Again, Another Summer Day (1/1)

Seemed like she couldn’t stop thinking about the night. Because she went to sleep, thinking about him, something about his smile that fluttered her heart, perhaps it was his laugh, too, and woke up just the same.The moment she opened her eyes, memory of last night played itself in her mind and she clearly remembered every minutes she’d spent with him, every conversations they’d shared, and forget the laughs between the two. Soojung liked how they’d spent the night talking about random things and none of them wanted to go home.It was eight in the morning and she didn’t want to get up from her bed, knowing that it would be just another boring day she spends at home. Instead, she closed her eyes again and replayed the scene of the night before. She snuggled on her pillow and tucked herself under the thin sheet, seeking for a warm feeling. If she couldn’t go out today and didn’t have the chance to meet Jongin, at least she just wanted to be lost in her own dream.However, as soon as she made herself comfortable on her bed, once again ready to fall asleep, her phone rang in annoying way she could ever feel. Groaning, she grabbed her phone under her pillow, furrowed her eyebrows when Chanyeol’s name flashed on the screen.“Yo, my sweetheart Soojung!” Chanyeol’s deep voice sounded a little bit too cheerful than usual and it annoyed Soojung how her friend seemed not to feel sorry about him leaving her to Jongin two days ago. Even it was awkward to have someone walk you home when you just know him for like three hours; maybe she should be thankful to Chanyeol for introducing her to Jongin.“What?” she asked, her voice cracked.“You are still on your bed and ready to get more sleeping time, aren’t you?”“Before you phoned, yes. I wanted to sleep peacefully and have a nice dream again, but your voice probably will turn my sweet dream into nightmare.”“Wasn’t last night was enough of a sweet dream for you? I mean you’d sneaked out and spent your night with a hot guy and you couldn’t have enough?” Chanyeol said skeptically.“Hot guy? It sounded so gay to come out from your mouth. And—WAIT!” Soojung quickly sat up, realizing something. “How do you know?”“That you sneaked out last night?”“Yes!”“Oh well… I went to the festival again with Jongin last night and thanks to you, I was ditched by him ten at night at the festival, saying he had promised a girl. Of course, I insisted to know whom and forbade him to go until he answered me.”Soojung rolled her eyes. She should have known the answer because it was just so Chanyeol. He really liked knowing everyone’s business. “Hey Jung, are you going to sleep again?”“Yes, why?”“Seriously?! This is summer! You can’t just spend your day curling up on your bed.” Even Soojung didn’t see him, she could almost imagine Chanyeol starring on his phone screen and rolling his eyes.“Like you don’t know me,” she said.“I’m going to Gwakji Beach. Are you coming or not?”Soojung bit her lips, thinking. She could at least spend a day outside her house and promise to be back before sunset. “O-kay.”“Good! I’ll wait at the nearest bus stop to your house.”She quickly get off from her bed, took a shower and got ready with a pair of short pants and plain white shirt. Walking downstairs, she slung her tote bag on her shoulder and made her way to the front door.“Where are you going, Jung Soojung?” asked her stepmother when she was about to open the door.“Beach.” Soojung stopped on her tracks and answered without turning her body to the older woman.“You can’t.”The younger girl finally turned her body just to look at her stepmother sitting on the couch reading a new edition of Vogue. “Why?” She started to be irritated and she tried to hold herself to respect her. Her stepmother casually closed her Vogue and stood up, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “Didn’t you sneak out yesterday, Jung Soojung?”Soojung was taken aback by her question. She knew, Soojung thought. She cautiously met eyes with her stepmother as her heartbeat accelerated. “I didn’t.” Looking away, she nibbled on her bottom lip.The older clicked her tongue and walked to Soojung. “Where did you learn to lie, Soojung? Your dad will be unhappy if he knows her daughter had sneaked out and lied.”Hearing that her stepmother said that to threat her, Soojung furrowed her eyebrows, annoyed. She wasn’t a ten years old who could be easily threatened. “Do you want to tell that to my dad?”“Probably yes.”