Fan Fiction |
by chinay
"For reals?!"
HaNeul exclaimed in joy as she broke his embrace and faced him. KangTa grinned
sheepishly and nodded.
"But... what if your family says no? Like they did to Tony and JaeHee two years ago..."
Her voice trailed off in a deep sadness. What his family did to JaeHee left Tony a lifelong
scar that could not be erased, for a boy who was only 16 at the time.
"You're different from her, though. You qualify to be in the An family because you're the
daughter of the Lee Corps."
KangTa was full of confidence at this point.
"So even if I'm mixed, it's still possible that we.."
Her blue eyes stared back at him in wonderment. He liked her much better without her
dull, typical, brown contact lenses to hide her true self. If things went his way, she would
no longer have to be afraid of people making fun of her.
"Yes, silly. So don't worry and just wait for a good news, okay?"
He leaned over carefully not to touch her hurt face and brushed his lips past her earlobe.
His whisper tickled her ear gently.
"I'll not let what happened to JaeHee happen to you. I promise."
**~**~**
[Lee Residence]
The rest of the BIG 5 was having a tea party in means to celebrate Tony's comeback.
Except WooHyuk; he had a secondary purpose as to why he was at JaeWon's house.
"It's past 8 pm! Where the hell is she?!"
WooHyuk cried in frustration as he walked nonceasingly back and forth across the main
room, checking and rechecking the clock every 5 minutes.
"What a disgrace that you use such language, WooHyuk."
HeeJun scoffed and gave WooHyuk a look as he continued.
"And since when did you care about her so much anyway?"
"I don't!" WooHyuk shouted.
"I think she's probably out with KangTa, since he's the one who came to pick her up this
morning," JaeWon replied. "Oh well, she'll be back in time, unless she wants to sleep at a
doghouse which she always should."
Tony, who was sitting in a rockingchair with his fingers locked, had been silent throughout
the evening. But he broke his silence when he heard JaeWon.
"Do you always speak about your sister that way?"
Everyone's eyes shifted to Tony at that instant. JaeWon shot him a chilly look.
"For one thing, she is not my sister, she's an illegitimate."
Tony took off his glasses and probed JaeWon in skepticism and contemplated at his
atrocious response.
"I just never comprehended why you guys want to kill a mockingbird so desperately. She
is such a nice girl and has never done any wrong, yet you guys still pick on her solely
because she's mixed. What is the deal with that?"
Tony's keen statement struck everyone in the room as a surprise.
"It irks me that she doesn't stand up for herself. It makes me want to torture her even
more," said WooHyuk.
Tony chuckled in sarcasm.
"You sure learned the right way to show your affection, didn't you?"
"What affection?! Don't talk like you know everything, Tony."
WooHyuk retorted.
The room was once again filled with quietness, until Tony decided that he should argue
back.
"Well, maybe the reason she doesn't defend herself is because..."
He was interrupted by the sound of a car engine in front of JaeWon's house. WooHyuk
hurried to the giant window by the front door and looked out to see if it was her.
He scowled when he recognized the familiar Eclipse and its owner.
KangTa got out of the car and went around to open the door for his lady.
"Thanks, this was the best birthday I've ever had in my life."
HaNeul came out with an illuminating smile. She was holding a bouquet of red tulips in
her arms.
"All because you deserve it."
KangTa flashed his lovely smile back at her.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow at school, KangTa. Good night."
She gave a peck on his lips and tried to walk past him, but he decided that he wasn't going
to settle for a light good night kiss. He pulled her back and wrapped his right arm around
her waist, and his other arm around her shoulder. He drew his face closer to hers, where
his lips were destined to be.
WooHyuk trembled noticeably at this scene. It was the second time this week and his
head was about to explode with some unknown, mixed feelings. Why was he feeling so
disturbed? It was just her. Yet some indescribable anger rose from within as he continued
to watch the two in the moonlight.
KangTa finally let her go and drove off. HaNeul stood there for a moment as she watched
him. She then turned back and headed to the door, where all her happiness would end for
the day.
But she managed to keep her smile as she smelled her tulips once again. They were
getting stale so she wanted to keep them in water as soon as she got home.
WooHyuk watched her through the window and saw her radiant smile.
'Is KangTa the one who brings you smile to your face?
And I only cause you pain, don't I?
Well, I'll give you more pain since I can't give you what KangTa gives you.
Because that's just how I am.'
WooHyuk twitched in bitterness. He walked to the door to answer her ring.
