Still in my heart

Time passes

8 years later

A loud voice is coming from a classroom full of students. They're singing a birthday song for their teacher.
"Happy birthday ssaem" said all the student
"gamsahamnida" said Eunbi
"Make a wish ssaem" said one of the student
Eunbi blow the candles and the students clap their hand. Eunbi is smiling while seeing her students.
"What did you wish ssaem?"
"Did you wish to get married?"
"Ya! Ssaem hasn't got any boyfriend. She must wish for boyfriend."
"Hahaha.. who says I don't have a boyfriend?" Eunbi teases her student
"Huaaaa.." the classroom becomes louder than before.

One by one the students are leaving. Eunbi goes to the teacher office. The other teachers congratulated her. She says thank you and goes to her desk. There's a bouquet of flower in her desk. She picks up and smells the flower. The other teacher teases her. She doesn't say anything just smile at her. She picks up her bag and says goodbye to them.

In front of the gate, a guy is standing and he's waving at her.
"Go eunbi!"
"Officer Park?"
"Ya! Why're you still act formal with me? Just say my name. Park Bongpal"
"Araso. Why're you here?"
"To make sure you got my present."
"This is from you?" she points the flowers
"Ne. Majayo."
"You should give it to me in person."
"I want your collages to be jealous of you. Hahaha"
"Gomawo. This is lovely."
"Are you going to seoul today?"
She nods and says, "ne. Majayo. I want to spend my birthday with my twins."
"Let me escort you then"
"Huh? You don't need to do that. I can take the bus."
"Gwenchana.. c'mon."
He push her and open the door for her.
"Gomawo." Said Eunbi
"It's okay. So is there anything special do you plan to do today?"
"Ani. We're just going to have dinner together. It's been awhile since I came home."
"You sound like you miss your family."
"Ne."
"You're not planning to go back to Seoul right?"
"Ani. I don't think I will. It just too painful."
"Why?"
"Nothing."
"It's good for me then. It's not fun without you here."
"Huh?"
"Nothing." He smiled at her
***

Eunbi arrives at her house in Seoul at night. She waves goodbye to Bongpal. She enters her house. Her mom and her sister welcome her. She hugs them and they eat dinner together.
Her mom says, "Eunbi ah, you should invite your boyfriend to eat with us."
"Eomma.. he's not my boyfriend."
"Ah mianhaeyo. I thought he's your boyfriend. He gives you that flowers and give you a ride to here."
"He's just a friend."
"But he indeed like her eomma."
"Unnie!"

The next morning, she and Eunbyul meet Shijin and Songjoo at the cafe.
"How's Tongyeong?" Asked Shijin
"It's nice." Said Eunbi
"Of course it's nice, she has an admirer there." eunbyul teased her
"Unnie!"
"Who? Spill it out." Said Songjoo
"He's not my admirer, he just friend."
"C'mon eunbi, don't be naive. I meant it's obvious that he likes you." Said Eunbyul
"Ya! Tell me when did you first meet? What his name? What is his job?" Asked shijin
"His name is Park Bongpal. He's a detective and we meet when there's a vandalism in my school. He caught him and since then he always nice to me."
"He even gave her a bouquet of flowers." Eunbyul continues tease her sister
"He's a good guy that's all. How about you Shijin?"
"Same old same old. Songjoo here is the one that awesome. She just land her first movie role."
"Daebak! Congratulations Songjoo."
"Gomawo. And you Eunbyul. How're you and Duk hwa?"
"Don't talk about that guy. He annoys me so much."
"I guess they fight again" said Shijin
"I bet they will make up tonight." Said Songjoo
"Ya! I'm not going to forgive him easily this time."
"Yes we believe it." Said shijin, songjoo and eunbi while laughing.
"Ya ya. Do you heard about Yi Ahn? The news said that he plans to married his long girlfriend." Said Shijin
"Ne. Majayo. He will marry kim bokjoo in October." Eunbyul answered
"Wow I can't believe he's the one who married first. I always thought that it would be Eunbi." Said Shijin
"Why me?"
"It just... you're more mature than us. Especially more mature than eunbyul."
"Ya!" Eunbyul protested.
It's rarely for them to meet up like this. Eunbi is a teacher now and she lives in Tongyeong. Songjoo becomes an artist, mostly soap opera. Shijin is working at her dad company. And Eunbyul is a judge now. With their works, it's getting hard for them to keep in touch.

