Jay Park One Shots

College Friends

[Requested]

I stared at my daughter as she slid down the slide. She resembled her father very much. Her milky skin, wavy hair, sharp nose, glimmering eyes, and even the way she talks reminds me of my late husband.

"Stephanie! It's time to go home," I called out to my 5 year old daughter.

Through the partings on the playground walls, I saw her pouting and slouching her shoulders as she made her way to me. "Mommy, can we get ice cream on the way home?" She asked while walking down the steps. I nodded and beamed her smile as I took her tiny hand in mine.

While walking towards an ice cream shop, I bumped into Gray, an old college friend of mine. It was long since I had met up with him. We have known each other for the longest time. We knew each other so much we could tell the colour of each other's underwear randomly.

"Haejung! I didn't expect to see you here. Is this your daughter?" He asked as he bent down to play with her.

"Of course she's my daughter. Can't you see she's as beautiful as me?" I joked in response.

"Indeed she is," he laughed.

We caught up for a while and I decided to invite him over for dinner to catch up further. Fortunately, he had nothing for the night so he followed us home for dinner.

The moment we arrived, I immediately made way to the kitchen to quickly cook dinner. Stephanie was old enough to clean up after herself so I need not worry about her. She initiatively headed straight to the bathroom to shower.

"So, how are you? Where's your husband by the way?"

"He's...with God," I spoke quietly, trying my best not to tear up at the topic of my late husband.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know. How? When?"

"Last year. He got into an accident while he was overseas working. Can we not talk about him anymore?" I replied.

I continued cooking and we reminisced on old times. During our college days, Gray would always buy me Strawberry Milk Tea as it was my favorite drink to drink in the morning. One time, he accidentally bought me Peach Milk Tea and I was allergic to it. But out of courtesy, I pretended that I was fine. I ended up hospitalized for a few days because my allergy was so bad that my stomach couldn't take in any kind of consumption.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

"Ayo bro. You wouldn't believe who I bumped into today."

"No, you idiot. Not Tasha. Nor the girls I helped to hook you up with you man-whore. I bumped into Haejung!"

"Yes! Our Haejung!"

By then I knew who he was on the phone with already; Jay.

"Jay asked if it's okay for him to come over. He misses you," Gray asked. I responded with an okay and gave Jay my address.

Within 15 minutes, Jay arrived just in time for dinner. When he arrived, he looked just as he did when I last saw him 7 years ago. Still the same old bad boy Jay, dressed in black acid washed jeans, plain tank top, leather jacket and gold chains around his neck. Only this time, he had more tattoos.

My daughter joined us at the table after cleaning herself up and Jay was surprisingly very loving towards her. The Jay I knew hated kids. He would always scream at kids at restaurants when they cry or even worst, throw their toys away when they annoy him. That's how much he hated kids. But he was very nice to Stephanie and it truly shocked me.

"Uncle Jay! Uncle Jay! I want you to feed me," Stephanie screamed over the table.

"Stephanie! Mommy has taught you table manners. Do not scream," I disciplined my daughter. In response, she pouted and continued devouring her dinner silently.

Jay chuckled at her reaction and kissed her lightly on the cheeks.

"Haejung, did you know? That Jay and I fought over you in college? We used to be so in love with you we even took turns in trying to take you out on a date!" Gray laughed.

"I know," I replied.

The both of them dropped their utensils in shock.

"You knew?" Jay asked with his eyes wide. "Why do you think I keep going on dates with other guys? That was to stop the both of you from pursuing your feelings for me," I replied with my mouth half-filled.

"You cunning bit-"

"Language!" I yelled at Gray before he could finish pronouncing the cursed word in front of my innocent 5 year old daughter.

"I liked Jay though. But I didn't want to ruin our friendship so I pretended that I didn't know and went to date other guys."

"Woah. Where did all the confidence come from for you to confess your undying love for me?" Jay joked.

I laughed. "That was 10 years ago. I've got nothing to hide now. Besides, I like it better when all of us were friends. And I'm glad I married my late husband. We even had a beautiful daughter. I have no regrets over any decisions I made in the past."

The both of them looked at me weirdly and suddenly burst into a roaring laughter.

Shocked, I heard them continue, "dude! You lost! Haejung liked me!"

"Oh shut up you playboy. The only thing you have is your oh so charming looks. If I was as mature as I am now, I would've probably fell for Gray, the noble, kind-hearted idiot who bought me Strawberry Milk Tea every morning. Not the guy who keeps calling me short!" I mocked Jay jokingly.

He pretended to be hurt and the three of us ended up laughing thinking of the golden old times we shared.

"Mommy, can uncle Gray and uncle Jay come to our house a lot? I like them, they are nice and you are happy," my daughter spoke with her limited vocabulary.

I nodded my head and pinched her cheeks. Although I have seen every side of her as a mother, I still find her very cute most of the time.

"Oh by the way," Jay whispered, leaning towards me, "I can still father your kids." He winked at me.

Slapping his arm, Gray and I laughed as Jay put his hands up in the air, surrendering. Just like old times, the 3 of us sat together at a table having a meal.

Although between us a love could've sparked, it was great that we stayed friends. Because true friends are forever no matter what life throws to us. And despite the fact that we have lost contact for 7 years, we reunited like the last time we met was yesterday.

Maybe someday Jay and I could be something more than just friends. Or it could be Gray. But wherever life takes us, however our friendship turns out, the only thing I will forever hope for is to have the two of them by my side and Stephanie's till the end of time.