“Why? Do you hate me that much that you are happy if he’s angry to me?” She glared and her anger boiled. Soojung didn’t get the idea why her stepmother despise her. She didn’t ask to be loved and she didn’t wish her stepmother to take care of her. At least, she wanted to be appreciated as her stepdaughter. Because after all, it was how Soojung had been treating the older, even she didn’t like.“Because I see your mother on you,” said the older. “You remind me of her every time I see you. I do not like her.”“I don’t get it. I should be the one to hate you. Because seeing you every morning reminds me of how broken this family is. And seeing my dad smile because of you is just so sickening!” She heaved a sigh of frustration and tears already on the verge of downfall, ready to roll down on her cheeks. Glaring, she clenched her jaw.Her stepmother looked at Soojung as if someone had just slapped her face. Soojung knew, her words were sharp as dagger but it was the truth.“Do you hate seeing me because it reminds you that you’ve stolen someone else’s husband?” Soojung gulped down her sobs that was already on her throat and blinked her eyes to clear her vision. Without waiting for the answer, Soojung ran out of her house.It was some of the thoughts she had kept for herself in the past two years. Soojung had other words to say, but she knew her question earlier was more than a strike. It did left an impact on her stepmother’s heart. However, hurting her heart wasn’t Soojung’s intention. It never was.Soojung stopped on her tracks. Running a hand through her hair, she fished out her phone from the tote bag. She dialed a number and walked again to the bus stop, which was already few steps away from her. No one was there; her best friend’s not arrived yet.Sitting on the bench, she looked straight on the street and listening to the dial tone silently.“Oh, Soojung-ah,” greeted a woman voice cheerfully from the other line. “How are you, sweetie?”“Mom,” Soojung stopped as she tried to talk without making her voice trembled. “I miss you.”“Same here, Soojung. I miss you, too.” Her lips curled up a little, forming a small smile to hear that. “I can call your dad so he'll permit you to go to Daegu, sweetie.”“Why don’t you come here? We used to go to beach on summer,” she asked back. Soojung knew her answer already, but she still asked.A moment of silence before her mother finally spoke. “I’m sorry, Soojung. I can’t make it to Jeju this summer. I can’t leave my works.”“You’ve been busier since you divorced,” she remarked.“I know…”“I should hang up now, Mom. Love you.”“I love you, too, sweetie.”Soojung sighed as she looked on her phone screen before disconnect the line. Suddenly reality hit her again as if reminded her that everything’s changed. She tried to reassure herself that she was okay, but still she felt like she was left alone.“Jung Soojung?” A familiar voice pulled her out from her thoughts as she turned to the source of the voice.“You…”“Looking at your phone like that wouldn’t make it ring, if you were waiting for a call from me.” A cheeky grin appeared across on her lips as the man sat down beside her.“Why are you here, Jongin?”The man chuckled as the question rang a bell in his head. “Chanyeol invited me to go along with you guys to the beach. He’s in a bubble tea shop just across the street. The line was very long and he asked me to meet you here first. And why are you always asking me that, Jung Soojung? The last time we met you asked me just the same question.”Jongin, without him knowing, has succeeded in distracting her thoughts because, at the moment, Soojung could only wonder about his existence here and forget about her family things. “Oh… I just, I didn’t expect you’d be here.” Soojung glanced as the man smiled.“You should be expecting me from now on because I have the feeling we’d meet each other often.” Jongin shrugged, as he looked the girl who just chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Um… Soojung?”“Hm?”Jongin didn’t know why his mouth suddenly turned dry and his cheek heated as Soojung looked back to his eyes. He didn’t know why he liked it to see his reflection on a pair of her brownish eyes. And he didn’t know why suddenly the words barely come out from his lips.“Pretty,” he almost chocked after saying that. It was quite shocking that the word that had been lingering on his mind suddenly made its way voluntary.“Pardon me, Jongin?”“Bobba tea, anyone?!”Park Chanyeol’s voice was heard as Jongin could see how it distracted her eyes and his reflection was no longer there. However, he could feel his cheek was still warm and he felt… he didn’t know either what exactly he was feeling.