Love Under Parasols

Unravelling

"Get me a guitar," Jeongyeon repeated. The man who asked for her help looked at her like she grew another head.

"Are you sure, Ms. Yoo?" he asked. Jeongyeon sighed and nodded.

"We have no choice. I'll take the lead. Call Mami and tell her not to blame herself," she said. She was handed a black electric guitar which she tuned and strummed.

Shook.

I didn't know she could play the guitar. I thought she just produces music.

"SCANDAL, cue in two minutes," the floor manager said. Jeongyeon looked at me with nervous eyes.

"Hey," I went closer to her and touched her cheek. "You can do this, okay? I'll be watching from the side."

She nodded and went to the stage. The vocal started to introduce themselves and then Jeongyeon started. She was focused on what she was doing. When it was time for the chorus, she sand the back up voice. I've never been so shocked in my life. Jeongyeon's voice can make people melt! And her guitar skills are not to be taken as a joke. Her blonde hair flowing as she bangs her head with the beat of the music.

I was at awe as I watch Jeongyeon lose herself to the music. The guitar solo came and she closed her eyes to feel the music. Her lips were parted as she plucked the strings of the instrument. After the song, she opened her eyes and they met mine.

Crap.

She smiled and went over to where I was standing. I couldn't move. She was standing in front of me, smiling as if she won the lottery, beads of sweat trailing down her forehead but she still looked like she was taken out of a magazine.

"Momo," she tilted her head to one side and grinned. "How was it?"

I smiled at her and took my handkerchief from my bag, "You did great, Jeongyeon. You sounded amazing." I wiped her sweat gently.

"Jeong?" we both turned around and saw Hyerin behind us, looking at Jeongyeon with pleading eyes.

"Hyerin-ah," Jeongyeon was once again lost. Taken away by the black hole named Hyerin. I instantly gain superpowers when she's around. I become invisible.

"You played...." Hyerin trailed off. I instinctively stepped back, I'm sure they wouldn't notice. "I thought you'll..."

I left Jeongyeon and Hyerin together and went outside for a walk. I took my phone, which Jeongyeon returned, and called the one person who can make me smile even if my heart is getting ripped apart.

"Momo?" I heard the familiar calm voice on the other side.

"Chewy.. hey," for some reason, I couldn't think of anything to say. I just wanted someone to talk to. I was stopping myself from crying again because I'm tired. I was happy earlier but why can't I stay that way?

"What's up? I told you not to miss me so much," she joked which made me laugh. That's the fun thing about her. Even if she doesn't know what's happening, she makes me laugh without trying.

"Nothing. I was just bored," I played with the leaves of the plant beside me. "I'm okay now. Thank you for making me laugh."

Chewy laughed on the other side, "I'm your clown then. Alright, I gotta go. I'll see you soon, okay?" I nodded even if she couldn't see me and ended the call.

Before I got into that club in Japan, I had everything I wanted. I could easily get something in a snap. People bow for me and I couldn't care less. But I didn't want that life. I wanted to dance, something my father didn't want.

"Momo!" I turned around and saw Jeongyeon running to where I was sitting. "Why did you leave?"

"I wanted to give you time with Hyerin," I smiled at her. I was surprised when she hugged me tightly.

"Do not leave me like that again. Don't disappear on me. Don't be away from my sight," she whispered. I nodded and stopped my tears from falling.

"What happened?"

She sat beside me and intwined our fingers, "She was happy to see me play again after a long time."

"Really? I didn't know you play though! I thought you were just a producer," I honestly said. She laughed at me and kissed my hand, making me shut up.

"I can't be a producer if I can't play or don't know anything about music, can I?" I nodded. "You know how my surname is Yoo and Sooyoung-unnie's surname is Choi right?"

"I was wondering about that too."

"My parents and unnie's parents are best of friends. My mother died in a plane crash together with my two sisters while traveling from the UK. Leaving me and my father. Unnie's father died in an ambush from former business partners. Before his last breath, he told his secretary to tell unnie's mom to marry my dad. Which happened. Our companies merged and so we became sisters. But while on a cruise to the northern Atlantic, our parents' ship sank and they didn't survive," her hold to me got tighter. "Unnie and I lost our family in a snap without even saying goodbye."

I hugged Jeongyeon from the side as she sobbed. I rarely see her cry but because of what she told me, I now realize why she became the aloof and somewhat indifferent.

"My father loved seeing me play the guitar and mother adored my voice so much so when they left, I didn't ever sang or played again," I pulled her closer to me, if that was possible.

"If your parents could see you now, they would be so proud of you," I whispered. This strong girl in my arms is scared of the future. The only girl she loves cannot see her feelings and her big sister is always busy for both their sake.

I'll never leave Jeongyeon. Even if it makes me the dumbest person in the world.

"Tell you what!" I sounded cheerful to be able to bring her mood up too. "Let's go back to my place and have a few drinks and then play some games?" she beamed at me and pulled me up.

It suddenly started raining just as we were about to exit the building. Jeongyeon looked around and found an umbrella by the guards' post. She took it and went back to me, "Let's go?"

Once again, she held my hand when we walked back to her car under one big umbrella. I felt my heart rapidly beat as I felt her warmth against mine.

If only we had the same feelings. Then maybe things wouldn't be this complicated.