Finding Jiyong

Chapter 3

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Dara spent those time sighing on her side of the bench. Jiyong, on the other end of the bench, sat sideways facing her, with his feet propped up, while munching from the ever present packet of nuts.

He nudged her on her side with his toes. They’ve been meeting for a few years now and they were both comfortable enough with each other to drop the niceties. He nudged her more forcefully a second time when he didn’t get any response. 

That earned him a glare but her sullen silence continued after. He slid closer to her and elbowed her. She wordlessly settled her head on his shoulder and once again sighed. He let her be.

“I’m a bad girl.” She finally said after some time. 

“You’re grumpy, ahjumma. But I don’t think you’re bad.” He was aiming to get a reaction from her other than her gloomy sighs by calling her ahjumma but she kept uncharacteristically silent.

After another lifetime of sighs she finally let out what was bothering her, “Halmeoni called eomma. After three years, she finally remembered us. She wants us three to spend the summer in Seoul. I hate her. I loved her once but then I found out she didn’t like eomma for appa. I overheard her. She called eomma a gold digging slut who only married her son for a life of comfort and money. I don’t want to ever see her again.” She squeezed her fists so tightly her knuckles showed white.

“Durami and Sanghyun are excited to go because they don’t know. I never told them. Even eomma didn’t know that I overheard. I don’t want to go.” She grumbled. 

“I don’t want to see appa, either. He told us he’ll come and live with us after he settles things with the company and halmeoni but its been three years and all he ever did was visit us once a year. He forgot it was Sanghyun’s birthday last month.” Her knuckles showed white again.

“Who knows? Maybe we could meet for real if you go.” Jiyong said seemingly unaffected. He felt her pain but still the possibility of seeing the girl who had been filling his dreams for nights on end gave him a thrill of excitement. Besides he wanted to distract her from all the negativity that’s been constantly oozing out of her.

“I’d be bad company in real life. Joross, my friend here in the Philippines, would always tell me off because I have the tendency to sulk.” She answered.

“It won’t be anything new, ahjumma. You’re still sulky here. I’m used to it. In fact it would be weird seeing you not being awkward and sulky.” He told her. He felt a sharp jab on his abdomen. “Ow. Whoever said you can’t feel pain in your dreams never met the sharp end of your lethal elbows.” That earned him another jab.

“I have a bad feeling about appa. Bom and Chae, they said they saw him once and he was with a classy looking lady. They said they could be wrong but they seemed too close to be just friends. He had his hand on her back as they went inside a restaurant for lunch.” Jiyong took her fist in his hand and uncurled it. He then gave it a comforting squeeze. “From their description of the lady she’s more like someone halmeoni would approve for appa.”

“If I see you in Seoul I won’t approach you. I don’t want to intrude more into your life than necessary. Besides, you’ve got your music and your rap thing going on for you. You’re getting better. Not that I’m much of a judge but I think you’re good. I want you to concentrate on that.” She gave his hand an answering squeeze.

“I’m going to watch out for you when we grow up and when I find out you’re famous I’ll be your creepy, sulky, Sadako-looking fan who’ll be lurking on all your concerts.” She grinned crazily at him. 

She fought off a yawn but her eyelids were already drooping. The last thing she remembered before finally losing consciousness was him telling her, “Sleep now, ahjumma. Things are never as bad as they seem.”