to greet each other.
"Good night, I'm Jandi, a friend of Junpyo." Jandi said as she offered her hand. Hesitantly Junpyo's boss took her hand.
"Hi, I'm So Yijung." The guy looked at her from head to toe as if trying to recognize her which made Jandi felt uncomfortable.
"Nice too meet you, Mr. So." Jandi quickly bowed and the guy followed. He furrowed his brows probably wondering why she was there.
"I was just waiting for Junpyo. He is probably still out, somewhere…" Jandi awkwardly explained not having any idea where he was. She would have called him if she had her phone.
"He is still on his way from visiting his mother." Mr. So said. "He told me to come around this time. I bet he'll be a bit late."
Jandi nodded. She wanted to ask more about Junpyo but not having the gut to ask. So, she was just stood there in awkward silent. How could she make a good impression if she was tongue tight? She should have said nice things about Junpyo, right?
"You want me to call him?" Mr. So asked. Jandi wanted to say yes, but before she agreed with him he had called Junpyo.
"I cannot call him. Maybe his phone is off." Mr. So said then awkward silent again.
"Mr. So…?" Jandi said breaking their awkwardness. "Do you mind if I borrow your phone?" She could have just waited later but she really needed to make this call. She had to talk to Mr. Gu.
"Sure…" Mr. So handed her the phone.
"Thanks." Jandi said then dialed the number she had memorized. She waited until it was connected.
The loud rang from the nearest payphone booth startled them both. Jandi just realized that there were payphone near this building. Mr. So looked at her then the booth. It was strange of course, but Jandi ignored it. The call ended since no one picked up the phone. The payphone booth stopped ringing too.
Jandi dialed again then the booth rang again. Okay, that was weird. She quickly ended the call and the booth stopped ringing. She tried again and got the same result.
What the heck? What did that mean?
"Mr. So, what is your number?" Jandi said as she handed the phone.
"Why do you…"
"Just tell me your number!" Jandi cut him, running to the phone booth. She remembered Gaeul telling her about payphone card in her purse.
"Tell me your phone number, Mr. So." Jandi said furiously. This wasn't happening. It was just a coincidence.
Jandi punched the number as Mr. So said the numbers, wishing that she was wrong. She waited until the call connected. They both looked each other when Mr. So's phone rang. He hesitantly lift edthe phone to his ear and Jandi heard the call was answered.
"Hello…" She could clearly hear Mr. So confused voice through the receiver.
"Mr. So… What is Junpyo's full name?" Jandi wished that she didn't ask the question. And she wished he didn't answer her question.
"Gu Junpyo, his name is Gu Junpyo. Why…?"