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Chapter 3: Long Time, No See – December 24, 2020

Hobi glanced over at Heejin as he drove his car towards their destination.  

“Who’s your friend who’s getting married?”

“Eunji.  She’s marrying Namjoon.  Really, Hobi!  Will you remember their names later when we greet them?”

“Does it matter?  It’s a wedding.  Their names are bound to be written on a hundred items.  Bulletins.  Snack bags.  Pens.  Little keepsakes so that we will forever remember that they married on December twenty-fourth.  But…you tell me, who is going to forget they got married on Christmas Eve?”

She shrugged.  “Beats me.  But they both come from money, so you’re probably right about their names being embossed on a hundred keepsakes.”

—

He didn’t see her until the third dance.  She was standing alone by the punch bowl.  He wanted to turn tail and flee from her.  He yearned to cross the room and yank her into his arms and devastate those lovely lips of hers.  

They were even lovelier than they’d been a few months ago.  The last time he’d seen her.  When she’d wept.  A single tear had slid down her face as she had waved goodbye to him.  He had seen that streak of moisture and nearly turned his car around.  But it hadn’t been meant to be.  Not in her heart anyway.  And he had known it.  So he’d kept driving until he’d reached Seoul and his sister.

But now, he couldn’t escape the ethereal beauty who stood before him wearing a cerulean, gauze dress.  It was sleeveless.  The skirt fell to her knees, but somehow she still appeared alluring.  Yet innocent.  Her gorgeous, midnight waves were unbound tonight, flowing past her waist still.  He couldn’t really see her eyes.  But he would know that shade of hazel anywhere.  He knew jade flames leapt within those light brown irises.

Heejin stared at Hobi.  He might look like a million bucks tonight, but that wasn’t the only thing robbing her of breath.  He was still madly in love with the girl he’d left behind when he’d moved to Seoul.  Heejin could see his heart’s devastation playing out on his face right now.  And her own heart hurt.  But, mostly, for him.  

Her eyes left him to gaze at a girl clothed in blue.  Obviously, she was Minsu.  No doubt about it, the girl had stolen his heart and hidden it somewhere.  He wasn’t getting it back any time soon.

So Heejin decided she would help him.  

—

“Hobi?”  

Heejin interrupted his reverie.  He tore his eyes away from Minsu.  

“That’s Minsu, right?” she murmured cheerfully.

He glanced at her sharply.  “How did you know?”

“It’s written all over your face.”

He heaved a sigh.  

“Come on.  Introduce me.”

“What?”

“I want to meet her.”  She grabbed a hold of his arm just above his elbow and pulled him towards the unsuspecting girl.

“Oh, Hobi!  You are so funny!” Heejin suddenly shouted in his ear.  

He turned to stare at her.  So did Minsu.  Then, her eyes widened in shock.  

“Hobi?”  

Her eyes traveled from his floppy, brown locks down to his toes clad in shiny, black shoes.  He was stunningly gorgeous tonight.  She had never before seen him in a black tux.  He looked…amazing.  

She felt an odd tug of attraction.  Her eyes widened. She had never felt such a thing around Hobi before.  But it was undeniable.  The man was quite simply beautiful dressed in black.

As her eyes traveled back up his length, they came to a standstill at his elbow.  A delicate hand was threaded through it.  Her gaze followed the arm attached to that elegant hand.  All the way up to its accompanying shoulder.  Then her eyes found the face of the girl clinging to Hobi’s arm.  And Minsu felt her stomach do a flip. 

She was staring at the most gorgeous girl she had ever seen.

“Minsu!” Hobi suddenly exclaimed.  “How good to see you!”

“Sunshine, who is this?” the beautiful girl asked.

“This is my friend, Minsu!”  Hobi turned back towards her.  “Minsu, this is Heejin.  My girlfriend.”

His girlfriend?

Minsu’s eyes grew wide as saucers.  Even as her stomach inexplicably did a nosedive.  Hobi had a girlfriend?

