Sad, Beautiful & Tragic // Love Next Door

Five

After checking out of the hotel first thing in the morning San-yeong had confidently strutted through Hyeryeong-dong. She was confident that she could confront her mother but as soon as she reached Jeong Mo-eum's house, her knees swayed. The rage on her mother's face flashed through her eyes.

Partly she wanted to return to Italy and apologize, partly she wanted to stay in her family's embrace and a quarter of her was curious about what Choi Seung-hyo had stolen from her. Her brainstorming ideas stopped when the black gate on her right creaked open.

A loud gasp left Mo-eum's eyes when she came face-to-face with San-yeong. "Eonnie!!!! You're back?! Oh my God!!!" The younger girl immediately proceeded to hug the older one. San-yeong flinched upon the physical contact. She missed more or less like a wild cat. "Jeong Mo-eum, I can't breathe. Let go of me!" San-yeong choked out patting her back.

"Damn you've grown muscles..." San-yeong pressed Mo-eum's biceps. The paramedic smiled proudly. So proud that she almost started radiating. "Are you here for a vacation?" San-yeong hesitated answering the question. She pondered upon whether she should tell her the truth or not but then she realised that she hadn't even told Seok-ryu about what had happened.

"Yeah. I'm here for a long vacation..." San-yeong wiped her nose and turned around. Mo-eum nodded and smiled wider. "Finally living in this neighborhood will be worth it again!" Mo-eum chirped like a canary. San-yeong giggled seeing the younger girl's excitement. "You might be the only person who is glad to have me back..."

"That's not true! Seung-hyo will start doing his french ballet if he gets to know that you've returned."

San-yeong wanted to laugh at her and ridicule her but she held back her tongue. "Of course not. That rude prick already met me and started bickering with me. Earlier he could not even look me in the eyes. Mo-eum, your friend has grown so brazen as he aged..." Mo-eum held back a smile and nodded.

"I should probably get home and meet my mom. It's high time I face her..." San-yeong shook her head and hugged Mo-eum one last time before parting ways with her.

With great courage San-yeong walked inside her house and saw her mother messing up the entire house, trying to find something. "Mom..." She called out softly. The words felt strange to her tongue as she had not spoken to her mother in so many years.

"Oh you're here? Help me find the brooch Seok-ryu gave me. Hurry! I have to go to Seung-hyo's opening!" San-yeong bit her tongue. She couldn't tell her mom that she was invited too. "No let it be! I'll wear it sometime else. At least I have the diamond earrings you gave me." Her mother smiled.

"I also gave a necklace to go with it..." She complained. But her mother started ranting about how that would show her in a bad light of she started flaunting her wealth. San-yeong rolled her eyes. "Are you not mad at me that I came back home?" She slipped the question in between the chaos. "Atleast you haven't left your job like Seok-ryu. Rest well..." Her mother patted her back.

Yeah I haven't left. I've been kicked out...she thought to herself. She shook her head and bit her tongue. Na Mi-suk didn't need to know that yet. San-yeong quickly unzipped a suitcase and took out a large brown box. Figuring that her mother wasn't that mad at her, she decided to accompany her at Choi Seung-hyo's opening.

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Choi Seung-hyo half-heartedly greeted the guests and directed them towards the food. He was least interested in talking to people who first came to greet him then started to boast about themselves.

"Boss! Your mother is here!" Na-yun chirped. The only person who was willingly meeting the guests was her. Seung-hyo looked down at the crowd of older ladies. Suddenly his heart skipped a beat.

Bae San-yeong was wearing a sky blue tunic printed with yellow lilies. Her hair was let down and she was carrying a small brown box with her. Seung-hyo bit his lower lip and rushed down, almost falling. He watched her from far and saw her put on a small pout as her eyes wandered around the room. "Mom!" He called out. When San-yeong's eyes fell on him, her eyes visibly softened and she pulled on a small smile.

The thought of San-yeong searching for him made his heart flutter almost violently. Nevertheless he pulled a straight face and walked over to them.

"Oh son!"  Seo Hye-suk smiled hugging her son. Seung-hyo looked at San-yeong's mother and hugged her too. "What's that?" He asked San-yeong. She looked at the gift in her hand and forwarded it to him. "Someone gave it to me. I don't like chocolates..."

The other four women beside her mother's friends made faces. They had been interrogating San-yeong for quite a while now about her bank balance. Her mother had told them "she has a few hundred million dollars in her bank account and just now she got paid a hefty sum!" So much for not boasting about money.

Seung-hyo was a perfect excuse to leave. "Hey! Can I see the interior of your office?" She quickly used up the opportunity. Seung-hyo too had understood his role and the two walked away successfully from the preying older women to Seung-hyo's office.

"Thanks. By the way, what did you want to show me?" Seung-hyo giggled as he opened the box. She had bought him the box of his favourite Valrhona chocolates. This chocolate was so expensive that even San-yeong would inhale them just for their price. San-yeong looked at him giggling happily.

"I was wrong. You haven't grown at all..." She shook her head smiling at the way he smiled at the chocolates. Seung-hyo smiled as if his first love had asked his hand for marriage. "Hurry up! What did you want to show me?" She hastened him.

The man snapped out of his fantasies and walked over to his desk to pull out a small notebook. The familiar red leather cover with the opal in the centre. "Do you remember this?" He asked. "You gave it to me when I was couped up in my room. You told me to read it and told me that I'd play the male lead. I hated reading novels."

San-yeong teared up a little. "You still have it?" She asked. "It gave me hope when I started losing it. Your main lead Kwak Byung-hyun, he had it harder in his life than me..." Seung-hyo smiled handing her the diary. "You seemed sad when you arrived. I hope it gives you the same strength it gave me..."

San-yeong sniffled holding back her tears. She skimmed the first few pages and chuckled tearfully "I was a good writer wasn't I?" Seung-hyo smiled "A brilliant one..."

"Thank you Choi Seung-hyo. For keeping it so protected and not forgetting about it..."

"How could I? This novel saved my life after all..."

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A/n

Ngl I like this chapter! I really do!

See I've been thinking about this book to be very slow burn. Hear me out! As an older sibling I don't think it's possible to fall in love with your younger sister's best friend whom you have always considered a menace. There will be a lot of wanting glances and heart fluttering moments. So I hope you are ready!

Thank you for reading ♥️