Autumn Story Chapter 24
October the Tenth, 2008
Fourteenth Anniversary, the first of those gloomy ones.
Hearts were broken, yet actually they were not changed.
*****
“That’s quite a big box.”
Joohyun nodded while sadly looked at the blue box she received this morning.
“Aren’t you going to open it, Joo?’
Her Umma looked at her with worry eyes since she had been sitting in the chair with the box laid in the table in front of her for like half an hour or so.
“Hmmm, maybe later, Umma.”
“Okay. Suit yourself. So what time Kyuhyun will pick you up? He’s late this time, isn’t he?”
Joohyun’s eyes blinked. She forgot that they had not telling their mothers about the fight. No wonder she thought she behaved strangely. In any October the Tenth before this one, she would always jumping in excitement from her bed at 6 am and be ready for a pick up or a call by 7 am.
And now it has been 7.40 am. Instead of picked her up as usual, he texted her at 6.50 am and left that box in her front door.
“Joohyunnie, I know you hate me now. And the last thing I want you to have today is sadness. So I understand if you don’t want to see me at all. But can you please at least accept the box?”
She was crying when she read that text. He was sounded in desperation. But she could not just forget what he did that easily. Maybe because she loved him that much. Unconditionally.
Yuri took the box and brought it to her. “Choose well, Joo. But don’t make yourself suffer.”
But almost an hour after, she still could not open the box. She was afraid.
“He has some errands to do this morning, Umma. I’ll .... see him in the afternoon.”
“Oh, yeah. The four pm routine. I am actually amazed with the boy of yours, Joo. He was only six at that time, but he remembers all that happened very clearly.”
Joohyun closed her eyes in pain. “He is .... amazing.”
Her Umma laughed. “But still, you’re only 17, Joo. As much as I love the two of you together, I hope nothing is too forward with your relationship.”
The ironic statement stabbed her heart. “Don’t worry Umma.”
“Ok. Just open that box, will you? I think everybody here is dying to know what is in that. Appa had been shaking the box hardly when he saw it first in the front door.”
She nodded and pulled the box with her to her room, then with shaking hands she pulled out the strings and tore the wrapper.
A rectangle white box was inside the outer wrapper. She took the cover and immediately retrieved two medium size canvas.
She pulled the first and fingered it slowly. It was a portrait of her, stood beside their bench in the river bank with a small house at the background. She blinked again to prevent her tears from falling down. Her Oppa, yes she still considered him that, was really a good artist.
But the second canvas broke her wall. It was a simple sketch of what the house would be looked like. He named each of the rooms with symbols. His drawing room. The balcony for watching the birds and the swans. And a small room beside the garage that marked “ Doc Hyunnie’s patients’ room.”
He remembered everything, included her obsession as veterinarian.
She hugged the canvas while sobbing softly. Thank you Oppa. Thank you for start fighting.
*****
“Kyu, just give that to me. Aren’t you having something special to do?”
Kyuhyun shook his head and continued painting the fence.
“That’s ok Hyung. You need to go to the shop early, right? Fany-Noona said she has to bring Hara to her first day of swimming lesson this morning.”
Heechul shrugged. “One day of late open is not going to hurt us.”
Kyuhyun smiled. Heechul’s appearance could misguide people of what kind of guy he was. Cool, sharp and cynical, many were avoiding conflicts with him. Because he would always win. But only small numbers knew that actually he had a very soft heart.
Because of their age differences, they were never that close before Kyuhyun joined him in Seoul. But that fateful day when he stepped in to his younger brother’s fight and later hugged him tightly once he was released from the hospital, Kyuhyun realized that Heechul loved him so much. Since then, the two brothers were each other’s shoulder to lean for.
But he still could not tell him what bothered him today, although his brother might have suspected it. Heechul had a special spot in his heart for Joohyun, the only little sister all of them had, and he would go ballistic if he knew Kyuhyun had hurting her.
“its okay, Hyung, really. Everyone is busy with preparation. “ He bit his lips. “Including Hyunnie.”
Heechul’s eyebrows furrowed but he did not say anything. “Well, don’t work too hard. We still have a week of General Umma.”
Kyuhyun laughed.
“And talked to her, Kyu. Let her know what is in your mind.” Heechul continued while walking as if what he said was a usual conversation.
Uh, uh, who told Hyung about them?
Kyuhyun sighed. He knew this would be the worst anniversary they had. Yes, there were days when they were apart, yet at that days he knew she would be reading his email at the same time he read hers. 4 pm .
But today, he was not sure if she came to the river bank at 4 pm. Or at all.
It didn’t matter, though. He promised her and himself that he would fight for her renewed trust. And he would fulfill that. At any cost.
He wondered if those canvas reached her well. He had not seen her reply on his text. Well, he had not opened his mobile at all since this morning. He was afraid. What if she decided to stop talking at all to him?
Joohyunnie, Baby, give me a chance to fight. Please.
*****
3.55 pm
Kyuhyun looked at his watch again. He has been at the bench for a little less than an hour. He worried that she was coming there early and left when he was not there. But no one was in the bench. So he’s waiting, she was a punctual person anyway.
4.15 pm
She was still not coming. He was running his hand in his hair as a frustrated gesture. She was never late before.
4.45 pm
He leaned his body to the railing. Almost an hour late. She probably would not come. But why his heart wouldn’t let him move?
4.55 pm
Almost two hours and the ambient got chilled now. Within his nervousness, he forgot to bring his jacket. And he started to shake now. Maybe she was really not come. He brushed his cheeks when he realized drops of tears had finally there.
Feeling defeated, he pulled his body from the railing and planned to turn his body when a jacket was dropped into his shoulders.
“You should always bring the jacket, Oppa. It’s chilled here and you know you are easily got sick without it.”
He stunned. She’s here. She’s here. She’s...here?
A familiar hand grasped the railing besides his. His heart thumped so fast. She is really here.
He turned his gaze to her and drank all her appearance like a starving man. But maybe he was really one. Oh how he wanted to take her in his arms and begged her for forgiveness. But he didn’t dare. Because if she flew again from his side that afternoon, he was not sure that his heart could take anymore blow.
“I am sorry.”
She shook her head. “Not now, Oppa.”
“Hyunnie....”
“Come to me tomorrow. Tell me why and try to make me understand then.” She moved her hand a little bit so it touched his in ghostly way. “Let us be the old us this afternoon. Before all the consequences and complications of growing up.”
He looked at their hands at the railing and understanding drowned on him. He moved his body closer to her. “Yeah, let us be Hyun-Oppa and Hyun-Baby one more time.”
Without looking at him, she nodded. He sighed and followed her sight to the land where their dream house would be build.
She leaned her head to his shoulder and he put his hand over hers on the railing.
Yes, he will still have to fight for her trust, but maybe getting there is not just a wishful thinking anymore.