Her sad eyes came in contact with Heejin’s.  The gorgeous girl was rushing forward to give her a hug.

“It’s so nice to meet you!  Hobi has told me so much about you!”

As she embraced Minsu, she murmured in shock, “He has?”

“Yes!  And now I finally get to meet you.”  She beamed at Minsu.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Minsu responded lamely.  

Her eyes traveled to Hobi’s face.  He looked different.  What was it?

—

Jumi stood nervously tugging on her dress.  She’d met Jimin’s friends a few times before.  But only once all together.  At his birthday party.  Every other time he’d wanted her to get together with them, she’d made an excuse.  Too much homework.  Job searching.  Shopping.  Not feeling well.

She felt particularly self-conscious with large groups of people.  She’d never had many friends.  And she was also accustomed to hiding the truth about her life from people.  The easiest way to accomplish such a goal was to avoid people.

Thankfully, Jimin’s friends were so busy these days that they seldom all assembled in one place.  Tonight, she would be facing them all again.  It had been over two months since she’d had to brave seeing all of them together.  She had been busy with schoolwork the last few weeks.  It had been easy to make excuses when Jimin had invited her out with them.  But she had found getting out of coming to this wedding with him impossible to achieve without hurting his feelings.

So now she was standing here feeling like her dress was too short, her hair was too long – several locks kept falling into her eyes – and her face was too ugly.  She knew Jimin’s friends were nice.  But, surely, everyone had noticed the odd bent of her nose.  She was uneasy for another reason too.

The problem was…she kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.  Life had taught her that peace was an illusion.  Any time things calmed down for very long, she knew something bad was about to shake her again.  She was due for a disaster.  She’d been living with Jimin for over a year now.  With no ill repercussions.  

Her appa hadn’t even come looking for her.  Her aid at the university had continued to flow unimpeded by any outward influence.  But trouble was coming…she could feel it in her bones.  She was only sad that it was going to strike tonight.  Here.  At his friends’ wedding.

—

When it came, she wasn’t even surprised.  She was…resigned.  Resigned to something always screwing up the fairy tale for her.  The shattering of the illusion came as a shrill voice breaking the momentary silence that had followed the last dance.

“Jiiiiiiii…min!” 

A beautiful girl came flying towards Jimin.  He saw her coming out of the corner of his eye.  So his hands flew up to embrace her in an effort to steady them both as she plowed into him.  She lifted her elated face and planted a bold kiss against his pouty lips.  

“Where have you been all night, love?” she breathed in a loud voice into his ear.  “I’ve been looking positively everywhere for you!”

Jumi had seen him embrace her.  She’d watched the shocked expression light up his face.  But it was the look of delight that crossed his features and the light of love in his eyes as he gazed down at the girl that undid her.

It was the moment that highlighted to Jumi quite clearly that she was madly in love with Jimin.  For the look in his eyes as he smiled down at the loud girl felt like a sharp sword piercing Jumi’s tender heart.

She couldn’t take it.  She backed up until she ran into Jin.  She turned around to discover that she had just spilled all over his shirt the cup of punch he was carrying.

Horrified, she stammered, “I – I – I am so sorry!” before turning and fleeing from that draughty room.

—

Jumi ran for the door.  She was holding back every negative feeling. And the flood of tears that accompanied them.  She made it to the back veranda and plunged off of it towards the gardens at the back of the building.  It was cold outside.  And she’d forgotten her coat inside.  But there was no way she was going back.  She ran as far into the garden as she could.  And looked for somewhere to hide.

There was a tree here.  It was fairly tall and strong.  Its branches looked like they could support her as well as shelter her.  The only question was whether she could navigate it in a dress.  

As she stood pondering her options, a beloved voice wrapped around her.

“Jumi!  Jumi!  Where are you?”

It was Jimin. 

Of course.

The sweet boy who always came for her.  

