Chapter 23
Vanish
Rachael smiled as she pulled into her driveway, finally able to breathe freely as her day was coming to an end. The conversation with her parents had taken quite an interesting turn. Though at the beginning, she truly believed there would be no reasoning with them. They had snapped when she informed them of her decision to change majors and career choice. She told them she just couldn't take it anymore. Her life felt like it had no meaning. Like it wasn't even her own. She felt like she was watching her life go by through the eyes of someone else. It just wasn't something she could keep up for the rest of her days.
She told them all about her plans to work in the food industry. Specifically as a top rated chef one day. The friendships she shared with MC and Yoosung, along with her old job at the restaurant, had really pushed her towards following her dreams. After all, if they could do something so impossible themselves, then why couldn't she? It was time she took her life into her own hands.
At first Rachael's parents had been against her words. The longer she carried on however, pouring her heart out to them, the more they found themselves unable to put her feelings aside. Instead, it was time to put aside their own. They had always wanted their child to follow in their footsteps. It seemed that now, though, that just wasn't what the world had in store for their little girl. As much as it pained them, they could finally see how much their actions had hurt their own child.
With a heavy heart, they had conceded to their daughter's pleas. Rachael was beyond relieved and was happy to finally reestablish a connection with them. However, if she really wanted to follow this path of hers, it was going to have to be sustainable for her. There would be no more free rides with things. She needed to start working for herself and making her own way. Not that they planned on dropping everything from her immediately, oh no. But if she wanted to do things her way then she needed to learn to do things for herself more, as well. Though there would be time to talk about all of that more once things had gotten settled.
Excited yipping greeted Rachael as she made her way inside the house. A toothy grin spread across her face as she leaned down to give Buster a good scratch behind the ear. He was such a cute little boy. As she ruffled the back of his neck, her fingers grazed across the small lump between his shoulder blades again. Her grin faltered.
"Don't worry, little buddy. Soon we'll figure out what that's all about. Just gotta wait for the morning, okay?" She reassured him. Buster gave an affirmative yip. Rachael smiled at the clueless, yet always excitable puppy.
The spare bedroom door was shut securely as Rachael made her way up to her own room, Buster following along behind her. She gave a smirk, pausing with curiosity as she contemplated knocking. No, no. She should leave them alone. She wondered vaguely if Yoosung had managed to follow along with her advice from before. She snickered to herself. They had been alone all day, in fact. Well, she'd just have to check up on him in the morning. After Buster's vet appointment at least. Some things were just more important than the teasing of her friends. Then again, tomorrow was the last day she'd be able to really indulge in that favorite pastime of hers.
Rachael gave a sentimental sigh as she walked down the hall to her room. She really was going to miss them.
MC shifted in the bed as a yawn built in her throat. Stretching across the mattress, she let her eyes flutter open. She felt nice. Wonderful even. A satisfied smile graced her lips as she turned to face her boyfriend lying next to her. His eyes remained shut and his hair disheveled as quiet snores emanated from his parted lips. He looked adorable.
MC had to stifle a giggle as a blush rose to her cheeks. She couldn't believe last night had actually happened. And to think, a little over a month ago she would have laughed if anyone told her that her life was going to turn out this way. She was just so happy. Though, feelings of such grandeur couldn't last forever. A somber frown pulled at the corners of her mouth. Today was really going to be the day, wasn't it? Time had seemed to go by so fast. She didn't know if she was really ready.
No, she was prepared. She had to be. There were just a few things she needed to get straightened out and settled first. One of which she would need to do on her own. As much as she loved having Rachael's and Yoosung's company, this was something that required a more private setting. In fact, she hadn't even told either of the two of them about it. They would have just insisted that they tag along. She didn't want this. At least, not for this last time. This time was for her.
MC glanced at the clock. It was almost 7:30 in the morning. Yoosung and Rachael wouldn't be up for at least a couple of hours. Well, Rachael at least. Yoosung was guaranteed to be out for quite awhile longer. Reasons primarily associated with their previous endeavors of the night before. MC blushed a deep crimson again and clutched her face in embarrassment. It still was hard to really take in that something like that had really happened. Her heart fluttered at the memory.
She shook her head lightly and held in another giggle. Glancing at Yoosung to ensure she hadn't disturbed his sleep, she gave a soft smile. She really did love this man. This was nothing like the love she had thought she felt for him so long ago. Had she really thought she could have such strong feelings for something through her phone? As ironic as it was, considering he was indeed the same man though now in the flesh, these feelings she held onto now were in an entirely different league than what she had felt in the past.
