LIFETIME
Part 3
Yonghwa and Seohyun parted ways after dinner. She went inside her car but can’t bring herself to drive but she has to or her best friend will notice that she has a problem. She found herself driving to her sister’s dance studio.
She called her older sister, Hyoyeon.
“Unnie, are you perhaps free tonight?” Seohyun asked when her sister answered the phone
“Of course, I always have time for you. Why?” Hyoyeon asked and she don’t know how to answer that question. She’s supposed to be happy, very happy for her best friend but why can’t she be just that.
She swallowed to remove the lump in her throat before answering her sister but before she can answer, her sister said “Seohyun-ah, do you want to grab a beer?”
“Yes unnie, can we do that?” she replied.
“Of course, we can. Where are you right now? I am in the dance studio. Can you go here?” Hyoyeon asked and Seohyun noticed a hint of worry in her sister’s voice.
“Yes unnie, I just arrived in the parking lot of your studio.”
“I’ll finish up with the practice and I’ll meet you in the lobby.”
“Yes unnie, see you. Thank you!”
“See you!”
She went out of her car and sat on one of the couches in the lobby, listening to Lifetime, a song from Ben&Ben. The song speaks to her, she thinks of Yong while listening to the song. She is on the verge of crying when her sister tried to scare her by hiding behind her back and removing one of her earphones.
She cleared her throat and wiped her tears before facing her sister. “Unnie, I didn’t notice that you’re here already.” she said trying to hide the sadness in her voice. She’s admitted to herself that she is indeed sad while driving to the dance studio.
“Well, let’s go to the nearest barbecue place and grab some soju and beer.” Hyoyeon said while smiling at her. She forces a smile back and followed her sister. They decided to leave their cars on the parking lot of the dance studio.
“So, Seohyun- ah, how are you today?” she feels like a child being asked of what happened at school just that she’s not a child and they are in a place not suited for a child.
She sipped a beer before speaking “Yong and I met and had dinner today. We had pasta, his favorite.” She smiles sadly while telling her sister about her day.
“I guess he’s not that busy. It’s the first time meeting him in months, right? Hyoyeon unnie asked.
“Yeah, I guess he’s not and he’s going to have more free time for the next two weeks but he’ll be busy with something else.” Seohyun tells her sister.
“He’ll be busy with what?” Hyoyeon asked.
“Can you believe that he finally has plans to get married?” She intended it to sound happy but her real emotions came out.
“That’s great! But why do you feel the opposite?” Hyoyeon asked her frankly. Her sister knows her too well that she can’t hide anything from her.
“I don’t know or maybe I do know but I just can’t bring myself to admit it.” She answers honestly. “I’m afraid that the speculations I have in my mind is actually true.” She continues.
Her unnie just listens to her while grilling and while filling her bowl with meat.
“I suspect that I like him, not just as a friend but as a man but I don’t want to admit it because I’m scared that it will ruin our friendship. We’ve been friends since when we were little and I don’t want to lose that kind of friendship. Also, I know that I am the only one who sees him in that light.” Seohyun speaks her mind and heart to her trusted sister.
Looking at her sister, she realizes something. Hyoyeon unnie seems to know how she feels towards her best friend. She’s not surprised of her confession.
“I don’t know why I feel and why I am acting this way when I know full well that we will settle down one day. We will have our own families in the future but I guess I am not prepared or am I hoping that one day, just maybe, one day he confesses that he loves me as well and we’ll be together.”
She’s glad that her sister did not interrupt her while talking about how she feels for Yonghwa.
“Seohyunie, you know you’re smart, right? You chose your friendship over the chance of having your love reciprocated. I know you chose to protect your friendship and you have to stand with that decision, especially now that he has plans of getting married. I know you can understand what I am talking about. Cry over it, drink, sing and listen to sad songs. Avoid him if you want. Do what you can to move on. I’ll be here for you.” Hyoyeon unnie tells her. “I am not telling you to give up but if you think that this is a losing battle then do give up.” Hyoyeon continues.
She cries while hearing her sister talk, she knows that what Hyoyeon unnie tells her is true and she knows that she brought this to herself. How can she expect a different relationship with Yong when she failed to muster up the courage to tell him how she feels. She failed to take the risk and now she’s left with what if’s.
