Chapter 19

(2 Years later, it is now 2012)

The auditorium was filled with a navy-colored sea of people, smartly dressed in their graduation gowns. One by one, they ascended the steps up onto the stage and collected their hard-earned achievements.

“Miss Kwon Yuri.” The announcer announced.

“Wooo!!! GO YURI!!!” Sooyoung screamed. “Wooo!!!”

“Shhhh! Keep it down, Sooyoung!” Yoona slapped the girl on her back.

“OWW!! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!” Sooyoung questioned while rubbing the spot that Yoona unintentionally slapped too hard. She had caught the attention of several people as a result of her shrill cries.

“Shhh!!! You’re making a scene!” Yoona tried again to silence the embarrassing loudhailer.

“But I’m happy for her! Aren’t you? DR KWON!!! SAVIOR OF ANIMALS EVERYWHERE!!” Sooyoung yelled again, causing many in the auditorium to giggle.

Having come down from the stage, an extremely cheerful Yuri skipped across the auditorium to join her two friends, proudly waving her little achievement around in her hand.

“DR KWON!!!” her two friends yelled excitedly as she approached. Even Yoona couldn’t contain her excitement this time.

“DR KWON!!” Yuri yelled back as she leapt into the arms of her two friends, aka very loud group hug. The excitement of having her hard work paid off had gotten over the newly graduated veterinarian’s head. Unfortunately, their little ruckus had disturbed the rest of the audience. People started looking at them with eyes of death.

“Sorry!” Yuri announced while flashing her best smile. “Let’s go, guys.”

“Sure! But before that…” Yoona put her arm over Yuri’s shoulder. “We have a surprise for you, Yuri.” she announced.

“Ooh what surprise?” Yuri asked eagerly, feeling even more excited than she already was.

“Just follow us.” Sooyoung said. Using a hand to cover the tanned girl’s eyes, Yoona led her towards the exit, and out the auditorium.

“Ohhhhh I can’t wait!” Sooyoung chuckled as she followed behind them.

Why does she seem more excited than me… Suspicious. Yuri thought. There was a possibility that her friends might be up to no good.

“This better not be a prank.” Yuri said.

“Oh it WON’T.” Yoona smirked, unseen to Yuri’s covered eyes.

Stepping out of the auditorium, the girls came to a stop somewhere. “Okay just stand here. You ready?” Sooyoung asked as she positioned Yuri.

“Yea!”

“Okay...” Yoona smirked.

“1…”

“2…”

“…3!!”

And at that very moment Yoona took her hand away, the first thing Yuri saw was a woman she hadn’t seen in years. Standing there and staring at the woman with her mouth open, Yuri was rendered speechless immediately.

“Oww!!”

Before Yuri could even come to her senses, she had received a smack on her head to do just that job. A karate chop.

“YA DR KWON. It’s been years! And you still haven't come home to visit!” Mrs Kwon screamed as Yuri rubbed her head in pain. The lovely booming voice of her mother still hadn’t changed. It was music to Yuri’s ears for probably the first time in her life.

"Surprise!!" Yoona and Sooyoung yelled in unison.

“Mom!! Dad!!” the tanned girl recovered promptly and immediately leapt forward to hug her parents. “Well I was going to, heehee.” she replied cheekily while rubbing her head.

"AND I BELIEVE YOU." her mother said with her arms crossed.

“You were the one who said I can’t go home till I become Dr Kwon.” Yuri rebutted.

“Kwon Yul, ever heard of the word ‘sarcasm’ before?” her mother retorted. “In the dictionary, it means…”

“OKAY!! We know what it means, don’t we?” Yuri’s father quickly interrupted, obviously used to his wife’s unusual habit of defining words. “And you go home with us now, Dr Kwon!” he ordered.

“B-B-But Dad, I haven’t packed…”

“Already done, Yuri.” Yoona stated.

Yuri opened her eyes in surprise. “WHAT?!”

