02;we've met

Park Shinman stared at the picture in his hand. “Pyojin,” he muttered and cupped his face with his hands. “Please forgive me,” he whispered. The sins he had done to his dear friend. He will never forgive himself for that. The guilt he had will haunt him to his grave.

                                           

All of a sudden, the memories of them swiftly pass his mind. It feels like it was just yesterday he had known Kang Pyojin. The pain and laughter they shared together were such bliss.

Somehow, a knock on the door snapped Shinman back to reality.

“You called for me, appa?” Park Raeyeon entered the room after knocking twice.

“We’re going to Hyejin’s birthday party. Wear something pretty,” it was more like an instruction rather than an invitation. Shinman had always being cold on Raeyeon. He wasn’t sure why himself.

Raeyeon bowed and excused herself to her room.

[Park Raeyeon’s Point of View]

I twisted the door knob and saw appa staring at the photo like he always do when I caught him off guard. When he had no work to do, at all time, he’ll stare at the picture and started talking to himself.

Appa once told me that he had a killed a man. Kang Hyejin’s father he said. Hyejin had known it before I did. She’s been hating me ever since she heard the news. But, I trust appa in his action. I knew what kind of man he is. He won’t kill his own bestfriend. He was not ‘that’ kind of man.

“You called for me, appa?”

“We’re going to Hyejin’s birthday party. Wear something pretty,”

As for Hyejin, I kind of understand how she felt. If I tried putting myself in her shoes, I might have hated myself too.

I nodded and excused myself to my room without any complain.

[End of Point of View]

Raeyeon decided to put on her orange sherbet knee-length satin dress. It was one of her best satin dress she had. She wanted to look nice for the party although she knew she is an unwelcome guest there.

She hurried herself downstairs and saw her father stood by the front door, checking his watch over and over again. His assistant, Lee teuk, stood beside him with a huge present which she believes will belong to Hyejin.

“Sorry I’m late,” she muttered and her father coughed.

“Let’s go.” He said. Not even wanted to compliment her daughter’s beauty and walked out the door.

After thirty minutes of silence in the car, they finally arrived within Hyejin’s big mansion. The mansion was built near the Han River which makes the scenery more beautiful at night.

It was huge alright. The lights glitter the house pretty well. It was like a castle to Raeyeon. She had to admit. Although her father was rich, but Hyejin was richer.

Hyejin lived alone in Seoul. What Raeyeon heard from her father, Hyejin’s mother married a Japanese man and decided to stay in Japan rather than Seoul. Hyejin was keen to live in Seoul. Why? Raeyeon pretended to not notice anything.

Unlike Hyejin, Raeyeon lost her mother when she was born. She died while giving birth to her. At least, that’s what she had in common with Hyejin. Losing a parent.

Raeyeon and Shinman entered the ball room. It was warm inside. This was the second time Raeyeon visited Hyejin’s mansion. The first time was when her father told Hyejin about her father’s death. The day when Hyejin yelled she hated her.

The butler took their coats and disappeared through the crowds. “Don’t make any commotion, Raeyeon. You know how I hate it,” Shinman warned her daughter and she nodded.

From far, Raeyeon saw Hyejin walked towards them with her assistant but her side. Lee Jonghyun, if she was not mistaken. She had seen him a lot around Hyejin. It’s like he’ll never leave her side.

“Uncle Shinman,” Hyejin greeted Shinman with a hug. “Thanks for coming,” she smiled.

“My pleasure my darling. You look beautiful today,” he paused. “Here, I have your present,” he exclaimed and Lee Teuk handed Jonghyun the huge gift.

Both Hyejin and Raeyeon exchanged glances. Hyejin had a smirk on her face.

“You didn’t have to,” Hyejin chuckled while making her innocent face again. “Please enjoy the party..”

Shinman was delighted to see Hyejin’s smiling. He feared she wouldn’t smile at all. He excused himself and strode towards the people he knew and greeted them.

Raeyeon took a last glimpse at her father before facing Hyejin.

“I see you’ve come..” Hyejin started.

“Happy Birthday Hyejin,” Raeyeon cut her. She didn’t want to pick a fight.

“My present?”

“I don’t know what to get you,” she answered shortly.

“Your life would be nice.”

“Bite me.”

“Oh I will. But not today. Some other time, perhaps,” Hyejin was about to walk away when she turned and look at Raeyeon with a grin. “Enjoy the party, Raeyeon ah~” and disappeared through the crowds.

