Promise (Chapter 8)

Walking out of the airport, HJ makes a deep breath, gets in the car, turns on his cell phone, quickly types a message, then send.

“Come back to Seoul, this is great.”

Starting from the first SMS message sent he already got the assumption. He does not expect getting reply from her.
Telling her things happened around him becomes his habit, at least she will think of him when she read the message. That’s good enough, he doesn’t want to slip away from her vision, her life.

Filming resumes tomorrow, he wants gogi gui and soju desperately, tonight, he could finally taste it after craving for so long.
He called Jae Joong, telling him he’s back in Seoul, confirmed to gather tonight.

At the restaurant, HJ is the first one arrived. He starts ordering the food and soju.

While the discs are getting ready, Jae Joong arrives, with Yunho and Yoochun.
After they greet each other, Jae Joong looks at HJ shocked, “Hey boy, how could you lose so much weight?”

“That’s ok, having sandwiches all the time, I will gain them back after several gogi gui.” He doesn’t care much about it.

They toss off a glass of soju before they start to grill.

Jae Joong’s asking him about the drama, he answers casually.

“I even got a kiss scene; the director likes me a lot.” HJ said.

“How is it? How does it feel?” Jae Joong and Yoochun show all their curiosity looking at him.

“Nervous, what else could I feel.” HJ replies.

“How could that be the only feeling?” Jae Joong won’t let him slip out of the topic.

Seeing how nosy he is, HJ found it funny.

“Just treat her as a balloon, closes my eyes and touch, that’s it, nothing more.” He smiles.

Jae Joong sighs disappointingly, shaking his head.

“Did you tell Hwang Bo nuna when you have the kiss scene?”

HJ is shocked hearing what Yunho asked, looking up at him, “What?”

Seeing his questioning gaze, Yunho laughs and says,

“I watched WGM, you said you will tell Hwang Bo nuna when you have the kiss scene.”

“Hyun Joong, you don’t know, Yunho is a big fan of WGM. When he could not watch it live because of our schedule, He even asked the assistant to record it for him.” Yoochun exposed the secret.

“Especially you and Hwang Bo nuna’s part, he watched it earnestly, I got up one night to get some water, and see……”

Yunho stops him, “Don’t tell nonsense.”

“Hey, I’m telling the truth, I see……”

This time, Jae Joong stops him, “Don’t distract, I am curious too, Hyun Joong, did you contact nuna?”

Hyun Joong tries to stop the agitation from the bottom of his heart, he bottoms up another glass of soju, feeling the burn sensation down the throat,

“No.”

“Really? I thought ……” Yunho smiled.

“I saw Hwang Bo nuna yesterday, she and Jinnie Hyung had a gathering, and I joined too.”

Wordlessly listening, although he’s not feeling right, he can’t resist his eagerness, haven’t heard from her for a long time, even though those are from Yunho.

“Jinnie Hyung said there are a lot of guys asking him to introduce nuna to them; he said he could choose the ones that meet her standard.” Yunho gets a sip of soju, and continues,

“nuna’s standard ‘not to date someone from entertainment and someone younger’, now …… seems like she is no longer insist on.”

Yunho got that bright smile on his face, but HJ starts finding that smile really, really irritating.

A sudden surge flows between Yunho and Hyun Joong.

“Really? Nuna is always my ideal type.” Yoochun says happily, didn’t feel any change in the vibes.

“Nuna is now recognized as the 1st class bride, a lot of people’s ideal type.” Jae Joong said; try to brighten up the vibes.

“Nuna has been our ideal type for years, right Yunho? We got good taste. Ha Ha.” Yoochun pleased with himself.

He finds this ridiculous, his friends are talking about someone who is still his make-believe wife a month ago, but now, he couldn’t even say a word, and he doesn’t have any reason to stop them, all he can do is smile bitterly.

“Hyun Joong, you’ve been with nuna, you should know, nuna is really a nice woman, isn’t she.”

Hum, she’s more than nice. Hyun Joong thought.

“Seeing you two in WGM, I sometimes thought you two are a real couple, didn’t know that you did not even contact each other.”

“It’s only a show.” HJ had another glass of soju.

“Luckily your ideal type is Hyori nuna…...”

…… Little by little, HJ feels the bloating chest, pain getting deeper.
Their conversations seems coming from far away, couldn’t get into his sense, and he doesn’t get what he answered.

He’s been drinking the whole night, until he got high.
Coming out from the restaurant, Jae Joong said he will drive him home, but HJ refused.

HJ took a cab, told the cab driver the address, then stared at the window watching the commercial boards passed by.

The car stopped near her apartment.

He looks in the direction of her apartment, just this, in a way, feels like he get a step closer to her.

Unconsciously, he walks in the café, the café he’d come twice, sitting in the same compartment, ordered a cup of apple tea.

He’s surrounded by this warmth and soothing scent again, he drinks the apple tea slowly, and this helps to ease his discomfort.

She came to him when he felt the most laborious, the most anxious; but prepared to leave when he already digs in so deep that he can’t get hold of.

He felt the emptiness in him, can’t find the strength.

He never loves someone like this, willing to do anything for her, as long as she feels happy.

But what if her happiness is him letting go of her, what should he do? He is afraid to think further.

All he can trust is his feeling; he feels that he is special to her. She is just afraid of his uncertainty and the reality.

He can only prove himself through time, prove his sincerity and his determination. As long as he won’t give up, there will have his chance one day.

He came out of the café half an hour later, standing by the sidewalk for a long time, watching people walked by in the cool winter night.

The cold air helps clear up his mind, he takes out his cell phone, quickly types a message, hesitates awhile, press the send button, and leave.

HB’s driving home after her shooting, it’s already passed mid-night.

Driving by the café, a person just walked out, she takes a peek unintentionally, right away, her heart trembles, and she stopped the car.

Although he has his scarf, and he pressed his hat low, she can recognize him in just a glance.

How would he come? Why did he come?

Should she say hi? What will she say?

Those are the questions flashing in mind, but at the end, she did nothing, but looks at him eagerly from afar.

Hasn’t seen him for a long time, he lost a lot of weight.

She thought she would be calm, but just one glance, she realizes she missed him so much.

Without her knowing, tears soak up in her eyes.

He stood for a long time, then he took out his cell phone sending a message, then he waved, got in a cab, and leave.

Seeing the cab driving away, the shadow becomes smaller and smaller, until disappeared, she suddenly feeling weak and collapsed on her seat.

A beep from the cell phone indicates a new message; she took her cell phone out of the bag, just a peek, she shed her tears.

“When Insomnia hits, apple tea and onion soup are both effective.”

What could she do for him?

She can’t helplessly see him getting thin and pale. It’s been hard enough for him and he still suffers from insomnia.

She thinks again and again, and then sends him a message with only one word

“Fighting”.

Credits:

只想戒毒, from Chinese Ssangchu Baidu Island
Additional information from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

© [只想戒毒 & ydwlai] 2009. All rights reserved. Distribution of any kind is prohibited without the written consent of [只想戒毒 & ydwlai].