“And guess what, we’re coming with you! MRS KWON IS COOKING!! How can we miss it?” Sooyoung proudly exclaimed as she put her arm over Yuri’s mother. “In fact, I’m hungry now. Let’s go grab food people!” she yelled.

Yuri shook her head and sighed at her two shikshin friends as she watched them drag her parents away to the reception area. Glancing down at the scroll in her hands, she smiled proudly.

I wonder…

Her thoughts were cut short by a hand on her shoulder. Turning behind, Yuri was surprised for the second time that day. The girl was in shades and wearing a cap which effectively masked half her face, and she looked totally conspicuous.

“ARGHHH!! Robber!! Help--”

The girl smacked Yuri on the arm and immediately dragged her to a corner, worried that they might catch unwanted attention. “After so many years you’re still using the same joke?!” she asked, incredulous.

“You came.” Yuri had the hugest grin on her face.

“Congratulations, Dr Kwon.” she hugged the tanned girl.

“Ahhh, how nice. This hug would be worth millions to some crazy fan out there right now, even though you're sporting that criminal look.” Yuri shook her head in disapproval. "Tsk tsk. Not so nice on a celebrity."

“Stop teasing me.” the girl said as she took off her shades. “And I’m taking this from you, for good. I like it.”

Yuri smiled. “It’s already yours since years ago. And Minnie,” Yuri reached out, took off the girl’s cap and ruffled her hair. “You shouldn’t have to be in disguise. I’ll be honored to have my SUPERSTAR “COUSIN” at my convocation.”

“Even if it’ll be all over the papers tomorrow?? Or if you get splashed by red paint??” Hyomin questioned, tapping on Yuri’s graduation hat.

“Yeeeeeessssssss.” Yuri blabbered as she clumsily fiddled with her hat, which brought a smile to Hyomin’s face.

“There you go, with that smiling thing again.” Yuri teased, which turned Hyomin’s creepy smile into a pout instantly.

"Aww c'mon, I love your creepy smiles.” Yuri said as she held onto the girl’s hand. “Let's go grab food, I’m starving.”

-----

“CHEERS!!”

“TO DR KWON!!!”

That night, everyone gathered at Yuri’s house, having a hell of a time. Sooyoung ate like there was no tomorrow, Yuri’s father and Yoona were passed out drunk at different corners of the house, while Mrs Kwon was held up in the kitchen.  The latter had been cooking and muttering curses at Sooyoung’s bottomless pit under her breath the entire night.

“MORE!! MORE FOOD MORE!!!” the shikshin screamed from the table as she gorged on the food, she could very well have eaten the table along with it.

“It’s okay it’s okay, she’s just a hungry child. Don’t get angry now…” Mrs Kwon muttered under her breath as she sliced the carrots. It was obvious where Yuri got her habit from.

It was such a rare and heartwarming scene. Yuri wanted to remember this moment forever. The tanned girl hadn’t been this happy in a while.

“Full?” Yuri walked out to the balcony and joined the girl who was staring at the night sky.

“Very. Sooyoung was right; your mom’s a great chef. I picked up many pointers from her.” Hyomin said.

“Yea, she’s the best…” Yuri nodded as she leaned forward and rested on the balcony ledge. “And she absolutely adores you. Even more now that she’s met you.”

Hyomin giggled. “I’m irresistible to the Kwons.” she joked.

“Yes you are.” Yuri smiled widely. “Well I'm glad I finally brought you home to meet her."

"I'm glad I got to meet your family too."

Yuri sighed. "I really regret that I haven’t been home more often. Coming home makes me miss the great childhood I had here.”

“It’s okay.” Hyomin patted the girl’s hand. “What matters is that you’re here now, right?” she turned and looked at Yuri.

Yuri faced the girl. “Thank you for still being here too.”

Hyomin smiled back as she gazed up at the star-scattered sky. “This reminds me of the nights we spent at the park.”