After they're meeting. Eunbyul and Eunbi are walking back towards their house. On their way, Eunbyul boyfriend comes to pick them up with his fancy car. Eunbyul ignore him but he persuades her nicely. In the end he successfully persuaded Eunbyul and they ride with him. Eunbi get off from his car and waves goodbye to them. Eunbyul plans to spend more time with him.
When they're gone, she doesn't enter her house. She thought to herself that her mom and sister will be home late and she decides to go to a park and sees Seoul at night. She walks around the park. She remembers when Taekwang teach her to ride a hover board on the bridge. She shake her head and try to stop remembering him.
On her way home, she sees a cherry blossom tree.
"It's beautiful." She said and she looks at her left. It's the playground that hold many pain memories for her. She walks to the playground and sits on the swings.
'I miss you. It's been 8 years already. Taekwang ah..where are you' she thought.
Her tears start to drop. She cover her face with her hands.
***

A guy is standing his office big windows. He looks at the road full with cars.
A lady enter his room and says, "did you call me gwajangnim?"
"Ne. Please reschedule my flight tomorrow morning to saturday."
"Yes."
"And if someone is looking for me said that I will be back to the office on monday. I already said to the director that I will take days off and he didn't mind."
"Yes gwajangnim."
"That's all. Thank you."
The lady goes out from his office. He sits on his chair and check his phone. He looks at the wallpaper. He never change it. It always a photo of him and eunbi.
'I miss you. Where are you now?' He thought

The next morning, Taekwang sits in front of his laptop and starts to working. His dad enters his room and ask to eat breakfast together. He gets up and follow him.
"Do you really have to work on saturday?" Asked his father
"I just need to finish a report and submit it. Since I take days off all of sudden, I have to finish all my assignments. What time is your train to busan?"
"At 11 am. Should I cancel? If I know that you will be back, i won't make any plan."
"It's okay appa. Besides I will be on my room all day. Just have fun there and don't drink too much!"
"Okay."
They finished their breakfast. Taekwang goes to his room and back to his work. He always makes himself busy. He knows if he has a free time, his mind will be back remembering her. Each day is so hard for him. He has lost count of how many times he wants to go back to her. To see her. Just like before.
And it's not the first time he comes back here. He went to seoul before he finished his undergraduate. He takes 2 years leaves for the military service. He went to her house when he has free time from the military. But no one is there. He went back to the state and finished his study. Lucky for him, he got a nice job in multinational company. With his hard work, he has been promoted to a manager in nickel of time. Since that time, he always traveling. And one day, his boss wants him to go to Seoul. Even for very little time, he still wants to try.

It's already dark when he submitted the report. He stretched his body and his stomach starts to growling. He turn off the laptop and goes outside to find something to eat. He takes his dad car and ride to a nice cafe. In the parking lot, from far away he looks someone familiar. He park his car and run to them.
"Go eunbyul!"
She looks at him and says, "Gong Taekwang?"
"It's been awhile." He said
Suddenly she hits him hard. Even her boyfriend looks terrified seeing them.
"Ya! Where have you been?! You make my sister suffer. Imbecile!"
"Ya! Ya! Mianhae. Where's eunbi now?"
"Why? Do you want to hurt her more?"
"Ani. Where is she now?"
"At their home." Duk hwa answered for her
"Ya! Why did you tell him?!" She said angrily and hit him
"Minhae. He looks so desperate so.."
"I don't know who you are but thank you" said Taekwang and he run to his car and start to drive fast.

He arrives at Eunbyi house. He rang the bell once but no one answer. He rang again and again. He becomes hopeless. He sees an empty street and it reminds him someting.
He runs to the playground and he sees a girl sits on the swings. She cover her face and her tears pour down.
"There you are" said Taekwang while catching his breath
She looks up and see a man standing in front of her.
"Gong Taekwang?"
"Halo Go Eunbi. Did you miss me?"