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| Source: Google |
“Hm… What a tiring day…” she mums as she sat down. She checks her watch,
it’s 2.30 PM on Saturday. She had just finished a very long and tiring surgery
for a total of 16 hours and now she feels nothing than tired and hungry. All
she wants to do now is just to eat and lie down at home.
Her phone beeping, a new message came. Arrived.
Get down here fast. She smiled at her phone, quickly took her bag and coat then
leave her room very fast, almost half running. Not minding the fact that she it’s
only been a few minutes after she sat down at her room.
When she finally reaches the parking lot, she saw
her two favorite persons standing, waiting in front of their car.
“Mooom….!” he screams as he sees her getting out of the door and quickly
runs towards his mom with his tiny feet. He spreads his hand and throw himself
into her hug. She kneels to hold her son and smiles so brightly. It has been two
days since she last seen him. Her baby.
“I miss you…”
“Mommy misses you too.” she replied. She smiles and rain her son with
kisses. Seeing him after all a long day suddenly lift all the fatigue she felt
just now.
“How about me? You don’t miss me?” he replied with a slight jealousy.
“You went to see me at the OR last night, don’t you?” she pauses then said,
“Besides, why are you trying to compete with your own son?” She scoffs her husband who
are now pursing his lips.
“Tsk. I’m hungry, let’s just go eat!” He knows and accepted early that
those two are inseparable when they are together.
The three then walk into their car. As usual, they
are going to eat some egg drops, their son’s favorite. But Mommy choose to ride on
the back seat, making her husband even more upset because he feels left out
and treated like a driver.
“Mommy, yesterday I got 100 for drawing. My teacher said that I draw very
well, I could be an artist!” he brags to her.
“Really? What did you draw? Why don’t you show me?” she asks. He then opens
his rabbit bag and took the drawing book.
“This is a lion and an elephant, yesterday we learnt about animals at
the forest.” He then went on explaining the drawing and the story behind it.
“Wow… my Uju draws really well. Unlike someone…” she glances to her
husband at the driver seat and continues, “I don’t even know how he manage to
be a straight A's student when all we do at med school involved so many organ drawings,”
Ikjun
scoffs at his wife’s comment. She has been like that ever since they know each
other. Teasing him, making fun of him, scolds him, even smacks him easily. And
yet he still can feel that she cares about him a lot. Well, she is a very loving
and warm-hearted one indeed, not only to him but also to all the people around
her.
And now she transforms into a very
loving mother to his son. Something that has been long lost from his son’s life.
A love that even his own biological mother fails to give. And he can’t be more grateful for
that. He doesn’t mind getting scolds or hit by her even for another lifetime as
long as he can see those smile from his two most favorite person in the world.
They now arrived at the restaurant
and waiting in lines to make their order. Ikjun is still feel left out as Uju
and his mom waiting side by side while holding hands.
“Uju-ya, what should we eat?”
Songhwa asks her son with a very happy voice.
“Uju and mom will have ham and cheese, two”
“How about me?” Ikjun quickly
replies.
“Appa can have anything you
like,”
“Tsk. It still feels like yesterday
when you would say that you’re a Dad-holic. Now look at you… you’re completely
forgotten about me.”
Songhwa take a look at her husband
and said, “Really? What a thing to say to your son…” She still can't believe why did she marry him when all he does is just competing against his own son to win over her love.
“Appa, just order anything you like. Please note that Uju and mom will have two of each. Mommy must be hungry after work. Besides,
I am no longer Dad-holic, I am now Mom-holic.” Uju then winks to Songhwa and
make her laugh so bright while making Ikjun upset.
“Yah, just make it quick. I’m
hungry!” And Songhwa chooses to scolds Ikjun again. She doesn't care about how her husband feelings right now. But Ikjun knows that he can’t never ever win against
Songhwa or Uju, so he might as well just accept his fate.
Back
then in Sokcho when he confessed his love to Songhwa before leaving for Spain,
he knows that he’s doing it for his own peace of mind. He is fully aware that
it is a very selfish act and that it could ruin his twenty-year long friendship
with her. Not only his friendship with her, it might also ruin the relationship
between the five of them. But when he realizes that he’s falling for her again
after all these years, he knows that this time he shouldn’t just give up like
before.