She didn’t have it in her heart to deny him.  So she turned and waited for him to find her.

—

Where had Jumi gone?  

His eyes searched the garden.  There were two possibilities.  A path that snaked to the right.  And a group of paved stones that wandered aimlessly towards the left.  Both trails disappeared from view all too soon.

He decided to take the right path.  Maybe they met up in the middle.  

“Jumi!” he called.  “Jumi!  Are you all right?”  

The words left his mouth as he turned a corner and came to an abrupt halt.  He was suddenly standing directly in front of her.  Her face was ravaged by tears.  His own expression crumpling, he ran towards her and engulfed her with his arms.  He pulled her closely up against him.  He bent his head and kissed her forehead.

“What’s wrong?  Why are you crying?”

She couldn’t tell him.  “I’m, um, I’m just not feeling good.”

Suddenly, a violent shiver tore through her.  Jimin let go of her and shrugged out of his suit coat.  He pulled it up around her shoulders.

“Put your arms inside,” he whispered.  

His breath slipped over her face, reminding her of that girl’s kiss.  Those luscious lips of Jimin’s, the ones Jumi had fantasized about kissing many times but had never actually tasted, had been happily and freely bussed by the boisterous girl who had interrupted the reception with her dramatic entrance.

His mind was still reeling from his encounter with Yeonmin.  He hadn’t expected to ever see that girl again.  He simply adored her.  But not quite in the way she would like.  But it had taken him several long moments to recover from the shock of seeing her at Namjoon’s wedding.  What had it been?  Three years since he’d last seen her?  

But in expected, sensational fashion, she had burst upon the scene.  Reminding him of the reasons he was so drawn to Jumi. To her quiet vulnerability.  And her quick temper.  He had grinned and looked around for her.  Only to see her back as she disappeared in haste out the postern doors.  It had taken him a moment to disentangle himself from Yeonmin before he could follow Jumi outside.

—

“Do you want to go home?” he whispered in her ear.

She nodded.  “But I can catch a cab.  I don’t want to drag you away from your friends, Jiminie.”

He smiled against her forehead.  “It’s okay.  I’m ready to go home now.”

“You-you don’t want to spend more time with your friend?”

“What friend?”

“The one who just showed up.”

Jimin frowned down at her.  Then, illumination dawned.  “You mean Yeonmin?”  He shook his head.  “I haven’t seen her in three years,” he murmured.

“What?” she asked, purely confused.  “But you were kissing her.”

He began to laugh.  “What?  No.  I definitely was not kissing her!  She kissed me!”  He shook his head.  “She was always like that!”

Then, he smiled down at her.  He bent to button the jacket around her.  His hair brushed her chin, and she gazed longingly down at him.  She was beginning to believe that Jimin saw her as a sister. 

For a long time – even up until a couple weeks ago – she had believed that he might be falling in love with her.  But they’d been the best of friends for over a year now, and he had never – not one single time – attempted to kiss her.  They’d even fallen asleep in the same bed several times, and he had never tried anything.  That seemed to be proof positive that she was just another girl to him.  Nobody special.

She had momentarily thought that tonight was a real date, but he hadn’t treated her any differently than the other girls he called friends here this evening.  She sighed deeply as her heart broke under the weight of his indifference.  She closed her eyes as several tears attempted to leak out.  Two managed to fight off her resistance and trickled down her cheeks.  Jimin stood up and took notice of them as his arm slipped around her shoulders.

“Why so glum, friend?” He hugged her close.

Friend.  That was the problem.

“Just not feeling well, Jiminie.  I need to go to bed.”

“Let’s get you home then.”

He tugged her even closer and walked her out to his car.  He didn’t even bother saying goodbye to any of his friends.  He was too concerned about Jumi.  Neither of them remembered that she’d left her coat inside.

—

“Are you having a good time, Tae?”  Yunseong was staring up at him as she drank her cinnamon punch.

