Monday, November 20, 2017

Neighbourhood Flowers - Chapter 21

Sora walked through the cold campus streets heading towards the room that she normally uses to hang out with her girlfriends. Trying to enjoy the day that she manages to break free from Woobin since he was called to go back to Japan to settle some legal matters for her mother last night.
 
She looked at a few people who are also walking on the street and smiled at them, however the environment seems a bit weird. Those people are staring at her instead, not being friendly like how they used to. 
 
She looked down to the black jeans and Burberry winter coat that she is wearing. "Am I wearing something wrong.." She thought. Weird with the sudden awkward situation.
 
"What's wrong with everybody? They seem to be fussing about something." Sora entered the room to see Min Hyorin, Kim Bomi and Park Jinjoo are tensely looking at each other.
 
They turned to her.
 
"What's... wrong?" Her voice stuck seeing how her friends are eerily staring at her. It seems scarier than how the people outside looking at her.
 
"Is this true?" Hyorin asked. Trying to validate the matters stated in a flyer that she is holding.
 
Jinjoo looked at them while crossing her arms. Refused to say anything for the time being.
 
"What do you mean?" Sora asked as she took the flyer from Hyorin's hand and read it through.
 
After a few second she raised her head and look at her friends. Speechless looking at the content.
 
All the information about her being the only daughter to an Airlines company are on it. How she is befriending with Park Jinjoo who are an ex-convict daughter and Min Hyorin who are an orphan. How she is hiding her actual identity out of sympathy to her friends.
 
"It must be true. Seeing your face now.." Jinjoo looked at Sora. It is not an expression that she expected to see from her. She hoped that Sora is denying it. She really hopes so.
 
Sora stares at the flyers for a while. Loss for words to explain the situation. Her mind suddenly went blank as her hands are shaking.
 
Hyorin sighed hard. "Well played Kang Sora.. You really got me this time." She took the flyer back from Sora's hand.
 
"I guess we worth nothing other than your sympathies." Hyorin's voice started to crack. “I’m really disappointed in you.”
 
The fact about Sora is hiding her real identity is hurting her more than how she is being a chaebol daughter and befriend with them who obviously not her par.
 
"Hyorin ah.." Bomi stops Hyorin from walking away.
 
Sora hold their hands "I'm really sorry. I never meant to keep it a secret."
 
"Never meant to?!" Jinjoo look straight to her eyes. "You must be kidding me. You've been hiding it from us for 3 freaking years, Kang Sora!"
 
"I really don't understand why you need to keep this from us." Hyorin looked at Sora. Sad. “Are we that pathetic, Kang Sora?”
 
"I just didn’t get the right timing to do so." Sora trying to explain the situation though she knows the situation is not on her side right now.
 
"I truly love our friendship. It was never because of sympathy. This is really a friendship that I treasure the most." She said to them as she looked at their eyes. They must be feeling dishearten and betrayed right now.
 
Hyorin turned her eyes away. "I don't know what else you've been hiding from us. I don't think we're qualified to be called as your friend anymore."
 
"Girls, she must have her reason. Why don't we listen to it first?" Bomi is asking them to listen to Sora's further explanation.
 
Hyorin turned to Bomi. "Why are you always on her side? She lied to you too Kim Bomi!"
 
"Hyorin ah.." Bomi holds Hyorin hands.
 
“Did you know it all along?" Jinjoo asked. "You've been friends with her since high school, so I guess you knew it, right?"
 
It is a known fact that Kang Sora and Kim Bomi entered the university together as good friends before they met Min Hyorin and Park Jinjoo during freshmen introduction week.
 
That one week that they used to call as the greatest week of their friendship. Seems like starting today, that will be the week that they want to forget the most.
 
"Park Jinjoo. Min Hyorin. Please don’t do this." Bomi sighed. It is tired to be in the middle of what is happening.
 
Hyorin sneered. "Seems like she does.."
 
"Let us get out of this place. I felt stuffy." Jinjoo pulled Hyorin’s arms. She just cannot stand the drama any longer. 
 
Sora hold their arms. Stopping them. "Get angry only to me. Bomi didn't do anything wrong." she said.
 
Hyorin snaps her arms off her. “Stop with your acting, Kang Sora.” Hyorin smirked as she walked away following Jinjoo.
 
"That's why people said not to be friend with poor people. They easily swayed with every little thing." Jiwon looked at both Hyorin and Jinjoo who came out from their hangout room.
 
They have been waiting there to watch and purposely wanting to plant more hatred between them.
 
Jinjoo stopped and stared at her. "It must be you who did all this."
 
"Clever as ever." Jiwon touched her cheek. "But I guess you're not clever enough to leave your money-making friends like that huh?"
 
Hyorin grabs Jiwon’s coat and looked directly to her eyes. "Rich bitch like you are all the same. Treating poor people like trash just to hide the fact that you are all rubbish."
 