She didn’t answer him
right away and he’s convincing himself that he would be okay with all of her decision.
He ensures her that she can take all the time she needs but when he left her,
he could see from the shadows that she is very much concerned about it. He felt
bad about that. All the way to the airport and even during his trip to Spain, all he could
think of is his confession in Sokcho. His thought going back and forth between
regretting why did he do that and hoping that she would reciprocate his love.
March 2021
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| Source: Google |
“I, Lee Ikjun, take you, Chae Songhwa
as my lawfully wedded wife and I promise to love you in every condition for the
rest of our lives. These past twenty years you have been my best friend, my
playmate, my confidant, my emotional pillar, while maintaining to be my
greatest challenge,” he pauses while he could hear the guests laughing at that last
sentence.
“But most importantly, I thank you
for staying as who you are and made me realize that there are nothing in this
world could make me happier but you… and Uju,” Songhwa laughed but her eyes
already filled with tears.
“And today, I feel truly blessed to
be able to call you my family, my wife. And I can’t wait to spend the rest of
our life together as one happy family.”
He
smiled at his beautiful bride. Never once he thought that this day would arrive
in his life. Twenty-one years of friendship with his one and only Chae Songhwa, who
are now standing here in this wedding hall in front of him, looking strikingly beautiful in that white dress.
“I, Chae Songhwa, take you Lee Ikjun
as my lawfully wedded husband and I promise to love you in every condition for
the rest our lives. You have brought such joy to my life ever since we met at
that campus halls. You bring smile to my face even after a very long and tiring
day. From this moment on, I promise to support you, to be your best friend, to
be your emotional pillar, and to keep being your greatest challenge,” she
smiles and again they could hear the guests laughing.
“I will try my best to always laugh
at your lame jokes, trying to love the city lights as much as you do, to make you love
the nature as much as I do, to make the rest of our life exciting and fun, and
most importantly to love you as much as I love Uju,” Ikjun pursed his lips at
that sentence while Songhwa exchanges looks with Uju. This couple are being
really funny, and it seems that they are here today not only to have a wedding
but also to make the guests laugh a lot.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife;
you may bow to each other and kiss the bride.” said Junwan, their best friend
who officiates the ceremony after surprisingly winning the chicken fight game against Jeongwon
and Seokhyeong.
Back then in Sokcho, when he unexpectedly visits her at her new house before leaving for Spain and confessed
his love, she knows that this time he’s being serious. Unlike the first
confession at his apartment where she feels like he’s just messing with her or
the second one where she feels that it was just the alcohol doing it. This time
he came to Sokcho, taking a two-hour long drive on the day where he was supposed
to be at the airport leaving for the symposium. He took that much effort coming there, only to leave unanswered. Because as it has always been, she never knows what’s
going on inside his head and this one is also unexpected.
She’s knows that she loves him, but she’s not sure if it’s the same love
from her med school days twenty years ago or the love as a longtime best friend.
She knows that he’s also the source of her joy for the past twenty year, but she
was also deeply hurt when he chooses to date other girl decades ago. Well it’s
not his fault though because he doesn’t know about her feelings then. And now
if she accepts his love, she knows that she would be the happiest woman in the
world but that also could wreck the friendship between the five of them which they
built for the past two decades.
But
when she tells Jeongwon, Seokhyeong, and Junwan during their weekend visit a
few weeks later about how Ikjun confessed his love to her last year here in
Sokcho, their reactions leave her speechless. They laugh so hard, like they don’t
care that she was dead serious about their friendship and that she doesn’t want
to ruin it by having a romantic relationship with Ikjun.
“How did you thought that we would
be against you two being together?” said Junwan after he finally able to stop
laughing.
“He’s right, Songhwa-ya… as a matter
of fact, all these years I’ve been wondering why there’s nothing happened
between the two of you. You guys are so made for each other,” adds Jeongwon.
“Songhwa-ya, if you’re in love with
him, then you should be with him. I know that many things have changed all
these years and marrying him might be difficult now because of his status, but….”
“Marriage?” she cuts Seokhyeong’s
words, “Yah, we’re not even together yet, what are you talking about.”
