8 Years [ENGV]

#20

HAEIN

Jisoo had a meeting with YG, so I would have the whole day to spend with Hae-ji before I left overseas. Spending an entire day with her seemed like the best birthday present I could ever receive, it was crazy how much I loved that little being with all my soul.

I picked her up from school, and she looked sad and worried — not even my attempt at a warm welcome cheered her up, she didn't even smile — I asked her what had happened, and she said she was just tired, avoiding eye contact. I realized she didn't like to talk about problems before thinking about them — just like her mother.

"Are we staying here today?" She asked, looking around. — I took her to my old apartment to get more clothes and take them to Jisoo's apartment. It was an apartment above my parents' apartment, it wasn't luxurious, but cozy enough for one person —. I felt nervous for some reason, as if I needed to pass some important exam and she was the judge. "What about Jisoo Unnie?" She turned to me.

"Jisoo had to go to work, so you'll be staying with me for the day." She nodded, not looking very happy. "This apartment was where I used to live." She looked around again.

"It's beautiful." She said without much enthusiasm. I frowned, something was bothering her and I didn't like it at all. She dragged her feet to the red sofa and sat down, still looking at the walls and ceiling, with her little hands politely resting on her legs. I sighed.

"Do you want to help me pack some clothes?" She looked at me and nodded. I held out my hand in a silent invitation, and she stood up, coming to me and shaking my hand. Her gaze met mine and made my heart ache — something was definitely wrong —, she looked at me as if she was begging for something, but I couldn't decipher what it was, and I knew she wouldn't tell me.

We walked to the room. Haeji was hesitant, she didn't even sit on the bed until I told her to. That behavior wasn't her usual. She looked around my room, a curious glint in her eyes.

"Do you like it?" She shrugged, still not looking at me.

"I don't like the color." She looked at me and laughed softly. "It looks sad." I looked at the walls, a melancholic shade of beige and blue, without much decoration — nothing but the bed with white sheets matching the pillowcases of the four pillows, a wardrobe in the corner, and a dusty nightstand from the time I'd been there the last time.

I gave up on packing my suitcase, walked to the small dresser next to the bed, and opened the top drawer, taking out a large photo album, and sat down next to her. I turned the album toward her and opened it. She looked at the contents curiously.

"Is that you?" She asked, seeing a photo of me when I was a baby. Dressed in white, with chubby cheeks, a curious look and a white cap on my head. "How cute!" She said in a low voice. I laughed and turned the pages, showing her other photos. Photos of me climbing trees, riding a bike, on the beach, in the river, with my brother. Each one had a story, and she listened attentively to all the ones I told, even interacting with some of them, like sharing her opinion on fishing — cruelty to fish —, or how she always dreamed of visiting the beach. The photos that interested her the most, she pointed to, asking the story behind them. "Look, it's Jisoo!" She said excitedly after seeing a photo of me with Jisoo on the set of Snowdrop. Jisoo in that pink dress and me in a suit next to her. We were both smiling, and she had her hands up, sitting on the floor. The day we filmed the dance scene, the brightness of Jisoo's smile hit me like a torpedo straight to my heart. "She's so beautiful." I smiled when I saw her eyes shining with admiration. "Was it at your wedding?" Haeji looked at me curiously, and I cleared my throat, looking at the photo.

"No. It was during the filming of the drama where we met: Snowdrop." She looked back at the photo, looking passionately at the figures there — me and her mother. "Can I watch it?" I looked at her scared, I didn't know if watching the drama would be good for her, considering the way it ended. But before I could answer, she changed the question, the new curiosity seeming more interesting. "How did you fall in love with Jisoo unnie?" She looked back at me and I smiled again, I didn't feel embarrassed, in fact, I felt good about telling her that.