Neighbourhood Flowers Chapter 26

Sora stepped into the house to find a bunch of bodyguards surrounding their house.

 

She looked at them curiously. Wondering what is happening. Her dad never deploys this many bodyguards before. Even when there’s important VVIP came to their house.

 

“Okasan.. what’s with..” her question stopped looking at a woman in front of her now. “Mom..” that word come out from her mouth seeing her birth mother is in front of her now.

 

Remain elegant and beautiful like she always does. Immediately explained the bodyguards surrounding their house.

 

Though her mom is no longer running a Yakuza association, but they are still being careful with their surroundings whenever they go.

 

“Koura.. just nice that you’re home..” Misaki smiled before looking at Shin-Ill and Keiko who has been silent since Sora came into the house.

 

“I’m planning to invite Koura to live with me. For her to starts learning in taking over my business.” Misaki told her ex-husband and her sister that is sitting in front of her.

 

Shin-Ill stands up. “I’m afraid I can’t do that Misaki. I never want my daughter to get involved in your dirty business.”

 

“Those dirty business is long gone Shin Ill san. It is all legal and proper now. Woobin can confirm that for me..” she looked at Woobin who’s been sitting beside her.

 

“I need her to be with me Shin Ill san. I don’t have much time left.”

 

“What do you mean with that, mom?” Sora asked as she looked at her birth mother.

 

Shin-Ill clears his throats. Though he sympathizes with Misaki for having to face her illness, but at the same time he cannot let Sora go just for her sake.

 

“Can somebody tell me what’s going on?” Sora asked again as she looked at her parents in front of her.

 

Woobin pulled Sora to the room besides the living room and give her a document stating Misaki health conditions. “Brain cancer?” She looked at Woobin, surprised with the information that she just read.

 

Woobin slowly nodded. “She has 1-2 years at most. But with proper treatment and chemotherapy she might be able to enjoy a longer life.”

 

“So why didn’t she do that then?”

 

“She needs a drive.” He replied while looking deep into Sora’s eyes.

 

“Your presence recently in her life sparked her willingness to live again. I truly believe with you supporting her, she will be able to overcome this.”

 

Sora blankly looked at the medical reports on her hand before she walked out of the room.

 

“Kang Sora.. where are you going?” Woobin stopped her.

 

“Give me time to think..” She replied as she stepped out of the house.

 

Sora sadly laughed. “Seems like I can really run away this time.” She said to herself as she mindlessly walking in the neighborhood. Trying to calm her heart before she can think straight of the situations she is in.

 

* * *

 

“Kang Sora..” Joongki stumbled upon Sora that walked pass him, ignoring his greetings.

 

Joongki looked at her, weird seeing the state that she is in. “Kang Sora, are you okay?” He asked again after trying to catch up with her, but Sora still does not respond to him.

 

He silently followed her as she walks surrounding their neighborhood. “She seems to be bothered with something.” he thought to himself looking at Sora mindlessly walking around.

 

[Horn!!] a car fast coming towards Sora as she is trying to cross the road.

 

“Kang Sora!!” Joongki pulled her back to the roadside. “Are you trying to kill yourself??” He asked before he realized her eyes that is filled with tears.

 

“What happened?” He is surprised looking at her. There must be something had happened to her for her to behave this way. He thought to himself.

 

“Joongki.” she looked at him. “Song Joongki..” She hugged him tightly.

 

Joongki surprised with her action. “Sora are you okay?” He asked softly seeing how she does not seem to act like herself.

 

Sora silent as she hugged him tightly. Sobbing like a kid.

 

“What’s wrong? You can tell me Kang Sora.” he caresses her head.

 

Slowly Sora let him go. “I’m sorry. I just wasn’t myself right now.” she sighed hardly as she turned walk away, but Joongki stopped her.

 

“Come with me. I can’t let you walk mindlessly like this.” he said dragging her towards the park nearby their house.

 

Sora silently follows as Joongki leads her to sit on the bench.

 

Joongki looked at her face and wipe off the remnant of tears left on her cheek. “I’m not sure what’s in your mind now but you can tell me anything.. I’ll be your ears..”

 

She pursed her lips trying to hold her feelings inside but end up she burst out into tears again. “What should I do Song Joongki? I seriously can’t think of anything right now.”

 

“Sora..” he is surprised looking at Sora broken down to tears in front of him right now. The girl that is normally keeping her feelings only to herself is wearing it on her sleeves today.

 

Something big must have happened today.

 

“Cry all you want.. just cry.” Joongki hugs her tightly. He can just offer her a shoulder to cry on since he did not know the reason for her tears.

 

After a while Sora pushed her off Joongki chest while continue sobbing.

 

Joongki is attentively looked at her. “Are you feeling better now?”

 

Sora shakes her head as she looked at Joongki eyes who genuinely worried about her. “There’s nothing can soothe my feelings right now.” she thought to herself.

 

Joongki sighed as he caresses her cheek. “I’m not sure what happened but I’m glad that you show this side of you only to me.”

 

Sora looked at him again as the snowflake is falling onto them. Drawn into his glistening eyes as their lips almost touched but Sora pulled back.

 

“I’m leaving soon..” she said.

 

Joongki looked at her puzzled. “Sure, I’ll walk you home..” not understanding her earlier statement.

 

Sora looked at him as Joongki seems to misunderstand her statement earlier. “I’m leaving Seoul soon..” She reiterates.

 

“What do you mean?? Why???” Joongki surprised. He never thought that is the reason for Sora’s cries.

 

Sora silent.

 

Joongki got up from the bench. “What about me? What about your other friends? Will you simply leave us behind?”

 

Sora looked to the ground while knocking the ground bricks with her shoes. Trying to hold her tears again.

 

“Kang Sora. Tell me that you’re joking.” Joongki hold her hands.

 

“Freedom to choose the kind of future that I wanted. I don’t have that Song Joongki.” she hides her face in her palms as she started to cry again.

 

Though she has been thinking to leave but knowing the fact she needs to leave this soon is still breaking her heart.

 

Joongki sighed. “I don’t know what happened to you that you need to leave like this. But given the circumstances, everybody will think that you are leaving because of your current situation with us. Your friends.”

 

“Maybe..” she paused looking at him. “..maybe that’s the blessing in disguise..”

 

“Kang Sora please..” Joongki sat on his knee as he is facing her eyes. “Please consider it again..”

 

Sora looked at him and drawn into his eyes. She caresses his cheek and eventually planted him a kiss before slowly she pushed herself away from him.

 

Joongki squints his eyes looking at the woman in front of him. What kind of game that she is trying to play?

 

“Sora..” he holds her hands. “I’m sure this time it’s not a mistake.. nor did I force it..”

 

“No.. I did it myself..”

 

“Then why did you push me away again?” It is obvious that his feelings towards Sora is mutual. He is sure of it.

 

She sighed hardly. “I’m pushing myself away. Because I know it will not go anywhere. I will still need to leave.” she got up from the bench that she’s been sitting. “I’m leaving this weekend.”

 

“Huh??! Sora.. is this making any sense? What’s the rush?”

 

She sighed as her eyes started to get teary again. “I need to go home now..”

 

Joongki surrendered. There seems nothing that he can do to stop her from leaving. “Let me walk you home at least..” He said to her as he holds her hand.

 

Sora looked at their hands clasping with each other before looking at him. “Thank you Song Joongki for being my friend.”

 

Joongki looked at her eyes before planted her a long and passionate kiss. He knows they wanted to become more than just a friend. He knows they never want to say this goodbye.