“Yea.” Yuri smiled. “I’m really glad we kept our little secret meetings going all these years…”

The 2 girls stood in silence at the balcony, facing each other, looking into each other’s eyes. Feeling like the time was right, Hyomin leaned forward a little, closing the distance.

But Yuri looked away. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s been years, Yuri.”

Yuri attempted a slight smile. “Yea. Years, indeed…” the girl gazed at the sky.

Seeing Yuri’s response, Hyomin felt a discomfort in her chest, the umpteenth one in years. Sighing, the girl said, “I have regrets too.”

“What regrets?” Yuri asked, curious.

“I should have fought for you, Yuri.”

Yuri laughed in response. “Silly.”

“I’m serious. I’ve been regretting every single day. I let you go too easily then, letting you two create all these memories that only served to chain you down.” Hyomin said, half-chuckling at her foolishness. “I should have held my ground and fought Jessica to the end.”

Just the mere sound of that name…

She held onto Yuri’s hand. “I won’t stop fighting for you, Yuri.”

Yuri smiled and shook her head. “What if it takes forever?”

Hyomin fell silent. Those five words were just another indirect rejection. And she knew Yuri meant it. Tonight was another reminder about the fact that Yuri had become unattainable since Jessica’s departure.

“I hope that one day, you’ll find someone who wouldn’t stop fighting for you too.” Yuri patted the girl’s hands.

Hyomin looked down, dejected. Taking a while to brace herself, she asked, “So you’re still fighting for Jessica?”

Yuri laughed. "If you consider standing here and waiting around for a miracle to happen as fighting, then yes. I am still fighting for her."

Yuri’s words inevitably carried a sense of helplessness. It was difficult not to pity the girl and the plight of her relationship with Jessica, even for Hyomin.

"Always have, always will.” Yuri sighed.

Hyomin kept her gaze at the tanned girl, spotting the bracelet on her wrist. She smiled sadly. “I really envy her. Even now, she still holds your heart.”

Yuri laughed at Hyomin’s jealous comment. A sparkle caught her eye, and she looked down at the bracelet too. It was suddenly shining brightly under the moonlit sky.

“Miss Kwon?”

Yuri looked down from the balcony. It was her neighbor. “Yes?”

“Can you come here for a sec?” the old lady yelled from her window.

“Sure.” Yuri responded and then turned to Hyomin. “Be right back.” she smiled.

Hyomin watched as Yuri ran down the stairs and walk towards her neighbor’s house. Sighing, she conceded to the fact that she may never get Yuri’s heart.

I guess love is, wishing you’ll find love too.

"Hyomin! Can you help me?" Mrs Kwon yelled from the kitchen. "Sooyoung is crazy!"

"Sure!" Hyomin replied.

Before going back into the house, Hyomin smiled as she took another glance at Yuri's back.

I hope your miracle comes, Yuri.

-----

“Sit down here, while I get something for you to drink.” the lady smiled.

Yuri bowed in respect. “Thank you.”

While her neighbor left for the kitchen, Yuri scanned her house with her eyes. She had never talked to her before. The old lady frequently kept to herself, and thus she was affectionately termed ‘the scary old lady that lives next door’ by the Kwons. She noticed that the lady lived alone, the furnishing was old but simple, and the house was kept neat. Hanging on the walls were some old faded photographs of the lady in her younger years.

“Here, have some tea.” the lady offered Yuri a cup. “Be careful, it’s hot.” she smiled.

“Thank you.” Yuri accepted the offer and sipped on the tea. She doesn’t seem scary at all…

The lady settled on the floor across Yuri. “I called you here because I have some things for you.”

“What things, Ma’am?”

“Just call me Grandma. I like it.”

“Grandma.” Yuri said.

The lady smiled. “I always wanted to hear someone calling me that.” she said as she walked to her cabinet and retrieved a box from within. “I saw your house brightly lighted and it was all noisy, so I figured you’ve come back. Lucky for me, I spotted you from my window just now. My, how much you've grown! Tall and beautiful.”

