Behind The Scenes ༻ Park Jisung

༻ 18

and you call me up again just to break me like a promise
so casually cruel in the name of being honest

༻

"How do I look?" Aruna twirled around in her elegant blue dress, bag in her hand swinging with that.

She had meticulously put herself together, an unusual task for her, as makeup artists had always been responsible for dolling her up since her debut. But today, it was just her and Aster.

Aster nodded in approval. "Perfect," she said, then added with a touch of sarcasm, "I can't believe your mom texted you, though, after all these years. The audacity."

Aruna cringed, a mix of emotions welling up inside her. "Hey, don't be mad at her. She had her reasons," she said, reaching up to adjust the bun on her head.

"Mh-hm," Aster replied, letting out a suggestive hum. "Just... I don't know, Runa. The timing is all so weird."
"I invited them. There's nothing weird about them just accepting the invitation," Aruna defended, although even she couldn't deny the strangeness of the situation.

"Okay, I get it," Aster sighed, glancing at the clock. "But you need to get out of here. You're running late."
"Oh shoot," Aruna muttered, well aware of how punctuality was a big deal in her parents' eyes.

She grabbed her bag and jacket, slipping on her heels, and waved Aster a quick goodbye.

Her friend was worried about the upcoming meeting, but there was nothing to change Aruna's stubborn mind when she had decided to have dinner with her parents.

Aruna's parents had sent an address for a fancy restaurant, which was a typical choice for them.

The Hwang household was comfortably middle-class, and while they weren't super wealthy, they had a taste for designer items and extravagant outings. It was a puzzle that Aruna couldn't quite solve - why they always seemed to want to show off - but she had learned not to question them. It was easier that way.

As she headed out, her mind was consumed by a bundle of nerves and excitement. She had forgotten that it was supposed to rain, but the company's van was conveniently parked in the lot. All she needed was a quick jog to reach it.

She dashed through the heavy raindrops, her footsteps splashing through puddles that had formed in the parking lot. Aruna reached the van and, luckily, found the door unlocked. With a determined pull, she flung it open and practically threw herself into the backseat.

"Hi Sam," she greeted her driver as soon as she entered the car.

"Runa," he nodded in response. "Where to?"

Aruna handed her phone to Sam and waited as he typed the address into his own device. She settled into the seat, her gaze fixed on the rain-streaked window, lost in her thoughts.

Despite the rain, she couldn't help but be captivated by the serene beauty of the moon. The night was draped in a blanket of darkness, and the moon hung in the velvety sky like a radiant jewel, casting a soft, silvery glow upon the world below.

Her gaze was fixed on that celestial orb, which seemed to hold a certain mystique that had always fascinated her.

The moon's gentle light, though somewhat obscured by the raindrops on the car window, still managed to illuminate the landscape, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. The world outside the car window appeared almost otherworldly in the moonlight, as if it had been sprinkled with stardust.

Until a figure blocked it.

It was a tall and lanky person she knew looked all too familiar.

Park Jisung...
What is he doing here?
And in the rain without an umbrella?