THE RESTLESS AUTUMN (completed) (a full-length novel)

Cherry Blossoms

Chapter 9

That particular morning she had for her favorite breakfast meal, a couple of egg toast and a cup of hot green tea. Her head felt heavy from booze last night, arriving home at daybreak. Five hours in bed was still sleep deprivation for her but she forced herself to get up nevertheless in anticipation of a busy day. She read two SMS from Ji-heon upon waking up; one, telling her Euna was arriving at three and the other that he was coming for dinner. With a sigh of content, In-ri recalled the euphoria she had last night. During school years, her lackluster personality despite good academic performances made her feel inadequate. Overshadowed and overlooked, In-ri secretly resented the prerequisite to change her appearance to get everyone's approval, but she yielded just the same. Last night her disclosure about her relationship with Lee Ji-heon made her friends see her in a different light. It was a validation, the pride that came along with the announcement. One of the colleagues asked about the wedding plans, to which In-ri shrugged off with a smile. She too wondered if a wedding was in the offing, but for now she just wanted to relish the idea that she held Lee Ji-heon's heart.

She began looking into her closet in the afternoon, picking out the things she'd keep and dispose. Her compulsion of holding on to things had been a disorder since childhood and at the threshold of parting with these belongings, In-ri felt the need to talk. Leaving everything on the floor, she went to phone her mother about her visit this weekend, of her plans to move into Ji-heon's place and her decluttering today. An hour into the conversation, In-ri heard the doorbell ring. She hung up and opened the door. Seeing Euna up close gave In-ri a pang of discomfort. Then again she knew she'd never ever get used to being around the woman from Ji-heon's past. "Thank you for coming on such short notice." In-ri said, her greeting sounded welcoming despite the cold gaze.

Euna bowed as she stepped inside. "Ji-heon nim asked me to come help you."

"Well, as you can see my place is a mess. I need you to pack all these things for me. Is it okay with you?" In-ri flashed a victorious smile when she saw Euna staring at the pile of clothes and accessories on the floor.

"Yes, In-ri ssi."

"I thought you'd be the best person to help me since you're a professional housekeeper. I hope you don't mind me borrowing you from Ji-heon."

Euna shook her head. "No, I don't."

"Good." In-ri began taking out more clothes from the closet and said, "These are old stuff. Pack them all. I'll be donating it to the charity." She handed Euna the folded corrugated boxes and gave instructions on segregating the formal wear from the casual clothes. Euna got down to her knees and started working. Sitting on the edge of the couch with a jewelry box on her lap, In-ri inspected a piece of diamond studded choker and called Euna's attention. "Ji-heon gave me this on our first anniversary." Euna looked up and saw the jewelry being dangled in front of her eyes. She gave a smile but In-ri was expecting a defeated look. She could be right but she had no way to know how Euna exactly felt at that moment. Unsatisfied, In-ri took out a tennis bracelet and a pair of princess cut diamond earrings. "And these are his birthday and Christmas presents to me. They're beautiful, aren't they?"

Again, Euna looked up and smiled. She eluded In-ri's eyes and nodded.

"The next one has to be a ring. It has to be." In-ri laughed at her own remark. Finally, Euna stopped smiling. And it didn't escape In-ri's attention. "Did he tell you I'm moving in to his place?"

Euna pretended not to hear.

"He needs a lover to take care of him, not just a maid."

Euna smiled. She knew battles weren't always won upfront. Prison life had taught her patience and resilience and surrendering for a greater gain. In-ri's words cut deep but the pain, she reminded herself, was not even close to the magnitude of what she had inflicted on Ji-heon. She had no right to shield herself. Deep down though, she could sense In-ri's struggle to win Ji-heon over. Euna knew she already had half the battle won.