Yuri smiled politely at her compliment. She was curious as to what the old lady had called her here for. “I just graduated today, Grandma. I haven’t been home in years and I feel bad about it.”

“Congratulations.” the old lady smiled. “Well, what matters, is that you’re here now, isn’t it?”

Yuri nodded. “Uhhh, the things, Grandma?”

“Oh yes. Here.” She handed Yuri the box. “I believe this belongs to you, Yuri.”

“How did you know my name?”

The old lady pointed at the box, gesturing Yuri to open it.

It was full of letters and postcards, dated as far back as 5 years ago. And they were from the same person.

“Sica…”

“I read through your letters, if you don’t mind. An old lonely lady like me needs some entertainment around here.”

But Yuri was too preoccupied to respond. She poured the contents out of the box, scattering them across the floor.

“So how many letters did you send to my neighbor?”

“Uhh… Just a few.”

“She must have been really happy to get them. She’s a scary old lady who kept to herself a lot.”

“I see.”

Jessica lied. She didn’t just send a few letters. There were many.

“She wrote frequently, Yuri. I received one every month or so.” the lady said as she scoured the pile of letters. “Ahhh, found it. This is the first one.” she handed it to Yuri. “Go ahead, read it. Don’t let her wait any longer.”

(25th August, 2007)

I’m now living in San Francisco. Dad had a job promotion and he had to take the whole family with him. I’m sorry I didn’t let you know earlier, but that’s because I didn’t know either. It was so abrupt.

It’s only been a while since I’ve been here, and I’m trying my best to settle in this brand new environment. I hope I get used to it. College has started for you? How are you coping? But I trust you can do well, you’ve always been the smart one.

I don’t know when I’ll be back to visit, hopefully during summer next year?

I’ll be waiting for your reply.

P.S. Even though I couldn’t hear you through the glass panel, I lip-read pretty well.

P.P.S. I love you too Kwon Yul.

-----

(17th November, 2007)

---Tiffany told me that you all have gone to different colleges. So you’re staying with Sooyoung and Yoona now? I wonder when you’ll be able to read my letters then. You must’ve been too busy with college to go home?---

-----

(05th December, 2007)

---Happy Birthday, Kwon Yuri. I’ve been busy with school but I’ll never forget about your birthday. Stay tuned for a Christmas card!

-----

(25th December, 2007)

---Merry Christmas! Did you kiss anyone under the mistletoe?---

-----

(28th April, 2008)

---I can’t come back to visit this summer. Dad doesn’t allow me to. Anyway, Tiffany said she hasn’t been in contact with you for a long time. Kwon Yuri, it’s been almost a year and you haven’t been back home to visit? When will you ever get to read my letters?---

-----

(25th March, 2009)

---Tiffany and Taeyeon are together. As in, together in a romantic relationship. Did you expect that? I wonder what would happen for us if I didn’t leave. And it seems like I still can’t come back to visit this year---

-----

(30nd June, 2009)

---My hair’s blonde now! Btw, the Golden Gate Bridge is beautiful. I go there everytime I think about you. I would stand at the halfway point of the bridge and look across the ocean, because I know you’re right on the other side---

-----

(4th January, 2010)

---I’m coming back during summer. For good. If you don’t get this before I come, I hope it’ll be a pleasant surprise for you, Kwon Yuri.---

The letters detailed the day to day happenings in Jessica’s life. On top of that, Jessica religiously sent a card every year for her birthday and Christmas.

The last letter was the most recent. It was dated the day after Jessica left the second time.

(20th July, 2010)

Yuri,

You must have been bewildered about my sudden appearance after 3 years. But I suppose, if you’re able to read this letter, you’ll figure out why I came back.

