Nobu was on his way to a meeting. Seoul's streets were busy at this time. Finally, his car got to the building. He got into his wheelchair with the help of Butler Lee. It was chilly outside. Nobu was glad he had on his beanie and dark glasses, even if it wasn't sunny out. Nobu looked around and grimaced at the snow. It was gray and slushy here. Not pretty whatsoever.
That's what he was thinking when he suddenly caught sight of someone.
Long dark waves tumbling down her back. Nobu could see her black leather jacket and black mini dress from behind. Her tall black boots and patterned stockings. He froze.
"Aimee?" he muttered.
"Mr. Komatsu?" Butler Lee tried to get his attention, but Nobu was focused on that girl. She was walking away. Nobu pushed his wheelchair to go after her. He didn't know why, but since the night at the jewelry shop, he had longed to see her again.
"Aimee! Aimee!" he whispered her name fiercely.
Finally, he caught up to the girl, grabbing her arm. She turned, blinked at him. Nobu turned a slight red. It wasn't Aimee. Though, she looked a hell of a lot like her. Except different. She was a beautiful girl, but she wasn't Aimee.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Nobu quickly apologized, realizing his mistake. "I thought you were someone else I knew."
The girl looked at him.
"It's okay," she replied.
Nobu turned and started away when the girl called him again. She stood in front of him, smiling. Nobu realized she probably didn't recognize him as the Komatsu Nobu with his glasses and beanie on. He was slightly relieved.
"I'm Kang ChoHee," the girl bowed to Nobu slightly. "And I think you're very handsome. Would you like to grab dinner with me some time?"
"My schedule is a bit tight," Nobu replied simply, not giving the girl a second glance. He gritted his teeth. Why did she have to look so much like Aimee? Even the way she dressed. Nobu couldn't bear to look at her. And he definitely didn't want to go on a date with her. It would be like going on a date with Aimee, except...not.
"Oh come on," ChoHee put her hands on her hips, pouting her lips. "You don't have time to go on a date with me?"
"No," Nobu replied. He just wasn't interested.
"I'll buy dinner at six, tomorrow night at that shop across the street, okay?" ChoHee winked at him and walked away. Nobu scoffed. She was hot, but she was definitely bold and cocky.
Just like Aimee when he first met her.
I awoke the next morning to the sound of my cell phone going off. I groaned and tried to shut the noise out. Eventually, it stopped ringing, but then it rang again. Whoever was calling was definitely trying to get their point across.
"Whaaattt?" I exaggerated my whine.
"Uhm, sunbae, where are you?" MiNyu asked.
"I'm…" I suddenly remember. "Oh, shit!"
I jump out of my bed. I had totally forgotten that the day before I had set up a date to go shopping with MiNyu. I had told her that if she was feeling better that we should go shopping together today in Myungdong. Of course, I had completely forgotten and slept in.
"I'll be there in a minute," I tell MiNyu and hang up. I get dressed quickly and grab my keys, heading out to the car.
After practically speeding all the way to Myungdong, I made it within five minutes. MiNyu gave me a worried look as I stepped out of the car. I gave her an apologetic smile. She laughed a little at me. I smoothed out my hair, which I had only brushed slightly.
"Sorry, I was really tired last night," I tell MiNyu.
"That's okay, sunbae," MiNyu smiled. "I didn't wait long."
"You didn't?" I ask, grabbing my purse from the car and then locking it.
"No, my Oppa brought me," MiNyu smiled.
I smiled, "Sometimes I still think MiNam is a kid, who doesn't know how to drive or be mature. I don't know why."
"He can act like it sometimes," MiNyu laughed. "Let's go."
And so we head off shopping. It was a bit chilly to be shopping at the outdoor stores, but we went to a few of those first. I've been here a million times, but every time, it still seems to be so much fun. After buying a couple pieces of clothing here and there, MiNyu and I decided to head to the mall which was indoor and much much warmer.
