Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
JUNGWON
"How'd you get this?" Jaeah looked at me accusingly. Oh boy.
🍓🍓🍓 2020; Jungwon's first year of university
I lived in an apartment across from my university. New Haven was a new place but it was great. My roommates have shown me around, enough to not get me lost in the beauty of the city.
What I didn't expect was Jake showing up at my door step with a suitcase in hand. "Jungwon!" He pounced onto me with a hug and I stood shocked with my mouth agape. It's only been a few months since I moved. Jake and I have never lost contact, how did he even manage to pull this surprise without me knowing? "How did you even?" Jake just laughed and got him self inside as I stood at the entrance dumbfounded. "Jake." I turned around sighing. I couldn't believe it. My best friend travelled all the way here just to see me.
"It's been so boring without you Jungwon." "So hopping on a plane to meet you was no biggie." I plopped down beside on the couch scoffing. "Jake are you being serious right now?" Jake rolled his eyes and hit my shoulder playfully. "Cut it out man, just enjoy the fact that I'm here." "I know you've been lonely here." I didn't take Jake to be the most thoughtful person. He usually was nonchalant about these things growing up. I guess we're both becoming more mature, more older.
"Thanks man." Jake chuckled while opening up his suitcase. "I actually came here because my mom had like a whole bunch of Korean food for you and I'm just a middle men here will be leaving after the delivery, so- ah!" Jake was kicked in the back of his neck by my foot. "Oh shut up!" "Way to ruin the moment."
🍓🍓🍓
That day I showed Jake around campus and we walked around the city. He splurged on things for himself even though I warned him his mom would scold him for it. We even went and ate to our hearts content at restaurants that Jake wanted to go to.
My roommates were asleep by the time we reached home at midnight. We sat on the floor leaning against my bed. The curtains floated with the wind blowing from my small balcony. Jake had pulled out a bunch of pictures he took with his new Polaroid camera.
One picture caught my eye, it was of Jaeah. She looked so happy. So euphoric. She held a birthday cake with smudged frosting which seemed to have been smushed onto her face. Her cheeks and nose were covered with peaks of white frosting. Her eyes were squinted shut as she was laughing. You could see a blurry figure of Yunjin in the background too. But the flash was directed at Jaeah. Whose smile was vibrant and glowing. I could hear her laughter echo through the picture.
My fingers grazed over it but I pulled back hesitantly. "You want this one?" I heard his voice muffled, eye fixated on her smile. I wished I was there with them. It's been so long since I've heard from her. I miss her so much. "I'm guessing you don't want it?" He tucks the photo away and I grasp his hand yelping. "No!" "I want it." My voice grew smaller with embarrassment. Jake only chuckled while handing it to me. "Consider this your birthday gift, I'm broke after all that shopping."
🍓🍓🍓
"Jake left it when he came to visit." Another lie to keep my sanity in place. Jaeah let it be and kept the picture back. I was thinking about the picture for so long that I forgot the real reason I brought her here. "Oh Jae I got something for you." I quickly bent down to my suitcase and dug through it to find her present. It was in a simple box.
"Sit down I wanna see you open it." Jaeah sat down on my bed and my fingers graze over her palm as I place it between her hands. She looked at me dumbfounded. "Whats this for?" She untied the ribbon and tore apart the paper still looking at me with confusion. A smile tugged at her lips, she gasped loudly and her eyes widened when she picked the item out of the box.
I swore that I saw diamonds in her eyes sparkling when she looked at the present. It was a strawberry mug. Quite literally a mug that was sculpted like a strawberry. "Jungwon this is so cute!" She shrieked holding it up to her face. "How'd you even find this?" I itch the back of my head slightly embarrassed. Another story to cover up.
🍓🍓🍓 2020 Jungwon's first year of university
It was winter break. Everyone had gone back to their hometowns, back to their families. I stared at the empty wall in my dorm room. Not a peep was heard. It seemed that everyone was tucked inside their homes, enjoying with their families. I had gotten a few text messages from back home but it was just some happy holidays and merry Christmas or whatever.
After I felt the loneliness overtake me I decided to take myself out. It was night, it was cold. I planned to walk around the city, even if I entered a gift shop there was no one to buy something for. Everyone seemed to be very jolly about the holiday but me. I saw random strangers walking with smiles pasted on their faces. Couples walking with their arms interlocked. Children dragging their parents to toy shops and the parents giving in with laughter.
I was the odd one out in the crowd. I turned away from the road and leaned my head against the window of an antique store. My eyebrows forrowsd as I looked around the items on display. It was mostly weird and old fashioned but at the end of the display. There sat a beautiful mug. A mug that reminded me of a certain someone.
I ran into the shop, telling the shopkeeper to pack the mug for me at once. I was acting like someone was desperately trying to take it away from me. That wasn't the case at all. I just wanted something that would remind me of her. I didn't want anyone to take that away from me.
Jaeah loved strawberries. She had so many clothes inspired by strawberries. She would choose strawberry over any other flavor. Jaeah even turned red like a strawberry when she became flustered, the light freckles on her cheeks resembles the seeds of a strawberry. I chuckled walking out of the store with the mug in hand. Even if it would take a few years to get to her, for now I can wake up everyday and be reminded of her when I see it.
🍓🍓🍓
"It reminded me of you." "I knew I had to buy it for you." This time I didn't have to make up a mindless lie to cover up anything. I just didn't mention the part where I was depressed out of my mind and desperately reaching out for support and the mug was the only thing that helped.
"Thanks Jungwon." She hugged it to her chest. "I'll cherish it forever." She was smiling like that again. Like she was in the Polaroid picture. Forever? Did it really bring that much joy to her as it did to me? Are we feeling the same?