Raeyeon sighed. With that, she rambled towards the bar and asked for a glass of water. She sat there gloomily. Everything went wrong today. Her father’s cold attitude on her never changes. He adores Hyejin and only Hyejin alone. Hyejin too never did change with her feelings of hatred. Raeyeon sighed again. Perhaps she’ll grow old and die like this. Life is no fun.

[Kang Hyejin’s Point of View]

“Enjoy the party, Raeyeon ah~” I grinned and sauntered my way towards the other guys.

Park Raeyeon. I hated her. So as Park Shinman. Both of them are responsible for my father’s death and to think that I would forgive them. Hmph. Not a chance.

“How are things doing?” I asked softly to Jonghyun beside me.

“Everything is well, Miss Hyejin,” Jonghyun replied with a slight bow.

“It’s Hyejin. Jonghyun oppa. Stop using formalities with me,” I said to him. Jonghyun was like a brother to me. He was the only one who looked after me after everyone disappeared, I trust him more than anyone else. “Did you find him?” I asked with curiosity.

“Yeah. He was easy to persuade though. He’s here in this ballroom,” Jonghyun explained while making an eye contact with the guy who stood beside the tall vase.

I caught a glimpse at him. He saw me and bowed. I smiled back.

Well, now that someone is going to kill Raeyen for me. I guess I could relax now. I giggled.

[End of Point of View]

“What’s with the long face?” Jungshin asked as he placed the glass in front of Raeyeon.

“Nothing, really,” she smiled to him and took a sip of her water. She gawked around the ballroom. There are a few people she knew but she didn’t feel like talking to anyone. She watched as the crowd in front of her smiling and having a good time while she, on the other hand, having the boredom of her life.

“You know, you’ll grow old if you keep sighing like that,” Jungshin interrupted.

“Thanks,” she said and lends him the empty glass and walk off.

Jungshin chuckled. ‘Park Raeyeon. As cold as ice,’ he told himself.

Raeyeon was looking around until her father’s assistant came and said her father was looking for her and Lee Teuk led the way. Raeyeon reached the pool and saw a couple of men and she knew one of them. It was Wong Shitake. The strongest Mafia around. What she knew, no one mess around with him. One word and your throat are at stake.

“Ah~ Raeyeon ah~ come here,” Shinman called her. She did as she was told. She glimpsed at the six foot tall guy stood beside Wong. She wondered who he was.

“This is my beautiful daughter, Park Raeyeon,” Shinman introduced her. She bowed. In her mind, she was pissed. ‘What’s with the sudden beautiful there?’ she thought.

“What a beautiful girl she has grown up to be,” Wong Shitake complimented her. Both Shinman and Wong laughed like they were old buddies. “This is my son, Raeyeon. His name is Wong Takeda,” he said and shoved his son to face Raeyeon.

His son had a brunette short hair with piercings on his ears. He wore a nice sleek tuxedo that went well with his hazel eyes. He bowed and gave her a kiss on her hand. “Nice to meet you,” he winked.

She was too startled to respond. She blinked.

“Ask her for a dance Takeda,” Wong exclaimed and Takeda held out his hand for her to take. At first, she was hesitating but she placed her hand on his and they strolled back to the ballroom.

There are a lot of couples who were dancing along and they stood in the middle of the dance floor. Takeda seemed to be professional at this. Without hesitation, he slid his hand on her waist, held her hand with the other and led her with the dance.

“Park Raeyeon,” he uttered. “As beautiful as the name,” he beamed, breaking the awkwardness between the two of them.

“Thank you,” is all she could reply. She went mute again.

“You don’t adore me do you?” he asked while leaning closer.

She looked away. “Do I have a reason to?”

Before Takeda could answer her, a guy tapped his shoulder and asked Raeyeon if he could dance with Raeyeon.

Takeda exchanged looks with the guy in front of him. He couldn’t reject. He had an ego to take care of. He placed Raeyeon’s hand in the guy’s hand and made his way to the crowds.

The guy in front of her was charming. She had to say that his skin tone matched his black hair and tuxedo. He looked pale with his black round eyes.

When they started to dance, she had the urge to ask him. “Have you been losing weight?” she blurted out.

He looked at her with disbelief. He chuckled. “Have we met before?”

She shook her head. She was confused herself. She stared at his face. It feels like she knew him but she can’t seem to recall anything.

He chuckled again. “Yes, I’ve been on a diet, if it helps to answer your question,” he muttered.

She laughed. “I’m Park Raeyeon,” she introduced herself.

“Jung Yonghwa. Call me Yonghwa..”