Jiwon laughed. "Curse as much as you do Min Hyorin. It just shows how pathetic you are."
 
Harshly Hyorin pushed Jiwon away and walk away.
 
Jiwon looked at Jinjoo who is still in front of her. "Don't you want to follow her? Like a pet?"
 
Jinjoo sneered. "Of course, I do." She bumped Jiwon’s shoulder hard until she falls on the floor. "Woof Woof!" She mocked back.
 
"Ya you bitch!!" Jiwon tried to get up as Yoo Inna extended her hands to help.
 
"Are you okay?" Inna asked.
 
Jiwon smiled. "Never been better.." she looked at both Jinjoo and Hyorin that is walking away before she saw The Chaebols that is running towards the room from another direction.
 
"What a perfect timing." Yoo Inna looked at them and smiled to Jiwon. With Sora's group that is splitting, Sora is weaker now. A great chance for them to strike another bullet that she is holding.
 
Jiwon grinned. "The fate is on our side, it seems."
 
Yoo Inna nodded. "It does." before they walked away from the room.
 
Sora looked at Bomi who has been sitting mindlessly on the sofa facing her. "I'm sorry." she said to her.
 
Bomi bitterly smiled. "It is bound to happen someday if it’s not today." trying to see the positive side of it even though it is hard for her to find one. She sighed.
 
"Girls. Are you alright?" Jongsuk and Haejin comes into the room to see Sora and Bomi left in the room with Hyorin and Jinjoo's presence is unknown.
 
Sora look at them before walking nearer to Bomi to held her up. "Please bring Bomi back home.." she said to Jongsuk. After what had happened, she hopes that Jongsuk can lighten the problem that Bomi is having.
 
She then turned to Haejin. "Find Jinjoo. I knew she's hurt pretty bad with the leaked information." she said to him.
 
"What about you? Are you okay?" Haejin asked looking at Sora. He knows Sora will always think of others before herself.
 
Sora smiled slightly. She is hoping that the question to come from Jinjoo instead.
 
"I'm okay, Park Haejin." She replied to the person that always take care of her and the group like his own sisters.
 
Haejin pats her shoulders. "Take care of yourself too, okay?" he said to Sora before walked out of the room looking for Park Jinjoo.
 
Another person that likes to hold her sadness to herself and only shows her bright self to others. She and Sora are pretty much similar in that sense.
 
"Kang Sora, are you okay?" The Chaebols come to the room looking for Sora right after they got to know about what had happened.
 
Sora looked at them and shrugged her shoulders. "It’s just not a good day for me." she smiled, trying to make a joke.
 
"I don't think it’s a good time for a joke Kang Sora." Joongki said as he walked nearer to her while looking at her troubled face.
 
Though Sora has always been trying to act tough in front of others, he knows that she is still a fragile woman inside.
 
"Guys.." Kwangsoo took out his phone reading the new message that just comes in. He then looked his friends.
 
They immediately took out their phone and read the blast message that they just received.
 
"Seems like another bomb is dropped." Jongsuk said looking at Bomi who seems worried.
 
He then looked at Sora. She must be on a hot target today seeing how she has been attacked from various angle. First her real identity and now how she has been in the center of attention for Lim Juhwan, Song Joongki and Jo Insung.
 
"Sora ya.." Bomi goes nearer to Sora while her eyes stuck on her phone screen. “Are you okay?” She asked.
 
Sora smirked. “Somebody must be spying on me.” She said. Trying to act tough like she always does.
 
"We knew it all along, Kang Sora." Joongki said to her. Trying to ease her heart.
 
Sora lifted her head looking at Joongki, surprised. Wondering the meaning behind that statement.
 
"What do you mean?" Kwangsoo asked. He cannot help but to wonder as well.
 
Juhwan nodded. "I knew three of us has been exceptionally close to Sora. We all knew but we choose to ignore.."
 
Insung looked at them. He is surprised that they know about his feelings towards Sora too.
 
"Is that true?" Kwangsoo looked at Insung who seems speechless.
 
"Eo. I knew about them." Insung nodded. "But I didn’t know they know about me too." He scratches his head and look at Sora.
 
"That's why I requested for few chances Kang Sora. Knowing this fact." referring to the conversation they've had over dinner few weeks back.
 
Bomi and Jongsuk looked at each other. Surprised. Seems like everybody is feeling towards Kang Sora is not that easy.
 
Sora went silent. Not enough with what she just faced with Jinjoo and Hyorin, now she is at the risk of losing those guys too.
 
"I'm sorry.." she said as she took a seat and rethinking about everything. Her friendship. Her feelings. Seems that she is being untruthful to everyone surrounding her all this while.
 
"Can you leave us for a while?” Juhwan asked as he looked at Bomi and Jongsuk.
 
Bomi looked at Sora trying to get her opinion, but Sora is giving Juhwan's request a nod. 
 