Something was wrong.  She wasn’t sure what was going on with Tae, but he’d been acting very strangely for the last few weeks.  He’d suddenly withdrawn from her about five weeks ago.  And offered no explanation when she had questioned him. 

Was it because Eunji was marrying his brother today?   Was Tae mourning the loss of her once again?  Had Yunseong never really touched his heart?  Was she losing him?

It sure felt like it.  She’d spent the past month fighting depression.  And an overwhelming fear that he was going to leave her alone.  She’d spent hours questioning what she had done wrong.  Had she said something that had offended him?

Whatever his reasons were for ignoring her, she’d barely seen him during the past month.  And even when they were in the same room together, it felt like he was off in some other universe.  He hadn’t even been very interested in playing MIRᴙOR with her lately.  The few times they had competed against each other, she had soundly – and quickly – beaten him.

She had begun to closely examine their relationship over the past few days.  She had come to a sad realization.  Although they teased each other and enjoyed kissing – or had until a month ago, anyway – he barely touched her now – their relationship didn’t seem to run very deep.  She recognized that she had never shared the greatest loss of her life with him.  She had, in fact, never discussed it with him on purpose.  Nor had she ever allowed him to wade into the deep recesses of her heart. 

Why not?  Was she afraid her pain would scare him away?  She wasn’t sure if it was because they had started off on the wrong foot – jumping into the second level of physical intimacy with each other just a few moments after they first met – but she had a hard time talking to him about things that were close to her heart.  They’d been together now for well over a year, but where were they going?  How much of their hearts had they ever really shared with each other?  Tae hadn’t really spoken to her of his own struggles either.

In that same amount of time, her sister had met, fallen in love with, seriously dated, and gotten engaged to Kookie.  Yuni was obviously madly in love with Jungkook.  And, clearly, the boy was nuts about her!  But Yunseong felt her own heart’s fires cooling.  And Tae had never been red hot about her anyway.  

Sometimes, it felt like they were just gaming buddies.  They had spent most of the last few months together just playing MIRᴙOR.  Even all their kisses had been pretty innocent.  He’d never pushed the line with her.  Not once.  After more than a year with him, she found that a little disappointing.  And this past month, his kisses had been paltry at best.

She gazed up at him as he shrugged in response to her question.  He was staring off into outer space once more.  Shutting her out.  Again.

Just then, a gorgeous guy approached her.  “Miss, could I have this dance?”  He bowed before her.

She glanced back up at Tae.  He shrugged.  Like he didn’t care.  And it miffed her.  So she bent her biggest smile on the complete stranger while she answered him in a falsely cheerful tone of voice.  

“Why!  I would love to!  Thank you!”

Throwing an irritated glance at Tae, she allowed the man to whisk her off in his arms.

“I noticed you on the arm of that tall gentleman.  I thought you were taken,” the beautiful man murmured a moment later.

She looked up at him.  “He’s my boyfriend.”

“Oh,” his face fell.  He was clearly disappointed.

Which made her oddly giddy.

“You sound disappointed.”

“I am.”  His chocolate eyes probed hers.

“He doesn’t seem too concerned,” she muttered.

“Perhaps he should be.  I could whisk you outside and plant a kiss on your lips while he neglects you.”

Her eyebrows flew north.  Why was that idea oddly scintillating?

She sighed.  She and Tae were in trouble.  She could feel it in her bones.  But he seemed oblivious.  And unconcerned.  And it angered her.  She should be more important to him!

Now she wondered if he was still in love with Eunji.  It had been the look in his eyes when they had hung out with her and Namjoon this past week as they’d assisted them with wedding preparations.   Haunted.  Yunseong couldn’t understand it.  That anguished expression hadn’t existed a year ago.  Not even two months ago.  Something had shifted a little more than a month ago.  The heat had disappeared from Tae’s kiss.

But not from this provocative stranger’s lips.