“Songhwa-ya, I know early on that
your love for Ikjun are different than your love for the three of us. You care
for him more than you care for yourself and it doesn’t change even after he’s married
and have a kid. You know that. You now even love his kid as well. Now that he is divorced and
there’s a chance for you two to be together, that amount of love guys have for
each other is enough proof that you guys will be fine together,”
Seokhyeong was right.
It always amazed her how that quiet-bear can always understand his friends so
well while he can’t even understand his own self. And what he said tonight was
right, they will be fine. And she’s ready to give an answer to Ikjun.
April 2020
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| Source: Google |
It’s Saturday
night, and they had just finished their band practice and they are now eating
budaejjigae for dinner. A day off like this became a very special treat for them as doctors
after battling with huge numbers of patients during these hard times. Especially
for Ikjun, as he unable go back to his house for the past few weeks because it would
be too risky for Uju to meet him.
Even
though he misses him a lot, he can only meet him through video call, but Mr. Positive Mind always have a way to look at the brighter side. Half
joking, he said that he is slowly transitioning into Seokhyeong real son as he is now staying
in one of the rooms in his Dad’s large house.
“Ah, I also miss Uju,” said Songhwa
without thought. Ikjun was taken by surprised and choked. Without she realizes she’s
now worried about him, “Yah, are you okay? Here, drink this.”
Ikjun
knows that Songhwa loves children and that she likes Uju a lot, but he doesn’t understand
himself why he’s so surprised with what she said. Maybe he is too carried away
by his feelings, he’s not sure.
Jeongwon,
Junwan, and Seokhyeong are now staring at her in disbelief. Ikjun is still choking
while Songhwa pats at his back. When she realizes that they are staring, she
asks in confusion, “Why? What’s wrong?”
Jeongwon was about to say something
but chooses to say, “Nothing.”
“Songhwa-ya, are you that worried that Ikjun gets choked?” Junwan adds with his teasing tone. “Then get married, already!”
Ikjun who
finally able to manage his breath while drinking choked once again, making Jeongwon
swears at him because he spat the water to his sleeves. “Disgusting jerk.”
Songhwa
swears at Junwan with her laser stare demanding him to shut his mouth. While Seokhyeong
finally speaks up, “Ikjun-ah, we know that you confess your love to Songhwa in
Sokcho last year. Why didn’t you tell us? We could’ve help you; you know…”
Ikjun tilts
his head to see Songhwa, asking for explanation of what is going on. Why those
three knows about what happened in Sokcho. Why he doesn’t know that those three
knows. Especially what did she said to those three about it.
Songhwa
took a few seconds of pause trying to compose what to say inside her head. She
sighed and continues, “I told them… when they visit me in Sokcho last month, I
told them about it. I’m sorry,” Her gaze is fixed into the floor.
“and then….” Ikjun quickly replied.
But Songhwa took another pause, instead of giving him an answer. Her eyes are
still fixated on to the ground.
“She said she loves you too, you fool!”
Jeongwon interrupts frustratedly because he can’t take another second of this
nerve-wrecking silence.
Jeongwon
is relieved, Junwan and Seokhyeong sighed in relieve as well. Those lovebirds make
them feel like they are watching a cringe-inviting melodrama. They hate it.
Ikjun
can’t believe his ears but his cheeks are slowly raising. Without him knowing, he
smiles at what Jeongwon had said. He had mix feelings though. He’s happy to
know that she loves him back but kind of upset that those pricks got to know it before him. The only thing he wants to hear know is her confirmation, so he asks her, “You
do?”
Songhwa
lift her head slowly and finally gaze into his eyes. She could feel his
happiness by looking at him and she knows that she made the right decision, “I
do.” She smiles at him.
The other guys
can’t believe their eyes and shout, “You guys are cringy!” But Ikjun and
Songhwa doesn’t care about them right now. He opens his arms wide, ready to hug
her. She buried herself into his hugs and they are enjoying each other presence
like never before.
Junwan, Jeongwon, and Seokhyeong exchanges
looks and then nodded to each other. They stand up and quickly walk towards the
lovebirds to give them a group hug. The lacking five stays in the group hug for
few more minutes, feeling blessed that they have each other after all these years.
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| source: Google |