"Oh, dresses!" I immediately grabbed MiNyu by the arm and ran to a nearby shop, which had a big display of formal dresses in the front window.
"This would be really cute on you," I pick out a red fitted dress with a ruffled white top for her. MiNyu took it from me, looking over it a little bit.
"It's okay," she replied.
"What about this?" I handed her a ruche pink halter dress. She gives it an unsure look.
"That wouldn't look good on me," she shook her head. I look at the dress, then at her. For being so innocent and wide-eyed, MiNyu was a girl who had good curves. I smile, and hand the dress to her.
"You never know until you try it on," I tell her with a wink. She still doesn't look sure, but takes the dress. I look around the rack for something I could wear.
"Sunbae, what about this?"
"Too plain," I replied, looking over the dress MiNyu had picked out. It was a pink dress with butterfly sleeves and was about knee length. No design.
"This?" MiNyu pulled another dress out. I looked at that one a while. It was plain, but somewhat attracting. Black, perhaps mid-thigh length, one-shoulder with a ruffled edge down one side of the dress. Plain, but the ruffled added an edge.
"I love it," I grinned. MiNyu beamed proudly. Everyone knew how strange my style could be sometimes. No one really understood it, which is why I usually shopped alone or with Jeremy, who simply liked to look for clothes for himself. After all, both our styles were a little strange at times.
After grabbing a few more dresses, MiNyu and I headed off to the dressing rooms. I tried on the dress MiNyu had picked first. I frowned a little. It was a tad shorter than I had expected. I didn't dare bend over in it. But otherwise, it fit nicely. It's loose skirt skimmed over my big hips easily and it had a sort of a baby-doll look to it.
"How's your dress, sunbae?" MiNyu called from the dressing room beside me.
"I'm not so sure. How about you?" I asked.
"Uhm, I think it's too small," I heard her meek voice.
I open the door to my dressing room and step out, knocking on her door. She opened it slightly, poking her head out. She looked a bit horrified.
"If you don't want to come out, just let me in," I tell her. She still looks unsure, but as she opens the door, I see her in the dress. It wasn't too small. It was just perfect. Maybe a little form-fitting, but that was the whole point of the dress. One side of the top was barely on her shoulder, though.
"I think it's too small," she frowned. "It feels tight."
"It's supposed to be a little tight," I tell her, smiling. "It looks great on you, actually."
"Really?" MiNyu looks at herself in the mirror. I come up behind her and fix her straight brown hair in a way that will look good over the dress. I brush her bangs a little, so they looked side-swept.
"You can dress it up with a belt here," I indicated to her waist. "Maybe a black one. And some simple black shoes will look good with it."
"You really think so?" MiNyu tilted her head at herself in the mirror. "But I don't really need a dress. I don't have anywhere to go in one."
I think a moment. Was there something she could wear it to? It looked too good on her for her not to buy it. Although it wasn't exactly MiNyu's concept, it was still simple and innocent enough.
"What about that movie premier that's coming up?" I snap my fingers, finally thinking of it. "AN Jell and I are both going to be there. You can come as TaeKyung's date."
MiNyu groaned, "We can't, sunbae."
"Why not?" I pout, then I remember. "Ugh. It's been three years. When are you and Taekyung going to go public?"
"I don't know," she muttered. "We've been thinking about it, but last time TaeKyung went public with a girlfriend, it was a little crazy. You know?"
We both laughed a little, thinking about Yoo HeYi. It's actually been a really long time since I've last seen her. Of course, she was all over TV and whatnot, but I haven't actually seen her, as in spoken to her, in a while. MiNam visited her every once in a while and they'd been kind of dating, but she doesn't come around the house.
For obvious reasons.
"Is your brother still dating HeYi?" I asked, realizing I hadn't a clue.
"Yeah," MiNyu nodded. "But they're not very exclusive about their relationship either. I guess HeYi doesn't really want it to be getting out just yet."
"Just yet?" I scoff. "Three years together and they don't want to go exclusive."