Yunseong was uncomfortable now.  With this gorgeous guy.  She didn’t know what to say to that last statement.

—

“Are you just going to let some dashing hero whisk your girlfriend away from you, Tae?” Jungkook breathed in his friend’s ear as they both watched Yunseong smiling up at the face of the strange guy holding her in his strong arms. “I mean, it looks like he works out.  You might be in danger.”

“I’m already in danger.”

“What?” Jungkook frowned at him.  “What are you talking about?”

“I don’t know.  But something is off.  We haven’t felt the same for the past couple of months.”

Jungkook furrowed his brow, causing two delicate lines to sprout between his eyebrows.

“What are you talking about?”

“I don’t know.  I…I got in a funk a while back.”

Jungkook just stared at him.  

“When Namjoon told me Eunji was pregnant.”

Jungkook drew his eyebrows down over his eyes.  “Eunji is pregnant?” he whispered, surprised.  “Don’t tell me that set off your discontent again?”

“I know it’s stupid.  I just – I hoped that baby would be mine.  I pictured it for so many years.  It’s kinda hard to let it go.  And I hoped I’d be the one marrying her someday. 

“Then, I spent weeks helping Namjoon prepare for his wedding.  Eunji and I ran a few errands together too.  It reminded me how close we used to be.  I’ve lost her.  That friendship.  It’s just…not the same.  Now I can’t forget how good I once had it.  She’s well and truly gone.  But it still hurts.”

“But what about that beautiful girl there?  It’s not her fault that you loved someone before you met her.  She deserves the best.  Someone’s whole heart.”

“I know.”  Tae sounded hesitant.  “That’s why I’m considering breaking up with her.”

“What?” Yunyeong had just walked up with a full cup of punch in her hand.  Her eyes flew wide.  “You’re going to break up with my sister?” she hissed.

Tae’s eyes slid her way.  “What do you think, Yunyeong?  Is she happy with me?”

Her face fell. “No.  She hasn’t been happy for some time.”

Jungkook’s eyes collided with hers.  “She told you that?”

She shook her head.  “No.  It’s just – I know Yun.  I know when she’s not happy.  She can feel that you’re conflicted, Tae.  So – if you’re going to break her heart – do it quickly.  And as painlessly as possible.  Please.”  

But a tear was invading her eye.  She didn’t want to see her twin hurt.  Not again.  Life had already been cruel enough to them all.

Tae glanced sharply at her before suddenly pivoting and heading out onto the dance floor.  He tapped the gentleman on the shoulder. 

“Excuse me,” purred his deep, velvety voice, “may I cut in?”

Annoyed, the gentleman nonetheless surrendered Yunseong to him with a slight bow.  In an aside to her, he bent and whispered into her ear, “Let me know should you tire of his inattention, my dear.”

She shivered at his warm breath sliding over her neck.  He slid a business card into her hand.  The hand that was resting on Tae’s shoulder now.  She frowned down at that tiny card even as her fingers gripped it against the fabric of his suit coat.  Then, the mysterious stranger melted away into the crowd surrounding the dance floor.

Tae had heard his words.  His head snapped up.  “You told him I was inattentive?”

Her eyes careened into his.  “Not exactly.”

“But I have been.”

Her gaze filled with sorrow at his admission.  Tae had known he was ignoring her?

She nodded.  Again, not knowing what to say.  Tae had saved her from having to answer the mystery man.  But who would save her now?

“Yun.  I think…I think we should take a break.”

“What?” she whispered as her heart snapped in two.  She stared up at him in horror.  “You – you’re breaking up with me?”

“For a while.  Just till I get my stuff straight.”

“For a while.”  She stared off into space.  “Like – I’m not supposed to date anyone else?”

He saw the distress in her eyes.  “No.  I didn’t mean that.  Is there someone you want to date?”

You. You, you big moron!  I’ve been mooning over you for more than a year and a half now!  Ever since our first kiss.

“Maybe,” she responded.  