I didn’t tell anyone the real reason why I left. I lied to everyone about Dad’s job promotion. The truth is, my whole family was uprooted because of me. Dad wanted me away, far away from you. He found out that I’m in love with you. I wrote a confession letter to you in high school, and he found it. He said I was crazy to be in love with you, and when I fought with him, he threatened to send me away. I didn’t realize he meant it, but he had everything planned without me knowing. I didn’t even know I was leaving until he came to get me on our last day of high school. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, but things were going so well between us, I didn’t want to scare you. Knowing you, you’ll never want Dad and I to fall out ‘cos of our relationship.

For 3 years, I wrote you. Every day I waited for a reply, hoping to get an affirmation from you, that I’m not crazy. Despite the fact that you didn’t reply, I wanted to come back to see you. That’s why I secretly came back to Korea. I thought Dad wouldn’t find out, since he never came to visit me in my dorm. But he eventually did, and he came to Korea just to get me back. This only shows just how bent he is on breaking us apart.

That’s why something inside me still believes that you were lying, Kwon Yuri. I know you had a reason for doing what you did, and I know it definitely has something to do with Dad. So I’ve gone back to the States with him, because you told me to.

But what happens now, Yuri?

I’m glad I came back, because it proved that my 3 years wait was worthwhile. The short 3 weeks that we spent together were the best I’ve ever had. And my instincts told me you were at the airport yesterday. Tell me I’m not being silly.

I’m sending this to your neighbor’s house again, on purpose. If what I believe is true, if we’re fated, this letter will find its way to you.

Till then, I’ll be waiting. Take me away, Kwon Seobang.

P.S. I will always love you, Kwon Yul.

-----

Yuri kept silent as a thousand things ran through her head. The girl had been fighting since 5 years ago. She had been fighting way before Yuri did. And instead of fighting alongside with Jessica, Yuri chose to let her go.

But should she look for the girl? And take her away from her father?

The old lady sensed Yuri’s distress and decided to speak up. “Listen, Yuri. Don’t mind me being a busybody, but here’s my advice: It is okay to be a little selfish sometimes.” The lady said as she patted Yuri's hand.

“I don’t understand…”

“See those pictures on the wall?” The lady pointed at them.

Yuri nodded.

“That’s…” she paused for a while. “…my lover.”

Yuri opened her eyes in shock.

“Back in those days, it was harder. I was shunned by my friends and my family, and so was she. But we were stubborn, we stayed together, despite being outcast by everyone else.” the lady sighed. “All I’m left with are these old photographs.”

“Don’t mind me asking, but where is she now?”

“She died in the war.”

“Oh. I’m sorry...”

The lady shook her head. “It’s okay. But I’m happy that we were stubborn. Those were the best years of my life…” she smiled, and looked at Yuri hopefully, who seemed to be still pondering on the issue with her eyebrows furrowed.

“As we age, our parents pass on, and our kids leave us to form their own families. What we’re left with is the person beside us. Cherish them.”

Yuri rubbed her forehead. “But I can’t possibly take her away from her father…”

“He’s her father, Yuri. Even if it seems like he won’t understand, he will, someday. And I speak from experience." she smiled. "If he really loves his daughter, he’ll understand when he sees his daughter happy. Some people need a bit more time, and a little kick, to discover the bigger picture.”

“And this girl really loves you. Would you want to keep her waiting forever?” she added.

Yuri took a while to give deep thought to the lady’s words.

“I don’t see what’s stopping you, Yuri.”

Finally, Yuri smiled. She turned and hugged the lady. “Thank you, Grandma. Thank you. I have to go somewhere now.”

The old lady patted her back and laughed, delighted to have played an important part in reconciling the couple.

Yuri leapt towards the door, and paused. “Grandma, no one should have to live their lives alone. I’m sorry we weren’t good neighbors before, but feel free to drop by next door anytime. My mom cooks awesome food.” she said before she left the house.

“I will.” the old lady smiled. “And good luck!”