"We're not all as bold as you and ShinWoo," MiNyu grinned.
"But I would think at least by now that TaeKyung would want the world to know who his lovely girlfriend is," I patted her on the shoulder. She smiled faintly, and seemed to finally realize I was in my black dress she'd picked out.
"Oh! It looks really nice on you!" she clapped her hands together in excitement.
"It's a bit short," I smiled. "But it's nice."
"Just don't bend over in it," MiNyu laughed. I smiled.
"We're both buying these dresses," I tell her. She seems to think a moment. I sigh.
"Come on, MiNyu," I smile. "I'm going to buy it for you if you don't buy it."
Not wanting me to pay for her stuff, she reluctantly agreed. She said she didn't promise anything, but she would buy it. It was enough for me. I knew she'd wear it eventually. And anyway, what's with this whole 'not wanting to go public' thing? ShinWoo and I had been together only a year, and we were public. TaeKyung and MiNyu had been together three years, but still didn't want to go public? I didn't get it.
But then again, it was their business. Not mines.
I think about HeYi, though. It really has been forever. I smile a little, thinking about how much I had hated her. And she had hated me all the same. Still, I can't help but wonder how she's doing and how MiNam manages to like someone so fake.
I'm going to have to ask MiNam sooner or later.
MiNyu and I continue to try on dresses, but we don't find many others we liked. So we moved onto a new store. It was a natural, fun, girls' day out. I smiled the whole time. This mall really held a lot of memories. I remember coming here with ShinWoo many times. Also with Jeremy, TaeKyung, and even Nobu.
As soon as his name enters my thoughts, I spot the little photo booth where Nobu and I had taken pictures together. I still had those pictures, somewhere at the bottom of my drawer at home. I didn't look at them often.
"Do you want to take pictures?" MiNyu asked, suddenly breaking into my thoughts. I jump back, realizing I'd been staring at the photo booth.
"Oh, did you want to?" I asked her. She smiled.
"Sure," she replied. We walked over to the photo booth and climbed in. I placed the money in and looked at MiNyu.
"Ready?" I asked. She smiled.
"Yep!"
We both smiled at the first shot. The second shot, we both blew up our cheeks and rolled our eyes. The third shot, we both blew kisses. The fourth shot, MiNyu smiled while I put up a fist and made a growling face.
"These are cute," I laughed. MiNyu laughed as well. I hand them to her.
"Why give them to me to keep?" MiNyu asks me, not taking the pictures.
"To remind you that we're friends," I tell her, smiling.
"I wouldn't forget," MiNyu laughs, but takes them anyways. "Kamsamnida."
I smiled, hoping she would never forget we were friends. I suddenly flashbacked again to those years when she had been my friend, but I had secretly hated her and loathed her. I smiled softly to myself, remembering. I watched her as she put the pictures away in her bag. Her hair had gotten much longer. She made a very pretty girl. She might've been a little too innocent, too sincere, but she was cute and doe-eyed.
MiNyu seemed a little taken back as she looked up and saw me eying her.
"Are you okay, sunbae? You seem really out of it today," MiNyu looked worried. "Are you sick?"
"Oh, no," I quickly reply. "I'm just…"
"Just..?" MiNyu asks, as I don't finish my sentence. My stomach suddenly growls, and I realize I hadn't even eaten breakfast. It was nearly noon.
"Let's go eat," I smile at her. She smiles faintly.
We settle to eat at a nearby noodle shop. It's got a bunch of different styles of noodles. I get MiNyu and I a table. We sit and look through the menus. MiNyu orders some ramen, while I order a bowl of this Thai noodle, the name of which I cannot pronounce.
"So what were you going to say earlier?" MiNyu asked as the waitress left to fill our orders.
"Oh, I was, uh, reminiscing," I tell her with a little smile.
"Reminiscing?" MiNyu laughed a little, an amused smile on her face. "About what?"