As baffling as the origins of her circumstances, she really could say that she loved him with all of her heart. This was real. She was willing to change her entire life to ensure that this was something she would get to keep. Nothing could stop her now. Tonight, at ten on the dot, she would be off to her new life in a place she could scarcely imagine. As long as Yoosung was with her, though, she knew she could do it. She could do anything.
Being as quiet as she possibly could, MC snuck out of the bed and dressed herself. She didn't want to risk waking him. As she made her way out of the room, she blew him a small kiss, smiling to herself. Hopefully this wouldn't take too long and she could crawl back into his arms again before he awoke. She dearly hoped she would be able to get back before Rachael woke up to take Buster to the vet at least. As much as she loved her friend, she didn't want to be teased this early in the morning. Just in case she let something slip.
The air outside was crisp as made MC shiver as she walked leisurely to her destination. She took a deep breath, letting the cool air fill her lungs. A strange peace was taking over her. It almost felt like a dream. As she walked she was careful to take in every scent, every sound and everything else around her she could see. She wanted to imprint everything to memory for after she was gone. This very well was the last time she would see this string of scenery. Or, anything in this world actually. She wondered to herself if things would be different in the world she was headed to. Would her city exist where she was going? Would things be different? She was anxious to find out.
The pastel sign reading 'Petal Shop' read clearly in the distance as MC strolled along. She smiled seeing the lit up against the morning sky. It was really great that Christine liked to get up so early in the mornings. She would've been devastated if she hadn't gotten a chance to say goodbye. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and entered the shop.
A small chime twinkled behind her as the fresh scent of blooming flowers filled her senses. She was going to miss coming through here. It took quite a bit of willpower to stop herself from tearing up. This was just one of the many things she was going to miss once she was gone. With a heavy heart, she pressed forward.
"Hello, how may I- Oh! MC, my goodness I wasn't expecting you for another few weeks. It's so lovely to see you again dear." said Christine, smiling softly as she wiped her hands on her apron. "What brings you by?"
"Hello Christine," started MC softly. A lump seemed to be sticking to the inside of her throat. "I just wanted to come by to give you some news." This was harder than she thought it was going to be. She wished she could tell her everything, so that finding the words wouldn't be so difficult, but MC knew that unfortunately that just wasn't possible. She would have to give her a half truth, at the very least.
"Oh?" said Christine, cocking her head to the side as she set down a vase she had been fussing with. She started to make her way over to MC, a curious expression across her face. "What news?"
"Well, it's a little complicated, and I don't mean for it to be so last minute but… I thought you deserved to hear it from me," said MC uneasily. Christie watched her carefully for a moment as MC gathered herself.
"I'm… going to be moving soon. So I won't be able to come by to see you anymore," she finally forced out. Christine's eyebrows shot up.
"Moving? Well that certainly is news," nodded Christine. "Would it happen to be with that nice little Asian boy you brought here last time?" She gave a knowing smile. A faint blush dusted MC's cheeks.
"Actually, yes. We've decided to get a place together. But…"MC trailed off. This was going to be the hard part. How was she supposed to explain that she was going to be moving to an entirely different country? Did she actually need to say that part? It wasn't like something like that was exactly feasible given her current situation. She wasn't exactly sure even how one became a citizen of a different country anyway.
"But," said Christine. "You need me to look after things after you're gone I take it?" she finished with a soft smile. MC swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. Yes that would work perfectly.
"Yes, exactly," she said. "We were planning on moving closer to his family. But that means I won't be able to afford to come back here like I always have. I was wondering if you could visit my parents on my behalf, from time to time. If it isn't too much trouble." It wasn't entirely untrue. She really had planned on asking for her parent's old friend for this favor. Though, the circumstances for why were just a little bit more complicated. Christine nodded and closed her eyes.
"Yes, I knew this day would come sooner or later. Don't you worry your pretty little head about it dear. I'll take care of things for you. Just make sure to live a happy life, you hear me? You deserve to smile more," she said, procuring a white orchid from one of the many vases littering the store. "Here, for one last goodbye for your folks. I'm sure they'd be happy for you."
MC smiled sadly as she took the flower from the older woman. She nodded as her lips tightened into a thin line, tears threatening to spill over. A pair of arms embraced her and rubbed her back softly. This really was going to be hard.
"Thank you, Christine," said MC shakily as she hugged her back.