"Oh, hello, WooHyuk."
She looked slightly surprised that he was at her house. But her excitement was too great
that she overlooked him and walked past him. Her disarming smile never left her face.
"TONY?!"
Her eyes grew wide when she saw Tony sitting in the main room, with HeeJun and
JaeWon.
"Hello, HaNeul. You've gotten a lot prettier while I was gone," Tony joked. "Happy
birthday."
"Why, thank you! Welcome back. Excuse me while I go upstairs and change. I will be
right back."
HaNeul then headed towards the steps.. that was, until WooHyuk approached her and
pulled her by her arm.
Soon the room was filled with tension. Her bright smile faded away and her face turned
into a cold stone. She opened her mouth as if she was programmed to do so automatically
to WooHyuk's sudden actions.
"Umm... I must go upstairs..."
"I have a birthday present for you, too."
WooHyuk interrupted her and hardened his grip on her arm.
"That.. that's nice."
She stuttered and looked at Tony, an only possible being in the room who had the heart to
help her. But Tony was intrigued in WooHyuk's next move that he was not yet ready to
be on her side.
"Well, here, I'll give it to you right now."
With that, WooHyuk let go of her arm. At the same time, he snatched the bouquet of
tulips she was holding.
"NO!"
HaNeul tried to retrieve it back, but it was too late. WooHyuk threw it violently onto the
solid floor of the huge house. He then smashed it mercilessly with his right foot, until he
was satiated with the pleasure of destroying her happiness.
"........."
She stood shocked and speechless, as she watched him stepping on her dearest gift from
the only person whom she loved, and who loved her. Just 5 minutes ago, she was the
happiest person on the earth, but now, somebody just had to ruin it... as always.
"There. This is what you get."
WooHyuk smiled evily at his deed, ready for her retaliation.
"Come on, aren't you going to say something? Tell me that you are angry. Slap me. Or
are you too afraid?"
WooHyuk taunted.
JaeWon and HeeJun just watched him. This was normal for WooHyuk. Perhaps a little
harsh on a girl's birthday, but it wasn't the first time.
Only Tony observed her with great sympathy. How she reminds him so much of JaeHee...
"........"
HaNeul's fists gradually clenched. She looked really angry for the first time. JaeWon was
quite surprised because he had never seen that look on her face.
WooHyuk smirked as he waited for her next move.
But a few seconds later, she relieved her fists from her clench. She slowly walked a
couple steps and picked up the trampled tulips, smashed to its last petals.
She brushed off the debris and carefully held them in her arms. Maybe she could press
them or something. Anything but to throw them away....
She did not glance twice at WooHyuk, or the rest for that matter. She crept upstairs
silently.
There was a long silence in the main room.
"That was kind of... interesting. I thought she was going to yell at you for the first time."
It was HeeJun who finally broke the silence.
WooHyuk just stared blankly at the direction she went. He had failed again.
"Does anybody want more tea?"
JaeWon had wisely decided to change the subject to ease the atmosphere. But apparently,
his attempt was not solid enough.
"WooHyuk," Tony began.
"I was going to say before, that the reason I think she doesn't defend herself is because..."
"Because....?" WooHyuk raised his eyebrows. He was not a very happy camper at this
moment.
"Because she just doesn't care about you. She doesn't acknowledge you as another human
being. She doesn't like you, but doesn't hate you either. Your presence has no meaning to
her."
"That's something unheard of," WooHyuk said sarcastically. "Since when did you
become an expert in psychology?"
"Ever since the first day she came to LiRa, her eyes were fixed on my cousin only. They
followed KangTa everywhere.... her deep, melancholy blue eyes.... "
Tony spoke in a low voice. His words had a profound meaning to it, which told
WooHyuk that what he was saying was nothing but the truth.
"In her world, only KangTa exists. Rest of us are nonexistent, and will remain so. I
suggest you resort to some other means of entertainment, because as far as I see it, she
just doesn't give a crap about you or what you do."
Tony spat out his words rather bluntly.
She just doesn't care, does she?
WooHyuk felt a sudden heartache. All these years, he was mean to her because he wanted
her to pay attention to him.
Maybe he had gone to the extremes. But it was probably too late that he realized it now,
because she was already in love with his friend.
Opposite of Love is not Hate,
But Indifference.
--Elie Wiesel--
Soon, they could hear a dismal sound of Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on "Greensleeves"
echoing in the house.
**********