The Insider Ghost Ship: She Said, He Said

CHAPTER 7: She Said: About the Visit

Mixed emotions were everything Song Hwa had been having about the visit. She was excited one moment, then anxious the next. She was like a lovesick teenager anticipating a glimpse of her crush but uncontrollably scatters her wits when she catches sight of him.

Aah...Jinjja...This is embarrassing. I'm 4o but feeling like a teenager....

The guys came almost half an hour late because they picked up food and drinks along the way. Jeong Won was the first to enter with a bunch of white flowers, followed by Seuk Hyung carrying the drinks, and Jun Wan with U Ju in tow. She stopped herself from asking where Ik Jun was, because U Ju was there, surely the father would not be far behind. She felt her heart skipped a beat when Ik Jun entered her door carrying bags of food in each hand.

"Ya, Song Hwa," he started when he caught sight of her. "Did you lose weight? You look skinny! Have you been eating lately?"

She suppressed a laugh at Ik Jun's comments and ignored it. He, on the other hand, put the food on the kitchen counter, took them out from the bags and began opening them by stabbing and slicing the sealed plastic covers with a chopstick.

"Wae? Mwo?" Ik Jun asked, as he continued stabbing the lunchboxes. "Do I still make you anxious when I do this? You should be used to it by now."

If Ik Jun did not say anything about it, she would not be aware that she was staring at him—or at what he was doing. Either way, her eyes were on him, and he knew, but she did not, until he pointed it out.

Honestly, you make me anxious right now....

"Ya," She began. "What can I do when you were born to be all over the place?"

"Ye, don't ever think of containing me...I will explode. If that happens, I will really be all over the place. And you will be cleaning up the mess."

She laughed softly at his joke. They get her every time.

After dinner, Ik Jun and Jeong Won cleaned up the mess and joined the squad in the living room afterwards, as the night went by faster than it came. After small talks over cups of coffee, the guys bid her farewell. It was only ten in the evening, but they have a two-hour drive ahead of them, and U Ju was already fast asleep on the couch where she was sitting, with his head on her lap. It would be unfair for them to keep them any longer than this. Ik Jun was the first to stand up, gathered the empty cups, brought them into the kitchen sink and started washing them.

"Ya, Ik Jun-ah," she called. "Leave it. I'll take care of it."

"Gwaenchanha," he answered. "I'm done."

Ik Jun headed back to the living room and proceeded to where she was sitting, unable to move, because U Ju was sleeping. He picked up his son, rested him on his shoulder as she stood up to see them off.

Downstairs in the parking lot, the guys said their goodbyes at her.

"Ya," Jeong Won said. "You should be in the band practice next week."

"Arasseo," she answered. "I'll be there."

"You better be," Jun Wan said with a threatening voice. "Or we'll be taking you back to Seoul the next time we come by."

"Jal ja," Seuk Hyung said which summed up pretty much everything he wanted to say.

"We'll be going now," Ik Jun said. "See you next week at band practice. Remember, you promised."

"Ne, I won't forget. You can all punish me if I do...."

"I don't think we need to. But, if we have to, you better prepare yourself because payback will be hard."

"Is that a threat?"

"Ani. It's a joke. When did we ever punish you?"

"Uh...During that time when...."

"Aaa-ara...Duaesseo. Forget I even asked."

"Ya!" Jun Wan exclaimed at them with a stern voice of a professor who caught his students cheating. "Are we really going or what? Ik Jun-ah, hand me your keys, I'll drive."

She should be letting him go because U Ju was still sleeping soundly on his shoulder, and his arm could be tiring out. Ik Jun threw his keys to Jun Wan and turned to face her again.

"Take good care of yourself. Eat well and have enough rest. Algesseo?"

"Algesseo."

"I'll call you. Kan da. Jal ja." He unwarily tapped her shoulder as he always does and headed to the car with U Ju in his arms.

Moments later, the car was out of sight—disappeared into the darkness of the night. She was alone, once again, to face the uncertainties of another tomorrow. She had been doing this for a month now, she was beginning to get used to it, but that did not mean she was liking it. She just had to, because for now, this is her reality, and she chose it for herself.