The cemetery was as quiet as always, if perhaps even more so than normal. It seemed fitting for the somber atmosphere that MC had been swimming through all morning. While she felt determined in the things she planned to do today, that didn't make them any easier for her. Her heart squeezed as she made her way to the familiar conjoined headstones bearing the names of her mother and father. She had so much she wanted to say.
"Mom… Dad," she started, resting the single orchid atop the stones. Her whole body felt heavy as she took another shaky breath. "I won't be able to come see you guys any more after today… But, you probably already knew that, didn't you?" She laughed softly to herself, right hand gripping onto her left arm. Her eyes trailed down to the hard earth under her feet. There was just so much running through her head that she didn't know which thing to say first. What was she even supposed to say? A simple goodbye just didn't seem like enough. Then again, no amount of time would probably ever be enough. It was best to just tell them how she was feeling.
"I'm really happy now. Happier than I have been in such a long time... Which is why I've decided to take more control over my life and go with Yoosung back to where he's from. I… I don't think I'll ever be able to come back," she sniffed, rubbing her sleeve along her watering eyes. "I'm going to miss you guys so much… so much more. I'll be thinking of you all the time. I hope… I hope I'm doing the right thing. I love you guys."
MC went on for awhile of all the events that had transpired to her after Yoosung had appeared in her life. Quite literally, ironically enough. Her confusion, her exasperation, her anticipation. All of it. The good times as well as the bad ones. Even the misunderstandings that had occurred between the two of them. Everything she could recall, she found herself spewing out before she could stop herself. It felt so nice to really get everything off her chest.
The past couple months had felt like a dream. Even a nightmare at times. She could only think of how worse off she could've been had Yoosung not come into her life. This was probably the best thing that could have ever happened to her, realistically speaking. Even through some of the more awful things she had had to deal with because of it. She was sure things would have been worse for her had she been on her own. Her friendship with Rachael was ultimately strengthened, she got out of her terrible job, she was saved from a crazy coworker, and now she would be able to live with the man of her dreams. It was all too much for her to process and a single tear slid down her cheek. Even with the happiness filling her heart, an overwhelming sadness couldn't help but wash over her.
MC stood in silence, save for the sounds of her gentle weeping and the wind blowing through the trees, as she tried to soothe herself. She would be alright in time. She just had to be strong. Her parents, friends, everyone, they would all understand in time. She was going to be okay.
The sudden sound of metal chipping stone brought her from her thoughts and she jumped. Ice filled her veins as she found her limbs frozen in place.
"Well, wasn't that touching," whispered a voice softly from behind her. "But, I'm afraid, we have places to be."
Her world went back before she could even turn around.
Rachael had had a pleasant morning all to herself. As much as she wanted to wake the two lovebirds up before her departure to the vet's office, she just couldn't bring herself to ruin their moment together. This was the last time they would be able to sleep in that bed together after all. Or anything else along those lines. She had snickered to herself at the thought. Rachael made a mental note to tease her friends later once she got home. She had to take what could be her final opportunity to cause some real chaos between the two. What kind of friend would she be if she didn't? A pretty boring one, that was for sure.
Rachael sat in a small waiting room, surrounded by various other people and their pets. Birds in small cages, cats locked in larger ones, as well as a few dogs leashed up by their owners. Buster was currently sleeping on her lap. The poor thing was tuckered out from being woken up so early. Usually he would sleep until Rachael had to get up for work, which hadn't been for a few more hours at least when she had gotten him up to get ready for the car ride. She was thankful at least that this meant he'd behave himself. Usually he was so rambunctious.
Rachael glanced at the clock on the wall. It was only a quarter past 9. At least she still had plenty of time before either MC or Yoosung would be getting up. She hoped she would be able to make it home in time before they got up to make them one last breakfast. Half as a going away present and half as her first ever meal prepared for others on her journey to becoming a chef. Sure she had cooked them plenty of stuff before, but this would be different. It felt so much more special and important now that she had a dream to follow. Maybe she would try and make that omurice that Yoosung was always going on about.
As Rachael started to drift off into thought, her name along with Buster's was called from the front desk. They were finally ready to see them. She snapped to her senses and hoisted up the small pup. Time to see what all this mess was about for his poor neck. She hoped he wasn't developing any kind of tumors or anything. He was much too little for something like that to be happening. Or at least she hoped. If anything, she was hoping more towards bug bite or some kind of birthmark type thing. That as well as a semi cheap bill. She needed to be more careful with her money to prove herself to her parents. But, she reasoned with herself, she could go without a few things for awhile if it meant her little Buster was happy and healthy.