"Jongsuk, please bring Bomi back for now." Sora said to him.
 
"But Sora.." Bomi is not comfortable to let her to handle this situation alone.
 
Sora smiled. "I'll be okay.." she hugged her for a few second.
 
"I'm truly sorry that it has come to this. I'm really sorry, Kim Bomi." Sora cannot stop blaming herself for what had happened.
 
"Take care of yourself okay." Bomi caresses her cheek. 
 
Sora nodded giving her an assurance.
 
After Jongsuk and Bomi went out of the room, she looked at the Chaebols that are still standing tall in front of her.
 
"Sorry Kwangsoo.. Can you leave too?" Insung tells Kwangsoo before anybody is saying anything.
 
"Me too??" Kwangsoo is sulking. Hurt for being chased out.
 
"Just for a while.." Said Joongki as he patted his shoulder.
 
Sora looked at them for a few seconds as they wait for Kwangsoo to close the door to the room they are in.
 
"Kang Sora.." Juhwan and Joongki looked at her who seems a bit nervous.
 
Sora tightening her grasp to her seat. Feels like a hurricane is coming soon.
 
She lowered her gaze and stick it to the floor. No eye contact should be made with any of them. No eye contacts. She whispered to herself.
 
"Koura.." Insung is calling her other name while looking straight to her as well.
 
"Koura?" Juhwan and Joongki looked at each other wondering the story behind the name that Insung just call out.
 
"Wait!" Sora look at them. "Why did I feel like I’m being blamed here?"
 
Suddenly she got up from her seat and stares directly to their eyes. "Did I asked you guys to like me? I never asked that right?" She asked them.
 
The three gentlemen sneered looking at her sudden defensive behavior.
 
"Seems like you're wide awake now.." Juhwan said.
 
Sora flinched. "What do you mean?"
 
"We thought you'd be down the whole day with all that's happening." Joongki grabs her shoulder nearer to him.
 
"Don't go overboard with that." Insung took Joongki’s hand off Sora shoulders.
 
Joongki chuckles.
 
Sora looked at them weird. "Did you guys not read the message just now?" She asked.
 
"We did." synchronously they answered.
 
She squints her eyes. Still cannot compute the situation well. "Then, shouldn't you be mad at me right now?" She asked further.
 
"You're the person that we’ve fall in love with. How can we get mad at you?" Joongki looked at Sora's cute, puzzled face.
 
"Wait.." she looked around. "Is this a prank?" She said to them. None of this makes any sense. Nothing.
 
They smiled. "It’s not fair if only Jo Insung got his chance to win you over. Don't you think me and Song Joongki should be given the same chance as well?" Juhwan said to her as he is referring to Jo Insung statement earlier.
 
"True.. I second that.." Joongki nodded to the suggestion. Agreeing.
 
"Stop." Sora looked at them. "This is not funny at all. What is exactly happening right now?" She asked in a serious tone.
 
"We are trying to make a deal.." Insung answered. "A deal to compete fairly between me, Juhwan and Joongki to win your heart."
 
Sora stunned. Not expecting what she just heard at all. What kind of dream that she is in now? This is not a romantic nor horror dream. "I'm not in a mood for joke guys. Really.."
 
"We are not joking either." Juhwan said.
 
"Yes, we are being sincere." Joongki added.
 
"We'll compete for your heart gentleman style." Insung assured.
 
Sora looked at them one by one. "Don't you feel like I'm toying with your feelings? Why are you guys being like this?"
 
"You said it yourself earlier. It’s not you who ask us to like you." Joongki is trying to convince her.
 
Insung nodded. "But we still like you anyway.."
 
"This is our way to prove how much we like you… and fairly compete for your feeling.." Juhwan looked directly at her.
 
"Stop.." Sora takes a seat as she is holding her head. Nothing from these conversation makes any sense to her. The more she thinks the more it feels ridiculous.
 
"Are you okay?" Juhwan asked.
 
"Can you guys leave me alone? I don't think I can understand everything that happened today."
 
They nodded respecting the request as they walk out of the room. It is obvious that she is confused. Perhaps it is too much for her to face in one day.
 
Joongki turned for a while to see Sora's gloomy face. A face that she has been trying hard to hide and not to show to anyone earlier.
 
Juhwan looked at Joongki as he stopped and then looked at Sora. The woman that he wants to offer a warm hug right now and said everything is going to be okay.
 
Insung looked at his friends before he looked at Sora. Slowly sighed. "It is more complicated than it seems Koura shhi.." He thought to himself.
 
He knows even though they acted like a gentleman in front of Sora, but deep inside they still have certain disappointment after they saw the news.

Neighbourhood Flowers Chapter 27

“Your eyes look swollen..” Shin-Ill looked at his daughter. She has been a bit silent for the past few days. Not like how bubbly she used to...