Just to get his goat.  And to cover the fact that her heart was shattering right now.

Pain pierced his countenance.  “You like someone else?”

“What if I do?  Clearly, you don’t care!”  

She yanked her hand out of his and clutched the business card between her fingers before spinning away from him and running across the floor towards the women’s restroom.

Shocked, Tae stood for a moment in the middle of the dance floor.  Jungkook and Yunyeong had been watching this little drama unfold in the midst of the wedding dancers.  Yuni ran after her sister.  Tae joined Jungkook on the outer edge of the room.

“So.  How did that go?” Jungkook asked.

“Great.  Apparently, she’s already got another candidate lined up to date.”

“Tae,” Jungkook shook his head.  “You are an idiot.  That girl is madly in love with you.”

Tae stared forlornly after her.  “I don’t think she is.  Not anymore.  She said she had someone else picked out to date.  I think she’s glad I broke up with her.”

“Of course, she acted like that!  She’s not going to let you know that you just broke her heart.  That’s not her style.  She’s going to cover her pain with a fake smile.  And some story about moving on.”  Jungkook looked after her.  He had a bad feeling about this.  “I just hope she doesn’t move too fast too soon.”

Tae’s eyes roamed towards his.  “What do you mean?”

“I didn’t care for the way that guy was looking at her.  That’s what I mean.”

“What?” Tae furrowed his brow.  He hadn’t been paying that much attention.  He’d been too distracted by the happiness in Eunji’s eyes every time she smiled up at Namjoon.  “What do you mean?  How was he looking at her?”

“Like he was going to devour her.”

—

“Yun?”

Yunyeong heard sobbing as she opened the door to the bathroom.  She stepped in and strode towards the sound.  

When she came to rest outside the stall harboring the sound of weeping, she called softly, “Yun?  Do you want Kookie and me to take you home?”

“No,” came a shaky voice.  “I’m going to get myself under control and go back out on that dance floor.”

She glanced down at the card she was clutching in her hand.  “There’s a hot guy here who was really into me.  He even gave me his business card as Tae pulled me into his arms.  It’s like the guy knew we were going to break up.  He told me if I ever tired of Tae to call him.  He’s probably still here.”

Yunyeong didn’t like the sound of that.  “Um.  Yun.  Be careful.  How old was this guy?”

“I don’t know.  Twenty-eight?  Thirty?  Not a boy to break my heart!  But a man to take care of it!”

Yuni leaned her forehead against the stall door.  “Yun.  Please.  Please, be careful.  I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“I’m fine,” she sniffed.  “I’m free from a guy who hasn’t really wanted me for a long time now.”  She began to sob again.

“I’m so sorry, Yun.”

“What – what did I do wrong, Yuni?”  She wept.  “I don’t know what I did wrong.”

“Sweetheart,” her sister whispered through the crack in the door, “you didn’t do anything wrong.  Tae is just preoccupied.  Caught up in something that I think has nothing to do with you, really.”

“I just need to find a guy who hasn’t lost his heart yet.  Someone who will be into only me.”

“I think what you need is to just take a break from guys for a while.”

Yunseong furrowed her brow.  “That doesn’t sound like any fun.”

“Maybe not.  But it’s a safe place to be.”

Yunseong unlocked the door and stepped out. Her sister slid her arms around her.  

“I’m so sorry that Tae broke your heart.  I’m so sorry, Yun.”

Yunseong returned her hug.  “It’s all right, Yuni.  I’ll be okay.”  

She sealed her heart up and determined that no one was ever going to touch it again.  Not the way Tae had.  It was just too painful.  She was going to find a guy she could have a little fun with.  

Forget the whole falling in love thing.  She wanted someone who was going to make her feel good.  Tae had been making her feel bad for weeks.  Being in love was a joke.  It was a very painful path to a destination called agony.  She would not tread it again.  What need did she have of a husband who was going to grow cold and distant after a season?