Empty Arms

Chapter 3

We were both young when I first saw you.

_________

Hoseok walked outside and saw his father standing with his hands in his pocket. Hoseok quietly stood beside him, waiting for the family to arrive.

"Listen Hoseok," his father spoke, "do not tell them you don't want the marriage." He paused. An uneasy feeling sickened the pit of his stomach. He didn't know what to say, but nonetheless he continued. "She will be perfect for you, I swear."

"You don't know what is perfect for me." Hoseok blurted out. His eyes imedietly widened.

"Go inside, Hoseok." His father said.

Hoseok did not waste a minute to walk inside. He didn't walk to the table, he walked inside the washroom. His body gaurd who was standing by his table saw him and gave him a worried glance. He knew not to follow him in times like this.

Hoseok was thankful to find the washroom empty. He stood in front of the mirror and stared his own reflection.

Who is this person?

Did I really want to be something like this a few years back?

In the mirror Hoseok saw
Jung Ho Seok.

A man he himself didn't know.

Dark circles surrounded his once lively brown eyes. His eyes looked dull and tired. He his face was pale and gave away the fact that he had not been sleeping properly. He was tired, tired of everything; his life, his job....his demons. He just wanted an escape. And he knew, this marriage was not an escape.

His phone rang.

It was his mom.

"Yes mother?"

"Hoseok-ah where are you? They have already arrived!"

"In the washroom, eomma (mom)....."

"Well don't make them wait, adeil-ah (my son)! And I must add, your soon-to-be wife is extremely beautiful!"

"I-I am coming."

He let out a sigh as his mother disconnected the phone. He took one last look at his reflect.

And then he walked out.

As he advanced closer to his table, he saw that his parents were engaged in a conversation with a man and a woman who seemed to be as old as his parents. There was girl. She wore a simple navy blue dress. Her back faced Hoseok, so he couldn't see her properly. He was a tad bit nervous, but he confidentially walked towards them.

"Oh! This is my son! Jung Hoseok!" His mother exclaimed as soon as she saw him. "Hoseok-ah, this is Suran!"

His eyes laid on the girl.

Time stopped.

And so did everything else.

There sat a girl opposite to his empty seat. She didn't look older than twenty one. And she looked nothing like the girls his mother had introduced him to. She was simple and wore a banal dress with a warm sweater, with little or no make-up. Her natural black hair was open and flowed peacefully below her shoulder. She looked nervous. She looked like a clumsy girl. She was pretty; pretty natural.