In These Arms [mxm]

Chapter 7 - Beautiful remains

Even though a lot of the roads and buildings looked so different now, most of them remained the same. It wasn't hard to take myself to the bus stop and sift through the bag for the trendy leather wallet. I fished for the bus card and stepped onto the next one heading for my home, or rather, what used to be my home. It was scary venturing out on my own, and there was no way to know what I'd find when I got there.

I looked out the window as I travelled for thirty-five minutes on the bus, noticing the greenery had improved a lot. The parks had more trees, bushes, and grass. The streets were filled with bustling bodies who all seemed to move like they had somewhere important to be. They moved so quickly to beat the time, which was something I could never do again.

The bus pulled up near our old apartment. There was no way to know if he was still living here, but all I could do was try and find out for myself. Father-in-law had bought it when we relocated to Seoul from Daegu at the age of seven, then signed it over to us when we turned eighteen. It had been our home for years but became truly ours right before I disappeared. Would the comfort of our home still be there?

When I stepped off the platform, my entire body tensed until my temples started to ache again. It seemed like I was experiencing one lot of anxiety after the next, which was strange to think when my brain struggled to come to terms with these changes in any case. I headed inside the building, noting how much the foyer had upgraded. The floors were white marble and a giant chandelier hung down the middle. This place looked magnificent.

Sitting at the giant reception desk sat two unfamiliar women. After seven years, of course the staff must have changed and moved on with their own lives and journeys. Their uniform had changed from an informal navy-blue blouse to black button-down shirts with white collars. They looked far more corporate than they had in the past, which suited the new interior of the main building.

"Hi there, welcome," one of the clerks greeted me. "Who are you here to see?"

"Chanyeol Han," I said, dipping my head into a polite bow. "Top floor."

"He just came in with his assistant earlier, right?" one of them whispered to the other, though I didn't think she meant for me to hear.

The other one shushed her but nodded, attempting to divert the comment. "Let me contact him to see if he is expecting guests."

"He ah... isn't expecting me," I said, scratching my head nervously. "My name is Haneul Bom, I used to live here too, but I'm not sure if my name is still listed as a shared occupant."

My body grew overwrought with nerves. This could be bad if they decided not to let me up, and it'd make any attempts to see him so much harder. It was barely nine AM now and their lunch break wouldn't be until twelve, if their lunch schedule at least remained the same. In that case, I'd be able to sneak into the elevator and go up to the room.

The clerk in front of me was searching through the computer for something. She clicked a few times, appeared to be reading something while she pursed her lips studiously, then clicked her mouse and appeared to look at something else. After some minutes, she glanced at me and shook her head. "Your name has been removed from the occupants," she said, not in the least bit apologetically. "I'll call his room to see if he is willing to let you up."

I stood back and nodded, turning to glance outside the large glass doors. Something deep inside me said there was no way he'd let me up after our last two encounters. I was nothing more than a former lover who had betrayed him and left without a word, so there was no reason to hear me out. My mind drew a blank as to what I could do next if he wasn't willing to see me.

"Excuse me, Mr. Bom," the clerk said. I turned back around to find the clerk looking at me again. "There's no response from Mr. Han. You're welcome to wait or to try again later."