The Black Rose

Chapter Eleven

The man in the gray hoodie did not seem to see Seung Yoon from where he was standing. Seung Yoon excused himself from Minzy, telling her that he would buy them bottled drinks and that she should go along with Jenny and Dae Sung. He then went the other way so that the stranger won't see him approaching. Seung Yoon could now see the man's back from where he was standing and as he got nearer, a middle-aged man suddenly approached the stranger and escorted him away. Confusion started to set on his face and as the two walked away, he thought he saw the stranger glance at his direction. 

Seung Yoon returned to where the trio were, bringing with him the bottled drinks that he promised. He erased any trace of confusion the close encounter with the stranger had brought him so as to avoid further questions from the others. "Did you buy food with those?" asked Dae Sung naively. "I didn't. I thought we're eating at home later," he answered. "Well, that's a better idea, I guess," said Dae Sung, looking at the others for approval. Morning passed by quickly with the four of them enjoying their stroll thus, forgetting whatever transpired the night before. 

That afternoon, Seung Yoon went back to the park alone. He was hoping that he could, somehow, catch a glimpse of the man in the gray hoodie and if he's lucky enough, he would be able to talk to him face-to-face. He needs to know who this man is and what he wants with his cousin. He scanned the park but he could not find him. He sat down on a bench and tried to understand everything he'd seen and knew so far but, nothing made sense.

Background Music: https://soundcloud.com/surajiyeon/davichi-i-love-you-mystic

It had been three weeks since they last encountered the man in the gray hoodie. Jenny was getting back to her happy self and spent a lot of her afternoons going to different cafes with either Minzy, Seung Yoon, or Dae Sung. But most of the time, she and Minzy would go with Seung Yoon to the bread shop to assist him. They both decided that they'd be working for him so that they could earn their own money while they are in Korea. She also got to talk with her mother for almost everyday since then.

Jenny was cleaning their room that morning. The painting she bought sat beautifully on the dresser. Everytime she looked at it, she felt a tinge of pain accompanied by longing she could not quite place. Maybe, she was still hoping that this painting was made by him, that he was also here in Korea. There's a part of her that wants to see him and yet, there's a part that was afraid. She was supposed to forget all about him and yet, here she was, still hoping for something that she knew was impossible. She then remembered the shirt that Mr. Kim lent her. She had completely forgotten all about it. She then decided to pay him a visit that afternoon. 

The bell sounded as the front door of the cafe opened. Mr. Kim turned around and smiled at the customer who had just entered. "I've been wondering when you'd be visiting," said Mr. Kim. "I'm sorry it took me a while," apologized Jenny. She then went straight to the bar and handed him the paper bag which contained the shirt she borrowed. "I'm returning this back to you Mr. Kim. Thank you for this," she said. "Oh, didn't I tell you to just keep it," he argued as he reached for it. She decided to have the same coffee that she had before and found that the seat she took last time was empty. As she took her seat, the bell sounded signalling that a new customer had arrived. He glanced once and was about to ignore the newcomer when she saw that he was holding something in his hands, a painting. She looked at his face searching for any familiar features but, she hadn't seen him before. She was about to dismiss what she saw once again because of disappointment when she remembered what Mr. Kim shared about the man who sold him the painting that she had bought. She took a look at the newcomer once more and realization dawned on her.

She waited for Mr. Kim to give him the payment for the painting before standing up. As soon as the man went for the door, Jenny started on her way as well. "I'll just go out for some fresh air Mr. Kim," she called out. She followed him out the door and blocked his way before he could take one more step. "Excuse me, may I ask you something?" she asked. The man, though startled by her sudden appearance, nodded in approval. "Were you the one who painted those artworks that you sell to Mr. Kim?" she asked eagerly. "I am not the one who painted those, my boss did," he answered honestly. "May I know the name of your boss, sir?" she demanded. "He has his signature on the paintings Miss," he replied. "You know, some painters use aliases to sign their works," she refuted. "I'm sorry Miss. I cannot stay for long because I have a meeting to attend to in half an hour," lied the man. He then hurriedly walked towards a black car parked at the corner of the street. Jenny followed him with a gaze and saw that the car's right rear window was open. Seeing this, she assumed that the man's boss might have come with him. She silently followed him to the car and hid behind a tree situated a few feet away from the open window. She tried to take a peek from where she was standing. There was someone inside and she was sure it was a man, only he was half-hidden by the shadows. She inched closer to take a better look, when the man turned his head towards her direction. Recognition sank in as she realized who the man was. She ran towards the car but he quickly closed his window. The engine started off and the car started to move. "Seung Hyun... Seung Hyun... Seung Hyun! Seung Hyun!" cried out Jenny while pounding at the car's window, tears falling down her face. The car sped off leaving her standing under the warm afternoon sun. She felt cold despite the sun's warmth.

Mr. Kim, who was watching them from a distance, ran towards her and patted her back trying to calm her down. "Shhh... shhh... it's okay dear. Let it all out so that later, the pain will no longer be there," comforted the fatherly Mr. Kim. He escorted Jenny back to the cafe, which he had left unattended. She led her back to her seat. "Drink this," setting before her a cup of coffee. "Let its bitter taste erase the pain in your heart, even for just a moment," he said. Jenny stared at the drink before her and tears started to fall once more.