"You, me, Nobu, TaeKyung, ShinWoo, Jeremy. Everything," I answer, smiling softly.
"Would you like anything to drink while you wait for your food?" the waitress comes back. MiNyu immediately jumps in her seat, happily.
"Oh! I'd like a Thai Ice Tea with milk," MiNyu said.
I freeze. That was the drink I'd gotten in Busan. That was the drink that ShinWoo had practically drunk for me at the restaurant. It took me a moment to realize that the waitress was still trying to get my order for a drink.
"Oh," I reply, absentmindedly. "I'll just take water."
The waitress left again. MiNyu was looking at me, concerned.
"Reminiscing again?" she asked, just slightly teasingly.
"ShinWoo likes that drink," I tell her softly.
"Huh?"
"Thai Ice Tea with Milk," I smile a little. "He likes that drink."
"Oh, really?" MiNyu smiles. "I had no idea."
The drinks come and MiNyu sips at her ice tea happily. I sip at my water, watching her slightly. She's so cheery and content. Her sunny atmosphere made it hard to hate her. Even just drinking that tea now, she was grinning and smiling to herself.
For some reason, a sudden pain in my chest starts. I don't know why. But watching MiNyu hurt me. Maybe because I'm not like her. I can't just be careless and happy. A sudden sadness overwhelms me. I start to think ridiculous thoughts. Why hadn't MiNyu chosen ShinWoo? I saw how happy TaeKyung had gotten since MiNyu came along. How TaeKyung was more open now, and smiled more often. Then, I think about how ShinWoo and I argue. How I worry him and how he irritates me sometimes. Why had ShinWoo gotten me, the person who distresses him? Why couldn't he have gotten MiNyu, who would always make him smile? I close my eyes and set my water down.
"I need to go use the restroom," I tell MiNyu quickly and head off to the restroom. I take out my cell phone and speed dial ShinWoo, who was number two. My halmoni was number one.
"Yeobosayo?" ShinWoo answers. I sigh at the sound of his voice. For some reason, it comforted me. I don't say anything though. For some reason, I'm afraid I'm going to cry.
"Yeobosayo?" ShinWoo says again.
"Hey," I reply finally.
"Are you okay?" ShinWoo asks slowly. "You don't sound very good."
"I just wanted to hear your voice," I tell him softly.
"Aimee, where are you?" his tone is concerned now.
Damn. I'm worrying him again. This was a stupid idea.
"I'm at the mall with MiNyu. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine," I tell him, forcing a smile, even if he can't see it.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing, really," I laugh a little at how ridiculous and pointless this situation was. "I'll…talk to you maybe later. Bye."
I quickly hung up, not wanting to say anything else to him. I take a couple deep breaths. Why had I called him? I don't know. I just wanted to hear your voice. I had. Hearing his voice soothed me. I smile to myself. At least I felt slightly better now.
"Oh, sunbae, you took a while," MiNyu says as I come back. The food is here already. MiNyu had already started eating. I look at my bowl of noodles and try to be as enthusiastic as her.
"Wow, this looks good," I say, looking at my bowl of noodles. It's not a stew noodle. More like a salad. It was just plain white rice noodles with bean sprouts, shredded lettuce, grilled pork, and shrimp on top. I also had a little bowl of some sweet sesame sauce. I pour it over the noodles and start to eat.
Author's Note:
Anywayyy, OOoo. Surprise, surprise. What is Kang ChoHee doing in Seoul? Btw, those noodles Aimee ate are realllyyy good xD I just don't know what they're called. ahaha.
Also, pics of the dresses Aimee and MiNyu bought-
(Aimee's) http[colon]/i46[dot]tinypic[dot]com/amg55[dot]jpg
(MiNyu's) http[colon]/i46[dot]tinypic[dot]com/119xn9t[dot]jpg
See why she was kinda irky about wearing it? haha.
BTW that last review was my cousin, not me. ahaha. she was reading the fic on my computer and I was signed in when she reviewed xD