The actual room where Rachael was brought to was quite small. She wondered if this was purely because of how small Buster was or if all vet rooms were this big. Honestly, she had never taken an animal in before so this was all new. It was probably safe to say she was more nervous than even Buster was preparing for all of this. She at least was happy to see the veterinarian enter the room in his white coat.
"Hello there, Rachael is it? And is this little Buster then?" said the vet as he fiddled with a clipboard and pen. Rachael nodded and set Buster up on the tall metal examination table as the vet gestured for her.
"Yes, that's us," replied Rachael, watching as the vet came over to inspect her puppy.
"Now, it said here that this little guy here was brought in for a lump, is that right?" he asked, setting the clipboard down for a moment as his eyes focused in on the pup. Buster stared at him in equal curiosity.
"Yeah, I noticed it a little while back. He's a rescue so unfortunately I don't have any of his medical history. I thought it would be best to get him checked out," replied Rachael honestly. The vet nodded and gently placed a hand on Buster's neck, rubbing slightly until his fingers stopped between the puppy's shoulder blades.
"And would you say he's been eating alright? Any unusual characteristics? Lethargy, loss of appetite or anything like that?" he asked as he felt around the lump. Buster looked mildly uncomfortable with the vet grabbing over him but didn't make any moves to get away.
Rachael thought back to how Buster had been acting since they got him. His constant slobbering, timely bathroom habits, appetite of a horse. No, he didn't seem like anything was bothering him at all. She shook her head.
"Nope, not that I've noticed. He acts just like any other puppy I've ever met," answered Rachael honestly. The vet made a few notes and then closed his eyes, tapping his pen against his cheek thoughtfully.
"Hm, well. Let's run a quick test for something then before we delve into anything more invasive. Considering the location of the bump, and the history, this could be a case of a rejected or infected chip implantation. If you could wait here for a moment, I can go get a scanner to be sure. Just a moment please," said the vet, making his way out of the room.
Chip? Like a microchip? Had Buster's previous owners had him chipped in case they lost him? Worry bubbled up in Rachael's stomach at the thought. Memories of the neighborhood Buster was most likely from flashed before her eyes. She desperately hoped that it wasn't actually the case. If he was indeed chipped, and she had to give him back to the original owners, she sincerely hoped they didn't actually live anywhere near that hellhole. She didn't think she could let that go very civilly.
As the vet came back he had a small hand held white scanner in his hands. Rachael had never seen a device like it before. It only had a couple buttons near the top along with a thin screen. She wondered what exactly it was supposed to read. Would it actually just say the owner's name and address? No, the screen was way too small for that. Maybe a phone number?
Rachael watched as the machine passed over Busters neck and a small beep registered on the device. She blinked in surprise. So there actually was something there. A string of numbers had appeared on the screen.
"Well, looks like it is a chip. I'll get this put into the computer and we'll figure out who this little guy belongs to. We might have to do a few more tests to check for infection or inflammation, but otherwise he should be just fine," said the vet as he held onto the scanner.
Rachael waited patiently for the vet to return once more. She wondered if all vets left the room this often during visits. It reminded her of being at the doctors. Though, she mused, it was pretty much the same thing anyway. Guess it was like this for everyone, even pets.
She pet Buster's head affectionately and frowned a little. So he really did have a home somewhere out there. Her heart sank at the thought. She really didn't want to give him up. Her friends were already going to be leaving her today as well. It seemed the world just really had it out for her today. She found herself hoping that his old owners wouldn't want him back, even if it was a little selfish… Okay very selfish.
After what seemed like forever, the vet finally reemerged with his clipboard again. Rachael waited with bated breath, already prepared for him to say Buster's real owners were on their way. She couldn't take it.
"Alright, well… This is actually a bit difficult," said the vet, biting his lip.
"What, what's wrong?" asked Rachael suspiciously. Had something happened while he was out of the room?
"So the chip was registered with both a name and a phone number. Unfortunately, we are currently unable to contact the owner due to specific circumstances. I'm going to have to ask if you'd be willing to wait out in the hall for a little while," answered the vet as he picked up Buster from the table. Rachael was beyond confused and even started to feel somewhat irate.
"Why? What's going on?" she asked, moving to stand closer to the man currently holding her dog. A cold sweat had started to break out along her back.
"I'm afraid, legally, I can't quite answer that," he finished, bringing Buster into the backroom as Rachael stood dumbstruck behind the closing doors.