Then I Met You | Lee Jeno

13~Dilemmas And Decisions

It was right the day after the award function. Undoubtedly the evening tired out Yuri yet she managed to get herself up from the bed.

She entered her office building alone since Jisung did not tag along. Being holiday, she was the only one in the office except for the security staff. 

The building was reticent with no people around. Only the cacophony of her pointy heels resonated through the floor. 

The door of her cabin creaked as she pushed it open. She pushed past it walking swiftly towards her chair and settling down with a huff. She looked down at the trophy in her hand. A small smile etched on her lips as she eyed the recent achievement she was holding in her hand. 

Yuri got up and made her way to the shelf. She moved some of her books and files and made some space for the trophy. 

Silence surrounded her as she gazed at the award. A sense of accomplishment surged through her body. She felt warm and undeniably proud of herself.  

Making her way back to the table, she looked at the work that needed to be done. There were some on going projects, some contract renewals, meetings with the stakeholders and the most important- an upcoming project, the shopping mall. She also had some interviews lined up. 

Yuri knew that the forthcoming months are going to be eminently debilitating. 

Trust is a very feeble aspect when it comes to business. The greed for money is ten times bigger than the person you are betraying. Yuri knew this very well. It was the only reason why she read the contract thrice before signing it. She would advice Jisung the same. 

Knowing contract signing will take time and her attention, she started with the project reports. 

A sigh of relief was heaved as she saw positive response for the campaigns leading to a hike in the stock values of the company. 

Immersed in the work, a thing which still vexed Yuri at the back of her mind was Jaehyun's speech last night. She could not figure out the intention behind his words. Was it an apology or was it an attempt to scratch open a deep buried scar? No one knows except for him. 

Annoyed by the thoughts, Yuri aggressively closed down the file and slumped back in her chair. His ment was stuck on her mind like a cassette stuck on the player. Even if she tried to get it out of her head, she couldn't. 

The pain Yuri went through was far worse than what Jaehyun went through after the breakup. It was beyond any doubt inimitable.

Second thoughts started surfacing her mind but quickly dismissed them knowing they were toxic. 

A serious thought of having a civil conversation with Jaehyun flashed her mind. But the question was raised again. What will they talk about? What stunt will he pull up next? Is she ready to talk about the past even if she moved on?  Is it worth to talk about the past all over again? 

Her brain was flummoxed with the what if's. Reaching for her phone, she dialed up that one person she could talk to. 

Half an hour later there he was sitting in her office. 

Johnny was the type of friend who always has your back, encourages you to take all frivolous decisions but also hits you with sensibility and advices when needed. 

Words started flowing like a filled up bucket from Yuri's mouth. Johnny sat on the opposite chair, fingers interlocked on the table with a concentrating stance. 

She started construing her dilemma without leaving a single detail. Johnny hummed understanding every bit of it. 

"Yuri, don't seek for closure. Sometimes closure is not what all you need. Besides, its too late for any closures now. His actions, they are done, gone and done in the past, the past which hurt you. For now I cannot exactly tell you what's right and wrong since it's your decision to make but all I can tell you is, don't expect healing from something that broke you," he concluded and took a deep breath. 

Raking a hand through her hair, Yuri let out a sigh of exhaustion. "I don't know John. A lot of times I ended up blaming myself for what happened. There were times when I could not even look myself in the eye while standing in front of a mirror-"

"Hey, you're not the one to be blamed here Yuri. He was the one to turn his back on you yet he has the audacity to stand in front of you, look at you in the eye and even talk to you. The decision is yours to make in the end. If you're taking a decision just make sure you don't regret it. And take your time. But I swear if he pulls some trick again, I won't hesitate to punch him in the face," Johnny retorted. 

The last sentence brought a smile on her face as a chuckle bubbled up through her lips. "I knew I can count on you," she said. "You know you can, always," Johnny said with his iconic wink. 

"Hey, I got to leave for an appointment now. Tell me what you decide okay? And don't stress yourself out," he said and got up. 

Getting up from her chair, she walked towards him, giving him a brief hug, "Thankyou Johnny," she said with a smile. 

"Sure, little one," he said while ruffling her hair. With that he took his leave. 

As she sat around for some more time, weighing her thoughts, she finally came to a conclusion. 

"Let's end this for good Yuri," she mumbled to herself.